“You don’t look the type to be eating Chinese food,” I said, raising my eyes from his torso to look at his face. I was too forward sometimes.
His eyes crinkled at the sides with a warm smile. “Neither do you. I’m Jack.” He held out his hand and I shook it.
“Lacey.” I smiled, feeling my face warm and my heartbeat quickened as I turned to the other man.
He took my hand lifted it to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. “Blake,” he said, his blue eyes staring into mine and I smiled. He was just as gorgeous, similar in height but much leaner, more athletic in build and his hair was as black as coal but shinier and his features sharper. More angular, I’d say. But it was his beautiful eyes that mesmerised me, as blue as a summer sky. He curved one side of his lip and I emitted a light hum. “Tell us more.”
“Just a student,” I said far too quickly but I’d trained for too many years in the art of making conversation without discussing myself. Apparently, my secret was valuable, though it was that—a secret—I didn’t learn what it was. Maybe the secret had died with my parents that night or one day Clay would disclose what my father meant over the years. Because I knew there was something more than becoming the Queen of our Kingdom.
I tried to remain composed as I glanced between the men. It didn’t do any good because they were gorgeous and smelled so good. I hummed again and my eyes opened wide at my failure to keep myself composed.
Calm yourself, Lacey.
“What’s wrong?” Blake asked.
I tried to swallow discretely and shook my head.
Blake laughed. “I’m making you nervous.”
“And why would you want to do that?” I asked, but I couldn’t stop my lips from curling up in a large smile.
“He wants to see you blush,” Jack said.
“And why would he do that?” I replied and grinned, turning my mobile phone face down on the table.
“Because it’s sexy,” Jack said.
They looked at each other, smiling, and turned back to me.
“Really, and there was me thinking you were a couple,” I said, cheekily and winked. I took a quick swig of my water.
Jack laughed out loud, and Blake raised his eyes and shook his head.
“Only when we are sharing someone,” Jack said. “But that would make us a…” he didn’t finish his sentence with a word, only a wink.
I spat my water all over the table. “Oh…”
A throat cleared behind me and I turned to see Clay stood behind me, I jumped out of my chair, wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hug. Very happy he saved me from that conversation.
“I thought you were going to call off,” I said and nodded to his two bodyguards… and his chef.
What the f—.
They’d all been around for as long as I could remember, they never aged, something all paranormals could do. We could stop the ageing process at a point in life we were happy. They smiled and nodded to me.
“Happy birthday, Lacey,” said Yuri. He was Russian, but with the perfect command of the English language. We used to sit and play games together when I was younger, mainly when my family visited my uncle.
I wrapped my arms around him next. “Thank you, I’ve missed you.”
Yuri smiled. “You’ve not had enough time to miss me.”
Clay cleared his throat again.
I laughed. “Oh, Clay, you know you’re my favourite.” I winked at Yuri.
“I’m your only family, so of course, I’m your favourite. Give me another hug,” he said with a smile on his face.
I put my arms around Clay’s waist. He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me close to him, and kissed the top of my head. “Happy birthday, Princess.” I stayed in his embrace for some time, his arms tightened around my back. He was the only person who called me Princess now that my father was dead. As long as dickhead in class didn’t call me it again. “It’ll be okay.”