Free Scorpio Sons 4: Chase: (SF/Shifter Romance) by Nhys Glover Page B

with.”
    His arrogance was annoying. She was too good to clean the Sons rooms; he was too busy with important tasks to come with her to sort out her life. He expected her to drop everything and be at his beck and call, and give nothing in return. Fury began to build inside her.
    “Message received. You have more important tasks than dealing with me and my needs. I get that. So how do we do this? When does this...whatever this is between us... start?” She lifted her chin and stared into his light-brown eyes.
    Chase’s pupils shrank and his nostrils flared at her tone. “Now. It starts now. Is this room suitable, or do I need to find us better quarters?”
    She glanced around. The space was large enough, but it was dark and sterile, and that reminded her too much of her life in Russia. She wanted light and colour and the beautiful things that he could clearly afford. She wanted a view!
    “I thought you said there weren’t any others? And this feels like a dungeon. I want a room above ground where I can look outside and see the sun.”
    “You can’t. This is a secret headquarters. The only way it stays secret is by being underground. And there aren’t any other rooms. I was thinking of swapping with someone else if need be. But I can have a large screen TV installed in here that has a live feed from outside. It will feel like you’re looking out your window. Will that suffice?”
    She considered that. It wasn’t perfect, but she could probably handle it for the length of time it took him to get bored with her, with some modifications.
    “Okay, but I need to decorate the room. I know it’s crazy. I know you probably think there are far more important things for me to focus on than home decoration, like tracking down the monsters who took me captive. But unless I have a space that makes me feel comfortable, that I choose, I won’t relax enough to focus. I can’t be trapped again in a room someone else decorated to suit themselves.” Her mind flashed to that girly bedroom her last Protector set her up in. She still couldn’t look at pink without feeling fear and abhorrence rising to overwhelm her.
    “The carpet is okay, nice and thick and a pretty dark blue, but the rest is bare and plain. There’s enough space in here for a lot more furniture.”
    “Get Caleb to show you how to order stuff on-line, if you don’t already know. Make it good quality, but don’t get carried away. Good quality, American, handmade items using recycled wood helps the economy and looks good. But before you get started on that, write me a list of items you want collected from your apartment, a figure that will satisfy your roommate while she gets herself someone to take over your rent, and the details of your employment. If you have friends, write them letters telling them you have a new job in San Francisco and give them Scanlan Industries’ address.”
    “I...I don’t really have friends. Just workmates and a few people I know from my martial arts class. Can I train while I’m here?” she asked.
    “There’s any number of guys who can train you here. I do a bit too, just for physical fitness. Come on, I’ll take you back to Caleb. But remember, I’ll have to hurt him if you let him step out of line again. And he’s the best IT guy we have.”
    “I didn’t encourage him the last time. He was just being kind. He felt sorry for me.”
    “Yeah, whatever. I get it, but my cat doesn’t. So just be warned.”
    She nodded, hunching her shoulders. This guy was really getting on her nerves. The sooner he lost interest, the better.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    For the rest of the afternoon Chase left Anna with Alyssa and Caleb, slightly more confident his new mate would not be bothered by the attentions of his men.
    He'd felt the roller-coaster ride of anxiety ebbing when she returned to the hotel, and then rising inside him again the moment he'd looked at her closely. Dressed in jeans that hugged her long, slim legs; wearing makeup that