towards her, but she stopped him with a finger. "Wait. Listen first. There is real reason for you to be concerned with August. He has abilities of his own. I can feel them. I have yet to figure out if those abilities will be useful or not worth the problems they will bring, however."
Anton's eyes were locked to her face—rapt attention, awe—and slowly his hand began to slide up her flowing skirt. "What do I need to do?"
She smiled. "We need to keep them apart. Doren doesn't yet realise his strength. And August doesn't even know of his. The less time they are together, the better. Perhaps we can find a distraction?"
He lifted himself to his knees and pulled her forward, towards him. "That will be easy. I'll send the girls. And you, can you do something about keeping them here for as long as we need? Can you stop that little prick from making off with my star?"
"Anton," Morana sighed. "I can do anything."
Doren
The rain started to fall before they reached the hotel. "I told you we should have got a cab," Doren said, water dripping from the spiked ends of his hair. He shook himself like a dog, spraying the lobby and chuckling as August fisted his own hair in an attempt to battle the streaming water. Their clothes were pasted to their bodies, and Doren found himself fighting a losing battle to keep his eyes off August's form. For a small guy, the man had some damn nice definition in his chest and upper arms.
"You," he said, pointing at August almost accusingly, "are soaked through."
"I'm fine. And walking is good for you." August replied. "But we should get you dried off before you catch pneumonia and we prove to Anton just how right he is about my assistant qualities."
"God forbid," Doren shuddered, grinning at the acid in August's voice.
He followed August down the hall, snagging August's arm and nudging him towards the stairs just before the elevator button was pushed. They made it to the fourth flight before August stopped, winded. "Why do you always take the stairs anyway?"
"You're the one who said walking was good for you. So walk!"
"Humph!" August grumbled. "That was outside. There are no stairs there."
The hall was freezing, their fingers chilled to useless, and Doren fumbled for his entry card at the door of his room. But he had no trouble reaching for and stopping August when August turned to leave. "Come in. Please. I'll make the coffee this time."
August laughed and the sound of it, even as Doren wanted to smack the suspicion off August's face, made Doren feel like a kid being offered candy. He leaned against the door and tried his best look-how-cool-and-hot-I-am pose.
"No. I need to dry off and start making some calls."
"Please," Doren mock-pouted. "I don't want to be alone."
August shrugged, walking away. "So call someone. I can get a number for you if you want."
Doren tsk'd, drew himself off the wall, and trailed after August, shoving his palm in the way of the slide-lock when August tried to push his card in. "Not for that, smartass. Just for company. I promise. Please, Auggie. I don't even care if you're just making your calls or doing your work. Do whatever. Just do it with me so I don't have to sit in the room by myself."
August didn't even try to look anything but unconvinced.
"Consider it an office away from the office. I'll probably just sleep anyway."
When August tried to align the card yet again, Doren snapped it from between his fingers. "Can't you ever do anything I ask you to the first time? My room is bigger. I have wireless, phones, fax service—everything and anything you need. So stop being an asshole and just come over and give me some fucking company, okay?"
Doren's heart raced at the sigh August gave him. Something in the air whispered agreement to the sudden rush of heat: "He's giving in." One more push, one more reason, just one more feather on the scale and Doren might be able to make this work. "Besides, we didn't get lunch, remember? We can order room service. My
Anton's eyes were locked to her face—rapt attention, awe—and slowly his hand began to slide up her flowing skirt. "What do I need to do?"
She smiled. "We need to keep them apart. Doren doesn't yet realise his strength. And August doesn't even know of his. The less time they are together, the better. Perhaps we can find a distraction?"
He lifted himself to his knees and pulled her forward, towards him. "That will be easy. I'll send the girls. And you, can you do something about keeping them here for as long as we need? Can you stop that little prick from making off with my star?"
"Anton," Morana sighed. "I can do anything."
Doren
The rain started to fall before they reached the hotel. "I told you we should have got a cab," Doren said, water dripping from the spiked ends of his hair. He shook himself like a dog, spraying the lobby and chuckling as August fisted his own hair in an attempt to battle the streaming water. Their clothes were pasted to their bodies, and Doren found himself fighting a losing battle to keep his eyes off August's form. For a small guy, the man had some damn nice definition in his chest and upper arms.
"You," he said, pointing at August almost accusingly, "are soaked through."
"I'm fine. And walking is good for you." August replied. "But we should get you dried off before you catch pneumonia and we prove to Anton just how right he is about my assistant qualities."
"God forbid," Doren shuddered, grinning at the acid in August's voice.
He followed August down the hall, snagging August's arm and nudging him towards the stairs just before the elevator button was pushed. They made it to the fourth flight before August stopped, winded. "Why do you always take the stairs anyway?"
"You're the one who said walking was good for you. So walk!"
"Humph!" August grumbled. "That was outside. There are no stairs there."
The hall was freezing, their fingers chilled to useless, and Doren fumbled for his entry card at the door of his room. But he had no trouble reaching for and stopping August when August turned to leave. "Come in. Please. I'll make the coffee this time."
August laughed and the sound of it, even as Doren wanted to smack the suspicion off August's face, made Doren feel like a kid being offered candy. He leaned against the door and tried his best look-how-cool-and-hot-I-am pose.
"No. I need to dry off and start making some calls."
"Please," Doren mock-pouted. "I don't want to be alone."
August shrugged, walking away. "So call someone. I can get a number for you if you want."
Doren tsk'd, drew himself off the wall, and trailed after August, shoving his palm in the way of the slide-lock when August tried to push his card in. "Not for that, smartass. Just for company. I promise. Please, Auggie. I don't even care if you're just making your calls or doing your work. Do whatever. Just do it with me so I don't have to sit in the room by myself."
August didn't even try to look anything but unconvinced.
"Consider it an office away from the office. I'll probably just sleep anyway."
When August tried to align the card yet again, Doren snapped it from between his fingers. "Can't you ever do anything I ask you to the first time? My room is bigger. I have wireless, phones, fax service—everything and anything you need. So stop being an asshole and just come over and give me some fucking company, okay?"
Doren's heart raced at the sigh August gave him. Something in the air whispered agreement to the sudden rush of heat: "He's giving in." One more push, one more reason, just one more feather on the scale and Doren might be able to make this work. "Besides, we didn't get lunch, remember? We can order room service. My
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