The Mate He Rejected
The cold mist from the courtyard still clung to my skin.
"There are two bedrooms down the hall," Cullen said, taking off his suit jacket and tossing it over the back of the velvet sofa. He loosened his silk tie, pulling it free from his collar. "Yours is the one on the left. The luggage has already been unpacked."
"Thank you," I said, watching the flames dance over the logs.
"We don't have much time to rest," Cullen continued. He walked over to a small crystal decanter on a side table and poured two fingers of amber liquor into a glass. "The welcome gala starts at eight o'clock tonight."