35

Lirael's POV

First thing Monday morning, Nathan asks me to come to his office. I drop into one of the chairs on the other side of his desk and grab a chocolate chip muffin from the tray his assistant lays out for him every morning. He Never eats any of it.

“I’m assuming you want to know how the trip to Chicago went?” I say when he doesn’t look up from the papers in front of him. It’s a classic Nathan power play that he learned from Dad. I became immune to it long ago.

He finally looks up. “Among other things, yes.”

“The site is good,” I say. “Zephyra had some thoughts on maximizing the view.”

His cool gray eyes take me in. “She did, did she?”

I meet his gaze unflinchingly. “Yes. She’s a very talented architect.” “I’m sure it’s her architectural talents you’re interested in.”

I won’t confirm I’m sleeping with her, even if he suspects it, but I won’t let him disparage her skills, either. “She’s excellent at what she does, and you’d know that if you bothered to look at any of the plans.”