Chapter 359: I Slept Fine

"You’re intolerable," April muttered, quickly averting her eyes, though a small, helpless smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"Intolerable?" Nat purred, turning back around and taking a slow, heavy stride toward the stairs. "I recall you begging for ’intolerable’ last night, sweetheart. In fact, if my memory serves me right..."

"Your memory serves you far too well, Collins," Alexander’s voice interrupted smoothly as he stepped into the foyer.

Alexander was fully dressed in a navy shirt, looking composed, except for the faint, dark mark visible just beneath his collar. His blue eyes flicked up the stairs toward April, a soft, possessive warmth replacing his usual icy demeanor.

He glanced down at her hand, his eyes locking onto the silver ring still resting snugly on her middle finger. A quiet, satisfied smirk touched his lips.

"Good afternoon, April," Alexander murmured softly, walking past Nat to stand near the bottom of the staircase. "Did you sleep well?"

"I... I slept fine," April managed to say, folding her arms over her chest as she tried to ignore the fact that all three men in the hall were staring at her like she was still laid out on that dining table.

Xavier stepped out from the kitchen holding a hot mug of coffee, his dark hair slightly rumpled, his raspy voice cutting in softly. "She slept well because Samuel made sure she was taken care of."

April looked at Samuel and smiled. "I know Samuel’s the only one I can rely on,"

The compliment was enough to make his ears burn red.

"I am merely fulfilling my duties as your High Steward, Miss April," Samuel replied, his tone smooth as silk, though the telltale crimson flush spread rapidly across the tips of his ears. He bowed his head slightly, adjusting his glasses with a single, rigid finger to hide his breach of composure. "Your comfort and well-being will always remain my highest priority."

April’s smile softened as she watched him. Even without any romantic involvement between them, Samuel looked after her with a quiet, unmatched devotion that eclipsed everyone else in the house. The others seemed to recognize it too; for all their possessive rivalry, none of them ever disputed Samuel’s authority when it came to her care.

Stepping down the last few stairs, April let her gaze sweep over the grand foyer. "Has anyone seen Emily?"

"Miss Emily is currently in the rose garden," Samuel offered smoothly, stepping in behind her. "With..." He paused for a fraction of a second, a subtle flicker in his dark eyes.

April already had an inkling of where this was heading. "Philippe Russo?"

"Precisely," Samuel confirmed.

April stopped dead in her tracks, turning her head toward Xavier in sheer disbelief. "What? He’s here already?! Xavier, you brought him to the estate?"

Xavier held up one hand in a smooth defense, instantly washing his hands of the blame. "Do not look at me like that, April. It was at Miss Emily’s request. He arrived early this morning."

He took a slow, unhurried sip of his coffee, his dark eyes sparkling with cool, quiet amusement behind the rim of his mug as he neatly dodged the accusation.

"I was merely an accommodating host, April," Xavier said, setting his cup down on the marble console. "Miss Emily expressed a strong desire to spend the day with him, but since you had not woken up and no one wanted to disturb you, she could not take permission to leave. As such, she suggested this. As her guardian’s... close associate, how could I possibly refuse?"

"You mean you used your leverage to move him in early," Nat corrected with a dark chuckle, resting a heavy arm on the banister as he smirked up at April. "Don’t act like you’re doing it out of the goodness of your heart, Saint. You just wanted your new star chef under lock and key before the apocalypse hits."

"That is not entirely false, but I had no intentions of brining him in early either," Xavier countered without a hint of shame, shifting his dark gaze back to April. "He is currently preparing a light afternoon spread in the garden conservatory for your sister. I assured him that if his culinary performance disappointed her in any way, his contract would be promptly terminated."

What was the use of that when Emily was already so deeply enamoured with him?

April let out a soft, exasperated sigh, though the subtle warmth in her chest betrayed her stern expression. She smoothed down her oversized pajamas and began stepping down the last of the grand staircase.

"I suppose I should go check on them before Emily decides to adopt him permanently," April murmured, though a fond, gentle curve touched her lips.

As she reached the landing, Alexander stepped seamlessly into her path. His tall, broad frame blocked her way just enough to force her to stop, his sharp blue eyes dropping to her middle finger where his silver ring caught the ambient light of the foyer.

"Before you go," Alexander murmured, his low voice a velvet rumble that made her pulse flutter. He reached out, his fingers lightly catching her chin and pulling her gently forward as he planted a quick, firm kiss on her lips.

The heat of his mouth lingered against hers for a lingering second, intoxicating and possessive, before he pulled back just far enough to look into her slightly dazed eyes. A quiet, triumphant smirk touched his lips as his thumb brushed over her bottom lip.

"Now you may go," Alexander said softly, stepping aside with effortless, aristocratic grace.

"You’re unbelievable, Greels," Nat growled out, though a wicked, dangerous grin spread across his face as he pushed himself off the banister. He sauntered right into April’s path next, his broad, shirtless frame practically blocking out the foyer light. "If he gets a goodbye kiss, I’m taking my interest with extra interest."

Before April could protest, Nat’s hand cupped the back of her neck, pulling her up onto her tiptoes. His mouth slammed onto hers in a deep, bruising kiss that smelled faintly of dark liquor and pure, unbridled desire.

His tongue swept past her lips, claiming her thoroughly right in front of the others, his hand sliding down to squeeze her waist firmly through her oversized pajamas.

A breathless moan escaped April’s throat, her knees buckling slightly until Nat finally released her with a low, satisfied chuckle, wiping his lower lip with the back of his hand.

"Much better," Nat drawled, his amber eyes burning with dark heat. "Now go see your twin."

"Careful, Collins. You’ll give our lady a headache before she even reaches the garden," Xavier’s raspy voice cut in smoothly. He stepped up beside April, his long fingers lightly tracing the side of her arm down to her wrist.

He didn’t steal a kiss, but the intense, dark promises swirling in his eyes as he looked down at her flushed face made her heart hammer wildly against her ribs. "Go on, April."

April took a steadying breath, her cheeks blazing a deep, undeniable crimson as she smoothed down her pajamas for the third time, trying—and utterly failing—to recover her dignity. She shot a quick, helpless look at Samuel, who simply bowed his head.