I hummed to myself as I twirled in front of Eddie while we walked down the hall to our room. Tangram leapt about in front of me, trying to bat my jacket I swirled around. Eddie had his hands shoved deep in his pockets, eyes hooded and brooding. All through dinner, he had been attentive if my wine glass needed refilling, or if I needed the salt or pepper. Once dinner was over, his gloom had returned due to my chattiness to Miguel about what an intelligent man Roberto was when it came to the estate.

Back in our room, Eddie stripped his jacket off, tossing it neatly over a chair on the way to the bathroom. I heard him run a bath as I changed into my pajamas. After getting back from horseback riding, I had taken my shower and bathed Tangram. For a moment I sat brushing his fur before strolling into the bathroom.

"I missed you today, Tiger," I said kneeling at the side of the tub by his head. I combed his hair back with my fingers, tracing a bead of sweat down his temple.

He opened one eye, looked at me, and then shut it again, frowning.

"You are so cute when you're angry and jealous, Eddie," I laughed.

"Go away. I'm trying to forget the events of today," he grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest and sinking further into the water.

I leaned over and kissed his check. He twitched, his frown deepening. A lick of his cheek got a grunt in response. When I kissed his ear, he fully submerged, his face looking as if he were sucking on a lemon. Rolling my eyes, I left the bathroom.

"Fine, Edward! Be stubborn! Tell me to do something and then get angry when I do it! Just like a man!" I plopped myself on the bed and stood Tangram on his hind paws. "Why? You're male. Tell me. Why do they act like this? And they think women are hard to understand!"

Tangram looked up at me, blinked, and wiggled free. I watched as he jumped to the floor and flicked his tail at me. He climbed into one of the chairs, curling into a ball and putting his tail over his eyes, making certain I knew the conversation was over.

"You too?! What is this? You... Males! Fine! Both of you can sleep in chairs tonight!" Lying down, I pulled the covers over my head, grumbling. "Roberto makes me listen to the grand plans for his wedding and how beautiful Maria is for half the ride, instead of answering most of my questions about the estate. Then my damned boyfriend thinks that I have the hots for this guy, when I obviously just want to be around him. Then, then the one male I think I can trust unconditionally, decides to go off on his own when I just want someone to talk to and cuddle with! Stupid trip! Stupid males!"

It was my turn to scowl when Eddie got into bed not five minutes later, and I was going to make the most of it. He tried to pull the covers off of my head, but I held them tight.

"Chair!" I growled, thrusting a hand out and pointing in the general direction of his makeshift bed.

"No," he said simply, pulling me against him.

When I started to struggle, he pinned me, holding my wrists in his hands. In a second, he had removed my ring and tossed it onto the nightstand. Snarling, I renewed my struggle, angry that he had figured out what even the doctors at Arkham couldn't: how to remove my ring. He held me down more firmly, using his body. Panting, I stopped.

"Get off me, Eddie!"

"Ah, so it's Eddie. That means that you aren't terribly mad at me." He kissed my shoulder. "I just don't want to be scratched when I say what I'm about to. Yes, I am jealous. You're mine, and only mine. When another man comes near you, you can bet I'm going to be jealous," he said, licking my Jade Tiger Triad tattoo on my shoulder.

"That's because you blatantly ignore me when I tell you I love you, or reassure you." Taking a deep breath, I slowly exhaled. "Get off me, would you? Then maybe I can prove that you have nothing to worry about."

"You won't scratch me for what I just said?"

"No. But if you don't move now, I will scratch you for not moving your ass!"

Eddie pulled back quickly, smiling nervously as I glared at him, tossing the covers back. I turned my back on him and pulled my tank top off, twisting my hair together and pulling it over my right shoulder.

"Tell me, Eddie. Would I have done this if I didn't love you? If I wanted to chase after every other man that comes along?" I snapped, as I glared at him over my shoulder.

"When did you...?"

"Last week when you were hanging out at the Iceberg. Manchu took me. We both figured you didn't need to know about it until it was done," I sighed, reaching for my shirt.

His cool fingers brushed my skin, fingering the new tattoo on my lower back. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his fingers, so light on my skin. Swallowing, I pulled my shirt to me, working to turn it right side out.

"You did this for me?" he asked, stilling my hands.

"No, Eddie. I did it for the other guy who wears a question marked derby just like the one I had tattooed on me!" I grumbled.

No words came from him as he gathered me into his arms, drawing my back to his chest. He kissed my bare shoulder and worked slowly up my neck. I couldn't help it; I turned into a quivering mass of putty. The deliberate actions he was making were an obvious apology that he felt was said better with actions rather than words. As stubborn as he was, I was learning not to care how he apologized, just that he did.

~ ~ ~

We lingered in bed the next morning, him kissing my eyelids as he teased me with riddles, while the morning sun warmed our bare skin. By the time we forced ourselves out of bed, I knew we were going to be late for breakfast.

"What should I wear to the meeting, Eddie?" I asked as I tried to decide on an outfit.

"You're not going. The boys asked for time off when we stop in France, so you get this time off. Find something to do to entertain yourself, but keep this afternoon open."

"Oh? What's this afternoon?"

He simply gave me a mischievous grin as he turned to the mirror to check himself. I decided on a pair of snug pants and a scoop neck shirt. The second I had finished dressing I turned to find Eddie frowning at me, arms crossed, and foot tapping.

He cleared his throat. "Dee?"

Smile and act innocent. "Yes, Tiger?"

"I can't go to the meeting like this!" he said, jabbing a finger toward his throat. "Why? Why did you do it?" He turned back to the mirror, tugging the open collar of his shirt in vain attempt to hide the hickey.

"You certainly didn't complain last night," I replied coolly, taking a tie from his open bag and looping it around his neck. Tugging his collar straight, I buttoned it up and fixed his tie. "You can't see it now, Tiger. Just suffer with a tie today. I'll make it up to you later."

"You most certainly will," he grunted.

~ ~ ~

Being me, I found myself in the kitchen, enjoying time talking to the cook and the scullery maids. They all spoke some English, and we had a great time of trying to understand each other. Eddie would probably thought it was a personal affront that I would spend time with the kitchen staff, scrubbing potatoes and peeling carrots for dinner.

"I do not believe that it would be proper for you to be found in my kitchen, Señorita Lemma," Chef Rusk said, shaking one of his thick fingers at me.

I rolled my eyes. "That's the third time you've said that to me since I got in here. What have I told you every time?"

"That you are more suited to kitchen work than lounging around like the other guests here," he laughed heartily. "Just do not say anything to Señor Figaredo!"

"And you don't say a word to Eddie about me being in here. I think he'd be just as appalled as Señor Figaredo." I leaned across the well-scrubbed oak kitchen table I sat at with the chef. "Both of them should spend more time in the kitchen. I don't think it would hurt either to have a hand in their own dinners."

"Ah! Bite your tongue! Señor Figaredo may know good food, good wine, and a good bull, but he is not a cook!"

"Eddie as well!" I laughed. "I tried to get him to make pasta primavera." I finished the story with a grim shake of my head, slapping my hand to the side of my face as I rolled my eyes skyward.

Chef Rusk, as well as the kitchen staff that had been in hearing distance all joined in the laughter. We would all be in so much trouble if the two men heard us talking! But really, Eddie and the kitchen did not get on well past coffee, or heat and serve meals from the freezer. He spent more time breaking a recipe down into complicated formulas and rewriting them so that it resembled some crazy gibberish more than anything that could possibly be a recipe. I finally banned him from touching my cookbooks when I found he had replaced all of the recipes in one of my binders with his riddle-pes.

Maria poked her head into the kitchen and waved frantically to me. "Señorita Lemma! They are looking for you! It is almost lunchtime and they wish to have drinks before! Hurry!"

"Oops!" I quickly washed my hands and took off the apron I had borrowed. Giving Chef Rusk a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, I thanked everyone for letting me spend the morning with them and hurried out after Maria.

"The men have gone crazy!" she hissed as we hurried through the halls.

"Crazier than usual, you mean?"

"Sí! It was the idea of your man to do this." She shook her head. "Roberto and Señor Figaredo liked the idea, so they have called in a few others to join in. I have been given the afternoon off just for this."

I grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Maria, what is going on?"

"Tango lessons."
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