rude.”
“Ah, but it’s certainly understandable,” said Khalil, holding my hand out to Alex. “Perhaps you should take this dance, after all. Miss Morgan has proven to be quite the handful. If my heart was still beating, I’m sure she’d have it pounding.”
The flames that raged in Alex’s eyes had me wondering how Khalil was still standing. “I would hate to interrupt your…moment.”
“Not at all. In fact, I think I see a glass of blood calling my name over there.” Khalil gave us both a nod and navigated his way through the dance floor.
Awkwardness, population: me. If I thought my heart had been racing with Khalil, it was giving Usain Bolt a run – pun intended – for his money now. Unlike with the vampire, dancing with Alex felt stilted. I winced almost as much as he did when I stepped on his feet. Who needs a knife when you have stilettos?
“How did you– What are you doing here? In town. City. Here…” I trailed off, resisting the urge to destroy the ground under me just to make this end.
“Liam, the head of the Campbell family–”
“I know who–” I bit my lip, regretting it immediately as I realized I was wearing lipstick. “Sorry. Go ahead.”
“We’ve gotten an influx of new graduates from the academy – guess everyone wants a post near LA. Unfortunately for them, sunny California doesn’t have unlimited space. Liam asked a few of us if we wouldn’t mind stepping back so they could rotate in a few newbies.”
“Noobs.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “We were all noobs at one point.”
“I didn’t put these heels on to be insulted, son,” I said, smiling as the tension around us faded a bit.
The smile slipped away as Alex’s entire face fell, his eyes drifting over to where Khalil was lounging with his glass of blood. “What did you put them on for?”
“Just politicking,” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him flat against me so I could whisper in his ear. “I’m on a job. Hush hush.”
“Isn’t it always?”
“Grumble, grumble, it’s a secret to everybody.”
He pulled away. “Was that a Legend of Zelda joke?”
My jaw dropped. “How did you know that?”
“My sister’s a gamer,” he said. “Why are you so surprised I know that?”
Because you’re like, the biggest, cutest stick in the mud ever? “Um…Don’t change the subject. What are you doing here ? How did you know where I was? How did you get an invite? I didn’t even get an invite. I’m here as eye candy.”
“ That is changing the subject,” said Alex. “You do make very nice eye candy, by the way. Even if it isn’t my eye candy.”
“Yours? I’m not a poodle,” I joked, trying to shake off the chafing feeling at the implication of being owned. “I’d be a hella cute poodle, though.”
“You would,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. I’d almost forgotten how gorgeous he was. “As for why I’m here…I thought I’d surprise you, so I asked Rowan for some help. She mentioned there was an inaugural party you had to attend. I figure I’d take the chance to see you all dolled up.”
“That was last night.” The song finished and we made our way towards Khalil. “Is this surprise why you haven’t been answering your phone?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“I get busy, too,” I said, trying to keep the edge out of my tone; “Morgan, woman scorned” wasn’t a title I wanted. “I still call you.”
Alex worked his jaw side to side before sighing. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “Really?”
“Yes. I got preoccupied, and I didn’t think we’d been apart long enough for it to be a big deal and…Well, I shouldn’t have ignored you like that.”
Apparently, it was that easy. Good to know. Maybe this relationship stuff wasn’t so hard, after all. Oh, if only I could believe that for even a second. I squeezed Alex’s hand, and he smiled at me. This was good enough for now.
Khalil was sipping
“Ah, but it’s certainly understandable,” said Khalil, holding my hand out to Alex. “Perhaps you should take this dance, after all. Miss Morgan has proven to be quite the handful. If my heart was still beating, I’m sure she’d have it pounding.”
The flames that raged in Alex’s eyes had me wondering how Khalil was still standing. “I would hate to interrupt your…moment.”
“Not at all. In fact, I think I see a glass of blood calling my name over there.” Khalil gave us both a nod and navigated his way through the dance floor.
Awkwardness, population: me. If I thought my heart had been racing with Khalil, it was giving Usain Bolt a run – pun intended – for his money now. Unlike with the vampire, dancing with Alex felt stilted. I winced almost as much as he did when I stepped on his feet. Who needs a knife when you have stilettos?
“How did you– What are you doing here? In town. City. Here…” I trailed off, resisting the urge to destroy the ground under me just to make this end.
“Liam, the head of the Campbell family–”
“I know who–” I bit my lip, regretting it immediately as I realized I was wearing lipstick. “Sorry. Go ahead.”
“We’ve gotten an influx of new graduates from the academy – guess everyone wants a post near LA. Unfortunately for them, sunny California doesn’t have unlimited space. Liam asked a few of us if we wouldn’t mind stepping back so they could rotate in a few newbies.”
“Noobs.”
A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips. “We were all noobs at one point.”
“I didn’t put these heels on to be insulted, son,” I said, smiling as the tension around us faded a bit.
The smile slipped away as Alex’s entire face fell, his eyes drifting over to where Khalil was lounging with his glass of blood. “What did you put them on for?”
“Just politicking,” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him flat against me so I could whisper in his ear. “I’m on a job. Hush hush.”
“Isn’t it always?”
“Grumble, grumble, it’s a secret to everybody.”
He pulled away. “Was that a Legend of Zelda joke?”
My jaw dropped. “How did you know that?”
“My sister’s a gamer,” he said. “Why are you so surprised I know that?”
Because you’re like, the biggest, cutest stick in the mud ever? “Um…Don’t change the subject. What are you doing here ? How did you know where I was? How did you get an invite? I didn’t even get an invite. I’m here as eye candy.”
“ That is changing the subject,” said Alex. “You do make very nice eye candy, by the way. Even if it isn’t my eye candy.”
“Yours? I’m not a poodle,” I joked, trying to shake off the chafing feeling at the implication of being owned. “I’d be a hella cute poodle, though.”
“You would,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. I’d almost forgotten how gorgeous he was. “As for why I’m here…I thought I’d surprise you, so I asked Rowan for some help. She mentioned there was an inaugural party you had to attend. I figure I’d take the chance to see you all dolled up.”
“That was last night.” The song finished and we made our way towards Khalil. “Is this surprise why you haven’t been answering your phone?”
“I’ve been busy.”
“I get busy, too,” I said, trying to keep the edge out of my tone; “Morgan, woman scorned” wasn’t a title I wanted. “I still call you.”
Alex worked his jaw side to side before sighing. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “Really?”
“Yes. I got preoccupied, and I didn’t think we’d been apart long enough for it to be a big deal and…Well, I shouldn’t have ignored you like that.”
Apparently, it was that easy. Good to know. Maybe this relationship stuff wasn’t so hard, after all. Oh, if only I could believe that for even a second. I squeezed Alex’s hand, and he smiled at me. This was good enough for now.
Khalil was sipping
Similar Books
