Elder Merrick grunted. “You got me drunk.”
“Which I thought would keep you around to help me watch them, but instead, you disappeared.” A pause. “Your overnight guest is gone, isn’t she?”
My lips thinned, and I saw Elder Merricks eyes narrow a bit. “You were spying on me, too?”
“No.” A bored, but slightly humored tone. “Once I came back after seeing they were doing fine together…well, it’s not like these walls are made of steel.” A pause. “Christ, she had a pair of lungs on her.” As my cheeks flamed bright pink, he mumbled, “I guess I should be grateful it wasn’t fucking animal sounds this time. I remember a particularly…lovely…woman, a cougar Shifter, that you were with that one time—”
He cut him off. “I don’t need the reminder, thank you.” Black brows rose. “Unless you want me to recap when you were with that one water Elemental a few years back.”
“That’s not necessary.” His tone was disgusted. “Fuck, I didn’t need that aide-mémoire. It’s like it’s scarred permanently in my mind, anyway.” He made a huffing shaking sound, and Elder Merricks lips twitched. “At any rate, like I said, check-outs in a half hour.”
It sounded like his door started to close, but it stopped abruptly, and sounding annoyed, he asked, “How much is torn up? It’s my credit card on this room.”
I had to remind myself to breathe shallowly as I recalled Queen Rucker’s speech about Shifter-on-Shifter sex, and the dominance war that occurred between powerful Shifters.
Elder Merrick cleared his throat, and then shrugged a negligent shoulder. “The room’s fine.”
Baffled words. “A weak one, huh? You don’t normally go after those.” Another silence as my eyes closed, his voice turning utterly amused. “Don’t tell me she was a bird or a rabbit?”
“Fuck off, Jacobs,” Elder Merrick muttered, running a hand through his hair, making a shooing motion at him and lifting off his doorframe. “Go do whatever you have to so we can get out of here.”
Jacobs laughed outright. “Well, I’ll know by what we eat tonight.”
Elder Merrick’s middle finger flew as he grabbed the door handle.
More chuckling ensued, but I heard the door close, his mirth somewhat blocked.
Inhaling heavily, I tried not to freeze when navy eyes flashed directly on mine, his gaze dazing.
I averted my eyes and silently moved the last few feet, unlocking the door just as quietly and slipping outside.
Chapter Two
After making it back to the penthouse, crossing paths with a Mage man who was leaving the room with major bedhead, I had Nelson—also with major bedhead—turn my hair and eyebrows back to neon red, and tried to calmly endure the ribbing I got from the Prodigies about my disappearing act last night—for all night long. I waved an absent hand at them, quickly grabbing my overnight bag, and to play it safe, took another shower and changed my clothes. But, they were still giving me hell, all in good fun, as we were checking out.
Fergus’s arm was around my shoulder, amber eyes gleaming evilly. “Come on…who was the lucky he?” His head tilted. “Or she?”
“Give it up already,” I muttered, rubbing at my temple, jostling my bag and purse over my shoulder. “Unless you can remember the name of whomever you slept with last night?”
Lips instantly pursed. “Well…hell.”
“Exactly,” I mumbled, punching Kincaid’s arm lightly when he started chuckling quietly.
“We should probably leave her alone.” Venclaire’s smile was mischievous as we started walking outside. “After all, she does look well rested, and she has some color to her cheeks.”
Instantly, an annoying blush flamed said cheeks.
All four blinked at me, and then Kincaid laughed outright, muttering, “I hope you got the person’s number if it was that good.”
Actually, I did have his number…and yes, it was that good, but I waved a hand, stopping at the limo, my duffle being loaded into the trunk by the driver. “Shut it. All of you. I don’t kiss and tell.” My finger waggled at Nelson. “Unlike you, which, I seriously didn’t need to hear those details.”
He only grinned.
Fergus shook me a little before dropping his arm from around my shoulders, stating to them, “I got fifty says it was a fire Elemental.”
“I’ll take that, and go with earth Elemental.”
“Air Elemental.”
“Well, I got water Elemental for fifty.”
I blinked at them, and then waggled my finger. “I am not to be bet on. You keep that shit elsewhere.” More waggling. “And besides, I’m not telling, so you all lost.” All four of them kind of got this…look…in their eyes, and I knew they weren’t going to let it go, the bet set. “Fine…I,” I licked my lips, thinking quickly, and then pointed at Venclaire, stating, “Blue. Navy blue. The most beautiful blue I’ve ever seen.” They didn’t need to know I was talking about his eyes.
Venclaire grinned when Kincaid cursed quietly, holding out his hand while each one placed cash in his hand, and the four of them started piling into the limo wearing various looks of disgruntlement while one still grinned. Sighing heavily, I cracked my neck, waiting a moment for the last to get in. Rolling my shoulders, trying to relieve my tension before I moved, I climbed in and sat fluidly with pretended ease. Venclaire was hooting about his victory, somehow managing to do so elegantly as I reached out, grabbing the door handle. I froze for a moment, my gaze caught on the entrance of the chic hotel not more than ten yards back, where two individuals leaned silently against the glass barrier next to the doorway.
Elder Jacobs and Elder Merrick, both standing casually but silently, one duffle a piece at their feet, well within hearing range of our conversation. Quietly eavesdropping, more than likely completely by coincidence, knowing they had been moving to check-out, who knows how long they had been snooping behind our group. Their gazes were anything but bored as they watched in their business casual attire, very reminiscent of 2035. I quickly averted my gaze from hooded, penetrating navy blue eyes to Elder Jacobs, and made a point of slowly letting my gaze rake down his body, letting the Elder Elemental believe that was why I had stalled at seeing them. I gave him a tiny, flirtatious smile before quickly shutting the door, seeing his own brows rise in a bit of interest at the last moment, not unlike when I had first met him in the future.
We were being followed.