“Kit are you...” Wesley trailed off as he poked his head into the room and found me standing there in just my black lace underwear with what was probably a look of sheer terror on my face.
“What’s happened?” he asked, rushing in and cupping my face in his hand. “Are you okay? You feel scared. What’s going on?”
His face was full of concern, and his eyes left mine to dart around the room, looking for danger.
“Nothing,” I admitted a bit sheepishly, mentally kicking myself for not having tried harder at blocking my emotions from the guys. Changing them had given them an all-access pass to what was going on inside me. Only River hadn’t gotten a ticket. Some days, it sucked. “I just...” I stepped back from him and held up the garments in my hands. “I couldn’t work out what to wear. Jeans or a dress?”
Wesley cast another cautious look around my room, like he wasn’t all that convinced I’d told the truth, then finally returned his ice-blue eyes to me.
“Well,” he started, then took a long look at the underwear I had picked out. “Whatever you’re comfortable in.”
“Ugh, Wes!” I made an exasperated noise and glared at him. “That’s not helpful. Just tell me where we’re going, and then I can dress appropriately!”
“But then it wouldn’t be a surprise.” Wesley grinned and took the dress from my left hand to inspect it. “Nah, wear the jeans,” he decided, tossing the little black cocktail dress onto my bed.
“Not that I wouldn’t love to see you in that.” He nodded to the dress and quirked a sandy blonde brow at me. “But for what we’re doing, jeans will be a safer bet.”
“Interesting,” I murmured, my eyes narrowing at him in suspicion. “You know, I thought I was supposed to take you out. It’s your birthday after all...”
“Yes, but I asked you. So, get dressed and let’s go. We don’t have all night,” he reminded me, and I pouted a little. Internally. Pouting was not nearly as sexy on a twenty-one-year-old woman than some would think.
River had been satisfied that we’d effectively shaken Omega from our trail, so in the morning the seven of us—me and my six guardians—would continue on to the next safe house and leave Lucy and Elena behind.
Lucy was beyond furious at me, and I didn’t blame her. I’d pulled my ace in the hole, Elena’s safety. So the two of them would move into the penthouse apartment of this building, which was owned by Vali. Or by one of his many aliases.
“Okay, so somewhere that jeans are more appropriate than a dress...” I mused aloud as I wiggled into the tight denim. Wes watched me dress, not bothering with false modesty, and I didn’t expect him to. Even if I hadn’t been semi-dating all six guys, they’d all seen me in my underwear plenty of times before.
“Bowling?” I asked off the top of my head. Not that Wes really seemed like the bowling type, but I’d really never been on a date date before, so how the hell did I know what was the norm?
“Uh, no.” He gave me a quick grin of amusement, a blush staining his cheeks as I tugged a luxuriously soft, black cashmere sweater over my bra. It was a low-cut V-neck, and the light padding in my bra created some serious cleavage.
Perfect.
“Flats or heels?” I asked, hoping to get another hint out of him, but he just shrugged.
“Whatever you want. Either work.” He blinked at me, the picture of innocence, and I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.
God damn these secret agent men and their ability to keep secrets.
Fishing around in my suitcase, I pulled out the ankle boots Cole had bought me and held them up. Wesley nodded, so I slipped them on and did them up.
“All right, I’m ready,” I announced. “Let’s go!”
Wesley grinned and placed a hand on my waist, tugging me closer to him and placing a gentle kiss on my lips. In my heels, we were almost the same height, and a thrill of excitement shot through me. Firstly, because I was never going to get used to the feeling of Wesley’s lips on mine, and secondly, because I intended to make good use of this easy access all night. Or for as much of the night as we had.
“Come on, we can grab a taxi from out front.” Wesley took my hand in his and led the way out of my room and toward the front door.
“This is a terrible idea,” Austin snapped again, and Wesley sighed.
“Austin,” I replied in a sickly sweet voice, turning a glare on him that could strip paint, “Go fuck yourself.”
Wes snickered a laugh, and I gave him a nudge to keep moving. This debate was over as far as I was concerned.
“Princess, you’re acting like a spoiled brat. I’m not trying to cockblock Wes... again. I’m trying to keep you and the unsuspecting, innocent public of Toronto safe.” Austin moved from his seat and stepped in front of us, blocking the door. “Your magic lessons have been a fucking disaster. Do you really want to add to the mass hysteria by turning someone into a donkey just by reading a menu?”
My teeth ground together hard, and my jaw clenched. I loved fighting with Austin, no doubt about it, and it was even more fun now with this insane sexual tension that had been clear as fucking day ever since the incident involving Mr. Gray’s death. Or rather, the subsequent healing he’d provided me with.
Fun or not, I appreciated when he didn’t have a damn good point. When he did, it made winning that little bit harder. Not impossible, of course, but more difficult.
“I’m not going to turn anyone into a donkey,” I informed him firmly, but not totally believing myself. It wasn’t like turning Cole green had been intentional…
“Oh no? And how do you plan on stopping yourself?” He folded his muscled arms and gave me a smug smile. Silly man, he thought he’d won.
“I won’t touch anything with ink,” I replied with a sassy brow lift. Don’t ask me what a sassy brow lift looked like; I couldn’t see my own face. But it felt sassy.
Austin’s smile bordered on a laugh, and he shook his head as he stepped out of our path, but not before raking his eyes over my body in a way that hinted he was picturing me naked. Again. He’d been doing that a lot this week…
“Fine, suit yourself. Stubborn bitch. Don’t come crying to me when shit goes haywire and you end up on the national news.” He raised an eyebrow back at me, and I wondered if that was what my sassy look looked like. If so... it was hot. Damn it. That angry, magic-fueled sex had been such a bad idea.
“Good vote of confidence, bro.” Wes clapped Austin on the shoulder, moving past him to open the door. “Where’s Tyson anyway? I expected that overgrown house cat to be here whining at Kit for going out as well.”
“I’m not whining,” Austin growled, sounding decidedly tiger-like himself. “He needed a rest.”
His fingers stroked down his forearm where an intricate new tattoo of a tiger slept among jungle leaves. He’d needed to clear some blank space using magic in order to ink Tyson a place to rest on his skin, but the effect was stunning.
“All right, well I picked up some steak for him. It’s in the fridge when he’s next around,” Wesley said, holding the door open while I shrugged into my cropped leather jacket and wound a light scarf around my neck.
“Have a good night!” I sang, flipping Austin off, and Wes snickered again as he shut the door in the sexy Ink Mage’s pissed-off face.
“You know he only pulls that shit because he’s in love with you right?” Wes grinned, linking his fingers back through mine and pressing the elevator call button.
I snorted so hard it actually hurt my sinuses. “Austin. In love. With me. Hah, yeah sure.” I chuckled and shook my head as the doors dinged open and we stepped inside. “You forget I can feel his emotions now too, so I’d know.”