Wulf reached out and grabbed her knee, his fingers curling into her skin, and he gently pulled her so she spun around on her stool top and faced him. Both his hands came to rest on the tops of her thighs and she bit into her bottom lip.
“Well thank you, Katya, for your honesty,” he said, sliding his hands up so his fingertips disappeared underneath her dress. “I have to say, though, I'm curious about these 'changes' you're going through. If they involve sleeping with two men at the same time, what else are you exploring?”
“Who said I was going to sleep with you?” she answered back quickly.
It was his turn to burst out laughing. He so rarely full on laughed, the sound of it and the site of his smile were a shock to the system. Her reaction was so visceral, it caught her off guard. She loved it when Liam laughed, wanted to laugh with him. But Wulfric's laughter … it made her feel like she could very easily lose her heart to this man. And that thought scared her.
You don't know him, so don't start thinking about something as absurd as your heart.
“Katya, please, let's be realistic – I'm betting that by this time next week, I'll know exactly what you sound like when you're coming.”
Holy shit. Holy shit. She wanted to hyperventilate. Wanted to jump on him and rip his clothes off. But thankfully, she'd been holding her breath while he spoke, and it actually calmed her down. She remembered how she was with Liam, how the new-Katya wasn't intimidated or flustered by sexy banter.
“A week, huh?” she said in a low voice. “That's a long time, Wulf. Thank god I have the other guy to keep me entertained.”
He didn't laugh that time, but she could see it in his eyes, in the way he watched her lips while she spoke. Could feel his delight in the way his fingers scratched at her skin, dragging their way down to her knees.
Creedance Clearwater was filtering through the speakers, singing about putting spells on people. Putting a spell on her. The sunset had gone from a soft glow to a full on blaze, glaring off every piece of gold and chrome, blinding her to everything but the man in front of her. It was like the room was going up in flames around them, and they didn't even care.
And on that thought, Katya excused herself. If she was going to melt into a puddle, she'd rather not do it at his feet. She had an image to uphold, apparently.
She locked herself in the bathroom and splashed cold water on her cheeks. Stared at her reflection, wondering who on earth the girl was looking back at her. Her eyes, a somewhat dull shade of blue, stared back at her, wide in their sockets. Her hair was in another boring bun, high on the back of her head. Her loose shift dress was sleeveless, with splashes of ivory and yellow on the body of it, ending in a heavy black border at the hem. Nothing exciting.
“Stop shitting on yourself.”
Liam's voice rang through her head. Holy shit, he was right – she was always putting herself down. Even when she was alone. Even when she had a guy as hot as Liam chasing after her, and a man as devastatingly handsome as Wulfric right in front of her. Why did she do that? She turned around and took several deep breaths, shaking the tension out of her hands. Then she went back to the mirror, gripping the edge of the sink and leaning in close.
Her eyes were wide and expressive, the blue so soft, they were almost a lapis color. Her hair was a deep auburn, a shade she'd often been complimented on and she knew many women tried to duplicate. She almost never wore it down, but it was thick and long and healthy. And her dress may have been simple enough and not form fitting at all, but it showed more leg than she usually ever dared, and hung off her chest in a way that called attention to her pert breasts. The light fabric contrasted well with her deep tan skin, and the overall look was … sexy, she had to admit. A sort of virginal sexy, sure, but sexy nonetheless.
What in the hell are you doing, Katya? That man is out there, ready to eat you alive. What's to stop you from being the main course? Some moral compass that's done nothing for you, except keep you from having fun? Liam is right – the only one stopping you from doing what you want, is you.
She glanced at the bathroom door and started breathing fast. She wanted Wulf. Since she was fourteen, she'd fantasized about him, but he'd always been just that – a fantasy. Untouchable, unreachable, and then just gone. A faded memory. Someone who had never wanted her, and would never want her. Then Liam had popped up in her life, flipping her entire notion of herself on its ass, and Wulf had walked through the door, and had seen that change in her. She had already become a sex kitten once, for Liam. She had the practice time under her belt. If she could put it into use against Wulf, who knew how far she could take things.
God, I want to see how far we can go.
Katya didn't want to wait a week. She didn't want to wait another second. What if he disappeared? What if old-Katya reared her ugly head? She didn't want to take the chance. She wanted to be that girl from the made-up-profile again, so she decided to go for it. She took a deep breath, then reached under her dress. Felt around for the edges of her underwear, then dragged them past her hips. Let them fall to the floor. She stepped out of them, then balled them up in her fist.
I can do this. I can really do this. What's the worst that can happen? He laughs at me? So what, then I take the train to Liam's house and work out this sexual tension with him.
When she came out of the bathroom, the first thing she noticed was that some shading had been pulled low over the windows. They were sheer, but they dulled the glare and made it almost impossible to see outside clearly.
Then she saw that Wulf wasn't sitting at the bar anymore. He'd moved to an old piano that was tucked against a wall, taking up a lot of space in the narrow bar. He was plunking out a tune, something she didn't recognize, though she was surprised he could play. He sounded decent and she stood behind his shoulder for a moment, watching his fingers move over the keys.
“I thought you were going to be in there all night,” he finally said, though he didn't bother looking back at her.
“It was two minutes, max,” she replied, though she still felt a little breathless. He must have heard, because the notes on the piano died down, slowing to a stop. He climbed to his feet, throwing back the last of his brandy, then he put the glass on top of the instrument before turning to face her.
“More like five. You sound nervous, Tocci,” he called her out. She nodded.
“I am.”
“Why? Scared of me?”
“Not scared.”
“Then what?”
She took a deep breath. A second one. Wouldn't let her eyes move away from his as she lifted her hand.
“I don't want to wait a week,” she said plainly, all while she tucked her hot pink panties into his chest pocket, crushing the pocket square he had there.
Wulf glanced down at the fabric poking out. It only took him a fraction of a second to figure out what she'd just done. Then his lips twitched, quirked up into a sly little smile, and he raised his arm, snapping his fingers.