“Judging by the way he looks at you, I know fuckin’ how.”
Sophie laughed. She opened her mouth, then shook her head and picked up the guitar. “So, what do you really think about the competition thing?”
A very slick change of subject, Casey noted, but he could play the long game. Patience was a virtue he actually possessed—unlike chastity or those other bullshit ones. “It’s not like we lose anything for trying.” Except maybe some time he could be spending finding a job. “We do sound pretty good together.”
“Thanks to your lyrical genius.”
“No, no, no.” Casey shot up and leaned on his knees, wagging a finger at her. Sophie’s nose scrunched, and she gotthat look in her eye like she knew something uncomfortable was coming. “Those were not my lyrics.”
“They literally were.” She strummed a chord and averted her gaze.
“Not when you sang them.”
Sophie was quiet for a minute. When she spoke, her focus never left the chords tumbling from her unusually clumsy fingertips. “Talking about shit makes me shut down sometimes, and writing about it is no better. So, when I try to write songs, they lack the. . . Thing. The thing that makes them good.”
Casey nodded but stayed silent.
“My life with Noah is good now. I’m on speaking terms with my mom, my sister. I had to cut out a lot of people to get here, and I burned a lot of bridges.” She laughed, but it was a self-deprecating sound. “Some of them, I don’t even know if they’re burnt, but I’m too scared to reach out and find out about something I did that I don’t remember. I’m kind of shocked I was brave enough to speak to you at the store.”
“Our bridge is fine.” Casey scooted to the end of the couch and put a hand on her shoulder. “And I’m glad you did because I saw you two aisles before and was too embarrassed to say hi. Then where would the Leather Knights of Red Miserytown—or fucking whatever our name is— be? Certainly not about to open for Restless Villainess Revival.”
Sophie snorted. “With that song of yours, we fucking might. What inspired you, anyway?”
“Um,” Casey stuttered.A mythical water spirit told me they liked my name, which unleashed some repressed memories, which filled my dreams with emotions and fears and hope, which then formed these words like they were lobotomized straight from my fucking gray matterdidn’t seem appropriate.
Was there anything he could tell her without talking about Tsunis? Was he allowed to talk about Tsunis? Oh, fuck, if they really played this gig, would Tsunis come and watch the accumulation of their lessons? What the fuck would they wear? Fuck, he hoped they’d wear a skimpy dress.
“It’s okay,” Sophie whispered, her tone full of understanding. “It made me feel a lot of things, too.”
Shit. This wouldn’t work if he didn’t open up a little, too.
“I haven’t always been worthy of the love I’ve been given. Sometimes I think of all the people who deserve my own life more than I do, and I wish I could …hand it over to them.” It was Casey who had to look away this time. Sophie’s hand landed on his with a squeeze. “Got to fix that band name if we’re doing this.” He recalled Anna’s scorn and chuckled. “If Anna will let us.”
“Oh, she will. She loves Restless Villainess Revival. She had to act all badass, so she didn’t get too excited.” Sophie smirked. She glanced at her phone. “Fuck, my parents will be bringing Arietta back soon. You work on those lyrics, and I’ve already got some ideas for the breakdown.”
Casey gathered his things and hugged Sophie tight enough to banish thoughts of any bad blood between them. Then he left, hoping his heels didn’t leave scorch marks with how fast he ran to his car.
Casey parked at an abandoned shack a short way from the rendezvous spot. He’d brought his keyboard this time and looped the waterproof case over his shoulder, making triple-sure the car was locked with his bass in the trunk.
Since he usually walked straight from his house, he didn’t get to see this part of the river often. It was much wider than his secret spot. The afternoon sun speckled the water in an enchanting glow, almost like the river itself was covered in beautiful shimmering scales. So damn pretty. Casey started humming to himself, a tune that came out of nowhere.
Splash.
Casey paid no mind to the sounds coming from the stream until a powerful splash spritzed him. He raised an arm in defense and turned, only to meet one crystalline eye of a long, slender water dragon. The exact one he’d swum with in his dream.
Casey broke into a grin. Tsunis. Their beastly gaze danced with mischief as they dolphin-jumped from the water. Their slender, pale blue body arched, twinkling in the ribbons of sun streaking through the trees. An opalescent fin trailed at the end of their long torso. It soared up in an elegant swoop and crashed down, drenching Casey with river water.
Surprised, Casey widened his stance and gaped down at his soaked clothing, then burst into laughter. He cupped his hand around his mouth and shouted, “Brat!”
So this was Tsunis’ so-called malevolent side, huh? A naughty water spirit that liked to play tricks. Oh, that brat had no idea what they’d done.
Casey walked a few feet further, carefully set the keyboard down, then paused, watching for Tsunis to resurface. When the iridescent shimmer of scales flashed, he peeled off the drenched tank top, flexing more than necessary. He wasn’t the most fit guy around, but he maintained his shape. The sheer desire thatburned in the dragon’s marble eyes made Casey feel like the sexiest motherfucker on the planet.
Still a decent ways away from their spot, Casey paused at the water’s edge and leaned against a tree. He ran a rough hand through his hair and bit his bottom lip, casting Tsunis a pretty-boy smolder. Was it wise to tempt a dangerous creature known to lure humans to their deaths? Maybe not, but Casey wanted to be lured by Tsunis, to drown in them.
The broad head of the dragon peeked from the water like an alligator patiently stalking their prey. When Casey slipped one thumb in the waistband of his drenched shorts, the predator lost all semblance of patience. Tsunis craned from the river, rising up and up until Casey had to tilt his head back.
He didn’t back down, not even when his heart took on a death-metal tempo that Anna would be proud of. Shifting so that the back of his head was supported by the tree, Casey arched his back, pressing his hips forward. With both thumbs, he tugged at his waistband until the lines of his hips were exposed. His eyes fluttered closed. The buzz of the beer a couple hours ago had nothing on the high of this moment. He had the full attention of the creature he’d spent his life dreaming of, someone he’d missed since boyhood. The longing had become an all-consuming craving since they’d reconnected. Them, watching him like that. It was total euphoria.
