"I was talking to myself," I fumble, trying really hard not to remember how he played my lady bits like a freaking fiddle. I'm so overwhelmed—happy, butoverwhelmed—with these two showing up together like this that it takes me a second to gesture behind me, at my wide-open front door. "Um, it's about to start raining, and you guys must have traveled to get here, so do you want to?—"
"Don't officially invite Boone inside," Asher interrupts, his gaze narrowing on the vampire who can't cross my threshold without permission. "He's dangerous right now."
For the first time, Ian's attention moves away from me, and I'm a little surprised by the lethal glare he levels at my bodyguard.
"I would never hurt her."
"Keep telling yourself that, blood-guzzler."
Okay, am I crazy, or does it seem like these two have met before? I look between them, wondering what I'd be picking up on if I could sense their emotions—but I smile at Asher.
"You don't have to worry. Ian's a good friend," I reassure him brightly.
Ian's expression turns oddly sour at that word before he looks away, rubbing his throat.
"Friend, my ass," the bounty hunter mutters. "I know stark-raving mad obsession when I see it. Don't forget I used to work for your brother, a freak as dead-gone heartsick as this guy clearly is."
Jessica gasps. "Heartsick?Hang on. El, is your hot vampire childhood best friend secretly in love with you?"
Oh, please. That's crazy.
I want to tell her Asher is misreading things and point out the little fact that Ian wasn'tmybest friend—he was Everett's. Plus, he hasn't seen me in almost ten years, so how could he possibly be in love with me?
But I keep pretending she's not there as I wave off Asher's words, laughing.
"If you're worried about obsession, you might want to talk to Mr. Nether Gladiator over here—no offense," I add, trying not to blush again as I look at the half-demon.
His smirk is playful. "What's there to be offended about? You're spot-on, Candy. I'm obsessed."
"Elise," I correct. "Or Heidi is fine, too."
"Nah, I'm gonna keep calling you Candy, 'cause that's what you taste like to me. Got this for you, by the way, so let me know when you wanna try it out,” he adds, sticking out his tongue with a flirtatious wink.
His tongue is pierced now.
Oh my gods.
At this point, my face is going to melt off. Maybe it's the tiredness clinging to my still-healing body, but I can't stop a short, slightly hysterical laugh from escaping me at the realization that I'm standing on my front porch with three ridiculously attractive men while one of them keeps talking about how good I taste.
To make things worse, my doe is bizarrely giddy right now. She's wide awake, perked right up, and she…wantsthem.
Seriously, why in the world has she been acting up so much lately?
Claim them, she suggests.
Not. Happening.
"You guys should come in," I finally blurt when I reach a level of embarrassment, happiness, and overwhelming shock that I've never felt before.
Asher scowls as Ian and the half-demon don't wait for another invitation before walking into my house. He fixes me with a look.
"Okay, but fair notice: if either of them tries to hurt you, I'll have to kill or seriously maim them. It's my job.”
"I've never met anyone who takes their job as seriously as you do," I inform him before smiling, bouncing my eyebrows. "Or someone with buns of steel like yours, for that matter. I could bounce a quarter off that ass."
I'm expecting him to brush me off and tell me not to flirt with my bodyguard again. But my heart leaps into my throat when Asher leans down to my eye level instead, his emerald gaze searing.
"Keep teasing me and see what happens toyourass later, sweetheart."
