“Don’t hit on her,” Julian chided his subordinate. “She’s spoken for.” He inclined his head to Brody.
“I don’t see a ring on her finger,” Flip replied. There was something lecherous about the way he looked at Aurora, and I didn’t like it.
“I don’t belong to anyone but myself,” Aurora declared. “I am, however, involved with somebody else and I expect my boundaries to be respected.”
Flip arched an eyebrow. He looked even more interested now, if that was possible. “Boundaries, huh?” He laughed.
We were close enough to the water that Aurora’s party trick — she could create a tsunami if she was in the mood — could be utilized. I hoped to nip that instinct. Sometimes she just liked to show off.
“Who else do we have?” I asked in a falsely chipper voice.
“Right.” Julian glanced between Flip and Aurora, debating if he should say something. I shook my head to dissuade him. Aurora could handle herself.
He nodded in understanding, flashed a smile, then gestured to the petite blonde at his side. If Flip was oversized, this little thing was pocket-sized. She didn’t even clear five feet, wispy and thin. The smile she shot me was full of excitement — as if this was all a big adventure — and I couldn’t help returning it. I liked her immediately.
“This is Taylor Duncan,” he explained. “Taylor is my assistant.”
“I’m basically his righthand woman.” Taylor extended her hand. Her eyes were full of mischief. “He can’t do anything without me.”
Julian laughed. “That’s true. She handles all of my administration, including contracts and setting up meetings. If you guys ever need to get in touch with me right away, you need to go through her. I’m bad about not checking my messages until the end of the day.”
“He’s terrible about it,” Taylor agreed. The look she shot Julian was full of adoration and I could tell right away that she had a crush on him. It was possible it went even deeper. Was she in love with him? The hearts in her eyes certainly said so. As for Julian, he was obviously fond of her, but he seemed oblivious to her feelings for him.
“I have business cards.” Taylor turned into an efficient little minx and started doling them out. “Whatever you need, I’m your woman.”
Booker opened his mouth but a glare from Lilac had him snapping it shut.
“You can let some of them go,” Lilac admonished.
Booker was chagrined. “Sorry, baby.” He loved his girlfriend more than anything. When I’d first come to town they’d been friends and nothing more. Now, looking back, I saw that they’d always been something more. It had taken Galen and I getting together to pave the way for them. Galen wasn’t afraid to express his feelings, which allowed Booker to do the same.
“This is Lucinda,” Julian continued. If he’d registered the fact that I’d momentarily gotten lost inside my head, he didn’t show it. “She’s something of a … fixer,” he said, scratching his cheek.
I smiled at the woman — she looked to be in her forties — and then immediately started frowning. As she grew closer, I could feel the power emanating from her.
“Witch,” I said without thinking.
Lucinda had perfectly shaped eyebrows and wore a crisp linen suit — I bet she never just sat around and sweated — and when she smiled there was something official about it. She wasn’t here because she wanted to hang out and get to know people. She was cataloging us in case she had to fight later.
“You too.” Lucinda’s smile was polite enough but there was a challenge there. If I was willing to throw down, she would reciprocate.
Galen’s hand immediately landed on my back. He was a protective beast when he wanted to be, and this was Julian’s show. Lucindawasn’t the star. “I didn’t realize you had a witch on the payroll,” he said to his half-brother.
“Lucinda has been with the pack for years,” Julian replied. “She worked for my father before me.”
Galen arched an eyebrow. “What did you do for Jerome?”
Lucinda merely shrugged. “Any number of things.” Her eyes moved back to me. “What sort of witch are you?”
She wasn’t the first person to ask me that question. She wasn’t even the tenth. I still didn’t know how to answer. “Well … .”
Lilac, always the girl’s girl, stepped forward. “She’s an earth witch, but she has amazing range,” she explained. “I wouldn’t mess with her.”
“That’s interesting coming from a demon,” Lucinda said dryly.
Lilac’s eyes flashed red for a split-second before she reined in her temper. Sometimes — okay, quite often — she lost control of her magic and started smiting left and right. She was only half demon but her magic was impressive. On a level playing field, I would put real money on Lilac to take out Flip.
“Do you have a problem with that?” Lilac challenged.
