That gas station lighting didnotdo her justice.
Luscious umber hair spills down slender shoulders and purposeful cleavage, peeking through the deep neckline of the short navy dress she has on beneath a long, heavy overcoat.
The dress clings to her like the scales of a tempting viper, emphasizing the delicate curves of her figure. Her legs seem tostretch without end, tapering down to a pair of designer heels, the aurous straps of which wind up her ankles.
As I look at her, the only thoughts spinning in my mind are…well,ofher. She’s a drop of watercolor paint on an otherwise lackluster canvas. The fine disruption of a lifetime.
The earlier events at the Apollodorus aren’t just a distant memory; they’re ancient history, and she’s the victor who made them so.
In truth, she exudes a level of sophistication that doesn’t fit in with Fury Hill at all. She’d blended well enough when we first met at the Stop N Go, but this is a different woman entirely.
A star. Très magnifique.
My mind flashes to earlier in the evening. Someone who recently committed a crime wouldn’t be standing just down the road from the scene of it, interacting with locals. Not in such a showstopping outfit. From the corner of my eye, I catch a flash of blond hair and pale skin when Angelica’s husband, Zane, does a double take on his way to the back offices.
If she’d been the one to set the dean’s house on fire, surely she’d be in hiding now.
The stranger’s lips, heart-shaped and gently moistened, part as she waits for my reply, but I’m suddenly at a loss for words. She stares at me, and my insides liquefy.
I hang up on my brother without telling him goodbye.
“Well, well. Looks like you found me after all.”
The woman smirks, leaving the lighter and condom on the counter in front of me. “Sometimes fate works in a girl’s favor.”
“Fate?”
“Maybe.” Her smirk widens, and she shrugs. “But it’s not like there were many places you could’ve been. In a town as small as this, I’m surprised we aren’t constantly running into one another.”
“Spoken like a tourist. There are hiding places in Fury Hill you could probably only dream about.”
She shifts, leaning an elbow on the bar. “Is that an invitation?”
“An invitation?”
“Are you suggesting we visit these hiding places together?”
I glance at the lighter and foil packet, then again at her. “What, you think you deserve a reward for bringing this back?”
“Don’t I?” She flutters her lashes, and my chest tightens.
“Not for doing something you were supposed to, no. Perhaps if you surprised me, I’d be willing to consider it. Given your schedule for the evening is clear, that is.” With one finger, I slide the foil packet back to her and turn my attention to my wineglass, taking the stem. “I’d hate to get in the way of any—what did you call it?”
“Casual sex.”
“Ah, yes.That.”
“You say it like it’s something I invented,” she says. “Hookup culture is older than me, you know.”
Turning my head, I meet her stare. “I wouldn’t, actually. I prefer to get to know my partners before engaging in lasciviousness.”
There haven’tbeenreal partners in years, but I don’t mention that. Just at Death’s Teeth parties, and even then, it’s not like my equipment exactly works. Nor do I reciprocate, though they wish I would.
Being touched at all makes me want to crawl out of my skin, but especially when I’m wearing one of those fuckingmasks.
“Ooh, a Boy Scout.” She cocks her head to the side. “How old are you?”
“How old areyou?”
