She chuckled and took a sip of her vodka. “Yeah, I know. But now that you know, I’ll share that Terry was a wizard.”
He sat up straight. “Really?” His eyebrows were halfway up his forehead. “Little Terry?”
Trilla frowned. “Hey now, who are you to be calling anyone little?”
“The woman wasn’t even five feet tall, and she had tiny hands.”
“I loved her hands,” Trilla mused, her expression softening in a way he more than recognized.
“Yeah, I can guess why.” He laughed. “But tell me more. Did she have powers?”
Trilla nodded. “She did. Her abilities were earth magic based, which was why she studied botany.”
“That explains why all your dying house plants suddenly looked healthy. I always wondered about that.” He paused, swirling his drink around in the glass. “You never did say why you guys broke up.”
“She said it was because I worked too much, but deep down, I always thought she wanted to be with someone of her own kind. That feeling turned out to be true. She married another wizard.”
That hadn’t even occurred to him. Here he was already making future plans in his head for him and Dax, when it was possible all this was for the ogre was a brief interlude. It didn’t feel that way, but maybe Dax would only want forever with someone of magic. His heart skipped a beat.
Trilla leaned forward, giving him a pointed look. “Oh, I can see your mind working a mile a minute. You need to stop that right now. Just because that was my experience, doesn’t mean it’s going to be yours. You said he treats you like you’re valuable. That means something.”
“I hope you’re right.” He lowered his voice even more. “I really like him, Trilla. More than like him.”
“Good. It’s about time you had some real romance in your life.”
The doorbell rang again. “That’ll be the subs. If you’re hungry, I ordered a bunch. There are also two other bodyguards patrolling outside.”
“Really? I didn’t see them. But sure, I’ll stay for some food. I’d like to get to know your Dax, too.”
Everett drained his vodka and stood. “Be nice. He’s a good one.”
She just gave him an evil laugh.
Chapter Seventeen
Dax
After Trilla left and Ivor and Emory went back out to patrol, Dax stretched out on the couch, his belly full and his heart warm from great conversation. Trilla was a trip, opinionated, and as one of those humans who could see them, he could only imagine the how lucky some preternatural was going to be with her as a soulmate. If they found each other. That thought made him sad because it was possible that would never happen.
And here he was, looking across the couch at a man he wanted to be his own soulmate. Everything in him burned for it. He’d been so wrapped up in Everett, he hadn’t yet talked to Xavier about his suspicions that Everett’s ability to sense magic could mean more. Perhaps being able to see through glamours wasn’t the only requisite for a soulmate. Perhaps that possibility could manifest in other ways.
Everett caught his stare, and a small smile lifted his lips as he crawled around to Dax’s side of the sectional. He kept going until he lay on top of Dax.
He propped his chin on his folded hands and just looked at Dax. “My friend really liked you.”
“She’s wonderful. Emory really liked her, too. I suppose you caught that, since he wasn’t subtle with his flirting.”
“She isn’t bisexual, but gay, so he could flirt all he wanted without it ever working.”
“Emory is definitely bisexual, as is Ivor.”
“What is Ivor anyway? Outside of sexy as hell.”
Dax growled and hugged Everett closer. “You can’t find him sexy.”
Everett laughed. “Sure I can. Doesn’t mean I want him. I only want you. But I’d be blind to not notice the man fairly oozes sex appeal.”
“He’s an incubus, so sex is his power. It’s how he feeds.”
