I shake my head.“No.You two have always been thick as thieves.”The insecurity I’ve been trying to bury for hours begins to creep up.Staring at a random shelf, I quietly ask, “Are you like, ashamed that we hooked up?”
He audibly gulps.“No.”
“So then, you regret it?”
“No!”His voice startles me, and I take in his surprised expression.“Not at all.”
“Then what are we doing here?Or better yet, what areyoudoing here, Lulu?”I glower at him.“Because the way I see it, you’re messing with my head.Is that how you get your rocks off?”
“That is not how I…no, not at all,” he says in a defensive tone.
“Then what is wrong with you?”I step closer, and I’m sure I look just as irritated as him.“Out with it then.”
“Maybe I don’t understand a world where I don’t despise you!”His face is nearly touching mine, and he taps my chest with one hand.Up this close, he smells so good, but I’m not calming down.“And maybe I’m conflicted with the fact that I really like you now.”
“Well, clearly you and I get along in bed.Is that all I am?An easy fuck?”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Devries!You know I respect you as more than that!”
“Then I’ll ask you again since you were too slow to answer: why are you here, Luther?”
Our voices are rising, and he’s breathing rapidly now.“Maybe I’m really shit at asking guys out, did you ever think of that?”
“What?You’re a grown man who can cast spells and wrestle with demons but can’t bloody talk to a guy you fancy?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m SAYING, Taz!”He’s nearly shouting as he holds my shirt, and our noses almost make contact.I let his passionate words linger in the air of my tiny shop.
My heart hammers in my chest, and I come to one realization: I have Luther right where I want him.
A slow grin spreads on my face as he steps back, still holding my shirt.His eyes dart to my mouth, and I slowly bite my tongue and drag it across my bottom lip.
“You can only open up to me when I piss you off, huh, Lulu?”I say softly.
“Don’t call me that,” he murmurs.He wipes my shoulders and gives my deltoids an unnecessary squeeze.“But yes.I’m…not the best at expressing how I feel when it comes to…men.”
“As entertaining as that is, that’s going to be a problem on our date.”My hands travel up his chest, and I recall the miles of sinewy muscle and chocolate skin underneath his shirt.
His eyebrows jump.“Date?”
I roll my eyes and put my arms around his shoulders.“I’m not letting you off easy, Westbrook.Ask me out.”
“Huh?”
“Be a big boy and say the words.”
He chuckles and leans in again.“Taz Devries, would you like to go out on a date with me tomorrow night?”
My heart wants to take off like a shooting star.“Mm…no.”
“What?”
I pull him in, crashing his lips against mine.“Not tomorrow.I have errands and shit here.But how about today?I know you don’t have SPELL duties.”
He giggles and pecks my mouth.“You ass.”We both laugh as he runs his hands up and down my back.
“I gotta keep you on your toes, Westbrook.There’s a sweet coffee shop in town where we can get acquainted.”I smooth out his shirt, grazing his nipples only once, and I grin before letting go of him.“And since we’re working together, we can coordinate our time off so we can have private you-and-me time any day or night.”
“Mmm,” he replies in contentment.He bites his grin, and I relish the hungry look in his eyes.“That’s a pretty damn good plan.Let’s go now.”
