“No. Usually there’s a lot more blood,” I beamed as I snapped his ass with a towel.
Cas methodically wrung out the mop, Ko turned back to the tea kettle, and I tapped the tip of her nose with my forefinger.
“Tomorrow. Real shower. Naked and everything.”
Her snort sent more bubbles dancing in my chest than what lingered in the puddles Brumous was racing Cas to lap up.
“Promises, promises.”
Cas froze mid-wring. Koa choked on his own tongue. Seri blinked, then her face flamed as red as blood.
“That wasn’t— I didn’t mean— I’m sorry!”
“Relax, pretty girl.” I braced my palms on the counter, caging her in. “We’ll behave.” My grin turned feral. “Mostly.”
Her fingertips brushed my forearm, featherlight, testing.
“If you don’t, you’ll be demoted from stylist to towel fetcher.”
And there it was. The tremulous curve of her mouth, the way her knees knocked against mine. Not hunched. Not hiding. Just Seri. Brave enough to tease back.
Koa bumped my shoulder, handing me a brown bottle and Seri a mug of something pale and herbal. My nose said chamomile sweetened with honey.
“To tomorrow’s tubby time adventures!” I toasted, clinking my beer bottle against Seri’s tea.
Ko smirked. Brumous blew a pink bubble out of his left nostril. Cas sighed.
And Seri leaned forward and touched her lips to my forehead.
My heart stuttered like a broken chainsaw. For three whole seconds, I forgot how oxygen worked. Her lips were warmer than they looked, sun-warmed petals against my skin.
Koa’s beer bottle hit the counter with a volcanic splash.
“Well!” His voice climbed two octaves. “That’snew!”
Cas’ mop handle snapped in half, and Seri recoiled like a 10-gauge shotgun.
“I’m sorry! Was that— Am I allowed—”
“Allowed?” The words tore out of me raw and too loud. I caught her chin before she could turn away, and my thumb brushed the corner of her mouth where smiles kept getting stuck. “You rule here, little queen. You could set Ko on fire and we’d call it art.”
Brumous chose that moment to projectile-sneeze a bubble onto Cas’ boot.
“There’s your crown jewel, Nefertiti,” Ko snorted.
Her shoulders were still far too tight, so I did what any genius would do: I upended her tea mug over my head.
Herbal slop rained down my nose, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to waste a good beer.
Her initial gasp turned into a hiccuping laugh as I shook my head like a wet retriever, spraying droplets everywhere.
“What do you think?” I twirled my soaked hair straight up into a unicorn horn. “Fashion icon, right?”
“Should’ve done two horns, you devil,” Ko snickered.
Cas exhaled through his nostrils like an irritated dragon.
“Bathroom,” he growled, seizing my collar. “Now.”
