“Come on, my car is over there,” she said, shaking her head. “I had a feeling you were planning something like that.”
When they pulled up in front of the fraternity house, Taylor looked over at her. “Thanks for the ride,” he said. “Do you want to come in for lunch? I’m sure Hattie has been cooking all morning—she always does when she’s upset—and there will be plenty to share.”
“I wish I could, but I have class in an hour that I can’t miss,” she said, tempted for the first time in her life to ditch class. “Maybe you can bring me a doggie bag tonight, that is if you still want to study.”
“I wouldn’t mind skipping tonight, you whipped me so good last night, I’m not sure that I can take a beating like that again so soon,” he said, then grinned at her. “My wounded ego needs some time to recover.”
“You poor baby, you’d better take the night off,” she said, then noticed that he was exhausted. “You do look tired. Maybe you should call in to work tonight.”
“I can’t, my boss would have a fit,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll be okay, I’ll find some time to take a nap later.”
An awkward silence fell between them and stretched out until the air in the car was crackling with energy, then Taylor turned toward her. For a moment, she thought he was going to pull her into his arms and kiss her. “Thanks again for the ride,” he said, instead. “I guess I’d better go, the boys are probably watching us through the window.”
She looked over his shoulder. “I can’t see them,” she said, then shrugged. “We’re just friends, there’s nothing to see.”
“Right,” Taylor said, studying her. “Friends.”
She thought she was prepared for the kiss, but when it came, it was even better than she remembered, and in only seconds, she was wrapping her arms around Taylor’s neck.He groaned deep in his throat and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss until the world melted away just like it had before. Lost in the swirling waves of pleasure that cascaded through her, she marveled at how right it felt to be in his arms, how natural it felt to open herself up to him, to let the passion between them carry her away.
She’d never know how far she would have let him go right there in the car because a garbage truck pulled up right next to them, and they jumped apart, aware that eyes were suddenly upon them. Taylor took several shaky breaths, his chest heaving in an effort to get himself under control. She understood what he was feeling; she was in no better shape.
“I better go,” he said, opening the door. “I’ll see you later, thanks again.”
“You’re welcome,” she said, her voice shaking. “
I’ll text you about our next study session. Don’t do anything stupid with Sebastian; he’s not worth it.”
CHAPTER 18
***TAYLOR***
Taylor pulled the van to stop in the weed-filled parking lot, put it in park, picked up his phone to make sure that he was in the right place, turned the engine off, and got out. He paused in the parking lot, letting his eyes slowly roam over the boarded-up windows of the restaurant, then let his magic flow to the surface, enjoying the surge of power as his senses became heightened and the creature inside him stirred to life.
Stan had made it clear that the game tonight wasn’t exactly sanctioned by the poker league, but he hadn’t quite expected it to be this sketchy, and wondered if he was making a mistake. After following the cracked sidewalk around the building to the back parking lot, he found the door Stan had described and knocked three times, feeling a little silly.
The door opened a crack, and a pair of angry eyes looked out at him. “What’s the password?” a male voice demanded.
“Make mine a double,” he said, surprised to find his voice shaking a little bit.
After a brief pause, the door slammed shut in his facemaking him jump, but only a second later it opened all the way revealing the hulking man who belonged to the eyes. “Who invited you?” the man growled, blocking his way. “This is a private party.”
Before he could answer, Stan came strolling up. “It’s okay, Butch. He’s mine,” he said. You can let him in.”
Butch gave him a dirty look, “Since when do you invite college boys to the game?” he asked, but stepped aside. “He’s going to be trouble; I can smell it.”
“He’s just here to play poker, buddy,” Stan said, slapping the big man on the back. “He’s not going to make any trouble. Isn’t that right, Taylor?”
“No trouble here,” he said, sliding past Butch. “I just want to play cards.”
“See, no worries,” Stan said, stepping back from the doorman with a little nod. “We’re going to find a table now.”
“Don’t mind him,” Stan said when they were far enough away that the still scowling man couldn’t hear them. “He’s just doing his job. The cops are always trying to send someone in here to bust us.”
Taking a good look around the room for the first time, Taylor took in the group of rough men who were crowded around the tables, most displaying a weapon. That wasn’t what worried him the most, it was the subtle flow of magic that filled the room. It buzzed almost audibly, and he looked around again, wondering who it came from. When his eyes finally fell on Stan, the older man had a look of amusement on his face, and Taylor realized that he knew exactly what he was and what he could do.
“Our table is over here,” Stan said, guiding him through the crowded room. “I figured you’d want to play poker, but we could shoot a little craps or hit the roulette wheel instead.”
“Poker is my only game,” he said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. “Let’s play some cards.”
