“I mean, Cody. Yer still on the fence with me? Even after our heart-to-heart last night?”
I fanned the stack of papers at him. “You’ve been trying to pull one over on me since we met. Apparently, there’s a procedureyou have to follow for this stuff.” I dropped the stack in front of me. “You conveniently left out the whole kuu thing.”
“Not entirely. I did tell ya I’d get you a nice one last night,” Roscoe said, clearing his throat and sauntering toward the kitchen. “Want something to eat?”
I pushed myself up and stomped into the kitchen, now even more annoyed. “That’s all you said. You didn’t mention that I’d have to wear cursed jewelry that doesn’t come off!”
“It can come off, if you wanna break the contract. It’s not like you die or nothin’. You just lose out on a place to live and we both get a scarlet letter. You can be a homeless werewolf with me. How’s that sound?” He turned back and gave me a half grin.
A familiar pang of rage raced through my head as I pushed past him toward the fridge. To my surprise, there was a pitcher of iced tea on the top shelf.
“You said you liked tea with lemon, so I made some.” He leaned in and sniffed my neck. “See? I remember things you tell me. I’d make a good kuu mate.”
I shut the refrigerator door before grabbing a handful of Roscoe’s chest fluff. “When were you going to tell me about all of this weird shit?”
“After I got them.”
“Them?”
Roscoe brushed my hand away and backed up. “I was thinkin’ you’d look pretty hot in a pair of earrings.”
“I don’t have pierced ears, and I don’t want any.”
“Yet,” he said, his tail fanning behind him. “I know a guy—”
“No.”
“C’mon. You ever see a half-turn’s ears? You’d look really good.”
“I said no.” As I turned away, he caught my chin.
“Didn’t know you were such a nerd.”
“This isn’t high school you idiot. That shit’s not going to work,” I said, pretending to be unfazed. “I met a half-turn today, and he didn’t have earrings.”
“So?” Roscoe’s warm tongue traced my neck. “Live a little, Cody. Yer about to go half-turn, and you need to learn how to not be such a tightass or yer gonna get aggressive.”
“Bodily mutilation is not something that will make me less of atightass.”
“Mutilation? It’s just a goddamn hole in your ear.” His gut shook as he laughed. “Yer not just a nerd. Yer a fuckin’ square.”
“A square? What is this, the 1950s?” I broke away and calmly made my way toward the beanbag chair before picking up the stack of roommate candidates I’d thrown on the floor.
“Did I say square? I meant yer pretty damn cool for standin’ up for what you believe in,” he said, fumbling through his words while following me. “I’m just poking fun. That’s what buddies do.”
“Yeah, okay.” I looked down at the resume on top. “I bet Dallas here with his—” I looked closer at some of the text that had smeared. “Fourteen-inch dick and charming personality wouldn’t think I’m a nerd.”
“Yes, he would.” He snatched the papers out of my hand.
“Give those back!”
“Listen, you don’t gotta wear earrings. I can have them make something else. What do you want?”
“A necklace is fine.”
“What about a collar?”
“A necklace.”
