He smiled and let his eyes roam over me. “Just here to drink you in tonight, Honey.”
“Lies don’t flatter me.” I rolled my eyes and bent down to hide the blush making its way across my face. “Whiskey?”
I pulled a bottle from below the counter and poured a small amount into two glasses. Zander, the owner, didn’t care if I drank a bit while working. Alcohol helped me deal with the variety of customers, especially the unruly ones.
Bran tilted his head. “What’re you doing later?”
More men and women flooded into the large dining room. Several walked past the bar and through a small, discreet door behind the end of the counter. To outsiders, it was access to a storage closet, but most knew better.
“Hopefully, you.” I pushed the glass to him and raised my own to clink his before taking a sip. The amber liquid rolled over my tongue and heated my mouth in the most glorious way.
“I’d like that.” He took a sip from his glass. “I’ll just need to run home and grab a change of clothes.”
My nose scrunched at his words.
“Gotta be up early for work, I can leave from your place in the morning.” He took another sip, no doubt keeping his mouth distracted from the garbage he spewed.
“I don’t recall asking you to stay the night.” I paused. “You’ve never stayed before, what made you assume tonight would be any different?”
“Don’t you think it’s time? We've been doing this for a month,” he scoffed.
I waved a dismissive hand. “Forget it—don’t come over. It’s nothing I can’t take care of myself anyhow. Better even.” I poured myself another—there was no amount of alcohol that would help with his whining, but it was worth a try.
The bell chimed again, and my attention caught on the red-haired male strutting in with several people in tow. Jaspar wasn’t my type, though he wasn’t necessarily not my type either. I wasn’t sure I’d ever met someone who couldn’t sway me with a good personality, regardless of their looks. An occasional female even made her way into my bed from time to time.
Everyone watched as he made his way across the room to the small door that led to the back room. Customers turned, distracted by either his rugged exterior or high status. I chuckled to myself at the crowd lusting after him.
“All because I wanted to stay the night?” Bran protested, stillhoping to turn the night around. “Most women wish for that, yet you turn me down because of it!”
I turned to lecture him about the boundaries I’d set since we started spending time together, but was interrupted.
“Still turning me down, Audryn?” Jaspar smirked as he approached the bar. He ran a hand through his hair, the ruby jewel on the cuff of his shirt glistening against the light.
I whirled and shot back, “Still don’t have a name for me, Jas?”
His jovial expression dropped, and he hesitated for only a moment before moving nearer. The closeness made me uncomfortable. Though Jaspar was like a brother to Kamden, I could never quite untangle my own feelings about him.
“We’ve exhausted all our sources." Jaspar lowered his voice. "It's like the man never existed. If I knew who he was, I’d kill him myself.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” I growled. “Kam might’ve been your friend, but he wasmybrother. The revenge is mine.” I scanned Jaspar’s face, waiting for him to challenge me, but he didn’t push.
“As soon as I know anything, you’ll be the first to know.” He draped a hand over mine. “I promise.”
I yanked my hand out from under his. “It was your cause that got him killed in the first place. Funny that your group has no issue sacrificing members, but gladly falls short when holding their killers responsible.”
He hesitated, but walked away and reached for the small door. “What if I don’t ask to stay afterward? Would it be a no for me, too?”
I moved to his side, placing my hand on the thick stalk of the potted plant nearby. “Get me what I asked for and I’ll let you stay the night, regardless of how disappointing the sex is.”
His eyes flared and locked on mine. Desire flooded from both of us, but our motivations were different.
The bell chimed and I turned. Two Rivale guards strode in,engaged in quiet conversation. I pushed magic from my hand, sending the potted plant's vines sprawling over the door leading to the back. I forced the leaves to bloom quickly—it wouldn’t cover the entrance entirely, but I hoped it would camouflage it enough.
I worked fast to finish the task before the guards noticed the burst of power. And though I felt my magic buzz through the air, I hoped they were too distracted to recognize it.
I pushed Jaspar against the vine-covered door, and pressed my body into his, disguising my work with a passionate kiss. I pulled away, leaving his back covering the small gap between the door and the wall. He inhaled deep and looked down at me, enjoying the small moment he’d been requesting for so long.
His eyes fluttered over my face just before he looked over my shoulder at the approaching guards, realization sinking in. “Thank you,” he whispered.
