“You love telling me what to do.” Abi smiled. Having a direct connection to Peter was great. When Peter first rescued him, it was a little awkward, but Peter had saved his ass enough times for Abi not to question it anymore.
Pete chuckled. “It’s a perk.”
“And you havewisdom, remember.” Abi made air quotes when he said wisdom.
“Speaking of.” Peter’s expression grew serious, which meant he was going to get all fatherly on him. “You put yourself at risk by biting Colin.”
“Exposure endangers everyone. I know. I’m sorry.” Not sorry enough for Abi not to do it again. “He didn’t die.” That Abi knew of.
“Use your sassy tone on someone else. Like your new partner.” Peter, the slippery bastard, knew that the last sentence would land on Abi like a bomb.
Abi pulled away and stopped walking. “What new partner?”
Peter smirked. “Nash Drake is a Dragon Skull. He’s part of a motorcycle gang from a small dragon shifter town named Wingspan.”
“We met in the foyer.” Nash intrigued Abi even though he didn’t want to be.
“I know.” Peter smirked.
He folded his arms across his chest and narrowed his eyes. “I don’t care.”
“We both know that’s not true.”
Abi huffed. “Why are you doing this to me?”
“We both know the answer to that too.”
“He’s fake. Just like all the others.”
“Except…” Peter raised his eyebrows. “Something is different, Abi.”
“For how long will it be different? Two weeks. You know it. And I know it. And besides that, I am swearing off men.”
“So you don’t mind if Gunner goes on the job with him, then?”
Gunner was small and waifish. He had pointed ears, which he refused to hide with a glamour. He was very cute. Very boy material, which was the only job he would ever take. He’d even let himself get auctioned at a strip club once, which could have gone badly, but didn’t. Gunner had been crazy enough to love every minute of getting in front of hundreds of people naked. He was crazy enough to let things get out of hand before stopping it. As innocent as he appeared with his big doe eyes, he was anything but. Peter sending Gunner meant the job would most likely include sex play of some sort, which meant Gunner would play with Nash.
Abi sighed and pushed past Peter. “That’s a low blow, even for you, Peter.”
Abi stalked to Peter’s office and pulled open the door with enough force that there was no mistaking his anger. Mostly, he was mad at himself for falling for Peter’s manipulation tactics.
Peter’s office was a very masculine space, with dark wood and midnight-blue fabrics. Bookshelves lined the walls, floor to ceiling. Peter’s desk sat in front of large windows. Anyone trying to see in would experience nothing but shiny blackness instead of the back of Peter’s head.
Nash sat in a chair in front of the desk instead of the couch and chairs off to the left side of the room. Peter would see his choice as being respectful, which was a point in Nash’s favor.
Abi sat down in the chair next to Nash. He refused to meet Nash’s gaze. It was bad enough that Nash’s smell made his eyes ever-changing. The dizziness would have been worse had he not been sitting.
He must have done something to show discomfort, because Nash leaned toward him. “Are you alright?”
“Just fucking peachy.” As much as Abi didn’t want to like Nash, the concern was sweet. “Dizzy again.” It had felt as though it had never stopped. Nash didn’t need to know how Abi had stayed feet away. The walk with Peter was too short a reprieve.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Nash could turn down the job and walk away. Never encounter Abi again. Short of that, Abi was stuck with it.
Abi couldn’t help getting a peek at Nash out of the corner of his eye. Sexy fucker. He was a total Daddy too—very Abi’s type.
The thought of Nash leaving made Abi panic. He held back a whimper.
Nash straightened his shoulders when Peter rounded the desk and then sat beside it. The tension practically rolled off Nash.
