Tanis came around the table, and for an instant, a scowl flashed across her beautiful face. She gently pushed the lady past the line and gave me another fingers-to-glass kiss.
“Oh, don’t talk about my Cravey-poo that way. No, I haven’t replaced the batteries for his voice box in years. Who’s next?”
A tall, extremely good-looking man stepped forward. “I think that’d be me.” He flashed a perfect smile and pointed to me. “I personally like the bear.” I eyed him up and down. Not only was he tall, but he was built. The guy must work out regularly. A full head of hair, bright blue eyes, dimples in his cheeks and chin.
Tanis was just as enthralled in him as I was. Carefully, I leaned forward, my head hitting the glass with a soft thud, giving her the signal.
“Oh!” Tanis gasped and hurried to open my case and put me back upright. “Craven, what are you doing?” She laughed nervously. She turned back to the guy in line, who was drinking her in.
“Tanis, it’s been too long.”
They knew each other?
My girlfriend blushed deeply as she tried to straighten her tight dress over her thighs. She giggled nervously. “Why yes, yes, it has.” She brushed a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “How have you been, Damon?”
Damon. Did I know that name?
“Good. Very good actually. I saw your name on the panel list and talked my way onto it beside you.”
Her mouth fell slack. “You’re doing the panel with me?”
He grinned, and when she grinned right back, I was jealous... but for different reasons than normal. Usually, I was jealousmerrily of the fact that the man she was flirting with was human. This jealousy was... more primal. It was clear they knew each other, and he wanted what was mine. I fell forward again and Damon saw me first.
“I think your bear is getting jealous of the attention I’m getting,” he joked, but he was right. Tanis laughed nervously and hurried to take me out of the case completely.
“Probably. It’s been a long morning too. I think I’m going to close my table for now, to prepare for the panel this afternoon.”
Loud groans rang out throughout her line.
“There will be more time, I promise!” she said. “Plus, I’ve already stayed a whole hour longer than scheduled,” she added to Damon.
“Can I walk you to your room?” he asked.
No.
“Yes, I’d very much like that.”
As the three of us took the elevator up and started down the hall to Tanis’s and my room, it was decided. One way or another, this asshole was dead.
