“I mean, I always knew I wasn’t their favorite, but to hear it…it hurt my feelings.”
“That would hurt mine too,” I reply.
“Yeah. Assholes. It’s not like I meant to be born this way. It’s just who I am.”
“And you’re perfect the way you are.”
“Shut up,” Arbor says, but he swipes at his eyes, and his scent changes slightly, warm and deep. Erotic. “You’re making my eyes leak.”
“Wouldn’t want that.”
He makes a face at me, and I squeeze his hand.
“I know why I was really hired as superintendent,” he says quietly, and I peer over at him for a moment.
“Because you are qualified?”
“No, because I’m part fae, and the company wanted me for optics. They thought it would look good if a fae was managing the site, to appease any lingering protestors over the building on the supposed sacred land.”
“But you’re good at your job.”
He sighs and squeezes his eyes shut. “But it feels like I didn’t earn it. It sometimes feels like I’m never going to be good enough.”
“You are good enough. You fucking earned that job. I promise. Jericho wouldn’t put just anyone on site like that.”
He groans after a long moment. “How much longer do we have?”
“An hour.”
“An hour seems like an eternity. I’m really trying to behave myself, but when you talk so nicely to me, I’m getting all sorts of ideas.”
“Since when have you ever behaved like you should?” I ask, and he scowls at me.
“I am the pinnacle of professionalism, just so you know, Mr. Barrett.”
“That you are, Mr. Wren. Especially when I have you bent over the desk with my tongue up your ass.”
I can sense the shift in the mood, the way his scent subtly shifts. He has been trying his best to behave himself, but right now, it seems he’s let the tether loose.
“If you don’t stop talking like that, I may lean over and do things to you.”
“I wouldn’t be opposed,” I reply, and Arbor huffs.
“The water makes it more intense. I think you’d crash, and we’d both die.”
I let out a bark of laughter. “We wouldn’t want that. No more sex talk until we get back to my place.”
Arbor adjusts himself and sighs. “Yes, no more. How should we distract ourselves, then? An hour is a long time. Do you want to speculate about Red and what he got himself into?”
“Not really. Couldn’t give two shits about the man, especially since he hurt Skye. I hope he gets what’s coming to him.”
“Yeah, he always was an odd one,” Arbor says, leaning his head against the headrest and turning to look at me. “I think I may have seen him with the fae, though. The night you stopped me from going to Pit Stop. I felt some kind of recognition, but I don’t know. I can’t be sure.”
“And it’s not your problem to deal with. Just because Red got caught up with a fae doesn’t mean you have to get involved. This has nothing to do with you.”
“I feel like it does.”
“It doesn’t. They wouldn’t even let you into the damn town hall. They can fuck off and deal with this alone.”
