Before I can figure out how to ask that in some vaguely subtle way, he changes the subject. ‘How long have you worked there?’
‘Two weeks.’
He nods like he expected that answer, which makes sense. My scent will have been around the hallway outside for that long.
‘So is Aire always that much of a bitch to you?’ He’s got a cute little frown on his face, either from trying to remember the signs—a couple of which he got slightly wrong—or because he’s annoyed by her behaviour on my behalf.
I’m not sure which it is, but I do know that I’d rather talk about other things. Him, me, how good we could be together; I’m not picky. The fae are bottom of my list to ever be a topic of conversation.
I shrug. ‘Sometimes. Most fae don’t like me.’
‘Why?’ He unbuttons the cuffs of his white shirt and proceeds to neatly fold the sleeves to just above his elbows. His forearms have the same lithe strength as the rest of him, with just the right amount of black hair to be sexy.
What was the question again?
I give myself a mental shake. I won’t stand any chance of impressing him enough to date me if I don’t pay at least as much attention to his words as his body.
Would I rather not tell him why the majority of fae hate me? Obviously. I’d rather not talk about the lowest point in my life, the reason I lost everything. But there’s something about this tiger that makes me want to be open with him. Fingers crossed this gets it out of the way and doesn’t screw up my chances.
‘I served three years for putting Lance in a coma.’
Chapter Four
RAJ
I blink at Bryn, not sure how to respond to his clear lack of remorse. If anything, there’s a hint of pride in the way he holds himself.
Part of me wants to ask him how he managed it—fae are incredibly resilient and hard to injure—but I can’t respond as Raj, former SAS soldier. I have to react as Dhiren, my affable, easy-going counterpart.
‘What happened?’ I ask, careful not to show any judgement.
‘It’s not important.’ He reaches for his beer, gulping the rest of it before standing and rinsing the bottle out in my sink.
The dismissal is intriguing, considering he didn’t hesitate to tell me what he’d done, but it’s a mystery for another day. Right now I’m more interested in the fact that Bryn spent his lunch break in the canteen sitting with the wolf shifters who’ve been released from Wargate in the last few months, so he might have known Valerie. Not that I can ask him directly, of course. Undercover work is about the long game.
I get up and cross to the kitchen, touching his bicep lightly to get his attention. ‘Sorry, I’m sure you don’t want to talk about that.’
His lips tilt into a smirk. ‘You’re right; I’d much rather talk about you. Get to know you.’
Oh, he’s made that obvious. The scent of arousal and the prominent bulge in his jeans only lessened once we started talking about the fae. That and the way he keeps looking me over leaves no doubt that he didn’t knock on my door to get to know me as a friend.
He’s out of luck, though. He might be insanely hot with those cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass, tattoo sleeves I want to explore with my tongue, and confidence for days, but I never get involved with someone while I’m working undercover pretending to be someone I’m not. That rule has kept things simple for years, and I’m not about to break it now.
Not to mention, I’m not sure he’d be a good candidate for my first time with a man. I’m looking for forever love, not a wild night between the sheets. Or bent over the table. Or up against the wall.
Fine, maybe that wouldn’t be the worst idea ever, but it can’t happen.
‘Not much to tell,’ I sign slowly. My BSL is so rusty it’s embarrassing, but I will absolutely be brushing up on it. ‘Moved up here from London for this girl I was seeing. Four months in, she dumps me. But I can’t move out of this place until the summer, and when I got made redundant, I took the first job I could get.’
I have to fingerspell ‘redundant,’ but he doesn’t seem to mind. My chest is oddly tight as I tell him the backstory Kit and I came up with for Dhiren this time.
My tiger nudges me to get closer, ready to shift and lick Bryn all over, because my tiger is the most instinctive part of me anddoesn’t care about things like criminal records or Bryn not knowing my real name.
Bryn leans against the kitchen counter. ‘So are you straight? Or do I have a chance with you?’
His directness surprises me enough that I tell him the truth before I can think through the best reply for Dhiren.
‘I don’t date people I work with,’ I sign emphatically.
