Page 76 of The Devil’s Feather

“Only the interesting ones.” His voice was tight.

“I’m sorry! That came out wrong. I really didn’t mean it as a criticism.”

He relaxed marginally. “Benson is ace. It was a power dynamic gone sideways.”

Benson looked over at us, be-ringed eyebrows drawing together in a stormy expression over their grey eyes. They had very full, plush lips, painted wine-dark to set off their pale skin. The sheer strength of personality radiating off them told me exactly why Rafael had been drawn in. I almost took a step forward myself.

Shit. Elaine, stop staring!

Rafael steered me away with a hand on the small of my back. “Benson is a toxic dom. Repeatedly tried to collar me. The last time was so bad only the restraints kept me from attacking them. We have not spoken since.”

My chest tightened. “Has anyone ever respected your boundaries?”

“Mandeep did,” he said softly. “That might have been my only truly amicable breakup. He wisely dumped me before I had the chance to drag him to hell.”

I squeezed Rafael’s hand. “Did you love him?”

“I thought I did. He thought he loved me as well. My inability to say it was one of the deciding factors in the end.” Rafael took my empty champagne glass and set it on a passing tray, snagging full replacements. He clinked his glass against mine. “I vastly prefer switches these days, anyway.” There was that devil’s feather I loved; the mischief returned to his eyes.

We drifted toward the edge of the room; far from Molly Lively and Benson Ives. “It seems I do too.”

Rafael pressed the back of my hand to his lips. The warmth traveled all the way down my arm and settled in my chest, comforting as a cat purring in my lap. I kissed his knuckles in return, and he rewarded me with the eye crinkles.

A bellowed, “BUBBELEH!” made me jump. “How does someone so tall hide in a crowd? You made me search for miles! So, the Angel of Music has deigned to come down from on high to grace the mortals with his presence, has he?”

A short, stout, moderately tanned woman in a silver silk suit, with a mop of grey hair and cat-eye glasses perched on her nose, marched over to us. The diamonds around her neck could easily double as a breastplate. The ones on her fingers and ears might feed a small nation.

This must be the infamous Kathy Friedman.

“You’re Elaine!” Kathy shook my hand with gusto. “I like the look of this one. She has honest, soulful eyes, unlike some of those harpies you’ve catted around with. Great rack, too.”

She winked at me. I fought the urge to cover my chest.

Rafael sighed loudly. “For fuck’s sake, Kathy.”

The director went on like he hadn’t spoken. “Thank you for prying my boy out of his bat cave. I told him, I said, this party’s close, you have no excuses. And he growls at me—you know how he growls—‘Kuzum, I hate these fucking things’.” Her imitation of his deep voice knocked a helpless guffaw loose from my throat. “Well, I had to break out the big guns,” she made finger guns at Rafael, “and get Richard to back me up. You know Richard Bateman’s here?”

I was lost. “Who is Richard?”

“My agent,” Rafael said. “He is good at his job, but we annoy each other, so Kathy intercedes.”

Kathy pushed against his arm. “Rich loves you like a son.”

He rolled his eyes. “Richard’s son is in prison for dealing meth.”

“Oh, you hush.” She turned her weighty attention back to me. “Really, I just wanted to meet the girl my Bubbeleh has been gushing about.”

Gushing? Points of heat rose in my cheeks, and I glanced at Rafael. He found something fascinating on the ceiling.

“You know, I don’t have much call for fantasy, but I’m always looking for good writers. Rafael tells me you’re very talented.” She pressed her card into my palm in a way that brooked no argument.

My face boiled so hot I could fry an egg on my forehead. A feline smile curled the edges of Rafael’s mouth.

Kathy cackled. “Oh, honey, don’t be shy. My boy knows what he’s talking about. If he says you’re good, you’re good. You watch out for him, though, Elaine. Way too smart and charismatic for his own good, and mean as a subway rat if you back him into a corner.”

“Oh, I know.” I cocked my head to stare up at him.

He gave me a tired look.