Of Wish and Fury (Seven Kings of Jinn)

After the tears eventually subsided, Ari sat on the floor a while, feeling utterly exhausted and not at all in the frame of mind to take on this job. Really, what were Trey and Luca thinking? Well, she guessed Luca thought it might be good experience for her, but Trey was just playing matchmaker. If Jai hadn’t stubbornly telepathed to her to say no to taking the assignment, Ari might have turned it down. But… she hated it when that guy tried to tell her what to do.

Realizing she’d have to abandon her usual natural look because of the crying jag, Ari conjured her small make-up bag from home and went about trying to fix her puffy eyes and blotched cheeks with grief-stricken, trembling fingers. When she was done, she tousled her long hair, leaving it loose down her back, and gave a sad nod to the mirror. She’d do, she guessed. Glancing down at the short hem, she pulled at it a little. Had it always been that short? Nervous gremlins awoke in Ari’s stomach as she wondered how Jai would react to the dress. The nerves weren’t just for his reaction, though. The British actress they were ‘hanging out with’ tonight was none other than Jennifer Hadley, a rom-com sweetheart and all-round big deal. And Ari was to help protect her and her ‘civilian’ boyfriend, Chris. Chris was an ordinary guy — a construction worker — but he and Jennifer had been together for ten years, since before Jennifer became famous. Despite the massive changes in their lives and all the gorgeous men Jennifer worked with, she and Chris were still together. Ari thought it was pretty romantic.

A knock at the door startled her, and her heart pounded fast against her ribs. Was that him? Oh hell.

“Come in!” she called, trembling fingers smoothing down the front of her dress.

To her surprise, Charlie walked into the room. He wore a plain T-shirt and black pants instead of a ratty slogan shirt and jeans, and with his hair so short, he looked older. More appealing. Jerk.

“Whoa.” He drew to an abrupt halt, his dark eyes wide as they roamed down her body. When his gaze returned to her face, Ari blushed. Charlie had never looked at her with such blatant interest before.

“Don’t look at me like that.” She squirmed uncomfortably.

“Then poke my eyes out because I can’t look at you any other way.” His eyes darkened with melancholy. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you.” Why did he have to act like a kicked puppy all the time? This was how he kept drawing her back in. Deliberately avoiding his gaze, Ari moved around the room, gathering her phone and make-up to put in her clutch purse.

“You sure you want to do this?” Charlie asked. “It could be dangerous. We don’t know who’s following you or if that Dalí guy knows where you are.”

“It’ll be fine.”

“What about Jai?”

Ari’s heart kicked into overdrive. “What about Jai?”

“Well, I don’t trust him with you on any normal day. You with him, dressed like that? I don’t think so.”

Stupidly pleased at the insinuation that Jai was attracted to her, Ari hid a hopeful smile and waved Charlie off. “It’s Jai, alright. He takes his job seriously. I’m like an inanimate object to him.”

Charlie snorted. “Yeah, right. I’m serious, Ari. You should see the way he looks at you when you’re not watching.”

Another thrill shot through her. “He doesn’t see me like that,” she insisted.

At the silence from her friend, Ari turned around and met Charlie’s suspicious, narrow-eyed gaze. His jaw was taut, and she noted the flicker of hurt in his eyes. “Do you want him to?”

Feeling guilty and flustered, Ari shook her head frantically. “Look, I’m not talking about this. Not with you.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Charlie’s eyes sparked with realization. “You’re into him? He’s too old for you!”

“He’s only twenty-two,” she argued stupidly before she remembered she was supposed to be hiding her feelings for Jai from everyone, including Jai. “That’s not even the point. There is nothing between us. There never will be.”

Charlie’s expression softened with empathy. “Yeah, you’re right. There never will be. Because he’s not a relationship guy, Ari. Trey told me about the crap the two of them get up to with women and, well, men, I guess too, for Trey. Jai might find you attractive, and to be honest he’d have to be dead not to, but there won’t ever be anything more.” His mouth twisted bitterly. “I just didn’t realize you wanted more from him.”

The words hurt and he meant them to. He said it out of jealousy and Ari knew that. But there was truth in there, too. Jai had told her the same thing, but Ari resented Charlie for reiterating something that hurt. Suddenly remembering her oath to herself as she’d stood at her dad’s graveside, Ari grew calm, letting all her emotions freeze up somewhere inside her. Giving Charlie her best blank look, she shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t want anything from anybody anymore. When you expect things from people, they inevitably disappoint you.”