“Yeah, he’s my closest friend. Nah, more like a brother, but it’s always been this way. Some cases are better for him to handle alone. Sometimes I’m required to go with him, but otherwise, Sullivan usually has it all under control. It may not seem like it, but he’s quite a badass.”
“But I can’t help thinking if you’re flirting with danger this long, your luck will eventually run out.”
“That’s the thing.” He covered my hand with his and squeezed. “Sullivan’s not running on luck. He’s pure skill. I think you need to get out of the house a little and have some fun. Get your mind off Sullivan.”
Hmm, that wasn’t a bad idea.
I smiled at him. “Thanks, Liam. That actually sounds like a great idea.”
“Something comes to mind?”
“Yeah. I met this guy at a dungeon with Sully. When we were leaving, he slipped me his number, and we’ve been texting back and forth. I might invite him to go shopping with me.”
“Great. Go blow Sullivan’s money. That’ll keep you occupied.”
At a quarter past two, Tack arrived, dressed down in a pair of distressed jeans that were more strings than material. He’d paired it with a Minecraft hoodie and red high-tops. Outside of his cat gear, he looked older than I’d thought.
“Hey, I’m so glad you could make it!” I grinned. “Come on in. You’re my first guest since I moved in.”
“Thanks for inviting me.” He walked past me into the house, and I closed the door behind him. “You live alone?”
“Yeah. Can I get you anything to drink?”
“Water’s fine.”
I led him to the kitchen. “Cold or room temp?”
“Room.”
I handed him a bottle of water, which he drank while he surveyed the kitchen. “This is a really nice place.”
“It’s okay.”
He snorted. “Okay? Remind me to take you to my apartment next time. Then you can see what an okay place is. You ready to go?”
“Yeah, just let me get my purse.”
I had no pockets on the shorts I had on, so a purse was perfect for holding everything I needed: wallet with cash and credit cards, lip gloss—because I never went anywhere without one—my phone, earphones, and my house keys.
Tack’s car was a secondhand Honda Civic that had seen better days, but it was clean and inside smelled like a bubble gum factory.
“I know it doesn’t look it, but this baby’s gold.” He patted the dashboard, then started the car and backed out of the driveway.
“Hopefully, I’ll drive my own car someday. I just started learning again, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence Sully hasn’t taken me back on the road yet.”
“Sully?”
“My boyfriend.” Would I ever get used to saying that?
“Aww, the guy you were with at the dungeon? He’s hot.”
“Yeah, he’s the one.” Warmth flowed through me. He was right. Sully was gorgeous. “Do you have a Master? Sully and I just started playing together.”
“No, I go by myself to the club to play. Sometimes I play with random Doms who show up, but often it’s just me.”
“I haven’t been to the club in a while. I’m glad I met you there, since I don’t have too many friends.”
“Just moved here?”