4
The drive home from the shop gave me time alone to stew over the biggest surprise of my night.
Namely, a certain daemon body-jacking Asa to spend quality time swapping spit muffins with me.
I wasn’t sure how to feel about that, the case, or leaving the girls alone to deal with a tsunami of repairs.
As I stepped out, the wards surrounding my property hummed a steady drone that told me all was well. I was at the front gate, about to push through, when a black SUV pulled in behind me, Asa at the wheel.
Our gazes collided, leaving my skin flushed and tight all over, and I gripped the gate to steady my pulse.
He had changed in my office before we left, and that meant he was dressed to the nines.
Lean muscle covered his frame. Hard to forget that after watching him model his underwear. No amount of tailoring could conceal his strength, but he managed to hide his powerful body better than most. Four hammered silver hoops fixed into a single earring hung from each of his ears, and a ring pierced his septum of the same material. His hair had lost its sheen thanks to the oil blend in the hand soap and the daemon’s vigorous scrubbing. It was clumped down his back, mostly dry, but tangled from its ordeal.
His poor hair. His poor, beautiful hair. His poor, beautiful hair that was long enough to wrap around my fist…
No.
Bad Rue.
This was how I kept getting myself in trouble.
A faint smile played around his full lips as he watched my gaze rove over him, and he returned the favor.
Muffled squealing drew my attention back to the house, where a pale face smooshed against a window.
Faster than a bolt of white lightning, Colby shot into the yard to zoom around me.
Seriously.
Who knew moths got zoomies?
With white fuzz covering her abdomen and a wispy off-white mane, she was a showstopper. Pearlescent wings blurred when she got excited, like now, and her velvety black legs kicked with excitement. Though we had agreed the uppermost set, tipped in cream, would be deemed hands despite the lack of fingers.
“Clay.” Her antennae fluttered with delight. “You’re back.”
“Hey, Shorty.” He grinned from ear to ear. “You miss me?”
The ward dipped in warning, popping my ears, as Clay and Asa entered my yard.
“Duh.” She lit on him as soon as he crossed the barrier. “All the cool stuff happens when you’re here.”
Heart pinching at her enthusiastic greeting, I told him, “That’s a nice way of saying trouble follows you.”
Just like a certain dae had followed me, silent and stealthy, as if he were stalking prey.
“Hello, Colby.” Asa stood close enough for our elbows to brush. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Hi,” Colby said shyly, waving at him. “Rue made detangler for you.”
If there was any justice in this world, I would incinerate on the spot and be pardoned from facing Asa.
When I failed to self-immolate, despite trying my best, it proved what I already knew. There was none.
My only saving grace was she didn’t out me for testing what I had mixed up so far on my bracelet.
And no, it wasn’t just so I could catch a whiff of juicy green apple while he was gone. That would be sentimental and ridiculous.