Gray Witch (Black Hat Bureau 5)

“Curiosity, I think.” I recalled her nachos with longing. “She struck me as bored and happy to gossip.”

On cases, those were my absolute favorite people to encounter.

“You want to cloak us,” Asa guessed, lowering his hand. “What do you need me to do?”

“Just hold still.”

Murmuring a concealment spell under my breath, I pictured Asa, his hair and eyes, his smile and laugh. I thought about how it felt to run my fingers over his body, how his skin smelled, how his naked body looked spread on the bed, waiting for me to join him.

A hot flash burned my nape, but I tried to play it cool.

The better you knew a person, the better you could hide them.

That was the excuse I allowed myself for picturing how he tasted when…

A low growl shocked me back into the moment.

Lips parted, Asa stood millimeters away from me, his breath ghosting over my mouth.

On his head, onyx and deadly, gleamed his horns.

“Oops,” I whispered, our lips brushing. “I might have gotten carried away.”

Fascination heightened his senses, making him hyperaware of when my thoughts took a downward turn. Which, for him, resulted in more of an—ahem—upward turn.

“I can’t see you,” Clay announced, “but I can hear you. Keep that in mind.”

“You can’t see either of us?” I spun toward him. “You’re sure?”

“As far as I can tell, Colby and I are alone.” He hesitated. “Except for the panting and breathy sighs.”

Huh.

The visualization exercise had included things I wanted to do to Asa. That must have secured the spell on me as well. I would have to remember that going forward. It was a handy trick that cut down on magic expenditure.

“Clay—”

“Oh, Ace,” he mimicked me. “You’re so tall, dark, and horny.”

A laugh slipped out of Asa, but I waited for what I knew would come next.

“Do me, Rue.” Clay pitched his voice low. “Ride me like a pony.”

This time, I burst into laughter, because he made it easy to picture using Asa’s braids as reins.

Which I would never tell either of them.

Ever.

“Why are you like this?” I jabbed his cheek. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m sexually frustrated, emotionally stunted, and also hilarious beyond all reason.”

“I’m not the friend who tells you that you need to get laid.” I poked him again. “Your taste in women is terrible.”

“You’re not wrong.” He cocked a half smile. “Maybe Ace can set me up with a nice daemoness.”

“Nice and daemoness don’t often go together.” Asa melted my bones with a look. “I got lucky with Rue.”