The Viper's Nest (Kit Davenport #4)(18)
“Ah,” I nodded. “Cole.”
“Yeah, Cole,” he agreed, and I sat back a bit. “I hope you understand. I want to make things right with him before...”
Chewing my lip, I nodded again. “Before sleeping with his girlfriend? Got it. Actually, really admirable, and I can’t even be a little mad about it.” I paused, running a hand through my slightly tangled waves. “Frustrated and horny as hell, but not mad.”
Vali smiled and pressed a lingering kiss to my cheek. “Thank you for being understanding; it means a lot to me that I have this chance to mend things with Cole. This is why you’re Regina mea.”
“Uh-huh, that’s me... super understanding.” I huffed another frustrated sigh. “At least I’m in less of a violent rage now.”
“Amazing what talking can do, hmm?” Vali smirked like a shithead. “Has Austin cooled down too? You know he was only scared for you.”
“Bullshit,” I snorted, but when I took the time to inspect his feelings swirling inside my chest, they weren’t totally all outraged anger like I’d thought. Yeah, there was a heavy dose of that, but there was also concern, panic, and fear.
Crap, maybe he wasn’t such an asshole after all.
“Austin... I don’t know him as well as you do, but I maybe have a different perspective? He has not had very good experiences with love, and he is still learning to deal with how he feels for you.” I snorted, but Vali laid a finger over my lips to silence me. “Sooner or later, you two will need to stop lying to yourselves and each other. Until then, this anger and fighting seems to be the only way he can deal with things. I think, despite everything you have gone through, that you’re stronger. Emotionally. So maybe cut him some slack and examine those feelings you are privy to before automatically snapping back at him.”
My lips tightened, and I met Vali’s serious gaze for a long moment while I turned this over in my head.
“Fine,” I murmured eventually. “But only if you do something for me.”
“What’s that?” He smiled indulgently.
“Fix shit with Cole. Fast. Being near you like this and not acting on what my body wants is going to drive me insane.” I rolled my eyes dramatically, but I was telling the truth.
Vali grinned and swiped his thumb gently over my cheek once more. “Deal. Now, are you ready to be yelled at by River? I just bet he has some words for you, too.”
I groaned. Dammit, he was right.
Time to face the music, Kit. Just... keep your trap shut and take the telling-off like a man. Woman. Ugh, whatever.
6
Turned out the scolding from River wasn’t as bad as anticipated. I managed to get through it with a few carefully timed “yes, sir”s, which never failed to derail River’s train of thought.
“Um, guys,” Caleb called from the kitchen when River was wrapping up with a final warning not to play with markers—like I was a freaking toddler.
“What?” Austin yelled back, still sitting on one of the leather ottomans with his arms folded while he glared at me. Tyson was back, and the big cat sat at my feet with his head in my lap demanding face scratches.
“I don’t mean to alarm anyone, but we’re badly in need of some groceries for this house. Coffee, especially, if we don’t want Kit to go all hulk smash on us.” Caleb gave me a toothy grin, and I flipped him off. He wasn’t wrong though.
“There is a little grocery store in town, I think,” Wesley offered. “This handy info packet has details on all the local conveniences.”
He held up a series of laminated pages that were bound together down one side, like the type that would be left in holiday homes. It was surprisingly useful since we’d all agreed to keep our Googling to a minimum. Just in case.
“I don’t mind going, seeing as I do lots of the cooking anyway.” Wesley shrugged, standing up to grab the car keys from the table. “Kit, you want to come?”
“Shit, yes,” I eagerly accepted, jumping up from my seat and stuffing my feet back into my Cons. I’d gone for flat sneakers today because we’d been travelling and I was a firm believer in comfortable travel attire.
“Kitten,” River started, but Cole stood as well.
“I’ll come too, keep Vixen’s hands off anything remotely inky.” He gave me a tiny flicker of a grin, and I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out. That, same as pouting, was not a sexy look on a grown woman.
“Idiots,” Austin muttered, throwing his hands up and stalking out of the room.
“Oh good, Austin approves. Let’s go!” I snarked, slapping Cole on the ass then running like hell out of the house before he could retaliate.
Once strapped into the car, Wes turned to me from the steering wheel with a very serious look on his face.
“Sweetheat, can you do me a favor?” he asked, and I automatically nodded.
“Of course.”
“Don’t magic us anywhere? I doubt I could have stopped the car as quickly as Cole did earlier.” His request was sensible, of course, but the quirk to the corners of his mouth said he was teasing, and I wrinkled my nose at him.
“You still have a moustache,” I pointed out, and Cole snorted a laugh from the back seat.