The Viper's Nest (Kit Davenport #4)(9)

God damn these secret agent men and their ability to keep secrets.

Fishing around in my suitcase, I pulled out the ankle boots Cole had bought me and held them up. Wesley nodded, so I slipped them on and did them up.

“All right, I’m ready,” I announced. “Let’s go!”

Wesley grinned and placed a hand on my waist, tugging me closer to him and placing a gentle kiss on my lips. In my heels, we were almost the same height, and a thrill of excitement shot through me. Firstly, because I was never going to get used to the feeling of Wesley’s lips on mine, and secondly, because I intended to make good use of this easy access all night. Or for as much of the night as we had.

“Come on, we can grab a taxi from out front.” Wesley took my hand in his and led the way out of my room and toward the front door.

“This is a terrible idea,” Austin snapped again, and Wesley sighed.

“Austin,” I replied in a sickly sweet voice, turning a glare on him that could strip paint, “Go fuck yourself.”

Wes snickered a laugh, and I gave him a nudge to keep moving. This debate was over as far as I was concerned.

“Princess, you’re acting like a spoiled brat. I’m not trying to cockblock Wes... again. I’m trying to keep you and the unsuspecting, innocent public of Toronto safe.” Austin moved from his seat and stepped in front of us, blocking the door. “Your magic lessons have been a fucking disaster. Do you really want to add to the mass hysteria by turning someone into a donkey just by reading a menu?”

My teeth ground together hard, and my jaw clenched. I loved fighting with Austin, no doubt about it, and it was even more fun now with this insane sexual tension that had been clear as fucking day ever since the incident involving Mr. Gray’s death. Or rather, the subsequent healing he’d provided me with.

Fun or not, I appreciated when he didn’t have a damn good point. When he did, it made winning that little bit harder. Not impossible, of course, but more difficult.

“I’m not going to turn anyone into a donkey,” I informed him firmly, but not totally believing myself. It wasn’t like turning Cole green had been intentional…

“Oh no? And how do you plan on stopping yourself?” He folded his muscled arms and gave me a smug smile. Silly man, he thought he’d won.

“I won’t touch anything with ink,” I replied with a sassy brow lift. Don’t ask me what a sassy brow lift looked like; I couldn’t see my own face. But it felt sassy.

Austin’s smile bordered on a laugh, and he shook his head as he stepped out of our path, but not before raking his eyes over my body in a way that hinted he was picturing me naked. Again. He’d been doing that a lot this week…

“Fine, suit yourself. Stubborn bitch. Don’t come crying to me when shit goes haywire and you end up on the national news.” He raised an eyebrow back at me, and I wondered if that was what my sassy look looked like. If so... it was hot. Damn it. That angry, magic-fueled sex had been such a bad idea.

“Good vote of confidence, bro.” Wes clapped Austin on the shoulder, moving past him to open the door. “Where’s Tyson anyway? I expected that overgrown house cat to be here whining at Kit for going out as well.”

“I’m not whining,” Austin growled, sounding decidedly tiger-like himself. “He needed a rest.”

His fingers stroked down his forearm where an intricate new tattoo of a tiger slept among jungle leaves. He’d needed to clear some blank space using magic in order to ink Tyson a place to rest on his skin, but the effect was stunning.

“All right, well I picked up some steak for him. It’s in the fridge when he’s next around,” Wesley said, holding the door open while I shrugged into my cropped leather jacket and wound a light scarf around my neck.

“Have a good night!” I sang, flipping Austin off, and Wes snickered again as he shut the door in the sexy Ink Mage’s pissed-off face.

“You know he only pulls that shit because he’s in love with you right?” Wes grinned, linking his fingers back through mine and pressing the elevator call button.

I snorted so hard it actually hurt my sinuses. “Austin. In love. With me. Hah, yeah sure.” I chuckled and shook my head as the doors dinged open and we stepped inside. “You forget I can feel his emotions now too, so I’d know.”

Wesley turned to me with a wry grin, like he thought I was being adorably obtuse. “Would you, though?”

Frowning, I said nothing. Surely I’d be able to pick up on an emotion as heavy as love. But... maybe not? I mean, it’s not as if I was experienced in examining emotions at all, so how the hell would I know what to look for? So far the only ones I’d been able to pick out with accuracy were anger, worry, frustration, and amusement. Sometimes arousal but even then I had to second-guess if it was coming from me or him. God damn, sexy-ass motherfucker.

Still, the idea of Austin in love with me was laughable. Right?



“Ice skating?” I squeaked, half excited and half terrified as we got out of the taxi in front of the Harbourfront Ice Rink.

“Yeah, I thought it was a cool kind of date activity.” Wesley shrugged and blushed, like he was suddenly nervous. “They have a café area for food and a bar for drinks... seeing as it is my twenty-first after all.”

Winding my arms around his neck, I pulled him in for a long kiss and then grinned at him.