Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2)(74)

She squealed as he tickled her, and the others clapped. Blake hadn’t noticed me sitting away from the group, watching in shock as he turned the girl for a kiss. Her arms went around him, as if this was a common occurrence, and petals of pink bloomed around her. More envious auras sprouted, from the girls as well as surrounding guys who’d turned to see the commotion. Blake gave her one last peck before looking around and catching sight of me.

“Anna?”

He stared at me, unsure, his arms still around the blonde. I smiled and stood as he came over, the girl close behind him.

“Hey,” I said.

He greeted me with a hug and the girl stopped, crossing her arms. I kept my attention on Blake.

“What are you doing here? Where’s Kai?”

“I need to talk to you about that, but not here.” I shot a glance at the crowd watching us.

“Is everything okay?” he asked. I nodded and stepped back from him, sensing discomfort from the girl. I leaned and waved at her from around Blake.

“Hi, I’m Anna,” I said. She frowned in return, her aura becoming a jumble of green and gray.

Blake jumped to attention, stepping to the side. “Yeah, hey, Michelle, this is one of my friends from way back. Anna, this is Michelle . . . my girlfriend.”

Girlfriend? He wouldn’t look at me.

Michelle eyed me from top to bottom before determining I was a nonthreat. She uncrossed her arms and reached for Blake’s hand, giving me a small smile and a “hey.” Then she stepped in front of Blake for his full attention. They were the same height.

“Good job out there, baby.” She kissed him and he smiled.

“One more set to go, then I’ll be done,” he said. “Let Anna sit with you, cool?”

Her aura zipped with gray agitation, but her face didn’t waver. “Sure,” she told him.

He kissed her again and gave me a wink before returning to the games, stopping to shake hands and receiving pats on the back the whole way.

Michelle turned away and went straight to her friends. They couldn’t read her aura, but they could probably tell from her body language that she was not happy about having to babysit Blake’s little friend.

“Anyone else ready for another drink?” Michelle asked. The girls crowded around the cooler and I watched the dirt arena. I wished I could crawl back over to the shade of the tree to contemplate the fact that Blake had a girlfriend. It made sense, as far as working went, for him to have the devotion of the most beautiful girl. But his affection for her had been genuine. And she loved him.

My heart suddenly hurt for Ginger.

“So, how long have you known Blake?” Michelle sat next to me, one slim leg outstretched and one bent. Her legs were golden and shiny next to mine in the bright sunlight. She twisted the cap off the hard cider and threw it in the grass.

“A while now,” I said, purposely vague. “How long have you guys been together?”

“A year,” she stated. We stared at the motocross lineup of competitors, getting ready for the trick competition. “A whole year, and you didn’t know about it. That’s interesting, you being a good friend and all.”

I tensed at the passive-aggressive comment and looked at her, but she was watching the dirt trails. Through her big sunglasses I could see unnaturally long eyelashes framing light eyes. Her face was a perfect oval and her lips were plump and pouty.

“We’re family friends,” I explained. “I haven’t seen or talked to him in over a year. I’ve been out of the loop.”

“How old are you?” she asked.

“Eighteen.”

“Oh. You look younger.” She sipped from the dark bottle. “Do you have a boyfriend?”

I almost said no, out of habit, and an uncontrollable smile leaped to my face. “Yes,” I answered.

She relaxed at that, leaning back on her elbows and taking another drink. “Want one?” I was roasting, and the thought of a cold drink sounded really good. When I hesitated, she said, “Nobody’s paying any attention, it’s okay.”

I swallowed hard. “No, thanks. I have to drive soon.”

She shrugged. We watched and clapped as the bikers performed insane and impressive feats. The crowd hissed and flinched when stunts didn’t go well. Blake never fell. He had no fear, and the fans were crazy for him.

He came to us after the awards ceremony, laden with trophies. I slinked back to the shade of the tree while Blake was approached by spectators giving congratulations. Michelle never left his side, beaming at Blake and his fans. Her prideful aura bothered me. The purple was so dark and thick that it overlapped the pink of her love for him. I couldn’t look at pride without thinking of Duke Rahab, the most loathsome of hell’s workers. My skin chilled at the memory of how he mentally tortured Gerlinda before killing her. Despite the day’s heat, I shivered.

When the crowd began to disperse, I joined Blake and Michelle. He was explaining to her that he needed to do the “family thing” for a few days. Her bottom lip plumped fuller.

“All right then,” she said, sighing.

He tipped her head up by the chin and she raised her puppy dog eyes.

“It’s all good, Chelley. I’ll see you in a couple days.”

“I’ll miss you, baby,” she said.

“I’ll miss you, too.”