King Hall (Forever Evermore, #1)(66)
I choked on my food.
Ezra muttered, “She does, man.” When Jack scowled, Ezra clarified, “She made you watch cycling competition reruns all Saturday night instead of coming over to Lily’s for movie night with us. And, she was even invited.”
Pearl snickered. “She had you babysit her two younger brat brothers when she went shopping with her mom.”
“Also,” I added, “she bought you that god-awful peach shirt you hate, which you wear. For her.” I glanced down. “That shirt, to be exact.” Damn, that thing was hideous.
Ezra lifted his little finger. “Oh yes, my friend. She’s got you wrapped and,” his finger bent sharply, “hooked.”
Pearl patted Jack’s hand when he sat blinking. “It’s alright. You’ll get used to it. She’s the same with you. I can’t believe some of the things she does…” She stopped talking when he shook his head.
“Sorry, I wasn’t freaking out about that. She wants,” he tapped his head, “us to bring her back something to eat at school. Lunch was barf worthy today, so she didn’t eat.”
I snickered as he quickly started cleaning his mess. He was interesting being in love.
Ezra expounded, “We can drop it off, but I’m not going back today.”
Jack nodded. “I didn’t think so. I told her we’d bring it, but I was leaving afterward.”
“Good,” Pearl murmured, but she was looking at me with eyebrows raised. “So, you think you might explain the situation that led to Felix lying on top of you today?”
Jack and Ezra, at the same time, asked harshly, “What?”
“Um, yeah…” I shot Pearl a dirty glance. Of course she would blab. Nothing ever stayed a secret between any of us for long. “He was my hand-to-hand partner today, since Ezra wasn’t available.” A quick scowl at him. “He wants to hook up again. He said he never slept with me because of his job.” I munched on a fry. “He spoke truth.”
“Bad idea,” Jack muttered, shaking his head. “Do not sleep with him again. These people are supposed to be our elite guard. Having a relationship — any relationship — with them could complicate things. They’re there for one reason, and one reason only. To guard us.”
“There are plenty of other guys for you to pick from,” Ezra murmured. “After today, I wouldn’t touch anyone if I only thought they were being honest.” He grimaced. “Those cuffs were atrocious.”
Sighing, I rested my elbows against the table, getting what they said, but argued, “It’s hard enough to find someone that will even look me straight in the eyes, much less half of what Felix does.” I grinned, biting into my last fry. “Very well, I might add.”
They sat back, quiet and thoughtful, knowing it was hard to find someone on equal footing. Not timid with us. Or who acted like we were perfect. Because we weren’t. No one likes to be cooed over or have someone jump to do your bidding all the time, even though you barely mentioned it. If you found someone with backbone, it was a rare find indeed. Add in the attraction between Felix and me, and yeah, it wasn’t an easy decision.
Ezra’s lips pursed. “When I left home after Felicia died, I did an extensive amount of traveling. I met tons of different Mysticals during that time, some of them more reputable than others.” He cracked his neck. “There was this one alpha Shifter I met—”
I held up a stopping hand. “I don’t do blind booty calls.”
He shrugged. “It was just an idea.”
“I know. I’ll figure it out with Felix.”
Pearl ended up buying lunch for Gideon, along with Jack’s buy for Nikki, so while they were waiting to hand off their bags-o-goodies, Ezra and I slipped into the back of the Hummer, it still running, music playing unobtrusively over the speakers. The guards were still sitting in their cars, which were parked toward the front of the building, halfway between where I had parked — not my normal spot in the back — and where Jack and Pearl were outside King Hall’s front doors. Classes were in session for another fifteen minutes, so I had told Ezra he could drink now if he wanted. His wandering eyes had said it all. He very much wanted, so we were sitting on the backseat.
“How do you want me?” I asked, pulling my hair back into a ponytail.
Ezra considered it, then said, “Lie down on the seat so no one sees us.” I nodded, and he moved to the edge so I could lie down flat. The leather was warm under me where Pearl and Jack had been sitting, and Ezra maneuvered over me, hovering there for a moment. “Tell me if I’m too heavy.”
I snorted. He was very heavy. A solid mass of muscle, not a scrap of fat on him that I had ever seen, and he had plowed into me countless times in our training, so I knew firsthand how it felt having him on top of me. But, this was different, and he was trying to be polite, so I nodded. “Will do.” I hesitated as he gently rested his enormous body on me, and then asked, “What do I taste like?”
He jerked his eyes away from my neck to meet my gaze. “Like wild spice. I’ve never tasted anything like it. Drinking off a Shifter and a Vampire doesn’t even compare to your natural taste.” He cocked his head. “I’m surprised you’ve never sampled your own blood before if you were curious.”