“Do you want to get dinner?” I blurted out with all the grace that Sean had come to expect from me. When he turned to face me, he proved unable to conceal his amusement.
“Interesting segue.”
“Yeah, well, you know me.”
“That I do,” he replied, his voice low and raspy. It was sexy as hell. “The Toast place?”
“No, not the Toast place. Somewhere nice. Just you and me. No drama. No London. No mind control. No note from McGurney. No whatever-the-fuck-else-is-after-us bullshit. I just want to have dinner. With you. Like normal people do.”
“But we're hardly normal people,” he warned, pushing off the counter to stalk toward me.
“True, but part of me is and that part selfishly wants to have one night with you without all the drama. Please?”
He stopped just short of me, cupping my cheek in his hand. I closed my eyes and pressed against the warmth it offered. The love.
“A normal life is the one thing I wish I could give you, Ruby. And it is the one thing I can't.” I opened my eyes to find his staring down at me, a sadness tainting the beauty of them.
“You could tonight...”
The hopefulness in my expression could not be denied.
“I'm starting to have a really hard time telling you no, you know that?” he said, leaning in to kiss me.
“Technically, you did just shoot down my earlier question, so it can't be that hard, right?”
He pulled away just enough for me to see his Cheshire cat smile spread wide across his face.
“Touché.”
“So, where are you going to take me?”
“I know a place,” he replied enigmatically, walking past me to his room.
“Why doesn't that surprise me? Does this one at least have a sign on it, or are we going to go trudging down sketchy back alleys again?”
He laughed, recalling our first not-really-a-date date. The sound reached places within me that nothing else could.
“Always so impatient.”
“Admit it, you love that about me,” I teased, sauntering over to the wall of windows that looked out over Portsmouth proper.
“It has its advantages on occasion,” he drawled from the back of the apartment. Even at that distance, his voice could make every hair on my body stand at attention. If he kept it up, we weren't going to be leaving for dinner at all.
“Let's try to keep it clean,” I called back to him, though my voice sounded weak and unconvincing.
Needing to clear my thoughts before he came to join me, I stared out at the tiny Portsmouth skyline. The sky was clear and bright, the stars sparkling above. My gaze drifted from the harbor and across downtown before finally landing on my apartment.
My heart nearly stopped when it did.
Atop the roof, standing like a beacon in the winter's early moonlight, was a young-looking Gavin. He stared back at me, his harsh expression cutting through the night. Even from two blocks away, I could feel the weight of his disapproval.
“Something interesting got your attention?” Sean asked, his lips grazing my ear. I yelped and jumped, turning around quickly to face him.
“No. Why? Why do you ask?” I countered frantically.
“Because you didn't hear me coming. I have to admit I was a bit wounded that you found something else so enthralling that my presence fell completely by the wayside,” he said, feigning a pout.
“What are you talking about? You're like a ninja! You sneak up on me all the time. It doesn't matter what I'm doing, I'll just turn around, and then—BAM. There you are.”
I was rambling; I knew that. But all I could think about was Sean seeing Gavin on my roof and what his reaction would be. His eyesight was a thousand times more acute than mine. He'd have seen in an instant that someone was there who shouldn't have been. And knowing that Sean had been watching over me for longer than I'd known him, I could only assume that it was a reflex for him to look out the window and check my place.
I needed to keep him occupied. STAT.
He was still eyeing me playfully, no doubt amused by my frazzled behavior. So I snatched the collar of his shirt and pulled his face down to mine, locking my mouth onto his with ferocity. The rumble in his chest let me know he approved.
I kept it up, pressing harder against him until he lifted me up, allowing me to lock my arms tightly around his neck. I panted for breath in between kisses, needing air, but needing him more. The added bonus of both pissing Gavin off and avoiding a bloodbath was icing on the cake.
Finally, when I realized he'd stealthily undone my pants and was carrying me over to the couch, I pulled away from him slightly.
“Dinner?”
He stopped mid-step and stared at me quizzically.
“Now you want dinner?”
No.
“Yes.”
“Right now?”
I shrugged.
The truth was I wanted him to throw me down on the couch and have his way with me until I was so spent that I couldn't stand. But if Gavin was still watching, the thought of having a moment like that in full view of him creeped me out. Whether Gavin admitted it or not, he had to have seen things I wouldn't have wanted him to. I wasn't about to knowingly show him another.
“I'm really hungry,” I said, a timely growl of my stomach supporting my argument for sustenance.
He sighed heavily.
“We have got to figure out a way to get you to eat more during the day. Maybe your pack needs to be put on a diet.”
“Or learn to share more,” I added with a smile.
He ground me tight against him, running his nose along the side of my face.
“As long as it's only food and not you they're sharing,” he growled.
I suddenly had second thoughts about not putting on a show for Gavin. But common sense and decency prevailed in the end, and I demanded we leave.
“Pretty certain I'm not on the menu, Sean, but I'd like to see what this restaurant of yours is serving tonight.”
“Then let's go.”
He took my hand and led me to the apartment door. I hazarded a glance over my shoulder when I walked out, wanting to see if Gavin was still looming in the distance. Thankfully, there was no sign of him at all.
With a heavy exhale, I walked past Sean and out the door he held open for me. Making my way down the stairs, I wondered just what the Chameleon was up to or if maybe, just maybe, there was a small part of him that really was looking out for me—even after I'd basically told him to fuck off. If that was indeed the case, it begged a rather unseemly question: What danger did he expect to come my way while in Sean's care?
That question was unsettling indeed.
* * *
“It's just up the block,” Sean indicated while we continued to walk through the streets of Portsmouth.
“Wow, it has a sign and everything.” I couldn't help but smile up at him when he shot me an irritated glance. Holding hands, we made our way toward the entrance of the restaurant, enjoying a comfortable silence between us.
Then my blood ran cold. From around the corner stepped a young, handsome Gavin, heading straight for us. I did not know what to do. If I stopped suddenly, Sean would know something was up, but if I let those two near one another, I couldn't even begin to imagine the supernatural showdown that would occur. The very fact that Gavin was willing to come near Sean made me nervous. It screamed of recklessness, which went hand in hand with desperation. Neither were innate traits of Gavin’s. He was all about calculated patience.
Swallowing back my growing fear, I continued on, keeping pace with Sean's long strides.
You need to get out of this. Quickly.
“Suggestions?” I whispered to myself.
“For what?” Sean replied.
“What to eat,” I quickly shot out, hoping that would appease his curiosity.
“That's what the waiter is for, Ruby.”
“Right.”
Tick tock.
Scarlet was right. We
were only yards away from Gavin now; he continued to walk toward us.
I felt like my head was going to explode.
Sean reached for the restaurant door only to have Gavin grab the handle first. He graciously opened the door, smiling down at me. I, however, could not force myself to return the gesture.
“After you,” he said sweetly. Too sweetly. I felt Sean's grip on my hand tighten a hair.
Internally I was in full-on freak out mode.
“Thanks,” I managed, slipping my hand from Sean's as I entered the Thai restaurant. I couldn't bring myself to turn around and see what the two “men” were doing behind me. I could only imagine the amount of mad-dogging I'd see. Cooper might not have been able to sense Gavin's supernatural status when he was disguised as an old man, but I doubted he could get past Sean's radar in his true form. Sean would surely know Gavin was something.
And I had no doubt that he would read him as unfriendly.
“Two tonight?” the hostess asked, distracting me for a moment.
“Yep. Only two,” I answered with a little too much enthusiasm.
“Right this way.” I felt Sean's hand on the small of my back as she led us to a tiny table tucked away safely in the back corner. Sean, true to form, took the seat that allowed him a full view of the restaurant, leaving me with my back to it, and more importantly, to Gavin.
So. Not. Good.
We ordered drinks―I wanted to order two, but I managed to control myself―and then we chatted casually. It was just like I had wanted. A normal date. Except for the looming presence of Gavin, who at any time could have rained a shitstorm down on us if he were so inclined. And after I basically spat in his face at our last meeting, I didn't hold out much hope for his mercy.
Time dragged on painfully while I waited. I could tell Sean was really trying to keep up the happy couple routine, but eventually he dropped the act and asked why I was acting so strangely. I was unprepared to answer his question.
Thankfully, I didn't have to.
I felt Gavin’s presence beside me before I saw him. I had to remind myself to breathe. When I brought my eyes up to meet his, mischief greeted me.
“Don't I know you?” he asked, all but ignoring Sean entirely.
“Um, maybe?” I replied, my throat tightening while I spoke.
“You own that jewelry store in town.”
“Yep. That's me.” Cue the awkward pause. It seemed to drag on forever while Gavin just stared at me. I couldn't bring myself to look at Sean. I could feel his rising anger. Gavin was looking at me like prey, and Sean wasn't a fan. “Is there something I can do for you?” I asked, desperate to somehow put an end to our encounter.
He laughed.
“You could meet me for dinner tomorrow.”
Oh shit.
“I don't eat dinner.”
He looked at me quizzically.
“Isn't that why you're here? To have dinner?”
“I'm here for a date. With my boyfriend.”
Reflexively, I glanced across the table at Sean. His darkened eyes were fixed on Gavin. His seemingly relaxed posture didn't fool me. He was pissed. Really pissed.
Gavin simply shrugged.
“Well, once you decide to remedy that situation, I'll be waiting,” he said, turning his back to Sean to leave the restaurant. “I'll see you around.”
I didn't bother to look back after he walked away. Sean, however, had his eyes pinned on Gavin until he was long gone. When he finally brought his attention back to me, none of his tension had abated.
“That was interesting,” he said.
“Ballsy would have been my description.”
“Indeed.” He stared at me while his eyes bled to a lighter, happier shade of green, but a shadow lurked behind the color. A reminder of whom Sean held at bay. “I have to admit,” he started, twisting a salt shaker round and round on the table, “in all my time with you―knowing you―I never gave much thought to human threats.”
I fought to keep the shock and amazement off of my face while Scarlet voiced the conclusion she too had come to: Sean couldn't sense Gavin—at all. I had known that Cooper couldn't, but I thought that maybe had something to do with Gavin parading around like a weathered old man. I’d believed Sean would be able to sense Gavin when he was his true self. But he'd strolled right up to our table that night without a care in the world.
And I now knew why.
While Scarlet contemplated the potential and not-so-favorable implications of this revelation aloud in my head, I frantically tried to put my conscious mind—which had basically just been blown―back together again. Outwardly I tried my best to shrug the whole encounter off. If Sean didn't know that Gavin was supernatural, I wasn't going to tip Gavin’s hand. Not yet. Not until I knew what had possessed him to approach us in the first place. Obviously Gavin knew Sean couldn't sense him, which explained more than I could have possibly imagined. The question was: How?
Yet another question I wanted the answer to.
“I'd hardly call him a threat, Sean. I'd call him crazy for hitting on a girl who happens to be on a date with her man, but not a threat.”
“You did not fully appreciate how he was looking at you then.”
“Oh no. He was on a mission. I got that message loud and clear.”
“I don't know that you did,” he countered plainly. “There are human predators too, Ruby. I would say he's one of them.”
“I'm aware of that, Sean. Really. They are hardly exclusive to the supernatural community. You do remember Ronnie, right? I'm pretty sure she falls into some strange subcategory of predatory humans.”
“Or semi-human.”
“Do you know something I don't?” I asked, clamping my hand over his to still the shaker. The sound was making me crazy.
“No,” he said, the faintest of smiles tugging at the corners of his mouth. “But it would explain so much about her, wouldn't it?”
“Fair point.”
His almost-smile faded.
“The world is rarely a safe place, Ruby.”
I couldn't help but choke on a laugh.
“A truth I know all too well, Sean.”
He reached across the table and took my other hand in his.
“You can never afford to drop your guard. Do you understand? Never.”
“I do understand. I've learned my lesson in that department.”
He paused for a moment.
“I cannot lose you again. Ever.”
I tried to reply, but the words caught in my throat. The sadness that coursed through our physical connection was oppressive. I had to pull away for a moment to lessen the onslaught.
“You won't,” I promised, forcing a smile. “I have to at least make it to the weekend because Peyta needs her hair and makeup done for her wedding. She'd never forgive me if I wasn't there to make her look fabulous.”
It was his turn to force a smile.
“True. And I'm assuming that her mother won't be there to help with those things.”
“No clue. Ronnie is a total wildcard.”
“I thought that having the event in her yard would encourage her to participate, but I was wrong.”
“I have so many issues with the statement you just made that I'm not really sure where to start.”
He shrugged, leaning back into the booth’s seat.
“I was trying to make Peyta happy. I failed. I can admit that.”
“Huh.” It was the only response I could muster. “In this moment, I feel like I don't even know you.”
That got a laugh out of him―a real one. The kind that reached inside me and grabbed my heart, causing it to skip a beat in the best way possible.
“I love throwing you off your game, Ruby. It's so entertaining.”
“I see that.”
“So,” he started, attempting to get our conversation back on track, “you think Ronnie will be a no-show?”
“I hope not, but I'm proceeding as though she might be,” I said. “Cooper and I
will be there to support Peyta regardless. The boys declined to come; I think being around that many PC has them a bit on edge. And really, they need to finish that damn apartment already, or at least the bathroom. Our living situation is getting out of hand.”
“Your little family does seem to be ever-expanding.”
“Thanks to you,” I countered, shooting him a scathing look. He smiled widely in response.
“Will Lyla be coming? Perhaps she could be Cooper’s plus-one?”
“Nope. She's staying home from what I understand, much to Cooper's chagrin. He tried arguing with her about it, but she shut him down. It was kinda funny to watch,” I said, giggling when I recalled the event. “I know he's wary of the boys around her. Beckett and Janner have accepted her at this point, but Alistair still seems to have some trust issues. I know he would never do anything, if for no other reason than to avoid Cooper's retribution, but Ali doesn't always think clearly.”
“I somehow doubt that Lyla is a shrinking violet,” he observed. “If it came to blows, I might be inclined to put my money on her.”
“She's a survivor, no doubt. But Cooper seems to still see her as the little sister of his best friend. He wants to protect her.”
“That is his most admirable quality,” Sean said flatly. “He will fight to the death for what he views as his to protect.”
“Something you and he have in common.”
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
“I don't need to fight to the death, remember? I can't die,” he whispered.
“You know what I meant. Don't try to deflect my statement because you don't want to admit that you and Cooper are actually a lot alike.”
“Oh look,” he said, clearing his arms from the table. “Here comes dinner.”
And with that, the night became once again a normal date. There was no more talk of the supernatural. No more warnings of impending doom. It was truly glorious to just eat, talk, and be together. What was better still was that, once all the drama and mystery and peril were stripped away, we could do just that. We could be normal.
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