I blow out a breath, nodding my agreement. “Thank you, Professor Higgins. That was actually really helpful,” I say, standing to shake his hand.
He smiles, and a dimple pops in his cheek. “Good luck, Romy. I’m rooting for you.”
You and me both, buddy.
The coffee shop is mostly empty by the time I arrive. A slow window between afternoon caffeinators and the dinner rush. Our regular booth is empty, too, and for a second, I wonder if I’ve been stood up. But then, a familiar voice rings out, and I turn and spot Talia, Anna, Brody, and Kash at a table by the window. We’ve outgrown our booth, I realize, as I do a quick count of our group.
“You made it,” Anna says with a smile.
But I don’t miss the tension in her eyes and the way Brody’s grip on her hand tightens until his knuckles are white.
“What did I miss?” I ask, frowning.
“This.” Talia slides a coffee toward me along with a flyer.
I drop into the empty chair beside Kash. His hand wraps around my thigh in a quick squeeze as I look down at the flyer.
“It’s Danielle,” I say, noting the photo before reading the words printed.
“They’re holding a vigil for her tonight,” Anna says quietly.
“That’s nice,” I say, the lie bitter in my own mouth.
She’s alive, I want to tell them. But Kash’s hand on my thigh reminds me what’s at stake. And not just for Danielle. “What’s the problem?” I ask, looking back and forth between their sour faces.
“Kash doesn’t think you should go. He says it’s not safe,” Talia says.
Her expression is impossible to read, but Brody glowers.
“We’ll all be there together,” he says. “Of course it’ll be safe.”
“They still haven’t caught the people who took Danielle,” Kash says, and it takes me a minute to realize he doesn’t mean his own pack. He means who ordered the bite in the first place.
“There’s safety in numbers,” Anna says, but she sounds nervous.
“There’s also mob mentality,” Talia points out. Her expression softens as she looks at me. “A lot of them are angry because they think you faked an abduction for the spotlight.”
Anna winces. Beside her, Brody is staring at his phone in his lap.
I swing back to Talia, who watches me with concern. The memory of the whispers in the elevator make it hard to deny her point.
“This is ridiculous,” I say. “It’s not like they’re going to attack me at a vigil.”
“I’m not going to take that chance,” Kash growls.
Brody looks ready to launch himself across the table.
I reach for Kash, but his phone rings, and he picks it up immediately. “What?” he demands.
A second later, his mouth thins, and he says, “I’ll be there.”
Then he ends the call.
“What is it?” I ask.
He avoids my eyes. “That was Lynch. I have to go.”
He’s up and out of his chair before I can respond, and I jump up after him, following him out the door and onto the sidewalk.
“What did he say?” I ask.
“He has a lead on Danielle’s attackers,” Kash says, and my eyes widen.
“Let me grab my stuff, and I’ll come with you.”
I start for the door, but Kash stops me.
“It’s too dangerous, Pepper. I need to know you’re safe or I’ll never be able to focus on anything else.”
He reaches for me, pulling me against him in a quick embrace. I can feel the others watching us through the glass, but I don’t care. My heart pounds at the idea of Kash walking into anything dangerous.
“Fine, but that goes both ways,” I say against his chest.
He pulls back to look down at me curiously.
“You have to be careful, too.”
His mouth curves. “Deal.” But then his expression clouds, and he glances over my shoulder to the others waiting inside. “And that includes the vigil, Romy.”
“Kash, you’re being paranoid. There’s no way anyone’s going to make a move in such a large crowd.”
“Humor me,” he says.
And when he kisses me, my knees wobble just enough that I hear myself saying, “All right. You win.”
His grin is fleeting and overshadowed by the urgency behind his eyes. “I’ll swing by after I’m done, and if there’s time, we’ll go to the vigil together.”
I kiss him one last time. “See you then.”
Chapter 16
Talia and Anna rally behind my plans to lay low, and by midnight, we’re already past tipsy and headed straight for sloshed. Kash has texted four times to check in, and each time, I assure him I’m safe and sound at home with my girls. In fact, I’m relieved to have missed the vigil, especially when Talia runs to the store and returns with a bag full of familiar ingredients.
“It’s not a girls’ night without Midnight Kisses,” she declares as she starts mixing the vodka with the champagne.
“I’ll cut the oranges,” Anna says and hunts down a knife and a cutting board.
“You sure Brody’s not going to have a conniption without you attached to his side tonight?” I can’t help but ask.
“He wasn’t happy that I opted to stay in,” Anna admits. Her cheeks flush, and I can tell she doesn’t want to admit to Brody’s asinine behavior. “But he’ll be fine without me for a while.”
“Damn right he will.” Talia hands over a drink.
Anna takes it, drops in the orange, and then holds it out to me. “First one’s yours.”
“Thanks.” I wait until all three of us have a full glass, right down to the matching sugar rims.
Then, I lift mine toward theirs in a toast. “Here’s to midnight kisses between besties,” I say, a rush of emotion following my words. “Thanks for avoiding the masses with me tonight.”
“Nowhere else I want to be,” Talia says, clinking her cup against mine.
“And no one else I’d rather be with,” Anna adds, her smile tight and pointed.
Talia and I exchange a look, complete with raised brows. But we both clink her glass and drink without another word.
“Time for some tunes,” Talia announces after the first sip.
We follow her into the living room and settle in. I take a spot on the floor in front of the coffee table, and Anna sinks down beside me.
A second later, dance music floods the room, and Talia joins us on the carpet.
“Okay, time to catch up,” Talia says, and I tense.
“I’ll go first,” Talia says when Anna and I both remain silent. “My dad surprised me with a plane ticket. I’m supposed to spend the weekend by his side, wining and dining some new investor.” She makes a face. “Someone just kill me now.”
Anna’s face pales.
Talia’s amusement fades, and she winces. “Bad choice of words?”
I snort.
Anna sighs. “I just want to stop worryin’ about walkin’ alone to class.”
Her voice is heavy with exhaustion, and I notice the dark circles underneath her eyes.
“Anna, you know we’d never let anything happen to you,” I say, grabbing her hand and squeezing reassuringly.
“I know, but all I hear is Brody goin’ on and on about how I need to stay inside after dark and make sure to stay in well-lit areas.” She sighs. “I know he means well, but it’s stressin’ me the flip-flop out.”
I press my lips together to ward off a smile.
Talia shakes her head. “Anna, sweetie, you’re so adorable when you try to swear.”
“Ugh. He’s drivin’ me to drink,” she says and then gulps down the rest of her cocktail. “Refills?” she asks when it’s empty.
I down the rest of mine and hand it over. “Sure.”
Anna takes Talia’s and disappears into the kitchen for round two.
Talia is watching me intently when I look up.
“What?” I ask.
“He likes you a lot.
”
“How do you know?” I ask, but I can’t stop the racing pulse now that she’s brought it up.
“He’s protective, and not in the same dictator way that Brody is. He worries.”
My heart melts because if Talia’s convinced, then it must be for real. “Yeah. He makes me feel safe.”
“Good.” She jerks her chin toward the kitchen and lowers her voice. “Because Brody makes me feel like committing murder.”
I nod. “Intervention?”
Talia bites her lip then finally shakes her head. “Not yet,” she says, and I can hear Anna headed back this way. “Soon,” she adds just as Anna reappears with three drinks full to the sugary rim.
“Who wants to play Would You Ever?” Anna asks.
Talia winks at me, and I have to smother a laugh as the unasked question passes between us. I know what we’re both thinking: would Anna ever let us drown Brody in a pool of his own ego?
Before Anna can notice, the song changes, and Talia’s face lights up.
“Uh, hold that thought,” I tell Anna, setting my drink aside and jumping up. “First, we dance. Then, we play.”
Anna is more than happy to comply.
Two hours later, the music has gone softer, and we’re all spread out around the coffee table. Anna’s pants are gone, and she’s in a tank and her panties. Talia’s in boy shorts and a sports bra, and I’m in a pair of boxers and my bra.
“Midnight Kisses are the best,” Anna says sleepily.
Talia snorts. “They’re the only kisses I’m getting right now.”
I sit up as a thought pops into my dizzy head. “Hey, guys, if I married a werewolf, would you still come to my wedding?”
Talia groans and leans forward to squint at me in the low light.
Anna frowns in confusion. “I thought we were past all the werewolf stuff.”
“It’s hypothetical,” I say.
“Hypothetically, if you married a good guy, man or beast, I’d attend happily,” Talia says. “But if he’s a douchebag-” Her gaze hardens and flicks to Anna then away again. “I’d still attend, but I’d poison him at the reception.”
“The reception?” I laugh. “You’d let me go through with the vows first?”
“Of course,” Talia says. “Better an inheriting widow than a jilted fiancé.”
Anna gasps. I take one look at her scandalized expression and dissolve into laughter.
“Y’all are terrible,” she hiccups.
“We’re practical,” Talia corrects. “A girl’s gotta have a backup plan.”
Her words sober me a little, and I think of Kash and our agreement to turn me into a werewolf when this is all over. It’s the plan. The only plan. And one that might not include any more nights like this. Will I still be able to have Midnight Kisses with my friends when I’m a beast?
The alcohol in me counteracts my panic, and the words tumble out even before I can fully think them through.
“Okay, listen up, bitches,” I say. “I need to tell you something, and it’s important.”
Anna and Talia both stop laughing and look at me.
“If anything happens to me, check the floorboard beside my desk. Inside, you’ll find an envelope with my bank account numbers. I want you to transfer all the money inside to each of your accounts. Okay?”
Anna frowns. “Why are you telling us this?”
“Romy. What the hell is going to happen?” Talia demands.
“Nothing, but just in case I’m suddenly not around for a while.” Fuck, I was doing a bang-up job of this. “There’s also a file on my computer that explains–”
“Stop.” Talia holds up her hand, nearly spilling her drink as she scoots forward to glare at me. “No more talk about last wishes. That is not what we do here.”
“Talia’s right, Romy. You sound so morbid. Like you know somethin’ we don’t.” She hugs a throw pillow against her middle. “It scares me.”
“Sorry, I just want to say everything. After Danielle . . .” I trail off, unwilling to perpetuate the lie anymore. But even with all the Midnight Kisses, I’m sober enough to know better than to tell them the truth. “I’m just glad I have you guys,” I finish.
Anna’s eyes well, and I brace myself for the waterworks. Anna on alcohol is like a walking Nicholas Sparks reaction. “I’m glad I have y’all too,” she says.
“Oh my God, if one of you suggests a group hug right now, I will barf.”
Talia stands up and looks down her nose at us, but there’s no real disdain in her expression. Behind her walled stare, I can see the affection she tries to hide. “I’m going to bed. And since I have no plus one, I plan to cuddle with my vibrator. So unless you want to make it a threesome, don’t try and group hug with me later either. I’ll see you bitches in the morning.”
She stalks off, but I give Anna a knowing smile, and when she rolls her eyes, I can’t help the laughter that slips out.
“I saw that,” Talia calls back from the hall. A second later, her door shuts and it’s several minutes before I can breathe again.
Finally, Anna and I stumble to bed, too.
In the darkness of my own bedroom, I check my phone for any messages from Kash, but there’s been nothing new in more than two hours now. I try not to worry about what that means or what he might have found. Instead, I check my notifications and follower count on Instagram.
With enough Midnight Kisses swirling inside my stomach to equal an entire make out session, I swipe up on my camera and hit record.
“I know all you haters think I’m crazy, and that’s whatever. I’m not losing sleep over it. All I need are my best girls and half a dozen Midnight Kisses to get me through. But you should know the truth about the missing girls. I’ve seen it with my own eyes, not that you’ll believe me. And why should you? Werewolves kidnapping girls in order to breed baby wolf cubs? That shit sounds crazy to even my drunk brain. But that’s what it is. And since I can’t actually tell anyone that without outing my new boyfriend or making him look like the bad guy, this video is a . . .” I pause while my drunk brain searches for the right word. “A time capsule of proof. Someday, you’ll find out all this is true. And then, I’ll have this vlog to prove I was right all along. And on that day, you should know one thing: I told you so, bitches.”
It takes three tries to end the recording.
When I’m done, I toss my phone onto the nightstand and roll over, promising myself I’m only going to close my eyes for a moment. Then, I’ll try to call Kash again. Maybe I’ll even post that video now as part of my new social strategy. It’s not like anyone would believe me. But sleep claims me fast, and I succumb without a fight.
Chapter 17
Warm hands slide over my bare skin. My moan of pleasure is followed quickly by a groan as bright sunlight blinds my bleary eyes. Despite the tingling left by Kash’s touch, I roll away in an attempt to escape the ensuing headache. A dark laugh follows my movements, the sound low and close to my ear. A body slides up against mine, and I’m pulled backward until my ass bumps up against Kash’s distinctive hardness.
“Morning, gorgeous. Wild night?”
“Midnight Kisses,” I grumble.
“Who exactly were you kissing? Should I be jealous?”
“The Kisses are a drink, I told you. Too many drinks. It’s Anna’s fault,” I groan, burying my head underneath the pillow.
“I see. Kisses with Anna,” he says, trailing teasing kisses down my bare arm.
The urge to climb out of hiding and onto his prone body wars with the hangover headache currently pounding through my skull. “And how do they measure up to kisses with me?”
“Mmm.” I close my eyes and sigh as his kisses move from my arm to my stomach. His fingers lift my shirt as his mouth trails higher over my ribs and up to my bared breast. When he sucks my nipple into his mouth, I arch my back, and the headache is suddenly not so bad.
“Yours are better. Definitely.” I gasp as his tongue flicks over my hardened nipple.
I feel Kash’s lips curve against my heated skin, and then his head dips and he returns his attention to licking and sucking until I’m lost in sensation. His hand runs along my thigh before dipping between them and inside my panties.
“I’ll decide whether that’s true,” he grumbles, and his finger slips inside my wet center.
I moan, and Kash swallows the sound with his own mouth. His kiss is slow at first, a rhythmic match for his finger as it slides lazily in and out of me. Then faster as his hand moves harder and the pressure builds.
My hands fist, one curling around the bed sheet and the other tangled in Kash’s hair as his tongue slides over my own.
The headache is long gone now, and all I can feel is Kash. His mouth, his hands. He’s made an art of touching me. The orgasm shudders through me, and I arch my back, riding the wave of pleasure it brings. Kash’s kisses steal the sounds I make, and his hand strokes until I’m practically melting into the mattress. When I open my eyes, he’s blotted out the sunlight, and all I see is his face above me.
I reach for his cheek, running my fingers over the scruff on his jaw.
“How does that measure up against midnight kisses with Anna?” he teases.
His eyes gleam, and I pretend to think it over carefully.
“I mean, her skin is softer than yours,” I say like I can’t quite choose.
His dark eyes narrow, and he presses his palm harder against my center. His finger dips inside, and I tense in pleasure. “Is that what you’re looking for? Softness?” he asks, his sharp gaze steady against mine.
“Definitely not,” I say, reaching for his hips and dragging his body onto mine.
His hard length presses into my thigh, and I grin.
His mouth dips toward mine, but he only peppers my face with teasing kisses.
“Good,” he whispers, his teeth nipping at my earlobe, “because there’s nothing soft about me, Pepper.”
The Girl Who Cried Werewolf Page 16
