“Keen’s keeping secrets,” Elena said. “Derek and I can’t figure out what’s going on, and we need more information if we’re going to find a cure. Leo seemed less confident today when I made no progress. It scared me. The things the Fae implied if I didn’t help them—it’s not good. If I don’t figure something out soon, this could all go down very badly.”
Reese sat on the bed. “What do you need me to do?”
“Well, you sort of came up with the idea on your own. I’d like you to flirt with Keen and get him on our side. Maybe he’ll confess to something.”
Reese shook her head. “No way.”
“You don’t have to do anything. Just work your ‘magic charm,’ or whatever you called it last night.”
A strange look crossed Reese’s face. “It won’t work, Elena. I tried talking to him. It was like speaking to a brick wall. Your Fae bodyguard told me to put more clothes on.”
“Why? What were you wearing?”
She shrugged. “Pajama shorts and a tank top. Perfectly decent.”
Reese held her own in the curves department. Her pajama shorts barely covered her rear. Her tank tops—well, let’s just say they were formfitting, and she often skipped wearing a bra around the house. She wasn’t the least bit modest.
Elena could just imagine the things that would go through a guy’s mind if he saw Reese in her pajamas. No matter what Keen said about humans, Elena saw how he watched her roommate. In some ways, he was all male, Fae or not. Approval of what she wore had nothing to do with it.
Reese was temptation.
Mentally, Elena rubbed her hands together. Think yourself impervious to the charms of humans, Keen? We shall see… “Humor me, Reese. Go out there and ask Mateo for a foot massage or something. I promise to grab Mateo before Keen kills him.”
Reese snorted. “Keen couldn’t care less. I’m going to embarrass myself.” She picked at her nails. She’d managed to peel off half the paint at some point during the day.
This from the girl whose nails were always perfectly manicured? Something was definitely up.
Elena covered Reese’s fingers. Maybe this was a mistake. “You sure you don’t like him?”
Reese’s gaze flickered briefly. “Of course not. Let’s get back to the issue at hand. Are you whoring me out?”
“What? No. This is Mateo. Foot massages come customary from a man-whore like him. You’re my roommate. He won’t try anything. He has some sense of boundaries. I just want to make Keen jealous and see if he’ll cough up information on what the Fae are planning.”
“That ass is not jealous. And even if he was, why would he give me information?”
“Because he’d be wooing you, and he’d say anything to get close to you.”
Reese shook her head, her eyes narrowed. “This is some serious masterminding. Where did you scheme it up?”
“Telenovelas. Mateo’s addicted.” Elena flashed a bright smile. “Why, am I doing good?”
“Not really… Mateo watches soap operas?”
“Hellooo—everybody does.”
“Uh, no. They don’t.”
“Will you please try? You don’t actually have to touch Keen, just flatter him, or whatever it is you do to reel in guys.”
“I’m not a fishing pole. I’m a blonde with brains. I tend to attract men.” Reese frowned. “Although that guy’s not normal. I’m telling you, he doesn’t like me.”
Reese was wrong. Keen liked her, Elena would swear to it. She smiled. “We’ll see.”
Moments later, Reese plopped onto the couch next to Mateo. That was all it took for Mateo to pick up where he’d left off. “Hey, beautiful.” He flashed his signature Rosales smile, and even Reese blushed.
Elena sat at the kitchen peninsula next to Derek and pretended she wasn’t watching the action on the couch. Derek leaned over. “What are you doing?”
“Shush. I have a plan,” she whispered.
He glanced at the others. “Yeah, well, I don’t like it.”
“You haven’t heard it.” She peered back to see what was happening behind her.
Mateo pushed a strand of golden hair off Reese’s shoulder. Keen turned away and punched the remote with his large finger, flipping through the television channels. He edged his knee toward the center of the couch cushion, taking up more space than necessary.
“Whatever it is, it might end in bloodshed,” Derek murmured.
Mateo glanced at Keen, a look of annoyance on his face. “Guess we need to squeeze in,” he said to Reese. “Why don’t you put your legs over mine?”
Reese smiled flirtatiously. “Why, are you going to give me a foot massage?”
You are brilliant, Reese.
“Because I could use it after running across campus to take notes for Elena.”
No, don’t tell him that!
Mateo frowned, but he scooted closer and grabbed the foot Reese draped over his lap. “Why did you take notes for her?” He glanced at Elena, and she ducked her head, pretending to show Derek an assignment from her backpack.
Reese closed her eyes. “That feels soooo good, Mateo,” she said, deflecting his question.
Mateo leaned into the massage. “Such pretty toes.”
Wow, she really owed Reese. Was she pimping out her best friend?
No matter what Reese had said in the bedroom, it seemed like a part of her show earlier had been to piss off Keen. This was just more of the same. Besides, Mateo was a good guy and not bad to look at, from what she’d been told.
Reese’s head lolled to the side, a smile on her face. She didn’t look unhappy. Maybe Mateo had skills… Eeew. Get thought out of head.
“Enough!” Keen shouted.
Elena jerked in her seat, and Derek leapt off his stool.
“Your cousin cannot stay here tonight.” Keen stared daggers at Mateo.
Mateo scrunched his nose as though he smelled something foul. “Who do you think you are? Elena, who is this jerk? You shouldn’t have guys like him hanging around.”
“He’s my study partner, Mateo. Can I talk to you, please?” She pointed toward the hallway. “My room. Now.”
Mateo flipped up his hand. “What did I do?” He rolled his eyes at the look she leveled at him, and sauntered toward her room.
“Don’t you need to go next door?” she asked Derek before she followed her cousin back. Elena jerked her head at Keen and Reese on the couch, ignoring each other.
“Oh—right,” Derek said, finally catching on. “I have to grab…that book we’ll need.”
Derek walked out, and Elena went back to her room, where Mateo was waiting. She closed the door behind her.
Mateo was standing in the center of the room. “What’s this all about, Elena? And what’s with these guys hanging around? You’re supposed to be studying.”
She threw up her hands. “You can’t just show up and tell me what to do. What’s wrong with you?”
He pointed toward the living room. “I’m protecting you from guys like that. We shouldn’t leave your roommate with the basketball player.” He looked at the door, as though considering. “She’s so small and he’s…not.”
Elena swatted the air. “They’re fine. We’re all fine. Maybe you should think about returning home?”
He scanned her face. “Why do you want me to leave so badly?”
“Because I’m busy,” she practically shouted.
He shifted his jaw, his gaze narrowing on her face. “I think I’ll stay the night for the heck of it. I want to make sure everything’s okay.”
“Are you listening? Everything’s fine. And you can’t stay.”
“Of course I can. You got any food around here?” He rubbed his belly, and walked toward the door.
She grabbed his arm and ran around in front of him. “No. I mean, yes, I have food, but there’s no room, Mateo. Keen needs a place to sleep for a few days. He’s on the couch.”
Mateo lifted his lip in an irritated snarl. “Has your brainiac program cracked a gaske
t inside that head of yours? You can’t let that guy stay the night. Tell him to find someplace else. You know what, forget it.” He had his manly voice going now. “I’ll do it.”
He moved to step around her and Elena yanked him back. “No, you won’t. He’s my… friend. He stays as long as I say he does. The resident advisor lives next door. There’s nothing to worry about. Keen’s harmless.” To me, she silently added.
She was pretty sure Keen had had nothing to do with the locked Allon Library yesterday. He seemed equally upset in his reserved, show-no-emotion sort of way. Reese, on the other hand? Elena wasn’t sure what Keen wanted with Reese, but he definitely wanted something. Though she didn’t think he would hurt her.
“I don’t like it, ER—”
Elena clenched her fists and sucked in a strained breath. “I hate that freaking nickname.”
It had been funny when she was ten and had told her family she wanted to become a doctor. Now the nickname just annoyed the hell out of her.
“He’s a creep. I don’t want him in your house.”
“You don’t like him because he’s bigger than you.”
Mateo’s chest puffed out.
“I told Keen he can stay, and he stays.”
“Then so do I. I’ll crash on your floor like I did last time.”
“I don’t want your stinky feet in my room.”
He brushed her off and walked around her. “Don’t be such a priss. My feet smell like daisies.”
She put her fingers to her forehead and closed her eyes, resisting the urge to hit him. “Fine, sleep here. I’ll sleep with Reese. But you should think about cutting your stay short. I appreciate you coming.” She let out a deep sigh. “I really do. I know you’re just looking out for me, but it’s bad timing.”
The corner of his mouth pulled back in annoyance. “I can see that.”
Of course Mateo would show up the one time she had men in her house. “Do me a favor and hang out in my room until I return.”
“I’m not staying in your room—”
“Here.” She reached for a stack of women’s magazines Reese had brought in the other day. “Read these. Maybe you’ll learn something.”
“Learn something? My techniques are masterful,” he said, though he was already flipping through Cosmo. Without looking up, he walked to her bed and sank back, one arm behind his head, legs crossed at the ankle.
Thank God Mateo was easily distracted.
She reached for the door. “I’ll be back in a little while.”
Mateo didn’t answer, already engrossed in the latest ways to “please your man.”
After quietly closing the door behind her, Elena crept down the hall and peeked around the corner.
“—for the last time, I don’t need to cover my legs.” Reese’s tone sounded angry and her face was flushed as she glared at Keen. “Where are you from, anyway, the Baltics? This is California.”
Keen waved his hand in the general direction of Reese’s formfitting T-shirt. “I merely suggested you use the clothes you clearly possess and properly cover yourself.”
A breeze tickled the side of Elena’s face. “Anything going on?” a deep, masculine voice whispered in her ear.
Elena gasped and flattened a hand to the wall. “Mother effing—”
Derek covered her mouth, wrapped his arm around her middle, and carried her into Reese’s bedroom.
“Jesus Christ, Derek,” she said, after he’d closed the door. “Warn me before you do that. What is it with you and Keen sneaking up on me?”
“You’d better get used to it if we’re going to be hanging out.”
“Do I have a choice?”
“You want my help, or not?”
Her shoulders sank. “Want.”
This drama masterminding was harder than it looked. Based on what she’d just witnessed of Reese and Keen, Derek was right. This was a bad idea.
“You think you can do your invisibility thing and see what they’re up to? So far, it doesn’t look promising. All they’re doing is fighting. We might need to abort mission.”
Derek didn’t answer. He simply disappeared pixel by pixel, as if he were a computer screen.
“Where are you?” she whispered, but he was gone. No sound, nothing, except a slight shimmer that disappeared by the door.
Several minutes later, Derek reemerged and sat on Reese’s bed, his back to the footboard. “They’ve found common ground. They’re watching reality TV, and Reese made popcorn. Could take a while for her to get anything out of him, though; he’s stiff as a board. Not his… Never mind.”
Derek flicked a piece of fuzz off the bed. The light blush that crept up his cheeks was sort of sweet.
“The good thing is,” he added, “whenever Reese isn’t paying attention, Keen follows her every move. It’s only a matter of time.”
“You really think this could work?” she asked.
He shrugged in the universal guy gesture for yeah, probably.
“Wow. How long does this sort of thing take?”
“You’re a chick. How long does it take to manipulate a guy?”
She raised her brow. “Bitter, are we?”
“Not at all. You women are trained early to maneuver men to your will. Common knowledge.”
“Well, I’ve never manipulated a man—annoying cousins not included.” Elena tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “And since I don’t have a lot of experience with this sort of thing, how long does it take to break through a guy’s defenses?”
“Sometimes it never happens. Depends on the girl.”
There was something about the way he said it that had Elena wondering if Derek was referring to her—them.
She became very aware of several things all at once: they were alone, on a bed, and he was looking at her in a way that did funny things to her stomach.
Tonight wasn’t the first time they’d been in a bedroom together. They’d even slept in the same room before. But this was the first time Elena hadn’t been so utterly drained that all she could think about was her head making contact with her pillow.
Right now, every part of her was alert and taking in her attractive neighbor who’d made it his mission to look out for her, for reasons she hadn’t yet determined. There was the obvious reason, because Portia had threatened him if he didn’t. But there was another reason he’d been hinting at, yet hadn’t outright said.
This sort of boy analysis was above Elena’s pay grade. She didn’t understand men, not really. She’d barely grazed second base with a guy. She sure as heck wasn’t going to figure out Derek tonight.
She cleared her throat. “So you don’t think she’ll get him to talk?”
“Oh—she’ll get him to talk. That guy’s been drooling over your roommate since the first moment he saw her. I’m just saying, not all guys cave. It depends on how they feel about the person. In this case, we’re safe. As soon as that jackass gives up the pretense he’s not interested, he’ll be putty in her hands.”
He stretched out his legs and crossed his arms over his chest. “Don’t worry, she’ll wear him down. And I agree, if he likes your roommate, he might be more willing to help. It’d be good to have Keen on our side.”
19
Derek took in Elena’s features as she rested her head against the upholstered headboard of Reese’s queen-sized bed, her soft, wavy hair fanning around her face. If her mother was Fae, no wonder she was so pretty. Physical flaws didn’t seem to be a part of the Fae gene pool. Though even if Derek didn’t know what Elena looked like and had only heard her talk or banter with him, he would have been drawn to her.
Elena was smart, which he’d always appreciated in a girl, but she was also funny and feisty—not characteristics he often found in women. Then again, most girls were intimidated by him, which he’d never quite understood.
Elena had never been intimidated by him, not even when they first met and she’d appeared anxious to find a lab.
“Okay, well, it looks like we have
time until Reese breaks down Keen’s man barriers,” she said. “My schoolbooks are in the other room, so studying is out. I don’t want to disturb the lovebirds. We could get some sleep…or we could talk?”
“Talk,” Derek said dryly. That sounded about as much fun as waiting for Keen to make a move.
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a guy. Tell me about your family. That’s a safe subject.”
For some people it might be, but not for Derek. “What do you want to know?” he asked reluctantly.
“Where are you from?”
“Columbus, Ohio.”
“What’s your family like?”
“My mom’s a housewife. I already told you about my dad—cardiovascular surgeon. No siblings.”
She blinked in irritation. “Very factual and to the point. Thank you. Now give me something good. Do you have a girlfriend? What’s your biggest fear? What do you want to do with your life?”
He studied her for a moment. “Why do chicks always want to know that stuff?” A faint blush pinkened her cheeks. Yeah, he’d caught the girlfriend reference.
“Because it’s interesting. Don’t be such a wuss. Just answer the questions you’re comfortable with.”
“No girlfriend, my parents discovering my ability, and…I’m not sure. About the future. I wanted to take after my dad and go into cardiovascular health, but it’s not safe for me to be around my parents anymore.”
Her brow furrowed. “You can’t be worried about both of your parents finding out what you are. One of them is Fae. Chances are, they both know about alternate realms.”
“I was adopted. My real parents gave me up. Considering how enamored the Fae are of Halven, I’m not surprised.”
Her expression turned serious. “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
“Don’t be. I’ve never had a problem with my adoptive parents.” That didn’t sound right. His parents stressed him out, but he loved them. “They’re good to me.”
The space between her brows pinched. She wasn’t buying it, and neither did he. “It sounds like your adoptive parents care about you. Why don’t you trust them with who you are?”
Derek thumbed the footboard. “They come from perfect families and have lived perfect lives.”
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