“I’m glad you’re happy with the changes,” I said.
“Things at the agency are the best they’ve ever been,” Dante conceded.
“Let’s just make sure it stays that way.”
“Oh, I intend to,” Dante said. He turned against the counter and pulled the wrapping off the plate of cookies I’d brought over. Once free of plastic wrap, he held the plate out to me and asked, “Cookie?”
“No, thanks,” I said with a shake of my head.
“Come on. You won’t even eat one?” Dante’s cheeks dimpled when he smiled.
I’d do it for the dimples. They deepened when I stepped forward and took a chocolate chip cookie. Totally worth it.
Dante grabbed himself one before setting the plate down. We bit into our cookies together. They were soft and chewy. Usually I liked hard and crunchy, but I wasn’t opposed to the texture. It fit the current mood.
“Sorry Ashley ran off on you. She was probably just embarrassed I saw you two.”
Dante stopped chewing. Creases formed over his forehead. He swallowed before saying, “More likely embarrassed to be seen with me.”
Okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned Ashley. Way to ruin a warm gooey moment.
“I don’t think so,” I said quickly. “She strikes me as the proud, private type. She’ll come around, and if she doesn’t, she’s a fool.”
Dante snorted. We finished our cookies.
“Want a glass of milk?” Dante asked, already headed for the fridge.
“Eww,” I answered.
Dante spun around. “Eww? From the girl who loves blood?”
I shrugged. “Point taken.”
As Dante’s fingers curled around the fridge’s handle, the doorbell rang, sending Tommy skittering across the floor and down the hallway.
I raised an eyebrow. “Expecting company?”
“Nope, but I keep getting house calls today.”
“Maybe Reinhardt and Gunter are delivering more cookies,” I said with a wink.
“You’re going to have to take your plate back if they are,” Dante said as he rounded the corner and disappeared into the hallway.
I snatched another cookie after he left and bit into it, chewing slowly as I waited for Dante to return.
The front door squeaked open.
“Oh, it’s you,” Dante said, voice dropping.
“Yeah, it’s me,” I heard Ashley say. “Are you going to invite me inside?”
“Do you want to come inside?”
I didn’t catch Ashley’s answer, but she must have entered because the door shut a moment later.
Uh-oh, shouldn’t be here. It was bad enough walking in on them. Now Dante and I were hanging out alone together at his house. Ashley might get the wrong idea. I stopped chewing and kept quiet. Hopefully Dante wouldn’t get the bad idea into his head to tell her he already had company over. For the time being, he seemed to have forgotten about me entirely.
“Are you sure you want to risk being seen with me?” he asked now. “Someone might have spotted you walking over.”
“Why are you acting like this?” Ashley demanded.
“Why are you?” Dante shot back.
Ah, young love. Tommy walked into the kitchen and sat on his hind legs beside me. Even the furball felt awkward hanging out in the entry with Dante and Ashley bickering. I ruffled the fur on Tommy’s head.
“I wanted to see you,” Ashley replied after a moment.
“That’s funny, considering you couldn’t get away from me fast enough earlier.”
“Why would I want to stick around with your ex-partner, or whatever she is, watching us?”
“She said she’d leave. You didn’t have to.”
“She kept standing there gawking.”
I nearly choked on the leftover bits of cookie in my mouth.
Gawking? Excuse me? Jump a guy’s bones in public and risk the consequences.
“Doesn’t really matter, does it?” Dante challenged. “Like you said, we’re not a couple. Just hooking up is all.”
“Wait a minute,” Ashley said, sounding perplexed. “Isn’t that all this is to you?”
“I don’t know what this is,” Dante replied softly.
Roughly ten seconds of awkward silence passed before Ashley cleared her throat.
“So, you live here alone?”
“Yeah,” Dante replied stiffly.
“Must be nice.”
If Dante answered, I couldn’t hear him.
“Jennifer and Kate are driving me up the wall. They never stop talking. You’d think they’d run out of things to say. I feel like I’m trapped in a never-ending slumber party.”
I could sympathize with Ashley there. I wouldn’t want to be stuck with the giggle twins day and night.
“Well, I was going to ask you to move in with me,” Dante said, emphasizing the word “was.”
Oh, really? This was getting interesting. I mean, I felt bad eavesdropping, but I didn’t have much of a choice. Wouldn’t want to interrupt such a juicy conversation at the peak moment.
The entryway went silent. Ashley must not have been expecting that one. Wish I could see her face, though I had a pretty good mental image of her staring wide eyed and slack jawed at Dante.
“Why? Are you trying to make Aurora jealous?” Came her fiery response.
There was a tense and angry pause before Dante said, “I’m trying to be happy.”
No answer came. Silence lingered. My heart constricted. If Ashley didn’t hurry up and kiss him, I was going to have to go out and slap that girl.
“Do you want to take a walk?” Ashley asked.
Tommy’s ears lifted when he heard the word “walk.” He got to all fours and walked out of the kitchen.
“It looks like Tommy does,” Ashley said, her voice rising hopefully.
“Sure, why not? Can never take too many walks,” Dante answered.
“Hey, boy,” Ashley said, sounding much more cheerful.
There was some shuffling around as Dante got ready, but in no time they were out the door, leaving me alone inside the house. Sweet silence. I crept down the hallway, up to the door, and stared out the peephole.
Dante, Ashley, and Tommy were already inside the Jeep. It rumbled to life and quickly took off down the road. I smiled to myself and slipped out of Dante’s house and walked across the street feeling lighthearted.
I hadn’t realized how serious Dante was about Ashley. Seeing him move on was a relief. Perhaps he, too, had found his soulmate, or a worthy companion at the very least.
9
One Way Or Another
I didn’t bother going into the agency on Friday.
By the time evening rolled around, I was ready for Selene’s girls’ night, if only to get out of the house.
As I brushed out my hair and put on mascara and eyeliner, my phone chimed with an incoming text on the bathroom counter. I lifted the phone to my face. Noel had texted to apologize she wouldn’t be able to make it, Melcher had her checking out a party south of town.
I texted back a frowny face.
Noel replied: Drink a cosmo for me.
As if she wouldn’t be drinking her own across town, depending on the party’s level of sophistication. It was pretty hit and miss. The days of Marcus’s highfalutin palace parties felt long gone.
Before I could answer, Noel sent another text.
Give Selene my apologies.
Okay, guess I was making Noel’s excuses for her. This was one of those occasions when I didn’t have to make anything up, not when Selene was privy to the whole top-secret missions and workings of the agency. For all I knew, she’d also been assigned to this party.
I wouldn’t care if she was. A party of two didn’t sound like fun. At that point I’d rather stay home with Fane.
I shot off a quick text to Selene.
Noel has to work tonight. You?
Setting my phone on the counter, I applied gloss to my lips and smacked. The gold North Star pe
ndant winked at me in the mirror. Every time I looked at it a flurry of joy filled my heart.
I flicked off the bathroom light, slipped my phone in my pocket, and headed down the stairs. As I walked into the living room, Fane looked up from where he sat on the sofa, reading a book. His smile reached his eyes and he whistled.
“Looking good.”
I waved the comment away with a smirk. “You say that all the time.”
“Because you look good all the time.”
My cheeks flushed.
As Fane leaned toward me, my phone chimed. I gave him a quick kiss on the lips and pulled out my phone.
“Damn technology,” Fane muttered.
My shoulders shook with laughter as I hit the home button on my phone. There was a text from Selene.
No. We’re still set.
I sighed and pocketed my phone.
“Everything okay?” Fane asked, raising one brow.
“Yeah. Noel’s been instructed to check out some party on the south side of town, leaving me alone with Selene.”
“Melcher didn’t mention anything,” Fane said.
“Should he be reporting to you?” I asked.
“If he’s only having Harper scope things out on the local vamp scenes and there aren’t any red flags, not necessarily. With a man like Melcher, it’s better to give him a little leeway on the smaller stuff to keep him cooperating on the larger matters.”
“Sure,” I said. “Just don’t expect him to be co-collaborator of the month.”
Fane nodded. “And as long as he’s sending Harper on missions, I’ll get the report from her.”
“Yeah, I guess. I just wish it wasn’t tonight.”
“Why not reschedule?”
“It’s a little late for that, and Selene seems like she could use the company.”
Fane took a step forward, coming to a stop in front of me. His eyes held mine.
“Selene’s not your responsibility.”
“I know.” I pulled away from Fane and grabbed my jacket where I’d left it hanging from the back of a kitchen chair. “I’ll have a couple drinks with her then come home.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Fane said, eyebrows jumping.
His expression made me smile. I gave him another quick kiss before heading over to Selene’s. Not having to drive made things easy . . . and a little too close for comfort as yesterday had proved when I popped over to Dante’s. I kept telling myself this was all temporary.
Selene answered her front door wearing a pair of jeans, not skinny designer jeans like I’d expect from her, but an actual casual, comfortable-looking pair. Over it, she had on a powder blue T-shirt.
“I didn’t realize it was casual Friday,” I said as she ushered me inside.
“I felt like letting my hair down,” Selene said, closing the front door.
Technically, her hair was in a ponytail, but I supposed that counted.
When I bent down to unlace my boots, Selene’s forehead wrinkled. “You don’t have to remove your shoes,” she spoke in a rush of words. “I don’t know about you, but my feet get cold on these hardwood floors.”
My fingers hovered above my boot. I glanced at her sneakered feet then up at Selene.
“I know what you mean, but I was just walking around outside.”
“Just wipe them on the mat,” Selene said, her eyes moving to a beige-and-gold floor mat beside a row of pumps, flats, and fashionable tall leather boots.
Maybe I should have brought a pair of slippers over with me.
Only I didn’t own slippers.
Sure, I liked my comforts, but somehow, a vamp in slippers seemed like it was going one step too far.
I straightened and went over to the mat, stomped my feet, and swiped the bottoms back and forth several times.
“I’d give you a tour, but there’s nothing exciting to see,” Selene said.
I could pass on the tour anyway. I wanted to drink and be on my way—without seeming too rushed about the whole thing.
“No worries,” I said. “I’m here for the company, not the military housing tour.”
A burst of laughter escaped Selene’s lips, and I caught a glimpse of the woman I’d first met at the tasting party. Her eyes sparkled with childlike delight. A moment later, the look was distinguished.
“This way,” she said softly.
A glass bowl of oranges and a large vase filled with fresh-cut flowers brightened up Selene’s kitchen counter.
“Ohhh,” I said, walking over to them eagerly and taking an up-close sniff. “From an admirer of yours?”
Selene watched with a grim line across her lips. “No. I bought them for myself. Fresh flowers always help get me through winter.”
I turned away from the bouquet and leaned my back against the counter.
“Must be an adjustment coming from California. Do you think you’ll ever go back?”
“Yes,” Selene said.
I waited for her to say more, but she moved over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of cranberry juice and a lime, then opened the freezer and set an ice cube tray beside the liquor on the countertop.
“Need any help?” I asked.
“No, I’ve got it,” Selene said, bending to pull a stainless steel martini shaker from a cabinet below the counter. She stood on tiptoes next and pulled down a bottle of vodka, triple sec, and two martini glasses from a shelf above.
Selene didn’t use a measuring cup as she poured liquids into the martini shaker. The way she tipped the bottles looked like she’d done it a hundred times before, probably more. She took a small knife out of a drawer and sliced the lime in half, squeezing each side into the cocktail. Several ice cubes were added to the mix, plunking against the stainless steel. Selene shook it all together and poured the reddish concoction into the two clear martini glasses.
“Nice work,” I said with a smile.
“All it needs is the finishing garnish,” Selene said. She glanced past my shoulder. “Could you hand me an orange?”
“Fancy,” I said, turning to the fruit bowl. I plucked an orange from the top of the bowl and held it across the kitchen.
Selene took the orange from my hand and ran her knife carefully over the peel, making a thin strip that curled. She took the peel and hooked it over the edge of the glass then made a second one.
“Super fancy,” I said as Selene handed me a glass. “Thank you.”
“The orange adds a touch of sweetness,” Selene said, picking up her glass and holding it up as though preparing to toast. “Reminds me of you.”
I chuckled. “You mean mostly sour with a hint of sweetness?”
“I’ve always thought you were sweet. It’s a shame you got sucked into this kind of life.” Selene lifted her glass to her lips and took a sip.
“Not for long,” I said, feeling suddenly defensive. “And right now I’m here by choice. I have a job to finish.”
Selene nodded and took another sip of her drink. The silence that followed felt awkward. This whole girls’ night felt awkward.
The scent of orange essence hit my nostrils as I lifted my glass and took a sip of the cocktail.
“Yum,” I said, lowering the glass. “You make a good cosmo.”
“My friends used to call it my signature drink,” Selene said.
“Very tasty,” I said, taking another sip.
“Shall we get comfortable?” Selene asked, already moving out of the kitchen toward the living room.
Selene took a seat on a powder blue vinyl chair with metal legs and a curved back. I settled onto a burned-gold-colored couch. The seat cushions were so long that my legs stuck out awkwardly when I settled far enough to lean back. The walls were painted the same baby blue as the chair Selene sat on. A circular wood-and-glass coffee table rested between us, but we held our drinks, enjoying small sips at a time.
The living room layout was the same as ours, but other than that, it looked completely different. It was nice to see Selene had managed to put her own touch o
n the place. That had to help make it feel more homey despite living on base.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” I said.
“I adapt as best I can,” Selene said.
“It’s nice.”
With my next sip, I tried calculating how long before I could leave without being impolite.
“Do you want to talk about the mission Melcher’s putting you on?” I asked, trying to make conversation.
“Perhaps later,” Selene said. “First, I want to enjoy a drink with you.”
She found this enjoyable? It felt awkward as hell to me. I should have rescheduled as soon as I heard Noel couldn’t make it. I couldn’t imagine things being this painful with Noel around.
“You’re an only child,” Selene said, more statement than question.
“That’s right.”
Selene gazed absently in my direction. I crossed and uncrossed my legs.
“And your family now lives in Florida?”
“Did you read my file or something?” I returned.
Selene’s eyes dropped to her lap. “Agent Melcher mentioned it.” She took a sip of her drink.
I straightened up. “Why was he talking about my family?”
Selene’s lashes lifted as she met my gaze.
“I asked him what the protocol was with agents and their families. I wanted to know if I could visit my family now that I’m working for the agency.”
“What did he say?” I asked, interested to know.
Selene breathed in deep and slow. “He said it was different with agents recruited before infection. In a case like yours, he said your mother signed paperwork swearing herself to secrecy in exchange for a heart, kidney, and lung transplant to keep you alive.”
My muscles tightened at the memory of what Melcher had put my mom and me through to make me one of his in-house vampire hunters.
“Is he giving you visitation rights?” I asked point-blank.
“That remains to be seen. I’m still on probation.”
Selene stared across the room. Her eyes looked unfocused.
“Melcher’s one to talk,” I said with a huff. “He’s the one on probation.”
Selene looked at me with a smile. “I’ll drink to that,” she said, lifting her glass before tilting it back over her lips.
True North (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, Vol. 6) Page 12