Havenfall Harbor: Book One

by Albany Walker

  “No.” Evan lets his head tip back against the chair.

  “Then tell me what you’re playing at.”

  He makes eye contact with me, our gazes locked. “I’m not playing at anything. We both want her.” Evan wets his lips. “I’m man enough to share, it’s not a new concept for either of us.”

  “Casually, for a night here or there, yes, but I want more.” The words slipping from my mouth come as a slight shock to me, but I can’t deny them. My mind is already racing with the idea. I could have Quinn, and she could have Evan. He’s good and kind. Would treat her well.

  “Are you saying you’re not interested?” Evan eyes me, and I see a challenge there. If I said I wanted her for myself, he wouldn’t back down just because I wanted her. Good, it shows me he does want her, maybe as much as I do, because I would be kidding myself if I said I would give her up for him.

  “No, that’s not what I’m saying.” The door to the bathroom opens, and Quinn’s natural scent grows stronger. Her fragrance has been teasing me all day. You’d think I’d have sucked every last molecule of her out of the air with how hard I’ve been breathing her in, but a trace of her remains, like a stain on my soul.

  “Good, now quit being a dick.” Quinn walks into the living room, and a flush rises in her cheeks at Evan’s admonishment.

  Quinn’s dressed in a loose t-shirt, the wide collar leaving her long, slender neck exposed, and deliciously tight black pants. Her feet are bare, and her toes are painted a near match for the color of my couch. She either has no clue what she’s doing, or she knows exactly what she’s doing. I swallow, sure it’s the former.

  “Are you guys staying here for a while?” Her eyes dart to Evan. “I’m not ready for bed, mind if I hang out?” Her shoulders rise up with each word, as if she’s waiting for one of us to tell her to go away.

  “Come, sit.” I try to make it sound like an offer, but fuck me if it doesn’t sound like a demand. Evan glares at me. I glower back. I’m trying.

  Quinn tiptoes around a table and slinks past Evan to the far corner of the couch. She could have walked past me, but she took the indirect route. She tucks a chunk of her long hair behind an ear. “Thanks for having my appointments rescheduled today, or whomever you had do it.”

  “I did it,” I answer almost too eagerly. “I didn’t want them waiting around for you if you slept all day.” Evan twists his head at an angle that looks almost unnatural, his eyes furious as he pierces me with his gaze. Quinn’s brow wrinkles.

  Shit, that came out wrong. “I mean, yesterday was a long day. I knew you wouldn’t want to keep the kids waiting if you didn’t make it to your office. That’s important to you. I knew that.” I step all over myself trying to fix my blathering mouth. It must work, because Evan rights his head and Quinn’s brow eases.

  I snap my mouth closed, deciding I should keep it that way until I can rein in my wayward tongue. But then I think of all the things my tongue could do to Quinn that have nothing to do with talking, and I have to adjust myself on the sofa so she’s not given an eyeful of my hardened cock in my pants.

  Silence falls, I’m not safe to begin a topic, and it seems Evan is all out of things to say. Quinn braces her palm on the arm of the sofa, preparing to excuse herself. I know it as sure as I know my own name.

  “I have a television,” I blurt.

  Quinn’s startled by my loud announcement. Her hand goes to her chest to settle the uptake in her heartrate. I see Evan shake his head slowly out of the corner of my eye. Asshole, I’m going to love watching him squirm when he fucks up.

  “Wanna watch some TV, Quinn?” Evan drawls casually, while digging into the side table drawer.

  “Sure, okay,” she answers slowly. I may not have been smooth with my invitation, but it served its purpose. She’s not running away.

  “Would you like some tea? I got some of the kind you have in your room.” Why am I still talking? Now I sound like a stalker. Which isn’t a lie, but that’s not the point. It’s not in a creepy way, well…it’s not in a I want to hurt you way.

  “Tea?” Quinn half winces at me and purses her lips. I think back to the last time I offered and then promptly stuck my foot in my mouth. I can tell that’s what she’s thinking about too.

  “We’ll make tea and popcorn. Find something you want to watch.” Evan leans forward and places the remote on Quinn’s thigh then stands. I follow suit. When did he become the cool one? Usually I’m so unaffected, but not when it comes to her. I open the fridge—thankful she can’t see into the kitchen from the living room—and grab a bag of blood. I don’t even bother warming it. Instead, I suck it down like a shot of whiskey and wipe my mouth with my forearm.

  Evan is staring at me when I come up for air. “Make the tea, I’ll make the popcorn. Be yourself…well, be the you, you are when no one is watching.” He slaps my bicep and gives me a squeeze before turning around.

  I toss the empty bag into the trash and wash my hands before doing as I was told.

  Quinn

  I hit the power button on the remote and the large television screen flickers across the room. It’s centered into yet another bookshelf, taking up a lot of real estate. The picture settles on a woman on her knees with a dick in her mouth. The sound kicks up next—a loud moan with lots of slurping. I fumble with the remote, looking for the volume or the arrows to change the channel, but end up dropping it instead. Another loud groan, from the man this time, followed by his heavy breathing and several, ‘Yeah babys.’

  Griffin walks into the room, finding me half sprawled on the floor searching for the remote that’s obviously kicked under his sofa at this point. “I just turned it on,” I mutter, my voice a little horrified and embarrassed all at once.

  Griffin’s eyes widen for a brief second, then he lunges over and hits the side of the TV. The screen goes black immediately. He either shut it off or broke it. Frankly, I don’t care which.

  I place my palm on the couch to lift myself off the floor, avoiding eye contact. I’m hit with the image of Griffin sitting on his couch watching porn. My cheeks flush with heat. I imagine his hand on his dick, much the same as it was the night I kneed him, but not because he’s in pain. Then an unwelcome image comes of Letty crawling over to him to finish what he started.

  I force my mind to go blank. My immediate reaction is to apologize, but I don’t have anything to be sorry for. It’s not like I was watching porn on his TV. So I lower myself back to the couch and pretend like that didn’t just happen, that’s a great coping technique, right? We’re all adults.

  “What the hell?” Evan pauses next to Griffin, a large silver bowl in his hands.

  “Nothing,” I blurt. If we were real friends, this is something we could all laugh about together. I might even tease Griffin, but I just can’t bring myself to do that. Hell, some of the girls I roomed with would watch porn with friends, even guy friends. That seems kind of weird to me. Maybe with your boyfriend, but I can’t imagine sitting with any guy friend and watching it together.

  “I dropped the remote,” I add when Evan just continues to look between Griffin and me. “I think it went under the couch.” I bounce up again and kneel on the floor. Now that I’m not in such a mad dash to fix the TV, I see the remote mere inches from where I was looking just a few moments ago. “Here.” I hand it over to Griffin as I pass him. “I have to run to the bathroom.” That will give him a chance to change the channel and give me a moment to splash some cold water on my cheeks.

  In the bathroom, I place both of my hands on the sink and lower my head. I should just go to bed after that epic awkwardness, but I’m not tired yet. I’m not used to sleeping as late as I did this morning. It would take me forever to fall asleep right now.

  I take my time in the bathroom, making sure I’ve given them enough time to take care of the TV, and when I do walk out, I’m purposefully loud, clearing my throat and making my steps a little heavier than needed.

  Griffin is relaxed back on the sofa in the sa
me position he was in when we walked in earlier, and Evan is on the sofa in the corner I was sitting in. My steps falter as I realize I need to head to the chair. Before I can sit, Evan lifts the single bowl of popcorn from his lap. “Sit here.” He tilts his head to the middle cushion. “We can share.”

  The couch is oversized, but the two men on it take up a lot of room. “Sure,” I find myself agreeing. Not accepting would be silly, right? If it was one of my friends from college, I wouldn’t have any problem plopping down between them. I make my way around Evan, he just seems safer, and slowly lower myself onto the cushion.

  There’s plenty of room between me and the guys so I relax a little. Evan places the bowl on the space between us and turns his attention back to the television. It’s the first time I allow myself to look at it. Denzel Washington is sitting in a small diner, talking to a young woman with a black eye and a bad wig.

  “There’s your tea.” Griffin lifts his arm and motions to the steaming mug on the table. I reach for it, just to give myself something to do. When I pull the cup back, I curl one leg under me and hold the mug to my chest, absorbing the heat and the earthy aroma.

  “What movie is this?” I blow over the liquid.

  “The Equalizer.” Evan reaches for another handful of popcorn. I’m tempted to tell him to just put it in his lap, but then I really wouldn’t have a reason for sitting here, and I don’t want to get up. “It hasn’t been on long. That girl is a prostitute working for the Russian mob. They don’t treat her well. He’s going to start some shit.” He nods at the TV, giving me a brief rundown of the movie.

  I settle in a little more as the movie plays. By the time Denzel goes to the club to buy the girl, I’m fully invested in the film. “He can kick butt for an old dude,” I mutter when the fight scene is over. I wasn’t expecting this to be an action flick.

  “Old? He’s not even that old.” Evan chuckles.

  “Maybe not for a supernatural, but for a human, he’s pretty old,” I argue.

  “You hear that, Griff? We must be ancient.” Evan lifts his arm over the back of the couch and gives Griffin’s shoulder on the other side of me a little push.

  “Nothing we didn’t already know.” The side of Griffin’s mouth curls the tiniest bit. Evan leaves his arm behind me on the back of the sofa.

  “It’s different, you guys don’t look old. Mind if I get some water?” I inquire, already leaning forward.

  “Help yourself,” Griffin tells me, while still watching the movie.

  “You guys want anything while I’m up?”

  “More popcorn?” Evan gives me a hopeful wince, tipping the empty bowl in my direction.

  “Are you actually going to share some this time?” I place my hands on my hips.

  “You had a handful,” he counters.

  “Yeah, and I thought I was going to lose a finger.” Teasing him is fun. Evan grumbles about eating something under his breath, but I don’t catch it. Griffin lifts his hand to hide his mouth, but his eyes crinkle on the sides, giving him away.

  “I’ll make it myself.” Evan goes to get up.

  I place a gentle hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “I’m just teasing. I got it.”

  “I left it on the counter.” Evan’s smile is wide, I think I just got played. He knew I was joking with him.

  Out of habit I open the fridge to grab a bottle of water. The milky bags filled with red liquid lined up on the top shelf give me pause.

  Memories of last night come to mind, so much blood, I snap the door closed. After taking a moment to gather myself, I open the door again. Griffin needing blood isn’t gross, it’s unfamiliar, but not gross.

  I’m not going to let someone who’s trying to scare me color my thoughts about vampires or what they need to survive. I’ve never really been presented with it in bags, since most of the vampires my girlfriends dated made it clear they hated the stuff in the bag, but not Griffin obviously.

  I reach for a cold bottle of water on the second shelf and crack the lid, taking a drink. After letting the fridge close, I turn to see the economy box of movie theater buttered popcorn right where Evan said it would be.

  Next, my eyes go to Griffin who’s leaning against the open entryway. It feels weird being in his space and getting caught making myself at home. “Sorry, I should have just used the faucet.”

  “Why? As long as it doesn’t bother you seeing it.” I know he means the blood. Griffin licks his lips. “Anything you’d like is yours.”

  “It doesn’t bother me,” I murmur back. “I was just going to make the popcorn, do you want anything?”

  “No, I’m good.” Griffin turns and walks away then. I give myself a second to wonder why he came in here.

  When the microwave dings, I open the door and pinch the bag to get it out, only now remembering that I didn’t bring the bowl with me. “Shoot.” Just as I’m about to step into the living room to collect the bowl, there’s a knock at the door. “I’ll get it,” I call, not even thinking this isn’t my place and I have no business getting the door. I’m just so used to having roommates and everyone answering when someone knocks.

  Griffin is at my side before I can even reach the door. “I got it,” he tells me. It’s only then I think about who could be on the other side, Letty, and what she might think about me being here.

  Chapter 18

  Griffin

  I watch Quinn slam the fridge door shut, though her hand remains on the handle. After a short pause, she pries it open again and reaches inside, coming out with a bottle of water.

  The offer to get the water for her myself dies on my lips. There’s something about the way she pushes past things that make her uncomfortable that makes me want to unravel her and see what makes her tick. She’s so self-assured.

  After a long drag of water, she spins, her eyes scanning the counter before landing on me. “Sorry, I should have just used the faucet.” She’s worried about invading my privacy.

  “Why? As long as it doesn’t bother you seeing it. Anything you like is yours.” I’m offering way more than what’s in my kitchen.

  “It doesn’t bother me.” Her soft words fall over me louder than a shout could. I force myself to leave her in the kitchen before I have her shoved up against the counter—again.

  “Everything okay in there?” Evan tips a dark bottle to his lips.

  “She’s making you popcorn,” I reply almost in a daze. Why do I find her so fascinating? I can’t count how many women have tried to pull me in with their charms or brutality, but not Quinn. She’s completely unassuming, and it’s beguiling. “She got the water from the fridge.”

  Evan sucks in a hissing breath between his teeth. “Did she freak about the blood?”

  “I think she almost did, but then she just reached past it and grabbed a bottle.” I look over at my friend. “Do you find it strange she’s so accepting?”

  “Human acceptance has been building for a long time, you wouldn’t know that though.” Evan gives me the side-eye.

  Before I can say anything else, there’s a knock at the door. Quinn calls, “I’ll get it.”

  I’m up and next to her before she can make it to the door. She’s so distracting, I didn’t even realize someone was coming. There are several reasons I don’t want her answering the door, not wanting everyone knowing she’s here with me is the biggest. Thankfully, I just tell her, “I got it,” and don’t say something stupid like tell her I don’t want anyone knowing she’s here. Because it wouldn’t be for the reason she would assume. I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize her safety.

  “Yeah, sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” Quinn scrunches up her face into a half smile. Three more steps and I’m at the door, but I already know who it is. Letty, again.

  That bullshit with her showing up here last night was ridiculous, and the excuse she gave for being here was even more absurd. She caught me off guard last night. Quinn’s scent overrode hers, so I thought it was Quinn knocking on my door.

&nbs
p; “Yeah?” I make it clear from my tone I don’t appreciate the interruption.

  Letty gives me a quick once over, then her gaze is drawn to the space around me, trying in vain to see into my room. “You busy?” Her eyes come back to me. She more than likely heard Quinn when she announced she would get the door.

  I don’t bother answering her. Other than discussing Havenfall matters, we’ve barely spoken. I’ve known of her for years. Hell, I think she was a student here once upon a time, most of the employees were. She’s worked her way up the security ranks rather quickly, but I leave those matters to Evan and trust his judgment implicitly. Why she decided now was a good time to show her interest is a mystery to me.

  “Evan here?” She tries to look around me again. Ah, maybe her interests lie elsewhere. I look over my shoulder, knowing Evan would have heard his name. Sure enough, I see his hulking form making its way over from the living room. The scowl on his face leads me to believe he doesn’t appreciate the interruption any more than I did.

  “What’s the issue?” Evan manages to move in next to me without allowing Letty to see into my space. I take a moment to check her appearance. She’s still in her uniform, which is more than I can say about her last night. Maybe she realized the effort was wasted.

  “Someone mentioned there was an issue with the human’s room. I was doing a floor check and noticed her doorknob is broken.”

  Evan crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the door. “Who told you there was an issue?” He keeps his voice casual, but I can hear his interest.

  “I don’t know, just talk.” Letty shrugs easily. If I wasn’t as old as dirt, I might believe her, but I’ve been misled by more experienced deceivers. She’s hiding something.

  “Knob’s broken, huh?” Evan pushes off the doorjamb and takes a step forward to exit my room.

  “I just noticed it was open a little. I knocked, but no one answered,” Letty informs him.