His expression turned mulish. “Not going to happen.”
“What? Why not?”
“They only employ pixies there.”
“Okaaayyyy?”
He turned away from me and gazed out at the ocean, hiding his face.
“Oh my gosh, are you blushing?” I was blown away. Rhys didn’t seem like the type of person who would blush. From what I’d seen, he had almost zero inhibitions. “What gives!”
He mashed his lips together and refused to answer me. I looked behind me and found that Mesmer had halved his previous distance between us. “What gives, Mesmer? Why are pixies a problem?” Inside, I was doing a happy dance. Pixies! I had watched theTinker Bellmovies soooo many times. They never failed on the days where I just needed some extra comfort and warmth at the end of a crummy day. I was half in love with pixies already, and I hadn’t even met any in person. I couldn’t wait to meet one!
Mesmer kept scanning around us as he answered. “Pixies view star elves like teenagers view rockstars.”
My jaw dropped. “Seriously?” I whispered in abject delight, a great big smile blooming on my face.
Mesmer nodded. “Some of them thrive off of the adoration, but Mr. Rhys seems to be a different breed of star elf.”
“Oh. My. Gosh.” I swung around and poked Rhys again. “You’re like a rockstar to pixies!” My voice went up an octave, and I tried not to bust up laughing. “I have to see this. We have to go.”
Rhys shook his head. “I’ve been avoiding that place like the plague. There is no way you’re going to get me in there.”
I grinned. “Not even if I come up with something you really want?”
He scowled down at me. “There’s nothing I want that badly.”
I held up a finger. “Not even a meeting with Draven Leto where his genius brain looks at your business and helps you take it to the next level?”
Rhys stopped and wrapped his hands around my arms, squeezing gently. “Could you do that?” Draven was well known in the supernatural business community, and I took full advantage of that fact by waving him like a dangling carrot in front of my best friend’s nose.
I shrugged nonchalantly. “Everyone knows Draven is a genius with businesses. He can look at all your financials, and the full spectrum of your business, and help you make it better.” I looked at my glittery pink nailwraps with a bored air. “I already asked him, and he said it wouldn’t be a problem.” Trying to be inconspicuous, I peeked at him from the corner of my lashes.
Rhys scooped me up and attacked my mouth with a kiss. Then he dropped me and whooped and hollered as he danced in the damp sand while I spluttered and spit his disgusting germs off of me. I thought, and not for the first time, that Rhys was a dork. All of those books about elves who were polished and dignifiedlied!Exhibit A was still dancing in front of me, carrying on like he’d just won the lottery.
“No kissing!” I yelled at him. I mean, the guy wasn’t disgusting or anything, but it was like kissing my brother! Gross!
With no warning at all, Mesmer’s enormous body was right behind me, and his rocky arm banded around my waist in a steel clamp. Rhys, picking up on the suddenly serious vibes, stopped making a fool of himself and went still.
“What is it?”
“Look ahead,” Mesmer whispered softly. “And don’t. Move.”
Rhys made starlight blades as he scanned with me. We both saw the huge tiger at the same time.
Holey shmoley!
My heart took off in an all-out sprint, and I trembled, sandwiched between Rhys and Mesmer. “What do we do?”
“I can fly you out of here?”
“We can’t leave Rhys.”
“Guys, look,” Rhys interrupted. “He’s not attacking or anything. It looks like he’s waiting for us.”
Rhys clued into that a lot sooner than I did. The tiger reallydidlook like it was waiting for something or someone.
“Do you think it’s tame?” I asked.
