“Mes will be our judge. You and I will go into each establishment, and get what I need, but we will each have a character that the other person gives us, and we need to stay in that character the whole time we’re in each place. For example, we’re heading into the bowling alley. I want you to be an 18thcentury British chap who’s slightly deaf and very forgetful.” I grinned up at him, unable to contain my excitement.
Rhys nodded. “And I want you to be an elderly lady that periodically yells out, Has anyone seen my teeth?”
I giggled.
Game. On.
Chapter15
Mia
When I got home, I was tired and sore and feeling icky. Also, I was ready for some alone time.
It wasn’t Mesmer or Rhys; it was the crowds.
For as long as I could remember, crowds got to me. They made me feel penned in and crabby, and like I was slowly suffocating. Now, knowing that I was an empath, that feeling made so much sense.
I stripped in my room, and put on a new tankini set that was black with cute ruffled shorts and black mesh across the upper part of my chest, slipped my sandals on, grabbed my towel, and Zian and I were off.
I slunk through the halls, so tired of people that I didn’t want to seeanyone.Including my newly minted boyfriend. Not that I didn’t like his company, but I was all peopled out.
The pool area was quiet, and the nighttime lights were on, so there was enough light for me to see by without stubbing my toe.
I slipped into the inky, dark water, hissed at the temperature, and then let out an enormous sigh of relief.
Zian didn’t like the hot tub (and I wasn’t entirely sure it was healthy for him), so he laid down beside where I rested my head against the smooth concrete of the spa.
I didn’t even want to talk toZian, I was that peopled out, and Zian seemed to sense my mood, because he left me alone. He just closed his eyes and kept me company.
Of course, Mesmer and the other guards were outside of my visual range, keeping an eye on me, but I pretended they weren’t there, and that I was all alone as I breathed in and out several times deeply. Each breath released a little more tension in my shoulders.
Finally, feeling peaceful, I laid my head back again and closed my eyes.
The sound of the waterfall over the pool was the only sound for a few minutes.
Draven gave me a half hour and then came out in board shorts. I didn’t understand how the vampire could make board shorts look classy, but he managed.
I smiled at him in welcome.
“Better?” he asked as he slid in next to me.
“Much. Thanks for giving me some space to detox from the crowds.”
He shrugged. “I’ve known an empath or two in my lifetime. I know you guys need it.”
I cuddled into his side and laid my head down on his shoulder, but couldn’t find a comfortable position. I shifted and squirmed until Draven had mercy on me and cuddled me to his chest. I sighed in relief as the water lapped over us.
“I got your Christmas and birthday gifts today,” I told him. His birthday fell on the 26th, but my gift was all one piece, so he was getting it all together.
“Really?” His eyebrow arched. “I told you not to get me anything.”
“Yeah, no. That’s not happening, and you knew it. Whodoesthat? Not get their new-ish…person a Christmas or birthday gift?”
He chuckled. “Their new person? And we’ve been dating for a few months now.”
I squirmed, embarrassed. “Well, I don’t know exactly what to call you.”
He laughed darkly andswoopwent my stomach. “Your lover?”
