Page 247 of Sky’s Edge

That thought was far too rosy-romantic for me, Catla Truelock (although the thought was honest).

Which of course made me snap, “You’re failing at ceasing doing that.”

He straightened in his seat, his lips again quirking as they muttered, “Right. Right. We have to be on our game.”

“Yes.”

“About what?”

“Laura.”

His brows drew together. “What about Laura?”

“Have you been listening to me at all?”

“Hanging on your every word,” he lied.

I sighed.

Then I (mostly) repeated, “She hates crowds. In truth, she’s a homebody. Aleksei has proved adept at keeping an eye on her, but over the years, Monique, Gayle and I got used to doing it. And Aleksei is going to be in high demand tonight too. So we need to be prepared to perform a rescue if someone corners her and Aleksei isn’t around. Or she gets caught in a group of too many beings. Or we’re in her group, and beings are being overwhelming. Yes?”

He said nothing, just regarded me.

“I know it might sound strange. But that’s just how she is.”

“Being an introvert isn’t strange,” he replied.

I was glad he thought that way, because it wasn’t.

“Though, it’s distressing to know Laura is going to have to live her life thrust in the limelight, having to do this kind of thing on a regular basis, and she doesn’t like it,” he remarked.

“It is that.”

“To explain my earlier reaction, it was because I just sometimes get blindsided by how caring you are.”

This got my attention.

“And no, before your demon rises up,” he began, “I wasn’t making some kind of statement about you. I’ve known from the jump you were a loyal friend. I just get surprised with how deep that goes.”

Ah.

That was incredibly sweet.

And maybe I was a voyage of discovery for Tanyn too.

“Probably a good idea for you to get used to it,” I remarked.

“I’m not sure I will. But I’ll try.”

I fell across the seat to lean into him.

He put an arm around me to pull me closer.

“Are you nervous about tonight?” I asked.

“No. Are you?”

I tipped my head back to look at him, got an eyeful of his strong, square jaw, then got an equally delicious eyeful of his gorgeous face when he looked down at me.