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“Ruby!” I hiss at her, but she doesn’t give a crap.
“What? It’s true.”
I swear to God, Ruby is like an unruly child. Colton’s facing forward once again. Oddly, it looks like the corner of his lip is tipped up with the barest hint of a smile.
Downtown is busy with volunteers and businesses setting up for the Beltane festival. Tents are half erected and a stage for the bands that will be playing tomorrow is nearly set up. There’s a slight drizzling mist today and I pull the hood of my dark red raincoat up over my head.
I spot Archer immediately, helping with the stage set-up. His long-sleeved shirt clings to his body, either from the rain or from sweat. The outlines of his powerful muscles are fully visible, and I’m not the only one drooling. I’m mesmerized by the sight of his body flexing and straining as he carries something heavy. So damn heavy.
As if he senses my stare, he looks in my direction, a grin breaking out over his face when our eyes connect. It falls a second later when his gaze flicks to my side and he spots Colton.
“Lena?” Colton’s voice is irritated as I turn to him with a confused look. Ruby is doing a terrible job of holding in her laughter. I think that it’s probably not the first time he’s called my name.
“Yes, sorry, what?”
Out of the corner of my eye I see Archer walking, no, stalking, toward us. His strides cut across the distance between us like he’s a man on a mission.
Colton’s smile grows, and he cocks his head. “I’m so excited for tomorrow. It’s going to be an incredible day. The start of something new.”
My head turns to Archer and then back to Colton, thoroughly confused now. “Yeah, sure. New?”
Archer slides in beside me, his hand moving over my lower back, around to my hip. He squeezes my flesh, and my heart nearly explodes in my chest from that claiming move. He might as well have grabbed my ass, his hand’s all but right there. When he leans down and brushes a kiss over my cheek, I melt into his side.
“You’re Red Riding Hood today? Does that make me the Big Bad Wolf?”
Guaranteed, there's a dopey look on my face, but who the hell cares?
Ruby makes a sound that’s part laugh, part gagging, and I shake my head without looking at her. We had our girl talk, and she got her pound of flesh for me keeping this a secret. Ultimately, she’s happy for us. She’s just not great at expressing emotions that are more complex than snark and disgust. She rolls her eyes and wanders off to look at something on one of the tables nearby.
I snake my hand around Archer’s waist and almost pinch myself because it feels absurdly comfortable. At the same time, I want to run around the entire downtown, point at Archer and yell at everyone to tell them that he’s mine. Mine! I get to kiss him and lick him and enjoy all his parts. Not just the sexy, muscled, tattooed ones, but his heart and his witty mind.
I sigh like a lovesick fool, and finally turn back to Colton. That warm feeling cools when I find his stare a little too focused on us.
“Sorry, what were you saying about tomorrow?”
“Oh, you know.” He waves his hand dismissively. “Beltane is the festival of new beginnings.”
“I thought it was the fire festival?” Ruby wanders back to our little group just in time to hear Colton’s response. He wrinkles his nose and his brows bunch together. They’re altogether too elegant for my tastes. He’s so polished and pretty. Nothing against pretty men, but I can’t help but wonder how many products are in Colton’s bathroom. I bet more than I have in mine. Don’t get me wrong, whatever makes you feel good, but I have the suspicion that Colton is the kind of guy who would deny grooming of any kind. The thing is, Archer is always put together, but he makes it look good. Not forced.
“That’s only part of it. It’s the spring festival, to celebrate the coming of summer, fertility, marriage, all things that represent beginnings and new opportunities.”
There’s nothing about what he’s saying that should give me the creeps, but there’s something about him that sets me on edge. It has been that way from the first moment we met.
“Sounds archaic. I thought we were just going to get drunk and dance around a Maypole?” Ruby turns to me, giving Colton her back. Archer buries his face in my neck, his back shaking with laughter.
“What’s the basket emergency that needs to be taken care of?” I guide the conversation back to more bland topics.
Colton peers past me to where the vendors are setting up for tomorrow. “My bad. It looks like everything is ready to go. Until tomorrow.” Colton dips his head and wanders away.
“That guy is weird.” Ruby frowns, watching Colton walk in the opposite direction of the festival setup.
