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He’s half sitting on a table set up in the booth for the candle and bath shop, Torch and Lather, smiling and flirting with a few women as if he’s holding court. I really want Archer to throw his ass against a wall using his shadows again. God, that was fucking amazing.
I head in his direction, making sure to keep my eyes focused on a point beyond Colton, as if I don’t realize he’s there. Ezra appears at my side, and I briefly glance at him.
“You’re a little late.”
“Sorry, unavoidable…I just…there was…” I stop walking and look at Ezra. Sweat dots his brow and his brown skin looks a little ashen.
“You alright?”
“Fine.” He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand, his fingernails caked with dirt.
“Are you sure?” Ezra’s almost a germaphobe. Part of it is his job. He washes his hands about a million times a day, so the mud under his nails is odd.
“Fine. Let’s just get this over with,” he snaps, and I let it go.
It probably has something to do with Ruby. I learned my lesson about getting in the middle of those two years ago. No fucking thank you.
We walk past Colton, and Ezra pretends to stumble, shoving me into the prick as though he’s trying to catch himself using my back. Colton’s coffee spills down the front of his white polo, a huge brown stain spreading and looking like abstract art.
“Are you a fucking idiot?” Colton shoves me off him and I regain my footing, glaring at the asshole. The women around him titter and scatter away. Oh, someone’s in a bad mood today. His normally polished facade is looking a little tarnished.
“Sorry.” I straighten up, happy to see I’ve got a couple of inches on Colton, even with the swoop of his hair. Which, incidentally, he tosses to get out of his eyes, only for it to fall right back in place. “I think I tripped on all the vanity and arrogance over here. It’s a little thick.” I wave my hand in front of my face, like I can waft away his superiority complex.
“You.” Colton snaps his fingers at Loralei Sisely, who gives him a wide-eyed stare of shock. “Get me some fucking napkins.”
“Someone sounds grumpy today.” Ezra crosses his arms as he moves to stand at my side.
“Too many guests at that big old house of yours?” It’s all a stab in the dark, but there are a lot of Fae popping up in town. We’ve been keeping an eye out and most of them don’t appear to be staying at the bed and breakfasts or the Air B&Bs. That means there’s a good chance that Anthony and Colton are playing host to all the damn Fae that keep showing up.
Loralei scampers back to him and tries to blot the stain off his chest. With an irritated sound, Colton rips the napkins out of her hands. I have to say, the coffee was a happy coincidence. I had no way of knowing he’d be holding the cup, but I’m enjoying his anger.
“Stop touching me,” he snarls at Loralei, but his irritated gaze slowly lifts to meet mine, a smile growing as he stares at me. “Guests? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“My mistake. I heard you were converting the Smithe house into a B&B. Sounded like you were already nearly full. There’s been such an influx of new…characters in town lately.”
“I think you mean assholes,” Ezra pipes up next to me. He’s eating a bag of popcorn. When the hell did he grab that?
Colton’s eyes dart around the collection of tents that are being set up, a little grin crawling up his face. “The more the merrier. Don’t you think?”
I bend and pick up his fallen coffee cup and slap it into his hand, along with the enchanted penny, before he can object. “You should pick up after yourself. No one likes to see trash all over town.”
“Take it. I need to change.” Colton shoves the cup at Loralei, who scrambles to catch it. The penny doesn’t fare so well, falling to the ground in the shuffle. Colton never even realizes it was in his hand. The three of us watch Colton walk away. There’s no way of knowing if the magic worked until Zara tries to get into his dreams later tonight.
“He’s so fucking hot,” Loralei murmurs next to Ezra who gives her a disgusted look.
“He literally just yelled at you and asked you to fetch shit for him like a servant.”
Loralei startles as if she didn’t realize anyone could hear her. I can see the regret in his eyes when Loralei licks her lips as she turns her gaze to him.
“Are you jealous, Ezra?”
Ezra sighs and gives her his back, completely ignoring her. “Are we done here? I’m ready to go take a nap and forget today exists.
“All set for now. Nothing to do but wait until it gets late.”
