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I took too long deciding whether I should leave or not. Ansel finished the can and crushed it against his forehead—hisactualforehead. I had gone to a few college parties in undergrad, but that was a move I had only seen in movies. That was when his eyes met with mine from across the room.
“You!” he said, pointing a green index finger at me. My entire body clenched up like I had been caught red-handed.
“What?” I took a cautionary step backwards up the stairs.
“Come here,” he said. I didn’t move, so he came to me. He crossed the room in seven long strides, his eyes never leaving mine.
“I didn’t do anything—” My voice stretched out into a squeal as Ansel lifted me off the ground by my waist. I clung onto his neck for dear life as he spun me in a circle.
“Oh yes, you did,” he said, pausing to beam up at me. “You did everything.”
I placed my hands on his chest like I was about to push him away, but I held them there above his heart. “Have you lost your mind? What’s going on?” I said, searching his grinning face.
He answered me by dipping my torso backwards as if I weighed nothing and planting a rough kiss on my lips.
I wouldn’t call it a kiss, exactly. It was a step above kissing, and his mouth was rough and demanding, just like Ansel. Demanding I yield to him. I quickly obeyed, my body melting into his, as my lips parted for him. He took the kiss deeper, moaning into my mouth as his tongue explored. The strong taste of beer filled my mouth, making my taste buds sing.
Then the moment passed, and I quickly remembered we had an audience. I pulled my head away, the skin around my mouth raw from his five o’clock shadow.
“What was that for?” I asked softly, my lips tingling.
Ansel held me tighter to his body as he looked into my eyes for a moment. Finally, he set me on the ground but kept his hand on my arm as if he wasn’t ready to let go yet. I was grateful for the extra support because every muscle and bone beneath my waist was as sturdy as jelly.
“The lead,” he started, “it turned out to be a viable one. We’re going to meet with one of Gregor’s top men, Felix, and he’s going to give us the time and place of Gregor’s next drop. He wants to help us, Skye.”
“That’s great.” And I really meant it. Even though I would be gone tomorrow, it put my soul at ease to know that they wouldn’t be stuck in this empty warehouse forever. They could start to see the light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. “But what does this have to do with me? I didn’t do anything.”
“When I asked Robbie why Felix had a change of heart, after all this time, he said Felix mentioned something about the fae waitress and that was it. For whatever reason, you changed his mind, Skye. I don’t know why, but he’s helping us because of you. I guess fae do have some magic left in them after all.” Ansel captured my chin between two fingers and lifted my head. He leaned down and kissed me again. My entire body started melting against his—
Ah-hem.Someone in the distance cleared his throat, and when Ansel pulled away, I was ready to murder whoever dared cockblock me.
I peered past Ansel’s arm to glare at Liam.
“Can we eat now?” Liam asked, gesturing to the stack of pizza boxes on the table. “Because if Demie and I have to watch anymore of this, we’re going to be too sick to eat.”
And that’s my cue to leave.Because I sat somewhere between guest and prisoner, I didn't feel comfortable staying and celebrating with them. I started to head towards the stairs to let them party in peace.
I only got a few steps before Ansel grabbed underneath my arm. “Where are you off to, little lass? We are celebrating tonight. And that includes you,” he said, pulling me away from the stairs and back to his side.
After too much pizza and way too much beer, I laid on top of the bed, over the blanket, with each of my limbs pointing in different directions. I felt like an overstuffed starfish stranded on the beach. I was still working on making my way under the blanket but had to wait until the room stopped spinning.
I usually wasn’t this much of a lightweight. I gravitated towards wine, which had a higher alcohol ratio than beer. I figured it must have been the fact that I haven’t drank in over a week. I haven’t been this tipsy since I last met my friends for brunch, and we spent the entire day trying to find the bottom of those bottomless mimosas.
But my poor state was nothing compared to Ansel. Demie and Liam had to half-carry him upstairs. I was convinced that Ansel had drunk up until this point, but I saw the way he chugged that can—he was like a five-year frat boy who had never seen the inside of a college classroom.
There was no logical explanation why he was so drunk. The sheer amount of muscles on his body alone should have taken care of that. Yet there he was, stumbling from the bathroom to the bed like a passenger on a ship who hadn’t quite figured out his sea legs.
“You ok? Do I need to call for help?” I asked, lifting my head from my pillow to watch him stumble around the room. I winced and laid my head back down. Too fast. Hopefully, Liam and Demie were coherent enough to hear my cry for help, because if Ansel fell over, there was no way to get him off the ground. He would be stuck there until he sobered up.
“I just need a minute,” he muttered under his breath. When he reached the side of the bed, he belly-flopped face down onto the mattress. The bed shuddered; the force of the movement almost tossing me over the side.
“Are you sure you’re ok?” I asked. I slowly pushed myself up to rest on my arms as I watched him. He was breathing, I think? I started to count his respirations, but that quickly turned into admiring the strong wall of muscles that sloped down his back. My eyes traveled down, over the firm slope of his ass, to the shoes on his feet. I finally sighed, patting him on the back.
“C’mon, wake up. You need to roll over so I can help you undress.”
“You first,” he grumbled into the pillow. I smiled to myself. Not so far gone that he couldn’t joke.
I patted him again. “C’mon.” He groaned. I guess I could roll him over myself? I was strong enough, I think? I lifted my leg over his body, momentarily straddling his waist by accident, as I climbed off the bed. I widened my stance next to him as I dug my fingers underneath his body, planning to use my weight as leverage to roll him over.
