Chapter 17

Rock insisted on paying.

“No arguments,” he said, jabbing a fork in my direction. “If it weren’t for you, we never even would have had a problem to solve.”

We were at a fancy restaurant late into the evening. The restaurant choice and the dinner hangout had all been at Rock’s suggestion as a thank-you for getting him promoted.

“You earned the promotion,” I replied, cheeks warming. “You worked hard.”

He scoffed. “Please. That solution was yours. I just had better timing with the signature.”

I laughed, dipping a breadstick in sauce. It felt good to be here, in a quiet booth with good food and someone who didn’t make me feel like I was constantly tiptoeing through a minefield. I felt like I could unwind in what felt like the first time in weeks.

We were halfway through the appetizer platter when Rock leaned in with a sly grin.

“So,” he said. “Are you ever gonna tell me what happened after that night at Howl?”

I nearly choked on my tea.

His eyes lit up. “I saw you and Kingston talking.” He quirked a brow, and when I didn’t say anything in response, he gasped. “You did go home with Kingston!”

“I didn’t go home with him,” I hissed. “I was drunk. He needed a clean shirt. That’s it.”

Rock narrowed his eyes. “Mmhmm. And were you also so drunk that you hallucinated his abs? Because you’re blushing.”

I slapped my hand over my face. The truth was, I had been thinking about Kingston after he had gotten out of the shower. Those slick muscles, that tiny towel that left little to the imagination…

“I hate you,” I muttered.

“You wish you hated me. But what you really need—” he paused dramatically, “—is a man. Like, a real, functional, knows-how-to-get-you-off kind of man.”

“Okay, nope,” I said, pointing my fork at him. “We are not turning this into a therapy session.”

He ignored me. “Someone to take the edge off. You’ve been so tense lately, I’m starting to worry you’ll snap.”

“I have a lot going on,” I grumbled.

“Which is why you need someone to help you… unwind,” he said, grinning.

“And who, exactly, is this special man who is going to unwind me?”

We both sat back, considering.

“Definitely not Kingston,” Rock muttered.

“Nope,” I agreed. We had just gotten to a place of mutual understanding and perhaps even respect. I didn’t want to ruin that by throwing it all away for a hookup.

“Ethan?”

I looked up. “Ethan?”

“He’s smart. Polite. Kind of ridiculously attractive, but in a nerdy way. And he did help you out with that lead.”

I smiled. “He is a gentleman.”

“See? Even you sound like you have a tiny crush.”

Just then, a shadow fell over our table.

“Should I be flattered?” said a warm, amused voice.

Ethan.

I turned red from my toes to my scalp.

Ethan chuckled and slid into the booth. “I was just finishing dinner a few tables over. Heard my name and figured I’d come over to say hi.”

Rock smirked. “We were just talking about how gentlemanly you are.”

Ethan raised a brow. “Only that?”

“Mostly that,” I mumbled into my glass.

He waved the waiter over, then looked at my half-finished plate. “You don’t like parsley?”

I blinked. “No. It… tastes like soap to me.”

“Same,” he said. Then to the waiter, “Can we get her order redone? No parsley this time.”

The waiter nodded and hurried off. I stared at Ethan.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“You shouldn’t have to eat something you don’t like,” he said simply.

Rock kicked me under the table and sent me a wink, grinning like a devil.

After dinner, Ethan leaned his arms on the table and grinned at me. “Hey, I’m going to a pool party this weekend. You should come.”

“Oh, I—” I hesitated. “I’m not really the pool party type.”

Ethan tilted his head, his smile gentle. “If you’re worried about werewolves, don’t be. A lot of us bring human friends. It’s totally normal.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Rock jumped in first. “She’d love to come.”

“I would—wait, what?”

Ethan’s eyes glistened. “Great. I’ll text you the address.”

When he left, Rock turned to me, triumphant.

“I hate you,” I groaned again.

“You’re welcome,” he said sweetly. “Now, let’s go buy you a new bikini for the occasion.”

The bikini he picked was criminal.

Red. Tiny. Dangerous.

“This is a pool party,” I hissed in the dressing room. “Not a Victoria’s Secret shoot!”

“You have legs for days. Ethan’s going to lose his mind.”

“I will kill you.”

But somehow, I let him shove me into the bikini and hustle me into Ethan’s car.

We pulled up to the villa.

And I froze.

“…This is Kingston’s house.”

Ethan looked at me innocently. “Oh, did I forget to mention that?”

“Yeah, you didn’t mention that the pool party was here.”

He glanced at my expression. “You okay?”

“I just—do you have a shawl or something?” I tugged the cover-up tighter. “I feel a little exposed.”

He nodded and headed inside to find something.

I took a deep breath and wandered over to the quieter end of the pool, staying close to a hedge-lined corner where it would be hard for people to see me.

But then, of course, that’s precisely when he emerged from the water.

Kingston.

His hair was slicked back, water beading on bronze skin, muscles flexing as he lifted himself from the pool.

I turned away instinctively, but it was too late. I felt his gaze like a lightning strike.

When I turned back, he was still staring, openly gaping at my bare back.

Recognition hit him.

His jaw tightened. His eyes went cold.

“You came uninvited?” he said flatly. “Wearing that?”

My heart thudded. “I came with Ethan—”

“Of course,” he muttered. “Well, if you’re here, you can help grill. That’s what humans do best, isn’t it?”

My cheeks burned. “Excuse me?”

“I need someone to do it for our guests.”

I grumbled under my breath about being assigned a task even outside of work and went over to comply. It wasn’t worth arguing with my boss over something so stupid.

I dutifully began grilling the meats, searing and plating them. Who knew I would be assigned projects by Kingston even after hours?

Eventually, he came up behind me and pointed to the grill. “It’s overcooked. Next time you work overtime, maybe practice cooking instead. Seems that would be a better use of your time.”

That was it.

I spun on my heel, fuming. Without saying another word, I pushed past him.

How dare he talk to me like that? I knew I was just a human, but I didn’t need to be treated like this when I was a guest.

I had thought we were bridging the gap between us, coming to a mutual understanding we could both relax in.

I guess not.

“Cora! Wait, what happened?”

“I’m going home,” I snapped.

I barely noticed Ethan jogging over, shawl in hand, concern on his face.

He looked genuinely baffled. “Did someone say something?”

But I was already walking through the house, down the hallway, past the elegant foyer.

And I didn’t even realize I’d brushed shoulders with someone until I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Oh, watch it—”

I turned slightly, saw a flash of perfectly curled hair, caught a whiff of high-end perfume, and the unmistakable air of elegance I’d known since childhood.

Daisy.

My sister was here.