Page 27 of Two Who Live On

The cork flew off, frozen midair, thanks in no part to my magic. Milo grabbed two glasses from the cabinet, waving the cork into the trash can. I poured the wine into the glasses. Red glugged out of the bottle, splashing as I filled one glass to the brim.

“Thirsty.” Milo wiggled his eyebrows, casting a suggestive innuendo for the word.

“Very.” I gulped half the drink. Tart sweetness danced on my tongue while I formed an elegant way to share my new discovery.

“Never understood why you loved this brand so much.” Milo sniffed his glass before taking a dainty sip. Whether it came from the fancy bottles his guild provided or a more refined palette, we shared a very different taste in alcohol.

“About that vampire attack.”

“It wasn’t a vampire. Told you, the press will run with anything.”

“Save the speech. I sort of, definitely, overheard you today. It wasn’t intentional, but I linked to your mind while you were at work. Also, saw you at Gwendolyn’s. Cassidy seems well, considering her occupation.”

Welp. Guess I dived right in.I finished my drink and poured another.

“You spied on me at work?” His brow furrowed.

I wasn’t looking at him, only the glug of the wine, but his emotions cast a crimson haze.

“No. I said unintentional. I just… It’s my telepathy. It’s been enhancing.”

“Evolving.” Milo grinned, revealing the giddy thoughts in an aura of gold he’d masked with an expression of shock.

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be?” There was delight in his blue eyes until they fluttered. His long lashes batted while he delved into his own world of infinite possibilities. “I use my branch on you all the time. Sometimes intentionally.”

“Damn clairvoyants.” I half smiled but mostly glowered. Cheery expressions were difficult; grouchy was my default face.

“I don’t see any way this could go wrong. You’re more than welcome to observe me whenever you want. And if you give me a heads up,” he slid his hand into his slacks, just the fingertips, exposing the cut in his muscular definition and flashing a shaved happy trail, “I can give you a show.”

“No. I didn’t mean to link to you. It was an accident.”

“I don’t mind. You’re often in my head. Magically or just in thought.” Milo’s grin faltered into a soft smile from his youth. The kind of shy expression he held when we were teens, and he was too embarrassed to share his feelings. Even internally, he used to bury his surface thoughts in panic and disarray.

“I’ll try to work on it.”

“Don’t. I’m okay with it. My branch syncs up to your life all the time. I’ve had a million lives cross my clairvoyance, and yet I’ve had your life play by a million times on its own.” Milo set his glass down next to mine, running his fingertips over mine. “I get that sensation—the uncontrolled, fluttery one, and I’m okay with it. Besides, I don’t know if you realize this, but you can be a bit obsessive.”

“I’m not obsessive.” I wasn’t.

“Oh, you definitely are. It’s your most toxic trait. That and your need to completely shut down and cut everyone and everything off so you don’t become obsessive.” Milo puckered his lips and blew a kiss. The light telekinetic burst tapped my cheek with a smooch from his lip balm. An aggravating gesture to tease me. “Personally, I find your two modes endearing. I just can’t have you obsessing and interfering.”

“I won’t. I wasn’t going to.”

“Okay, then sync your magic with me any day of the week. I promise all the meetings aren’t boring snooze fests. And some of the jobs are pretty cool, too.”

“Wait. Is this one of your clairvoyant reverse psychology moves?” I squeezed his hand, rooting out the truth no matter what he’d say next.

“Huh?” Milo feigned confusion as his surface thoughts tiptoed toward song lyrics.

I frowned. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

“Perplexed is all that comes to mind.” Milo winked. “That and how hawt you look in those skinny jeans. Trying something new? I’m loving the look. Love it even more when I—”

“When you tell me not to do something because you know that’s exactly what I’ll do,” I blurted, flustered. My neck warmed. “Because I get concerned, and sometimes when I can’t do something, I realize I can do something, and you feed into that…subtly. Which, of course, makes me have to take action and fix things.”

“Wow. Way to make me sound manipulative.”

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