Page 22 of Enemies with Benefits
But it was fun as hell to tweak his nose and piss him off further.
His hands balled into fists at his side, and for a moment, I wondered if he was finally going to swing at me again. He had always struggled with his temper, and it was clear that, with me anyway, he was still having a hard time well into adulthood. Yet instead of losing his temper, he sucked in a breath and his hands unclenched, relaxing at his side even though he continued to glare furiously at me.
"I know!" came Moira's sharp hiss, bringing Jace and me back to reality and our attention back to them.
Jace, who clearly hadn't known the two were talking, turned to frown at them in confusion. Moira was sucking in a breath and ran a hand through her hair, staring intensely at the ground for a moment. Kayden's goofy smile had disappeared, and a troubled crease had formed in his brow. I had missed their conversation, but if their behavior was any indication, I could guess what they’d been discussing. Neither of them looked happy, but Moira especially looked troubled as she looked at us and flinched, guilt written across her features as she said something too soft for anyone but Kayden to hear. He gave her what I thought might have been an apologetic smile before starting to walk back to us.
Jace's eyes never left him, narrowed as he watched Kayden, who didn't even look at him, just continued walking before sitting at the bar and beaming at me. "I understand you're not a fan of cops, so I guess there's no discount. But...can I trust there won't be an extra charge for pigs?"
"Only when they're cute and smart enough to try to charm me without insulting my intelligence," I said with a snort.
"Kayden," Jace growled. "What was that about?"
"I know you're used to yelling and shouting as a means of communication, but your average person would call that aconversation," I pointed out to him, smirking when he shot me a dirty look.
"Why does it smell of busybody interference?" Jace growled at the back of Kayden's head.
"Is there a house special?" Kayden asked, completely immune to the dour energy seething from Jace, or he was basking in it. "Or maybe a bartender special?"
"I'm sure I can come up with something," I said, looking him over. "Actually, I have an idea."
Jace let out another warning noise. “Kayden, I swear to?—"
"Jace," Moira interrupted softly, "can you come with me, please?"
Jace looked at her in confusion, clearly not expecting his ex-girlfriend to want a word with him. "What?"
"Can you come with me?" she repeated, looking up at him steadily. "Somewhere private."
Jace glanced at me with a look of furious expectation. He probably expected me to make some comment about how my sister wanted him alone, but I had a feeling I knew what she wanted to talk to him about. Even I wasn't going to make light of the situation. I met Kayden's gaze, and he winced briefly when Jace turned his back to us and slowly walked toward my sister.
Moira jerked her head in the direction of the lobby, and I wondered where she was going to take him. She wasn't the sort for a public spectacle if she could help it, but I briefly wondered if it was a good idea to drop such significant news on someone who clearly had temper problems. Then again, Moira wasn't a fool, she would know if there was a problem she needed to address and wasn't afraid to call in help if necessary.
I tried not to think too hard about the potential for that conversation to go badly and focused on the drink instead. I had to dig through the supplies in the bar, but it wasn't that hard a search. My father had apparently been very enthusiastic aboutbartending, and my mother had insisted on keeping his touch on the hotel intact by making sure our bar was well stocked. It didn't matter if a drink was only popular for a little while, she had always made sure to have the stock necessary for it, and she liked to hire bartenders who weren't just well-trained and experienced but innovative and experimental as well. As far as she was concerned, it was important for the person making the food and drink to have as much imagination as they did skill.
"Here you are," I said, sliding the glass over and dropping an edible flower on top, then I dropped a small curly straw into it with a wink. "And before you ask, no, I'm not telling you what's in it, and if you have allergies, you should have told me before I made you a drink."
Kayden hunched over to look at the drink and snort at its soft pink color. “Now, what about me gives off girly drink energy?"
"Usually, the guys who don't take themselves too seriously are the most honest about liking drinks that are fruity or sweet, because I don't make manly or girly drinks, just drinks."
"How very modern of you."
"Plus, if there's anyone that I figure is going to come in and take a double shot of tequila without hesitation or chaser, it's usually the girly girls."
"Mmm, and for guys who take themselves seriously?"
"What, like your partner?"
"Mhmm."
"Well, for him, I might be willing to part with a beer that was left open in the summer sun for a week. Otherwise...they're generally the first to grunt they want a beer and give you a look if you dare to offer them something as 'pretentious' as an IPA."
"What is it with you two?" Kayden asked, taking a drink, and his brow quivering slightly. "Alright...that's good. Dangerously good."
"In my experience, the best things in life have an element of danger to them," I leaned forward with a smirk. "And that includes drinks."
"I notice you admit to having a potential adrenaline junky problem and are avoiding the question."
