Page 106 of A Reluctant Boy Toy
“You said you’d show us how to make Wiley behave,” Jesse reminded Stone.
“Of course I will. It’s all about being consistent. Maybe your mom can bring all of you and Wiley out here again sometime?”
“Morrigan won’t eat him, will she?” asked Lincoln.
“She won’t.” Stone hid a smile. “So far, Morrigan has eaten exactly zero dogs. She might try to race him.”
“Who cares about a stupid dog.” Sadie was clearly torn between wanting to stay with me and wanting to get away from her dad, but she stood and brushed off her skirts. “You guys are just dumb.”
“Bye, Sadie. I hope you'll visit again before I leave here.”
I was not above using anything to see Stone reconnect with his kids.
She gave her dad a chilly glare. “If you’re still here when the boys come back, I might come with them.”
“Maybe I’ll see you again some time.” I stood and offered Serena my hand despite the cast. “In case I don’t see you again, it's been a real pleasure meeting your family.”
“Oh, I suspect we’ll meet again.” A small smile crept over Serena’s lips. “Welcome to the Wilder side, Mr. Keye.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Stone
Bast offeredto help clean after the party, but Ariel and Taggart laughed at him and threw us out.
As dusk turned the sky violet overhead and the stars came out, Sebastian, Morrigan, and I walked back to my place.
“You've been unnaturally quiet, which is saying something. What are you thinking about?”
“You’re a chaos goblin, aren’t you?” I couldn't help smiling. “C’mon, you can tell me the truth.”
He blinked in surprise. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I've spent my entire life setting up one regrettable array of dominos after another. All it took was one push from your little goblin finger andka-blam. Are you gonna sneak away after the last one falls?”
“No.” He stared straight ahead. “I want to see what happens next.”
I shook my head in wonder. “You're the one thing I never saw coming and Christ, if you're pushing buttons just to see if you can...”
He frowned. “No. I'm—I wouldn't do that.”
“Am I going to wake up and find out this was all some…fantasy?” I asked. “Because when I saw you during Artemis's ceremony, I was so happy. Just knowing you're near fills me with this wild joy. But I barely even know you.”
“You know me better than most people do. I think you see me and not what I want everyone to see.”
“Maybe.” I wrapped my hand around his slim pale neck.
“Are you afraid of what people will say?” he asked.
“Because I’m bi? Or because I’m acting like an old perve over a guy who looks half my age?”
“Because I’m ahot mess, complete with a notorious reputation for bad behavior, internet sex tapes, and a career that’s probably over now.” He grabbed a handful of rabbitbrush we passed and gave it a sniff.Eww. “I don’t know what’s going to happen if more tapes surface. Is this about blackmail? Will it trigger a lawsuit for breaking my NDA? Things could get uglier.”
I sighed. “Your dad's investigators already know who uploaded the video. They're working with the authorities to handle the matter quietly.”
He gasped. “You never told me. Who did it? It was Ian Drake, wasn't it?”
“No. But it was about Ian Drake.” Alastair should have told him. It wasn't right to keep him in the dark, especially since he was worried. “Apparently Drake ran his mouth about you online, and someone he fell out with decided to extort him over a secret video. Drake was the one who drugged you.”
