Page 56 of Liar & Champion
I clutched my chest. My heart had literally skipped a beat and was racing too fast. “No. This isn’t happening.”
“It is,” he said, unhelpfully. “Like that time when Jezebel took my wife under her wing.” He shuddered. “But we all survived.”
“Pinkie is nothing like Kitten.”
Dirk frowned, but kept his attention on capturing the best shots of my wife. She just kept going and going and going, one death-defying stunt to the next while the crowd watched in awed wonder and I felt the need to sit down. Lay down. Six feet under. This is what death felt like.
Finally, Sunshine went up the ramp one last time and then just landed, but once she did, her skateboard slipped out of her hands and banged her shin. She stood on the landing, frowning down at her skateboard, when Jezebel scooped it up for her and brought it with a demure smile.
“You dropped this, sugar.” Jezebel had on her usual Texan accent along with cowgirl boots and Stetson.
“Oh, thank you,” Sunny said, sunnily.
“Looks like you scraped your shin. Do you need a band-aid? I have a first aid kit in the car.”
“No,” I muttered and started towards the bowl, but Dirk grabbed my arm, holding me back.
“Trixie’s there. She specifically said that she’d keep her safe. You need to let them have their little introduction without interfering.”
I stood for a moment without breathing then finally nodded and dropped to my heels, trying to center myself, to be calm, to let my wife into the dangerous claws of my team. “They got your wife shot,” I whispered. I’d tried not to notice that, but it was hard to miss.
“This month it’s Trixie’s girl’s night. Your wife will be fine.”
I looked up at him and straightened up. “I’m acting like an idiot, aren’t I?”
He smiled and slapped me on the shoulder. “Sure, but at least you didn’t fall for Jezebel.”
I choked at the thought then was still as his meaning hit me. “You think I fell for my wife?”
“Nix, you just said, ‘my wife’ without flinching. She walked right through all your barriers like they don’t exist. Because you took them down for her. She’s in your heart. You really didn’t notice?”
I rubbed my chest and started walking towards his car. I couldn’t trust myself to not act like a grunting caveman, and carry my mate to my cave where I’d feed her and make love to her for the rest of my life. She’d definitely tapped into some seriously primal instincts in me. I was already primal enough, more than enough. This was dangerous, unsettling in ways I wasn’t prepared for.
I swore and closed my eyes, leaning my head back on the head rest while I waited for Dirk to wrap up. Daniela was onto something about how dangerous Kitten was, but the danger wasfor her, not me. I could break her with my love, if that’s what this viciously intense need for my wife was. And hurting her would be the end of me.
Chapter Eighteen
LIAR
The good Samaritan was Texas gone showgirl in her red cowboy boots and sequin bra. The friendly brunette must be a performer. It was really kind of her to offer a band-aid for my shin. Right neighborly, as a Texan might say.
I followed her away from the bowl, Tom at my back while held my board with trembling fingers. I’d pushed too hard, but I was starting to get antsy in the hotel. I wanted Nix, but I couldn’t follow him around like a kitten, it would be too embarrassing. He’d made it clear that he didn’t want me at the dinner with his crew, and then after meeting Trixie, who was a glamorous goddess even in her serious boots, I couldn’t blame him. There was no Alabama debutante who would fill her shoes, and if she was the kind of woman he was used to being around, having in his bed, or whatever hotel he took her to, well, I just focused on doing my own thing and making the most out of each day. I liked his notes. And his texts. Maybe he’d have more time on the weekend for us to casually bump into each other.
Her big blue car was a boat. I loved it. “Your car is fabulous. I have a yellow Camaro that…” I trailed off when I saw the other women who had followed me, walking on either side of Tom.Trixie was there, and on the other side an aristocratic looking woman with ice in her eyes and pink in her hair.
“Nix said you have a sticky gear shift. I’ll have to take a look at it,” Trix said then crossed her arms over her chest. Her extremely generous and probably natural perfect breasts. Jezebel’s breasts were even more enormous, but much less natural looking. Not that I should judge people by their breasts. What was wrong with me? Beastie choosing to date Christina instead of me because of her perfect breasts. It had traumatized me. I should text him and tell him what a loser he was to choose breasts over adorableness. Also tell him he needed to pay for my therapy.
“Thanks, but you don’t need to bother,” I said. So this was the crew. Which of the women was the dangerous Jezebel? I was betting on the brunette with icy eyes, although her hair threw me off.
“Here’s my first-aid kit,” the smiley Texan said, pulling out a fishing box. “Sit on the trunk and I’ll fix you up.”
I couldn’t resist her hospitality, so I hopped up and let her examine it. It was pretty bad for such a stupid injury, but I healed quickly.
She cleaned it out and put ointment over it and a bandage, all without causing me the slightest discomfort. The woman must be part of the home health care team. Her hands were really gentle.
“Thanks,” I said, smiling at her sincerely when she finished and stood up. “I appreciate it. I get so clumsy sometimes.”
“Not when you’re on your board,” the pink-haired ice-queen stated.
