Page 14 of Sprite Wedding
We were friendly, but I don’t know if we could call ourselves friends. That was all on me. I’d been guarded since I was young, retreating more after my father’s murder. Since I’d been with Lucas, though, he’d helped me loosen up. I’d lowered some of my defensive shields that kept me from getting close to people. Since he was super outgoing, he’d initiated many conversations with my roommates, which led to me talking with them more rather than heading right into my room.
I still spent more time here with Lucas, Nova, Diego, Gianna, and Sebastian. I was the newest and the most reserved of the group. It took me time to warm up to people. I wasn’t as open and uninhibited as Gianna or as helpful and nurturing as Nova. I couldn’t see myself having that close sisterly relationship that they had, but they accepted me as I was and didn’t push me to give them more than I was comfortable with. Perhaps Lucas made up for my reticence with his outgoing nature. We complimented each other. He loved attention and had no issues being the center of it, whereas it made me prickle with discomfort. His willingness to share took the pressure off me.
After Lucas finished telling the story, Sebastian said, “Oh, man.” He leaned back on the couch and rubbed his beard. “What I would give to have been able to see that spectacle.”
“Dude, did you really want to see Lucas stripping?” Diego asked with a doubtful humph. “It was bad enough when we had to see him dance at the club.”
Lucas fake coughed as he muttered, “You volunteered.” He motioned between his legs and chuckled. “Besides, I didn’t send you an invitation to the party in my pants.”
Diego groaned.
“This sounds like it was a comedy platinum,” Sebastian added. “I’m picturing the horror on people’s faces.”
“Some women nearby seemed more enthused rather than horrified,” I noted.
“I bet they did,” Gianna drawled, leaning back on the sofa. “We’ve seen the kind of applause he had on stage.”
That was for sure. When I’d gone to his former club to investigate a demon sighting, Lucas stole the show. With his rebellious blond hair, ripped body, sensual moves, and killer charm, he slayed the audience.
I’m sure many of his regulars mourned his departure. I’d never asked him to quit but was relieved. It hadn’t been easy to witness other women gawk at my man with hunger in their eyes and greed in their claws.
Lucas stood up and raised his hands. “Okay, okay, Sebastian, if youreallywant to see me dance, I’ll give you a performance.”
“No, Lucas,” Sebastian countered. “Whatare you doing?”
Lucas jumped onto the coffee table and started to bump and grind along to his Clash record playing “Rock the Casbah.”
Gianna clapped her hands and hooted. Nova dropped her forehead into her hands. “Not again.”
Lucas’s grin was a mile wide as he unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt. He lapped up the attention.
Diego lightly punched Sebastian on the arm lightly. “Look what you started, you fuzzy furball.”
“I started it?” Sebastian countered. “You’re the one who described it like this great spectacle I missed out on, dead man walking.”
Lucas chuckled as they hurled the usual insults at each other. He turned to me and offered his hand. “Want to join me up here on this makeshift stage, my mate?”
“I think I’ll pass,” I replied with a laugh. We could save that kind of dance for private. “Besides, we might break it with our combined weight.”
“Pfft, you barely weigh as much as a sprite,” he scoffed.
Compared to Lucas, perhaps. I often shopped in the petite section whereas he towered over me. Then again, most people appeared tall to me.
Lucas turned to Diego and Sebastian and bent forward. He moved his fingers back and forth, pulling them closer to his torso. “How about throwing some appreciation my way with some dollar bills,” he teased with a mock affronted expression.
Lucas was an entertainer and loved to make his friends laugh.
“I’ll throw something your way all right.” Diego picked up a pillow and tossed it at Lucas.
Lucas caught it before it reached his chest. “Easy, you crabby corpse.” He lifted the pillow and aimed it like a quarterback about to toss the football. Then he ducked and said, “Quarterback sneak.” He then lunged at Diego with the pillow tucked under his arm.
“Quarterbacks don’t tackle in a sneak.” Sebastian shook his head. “Did you misfire in dragon form and burn your brain?”
In the next second, Lucas, Diego, and Sebastian were wrestling like three school-aged brothers rather than three supernaturals who could do some serious damage to one another.
“Boys.” Gianna shook her head and laughed.
“Can’t take them anywhere,” Nova added with a chuckle.
