Page 75 of Kingdom of Chaos
He guessed correctly.
“And also, Imogen said she’d rather sleep next to the corpse of the Vampire King than share a bed with you. So . . .” He shrugs.
I purse my lips. “Yeah, well, I’m not really a fan of hers either.”
Talon chuckles, the bed shaking a little with the movement. “Imogen takes a little while to warm up to others.”
“You don’t say,” I deadpan. “And what about this?” I ask, gesturing to the pillow wall erected between us.
He grins; it makes him look boyishly rogue. It is absolutely not adorably sexy.
“I tried to wake you to ask if you were okay with me sleeping next to you, but you tried to deck me.”
“I did not!” I whisper-hiss.
His grin widens. “You absolutely did. You’re a violent little thing. I didn’t want you setting me on fire this morning, so I put the pillows up to protect your virtue.”
I roll my eyes and sit up, trying not to worry about what my hair looks like. “I’m going to get ready,” I say, and then slide out of bed.
Grabbing my backpack, I head toward the bathroom without a backward glance at Talon. The last thing I need right now is a picture of him sprawled out in the bed that we’ve just shared burned into my mind.
After I brush my teeth and take a quick five-minute shower, the others are awake and moving around in the motel room. Apparently, Imogen slept in the back of the SUV last night, preferring to be away from not just me, but everyone.
She pushes past me to get to the bathroom without so much as a, “Good morning,” but even so I’m a little relieved to see she looks in far better shape than she did last night. There’s color in her cheeks, a sharpness in her gaze, and her movementsare quick and purposeful. The gunshot wound on her arm has healed too, which is also a relief.
As Titus packs up his bag, I notice a bandage wrapped around his forearm and assume that’s where she fed from him. I avert my gaze quickly, not wanting to get caught staring at it. Instead, I grab Ensley’s arm and tug her toward the door.
“We’re going to go grab some coffees,” I say with Ensley in tow behind me.
“We are?” she asks, and I give Titus a pointed look and then nod.
She gives a nervous chuckle. “Oh right. Coffees.”
“Yeah, I noticed a café across the street. We’ll bring back drinks for everyone,” I say, without bothering to take their orders before dragging Ensley out of the room.
I count out half a dozen footsteps and then order Ensley to spill.
She casts me a nervous glance. “What do you mean?”
“Um, how about what’s going on with you and Titus? When I showed up at your house he was there and you both have been very cozy since then.”
She clears her throat, visibly uncomfortable. “Yes, well, I’m glad he’s here with us. He’s a very powerful fae, and has been an asset on this mission.”
“Ensley!” I say, stopping in my tracks. “You were snuggling in bed this morning after you were practically in tears last night over him donating his blood to Imogen.”
Casting a glance behind us, she pulls me around the side of the motel.
“Okay, fine,” she says, throwing up her arms in surrender once we’re out of eyeshot of anyone who might come out of our room. “I like him. All right? He’s attractive and sweet and attentive, and I hated the thought of him sharing anything with Imogen last night, let alone his blood. Are you satisfied?”
I do my best to cover my smile, but I can tell from the way Ensley is glaring daggers at me that I’m not doing a very good job.
This is big though. Ensley never admits when she likes someone. For all the years we’ve been friends, I’ve never once seen her act this way over a guy before. And it’s not because she hasn’t had interest. She’s a beautiful and powerful fae from a wealthy family. There’s been plenty of interest. Just not on her part.
“I like Titus,” is all I say, and her expression shifts, a small smile tugging at her lips.
“Really?” she asks, vulnerability in her tone.
I nod. “Really. And I think you guys are good together. He obviously cares about you. You should have seen how concerned he was for you when you were hit by that tranquilizer. He wouldn’t let you out of his sight or his arms. I think he has it bad for you.”
