Page 6 of Mongrels United
“And he wanted to meet here?” Hyson glanced around. “Risky.”
“Which is why I’m here.”
Hyson smiled. “Patentlynotbacking him up.”
“I can see him beyond your shoulder. He’s just talking.” Irritation flared in her middle. “This isyourparty. How can you be so negative about the people at your own party?”
“I’m here for the profit, not the good times.”
Which was the complete opposite of what he had said a moment ago. “Don’t tell anyone else that,” Grady shot back. “You’ll tarnish your reputation.”
“My reputation is already blackened,” Hyson replied, with a quirk to his mouth that told her he liked it that way. “So Rennell is buying old tankball gear. That explains a lot.”
Grady lifted her chin. “The Grey Team has won two games this season. Out ofthree, so far.”
“They won two games the whole last season,” Hyson shot back. “And none of them against the Dreamhawks. Enjoy the fluke victories, Chief. They’re likely the last for this year.”
She wanted to steam on Kailash’s behalf, only Hyson had his facts straight. She said, instead, “The Dreamhawks only win because they’ve bribed enough of the other teams to throw the game.”
Hyson’s lips parted. She’d scored a hit. Not that her strike came close to knocking him to the floor. He muttered, “Direct. Right. I forgot for a moment.”
Grady shrugged ruefully. “Kailash likes playing. What can I say?”
“Tell him to find mechanical engineering work. It would pay more than basic. Tankball will never pay his rent.”
“He would have done that years ago, but no one would give him a contract.” Which was true. “They want trained and experienced engineers, which only the Engineering Institutes can provide, and they didn’t want him.”
“Fine, strapping man like Rennell? I’m surprised,” Hyson said. He didn’t sound surprised. He also didn’t sound particularly interested. “Is he still talking?” he added.
“Yes.”
“Good.” Hyson reached out with a big hand and lifted her chin. His touch was like the touch of a live wire.
And his action offensive. She tore her chin away from his grip. “Hey!”
He dropped his hand. One shoulder lifted a fraction. A shrug. “I’ve never seen skin like yours. It glows.”
She took a step back, and was instantly assaulted by the volume of shouting and music, and jeering from the crowd watching the next fight. Hastily, Grady stepped back into the silence.
Hyson might have laughed at her gauche reaction, but didn’t. He didn’t reach for her again, either. His hands stayed by his sides. “Would you like a drink?”
“I’m not here to socialize.”
“Neither am I. But I do know that I want to spend more time with you, and your friend is still busy.”
Her heart recognized that he’d shifted closer to her before her brain caught up with the fact. It zoomed. She realized she was lifting her chin to look at him, anyway. He was close enough that with a simple sway, their bodies would touch.
Much, much too close.
But she couldn’t step outside the privacy cone. “Listen, Hyson…”
“Shh.” He touched her lips.
She wanted to recoil from that touch, too, but her body was locked by the torrent of hot feelings swooshing through it. “This is too public…” Her voice was strangled.
“Come back to my place, then.”
She laughed at that.
