Page 78 of Outside the Lines
Hunter laughed, probably because I was no good at poker faces. “Hey, do you think I could talk to your wife? Art theft is pretty damn serious, and this—” He touched the T-shirt he had on and his fury returned. “This is beyond the pale.”
“How soon do you want to talk to her? I’m heading home after—” I waved at the front of the store.
“Given the way you look tonight? The sooner the better, I bet.”
That was about the size of it. “Let me finish locking up.” I eyed his T-shirt. “Want something else to wear?” I couldn’t imagine what Lydia would think if Hunter Easton walked in wearing her stolen design.
Hunter grimaced. “Please.”
I gave Hunter one of the plain black T-shirts I kept handy in the back room for those occasions when I either dripped blobs of paint on myself or ended up wearing my lunch. I also rang up Kevin’s comics—and as I’d suspected, trying to gift them to him didn’t pass muster atall.
“Take my debit card like I’m a normal human being,” Kevin said.
So I did—then led those normal human beings who were the heart and soul of Wolf’s Landing out the back so they could follow me home.
We got to my house and I parked in the drive, while they pulled behind Ian’s Mini Cooper at the curb. Despite the fading twilight, Ian’s car was still brilliantly yellow.
“Nice!” Kevin said. “Yours?”
“Nah, it’s my boyfriend’s.” The truth slipped out before my brain caught up to remind me that wasdumbto say. My stomach tumbled. “Um. I mean . . .” I stopped on the walkway and stuffed my hands in my pocket. “Well . . .”
Hunter rolled his eyes. “You’re poly?”
“Yeah.” I stared at him. “I am. We are.” Holy shit. Someone’s first instinct was polyamory and not that I was a stinking cheating bisexual? My head spun around again.
“Good.” He pointed at the door. “Go.”
Kevin smirked.
God, Lydia was going to murderlate me. Couldn’t keep my mouth shut aboutanythinganymore. I marched up to my house, Hunter and Kevin in tow, and unlocked the door. I found Lydia resting her head in Ian’s lap in the living room and for a moment, I forgot who was at my back. “You’re watchingThe Fifth Element? After all the grief I got for loving the movie?” Seriously? My lovers, conspiring together!
“It’s a bad-movie-and-spiked-ice-cream night, sweetheart.” Ian turned. “And this is—” His entire expression changed from snarky to horrified in an instant. “Oh shit!”
Lydia’s eyes were huge as she stared beyond me. She levered herself up to sitting and Ian leapt for the remote and paused the movie.
“They need to meet Carter and Levi,” Kevin murmured.
“This is my wife, Lydia. I think you’ve met Ian, Hunter.” I took a breath and stared into Lydia’s horrified gaze. “Honey, Hunter and Kevin—”
“Kevyan.” Lydia spoke through the fingers covering her mouth.
“Kevin,” Kevin said.
“—stopped by the store tonight to sign books.”
“And I was wearing one of your T-shirts.” Hunter brushed past me into the living room.
“I told him everything.” I felt like absolute shit when Lydia’s eyes got watery.Way to go Simon.“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t not—and besides, he’s the guy who bought your Carter and Levi print.”
If I’d thought Lydia’s eyes had been huge before, I’d been wrong. “You’reWolf Hunter?” Lydia let out a breath, grabbed one of the throw pillows and clutched it to her chest. “You shit! That’s not fair! You’re Hunter Easton!”
Wow. At least she hadn’t lobbed the pillowatHunter. “Ian, how much Chambord did you pour over my wife’s ice cream?”
“A lot.” Ian ran a hand through his hair. “Hi.” He looked sheepish and happy and embarrassed, and I fucking loved every inch of him.
Hunter chuckled. “I met Kevin on Fandom Landing.” He focused on Lydia. “Can we sit and talk? Because I think I can help you, being the rights owner of all my characters and shit.”
“I can too,” Kevin said, “because I bet every single worry you have about people knowing who you are, I’ve had first.”
