Chapter 24
“How goes the job search?” Tori plopped down on the couch, rubbing her hands together before blowing on them.
“Not so great,” Cece said, closing her laptop. “Sorry, it’s so friggin’ cold in here. I’ll build up the fire some more.”
“I’m fine,” Tori said.
Cece laughed and scanned the bunny shifter up and down. Tori wore two sweaters, a heavy scarf, a knitted hat, and thick wool socks. Cece was also pretty certain Tori had both leggings and yoga pants on. “You’re freezing your butt off, Tori. Admit it.”
Tori grinned at her. “During the day is fine, but I might have been a bit cold overnight. How would you feel about a bunny shifter in your bed tonight?”
“Works for me,” Cece said.
“You say that now, but wait until I put my frozen feet on your legs,” Tori said. “I can’t believe how quickly I’ve gotten used to having a furnace in my bed every night.”
At Cece’s confused look, Tori said, “Judd runs super hot. All the bear shifters do.”
“Briggs walks around the house in a t-shirt and jeans, and I’m dressed like I’m about to do an expedition in the Arctic,” Cece said.
“Yeah, polar bears run the hottest of the bears, I think,” Tori said.
“There’s honestly not a lot known about them.
They usually avoid humans. The fact that we have two living here in the city, even one as big as Ashdale, is crazy.
Although Judd says that Briggs probably moved here because he knows Hudson. Which makes sense.”
She studied Cece. “Is it just the conduit thing that’s causing the connection between you and Briggs, or would you want to fuck him even if he wasn’t your conduit?”
Cece blushed. “Briggs and I are just friends.”
“Girl, please. We could all see how you were practically drooling on each other last night. Hell, I’m surprised that Briggs even left. I assumed he’d camp out on the couch overnight and not just because he thinks I can’t protect you.”
“He doesn’t think that,” Cece said.
“Uh, yeah, he does, but I’m not taking it personally. Male shifters always get weird and protective over their mates, even the prey shifters.”
“Briggs doesn’t think I’m his mate,” Cece lied.
Tori gave her a look, and Cece sighed. “His bear is a little confused, but Briggs says it’s because he doesn’t understand that the magic enhances our attraction.”
“Right,” Tori said. “So, would you?”
“Would I what?” Cece asked.
“Fuck Briggs, even if he wasn’t your conduit,” Tori said.
Cece opened her mouth to tell the bunny shifter it wasn’t any of her business. Instead, what came out was, “Yes. I’d bang that guy like a drum.”
Tori laughed. “Does it make you more or less enthusiastic to fuck him if I tell you that bear shifter peens are well known for their impressive size? And polar bear shifter dick is the biggest of them all.”
“More,” Cece said. “I like a challenge. Also, dragon shifters are probably bigger in that department, right?”
Tori shrugged. “Maybe? You’d probably be able to find out pretty easily if you were really curious. Now that dragons are no longer a secret, they’re screwing humans left and right.”
“Seriously?” Cece asked.
Tori nodded. “Yeah. I can’t blame them. There weren’t that many of them, so they were limited in their mating choices for years. Now it’s practically a sex buffet for them.”
“I thought most humans were still wary about the dragons.”
“Oh, there’s a bunch who are. That senator who wanted to tag paranormals like cattle might be in prison now, but there are plenty of people still drinking the Kool-Aid he handed out, plus others just waiting to step in as the next great leader against the paranormal.”
Cece shook her head. “I heard a rumour that one of the candidates running for mayor is hugely anti-paranormal.”
“Yeah, I heard the same.” Tori scowled. “And he’s polling pretty high.”
“Of course he is,” Cece said in disgust. “People are the worst.”
Her phone buzzed, and she checked her screen, her eyes widening. “Kinsley and Maisie are outside.”
“Who are Kinsley and Maisie?” Tori was already off the couch and headed toward the front door, her body tense and alert.
“Two of my best friends,” Cece said. “I told them to stay away, though, because I don’t want them getting hurt.”
She hurried over to the door and yanked hard on it to open it, staring at her best friends who stood on the porch. Kinsley held a tray of coffees and Maisie had a package of Cece’s favourite cookies in her hands.
“Surprise!” Kinsley said.
“We brought coffee and cookies, so you can’t be mad at us,” Maisie said.
“I’m so mad at you,” Cece said as they stepped inside. She hugged Kinsley first, then Maisie, as tears slid down her cheeks. “And I love you both so much.”
“We love you too, honey,” Kinsley said as Maisie slammed her body against the front door to close it. “I think it might be even colder in here than it is outside.”
Cece swiped at the tears on her face. “Probably.”
“Thank God we brought coffee,” Maisie said before smiling at Tori. “Hi, I’m Maisie.”
“Hey, I’m Tori.” Tori studied Kinsley and Maisie before smiling at Cece. “Enjoy your visit with your friends. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.”
“Thank you, Tori.”
Kinsley waited until Tori left before saying, “Who is that tiny lady, and why do I feel like she could break me in half with her baby finger?”
“Because she could,” Cece laughed. She was still crying a little, and Kinsley took her hand.
“Don’t cry, Cece.”
“It’s what she does, and I, for one, have missed it terribly,” Maisie announced. “Also, where’s that hot polar bear shifter? I want to meet him.”
“Come into the living room, it’s warmer, and I’ll tell you everything,” Cece said.
“I like the plants in the living room.” Kinsley studied the small bookshelf pushed up against the wall near the living room door.
“Thanks,” Cece said. “Tori helped me bring down the bookshelf from Aunt Sybil’s office this morning and helped me choose which plants from my room.”
“It looks good,” Kinsley said.
“Yes, yes, it’s wonderful, it’s oxygenating the room, yada, yada,” Maisie said. “So, are you going to sleep with Briggs or not?”
Cece laughed. “Were you listening to anything I said in the last half hour, Maize?”
“I listened to all of it,” Maisie said. “And one of the things I very clearly heard is that you and Briggs want to have sex and that sex with him will most likely be the best sex of your life. So, why aren’t you doing it?”
“Maisie,” Kinsley said gently. “You know they can’t.”
“But if there’s even a chance it helps to,” Maisie waved vaguely, “end this conduit thing, then why shouldn’t they?”
“Because there’s no guarantee it would work. And I don’t want to get Briggs fired,” Cece said. “I’m good in bed, but I’m not worth losing your job over good.”
“Probably not great if both of you are unemployed,” Maisie said.
Cece winced, and Maisie reached out to squeeze her shoulder. “Ugh, sorry, babe. That was super insensitive of me. Leonard is a fucking asshole for giving the greenhouse manager position to that unseasoned mozzarella stick, Lori.”
“What about working for Charissa?” Kinsley said. “At least while Elora is gone. Elora told me before she left to do the Rituals that Charissa was planning to hire someone temporarily for Elora’s job. Why not you?”
“She’s probably already found someone, but it’s worth a shot to ask,” Cece said. “I’ll be at the shop tomorrow to pick up some ingredients I need for Monroe’s potions, so I’ll ask her then.”
“Tell me more about this Monroe guy,” Maisie said. “You said he was hot in a nerdy kind of way?”
“No, you said that when you made Cece describe his appearance in detail,” Kinsley laughed.
“What can I say? I love a hot nerd,” Maisie said.
“Not lately, you don’t,” Kinsley said.
Cece cocked her eyebrow at Maisie. “What’s this now?”
“Nothing,” Maisie said. “We’re here to talk about you and what’s happening in your life, Cece.”
“I’m tired of talking about me,” Cece said. “I want to know what’s going on with both of you.”
When Maisie continued to hesitate, Cece reached out and took her hand. “I’m serious, okay? I had no idea how much I needed this until you showed up on my doorstep. Give me something else to focus on for a little while. Please?”
“Well, if you insist,” Maisie said with a grin. “I’m fucking a dragon shifter.”
Cece nearly dropped her coffee. “What?”
“She’s fucked two dragon shifters,” Kinsley said.
“Two?” Cece stared at Maisie like she’d grown a second head. “You’re sleeping with two dragon shifters?”
“No, not both of them at once,” Maisie laughed. “I slept with the first one on our Europe trip.”
“She did. Multiple times,” Kinsley said. “I basically had the hotel room to myself for three nights because she was with the dragon.”
Cece turned to Kinsley. “Did you also sleep with a dragon shifter and you’re not telling me?”
“I did not,” Kinsley said.
“She didn’t sleep with anyone,” Maisie gave her an accusing look, “even though it was supposed to be her ‘fuck everything that moves to forget about her cheating, narcissistic ex’ trip.”
“That was not the purpose of the trip,” Kinsley said.
“But we agreed on the flights over that if the opportunity arose for you or me to fuck a guy, we would take it. The opportunity rose, Kins. It was very obvious Godfrey’s friend was into you.”
“Wait, so you could have slept with a dragon shifter but didn’t?” Cece asked Kinsley. “You weren’t into him?”
“He was hot,” Kinsley admitted, “but I just didn’t…”
“Feel that spark?” Cece said and then grimaced. “God, that’s such a cliché.”
“It is, but it’s a cliché for a reason. I didn’t feel the spark, and even if I had, I don’t think I would have slept with him. I’ve never slept with a shifter before, and I’m not sure I want my first time to be with a dragon shifter.”
“Fair,” Cece said. “I was just talking with Tori about how big dragon shifter peen probably is.”
Kinsley laughed. “I’m afraid to ask why you were talking about that.”
“They’re not that big,” Maisie said.
“Seriously?” Cece said.
Maisie shrugged. “Godfrey in Europe was average, and Caz is a little below average in size.”