Chapter 17
Iris
“So, you gave in to a biological need,” Selene said as the two of them walked down the road after Iris showed up at the bookshop for an emergency meeting after a conversation with Monty devolved into a dramatic plotline in one of his dramatic romance shows.
She needed to call in reinforcements to talk it through.
Because what the hell was that?
Not bad enough that she’d let him go down on her, but then she’d climbed on him, and they’d humped on the chaise like a couple of horny teenagers.
“It’s not the end of the world. You’re both adults. And, I mean, you are a mermaid.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Iris asked over a mouthful of soft pretzel. Her third one. Thankfully, Selene was the kind of friend who didn’t judge her for trying to bury her feelings with food.
“That you’re, you know, innately sexual. It’s part of who you are.”
“It’s part of who we all are.”
“Yeah, but to a lesser degree. I mean, even if this is all complete nonsense, you can claim that’s all it was if he decides to confront you about it.”
“True,” Iris agreed, feeling a little of the tension in her shoulders lessening. They’d been inching up since she’d run out of the pool room. She was starting to worry she might need to get them surgically removed from her ears if she didn’t calm down.
Not just because of what happened, but what it meant.
Or didn’t mean. She couldn’t stop herself from obsessing over what Finn might be thinking about it.
Was there regret? Was he brushing it off?
Did it even register as a mistake to him …
or was it just another political complication he had to manage?
And, worse, why the hell did she care so much?
“I have to ask,” Selene said as they approached the entrance to the park.
A large sign hung from the wrought-iron fence.
No werewolves in the dog park.
There was a big wolf-man in the background with a red X across his body.
“Ask what?” Iris asked, scrunching up the piece of parchment paper her pretzel had been wrapped in and tossing it in the trash.
“Well, how was it?”
How was it?
Spine-tingling.
Soul-shattering.
Consuming.
Devastating.
But more than all of that: stupid. So incredibly stupid.
“It was fine.”
“Fine?” Selene asked, brows shooting up. “Huh. I had him pegged for one of those repressed guys who are animals when you peel them out of their stuffy suits.”
That was exactly what Finn had been.
Demanding, unrestrained.
Real.
For just a few moments, with their bodies moving together in an ancient rhythm, he’d been real with her.
“Well, I don’t know why you showed up at my doorstep all frantic over fine. I was about to get to a very important part in my book.”
“Were the enemies about to become lovers?” Iris asked, shooting her friend a smile.
“The villain was about to bang the heroine in all sorts of steamy ways. Then, I imagine, declare his undying love for her. At least the former part is believable. I’ve always found that the bad boys are the only ones who know what they’re doing in bed.”
Iris may have agreed with Selene in the past. But she had to admit that Finn was, objectively, a good man. And that good man? He really knew what to do with his tongue.
“So, what were you hoping to accomplish on this walk? Aside from bolstering up the local pretzel-vendor economy?”
“I don’t know. I guess I just need to figure out what to do next. I mean, we’ve hooked up now.”
“Barely. Look, most guys don’t want to make a big thing out of a little dry-humping. If you go on acting like it’s no big deal, I’m sure he’ll do the same. Now, what we really need to do is talk about that little interview you gave,” Selene said, shooting Iris a smirk. “That was brilliant.”
“Finn doesn’t think so. And I’m sure Henry is likely drafting up some story about me having heat stroke or land-sickness or something.”
“Does land-sickness exist?”
“No, but I’m sure he’s willing to create a disease just to cover up a story about my awful fish puns.”
“I think it’s more the barnacle thing they’re objecting to.”
“Well, whatever it is, I have ‘a period of intense study’ ahead of me.”
“Who said that—Henry?”
“Yeah.”
“The man sounds like a robot.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s made up entirely of ambition and empty campaign promises.”
“And he’s Finn’s best friend. Says something right there. Oh, goddess. What is he doing here?” Selene asked, sighing hard as she stared at someone off in the distance.
Following her gaze, she saw Arden standing near the bend in the road.
“I have no idea.” Sure, Arden was known for dropping in on his own schedule, but that was at the apartment. She had no idea how he’d tracked them to the park. Or why he looked so excited.
“We could just turn around and walk away,” Selene suggested.
“He would totally follow. He has some kind of soul contract with my mother.”
“Demons don’t have souls.”
“A blood oath, then.”
“Are we talking about me?”
“We’re discussing the mediocrity of men in the bedroom. So … probably.”
“Darling, why do you think all the most delicious things in life are associated with the wicked and sinful?” Arden asked, shooting her a look that could be called nothing short of devilish. “Trust me, we throw down in the bedroom.”
“My experience suggests that the men who claim to be good in bed are always the ones who can’t find the clit with both hands and a map.”
“Wanna test that theory?” Arden asked, taking a step closer to Selene, everything about him sparking sexual energy.
Even the usually unflappable Selene seemed a bit, well, flapped.
If Iris hadn’t been watching her friends so closely, she might have missed it.
The strange static in the air that had the hairs on Iris’s arms rising. Then the flash around Selene’s hand. Like a dozen itty-bitty fires.
She lifted her hand and pressed it into Arden’s chest.
Anyone else would have jumped, yelped, tried to get away from the heat.
Arden leaned in, giving Selene eye contact—his eyes blazing red around the irises—that gave Iris secondhand trembles.
“I didn’t think you liked it kinky,” he said, lips teasing up at the edges.
Defeated, Selene dropped her hand. “Huh. I didn’t know you like women,” she said, brows scrunched.
“Oh, my sweet summer witch, I’m pansexual. Anybody can get this,” he said, waving down at his body.
“Interesting. Learn something new every day,” Selene said, but Iris noticed how she put some distance between them. She was clearly more affected by that intense, flirty little interaction than she wanted to admit.
“Arden, what are you doing here?” Iris asked.
“A little pelican told me he saw you heading in this direction. He was having brunch with a very famous movie star, by the way. That bird is going places.”
The sting of his absence ached less with each passing day. And as much as she loved that bird more than almost anything, she found that as her world broadened, as her circle widened, she felt less in need of her emotional support pelican.
“And doesn’t his ego know it,” Iris said with a smile. “Is this—”
She trailed off, distracted by a group of small children running past them, their hands reaching for tiny glowing orbs as their laughter spilled out, tinkling like wind chimes.
“One way to get their energy out,” a woman said as she passed them, her hand flicking in the air, making the orbs change directions suddenly.
“Is this about wedding planning?” Iris asked, finding her last train of thought.
“No, actually. I got a call from a very bossy campaign manager with a sexy-as-hell voice.”
“What did Henry want?”
“There is a charity event coming up in your schedule. I’m supposed to get you gowned up for that. And work on your walk in heels.”
“Oh, yes. Nothing says female empowerment like strapping your feet into medieval torture devices and waddling like a baby deer.” Selene rolled her eyes.
“She has a point,” Iris agreed.
“I’ll give you that heels aren’t easy. But who doesn’t like a nice gown?”
“Let me guess,” Selene said. “Floor-length, strapless, and designed by a man who has never needed to wear a bra.”
Arden’s gaze appraised her. “Iris won’t need a bra.”
“Totally not the point.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Arden urged Iris. “You’re going to look a-mazing.”
“Like a gorgeous, reluctant sacrifice,” Selene piped in.
“Maybe we should ditch her before we get to the boutique,” Arden suggested.
“Nope. I’m coming. The last thing she needs is another man on her case about something. She needs someone to stand up for her.”
“Barnacles,” Arden said, grimacing.
“Yeah, I’m in trouble. My punishment is a million hours of media training.”
“As usual, I think Henry is overreacting,” Arden said.
He gestured for the women to start walking, steering them back out of the park.
“From what I’m hearing, people were really charmed by the silly puns.
I believe the most liked comment under the video I saw was: ‘Who knew mermaids were so adorable?’ So, I think it’s fine. ”
If Arden saw that, no doubt Henry had as well. Maybe he would change his mind about all the media training.
“Here we go,” Arden said. He pulled open the door to a boutique with blacked-out windows. “You,” he said to Selene. “Behave.”
“No,” she said, pushing past him and into the store.
Iris followed, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the dark. With no natural sunlight, all the light was coming from several large, ancient, black candelabras, and long streams of red wax dripped down the center columns.
“How are we supposed to shop for dresses in the dark?” Iris whispered to Arden. Her gaze took in the lush black velvet curtains and the extravagant arrangements of blood-red roses.
“My sweet, innocent sea princess,” Selene said, moving in close. “This is a vampire dress shop.”
“Really?” Iris asked. She wasn’t sure if the way her pulse skittered was excitement or fear.
“Indeed,” another voice joined them, arriving a half a second before the speaker herself.
Iris had begun to see that each type of paranormal had its own specific kind of beauty.