But I hadn’t needed to ask the question. I knew, of course I did, but couldn’t seem to bring myself around to thinking that Bane wanted anything other than to trade long, knowing, unresolved looks with me. “What’d he say?”
With another laugh, Wyatt had leaned against my car. “Ah, beautiful, what kind of friend would I be if I let my boy’s secrets spill?”
“Honest,” I offered. “Helpful.” My smile couldn’t quite match his, but Wyatt seemed to have gotten a kick out of my exuberance.
“Shameless. I like it.” He moved in closer, too close for my liking and he knew, saw that he made me a little uncomfortable as I stepped back. He didn’t follow, but did offer a generous examination of my frame, my face, before the smile he wore turned genuine. “I see now. You’re something else.”
“You’ve heard different?”
“No. I haven’t heard anything but good. Maybe,” he’d said, sidling a little closer, “just maybe you should take initiative, jump before he can break away?”
My go-to defense was always to curl a bit inside myself and back then, Wyatt’s confession had stirred up a lot inside of me. Still, I thought that maybe he was messing with me, just to get under my skin. Teenage boys did that. Hell, my brother still does that.
When I didn't respond, Wyatt cut me some slack and stepped away, a decent enough distance that I felt relieved. “Listen, Jani, it’s only my gut instinct, but I know what I’ve been told and I know what I see in front of me. You like him, get him.”
“It’s not like that. He’s…taken.”
“Hell, beautiful, no one’s taken, not really. Especially not that one.” Wyatt nodded over my shoulder and I looked around, eyes blinking fast when I noticed Bane watching us closely as he came down the steps of the school. I kept my gaze on Bane and that curious, mildly irritated expression of his. But Wyatt moved closer, stepping to my side so he could whisper in my ear. “Sometimes, you gotta take what’s yours before anyone else can latch on to it.”
“He’s not mine.” I had my door open and my butt on the seat before Bane made it into the parking lot.
“No? Well, shit, maybe I should change my plans and keep you company this weekend, Miss Jani.”
Engine running and my hand on the wheel, I’d smiled up at Wyatt and laughed at the glint in his eyes and the way he hadn’t looked at my face. “You’re a hell of a lot of trouble, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then I’d probably be better off ignoring everything you just told me.”
Wyatt shrugged and glanced to his left as Bane walked closer. “It’ll probably keep me from a busted nose if you do.”
“Well, I’d hate to come between two secret-keeping friends.”
“You do that, Jani, and I’ll owe you one.”
“I’ll remember that.”
And I had, just then as Wyatt strolled into the kitchen followed by a younger, smaller version of himself. The Rimmell genes were excellent and Wyatt still had the same soft features that were exaggerated by the smooth shape of his jaw and the whirl of green in his hazel eyes.
“You here so I can collect?”
Wyatt’s laugh was still loud, still carried around the room with very little effort. He remembered. “Never said a thing, did you?”
“Nope.”
“Then why’d I still end up with a bloody nose that weekend?”
He leaned against the counter, sizing me up, looking like he wanted to see the differences, the similarities from the kid he had met that one time years ago.
“Got me,” I said, folding my arms as Wyatt kept looking me over. Only this time, I didn’t mind the examination. This time I could stand the scrutiny a man often gives a woman. They could look all they wanted. At least until I shut them down. “I didn’t tell a soul.”
“How you been, Jani?” he finally asked, ignoring the shifter next to him when he cleared his throat.
“Good. Only back for this one job.” At my side, Mai shuffled her feet and I
With another laugh, Wyatt had leaned against my car. “Ah, beautiful, what kind of friend would I be if I let my boy’s secrets spill?”
“Honest,” I offered. “Helpful.” My smile couldn’t quite match his, but Wyatt seemed to have gotten a kick out of my exuberance.
“Shameless. I like it.” He moved in closer, too close for my liking and he knew, saw that he made me a little uncomfortable as I stepped back. He didn’t follow, but did offer a generous examination of my frame, my face, before the smile he wore turned genuine. “I see now. You’re something else.”
“You’ve heard different?”
“No. I haven’t heard anything but good. Maybe,” he’d said, sidling a little closer, “just maybe you should take initiative, jump before he can break away?”
My go-to defense was always to curl a bit inside myself and back then, Wyatt’s confession had stirred up a lot inside of me. Still, I thought that maybe he was messing with me, just to get under my skin. Teenage boys did that. Hell, my brother still does that.
When I didn't respond, Wyatt cut me some slack and stepped away, a decent enough distance that I felt relieved. “Listen, Jani, it’s only my gut instinct, but I know what I’ve been told and I know what I see in front of me. You like him, get him.”
“It’s not like that. He’s…taken.”
“Hell, beautiful, no one’s taken, not really. Especially not that one.” Wyatt nodded over my shoulder and I looked around, eyes blinking fast when I noticed Bane watching us closely as he came down the steps of the school. I kept my gaze on Bane and that curious, mildly irritated expression of his. But Wyatt moved closer, stepping to my side so he could whisper in my ear. “Sometimes, you gotta take what’s yours before anyone else can latch on to it.”
“He’s not mine.” I had my door open and my butt on the seat before Bane made it into the parking lot.
“No? Well, shit, maybe I should change my plans and keep you company this weekend, Miss Jani.”
Engine running and my hand on the wheel, I’d smiled up at Wyatt and laughed at the glint in his eyes and the way he hadn’t looked at my face. “You’re a hell of a lot of trouble, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then I’d probably be better off ignoring everything you just told me.”
Wyatt shrugged and glanced to his left as Bane walked closer. “It’ll probably keep me from a busted nose if you do.”
“Well, I’d hate to come between two secret-keeping friends.”
“You do that, Jani, and I’ll owe you one.”
“I’ll remember that.”
And I had, just then as Wyatt strolled into the kitchen followed by a younger, smaller version of himself. The Rimmell genes were excellent and Wyatt still had the same soft features that were exaggerated by the smooth shape of his jaw and the whirl of green in his hazel eyes.
“You here so I can collect?”
Wyatt’s laugh was still loud, still carried around the room with very little effort. He remembered. “Never said a thing, did you?”
“Nope.”
“Then why’d I still end up with a bloody nose that weekend?”
He leaned against the counter, sizing me up, looking like he wanted to see the differences, the similarities from the kid he had met that one time years ago.
“Got me,” I said, folding my arms as Wyatt kept looking me over. Only this time, I didn’t mind the examination. This time I could stand the scrutiny a man often gives a woman. They could look all they wanted. At least until I shut them down. “I didn’t tell a soul.”
“How you been, Jani?” he finally asked, ignoring the shifter next to him when he cleared his throat.
“Good. Only back for this one job.” At my side, Mai shuffled her feet and I
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