I shouldn’t have let Danny talk me into this outfit. It’s not fair to Griff.
Or me, for that matter.
Hayley breath sighed out. Ever since that night, Griff had treated her with meticulous, painful courtesy, as if he just saw her as Danny’s mother and not a woman at all. In return, she did her very best to pretend that he was just some odd kind of sports coach for Danny.
But she couldn’t forget the fire of his touch, or the heat of his mouth between her legs. When he was playing with Danny, she couldn’t stop herself from avidly watching the flex of his biceps or the powerful curve of his back. And, just a few times, she’d caught Griff looking at her too, with a feral, exciting intensity that made her core clench in longing.
But then…he’d look away, taking a deep breath, and when he met her eyes again the burning desire in his own would be tamped down again, fiercely repressed. She knew that he didn’t dare risk another uncontrolled shift. She knew that they couldn’t ever touch again.
That would be Hayley’s cue to find some excuse to leave the room, hiding away until she too could contain the feelings threatening to overspill in her heart. Though sometimes her body yearned for his so badly that she physically shook with longing, she would not give in to her selfish desires.
If he could suppress his deep, animal instincts, then so could she. She’d sworn she wouldn’t make it any harder on him than it already was.
Hayley looked down at her costume. Why, why, why didn’t I just drape a sheet over my head?
“There’s Mr. Griff’s house!” Danny yelled, forgetting in his excitement that he was being good. “Come on, Mommy!”
Shaking her head to dispel her gloomy thoughts, Hayley let him tow her up Griff’s driveway. Small, hand-carved pumpkin lanterns lit the way. Hayley was privately pleased by the subdued, minimal decorations. She knew some people liked to go all-out with spooky graveyards and bloody zombie hands nailed to the door, but she personally didn’t think they were suitable for little kids.
This is nice. Tasteful. Nothing scary at-
The door opened. Danny shrieked in terror, cowering behind Hayley as a towering apparition in demonic spiked armor loomed ominously over them both.
“Why do small children keep doing that?” said John Doe’s deep voice from behind the draconic helmet, sounding bewildered.
Heart still hammering, Hayley blinked at his outfit. Curving, oddly organic-looking plates of some opalescent material armored John’s massive shoulders and arms, leaving most of his impressive torso bare. Thick, scaled leggings protected his legs. He had a sword longer than Hayley was tall strapped to his back, a fist-sized pearl gleaming on the pommel.
“That…is quite some costume, John,” Hayley said weakly.
“I am not wearing a costume,” John said, flipping up his visor. “This is the formal armor of the Order of the First Water, sworn defenders of the Pearl Throne.”
Danny peeked round Hayley’s legs. “You mean that’s real knight armor, Sir John?”
“Yes. I do not get many opportunities to wear it, these days.” The sea dragon shifter let out a deep, heartfelt sigh. “I am beginning to regret my decision to do so tonight. By my count, I have now made thirty-seven small children cry.”
“Yes, but you’ve also inspired at least that many teenage crushes,” Griff’s amused voice floated around John’s shoulder. “I swear there’s one group of girls who keep swapping costumes and coming back. Hello, Danny.”
“Mr. Griff!” Danny frowned, looking Griff up and down. “Why are you wearing a skirt?”
“It’s a kilt, lad,” Griff said, spreading his arms to display his plaid. He let out a rich chuckle. “I’m cheating too. This is just the way my clan traditionally dresses on formal occasions. But you Sassenachs find it exotic, so I thought it would do for a costume. Do you like it?”
“I told you to wear something awesome. Like a Batman suit. Not a skirt.” Danny turned to Hayley, looking doubtfully up at her. “Mommy, do you like Mr. Griff’s costume?”
“Guh,” Hayley managed to say.
And I was worried about my costume being too sexy.
She tore her eyes away from Griff’s muscular calves, moistening her dry lips. “Y-yes,” she said weakly. “I think it’s very…nice.”
“Mph.” Danny did not sound convinced. He pushed Hayley forward, his tone brightening. “Mr. Griff, look at Mommy’s costume!”
Griff’s golden eyes heated, and she knew that he could see her arousal. His hungry gaze swept down her own figure-hugging outfit.
Oh, I really, really, really should have come as a ghost.
“He picked it,” she said hastily, cheeks hot with mortification. “Um, I mean, I’m meant be a bunny. Like, a real bunny.”
“That’s right,” Danny said happily. “Because lions and eagles both like bunnies.”