No, no…he was in pain?
“Really,” he finally breathed, looking at the pen in his hand. It wasn’t even a question, but I answered anyway.
“Yes. Really.”
“Is this why your notebooks always look empty even though you keep writing in them all day?”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t write in them all day.” I didn’t. A tiny mark here and there wasn’t writing all day.
“Hmm,” he mumbled, then turned around and left the bathroom.
I sighed, washing the porcelain piece again to put it in its place. And when I went back to the living room, the other agents were all gathered around Dominic, who was writing something with the pen. I saw the tip of it moving, pressed against the paper, but no ink came out, and the piece of paper wasn’t even scratched.
“Holy shit, this is amazing,” Tailsburry said. His wide eyes said he was in awe. “Why haven’t we heard about this?”
I sat on the couch and shrugged. “Ancient pixie magic.”
“Really?”
Well, it wasn’t ancient, and it wasn’t exactly magic, either. Just a plant that a pixie had accidentally grown somewhere in Europe. The seeds had traveled around the clans for a couple decades before they landed in the hands of one of ours. But they didn’t need to know that, did they?
“Yes, Mr. Tailsburry. Pixies can do a lot more than grow plants. That we choose not to is another story.”
I could have sworn Dominic smiled, but I could barely see his profile from all the agents gathered around him, so I wasn’t sure.
“You can see what you’re writing?” Jamison asked him.
“Yep. Every number,” Dominic mumbled. “Can you see anything?”
“No,” they all said, shaking their heads.
He looked at me then, and I pretended to be focused on my phone.
“Thanks, Teddy,” he said, and blood rushed to my cheeks instantly.
I kept my eyes on the phone still. “You’re welcome.”
The crew leftabout an hour later, and they promised to be back by seven, together with Sandra. While Dominic saw them to the door, I went to the bedroom to get some rest, to try not to think, and to prepare mentally for the dinner tonight.
But I had barely sat on the bed before he opened the door and stood there watching the back of my head so intently, I actually felt the heat of his gaze. I didn’t turn. Didn’t speak.
Would he bring up that morning? Would he ask me how I imagined him again while I was touching myself?
Ugh! Stupid, stupid pixie!
“I don’t think you should come to the dinner tonight,” he finally said, and I stood up to face him so fast, I almost lost my balance. Definitely not what I was expecting.
“What?” I blurted, unsure if he was even serious.
“There’s no need for you to be there,” he said with a shrug, his expression perfectly neutral.
My lips parted, and for a moment, my mind blocked everything out and remained blank.
Only for a moment.
“Of course, I need to be there. Why wouldn’t I need to be there?” My voice was pitched high, and I was a bit breathless, too.
“Because I don’t need to be thinking about keeping you safe, Teddybear,” he said through gritted teeth. If he’d smacked me across the face, it would have probably stung less.