The memory of Ryan kissing Tori’s cheek and his lewd words played in his mind like a bad reel.
She hadn’t stopped him. Hadn’t even pushed him away. Instead, she’d smiled and said she’d think about it.
And then, when James had confronted her, she’d flaunted the possibility that she might take Ryan up on his offer.
His stomach twisted, and his blood began to pound with that same anger from last night.
He’d known Ryan was bigheaded and cocky, but he hadn’t realized his cousin would take it to that level. How many women had he pulled this with?
It was unethical. He should be fired.
And Tori. God, for almost a couple of months now, he’d really started to think he’d been wrong about her. And it seemed they’d almost been flirting at the game.
But, clearly, he was a fucking fool.
James didn’t have the power to help her get more money and status at the firm, but Ryan did.
Would she behaving dinnerwith his cousin this weekend?
The thought of it had him tossing back another gulp of his drink, then scrubbing a hand across his face.
Stop thinking about it, man. You’re going to a fucking Comic Con. Think about that.
It took a huge effort, but slowly, he turned his thoughts away from Hurricane Tori and toward all things comic related.
He went to the Seattle convention every year, but this was his first time going to the Gem State Comic Con.
The timing was perfect, being a couple months after the bar, so he’d bought a ticket and booked the flight.
This was a nice little three-day weekend he’d put aside for himself. It’d been easier to tell everyone at work he’d be on the Oregon Coast.
Some people tended to look down on the conventions and cosplay stuff, and he’d found more than a few of those types at the firm. His cousin being one of them.
So yeah, he’d called it a weekend at the beach to avoid the drama.
By the time James checked into his hotel, his mood had improved. Mostly because anytime Tori slipped into his mind, he shoved her right back out.
He debated whether to go and grab food somewhere near the hotel. No doubt he’d find other comic enthusiasts running about town tonight.
But the idea left him a bit exhausted.
Nah, he’d save his energy for tomorrow. There’d be plenty of after-parties spilling into the bars once the convention ended.
After tossing his suitcase on the bed, James unzipped it and reached in to pull his costume out.
Excitement had his blood pounding as he carefully laid out his dragon shifter outfit.
He’d steered away from the usual trendy ones from Marvel or DC and gone for a new indie comic that was steadily rising in popularity.
Ash Masters.
And he would be Aidan. The chief and alpha dragon.
It was a bold choice. Not everyone was familiar with the comic. While he’d been enjoying it more and more, the thought of using it as cosplay inspiration had never crossed his mind.
That was until Emerald City Comic Con last year. He’d spotted a woman dressed as the character Nadia from the comic, and he’d been blown away by how incredible her costume was.
He’d begun planning his Aidan costume the next day.