“Sure.” He strolled in, the smells leading him by the nose. “I’m not picky.”
Popping a slice of pepperoni in her mouth, she smiled over at him. “How do you feel about ham?”
Easy, so easy, to imagine this scene as his life. Him, coming home from work, grim and sour. Her, bustling around the house, bright and happy, dressed in pajamas. How he felt about that, he couldn’t say, but he could picture it. “As long as it’s not served with green eggs, I’m good.”
Her laugh was throaty and pleasant as she began the meticulous arrangement of their homemade pizza, using a ratio of vegetables to meat known to her alone.
The domesticity of it all cut him down to the bone, and he asked, “How was Zumba?”
He got his tone wrong. He could tell by the way she froze, the slice of ham trembling in her fingers, and then she dragged her gaze up to his. He had let his temper get away from him when he knew he couldn’t afford to blow it, but she was still selling him on some idyllic version of their future he knew as false.
“I didn’t go to Zumba,” she confessed, fussing with her toppings. “I went with a friend to a football game instead.”
Yep.
He had overplayed his hand, and she was lying to him with the truth.
Might as well give up the pretense then. “Do you know a vampire by the name of Cassandra Desmond?”
Palms braced on either side of the stove, she studied the pizza for design imperfections. “Yes.”
“Did you attend the game with her?”
“Yes.”
“Did you kiss her?”
Boaz made a fist at his side, but it was too late. The question was out there, and her answer shouldn’t have mattered so much. Their engagement was a business proposition, not a love match. He had no right to her heart. As long as she played by the rules, they could make it work. He had to believe that.
The alternative was too miserable to contemplate, but it would be no less than he deserved.
“No.” She exhaled hard, rustling the shredded mozzarella. “She did, however, kiss me.”
“Addie…” he began, unsure where to go from there. “We have to talk about this.”
A warning tingle coasted down his spine as the presence of a vampire registered to his senses.
“You might as well tell him the truth,” a female voice called from what sounded like the head of the stairs. “He might arrest you otherwise.”
That was yet to be determined, but he had to question Addie for sure. Cassandra too. He was almost glad she was here. Almost. Because he wasn’t sure how he felt about finding her in his fiancée’s house, calling orders to her in the sultry voice that vampires used on their victims. From upstairs. Where the bedrooms were located.
“You might as well get your butt in here then,” Addie yelled in response. “You’re the one who blew our cover.”
A long sigh gusted down the stairs, and a striking woman with curves bound tight in leather entered the kitchen with an impressive pout aimed at Addie on her full lips.
“Boaz, this is Cass.” Addie handled the introduction. “Cass, this is Boaz.”
“I would like to get one thing straight upfront.” Cassandra—no, Cass—stopped in front of him. “Addie did not cheat on you. I took exception to how an annoyingly perky and yet condescending human was treating her and misbehaved. It was not consensual, and it was wrong.” She flicked her eyes toward Addie. “I’m sorry.”
“Cass,” she squeaked. “He wants to know about the murders, not that.”
“He’s a man, and he’s engaged to you. He wants to know.” She turned a knowing smile on him. “I bet it was eating you up inside the whole drive over, wondering if you would catch us in the act.” Her teeth were bright and sharp. “I bet you wondered, if you did, if we would ask you to join us.”
Despite her apology to Addie, it was clear Cass’s defense mechanism was seduction. He wasn’t sure she could help herself, if she was even aware she was doing it. He also wasn’t sure she cared either way, except that Addie was there to witness it. There was definitely some bond between the two women.
But then, Addie was the rare kind of person who made you want to do better, be better.
“Ignore her.” Addie snagged Cass by the wrist, hauled her to the table, and shoved her into a chair. She manhandled Cass more than most vampires allowed. “She lives to rile up people.”
“I’m dead,” Cass countered. “I don’t live to do anything.”
“You know what I mean.” She pointed a finger at the vampire. “You are not helping.” Turning her attention to him, she clasped her hands in front of her. “You have questions?”
“So many,” he breathed, gesturing between the women. “What is this?”
Eyes glinting, Cass wet her lips. “I’m her—”
“—friend,” Addie finished for her in a rush. “My best friend, actually.”
“Best friend,” he repeated, doubtful. “And she wants, what? To be best friends with benefits?”
“Yes,” Cass answered as Addie flushed scarlet and yelped, “No.”
Hands covering her face, Addie slumped into the chair beside Cass and braced her elbows on the table. “I hate you.”
Flicking her friend an unsure glance, Cass frowned, causing faint creases to bracket her mouth. “No, you don’t.”
“Oh, yes,” Addie mumbled. “Right about now, I do.”
The vampire appeared to wage some internal battle that resulted in her dropping the seductress act and measuring Boaz with predatory intent that lifted the fine hairs down his nape.
“I’m a bounty hunter.” Hand on Addie’s shoulder, Cass got serious. “Addie is my partner.”
A bolt of lightning striking him between the eyes would have shocked him less.
“I’m sorry.” He rubbed alongside his nose. “It sounded like you said Addie is a bounty hunter.”
“Oh good.” Cass smirked at him. “Then your hearing works.”
Addie slumped further, until her forehead rested on the table.
“I’m sure you’ve run my license. My employer will be happy to verify if you would like to
