He laughs. “Usually when people meet Tal, ‘nice’ is not the word they use to describe her.”
Talia shoots him a challenging look. “Pretty sure you thought I was very nice earlier. Now, hush before you scare her and I have to punish you.” Her brown eyes flick from Lynch to me, and she winks.
Lynch wraps his arms around her waist. “Trouble, I would love nothing more.”
A tap on my shoulder tells me my drink is done, and I say my goodbyes to the couple before accepting my cocktail.
“Here you are, Kitty.” The dragon shifter hands me a cold glass with red liquid and no garnish.
“Thank you, Dragon.” I take my first sip and sigh as the tingles trace along my lips, then tongue, and all the way down my throat until a feeling of desire settles in the pit of my stomach.
“Call me Dec.” His grin widens and I can’t help smiling back.
“Well, Dec. You can call me Liv.” I hold up the glass. “Thank you for this.”
“Anything for a lovely lady such as yourself. Enjoy the festivities tonight and come back for another if you’d like.” He moves away and onto the next customer after blowing me a kiss.
Taking my drink, I move through the crowd in an attempt to find the man in the suit. If he’s the stranger who followed me to the park, I have questions for him. He’s appeared too many times to be coincidence, and I need to know what he wants.
As I move about the room, I spot Bronx and Lex heading toward the lower levels. Bronx gives me a grin, appraising my new attire before he disappears into the shadows.
This evening could only be better if Tori was with me. She would have already found us a crowd to hang with, and I’d already be complaining about her need to socialize. Now, I’ll be forced to do it on my own, which is probably a good thing if I intend to actually acquire the rest of my tails one day.
As I sip more of the liquor from my glass, I try to remember it’s just one night. Even if I don’t gain a tail here, I need to make the most of it, especially given the grandeur of the ship I’m on. I adore The Proprietor’s sense of style. What I’ve seen so far gives off a gothic feel with its velvet wing-back chairs, others with spiderwebs as chairbacks around circular black tables. My favorite part so far is the giant chandelier made from oversized tentacles.
When I finish searching the crowd and still don’t lay eyes on the stranger, I head back toward the stairs and decide some fresh air might help me clear my head and choose what to do next. Before I arrive back at the staircase, my glass is already empty and I’m feeling its effects. Instead of going for a refill once I see how long the line has gotten, I set the tumbler alongside several others on a glass tabletop being held up with octopus legs.
Once I exit the room and reach the top of the stairs, I inhale deeply and follow the scent of water. The dim lights flicker as I continue to walk and smile at the people coming inside. They’re paying me attention, and a swell of magic boosts inside me. One quick glance at my marks tells me nothing has officially changed, but for the first time in many months, I’m hopeful. Plus, the previously consumed drink is excellent at keeping self-doubt from filtering in. Maybe I should have waited in the line for another…
The hallway darkens the farther I move toward the exit. The door to the outside is closed, but I can still smell the saltwater of whatever ocean the ship is sailing through.
Just as I reach for the door handle, someone grabs my right wrist with a firm hold.
My left arm is already swinging.
The scent of man filters through my nose, but I’m not afraid. I’ve taken down plenty of men in my eighteen years. The only perk to getting my tails out of order, after I received my strength tail, I could take care of myself.
My elbow meets his jaw, but he jolts backward, fast enough that I don’t do any real damage.
“Is that any way to treat your escort?” His bright emerald eyes flash as he releases my hand.
I inch back toward the hallway where it’s brighter. I need to see as much of him as I can to confirm he’s the stranger from the bar and the park.
He does exactly what I hope and moves after me into the light, allowing me to verify my suspicion.
“Why are you following me?” I demand to know.
He arches his eyebrows at me, a hint of laughter playing in his eyes. “I had my ticket first. Who’s to say you’re not following me?”
“Right.” I narrow my eyes. Then, I take him in. He’s cleaned up for The Ball—likely had his suit in the backpack he no longer holds—and his emerald eyes are just as piercing. He rubs his chin where I jabbed him, and I catch a glance of the edge of the tribal tattoo I noticed before.
The swirls begin on the top of his hand and where I once thought it was solid black, his tattoo is actually filled with intricate lines that I’m sure tell an interesting story. The lines curve like the waves of the ocean before disappearing under his suit jacket. I itch to touch them, but then, I remember he’s sought me out for a reason. I need to be careful until I understand his motives.
“What do you want?” I ask instead of continuing to argue with him about who was stalking who.
He leans in closely, his lips just a breath away. I take a deep inhale of his scent: trees, dirt, and river water.
Home.
Fuck me. He’s a kitsune.
4
His piercing gaze passes across my lips before returning to my startled eyes. He remains where he is, the barest gap between us, the intensity in his eyes increasing as his gaze continues to hold mine.
“You figured out what I am,” he whispers, his lips curling up into a surprisingly hesitant smile.
I should have worked it out sooner, but it’s unusual for a man of my own species to seek me out, and whether he admitted it or not, he’s been hiding his true self. If he can do that, it’s likely that he’s already acquired all nine of his tails—or is very close to getting them.
The sensible move now would be to step away from him, but I’m prepared to tackle this challenge head on. I walked into a room full of beautifully dressed supernaturals in a pair of shorts. I’m pretty sure I can survive anything now.
I don’t move a muscle.
“You’re kitsune,” I say, my mouth close enough to his that it would only take me a millisecond to close the gap between us.
Damn. His body heat is intoxicating. My inhalations are suddenly more rapid than I want them to be, every escalating breath tempting me to slip my arms around his broad back. I’ve never come so close to dismissing my inhibitions before—let alone with another kitsune.
It must be this ship. The magic in the air. The drink I consumed.
I give myself a shake as I fight to catch my breath. No matter what’s making me feel this way, I need to know why he’s here. “If you’re going to be my escort, you should tell me your name.”
His voice is low. “I’m Julian.”
“Well, Julian. You seem to already know who I am. I wonder how that is…”
His smile broadens, and it lights up his eyes as he nods and ignores the last part of my statement. “I’m starting to like who you are.”
I lean back a little to take him in, attempting to conceal the sudden confusion rising inside me. “No kitsune in their right mind likes who I am. Even my best friend is losing hope.”