An invisible weight lifts off me, clearing my head and making it easier to think straight. I stumble back a step and have to catch my breath. “What the hell?”
“Ren’s an incubus,” Henry says, glaring at the guy.
I’d been so enthralled with Ren I hadn’t even realized Henry and Parker had come inside. So not good. “Incubus?” Stomach dropping to the floor, I place myself safely behind Terrance.
Ren’s smile falls at my reaction. I feel bad for hurting his feelings and insulting him, but I can’t help my fear. I have enough problems with men lusting after me. I don’t need to be around one that exudes lust and feeds off of it. Though, I’m glad to have an explanation for my crazy-intense attraction to him.
“He’s gay, Henry,” Nick drones in a bored voice. “You don’t have to worry about him going after Nora. That was for my benefit.” Shooting Ren another dark look, he adds, “It’s never going to work.”
Ren winks at him. “You never know. One of these days you might change your mind, Gorgeous honey.”
Startled, I glance at Nick and then at Ren. He’s watching me with a pouty expression. “Sorry.” I cringe. Way to make a great impression.
“You’ve got to forgive Nora,” Wulf says. “Henry kidnapped her and tried to claim her as a mate. I think she’s already had more than enough seduction for one night.”
More like for a lifetime, but I don’t bother explaining my unique effect on people. Ren’s eyebrows hit the ceiling, and his smile comes back. “Ah. Henry was trying to woo you, was he?”
I force a nod. “Something like that.”
“Well, I suppose I can understand your distress being kidnapped and all, but honey, how on Earth did you resist that man?”
Henry gives me a smug smile until Ren says, “Mmm. I’d love to get my hands on that body just once.” He closes his eyes and shudders. It’s not the same shiver I get when I think of the master vampire. Not at all.
When Henry hisses, Ren rolls his eyes and flashes me another bright smile. “Anyway. It’s wonderful to meet you, Nora. And yes, the gorgeous Mr. Gorgeous here is correct. You don’t have to worry about me coming after you. We can just skip all that awkwardness and be great friends from the start.”
He’s kind of funny. And he’s gay. Which works for me. “Sure. Besties from the get-go.” I shake my head. “A gay incubus. That’s…interesting.”
“I like to think so. It’s fun, too, because great gaydar seems to come with the package. I like to find the ones who are unsure and teetering on the edge or conflicted about it, you know? The denial cases. Then I pull ’em right over that fence and rock their gay worlds so hard. First timers are yummy. All those suppressed hormones finally getting set free…” He takes a deep, sensual breath and licks his lips.
I snort. “So, then, you’re telling me Nick is on the fence with his sexuality?”
Nick cocks an eyebrow at me and folds his arms across his chest. Ren flashes me a smile so pretty my heart skips a beat. Honestly, gay or not, I just don’t think the man can help himself. “Well, no,” he admits. “I might have a little bit of a crush where he’s concerned.”
I glance back at Nick just in time to catch his annoyed eye roll, and can’t help smirking. “I guess I can’t blame you there. He’s a hottie and seems like an all right guy—he was definitely my hero tonight.” Nick’s lips start to twitch up into a smile, until I grin at Ren and say, “I’m pulling for you, friend. Really hope it works out for you guys one day. You’d make one hell of a sexy duo.”
Ren’s face lights up at the prospect. “I know, right?”
Nick clears his throat, giving us such a dry look we both snicker. The moment is broken when a short man with dark, wavy hair and brown eyes walks in the front door. “Oh good, the party’s all here,” Nick says, clapping his hands together once. “Everybody in the conference room. Ren, go get Director West. We’ve got a situation to get worked out.”
We file into the small room, each taking chairs around a long, rectangular table. I snag a chair on the end, and when Henry moves to take the seat beside mine, Terrance yanks him away by the collar of his expensive suit. Henry whirls on Terrance, and the two are snarling at each other before I can blink. “Stay away from her!” Terrance roars.
“She is mine!” Henry shouts.
Nick moves to the head of the table and does that scary badass thing again. There’s definitely some kind of power rolling off of him in waves. It’s a neat trick. I totally wish I could do it. “Shut it! Both of you!” he snaps.
Terrance and Henry glare at each other a moment longer, but they both calm down and fall into empty chairs. Wulf decides to take the seat beside me. Both Henry and Terrance narrow their eyes at him, but neither complains.
“Now that that’s settled,” Nick grumbles, “first item of business. Enzo?”
“Of course.” The shorty with the wavy hair squats down beside me. He holds a hand toward my face and offers me a sympathetic smile. His fingers pause an inch away, and he locks eyes with me. “With your permission?” he asked softly.
This must be the healer Nick mentioned back at the club. I don’t know anything about magic healing, and I’m a little freaked by the idea of him using it on me. But my head is still pounding and my face is throbbing.
At my small nod, Enzo gently cups my face in his hand. His thoughts fill my mind. He’s livid. He knows my injury came from being hit in the face and realized that it had to have been one of the men in the room. He figures it was Henry, from the way Terrance got after him, and wishes he could put an ash-wood stake through the bastard’s heart. Henry is not Enzo’s favorite person. This endears me to him just as much as the fact that he’s getting rid of the pain in my face. Again, I’m surprised. Like Terrance, Enzo seems less of a monster and more of a person who is genuinely concerned for me. Every belief I’ve had of underworlders is being proved wrong tonight.
As I sit there reading his thoughts, tingling warmth spreads through my face, dulling the throbbing in my cheek. In less than a minute, the pain and swelling are both gone. I gasp when I realize I’m fully healed.
Enzo grins. His chocolate eyes twinkle with amusement and pride. “Better?”
I nod, dumbfounded, and manage a very breathy, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Is there anything else?”
“My head. I think I have a concussion.”
Terrance growls at this, and Henry grimaces. At least the jackass feels a little bad for almost knocking my head clean off.
Enzo moves his hand to the top of my head, and seconds later my vision clears and the headache disappears. I sigh in relief.
He releases my head and offers me a sweet smile. “Good as new, miss.”
He’s not lying. There’s zero pain in my head or my face. Whatever their faults, underworlders have some sweet medical practices. I smile a big, toothy grin at my healer. “Thank you, Enzo. That was amazing.”
Enzo ducks his head. A light blush rises on his cheeks at my praise. “Thank you, miss. Glad I could be of assistance.”
He steps away just as two people enter the room behind Ren. The first is an older woman—maybe in her fifties. She’s got a military no-nonsense vibe about her. Sharp, intelligent eyes and pinched face as if she’s used to scowling, and her silver hair is pulled back in a severe bun. She’s wearing a power suit with a pencil skirt and practical black pumps. No doubt all personality, this one.
The second is a younger man. Though he’s dressed nicely in an expensive suit, making him look much more handsome than I’d first given him credit for, I recognize my sweet bus companion instantly. I’m so shocked to see him that my mouth falls open. “Oliver?”
My library/bus companion’s eyes widen. “Nora? What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?” I repeat.
He ducks his head at all the incredulous looks being thrown his way and mumbles a soft, “I work here.”
My eyes bulge. Oliver is an underworlder.