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“You’re so much fun,” Malcolm suddenly blurted, taking hold of my hand across the table.
“Thanks.” The mood shifted from silly to serious. “You are too.”
He rubbed his thumb softly across my knuckles. His hand wasn’t clammy like the first time on the Riverwalk. His gaze held mine with a tender smile, his lips quirking up more on one side.
I’d never noticed his eyes before. They were a shade of bluish-green that changed their hue in certain lights. Here, in the corner under a yellow lamp, they shone dark green in a smoldering gaze I wasn’t used to seeing on him.
I glanced down at the table, my heart pounding in my chest. Not from butterfly feelings about Malcolm, but from what a certain stalking demon hunter might think of Malcolm holding my hand.
“I’m going to…” I pointed toward the restrooms, smoothly pulling my hand from his as I stood.
He nodded. “One more round?”
“Sure. One more.”
Malcolm headed to the bar while I zigzagged around tables and through the pool area to the hall leading to the restrooms. I saw one of the muscle meatheads nudge his friend. Their attempt at low-talking was sadly inadequate.
“Nice.”
“Think she’d want to play with my pool stick?”
A vulgar gesture, I’m sure, sent them all into raucous laughter behind my back. Drunken idiots. Why must guys do stuff like that? I wanted to scream at them,Can you please ogle me in a less conspicuous manner?But of course, that would defeat the purpose. And there’s no way they’d know what the word “conspicuous” meant.
I glanced to the right, avoiding the asshats. One of their friends slouched over the front of the jukebox with both hands splayed on the top. His broad frame and beefy arms tensed as I passed, swaying slightly from side to side. The hazy light from the jukebox shone on a sickly pale face, eyes squeezed shut. I walked faster, afraid the guy might be about to puke.
Zipping around the corner past the employee-only closet, I found the women’s restroom last on the left. I stepped into one of the three empty stalls and did my thing, then checked myself in the mirror while washing my hands.
Glassy, dilated pupils around black-lined eyes radiated come-hither—the effects of lots of laughter, three beers, and good company with a hot guy in a cozy place. It’s true I’d had a good time. I always did with Malcolm. He was a good guy. The problem was I still didn’t know what I was doing.
Did I really want to date him? Did I have time to date in between my demon defense training classes? Would Jude let me date?
I shivered at the flash of his dark eyes in my mind. Blowing out a heavy breath, I dried my hands and swung open the door.
“Oh, my God! You scared me.”
Big-and-beefy jukebox boy straddled the doorway, both arms gripping the frame. His head drooped low as he stared at the floor, swaying slightly.
“Dude. The men’s bathroom is behind you.”
He didn’t move. Well, except for the slow leaning of his body blocking my exit.
“Hey!”
I didn’t want to push on him for fear he’d tip over and never get up. Then I’d have to do the polite thing and go tell his fucktard friends to come and get him.
“Hey,” I repeated, reaching out to tap his shoulder.
The second I touched him, a huge hand gripped my wrist. He snapped awake, reaching for my other arm. Piercing, blood-red eyes bore into mine.
Gasping, I swung my other hand out of his reach then kicked out on instinct, aiming for his dick. Dad always told me to go for the most vulnerable spot I could reach. But he blocked with his other hand.
I twisted out of his grip, elbowing him in the chin and rushing against the farthest wall. Trapped in this too-close space, I quickly scanned the room for some sort of weapon. But of course, there was nothing. It was a fucking bathroom.
He stepped fully into the room, closing the door and sneering with delight. It was then I realized my VS was no longer humming under my skin. Shit. Somewhere between the movies, beers, and Malcolm’s sweet smiles, I’d lost concentration and let my shield slide away.
“So, who’s your master?” I asked the hulking demon in front of me, hoping, praying he was a lower man on the totem pole. “Danté?”
His massive head tipped at an angle. This guy was way bigger than I’d realized. He blocked the door completely. There was no way to squeeze past him. I squared my feet, preparing for his attack.
