Page 40 of Somnium

Friendsfriendsfriendsfriendsfriends.

“Sorry,” he said, his breath skimming her neck and sending a current racing through her body. For a moment, she had to remind herself how to breathe.

“It’s okay,” she replied, turning her head to look at him over her shoulder. “No harm done.”

His lips twitched, and Cadi’s attention went to his mouth before she could stop herself. She quickly pulled her attention away, though she could feel his eyes still locked on her. This wasn’t going well. Space. She needed space. And air that didn’t smell like him.

“Do you think it’s safe to move?” she asked, tossing her chin toward the archway that divided the main bar from the small room with the pool tables. Elias blinked, like she’d interrupted another thought before he nodded, gently pushing her forward.

With her fists clenched at her sides, Cadi slipped around the end of the wall and into the next room, relief washing over her as she stepped from the crowd. Across the room, Cadi spotted Sera leaning against a pool cue, completely enthralled in what appeared to be a very flirtatious conversation with the pair of sirens that had helped them out with their minotaur situation earlier.

Apparently, Sera really wanted to express her gratitude, and was doing it well based on the way she had them both giggling.

She glanced up as they approached, excusing herself to step around the pool table and meet them.

“Hey! Everything good?” she asked Cadi, shouting to be heard as the band started up their next song.

Cadi nodded, making the very easy choice not to go into detail about why she had needed to step outside. Especially when the reason was standing right next to her. “Yep! All good. It was just getting stuffy and I needed some air that didn’t smell like beer.”

Sera tossed her head back in a laugh. “Fair enough. Either of you up for a game?”

She brandished the wooden cue still clutched in her hand, her eyes flicking between the two of them. Cadi felt Elias shift to look at her.

“You want first?” he asked.

Cadi waved him off, shaking her head. “You go ahead, I’ll play winner.”

He shrugged, crossing in front of her to the rack of cues hanging on the far wall. “Suit yourself.”

Cadi climbed onto a lone barstool tucked against the wall next to the table and watched them set up. She pressed her knuckles to her mouth, failing to suppress her laughter when they immediately started arguing like a pair of siblings about the proper way to rack the balls, noting that neither of them was correct.

Their bickering didn’t stop there. Every shot was challenged, every angle debated. At this rate, they were never going to get through their first game.

“Seriously?” Elias groaned when Sera once again slipped away from the table to chat up the sirens, who were still seated at the high-top. “Are you gonna play, or are you gonna flirt?”

Sera let out an irritated sigh, pushing up from the table and turning to face him. Her head swiveled between Elias, the pool table, and the beautiful female mythics drawing seductive lines up and down her arm. “Flirt,” she declared, shoving her cue into his free hand and turning her back to give her attention fully to her chosen activity.

Elias shook his head, but Cadi saw the hint of a smile beneath his irritation. His eyes shifted to hers, and she instantly felt her skin heat. The look wasn’t even close to smoldering, but her body didn’t seem to care.

“Looks like you’re up,” he said, handing her the cue with a playful smirk. Cadi wrapped her hand around the polished wood, her pulse jumping when his finger skimmed against hers. Her eyes flicked to his face, watching for any indication that he’d noticed, but his expression remained disarmingly neutral. If he’d felt it, he wasn’t letting on.

“You play much?” he asked, rounding the table to gather up the colorful balls and place them back into the molded plastic triangle.

Cadi shrugged, slipped from her seat, and held up her first finger and thumb to indicate that she’d only played a little.

She studied the cue in her hand, checking out of the corner of her eye that Elias was sufficiently distracted before quickly stepping back to the rack and exchanging it for the shorter, more appropriate option.

“Well don’t worry,” he said, rolling the full triangle back and forth across the felt. “I’ll be gentle.”

The band’s final note cut out, and his words echoed in the abrupt silence that followed. Elias’s eyes flared wide, and Cadi pulled her lips between her teeth to hold back her giggle.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered, dipping his head low. The skin at the top of his ears shifted from the light tan of summer to the faintest hint of red as the singer’s voice boomed from the stage.

“Alright folks, we’re gonna take a quick break, but don’t worry, we’ll be back soon.”

Scattered applause followed, and Cadi felt a piece of herself relax at the promised reprieve for her eardrums.

“Ladies first,” Elias said, gesturing to the table.