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“Alrighty.” Colin sank next to her and leaned his forearms on his knees, dangling his beer bottle from his fingers. “Practice time. The boss man didn’t send me with you tonight just because I look amazing in this suit.”

She ignored the suit comment, not wanting to feed his already ginormous ego. He had a point, though. She needed to get her head in the game.

Her guards were stronger now, and she’d even learned to read emotions while keeping her walls in place, a necessary skill while using her ability in a crowd. She’d honed her skills at a little coffee shop in town, reading emotions without touch. However, practicing in coffee shops was nothing compared tothis.

Colin wiggled his eyebrows, nodding toward the blonde he’d left at the bar. “Perhaps you should start with a female.”

She snorted. “Pu-lease, you don’t need me to tell you that woman wants you. She’s practically eating you with her eyes.”

Colin leaned back into the sofa, a cocky grin tugging his lips. “Just figured I’d give you an easy one to start with.”

Alex groaned and shared a pained look with Jericho, who shook his head.

“How about a challenge?” Colin clasped her arm, urging her to her feet. “Come with me.”

As Colin tugged her to the second-story railing, Jericho tensed to follow. She motioned for him to hang back, giving her study buddy the benefit of the doubt.

“Let’s try a harder target.” Colin nodded to the crowd below. “By the bar, blue shirt, dark hair.”

Emotional static bombarded her senses. She stifled a groan. This might be harder than she anticipated.

Colin put her through the paces, selecting random people, each choice more difficult than the last.

She raked her bangs off her forehead, glancing wildly around the room. “This is impossible. There’s too much static.” She could tune into one person sitting alone but had zero success with picking them out of a group.

She glanced over her shoulder at Jericho, and butterflies flipped in her stomach.Gah, but the way that suit fits should be illegal. While his posture was relaxed, he surveyed the room, gaze alert, watching their backs. Even with his arm slung over the back of the couch, he gave off a don’t-fuck-with-me vibe. She couldn’t help but notice he seemed just as comfortable in a suit as he did in leather.

“You know he watches you, don’t you? When you’re not looking,” Colin murmured, dipping his mouth to her ear.

“What?” Alex turned to meet Colin’s smug expression.

“You watch him too,” he said with a grin.

Oh, God.“I do not.”

“You should tell him the truth.”

She straightened her spine, stating primly, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit. Doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. I saw the way Liam treated you at Howlers. The male may as well have spat into a hankie, wiped your face, then sent you off with a pat on the head. If Liam was your lover, I’ll eat Slade’s dirty gym socks. There was zero chemistry between you. Not like you have with Jericho.”

Alex’s heart lodged in her throat. “You don’t understand. Liam and I have a history. It isn’t that simple.”

Colin’s blue eyes glinted with a startling amount of depth. “Perhaps it’s simpler than either of you realize.”

He stiffened, stepping back.

Jericho’s warm sandalwood scent enveloped her.

“How’s your practice going?” He rested his arms on the railing beside her, close enough that their shoulders touched.

Her senses reached for the familiar connection she shared with him, locking in and holding tight. The emotional static beating her defenses quieted, and she exhaled a soft sigh.

“Not very well,” she confessed. “Maybe we should take a break.”

Colin’s bottom lip jutted. “The meeting isn’t for another hour. You can’t give up on me already. Try one more. Guy at the end of the bar. Red tie, ugly-ass striped shirt.”

Alex shook her head. They’d already tried this. “You know I can’t.”