Page 68 of A Taste of Bliss

I reach out and place my hand gently on Grim’s forearm. “Rain check? I forgot how much there is to do before tonight’s show.” Like the scavenger hunt that’s supposed to be starting in about an hour.

Grim looks over at Taser and nods understandingly. “Maybe tomorrow, beautiful. Or we could get drinks tonight after the show?”

I nod back at him and he gets up to leave, catching up with some other members of the Phantoms and throwing a grin over his shoulder at me. I sigh and look at Amelia, who is arching one perfectly waxed eyebrow.

“I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong,” she says to me.

Taser lets out a huff, staring fixedly at the bunched up wad of foil left over from his half of the burrito.

“What do you mean?” I ask, even though I’m pretty sure I already know the answer.

“You should feed from him, regardless of whether or not there’s a rune on his eye.”

“What’s the point?”

“Super hot dirty sex is the point.”

Taser coughs uncomfortably, getting up without further comment and tossing the foil into a nearby trash can, heading back the way we came from the house. I automatically start to get up to go after him, but Reese shakes her head. “I’ll go check on him. But later we are discussing what is going on between you two.” She pins me with a meaningful look and leaves to catch up to Taser.

Amelia and I exchange glances. “I’d rather discuss what the hell happened with Taser and the Phantoms,” I mutter.

“No idea. But Taser hates them.”

“Another reason not to sleep with Grim.”

“Please. Forget about Taser,” she says and frowns. “Okay, I didn’t mean it that harshly, but what’s going on with them is their business, not yours. Grim seems like a great guy and there’s no reason to not pursue things with him just because he might not bethe one.”

I try to let her words sink in, I really do. But there’s a resistance to them that won’t leave.

CHAPTER TWENTY

BLISS

Amelia’s wordsplay over and over in my head while we trek towards the outskirts of the festival grounds. A maze erected out of massive bales of hay stands almost two people tall before us. Food vendors galore make a semicircle around the entrance to the maze, and already long lines are forming.

There is absolutely a reason to not explore things with Grim.

I will somehow, someway get Wrath to give me his tears. If I was Amelia, I’d seduce him, make him fall in love with me, and then break his heart. He’d inevitably cry and I would collect the tears and use my succubus powers to make him not think that’s a fucking weird thing to do. Problem solved.

I’m not Amelia, though, and all my powers did was get Wrath to be nice to me when I was cold.

I need to befriend Simon. He’ll give me another avenue to Wrath and I’ll have to figure out where to go from there.

And there Simon is, talking with a few guys, Evan among them.

As we approach, Simon gives us a little wave and shoos Evan and a couple of other guys off to the side.

“Goddess’ Trance, my favorite opening band,” he says by way of greeting.

Amelia unleashes her sultry smile on him. “Someday you’re going to be the one opening for us.”

He grins widely. “I have no doubt about that.” Dericia lets out a yawn and Simon glances at her, a look of annoyance crossing his face. “Too early for you?”

She quirks an eyebrow at his tone. “What’s it to you?” she snaps at him, immediately turning and heading for a coffee truck. What the fuck? Did something happen between those two?

Simon’s face morphs back into friendly, and if he was fae I’d wonder if he had a problem with humans. “Sorry, my own band has been giving me a lot of flack for having to do this, as if it’s my idea.”

I nod. “These guys—” I point to my band, “—didn’t want to do it either.”