Page 143 of Dance of Devils

“That was my bad,” she blurts. “I’msosorry?—”

“No, please,” I wince. “I’m the one who totally walked in on you. It’syourhouse, after all.”

She shakes her head. “Nah, it’s this guy’s.”

I smile wryly. “I think you’ve got more right to be in it than I?—”

“I’m gonna stop you right there,” she says, sighing as she walks over to me. “Can we try this again?”

“Please God, yes,” I groan.

“Hi. I'm Freya,” she grins, sticking out a hand. I laugh nervously as I take it.

“Brooklyn.”

“Well, Brooklyn…” She winks at me as she leans close. “He’s never run afteranyonelike he ran after you.” Her brows arch. “So, I do know what I’m talking about when I say thatyouare the one who has the right to be here.”

Kir clears his throat slightly behind me. “Also, perhaps we could get in the habit oflocking doors?”

Freya groans. “Hey, at least it wasn’tyouwho walked in.”

I glance back and giggle when I see the sour expression on Kir’s face. Then I turn back to Freya, and frown when I see the suitcase sitting next to her.

“Wait, you’re not leaving, are you?”

She shrugs. “Yeah. There's a couple of hotels in Manhattan that I love to stay at when I’m in town.”

I shake my head. “Seriously, stay.Please. Me making you leave your own house is possibly the worst first impression I could think of.”

“Preaching to the choir, girl,” she giggles. “The first impression I gave you was mytits, for fuck’s sake.”

I laugh, but Kir groans behind me.

“Could. We.Not,” he grumbles tightly.

I look pleadingly at Freya. “Seriously. Stay, really.”

She shakes her head. “Honestly, I get my best work done at hotels. Plus, I’m a night owl.” She shrugs. “I’d be that weird chick roaming around the house at two in the morning while you two are trying to sleep—or, you know, whatever.”

“I’m begging you,” I say. “Please?—”

Freya grins. “You’re not kicking me out. Seriously. I just wanted to stop by and say hi.” She shrugs, winking at me. “Meeting you was just an added bonus.”

“Okay, if I can’t convince you to stay the night, would you at least stay for dinner?” I offer.

Freya cocks a brow and sucks her teeth. “Well…big guy heredidoffer to cook.”

I twist to look at Kir curiously. “Youcook?”

Freya snorts a laugh that draws a stern glare from her dad. “I…” He clears his throat. “Technically speaking, yes.”

Freya hoots another laugh.

In the end,we wind up ordering in Thai food and eating together in the kitchen. Freya isawesome, hilarious, and a total badass. She also never makes it weird when Kir puts his arm around me or brushes my hair aside to kiss my ear.

She briefly gives me the rundown on their story: how she and her best friend Annika worked for Kir for years, so close they were practically family, before they realized they actuallywerefamily.

She also very gracefully omits anything about who her mother was, or what that woman’s relationship was with Kir. Which I could hug her for.