Page 33 of Of Shadow and Moonlight

I tugged at Kat’s hand, stopping her when I noticed Damien lifting the trunk of his car. “Can I help with anything, Damien?”

He cracked a crooked grin “I got it. You ladies go have fun.”

Kat gaped at his beautiful home. “This is Damien’s house?”

I giggled. “Yeah.”

“Shit girl, he’s got money,” she whispered into my ear.

“Kat!” I whispered back. “You’re terrible.”

She giggled innocently. “I’m just saying. You’d be set if you could snag him!”

I rolled my eyes as we walked around toward the back of the house.

“Hell yeah, the ladies are here,” Barrett called, noticing our approach. “Now the fun can begin!”

“Ignore him,” I said to Kat.

Barrett clutched his chest as if I’d wounded him. “Ouch, that hurts, Cas.”

“Play nice, Barrett,” Damien said from behind us as he approached with a case of beer. He headed to a nearby cooler, unloading the bottles onto ice.

Barrett took a swig of whatever he was drinking before looking back at Damien. “You came too soon, Damien. I thought she might finally get the courage to lay one on me.”

Zephyr leaned in looking to Barrett. “You keep pushing buttons and I'll laugh my ass off when she finally snaps and rips you a new one.”

“I'll enjoy that day. I know somewhere in there, there's a little spitfire waiting to bite,” Barrett said, cocking an eyebrow at me.

“See? He lives for it,” I said as Kat and I found a place to sit on one of the wooden benches near the fire pit. Kat laughed, taking a beer from Damien.

“You want one, Cas?” he asked, offering me a bottle.

I rose my hand to decline. “No thank you. I don't drink.”

“I've got some waters in the cooler, I'll get you one.”

“Thank you,” I smiled as he returned to the cooler.

Barrett hopped over to my side, opposite Kat, and leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. “So, I hear my boy got you wet.”

The blood instantly rushed to my face, and in that moment, the thoughts of Damien and I on his living room floor flashed across my mind. My eyes went wide, and I bit my lip as I whipped around to instinctually smack him.

Before I could, Damien chucked a beer bottle at Barrett who caught it without hesitation. “Cut it out, Barrett. Leave her alone. Next time, I'll aim that bottle for your head.”

Barrett barked a laugh, popping the cap off the bottle. “I’m just playing, geez! I was talking about her falling in the river." His eyes shifted to me “Where was your mind going little lady?” His smile turned wicked as I glanced at him. He knew exactly what he was doing.

Kat turned to me. “You fell in the river yesterday?”

Shit. Here we go. I hadn't had a chance to tell her about our date yet. “It wasn't a big deal. I'm okay.”

She pressed. “Tell me everything.”

“Not here.” I said, flashing a look at her. Her eyes lit up, and I immediately regretted what I said. She knew something happened between us. There was no hiding it; she knew me too well.

A sigh rushed out of my lungs and I looked to Damien who was taking a seat nearby. “Damien, do you mind if we use your bathroom?”

Damien's brows rose. “Yeah, go through the back door. You remember where it is, right?”