Page 7 of Vampires and Violas (A Vampire’s Guide to Gardening #2)

6

If I say no, Ashlyn will drag Noah out the door, and it won’t be a double date, but a regular date. If I say yes…

I can’t win this no matter what option I choose.

So, I choose Plan C: glare at Noah.

He glares back, silently telling me to fix this.

While we’re having our staring contest, Cassian lifts his hand to play with the ends of my hair. “Sounds fun, bunny,” he rumbles, his voice deep and flirtatious.

I knock his hand away. “Yeah, it would be great, but it’s Tuesday night, and we all work tomorrow.”

“I’m sure your boss will let you start a little later?” Cassian raises his eyebrows, looking at me like he wants to snack on my neck. “I’ve found her to be very…accommodating.”

Have you lost your mind? I ask him silently, my eyes boring into his. But all I get in response is a self-congratulatory smirk.

“Aren’t you self-employed, Piper?” Ashlyn asks.

Reluctantly, I rip my attention away from Cassian. “Yeah.”

“Great!” She loops her arm through Noah’s, much to his horror. “And I’m a night owl anyway, so I won’t be getting to bed anytime soon.”

Noah extracts himself from her grip. “I have to be up early.”

“That’s fine, Noah,” Cassian says smoothly. “You two can join us next time. We don’t mind going alone, do we, Piper?” He lifts his eyebrows suggestively, his expression full of unadulterated mischief.

“Oh, come on, Noah,” Ashlyn pleads, clinging to his bicep like a barnacle. “It’ll be fun.”

Noah’s eyes go between Cassian and me, and his frown deepens. With great reluctance, he finally says, “Okay.”

No.

“Yeah?” Ashlyn grins.

“I need to change out of these work clothes before we go,” Noah tells her.

“I have to run upstairs, too,” I quickly add.

“Sure,” Ashlyn answers. “We can’t leave until everyone clears out anyway.”

“You can handle that, can’t you?” I ask Cassian. “Clearing everyone out?”

I don’t have to tell him I mean Ashlyn as well. The vampire might not be psychic, but he’s not an idiot either.

“Of course,” he says smoothly.

Shooting daggers with my eyes, I let my gaze linger on him for another second, and then I head up the stairs after Noah.

My ex-conservator waits for me next to Max’s pool table. He turns to face me when I join him, unimpressed.

“I didn’t say I wanted to go to that axe-throwing place with Cassian,” I tell him, feeling the need to defend myself.

“And I didn’t say I thought it would be fun to join you.”

“You know what Ashlyn is doing, right?”

His expression hardens. “Trying to set you up with a vampire prince?”

“Yes, but mostly, she wants you . And she’s realized we’re somehow connected, so she’s cozying up to me.”

“The only person I’ve seen cozying up to you is Cassian.”

“I don’t like Cassian.”

He frowns, looking pensive. “I don’t think he likes you either.”

“I know. What’s his deal?”

“He wants us to get back together, partially thanks to his guilty conscience, partially because he’s ancient and bored, and he’s decided the situation is amusing.” He sighs, vexed. “He thinks if he makes me jealous, I’ll fight for you.”

“That’s ridiculous and juvenile, especially for someone so old.”

Noah grunts.

I avert my gaze to the pool table’s green felt top. “But…is it working? Are you jealous?”

Noah turns his head to face me. Like a magnet, I meet his eyes. The air becomes charged between us.

After a long moment, he steps closer and drops his voice. “Maybe.”

My stomach clenches, and those butterflies I ordered away come out of their hiding spots.

“Even though you know what he’s doing?” I add, a touch breathless.

He nods.

I swallow, growing flustered. “So…did Ashlyn give you a plant?”

“Yeah.” He smirks. “Does that bother you?”

“A little.”

“Because it came from a grocery store? Or because you don’t like my hands on another girl’s greenery?”

I bite back a smile. “That’s an odd way to phrase the question.”

He shifts even closer. “But which is it?”

I shouldn’t admit it, but I find myself saying, “The second one.”

Noah’s eyes light with victory. “So, you don’t want me hanging out with Ashlyn?”

I gesture toward him. “What’s with that calculating look?”

He smiles. “Unlock the friend-zone gate, and I’ll get us out of this mess.”

“Is that an ultimatum or a promise?”

“Both.”

I study him, trying not to laugh. “Let me get this straight. If I agree to date you, you won’t go out with Ashlyn?”

“That’s the way healthy relationships work, isn’t it?”

“And if I don’t, we’re going on that stupid double date?”

Noah’s amber eyes darken with wicked amusement. “You can’t reserve me if you don’t intend to go through with the purchase.”

I bark out a laugh. “And you can’t bargain your way back into my good graces.”

He takes a purposeful step toward me. Startled, I step back. Like a predator, he keeps moving forward, stopping only when my back bumps into the pool table. “Maybe I just need to sweeten the deal.”

Smiling despite myself, I press my hand to his chest. “Stop.”

“Stop what?” His smirk turns into an affectionate grin as he grips the table, trapping me in place.

“Being all hot and tempting. I’m not giving in, so quit trying to seduce me.”

He laughs, delighted, and leans close to my ear. His words are soft against my skin as he quietly says, “This? This is flirting, Piper, not seduction. I trust you’ll recognize the difference when we venture down that alternate road later.”

I should push him away, but my fingers splay over his button-up shirt, itching to tangle in the soft, crisp cotton. “What makes you so confident?”

“I’m very tenacious.” Noah backs up just enough to meet my eyes.

I want to kiss his smiling mouth. I want to so badly. But instead, I remind him, “Cassian and Ashlyn are downstairs waiting for us.”

Disappointment shadows Noah’s face, but he nods.

Cassian suddenly appears at the top of the stairs, looking particularly pleased with himself when he sees how close we’re standing. “What are you doing up here? Everyone’s left. Ashlyn and I are ready to throw some axes.”

“Great.” I subtly nudge Noah back. “You guys have fun.”

“Nice try,” he says with a grin.

After sharing one last look with Noah, I push away from the pool table and walk toward the stairs.

Resigned to his fate, Noah says, “I still need to change.”

When he disappears down the hall and into his room, I place my hands on my hips and turn to Cassian. Quietly, so my voice won’t carry downstairs, I say, “You didn’t get rid of her? You had one job.”

“I have many jobs,” he answers. “And why would I send lovely Ashlyn away? I’m looking forward to watching Noah squirm tonight.”

“You really are messing with him,” I accuse. “He said you were clinging to me to make him jealous.”

“An astute observation. But prepare yourself, bunny. If you fall in love with me, the situation will get stickier, and Noah really will hate me.”

With a roll of my eyes, I start down the stairs. “You’re so full of it.”

“Full of good and selfless intentions?” he calls after me. “Absolutely.”

I’ve never in my life had the desire to learn how to throw an axe, and you know what? I suck at it.

You know who doesn’t suck? Ashlyn. But you know who is pretending to suck?

Also Ashlyn.

The only silver lining is that Colin decided to join us. To be honest, I never thought I’d be happy for his company, but with him here, it feels far less like a double date.

Unfortunately, our middle-aged companion has now abandoned us for the snack stand, going off in search of a pretzel with cheese and a soda—and his conservator is taking advantage of his absence.

“I just can’t get the hang of it,” Ashlyn says to Noah, like she hasn’t embedded the axe into the target every time. “Can you show me how to hold it again?”

The only thing making the situation bearable is the look on Noah’s face. He wasn’t exaggerating when he said he doesn’t enjoy dating. In its own way, that’s sort of amusing.

“Like this.” Feigning patience, he shows her the two-handed, over-the-head technique one of the employees demonstrated when we arrived.

“Right hand on the top? Or left?” Her laugh is so forest-animal adorable, several young college guys look over from their group and stare at her. “And what do I do with my thumbs again? This doesn’t feel right. Can you come over and guide my hands into place?”

Noah looks right at me, silently reminding me we wouldn’t be in this position if I wasn’t being stubborn.

Cassian steps up to me as Noah reluctantly assists Ashlyn. “They make a cute couple, don’t you think?”

“I hate you,” I mutter.

He laughs. “This wasn’t my doing. I just went along with it.”

“You’re too old for these games.”

“Maturity is overrated.”

“Here’s an idea—why don’t you focus on your own love life?”

“I tried it once. It didn’t go well.”

“Then I certainly don’t want you meddling with mine.”

He laughs, stepping forward for his turn.

Finally, our time is up. We collect Colin from the snack bar and head to the parking lot.

The five of us awkwardly stand between the two vehicles. Colin and Ashlyn rode together—a fact she appears to lament now.

“Thanks for inviting me.” Colin slides his hands into his front pockets and beams at us. “I had a good time.” Then, to Ashlyn, he says, “We best be going now. It’s getting late, and I don’t want to wake up Grandma when I get home.”

“You go ahead and get in.” Ashlyn smiles at her pre-vamp, kind even though he’s the fifth wheel I know she didn’t want. “I’ll be right behind you.”

After saying one last goodbye, Colin gets into the passenger seat of Ashlyn’s car.

“I had fun,” Ashlyn tells us, but she’s looking at Noah. “I hope we can do it again sometime.”

“Get home safely,” my ex-conservator answers.

Looking slightly crestfallen, but still unnervingly determined, she gives us a wave and gets into her car. Moments later, they’re pulling away, off to take Colin back to his grandma’s house.

Cassian opens the passenger side of Noah’s SUV for me, graciously giving me shotgun. As I slide in, I turn to Noah. “Not that I’m complaining, but you really are kind of a jerk.”

He raises a brow. “Would you rather I give Ashlyn false hope?”

“No.” I’m not going to beg him to be nicer to the woman who’s obviously imagining monogrammed wedding invitations and “his and hers” towels.

“That was fun.” Cassian settles into his seat, nudging a duffel bag of stakes aside. “Sometimes you just need to throw a sharpened weapon. Back to Piper’s place?”

Grunting, Noah starts the car and pulls onto the road.

As soon as Noah parks in front of my house, Cassian starts toward the Lamborghini. “Well, kids, I have a long drive home, so I’m going to hit the road. It’s been real.”

I mutter a listless goodbye as I head up the porch stairs. Noah follows me, opening the door while I’m still rummaging in my purse for the door keys.

I don’t know if it’s because we’re arriving together, but walking into the empty house, just the two of us, feels intimate.

Noah flips on a light and sets his keys in a dish on the side table. He locks the door behind us, sets the fancy alarm system he bought while Ethan was watching the house, and then turns to face me.

“Well.” My eyes stray to the hall mirror. Noting how awkward my crossed arms look, I immediately drop them. “I’m going to turn in. So…night.”

Noah catches my wrist as I begin to walk away, his grip gentle. Startled, I look down, noting how his long, slightly rough fingers feel against my skin.

“What are you doing?” I give my arm a halfhearted shake. “Let go of me.”

“Guess what I did while I was in Denver?”

I raise my brows. “You went to a baseball game?”

“I watched a few K-dramas.”

That is the very last thing I expect. Laughing, I say, “Are you serious?”

He nods, his thumb rubbing over my wrist. “I know what ‘fighting’ means now.” He raises his free hand and clenches his fist, proving it. “And I learned a few other things.”

“Okay…”

“This wrist grab is romantic.”

“It depends on the context.”

“People who are soulmates definitely meet as children.”

“You’re acting really strange.”

“And pinky promises are supposed to be sealed with a thumb bump.” He lets go of my wrist and takes my hand, looping our pinkies. Then he tilts his hand forward, pressing the pad of his thumb to mine. “See?”

My heart dances, because this is really sweet, even if a little random. “Okay, but what are you promising?”

His eyes search my face. “I’m not going to keep things from you again.”

“Noah.”

“I mean it.” He changes our position, intertwining our fingers and pressing our palms together. Then he lifts our hands to his mouth and kisses my knuckles. “No more secrets. I promise.”

Oh, my poor heart.

“You actually watched a K-drama?” I reluctantly ask.

“Several—with subtitles.”

“Why?”

“Because I missed you.” He squeezes my hand before he drops it, his eyes lingering on mine, and then he heads for the living room. “Night.”

“Noah, wait.” Questioning my sanity, I hurry after him.

He turns back just before he reaches the stairs.

“Let’s say we were to start dating,” I say. “Official, exclusive—all that. How would we prevent unwanted…biting?”

He smiles. “You’re really hung up on this, aren’t you?”

“I just think it might be dangerous, especially if we don’t talk about it first.”

“I’m not going to bite you.”

“You say that now, but what if you’re hungry?”

“Even then.”

“Okay, but what if I smell particularly delicious one of these days?”

He snorts, shaking his head like he thinks I’m cute. “Goodnight.”

“These are just hypothetical questions,” I remind him as he heads up the stairs.

“I’m aware.”

“I haven’t unlocked the friend-zone gate.”

“I know.”

“I’m not saying I’ll ever unlock the gate,” I call up.

“Don’t forget to take your blood, Piper.”

With a sigh, I turn toward the kitchen. “Yeah, okay.”