Shadows of the Past (8 page)

She was too busy craving the attention from Sheriff Eyeball who was probably way
too much for little Amethyst to handle.

By the time she had
the second ring in place Clint looked up at her with pure lust. That should have been enough to make her body respond. She was a nymph, it came with the territory and that was usually embarrassing in front of any wereanimal who could smell desire.

There was no twinge of
lust, no hint of need, nothing.
What’s wrong with me?

He probably couldn
’t help his wolfish grin. “I’m behaving.” He sat up, and his muscled abdomen rippled. She turned away as he moved to the mirror while she cleaned up.

Amethyst
looked back and caught him playing his fingers over his nipples, and an aroused gasp left his mouth. That look in his eyes would have made her ache for him any other time.

Worry crept in.
Was she broken after Carl? She forced those questions away.

“Al
l right,” she said. “You’ve had enough fun. Now get going because I don’t want to know what you’re going to do. Really, I don’t.”

He chuckled
. “When I see you at the bar, because I know you’ll be there eventually, I’ll buy you a drink or few. I even promise to behave then.” With a wink, he started for the door. “Good bye, my lovely gem.”

Clint really was sweet, in a twisted sort of way. She didn’t see why Fallon made him out to be such
a bad guy. Well, there was the fact that he was a total masochist. She had always been curious about that scene.

She smiled back at him
. “Bye Clint.”

He
took a step into the hall before he turned back with a wave, and a sexy little grin.

Her phone rang, and she saw
Paavo’s name. “Hey, big brother.”

“You didn’t call when you got there,” he chided. “I had to call the shop to set up an appointment with you. You’ll be piercing Mathis and me tomorrow.” She squeezed her eyes shut and waited, praying he wouldn’t make her pierce somethin
g too intimate. It was her brother and his lover… icky. “Don’t worry, we just want matching earrings. Nothing further south, and it’s a good excuse to see my little sis. So don’t argue.”

“I won’t, just bring me something sweet. Please.”

“Of course. And I have a question.”

“What
?” She sighed.

“I hear you finally used your gifts to get rid of that piece of shit loser.” There was heat in his words, but only because he probably had a good idea of what she did.

“Who told you?” she whispered.

“Gabriel
mentioned it. Said you raced out of the shop talking about finally sleeping with Carl to get rid of him, and then he goes and kills himself. Something’s fishy about that.”

Her guilt rolled back in, and she tugged at her hair.
“I just gave him a suggestion to not want to be anywhere near me. That he didn’t want me. Geez, Paavo, he didn’t even love me, he just wanted to own me, but I didn’t kill him.”

“I know
, sweetie, that’s why I warned you about him. I’m proud of you, though he better not have hurt you because I will find a necromancer to bring him back just so I can kill him all over again.”

She
could just imagine Paavo taking his frustrations out on a freshly summoned Zombie. The image made her cringe. “He didn’t hurt me. It just hurt to see his reaction when he ran out of the apartment.”

“
I am sorry about that, but I’m glad it’s over. I’ll let you get back to work. See you tomorrow.”

“Bye
.” She hung up and walked to the front. Officer Simons was right there. She nearly ran into him.

Gulping, she backed up, but he looked so wounded at her reaction that she smiled up at him, or tried too. It was a pretty weak attempt.

Simons swallowed hard and blurted out an apology, “I just wanted to come in and tell you in person how sorry I am. I shouldn’t have dragged you in. I won’t do it again. I hope you don’t hate me.” Her fear drifted away, and her heart melted a little.

“It’s okay. I hope things work out for you. Maybe not how you want, but for the best, and I hope you see that. You really didn’t hurt me. I’m fine.”

“I bruised your arm, I must have. I probably had those cuffs too tight because you couldn’t hold still in them.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I really am sorry that I took my shitty mood out on you.”

She displayed her arms
. “No harm, no foul. I appreciate the apology, but I’m fine.”

“Good. Have a nice night
.” He nodded slightly and left with a little wave that just looked silly from the giant of a man.

“He cuffed you?” Tomahawk whispered angrily as he came up behind her. She just closed her eyes
. “He really cuffed you? Was it too tight?”

She sighed and glanced over at Tomahawk who leaned against the opposite wall.
“No, but you could say that I’m allergic to some metals.”

“Is that why all of your jewelry is platinum?”

She nodded. “Yeah, and I know some Fae don’t have that problem, but I do. Sort of like wolves with silver, and since I pierce so many wereanimals, I chose platinum. I can handle silver, gold, platinum and some others. It’s not like I can’t touch anything, and it’s not usually immediate, so it’s not that big of a deal.”

He scratched his jaw
. “That’s why you have special tools?”

“Yup
.” She leaned in and whispered, “Just keep it to yourself. I don’t tell everyone that.”

“Don’t worry kiddo
. Your secret is safe with me.”

Her eyes narrowed at Tomahawk
. “I’m an adult, thank you.”

“You’re still younger than me, sweetheart
.”

* * * *

Amethyst stood at the end of the hall, laughing at whatever Tomahawk was going on about. Her smile was radiant and genuine, and Hayden could feel her warmth from outside, where he was looking in at her.

“She sure is pretty,” Brody said softly
, but it still startled him. When was the last time he was startled? That woman in there was a distraction, but in all the best ways.

“Beautiful, actually
.” Hayden smiled and then scowled at Brody. “And why have you noticed?”

“Hey,
asshole, I have eyeballs.” Brody glared at him and Hayden grunted. “Please, Fallon is the only woman for me. So get your panties out of a wad.”

“Right
, sorry.” Hayden shook his head. “I know better, really I do. She’s just…,”
mine.
It was the only word that came to mind but that was ridiculous. She wasn’t. She would hardly look at him just yet. “She’s…,”
mine. Shit, what in the Abyss am I thinking?

“Been there, done that.” Brody chuckled
. “We better get in there, before they notice us out here. She already labeled you Sheriff Eyeball.”

Hayden snorted
, but Brody had a point. He let out a sigh and pushed his way into the shop. Her gaze met his and a smile stretched across his face.

“
Good afternoon, Hayden. Tom was just telling me about how you chopped apart a bunch of rabid werecats a few weeks back. I’m impressed.”

He actually blushed for the first time in
several hundred years. “Um, thank you.” He ignored the nervousness creeping through him. “How was your day?”

“Good, busy, but good. Apparently I tamed a beast
.” She giggled.

The corners of his mouth tugged down, but he couldn’t fight back the frown.
“Who?” Had someone already swept her off her feet? If so, he was going to crush them. He forced a deep calming breath that did shit to alleviate the sudden possessive streak.

Tomahawk rolled his eyes in annoyance,
“Clint went all pussycat on her. He only mildly flirted, and you know how he is. It was sickeningly sweet, in a fucked up way. He was just about purring as he rubbed his fingers over his nipples, just after she pierced them. And he didn’t even come on to her when it was obvious he would have pounced on her if she gave him any inclination she was interested.”

Amethyst’s hands landed on her hips as she glared up at Tom.
“I didn’t watch. Clint took me at my word when I told him I wasn’t interested. He even offered to buy me a drink and
not
hit on me.”

Still, Hayden wanted to clock the
pervy bastard for even thinking about Amethyst.

Tom turned to Hayden with a smirk.
“It’s actually amazing because he so wanted a piece,” Tom teased and she blushed. “He did, you can’t deny it. He just about came when you got the needle in him.”

She threw her hands up.
“So what? I’m not interested.” She pursed her lips at Tom before looking back at Hayden. “You ready? I hear I’m just doing your ear.”

Damn, he loved that haughty attitude. There wasn
’t much he wouldn’t let her do. He did want to get to know her though, not scare her off, so he just nodded and followed her back.

Hayden took a seat. Both of his ears were already pierced
, one small hoop in each lobe. Now he wanted to add one to his cartilage.

“Adam says you brought your own jewelry. Can I see it?” She leaned against the counter and he
had the sudden desire to kneel before her, push her skirt up and devour her until she came apart. He just bet she would taste sweet and savory like her scent.

“My brother sent them to me. They’ve been sitting on my dresser for a year.” He handed the package her way with a shrug
. “They’re enchanted. Fae enchantments, and both are silver so they should have no effect on you.”

She smiled
. “I wear gloves. It’s the law, but thanks. You just want one? Or both?”

“I don’t really want both ears done.”

“I kind of want to put them just a bit apart, right here,” she touched where he wanted the earring and he felt her magic against his skin. Soothing warmth washed through him. “I can just do one if you want. It’s up to you, but I wouldn’t want to waste the enchantment.”

“
Sounds good. I trust you.” He smiled up at her and she blushed again.

“Just give me a minute to set up. I have a feeling you’re a tough guy who won’t have a problem with the needle, and you won’t go all gooey either.”

His teeth gnashed together. “Please tell me Clint didn’t do anything inappropriate.”

She giggled.
“No. He really wasn’t that bad.” One shoulder lifted in a shrug. “I think Fallon scared him.”

“Or you tamed the beast,” he muttered.

One eyebrow rose. “Fine, whatever.”

She came up beside him and rubbed the spot on his ear gently. Hayden couldn
’t help but sit back and relax as he breathed in slowly and let his breath out easily. All he could smell was her sweet, savory scent, like sterquan fruit, which were always his favorite growing up. They grew on trees with violet flowers, and were found near bodies of water. There was a grove behind his childhood home.

A couple minutes later, she murmured
, “All done.”

He opened his eyes and she pulled her hand away as she turned around. He instantly missed her touch
.

One purple brow arched as she looked over her shoulder at him.
“Feel okay? Look okay?”

Had he lost some time? He never even felt it, and yet, she was destroying the piercing needles. He remembered the time passing, gentle massaging along the shell of his ear, her smell and his steady breathing, but no piercing. Damn, she was good.

He mentally shook himself and went to look in the mirror. It did look good. “It’s perfect. I didn’t even feel it. I expected something.”

“Oh, it was nothing
.” She glanced away, her face coloring.

“
That is one incredible talent.”

“Like I said,” Fallon added
from the door, “I didn’t feel any of the piercings she did. She’s just that good.”

He nodded, and
turned back to Amethyst who stood across the room, silently watching him. She was so much more relaxed than she had been the night before.

“Are you coming out with everyone tonight?”
he asked, hoping so.

“Fallon convinced me to
.” She chewed her juicy bottom lip. “There are a couple of things I need to do first, but I’ll be there. See you later.” She started for the door, and he wanted to stop her, but he didn’t. Tonight he planned to get a little closer.

“See you later
, Amethyst.”

The door shut and
Brody’s brow wrinkled as his gaze swung back to Hayden. “No pain at all? She really that good?”

He nodded
. “Yeah, I didn’t even feel it. She’s really that good.” Hayden felt the cartilage around his ear. It was honestly completely healed. He could have done it with a thought but she did it herself. “They feel like they’ve been in forever.”