It was a quick kiss, his mouth simply pressing against hers for a moment, and Edie too startled to part her lips under his. Out of habit, his tongue grazed the seam of her mouth before he pulled away, and then they were both left blinking and staring at each other.
“You kissed me,” she said softly, and she sounded shocked.
“I know. I . . . kind of want to do it again.”
“Okay.” She blinked up at him.
Good enough. He pulled her close again and this time, when he pressed his mouth to hers, those lush lips parted for his tongue. He wanted to groan when he felt her tongue brush along his, a hot snake of desire ripping through him. Then her mouth opened wider for him and they were locked together, tongues melding as the kiss grew deeper and more passionate, and she was clinging to his shirt and he was holding her and slanting his mouth against hers over and over again, licking her like he would if he was between her legs and she had her thighs on his shoulders and—
Magnus pulled away again, and Edie gazed up at him, completely dazed. “Go out on a date with me,” he pressed again. He released her.
She wobbled and took a step backward to regain her balance. He almost reached out to catch her—almost—but he stopped himself. Edie hated being treated like she needed help. So he watched while she straightened her jacket and smoothed her hair, noticing her lipstick was smeared on that pretty, pretty mouth. He wanted to reach out and fix it with his fingers, but he was afraid if he touched her again, he’d grab her by the hips and fling her down on his bed.
Date. That was what they needed. Just a date.
“Date?” he asked again when she remained silent.
Her fingers fluttered to her mouth. “I . . . I’ll think about it.”
Magnus grinned, because that wasn’t a no. In his book, that was as good as a yes. “You do that.”
Chapter Five
As Edie lay in bed that night, she stared up at the ceiling and kept thinking about that kiss.
Cats climbed over her, trying to get comfortable on her crowded bed. There were cats on each side of her leg, one curled up by her head, and one currently kneading her breast and purring as she absently stroked its fur. Most of her cats tended to be elderly and sick, the last-resort cats at the shelter. She took them in and gave them a home and loved them, because no one else wanted them. She knew how that felt. She could relate to that.
But today . . . someone wanted her. Someone had kissed her. Asked her out on a date.
It seemed like forever since she’d been kissed, she thought, her hand brushing her mouth again. It still felt bruised from the intensity of his kiss.
If I didn’t like you, would I do this?
He wouldn’t have. There was no reason for him to kiss her otherwise. And it had been a good kiss. It had made her toes curl, and her long-dormant needs spring forth like a bear coming out of hibernation.
She didn’t understand Magnus at all, but heaven help her, she wanted to accept that date. She was terrified to, though. Dating meant getting hurt. It meant opening yourself up to another person and complete and utter rejection.
The last time she’d been rejected, it had been so ugly, so bone-deep that she still wore the scars. She was afraid to take another chance. After all, she thought as she scratched a whiskery chin. There were always cats.
Damn. Bianca was right. She really was going to turn into the crazy cat lady.
With a heavy sigh, she moved as carefully as possible in bed, trying not to displace the other occupants. She reached for her phone, ran her thumb across the screen to turn it on, and texted Gretchen.
So . . . what do you know about Magnus Sullivan? He asked me out today.
Gretchen’s answer came almost immediately despite the late hour. I know that I’m a GODDAMN GENIUS for sitting you two together. Name your first kid Gretchen for me, mmmkay?
All right, Edie texted, But if it’s a boy, he’s gonna get picked on.
Gretchen: Nah. I will buy my godchild the best kung-fu lessons possible.
Edie: How did we get from “should I date this guy” to teaching my imaginary child kung fu?
Gretchen: The power of imagination?
Edie: Seriously, how well do you know him?
Gretchen: I don’t know him at all, toots, but Hunter likes him enough to include him in the wedding. He sold him that kooky-as-shit art warehouse thing. Have you seen that place? It’s a monstrosity. An expensive one.
Edie: I saw it.
Gretchen: Damn girl, you move fast. Use protection.
Edie: No, not like that! He got a cat. I’m working with it.
Gretchen: Huh. He didn’t seem like the cat type to me.
Edie: Right? But it’s a beautiful one. F2 Savannah cat if I don’t miss my guess.
Gretchen: Blah blah blah. Is it naked like my Igor?
Edie: No that’s a different breed, you ding-a-ling.
Gretchen: Igor says hello by the way.
Edie: Focus, please. Ask Hunter what Magnus is like.
Gretchen: Girl, you do realize he is giving me the man-stare and saying he is “fine”? Men are not good with the whole “but is he considerate in bed” and “does he kiss well” questions. Just date him. You guys have to go down the aisle together anyway.
Edie: . . . At your wedding, right?
Gretchen: Bingo. But consider it practice for the real thing. :)
Edie: I’m going to bed now. Thanks for being no help.
Gretchen: Anytime! Give me deets. Especially the filthy ones.
Edie: No deets. Night Gretchen.
Gretchen: Night!
Edie put the phone down, thinking. Should she go to Bianca and . . . talk? God, no. She shut the thought down the moment it crossed her mind. Bianca was . . . well, she thought every date was preparation for her future as a Trophy Wife. Despite being sisters, they had always had zilch in common. And even though Bianca was her assistant, sometimes Edie wondered if she even liked cats. She’d be no help. Bianca knew a lot about manipulating men, but when it came to simply dating one or having a conversation about normal things? She was no help.
She stared at her phone a moment longer. She needed a sign that dating Magnus was the right thing. That it wasn’t going to break her spirit into a jillion pieces once more to go out with a guy. Sleepy, her elderly white cat with three legs, came up and head-butted the phone, wanting to be petted. It pushed the phone forward, smacking Edie in the chin.
Well, that could have been a sign, she supposed. Steeling herself, Edie pulled up Magnus’s name, which she’d recently added to her contact list, and texted him.
Okay, I’ll bite. Where are we going on our date?
***
The text came across his phone at close to midnight, just when Magnus had climbed into bed. His phone buzzed on his nightstand and he picked it up, curious.
Okay, I’ll bite. Where are we going on our date?
Hot dog. He’d thought for sure that his kiss had scared her off. Magnus grinned to himself and contemplated his answer. Even as he did, Lady Cujo (as he was now calling her) jumped up on his bed. She mewed at him, and he automatically reached out to pet her, a little surprised when she allowed it, but pleased when she butted against his hand and demanded more. It was kinda cute. He petted her for a minute, and then picked up his phone again, studying the text. Then he answered.
Magnus: Want to do the dinner-and-a-movie thing or is that too cliché for you?
Edie: I guess we could do that. I just thought a guy like you would have more imagination.
Magnus: A challenge, eh? I will accept. All right, be ready for a slightly more interesting date.
Edie: Okay, where are we going?
Magnus: I’ll surprise you.
Edie: Shall I get Bianca to drive me down to NYC?
Magnus: Sounds like a plan. Tomorrow?
Edie: Can’t tomorrow, she texted back, which surprised him. How busy was a damn cat lady?
Magnus: When, then?
Edie: Day after tomorrow, maybe. I’ll let you know what my schedule looks like.
For a moment, it pissed him off to have to wait on a cat lady, and he nearly texted her back with a similar comment, like “I’ll let you know what my schedule looks like, too.” But he worked for himself, and his schedule was always more or less open when he was in creative mode. Plus, the sooner he got Levi back on track, the better. So he texted her back with Fine, just let me know.
Then he tossed his phone aside and curled up with Lady Cujo, wondering when his life had gone so off the rails that he was lying in bed petting a cat and waiting for a cat lady to make time in her schedule for him.
Jesus. Even saying it back to himself sounded pathetic.
***
“A zoo, huh?”
“Come on,” Magnus said, gesturing at the lion enclosure. “I thought you’d like the zoo. These are your people.”
She snorted, but there was a smile on her face. “I do things other than hang out with cats, you know.”
He gave her a clearly skeptical look.
She tilted her head, the two short braids flipping against her shoulders. “Okay, not much other than hang out with cats, but occasionally I have been known to be social when animals weren’t involved.”
He chuckled at her playful tone and her mock-wounded expression.
It was a weekday and the zoo wasn’t very crowded. The weather was overcast, a slight chill in the air. As a result, it felt almost like the two of them were alone in the big park. Which was rather nice, all things considered. It meant they could walk as slow as they wanted without making it seem as if Magnus was slowing down his normal stride for Edie’s limping gait. Not that he’d do that, because he knew she’d get pissed. But he found that he liked taking his time to admire his surroundings with her.
Mostly, it gave him time to admire her, too.
She was dressed low-key again, in jeans and a dark pullover sweater that had a few cat hairs on it that she kept picking at. Other than the braids, she had a dark knitted cap tucked over her head. And she was wearing that bright red lipstick again that had fascinated him so much before. Today she seemed very much like her own person—comfortable in her own skin and sexy in her own way. He was surprised that for a date she hadn’t dressed much differently than she would for work . . . and he liked that. He liked that she wasn’t trying to change into some sort of sexy vamp now that they were going out. She was still just . . . Edie.
He’d gone casual as well, a plain knit sweater over jeans. Both items were extremely expensive and well coordinated, because his personal shopper had picked them out. Magnus liked to spend money to make sure that others knew he had money. It was a vanity of his, but he didn’t care. He also guessed at the way Edie’s expression hadn’t changed when she saw his clothing that she had no idea how much it cost. Which was also amusing in its own way. He suspected his socks probably cost more than her entire outfit.
“I picked the zoo,” he said. “Sue me.”
She wagged a finger at him, but she was still smiling. One hand held a small bag of popcorn that they’d gotten from a cart, and she nibbled on a piece, then offered him some.
He took a large handful, chewed, and then shrugged. “It was either the zoo or a video gaming convention, and I picked this. Clearly I did not choose wisely.”
Edie shrugged and threw a bit of popcorn at one of the nearby birds that hopped around on the trails between animal enclosures. “I would have gone to a gaming convention if you’d have asked nicely.”
“So asking nicely is the key?”
“The key to everything,” she said, a gleam in her eyes.
“Then may I have a kiss if I ask nicely?”
“You may . . .” When he leaned in, she shook her head, giving him a teasing smile. “Not.” And she walked away, tossing him a sassy look over her shoulder. “Not on the first date.”
Magnus chuckled and followed after her. “I already kissed you once.”
“That one you stole. That doesn’t count.”
He just grinned.
The zoo had been a good choice, he decided. At a gaming convention, there was always awkwardness between men and women. Half the women came dressed normally, and the other half came in costume, some skimpier than others. There were always the fanboys that ogled every woman, and then he had to deal with his own contingent of fans from Warrior Shop. But at the zoo? All they had to do was be themselves.
And he found that Edie was pretty fun to be around, which surprised him . . . and yet, not. She had a wickedly sharp sense of humor, she gave no quarter, and she knew a lot about every species of cat that they saw. He watched her melting expression as they passed by the leopard cage and she saw a baby leopard being tongue-bathed by its mother. She had a soft heart when it came to animals.
“I’m surprised you’re not climbing the fences trying to get in there and free the animals,” he told her, teasing.
She laughed. “No, contrary to what you might think, a lot of zoos take good care of their animals. There’s always a few bad exceptions, but for the most part, the zoo employees care about what happens to them.”
“So what made you decide to become a cat whisperer?” he asked her as they strolled toward the reptile house.
“Cat behaviorist,” she corrected, scattering the last few bits of her popcorn for the birds that waited nearby and then ditching the bag. “And it seemed like a good second choice.”
“Second choice?”
A shadow passed over her face and her smile faded. Then she looked at him, shook her head, and kept walking.
He held the door for the reptile house open for her, pondering whether or not he should push and ask what she meant by that. But they were still too new to each other, and this date was about getting her to fall for him. If it ended early, Levi’s date with Bianca would also end early, and they’d have to go through this shit again.
No, this date was a one and done as far as he was concerned. He’d date Edie, have a pleasant enough time, and then Levi would settle down to work once more and they could get back to The World. Already they were overdue on the schedule Magnus had made for his brother. Neither one of them could afford to be distracted by woman troubles.
Not even when the woman had a full, smiling red mouth and a sly tongue that loved to cut.
Still, he found himself following her into the reptile house, watching the sway of her hips. It was an awkward movement, unique to her because of her limp, but he still found it sexual, because when she balanced her weight on one side, it made her hip cock out. The reptile house was dark inside and completely empty except for the two of them and the scaly inhabitants. And with the privacy, his thoughts turned to lustful ones as he watched her hip push out again in that exaggerated motion.
“So what about you?” she said to him as he moved to her side.
Distracted, he glanced down at her. “What about me what?”
She nudged him with her elbow. “What made you decide to become a game programmer or maker or whatever it is you do?”
“I wear a couple of different hats, actually. Designer, programmer, developer.” He shrugged. “I like to have my hand in everything so I know it’s done just the way I want it to be. As for how I decided to do it . . . I just did. Levi and I used to play computer games when we were kids, and we were constantly trying to hack the games to improve them. From there, I got a degree in programming and started to make a few of my own games on the sly. I’m good at making things happen, but Levi’s the creative one.”
“Don’t sell yourself short. I’m sure you’re creative, too.”
“Not quite like Levi. He’s able to take ideas and spin them out of nothing.”
“I see
. Was he the one who came up with the idea for Warrior Shop?”
“Actually,” Magnus frowned, thinking. “That was me. Levi helped me figure out a lot of the parts, though. He’s integral to everything I work on, especially with The World.”
“That’s the new game you’re developing, right? Did you come up with that concept or did he?”
“I did.”
“Mmmhmm. I think you might be less dependent on Levi than you think,” Edie said.
She wasn’t getting it. Or maybe she was choosing not to understand. “Well, let’s take Bianca for example. Are you dependent on her?”
“Yes,” she said flatly, and she didn’t sound pleased.
He was surprised to hear that answer coming from her. She valued her independence so fiercely. “You are? Really?”
“I can’t drive for long periods of time or my leg cramps up. Bianca drives me everywhere. She’s also my assistant.”
“But she’s vital to your business as it is, right? Kind of how Levi is to mine.”
Edie shrugged. She looked unhappy with the subject. Bad move, Magnus, he told himself. He didn’t want her to feel cornered or like she couldn’t talk, so it was time to distract her.
“So,” Magnus said, pressing closer to her. Edie was sandwiched between a wall and a row of glass enclosures for the reptiles. “What if I ask you nicely again? Do I get a kiss?”
Her brows drew together. “Let me get this straight. Seeing all these snakes and lizards made you horny?”
“No,” he said, but grinned at her words. “Being alone in the dark with you made me horny. Plus, I’m a guy. It doesn’t take much to turn us on.” He leaned in closer, his nose practically in her hair. He could smell her shampoo—sweet and clean. “Is that a no, then?”
Edie looked up at him thoughtfully.
“What?”
“Just thinking.”
He arched an eyebrow and put his thumb to her chin, angling her face up to his. “Don’t strain anything.”
She batted his hand away, but his tease brought a smile to her face again. “I was just wondering . . . why me?”
“What do you mean?”