Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy #1)(6)

My face flushed with heat and I tightened my arms over my chest. I’d never met anyone with an accent like his, and I was ashamed of the effect it had on me. He was obviously rude, and yet I wanted him to keep talking to me. It didn’t make any sense.

His stance softened and he took a step back, seeming confused, although I still couldn’t read his emotions. Why didn’t he show any colors? He didn’t seem drunk or high. And that red thing... what was that? It was hard not to stare at it.

He finally looked over at Jay, who was deep in conversation with the manager-type man.

“Not your boyfriend, eh?” He was smirking at me now. I looked away, refusing to answer.

“Are you certain he doesn’t fancy you?” Kaidan asked. I looked at him again. His smirk was now a naughty smile.

“Yes,” I assured him with confidence. “I am.”

“How do you know?”

I couldn’t very well tell him that the only time Jay’s color had shown mild attraction to me was when I accidentally flashed him one day as I was taking off my sweatshirt, and my undershirt got pulled up too high. And even then it lasted only a few seconds before our embarrassment set in.

“I just know, okay?”

He put his hands up in mock surrender and let out an easy laugh.

“I’m terribly sorry, Anna. I’ve forgotten my manners. I thought you were... someone else.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m Kaidan Rowe.”

I peeled one arm away from my tight self-embrace to take his hand. Every inch of my skin broke out in goose bumps, and my face suddenly burned hot. I was glad for the dimmed lighting. I wasn’t one of those people who blushed pink in the cheeks; I blushed crimson in the whole face, and my neck became splotchy. Not cute. The rush of blood always made me dizzy. I should have pulled my hand away then, but he continued to hold it, and his large palm and long fingers felt so nice.

He chuckled deeply and let his hand slide away from mine until we were no longer touching. He noticed as my arms crossed over my chest again, and then he lifted his chin and sniffed the air.

“Ah, smells good. There’s nothing like American hot dogs. I think I’ll have one later.”

Okay. Random. I sniffed.

“I don’t smell anything,” I said.

“Really? Lean toward the door some. Breathe a bit... deeper.”

I did as he said. Nothing. Determined, I did something that was rare for me: I reached my sense of smell out farther.

There was no scent of hot dogs in the entire club. Only stale alcohol and hot bleach water for the mops. I pushed it out farther. Nothing at the restaurant next door. Farther. My nose burned and I was getting light-headed. Farther. And there it was. I smelled the nearest hot dog at a small street vendor nearly a mile away. My olfactory sense snapped quickly back and I found him watching me with expectancy. What was he playing at? He couldn’t have smelled that. Why would he pretend?

I shook my head and tried to keep my face neutral.

“Hmm.” He smiled. “I suppose I was mistaken, then.”

Gosh, his eyes were gorgeous—the color of tropical honeymoon waters ringed in dark sapphire and enclosed by thick lashes.

What... ? Honeymoon waters? Get a grip!

A wispy perfumed girl walked up and stood between Kaidan and me, placing her back firmly in my face. I had to step backward.

“We’re getting lonely over there.” Her hands moved over his chest and up to rest on his shoulders. Red jumped out from her when she touched him, and he brought his hand up to squeeze her bony hip. I turned away, not listening to his whispered response, which appeared to appease her. She gave me an icy glance before walking back to the corner.

“Maybe I’ll see you around, Anna. I’ll be certain to give your boyfriend Jay’s songs a listen.” And with that he was gone.

“He’s not my... ,” I sputtered at his retreating back.

I’d been looking in the wrong place earlier when I searched for a flaw in Kaidan. It was not in his face; it was in his personality. Confidence was good, but overconfidence was not. I looked around, feeling stupid and alone.

Thankfully I had to stand solitary for only one long moment before Jay came back feeling over-the-moon happy. I let his emotion drench me.

“What were you and Kaidan Rowe talking ’bout?” Jay asked me. “Man, y’all looked like you were gonna rip each other’s clothes off!” I gasped and smacked his arm, but he didn’t flinch.

“We did not.” My eyes darted over to Kaidan for a fraction of a second, and though he was too far away to have heard, the wink he sent me brought another flush to my skin.

“So?” Jay said. “You gonna tell me or not? What was he sayin’ to you?”

What in the world could I tell Jay that wouldn’t leave him as thoroughly confused as I felt? I glanced over at Kaidan again and caught him watching me for one last second before turning his back to us.

“Nothing, really,” I hedged. “It was weird. I’ll tell you about it later. I need to call Patti and tell her we’re on our way, then I want to hear about you. Who was that man you were talking to? What did he say? I guess Gregory is staying?”

The distraction tactic easily got me off the hook as we left the club. Jay always drove. After I called Patti, he gave me a breakdown of the entire conversation with Lascivious’s business manager. We dissected every word for all hopeful meaning, coming to the conclusion that the band’s manager was extremely impressed with the talent and ambition of Jay and Gregory, and that they would definitely obtain rock-star status by the end of the year. It was usually fun to dream big with Jay, but though I played along, tonight my mind was elsewhere.