Page 70 of Sun-Kissed Fangs
“Speaking of…” Harper kept her eyes on Maya’s palm, tracing the scar’s jagged edge with her fingertip. “That woman you were talking to earlier. Who is she?”
When Maya didn’t answer and instead started smirking, Harper raised her eyebrows.
“What? I’m just asking a question.”
“A loaded question.” Maya grinned. “Don’t tell me you’refeeling jealous?”
“Of course not!” Harper said, cringing. Even to her own ears, those words sounded like a lie. “What do you want me to say? She was hot, and the way you were talking, you seemed to be a lot more than just acquaintances.”
“Well, we are that. Angela and I are close, but we’ve never beenthatclose. You might like each other, actually, though getting there could take some time. Angela kind of sucks at making friends.” Maya glanced towards a shadowy corner of the clubroom. “She’s also seeing someone. Who isn’t really a fan of sharing.”
Harper gave Maya a long look. “So that’s the only reason you haven’t made a move? She’s taken?”
Maya didn’t defend herself or escalate the argument. Instead, she leaned in, lessening the gap between them.
“Why would you need to feeljealousabout that, anyway?”
“You think I’ve forgotten what happened a few nights ago?” Harper leaned in, too. “Maybe I read you wrong. Maybe that sort of kiss was nothing special, and that’s just how you treat all the girls you’re sent to rescue.”
“I only have eyes for one girl. She’s enough of a handful.”
“You say that, having not evenhandledme yet.” Harper inspected her nails. “I don’t think you’re cut out for it, actually. Being the onehandlingthings. You’re too easygoing and far too nice as well.”
Maya’s smile widened. “You do know how provoking that sounds, don’t you?”
“Doesn’t mean I’m not right. But if it matters so much to you, prove me wrong.”
Those words felt like a trap snapping shut. But where Harper had intended it to capture Maya, holding her in a position where she’d be forced to respond, the knowing glint in her eyes suggested the opposite had happened. Even if Harper wasn’t sure how.
“You’ve only seen one side of me,” Maya said, voice low. Daring, almost. “I haven’t been allowed much control over my life, so I seek it out where I can.Handlinga quick-witted woman such as yourself is barely a challenge.”
Her eyes flicked to Harper’s lips. “But if you’re serious about me doing so, I need to know your safe word first.”
Harper’s heart started racing. Though she was fairly confident that the reaction didn’t show on her face, she might have failed, based on Maya’s still-smiling expression.
The rumor of Maya being dangerous had some truth to it. One flash of that smile, and you’d let her get away with war crimes.
“Traffic light system works for me,” Harper said. “Red for stop, yellow for slow down, green for continue.”
“Honorific?”
“None. Don’t care for them, I’ve found.”
An occupational hazard. She had been called every sweet word in the book, meaning that when she heard one, she always pictured it being spoken by a balding, middle-aged man.
Kieran hadn’t even used them. He’d gone for degrading terms instead, which she hadalsobeen called at work and which shealsodidn’t like.
She didn’t realize that was a red flag until right then. When Maya’s beautiful, dark eyes were locked on hers, hanging on every word she said.
“Any health concerns I should know about?”
Harper bit her lip and grinned. She already liked this exchange.
“No health concerns.”
“Limits?”
“I don’t like gags. Or doing stuff outside. I’m a city girl at heart, so frolicking in the woods isn’t reallymy thing. You?”
