The Lying, the Witch, and the Werewolf (Down & Dirty Supernatural Cleaning Services Book 4) by Kate Quinn (uplifting books for women .txt) 📗

I guess expecting fidelity from a sex demon would be even crazier than twenty-year-old me expecting it from Jax.

The rest of the group seems fine with us being here, but the woman who addressed us is definitely annoyed. “This is a participation-only group,” she tells us. “So get naked or join us under this electric blanket so you can get your muscles warm before we begin—or get out.”

I start to back toward the door flap. “Sorry, we’ll—” I blink twice and realize that the woman looks exactly like the person I’ve been searching for here.

“Vicky?” I ask.

19

Vicky frowns. “Yes?”

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” I say and she narrows her eyes.

“Do I know you?”

Shit, right, she has no idea who I am.

I hesitate, not sure what else to say. She looks fine, if a little less friendly than anyone else I’ve met so far. But her bossy attitude is actually reassuring. Nothing about her seems to suggest she’s doing anything other than exactly what she wants.

“I’m a friend of Gary’s. He told me you were here.”

I make my way over to her, stepping on a few people along the way. “Sorry! Sorry, can I just...get by you…” I finally reach Vicky and crouch down by her.

“How’s it going?” I ask.

“Fine. How do you know Gary?” She stretches her arms out from under the blanket and I get an eyeful of her boobs.

“He...is...sorry, is that a Dalmanther tattoo?”

“Yes!” She throws back the blanket. Her left breast is tattooed so it looks like the face of a Dalmanther, with her nipple as the nose. “I had it done special.”

“Fantastic...artistry,” I say. “Hey, while I have you, you really like it here, right?”

“I love it here,” Vicky tells me. “At Together We Come I’m the person I always wanted to be. I’m free.”

“That’s good to hear, Gary was a little concerned.”

“Gary wouldn’t have a good time if it bit him on his uptight ass,” she tells me. “He was always like that, couldn’t loosen up. Not like me. I’m a free spirit!”

I glance around. Cassie has made herself comfortable, sitting down and talking with Mac, whose head peeks out from under the blanket.

I turn back to Vicky. “So, just to be one hundred percent clear, you are here of your own free will and you don’t feel threatened or coerced?”

Vicky laughs. “Honestly, I feel more threatened when I’m not here. These are my people and this is my place.”

“Okay, great. Good chat.” I stand up. Grabbing Cassie’s sleeve, I tug on it to get her to stand up. “Let’s go.”

Cassie pulls away. “Actually,” she says shyly. “I’m interested in joining in.”

“Oh, right,” I say. “Cool. Cool,” I add, while feeling anything but.

I’ve never before felt so like the conservative stick in the mud as I do right now. Darron and Shauna are gonna be so disappointed when I get home and tell them I spent the whole weekend safely on the sidelines. But I just can’t bring myself to shuck my clothes off and dive beneath a pile of blankets with a bunch of strangers. Also, I have no idea what they’re warming up for. With this place, it could be literally anything.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of her,” Mac tells me. He puts an arm around Cassie and she melts into his side. “This girl is very special to me.”

“Great. Well, have fun then, and make sure to use lots of lube. I’ve seen the survivors of some serious chafing and the stories they tell are no joke,” I say to the group at large, and then leave the yurt with one final lame wave.

Back out in the sun, I can’t help but release a sigh of relief. Once my eyes readjust to the brightness after the dim interior of the yurt, I notice a small dry erase board near the entrance reading, “Join us for Hot Twister!”

Huh. I wonder if they have the old plastic game underneath all those blankets or…

That thought stutters to a stop as Nico comes sauntering down the trail, each of his arms slung around a hot chick on either side of him. He certainly wasted no time making new friends. The girls are wearing bikinis and rubbing against Nico enough that he’s going to end up in the infirmary with a bad case of bedsores before he even makes it to a bed.

Just as I’m wondering how to get him alone so we can talk, Nico says something to the two of them in a low voice that causes them both to squeal happily in response. Detaching themselves from him, they skip away—although not before Nico gives them each a friendly slap on the ass.

I shake my head at him as he approaches. “Don’t let me interrupt your fun.”

Nico grins. “We were gonna head over to the swimming hole together, but I told them I would pick up some water toys first and meet them there.”

“Water toys?” I ask, hating the judgmental tone in my voice but unable to stop it.

Nico shrugs. “Honestly, I have no idea if that means squirt guns or waterproof vibrators, but they seemed excited about it.”

“Don’t be so flattered. Everyone here is excited about having sex with everyone else.”

If I thought this would dent Nico’s oversized ego, I was greatly mistaken. Instead, he just leans in closer and brushes a piece of my hair behind my ear. “And what about you, Paige?” He asks. “I overheard some people gossiping in the dining room that the broom-toting new girl really hit it off with Seamus.” Nico smiles, but it’s not his usual easy-going grin. This one has more of a bite to it. Almost like he’s...jealous.

And I can’t resist stoking it, just a little. “Mmm,” I say. “I did enjoy my time with Seamus the satyr.”

“A satyr?” Nico repeats, disbelievingly. “I can’t believe they let those guys in here. They’re the frat boys