Dawson waved his hand, opening the door to the theater. Light spilled into the dark room, casting yellowish light between the recliners. They were watching an old episode of 90210. Lame didn’t even do that justice.
Andrew turned around, scowling when he saw Dawson. “Unless you’ve come to apologize for being such an ass to me, I don’t want any of what you’re selling.”
His sister held a nail file over her fingers. “Somehow I doubt that’s why he’s here, Andy.”
“Yeah, you’d be correct on that.” Dawson’s hands formed fists at his sides. “I want you two to listen, because I swear this will be the last time I say this. I want both of you to leave Bethany alone. Don’t talk to her. Don’t approach her. Hell, don’t even consider thinking about her.”
Andrew raised himself fluidly, his blue eyes starting to glow like diamonds. “Or what?”
The back of Dawson’s neck started to burn. Screw the whole telling him part. He shed his human form in an instant and shot down the narrow aisle, slamming into a still-human Andrew. Over the roar in his ears, he heard Ash’s surprised shriek. The force of his impact took them both all the way to the screen and when they hit, it ripped right over the dickhead’s face.
Wrapping his hand around Andrew’s throat, he rose off the ground, dragging the struggling boy with him. Andrew had switched forms, but he couldn’t break Dawson’s hold. Dawson took him all the way to the vaulted ceiling, pinning him there.
Or what?Dawson spoke directly into Andrew’s thoughts, driving the point home. You threaten Bethany again, in any way, and I’ll make sure you can’t talk again. To anyone. Ever. Do you understand me?
“Dawson!” Ash yelled from below. “What are you doing? Stop! Do something, Adam!”
Adam’s laugh followed. “Someone needed to put Andrew in his place. I always figured it would be Daemon. Who knew.”
Energy crackled up Dawson’s arm. He was this close to letting it go and knocking Andrew into next week. The flare of his light caused Andrew to shrink away from him. Do you understand me?
Andrew hesitated, but then he nodded.
Good, because this isn’t happening again.Then he dropped Andrew.
Andrew hit the floor of the theater, flipping into his human form. He lifted his head, shooting Dawson a murderous look, but amazingly, he kept his mouth shut.
Coming back down to the floor, he turned on Ash. And that includes you. Stay away from her. Better yet, I’d love it if you stayed away from my brother.
Her mouth dropped open. “Why?”
You wanna know why? He can do so much better than you. Still furious, he struggled to bring back his human form, and when he did, his voice was frigid. “If any of you want to treat humans like they’re not good enough for us to be near, then go back to the damn colony. You’ll fit in perfectly there.”
Turning from a stunned Ash to Adam, he took a deep breath. “Sorry, man. You’re cool.”
Adam shrugged. “Don’t worry. We’re totally cool.”
Dawson nodded and headed toward the den. “I’ll see my way out.”
The thing is, every Luxen feared Daemon’s notorious temper. His brother was like a lit fuse, ready to explode at any minute, but what they didn’t know was that it was another thing Dawson shared with Daemon. When push came to shove, and it involved someone he cared about, he could be just as mean.
Chapter 16
After that, Adam and Ash backed off, way off. And things…ah, they were great. School was almost out, and he and Bethany honestly couldn’t get enough of each other. Daemon said he was whipped a few days ago, but Dawson didn’t care. Thinking about her brought a smile to his face. And being with her completed him in a way he’d never thought possible. With Bethany, he didn’t think of himself as something separate from the thousands of people around him.
He just was…himself.
Dee even started hanging out with them the times he’d brought Bethany to their house. Daemon was never there when she was, and he really hadn’t warmed up to her yet, but when they joined him for lunch, he kept it cool.
It killed him that Daemon still hadn’t accepted their relationship. And he knew it bothered Bethany, too, because she didn’t want to be the cause of any of their problems, but it wasn’t like they weren’t trying. It was on Daemon. He’d come around only when he wanted to.
And right now, he knew where Daemon was. With Ash. They were back together again. As much as that bothered him, he kept his mouth shut. The whole throwing stones in glass houses stuff sucked.
There was a knock on the front door. Smiling, Dawson swung his legs off the couch and went to answer.
Bethany stood there, hair pulled back in a high ponytail. His gaze drifted over her, and damn, he had more reasons to love warm weather. She was wearing shorts that showed off her legs and a hoodie over her tank top.
She stuck out one foot. “These are the only sneakers I have. You think they’ll work?”
Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her off her feet with ease. “You’ll look cute up there.”
She laughed. “Dawson—”
Lowering her slowly against his chest, he grinned as her cheeks flushed. Her whiskey-colored eyes heated seconds before he kissed her. When he settled her on her feet again, she swayed a little.
“That’s the kind of greeting I like,” she said, touching her lips.
His eyes followed her movements to those pink lips. There was green paint on her pinkie, and seeing that, his heart expanded. As he wrapped his hand around the one on her mouth, he realized he was absolutely crazy about her. Pulling her into the living room, he kept going until the backs of his legs hit the couch and he sat. Bethany climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Dawson stopped breathing as he tilted his head back, and she lowered her mouth to his. The kiss was deep and scorching, endless. Not breaking contact, she unzipped her hoodie and he pushed it off her shoulders. Running his fingers up her bare arms, he grinned against her mouth when she shivered.
He could feel the cells in his body striving to change as he slipped his fingers under the hem of her shirt, going up and up until she was making soft little sounds. The rush of sensations firing through him drowned out everything else. When she started moving against him, his hands dropped to her hips, his fingers digging into the denim of her shorts.
Thank God no one was home, because they would’ve gotten an eyeful.
And that snapped him out of the haze. He clasped her cheeks, his thumb stroking along her jaw. “We…we have to stop…or I won’t be able to.”
For a second, it seemed like Bethany didn’t get it, and then her face turned cherry red. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” he murmured, his eyes dropping to her swollen lips. God, she was beautiful to him — perfect.
Bethany shuddered. “We don’t have to stop, you know? I’m…I’m ready.”
He almost lost his hold then. The images her words brought forth tested what self-control he had. Wanting nothing more than to carry her upstairs and show her just how much she got to him, he wanted their first time to be special. Dinner, a movie, maybe some flowers and candles — not doing it on the couch or on his unmade bed in his messy bedroom that had socks and God knows what else strewn across the floor.
“Later,” he promised, meaning it.
She snuggled in, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “Soon?”
“Very soon…”
Several minutes passed and then she said, ““So…back to the shoes. They’ll work, right?”
“They’re perfect for where I’m taking you.” They were going hiking again. Two weekends ago, he’d taken her on the trails, but today, he wanted to show her one of his favorite lookout spots. They were supposed to go last weekend, but it had rained for days, saturating the ground.