Defeat practically twitched against his skull, a wee bit agitated but still not insisting Strider do anything.
He allowed his arm to fall to his side. Harpies could only eat what they stole or earned, everything else made them sick, so he knew she had to take what she could, when she could. He also knew Harpies were as possessive about their stuff as he was, and Kaia now considered the drink hers. But if she pushed any more, his demon would want him to do something. Strider knew it, felt it. Yet there was no damn way he could challenge a Harpy in front of humans. That was something better done in private—where he could have his ass handed to him without being humiliated in front of others.
“I asked once, but I’ll do it again. What are you doing here?” He switched his focus to Lucien before she could reply. “What’s she doing here?”
Lucien met his stare and gave a pitying sigh. “She was bored, so she called me and asked me to take her to you, and because I like my testicles where they are, I decided to indulge her.”
“Take her to me?” Strider thumped his chest to make sure Lucien and Kaia understood who “me” was. “Why me?”
Neither responded to his question.
“My friend, I wish you a good night. She’s your pain in the ass now,” Lucien said, and after saluting Strider with the same irreverent pinky wave Anya was fond of giving, he strode out of the store to find a nice, deserted corner outside where he could disappear without witnesses.
Strider returned his attention to Kaia. She fluttered her lashes at him, all innocence and feminine wiles. If he hadn’t sparred with her a few times in the past, if he hadn’t known exactly how dirty she fought, going for the groin at every opportunity, he might have believed the act. Even knowing, he had a hard time convincing himself of her extraordinary ability to deceive.
She was here for a reason, and he wasn’t going to like it.
His only consolation was that he liked looking at her. Truly, if the gods had asked him to design a female, Kaia would have been it. She had a deceptively delicate bone structure and long red hair that curled to her waist. She had the face of a wicked pixie, the fangs of a pissed off snake and the body of a porn star, minus the implants. And her skin, oh, gods, her skin.
All Harpies possessed skin like hers. Like polished opals and crushed diamonds, glinting with all the colors of the rainbow. They had to cover every visible inch with cosmetics and clothing because men became slobbering fools whenever they saw that skin. Strider had caught a glimpse only once—during one of their practice sessions, her shirt had ridden up to her navel—and he’d instantly lost control of his body. He’d become consumed by the need to penetrate her.
She’d covered herself before he had attacked, and the urge had passed. Eventually. Even then, remembering, he wanted to strip her, take her.
No way. No way in hell. She might be the loveliest female he’d ever beheld, but she would be more trouble than a Hunter. She was a consummate liar and an unrepentant thief. She killed indiscriminately, and well, she was stronger than him. Talk about embarrassing!
Plus, the first time she had visited her sister Gwen at the fortress, Strider had noticed several of the warriors eyeing her as if she were a lollipop. She hadn’t seemed to notice or care, and he hadn’t wanted to compete for her affections. He’d made the right decision, too.
He still couldn’t believe she’d slept with Paris.
Paris. Ah, okay. Her need to find “Strider” was beginning to make a little sense. He was with Paris, so what better way to spend time with the warrior without admitting what she really wanted?
That didn’t bother Strider, but damn it all to hell, he didn’t like being used. “If you’re here to win Paris’s everlasting love, you’ve already failed. He now knows beyond any doubt that Sienna is still out there, and he’s desperate to reach her. You’re not going to make him jealous by cuddling up to me and you’re not—”
“Will you just shut up?” Kaia snatched a box of Red Hots and popped open the lid.
He snatched it back before she could eat a single one, and Defeat purred with satisfaction.
“Hey!”
“Mine,” he snapped. Enough was enough.
Rather than attack him, she merely anchored her free hand on her perfectly shaped hips. “Lookit. I didn’t want to kick things off this way, but you’re being an asshat. So here it is. Paris was a one-time thing and not just because he can’t ever come back for seconds. Yeah, he gave me about a bazillion orgasms, but afterward I didn’t like how I felt and I couldn’t stop thinking—never mind.” She was scowling as she shook her head. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m not here to see him. I wanted to see—”
“Kaia, darling,” William said, nearly leaping over a stand of beef jerky in his haste to reach her.
Strider frowned, but he wasn’t sure why.
As William pulled her close for a hug, the bastard grinned with utter delight, as if Kaia was just the thing he’d needed to relieve an eternity of boredom. “Are you here to fight the strippers who just enjoyed hours of my company?” He patted her ass in approval.
“Hardly,” she said, tossing her glorious mane of hair over her shoulder with a single flip of her wrist. “I’m here to thank them for keeping you occupied. Please tell me they’re still with you.”
William pretended to wipe away a tear. “Knife through the heart, my sweet. Knife through the heart.”
Gods, they were annoying. William had been trying to get into Kaia’s pants for months. She, of course, liked to string him along.
Which was another reason Strider would never make a play for her.
Kaia would challenge him more than most, and she wouldn’t care if he lost. Hell, she would want him to lose, even though the loss would bring him days of physical agony. Her sense of rivalry was just as highly developed as his own.
“We’re on vacation, Kaia,” Strider grumbled. “You weren’t invited.”
She waved away his words as if they were unimportant. “Deep down I knew you meant to invite me, so ta-da. Here I am. You’re welcome.”
“It’s scary how well you know us. Here, pay for this,” William said, dumping his candy into Strider’s arms. “We’ll be in the car. Making out.”
At first, Kaia remained in place, watching Strider. Whatever she wanted from him, he must not have given to her, because she blew him a kiss and allowed the black-haired warrior to lead her off. Not even trying to hide her actions, she stuffed a Twinkie in the back pocket of her jeans and grabbed a couple magazines before stepping outside.
Strider’s jaw ached from the grind of his teeth as he strode to the register. For some reason, people moved out of his way as quickly as possible. Even the ones standing in line, waiting their turn.
“Uh, I wouldn’t bring this up, except I kinda have to and everything,” the overweight cashier began nervously, “since it’s on camera and my boss, like, watches the film sometimes, but, uh, the little lady took a—”
“I know. Just add it all up.” After he paid, he stomped outside, the bag filled with candy slapping his thigh with every step. The cool night air failed to dampen his sudden black mood. At least you’re not thinking about Ex now.
Hardly a silver lining. And one that didn’t last. He’d maybe, big maybe, exaggerated his attraction to Ex. If he’d really wanted her, he wouldn’t have slept with someone else earlier today. He would have fought for her affections now rather than eventually, no matter how foolish fighting your friends over a woman was.
Look at Paris. Guy needed sex to freaking survive, but he hadn’t spent quality sheet time with any of those strippers.
That didn’t lessen the sting of being rebuffed, though, and maybe that’s why he’d thought he wanted Ex so damn badly. Because she hadn’t wanted him. Because she’d been a—what? A challenge. A challenge he claimed he hadn’t wanted. And he didn’t!