Miss Frost Ices The Imp: A Nocturne Falls Mystery (Jayne Frost Book 2) (9 page)

He shut the door before I could say anything, so I waited until he came around to his side and climbed in. “Coop—”

“You don’t need to explain, Jay. I’ve known you long enough to know that when you freeze up like that, you’re unhappy. I shouldn’t have kissed you just then. I get it. My bad. Let’s move on.”

I put my hand on his arm for a second. He was burning up, which meant there was a
lot
going on inside him right now, just like I’m sure my touch felt ice cold. “
Coop
, listen to me. I was a little freaked out by what you said. I mean, comparing me to Imari when she’s so clearly on another level? How was I supposed to react? And then you kissed me when I didn’t expect you to. It was just a response to the moment, not an indicator of my feelings for you. Which I do not want to discuss, other than to say I like you and I’m glad we’re friends again and the kissing is not awful.”

He stared at the ceiling of the truck and pursed his mouth. “Just what every guy wants to hear. The kissing isn’t awful. At least that’s not as bad as ‘You’re such a nice guy’ or ‘It’s not you, it’s me,’ because everyone knows it
is
you.” He looked at me, his blue eyes as stormy as I’d ever seen them. “And for the record, you are not vanilla. I know Imari’s beautiful, but so are you. And you’re every bit as classy and amazing as she is. Plus, you’re freaking royalty. Give yourself some credit, Jay.”

I raised my brows and stared at him. I appreciated his kind words, but he was being driven by emotion right now. Summer elves were prone to that, being so hot-blooded and all. “Are you done?”

He stared right back, peering into me in a way that made me a little squirmy. “I don’t know. Am I?”

Are we?
That’s what he’d meant. “No.”

He held my gaze a moment longer. “Okay.”

He started the truck and pulled out of the parking lot. We rode in silence until we turned onto Main Street, which was when he spoke again. “Sorry about all that back at the Excelsior. Imari dredged some stuff up in me. But that’s out of my system now.”

“Don’t ever apologize for being real about what you’re feeling.” His genuineness had always been part of his charm. “That’s one of the things I’ve always loved about you. Still do. There’s no guessing where you stand with Cooper Sullivan.”

His mouth bent in a little half smile. “I am who I am.” He parked in front of the warehouse door and turned to me. “Anything else I can do to help with this box thing?”

I thought a moment. “Let me know if you hear or see any more weird happenings?”

“Will do. I’ll get your door.” He hopped out and came around to open it for me.

It was sweet and old-fashioned and utterly Cooper. I grabbed my bag and got out, then leaned up and kissed his cheek. “See you soon.”

“You know it. Thanks for dinner.”

“You’re welcome. Night.” I headed for the door.

“Night,” he called back.

I unlocked the warehouse door, then looked at him right before I went inside. He was leaning on his truck, arms crossed, watching me and smiling this little smile like a kid who’d just gotten away with eating dessert first. His position made the muscles in his shoulders, biceps and forearms pop. The man was very, very pretty.

My insides did a little flippy, fluttery thing. Stupid insides.

I shook my head and went in, smiling anyway because I couldn’t help it. Cooper was cocky and sensitive, and that uncommon mix got to me every time. I wanted him around. In my life. As a friend. Or whatever we were that also involved kissing but no firm commitment.

I rode up the elevator and walked to my door. Across the way, I could just make out Juniper’s TV playing, and from Buttercup’s apartment came the soft thump of an explosion—the soundtrack of one of her video games.

Happiness bubbled up in me, the result of my interesting evening with Coop, my new life here in Nocturne Falls and the friendships I’d made. Just knowing Juniper and Buttercup were across the hall from me was comforting. Sure, I missed my family, but I was making a new one. I pushed the door open and went inside.

And of course, there was Spider. He was curled up on the couch, a tight little ball of black fur with his tail draped over his nose. I went and sat beside him, bending down to kiss his head. “Mama’s home, Spidercat.”

He yawned and stretched, then curled back up and blinked at me, his green-gold eyes filled with sleepiness. One paw came up to touch my cheek. “Mama,” he said. “Spider loves Mama.”

Then he tightened into a knot and drifted back to sleep.

I sniffed at the sweetness of his words. “Mama loves you, too, baby.”

Maybe having a cat that could talk wasn’t so bad after all. I yawned and my bed beckoned, so I gave him another kiss on the head then got to my feet. I left the bag with the box and lid in it on the coffee table. I’d figure out what to do with that in the morning.

I flipped on the bathroom light and went to work scrubbing my face and teeth. Cleaned up and ready for bed, I changed into the new shorty pajamas I’d bought at a boutique in town. They were perfect for the summer heat, cute and made me feel pretty, so I was willing to overlook how much they’d cost. Also, I liked to think I was helping to support the local economy.

I climbed into bed, grabbed my tablet and pulled up the book I was reading. I was a few pages in when Spider hopped up to join me. Of course, he had to sit on my stomach.

I put my tablet down. “Can I help you?”

“Vampire.”

I sat up, causing Spider to tumble off. “Greyson?” But what other vampire would it be? “Where?”

Spider walked around me to settle on the pillow my head had just vacated. “Window.”

I pointed at him. “Is Greyson really at the window, or did you just do that to get my pillow?”

Spider didn’t answer, but the soft rapping on the window in the living room told me all I needed to know.

These cute pajamas were turning out to be an even better investment than I’d imagined. I padded out to the living room.

Yep, Greyson was out there. I raised the window. “You could have called.”

He gave my outfit a once-over and smiled. “And miss seeing you in your smalls? I think not.” He squinted at the fabric. “Is that…candy?”

I crossed my arms. “Yes, gumdrops and lollipops. What’s up?”

“You’re not inviting me in?”

“I was in bed.”

A dark gleam shone in his eyes. “If you’d rather talk there—”

“You’re very cute, but I have an early day tomorrow, and I’m not much closer to figuring out what I let out of that box, so while I’d love to stand here and chat as my AC disappears out the window, maybe you could just kiss me good night and we can talk in the morning.”

“I was under the impression you could provide your own magical AC.”

“That’s beside the point. So can we just chat in the A.M.?”

He slipped in through the window to stand next to me. Some people think cats are super graceful. Those people have never seen Greyson move. “Can’t wait until morning.”

“No? Why? What’s going on?”

He sighed. “There’s a bridal shop in town. Ever After. This evening, an hour before closing, all the wedding dresses turned black.”

I dropped my arms. “Oh, that’s awful.”

He nodded. “Corette, the woman who owns the shop, isn’t happy. She’s a witch, and nothing she’s tried has made the dresses right again. Also, she’s engaged to Stanhill, the middle Ellingham brother’s rook, so this situation just got escalated.”

I shrugged. I had no idea what a rook was, but that was beside the point. “I’m still not sure why you’re here.”

His eyes narrowed. “Because Hugh Ellingham would like to see you.”

I pushed my hair off my face. “Fine. Tell him to call my office in the morning, and I’ll—”

“No, he’d like to see you
now
.”

Realization struck me. “He sent you to bring me back.”

Greyson nodded. “Yes.”

“How does he know that I might have something to do with the black dresses?”

Greyson pursed his mouth and glanced at the ceiling.

“You told him about me, didn’t you?” I put my hands on my hips. “I was in bed.”

“I’m sorry.” Greyson slipped his hands into my hair, took a step toward me and kissed me. I tried to protest, but just for a second. His mouth was weapons-grade hot.

When I started kissing him back, I felt his mouth curve into a smile and he broke the kiss. “Get some clothes on, lass.”

“Kissing me doesn’t make this summons any better.”

He raised a brow. “Not even a little bit?”

It did. But I wasn’t telling him that. I swept away toward the bedroom. “You owe me big-time.”

“Duly noted,” he called back.

I threw on jeans, a tank top and flip-flops. I wasn’t interested in impressing anyone at this hour, and like Cooper had reminded me earlier, I
was
royalty. The Ellinghams might own this town, but my uncle controlled Christmas and my father could arrange for snow to bury the whole town, so these vampires had better remember who they were dealing with. Not that I was inclined to call in those kinds of favors, but I
could
. And that had to count for something. I put on my diamond-stud earrings—a college graduation present from my parents—for good measure.

I grabbed my purse and walked out, picking up the shopping bag with the box in it on my way past the coffee table. “Are you driving?”

“Happy to, yes.”

“All right, let’s go.” I stepped toward the door as Greyson stepped toward the window. “Whoa. Do you think we’re jumping off the fire escape again?”

“I am parked right outside.”

I sighed. We’d done that only once, but I hadn’t known that’s what we’d been about to do either. It had been sort of fun (terrifying, but better once my feet touched ground), but to do it deliberately was something else.

He crooked his finger at me and smiled. “I can make it so you don’t notice a thing.”

Reluctantly, I walked toward him. “How’s that?”

“You’ll see.” He slipped back onto the fire escape.

I joined him out there and pulled the window shut. It wasn’t locked, but I wasn’t worried about that. “Okay, what are you going to do?”

He put his arms around me, still grinning like a fool, and pulled me against him so that there was no gap between us. No gap.

Then he kissed me again. I let him. It was the least he could do for interrupting my bedtime. Also, he was a tremendous kisser.

My head went all fizzy, and my stomach followed with a kind of light, floaty feeling.

Then he pulled back. “See?”

“See what?”

He released me to spread his arms wide. “We’re not on the fire escape anymore.”

I looked around. We were on the sidewalk outside the warehouse door and next to a sleek black muscle car. I hooked my thumb at it. “This yours?”

“Yes.” Pride gleamed in his eyes.

“What is it exactly?”

He ran his hand along the side with the same kind of touch I imagined he’d use on a woman. “A 1969 Camaro.”

“I suppose now you’re going to tell me how it’s got four on the floor or a super shifter or some other mechanical thing that I don’t understand.”

He laughed softly. “I don’t know a thing about cars, except that this one is exceptionally good-looking, very fast, and incredibly fun to drive.” He strode around to the passenger’s side. “Now, if you’d be so kind as to get in. There’s another vampire who’d very much like the pleasure of your company.”

I can’t lie. Hugh Ellingham’s house was impressive, but getting to see a magazine-worthy house didn’t make up for missing out on sleep. I could be a little cranky when I was tired. In case you hadn’t noticed.

At least the ride over had been fun. Greyson hadn’t been lying when he’d said his car went fast.

An older, silver-haired gentleman let us in. “Very good, you’re here.” He nodded at Greyson. “Mr. Garrett.”

Greyson nodded back. “Stanhill, this is Jayne Frost. The Winter Princess.”

Stanhill sketched a bow, which was unexpected and nice. Although unnecessary.

“Pleased you could join us, Your Highness.”