Page 57 of Dark Embers

Sounds about right. Actually what’s most unlikely about that is that he knows anything about astrology at all.

“And I have almost crippling arachnophobia.”

Hmm. Big, brawny Caesar afraid of spiders? No way.

“The last one,” I said. “I can’t imagine anything scaring you, least of all a tiny little spider.”

A wicked grin spread across his lips. “Drink.”

“What? You’re seriously afraid of spiders?”

He nodded. “When I was little, my mom would tell me bedtime stories of rare shifters. One night, she told me about the Jorogumo, which is a beautiful woman who can shift into a giant spider. She told me that if I ever told a lie, the Jorogumo would hear it and entangle me in its web and eat me. I’ve been terrified of spiders ever since—and pretty damned honest ever since.”

I pictured Caesar as a young boy shivering in fear at a story like that, and the image was endearing. I bet he was a really cute little boy.

“Wow. Okay, so what was the lie? Can you only bench two-ten?”

He shook his head, then leaned closer and winked at me. “I’m a Libra, not a Leo.”

I flared my eyebrows in consideration as I took my losing drink. “Interestingly enough, I happen to be a Gemini.” Which matches well with Libra.

He nodded, giving me that heated look again. “Thatisinteresting.”

After several rounds, neither of us had been able to sniff out the other’s lie even once, and we were both down to our last drink.

“This one is for all the marbles,” I said, feeling the effects of the alcohol starting to go to my head. “If you can’t find my lie, I win. Ready?”

He waved a hand at me in invitation.

This time, I started with my lie. “I can speak Spanish fluently. I’ve never been outside of Illinois. And…” The alcohol made me bold, and I wanted to hear his reaction to this last one. “I’m an excellent kisser.”

His lips twitched at that, and I noticed he was suddenly paying a lot more attention to mine. “Sadly, I believe that you’ve never been outside of this state. There’s so much more out there to see, and I hope you get to someday.”

I sighed, nodding. “Me, too.”

“I’m going with the Spanish thing,” he said decidedly.

“Dammit!” I slammed my fist on the bar top, receiving a disgruntled glare from the bartender as a result.

I grimaced in apology and turned my attention back to Caesar. “So you believe I’m a good kisser?”

He bit his bottom lip, the look in his eyes making my pulse flutter. “Well, unless I experience it for myself, I can only take your word for it.”

We looked at each other for a long moment, inching slowly closer until our noses were almost touching.

“You forgot to drink,” he murmured just when I thought he was going to kiss me.

Embarrassment and disappointment slammed into me, making me sit back away from him. I reluctantly took my last drink, emptying my mug. If I was being honest, I was more upset that he didn’t kiss me than about missing out on my chance to get into the school for a day.

“Okay, where’s my prize?” he asked, rubbing his hands together, and the mischievous glint in his eyes told me he knew exactly what he’d done just now.

“A deal is a deal,” I sighed and reached into my bag. I pulled out the kitty sweater and held it up by the shoulders for him to see.

“Holy shit,” he said and began to laugh as he looked it over. “When you said you got it for a guy, I never would’ve imagined thatthiswas what it was. You have seriously bad taste in men’s clothing.”

I stuck my tongue out at him. “It was meant as a gag gift. For someone equally as grumpy and brooding as you.”

“You think I’m grumpy and brooding?” he asked in mock offense.

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