Home > Tarian Outcast (New Tarian Pride #3)(9)

Tarian Outcast (New Tarian Pride #3)(9)
Author: T.S. Joyce

“And here is a video of him saying his first word,” Drea murmured proudly as she hit play on the video.

“Drea,” Katy said, dragging her attention away from the jukebox. “You’ve showed me videos for the past half an hour that I’ve already seen on your social media pages, liked, and commented on.”

Drea frowned and put her phone into her purse. “I’m boring now.”

“No, you aren’t. You are a goddess.”

“Yeah, but I’m wearing mom jeans. My bra and panties don’t even match or really flatter my figure, and all I talk about is my family, who I was so excited to have the day away from so I could hang out with you.”

“Okay, the bra and panties I have no comment on except to say you need to surprise Donnie with some pretty stuff every once in a while if you want him to keep kissing your treasure cavern. But talking about your family doesn’t mean you’re boring! That means you’ve found ‘it.’”

“What’s ‘it’?”

“The something that everyone is searching for. Do you miss them? Right now, do you miss them?”

“Yes,” Drea said softly.

“Good. And despite all the chaos and balancing schedules, do you feel fulfilled?”

Drea nodded.

“Are you happy?”

The corners of Drea’s mouth curved up in a pretty smile.

Katy said, “I already know the answer just from the smile on your face. You aren’t boring. You’ve done it! You’ve found the good life. You’ve found the thing that some people search their whole lives for and never find.”

“Yeah…but just for today, I thought we would party, and it could be like old times.”

“Silly woman, we’ve both changed. I can’t even do three margaritas in one sitting anymore. Who’s the boring one now?”

Drea let off a single, “Ha!” and sucked the rest of her second drink down. “Still me.”

“Amen.”

Katy snickered when Drea swatted her in the arm.

“Okay, but for real,” Drea said. “I’m not the one kissing some lion shifter in the middle of the street. You definitely aren’t the boring one. Show me that picture again.”

Katy pulled up the picture of her and Kannon’s woodland lip-lock on her phone and handed it over.

“Those lions are dangerous as hell, but I do have to admit, he’s really cute. I mean…” Drea looked up at Katy and arched an eyebrow. “Really, really cute. And he looks really into you. I never saw Dayton kiss you like this.”

Katy’s cheeks heated, and she dropped her gaze to the coaster she was spinning around in her hands. “I know you’ve told me the rumors that go around about the Tarians, but Kannon feels different than those. I know I won’t ever see him again, and I know we won’t go anywhere, but I like him. He’s fun. And light. And steady and mature and dangerous, yes, but in the sexy kind of way, and he tastes good and he actually paid for lunch, and you should see him when he takes off his shirt, and did I mention he’s hot? And nice to me? And protective? And he yelled at Dayton on the phone and told him to leave me alone.”

“Well, that last part alone makes me like him.”

Katy snorted. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend and all?”

“Yep!” Drea said. “Jo, we are going to need those nachos now. I’m feeling these drinks!” She turned to Katy, but something out the front window caught her attention for a second. A grin stretched her face, and she arched her delicate eyebrows. “And besides, never say never.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean never say you definitely won’t see him again, because who knows? Maybe you’ll see him again in thirty seconds. Stranger things have happened.”

Katy narrowed her eyes at her friend and parted her lips to tell her how weird she was being, but the dinging of the front door bell sounded, and a strange feeling came over her. It was like that butterflies-in-the-stomach, flustered, hopeful, excited feeling that only happened when Kannon was around.

She twisted on the bar stool and, son of a biscuit eater, there he was—the shifter of her dreams.

He gave her a smoldering smile and then made his way to a table in the darkest corner, sat down, stretched out his leg and nodded a hello to Josiah.

“The usual?” Josiah asked.

“Yep.”

Huh. Josiah wasn’t giving him hell for being a shifter like he’d done to Abel. Maybe they knew each other better. Or were friends? Cheeks heating because she knew he could see the elation on her face at seeing him, she averted her gaze and tried her best to play it cool. She tried to take a sip, but missed the straw three times and probably looked like a fish. And when she did connect, her drink was empty and she slurped loudly. Oh, God, she would never get laid again.

Drea was staring at her like she’d grown eight nipples on her face.

“What?” she whispered.

“Uuuuh, pretend you have game and go say hi to him. He’s clearly waiting for you to go over there.”

“Well…maybe he should come to me. He’s the man and all.”

“I’m Drea!” she called across the bar. “Katy has told me all about you.”

“OhmyGodstoptalkingtohim,” she hissed out.

“I don’t want to interrupt your lady date, or I would’ve already come over there. Since I’m the man and all.” Kannon’s grin turned absolutely naughty.

Great, she forgot he could hear everything! Clearing her throat delicately, she nodded to him. “If you would like to join us, that would be acceptable, but know this. I have already had two margaritas, and that stuff is truth serum for me, so if you aren’t good with call-outs and truth…stuff…then you should probably stay over there.” Dear goodness, what had she even just said?

“Truth serum sounds fun.” Kannon stood and sauntered over to them. “First off, who’s driving home?” he asked.

Drea was making an “eeeee” face.

“That’s what I thought. Jo, cancel my drink. I’m good with water today.”

“Are you going to drive us?” Drea asked. Whoo, she looked impressed.

“If you don’t mind riding with a stranger.”

“Are you creepy?” Drea asked.

“Drea,” Katy admonished.

“If I was creepy, I wouldn’t have just told the bartender I was your designated driver.”

“Oh.” Drea smiled. “Well, we are going to be here for a while, so you could probably do a beer.”

Kannon nodded and sat in the chair next to Katy. “You heard the lady,” he said to Josiah.

“Chhhh,” Jo said. “I was going to say, I’ve never served you water. Was going to ask if you were sick or something.”

“I thought you were working,” Katy murmured.

“Off at two. I have to be in for my shift at the crack of dawn, but I like it. I’m an early riser.”

“He said early riser,” Drea said, waggling her eyebrows. Oh God, here we go.

He reached over Katy and offered his hand for a shake. “I’m Kannon. I’ve seen you around town, but we haven’t officially met.”

Drea narrowed her eyes and tried to look severe, but her lips gave away her good mood as they were curved up in a playful smile. As she shook his hand, she told him, “Katy’s bestie. And as Katy’s bestie, I have questions.”

Kannon nodded very seriously and thanked Josiah for the beer and the ice water he slid in front of him. “I’m ready.”

“Is it true that shifters have bigger than average dicks and more stamina and a higher sex drive?”

Katy just sat there with both cheeks on fire, staring ahead, frozen.

Kannon laughed. “Uuuuuuh, maybe, yes, and probably.”

“Huh. Well, Katy, you’ll never be deprived in the bedroom.”

“Hey, Jo, can I borrow that Glock?” she asked.

Josiah just laughed. So did Kannon and Drea, and everything was awful.

“Is it true you like my bestie?” Drea asked him next.

“She’s very nice.”

Kill. Me.

“I mean do you like like her?” Drea pushed.

“Can I have one more margarita?” Katy asked Jo. Why was he chuckling? None of this was even remotely funny.

Kannon’s deep laugh was so damn sexy. “If we’re doing twenty questions, we have to switch off. It’s my turn.”

“Okay, we’re ready,” Drea said.

“We’re?” Katy asked. “There is no ‘we’re ready’. I’m not ready for anything. I need nachos.”

Kannon frowned and slid his hand to her thigh, squeezed slightly. “This is all fun. You can veto any question. Besides…you’ll never see me again. Relax.”

With a sigh, she pressed her face into his shoulder and inhaled his scent. Cologne and oil and grease from the garage. Yummy, yummy man. “Okay. Let’s play twenty questions.”

Did he just press his lips to the top of her head? It was fast…but did he? Drea was making an “aaaaw” face when Katy looked at her, so maybe? Okay, she had butterflies at the possibility.

Kannon took a swig of his beer. “Where did you two ladies first meet?”

It was Katy who answered this one. “Fourth grade. I’d been picked on for a solid year by this girl named Patricia. She was tall and strong, so recess was my personal Hell—”

“And then there’s me,” Drea cut in. “I’m a year older, same recess, trying to mind my own business and do my homework so I could take care of my sister when I got home… But every single day, I watched this giant redhead pushing this little mousey brunette around. And not quietly. Patricia was a loud kid. And her bullying was interrupting my school work so one day—"

“I’ll never forget it for as long as I live. Patricia pushed me off the jungle gym, and I scraped my knee and it hurt so bad, but she told me, ‘You better not cry and tell the teacher.’ I’m lying on the ground, looking up at her angry red face and this…angel!...appears and grabs Patricia by the hair and pushes her right into the metal pole you slide down. She stood over her and said, ‘If you ever touch my friend again, I’m gonna knock all your teeth out.’ I had a moment there, just staring up at this girl with perfect braids and a mean frown on her face for Patricia. And on my behalf! I fell in friend-love instantly. She was just…my hero. And she stayed that way. ”

   
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