APEX

Ch. 16: The Aquarium and the Bridge

Calla

We moved like a line of ants traveling over a trail of honey, the traffic on the thoroughfare leading to Neutral Isle's western bridge so thick, I began to wonder if the entire human population of Apex territory was relocating to it.

"It's gonna be another forty-five minutes until we arrive," Jackson radioed back to me from behind the soundproof glass. A tattoo of a mating pair of wolves peaked up above his collar. Classy.

That news was depressing, given how much I needed to accomplish today, but I had to smile at the fact that he'd spoken one whole sentence to me. We were making progress.

"Thanks, Jackson."

I spent the next several minutes answering an email from my assistant, Denise, at Crown, who was trying in my absence to organize a gala with werewolf dignitaries during the Lunaris Tournament. My first choice of venue, the Sury Historical Museum, had fallen through as a major leak had forced the facility to do an unscheduled renovation. I sent Denise a list of alternate possibilities in order of preference and asked her to follow up with me as soon as she'd secured something suitable.

Just as I'd sent off that email, my phone rang. My cheeks heated as the name of the caller appeared on my screen. It was stupid to feel embarrassed. However, recalling the inappropriate dream I'd had this morning starring Rhys Rawlings, I couldn't help but be mortified.

"Tell your driver to turn your car around," Rhys said, the command in his voice so reminiscent of my dream, I almost forgot to be pissed at him.

Almost. "Excuse me? How do you even know I'm in the car?" Or where I was headed, for that matter.

"Jane told me. Do you have a death wish or something?"

This conversation was not nearly as fun as the one in my dream had been. I let myself slip back into its spicy embrace. In it, I'd gone over to Rhys's apartment to give him a file that seemed very important even though I had no idea what its contents were. Rhys opened the door before I had a chance to knock.

"I thought you'd never get here," he told me, even though I hadn't mentioned to him that I'd be stopping by.

Before I could tell him this, my attention shifted to his apartment, which seemed to be in the center of a gigantic aquarium. Brightly colored fish zipped around in schools across the walls and overhead. Below the glass under my feet, crabs scuttled though corals and swaying seagrasses.

"Nice place," I said, stepping inside. As soon as the door closed behind me, it too became part of the aquarium. It was the sort of place that couldn't exist in the real world, but seemed unremarkable in my dream.

On the other hand, Rhys, who wore only a pair of boxers, showed off a body far more remarkable than the fact that his home was in the center of a fish tank.

My eyes slid downward, taking in each crevice forged like canyons from his rock hard six pack. My fingers tightened around the file I'd brought. I imagined dropping the papers so I could run my hand over the surface of his skin.

"Do it then," he said.

Was he a mind reader or had he noted the way I was gawking at him?

"This is a very important file," I told him, not caring in the least if it was.

"Drop it, Calla."

My hands shook. I let the folder go, a dozen photocopied pages with incomprehensible symbols flying out and landing haphazardly upon his floor.

"Good. Now come here."

Another command. My pussy tingled, the anticipation of what might come next if I did what I was told heating me to my core. But my brain still wanted to protest.