Soulless (Book #2 of Hunted)

Time for Tea

I was in the middle of brushing my teeth when I heard the sound of a familiar Audi R8 engine pull into my driveway. I spat out a glob of toothpaste and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Keegan was a mystery; I couldn't decide if he liked me or hated me...I couldn't even figure out if I liked or hated him.

I left the bathroom and went downstairs. The first thing I heard was, "Lorelei, you know that the lock on your door is broken." I sighed and walked sluggishly towards the front door. I saw Keegan looking even more godly gorgeous than yesterday in dark slacks and a light button-down shirt with the long sleeves rolled up to right above his elbows.

"Yes, I am aware that the lock is broken," I muttered crossing my arms over my chest and eyeing Keegan in such a way that didn't make it seem as if I were blatantly staring at him. He smirked and said, "Well you might want to have it fixed or you'll have all sorts of unsavory creatures just waltzing in." I raised an eyebrow at him and retorted, "Anyone I don't want getting in wouldn't be deterred by a locked door." He tilted his head to the side and took a deep breath.

"True enough," he said with a sigh and I saw his eyes dilate and recede as he breathed in my scent as if he were re-familiarizing himself with it. There was a brief pause in which I just kept feeling more and more awkward then he said, "Go ahead, lass, invite me in and I'll put a kettle on." He offered me a lovely smile and I let out a sigh.

"'Put a kettle on'? No one puts a kettle on in America and do you even drink tea? Come in," I snapped turning away from the door. Keegan followed me and said, "Old habits die hard. Even living in Romania my Mam had tea every afternoon; made my sister and I sit down at the table and eat biscuits an' everything. When I first came to America I was a bit put off by the lack of hot tea you all had. The cold stuff with mounds of sugar just seemed so classless. I still can't even drink it." I couldn't help but smile.

"Fine, put a kettle on if you wish, but Phoebe and I have business to attend to so we might not join you," I said leading him into the kitchen. His eyes fell to the metal kettle sitting on the stove and then the small shelf by the stove that held several boxes of both loose leaf tea and tea bags.

"What sort of business?" Keegan asked as he pulled down the box of loose leaf English breakfast tea. I heard Phoebe thumping down the stairs and I glanced over at the entrance to the kitchen.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know," I said sitting down at the counter as Phoebe entered and watching as Keegan filled the kettle with water and set it on the back burner.

"Why is he making tea?" Phoebe asked sitting down next to me. I shrugged and replied, "Apparently everyone in the UK has a burning desire to make tea whenever there is more than one person in the house." Keegan turned to glare at me and he snapped, "Excuse me, but Ireland is no longer a part of the UK and I would chastise you for stereotyping if it weren't kind of true. I'd say most Brits, Welsh and Scots got nothing but tea staining their gray matter." There was a moment of silence before Phoebe and I burst out laughing hysterically.

"Tea stains on the brain!" Phoebe shouted and she folded over face planting the counter. I shook my head and stood up.

"I'm going to check on Zane and then we can go," I said looking at Phoebe. She frowned and asked, "Can't we stay for just one cup of tea? We can bring out that fancy tea pot with the flowers on it and actually use those weird filter things for each cup." I sighed again and Keegan glanced at me with a small smile. I felt like they were ganging up on me and I didn't like it. I could accept it from Phoebe because she was my best friend, but I still barely knew Keegan and he didn't have the right to gang up on me.

"Fine! One cup and then we're leaving!" I relented.