Khloë turned back to him. “I don’t want soda.”
“And I don’t want to have to talk you down from doing dumb shit again.”
“You don’t have to, Keenan. I don’t need a babysitter. I’m a full-grown adult.”
“With the impulse-control of a child.”
“All I’m hearing is blah, blah, blah, it totally sucks to be me, blah.”
Devon went to exchange an eye roll with Raini, but the blonde’s gaze was focused inward in a tell-tale sign that someone was speaking to her telepathically. Devon gently nudged her and asked quietly, “Everything okay?”
Raini blinked, and the cloud left her eyes. “Yep. Fine.”
“Was that Maddox telepathing you again?”
The blonde just shrugged and grabbed a brownie from her paper plate.
“You can’t block him?”
“Nope. Either he’s a guy who can’t be blocked or it’s because he’s my anchor.” Raini bit into her brownie. “I’m okay. It’s just frustrating.”
“Do you talk to him?”
She shook her head hard. “I know better than to respond to him. He’ll get bored soon enough.”
Well that was the hope. “And if he doesn’t?”
Raini’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know.”
Hoping to get rid of the lost look on her friend’s face, Devon said, “I will say one thing. He’s hot.”
Raini’s eyes lit with amusement. “Don’t let Tanner hear you talking like that. He’ll growl and snarl and throw you over his shoulder. Which sounds like it could be fun.”
Devon laughed. “Yeah, it kind of does.”
Soon Asher was done opening his gifts and the party games began. Honestly, it was amazing how competitive imp children could be. Jolene had to step in several times to stop the kids arguing and trying to choke one-another. Khloë’s little sister, Heidi, even set a little plastic chair on fire when she lost at musical chairs.
When it came time to light Asher’s candles, they all crowded around him and sang happy birthday. Knox helped him blow them out, and then the kid shoved his hand right into the cake.
Laughing, Devon snapped a photo with her phone as Harper wiped his sticky hand. “You’re a menace,” Devon told him.
He took a blob of frosting from his sleeve and offered it to her. “Kick.”
“He means cake,” said Harper, her mouth quirking.
Devon took the blob from him. “Aw, thanks little man.” And then flames burst to life around her phone, which then disappeared in a blink.
Fire erupted out of Asher’s clean hand. The flames died away, revealing her damn cell. “Ooh, mine.”
Devon twisted her mouth. “Ah, so he was trading the frosting for my phone.”
“No,” sighed Harper. “I think he was just trying to keep you distracted so he could take the cell. Asher,” she drawled in her “you’re in trouble” voice. “Give it back to Auntie Devon.”
He mimicked his mother’s frown. “Mine.”
“No, not yours. You can’t take people’s things.” Harper took the phone from him and handed it back to Devon. “Stuff it in your pocket fast.”
Devon did so, chuckling at Asher’s pout. She scooped him up and balanced him on her hip. “I can make faces too.” She crossed her eyes, sucked in her cheeks, and stuck out her tongue. His pout melted into a smile, and he tried copying her.
“Now wait a minute,” said a voice to her left.
Devon looked to see Lou trailing after Jolene, who was heading toward them.
“Are you insinuating that I’m friendless?” he demanded.
Jolene turned to him. “I didn’t imply it. I said it.”
He jutted out his chin. “I have tons of friends, thankyouverymuch.”
“Asher and your pets don’t count.”
Lou ignored that. “I even have a BFF. He and I go way back.”
“Oh yeah?” Jolene folded her arms. “What’s his name?”
Lou’s mouth bopped open and closed. “Bart. He’s tall. Always wears a suit. Has great teeth.”
“You’re talking about your shrink. And his name’s Garth.”
“Well, I call him Bart. It’s a nickname. BFFs have nicknames for each other.”
Rolling her eyes, Jolene pivoted on her heel and held her hands out to Asher. “Come to Grams.” She snatched him before Devon had the chance to object.
Lou scoffed. “Why would he want to go to you when he can come to Uncle Lou?” He tried taking Asher, but Jolene tightened her hold. And then flames roared to life around his little body and he disappeared from his grandmother’s arms.
Hearing a burst of flames behind them, they whirled to see him sitting on the table next to his birthday cake. Once again, he shoved his hand into it.
Harper growled. “Dammit!”
Devon’s chuckle faded as she felt Tanner’s attention settle over her. Her gaze instantly found him prowling toward her with little Heidi at his side. The little girl was babbling about something or other while waving a form at him.
Tanner sighed down at her. “I tell you what, kid. I’ll sponsor your school run—even though I think you’re just making this up to get money out of people—if you’ll stop stealing my wallet. Now give it back.”
Heidi blinked, all innocence. “Wallet? Why would I have your wallet?”
“Hand it over.”
“Fine.” Mouth setting into a disappointed pout, Heidi gave him back the wallet and stomped away.
“Typical imp,” Tanner said to Devon, curling an arm around her waist. “If you’re dumb enough to not pay attention, they’ll rob you blind.”
Devon shrugged. “If it makes you feel any better, she probably would have given the wallet back to you at the end of the party. I’m not saying all your cash would still have been in it, though, or that she wouldn’t have scribbled down your bank card details.”
Tanner shook his head. “Unreal.”
Hearing Asher’s infectious laugh, she turned to see him running from Lou, who was demanding to have his cap back. “He looks more and more like Knox every time I see him.”
“He does,” Tanner agreed. “You love the little guy, don’t you?”
“Hell, yeah,” she said. “Who wouldn’t?”
“Then why do you sometimes seem so sad when you look at him?”
The unexpected question hit her right in the solar plexus, making her feel like she’d had the breath punched out of her. Had she really been that obvious? Or had he just come to read her well? “It has nothing to do with Asher. It’s also not something I can talk about here.”
His gaze drifted over her face. “All right.” He put his mouth to her ear. “Do you think it would be rude of me to put you flat on your back on that table and eat you out?”
Once again, he’d shocked her. But this time a laugh bubbled up. “Given the amount of people here, it could get awkward. Maybe you could do it in your apartment later.”
He pulled back and arched a brow. “Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah. Your services will be appreciated. And rewarded.”