Nice Guys Don't Win (The Boys #2) - Micalea Smeltzer Page 0,49
my full lips. “All he has to do is give those puppy dog eyes, and I’ll agree to just about anything.”
Stepping back, I take in my costume. I bought a green sequined mini-dress, strapped some wings to the back, and ta-da I’m Tinkerbell.
When Teddy first suggested all of us dressing up for Halloween night at Harvey’s I was steadfastly against it. I’ve never much enjoyed the holiday, even as a kid. I mean, knocking on strangers’ doors and asking for candy doesn’t exactly scream safe. And as I got older it seemed childish to parade around in costumes. But Teddy worked his voodoo magic and the next thing I knew I was saying sure, and Cole was too.
Opening the bathroom door fully, my jaw drops when I see Cole.
“What?” He pats his bare chest. “Is it awful?
I swallow thickly, looking him up and down, from the gold sandals on his feet, to what is practically a white sheet wrapped around his waist. A golden laurel sits like a crown on his head and his body is sprinkled with a gold shimmering dust.
“Wha-who-what are you?”
He looks down at himself and back at me with an unsure smile. “Zeus. It was my sister’s idea. She’s good at this kind of stuff so I asked her what I should be, and she told me what to get.”
I needed to both thank and curse his sister.
He looked incredible, and I had to resist the urge to shove him into his bedroom and have my way with him.
“A-Are you going to get cold?”
For the love of God, Zoey, stop stuttering and staring at his man nipples!
“I’ll wear a jacket and take it off when we get there.” His eyes do a slow glide up and down my body. I feel that look everywhere. My attraction to him isn’t going away, if anything it’s getting stronger day by day. I don’t know how much longer I can resist him. “You look amazing, Zoey.”
“Thanks.” I tug on the hem of the mini-dress, wishing it was a tad-bit longer.
“You always look gorgeous,” he adds, clearing his throat. Adjusting his crown, he asks, “Are you ready?”
“Yeah. Let me grab my phone.”
While getting my phone from my room I also slip on a jacket to cover my bare arms. There’s not much I can do about my legs, but at least most of the evening will be spent in the warm bar.
Cole and I are silent on the drive over. When we pull into the packed lot, he grabs a piece of gum and starts chewing. “You want any?”
I shake my head. “I’m good.” We walk into the bar and I yell to be heard above the music and cacophony of voices, “Do you know what Teddy came as?”
I glance around, seeing a lot of guys dressed as Marvel superheroes, but Teddy likes to stand out in a crowd. I doubt he’d do something so basic.
“’Sup,” says a guy dressed as Bucky Barnes.
“Keep moving.” Cole glowers, removing his jacket. I press a hand to my mouth so the poor guy can’t see me snicker. “No, Teddy didn’t say what he was, but I’m sure everyone’s at our usual table.”
I don’t protest when he reaches for my hand to guide me along, not only do I not want to get lost in the insane crowd that frequents Harvey’s but I selfishly like the feel of his hand wrapped around mine.
When we get to the table, he still doesn’t let my hand go, sliding into the same spot he was in the last time with me on the end. I take in everyone seated at the table, figuring out their costumes. Mascen is dressed as The Joker and Rory as Harley Quinn. Kenna is as a blue butterfly, complete with face makeup, and Li is Cruella De Vil.
But I don’t see Teddy.
I open my mouth to ask where he is when there’s a rough shout of, “Avada Kedavra!”
My head jerks in that direction, my jaw dropping. “Oh. My. God.”
Cole snickers beside me. “Teddy.” He shakes his head, trying not to dissolve into full blown hysterics.
Teddy took his costume to the highest elevation he could. I don’t know how he pulled it off, but a full makeup and prosthetics team had to be involved to pull of his perfect recreation of Lord Voldemort.
“Avada Kedavra!” He shouts again, pointing his wand and mimicking the way Ralph Fiennes did it in the movies. In his other hand he carries a tray filled with shot glasses.