was never cramped in a car or on a plane.
For the first time, though, Sassy had her doubts. The cool, collected stranger with Meredith was everything Sassy was not: tall and slim, with legs a mile long and the serene, remote beauty of the evening star. This gal would never be called “cute” or “adorable,” or “cuddly.” She was an elven warrior princess. A woodland goddess dressed in soft leather pants and a sleeveless vest. From the athletic way she carried herself, this chick would be handy in a fight.
Her hair was the deep burnished red of maple leaves in the fall, and fell in a long braid past her hips. Extensions, Sassy decided with a mental sniff, and a good stylist. The woman’s plait was as thick as Grim’s wrist. No one was born with hair that color; definitely a dye job. She must spend oodles of time keeping it up. The fade factor for red was off the charts, even with color-safe shampoo.
Meredith looked Grim up and down.
Her gaze lingered on his crotch. “Goodness, someone’s having a hard day.” She tittered and shifted her attention to Sassy. “I see why. Girlfriend, your high beams are on. Careful. You’ll put someone’s eye out.”
“What?”
Sassy glanced down and broke out in a full body blush. Trey’s wet tee shirt was suckered to her body. It was nippily out and she was pointing. Holy moly, she’d been parading her naughty bits around for God and everybody to see. Was she high? Why hadn’t Mose told her?
Why hadn’t she known? What was in that fairy elixir, essence of ho bag?
She crossed her arms over her breasts and scooted behind Grim.
“Is she disordered?”
The elven supermodel’s voice matched her elegant beauty, as cool and fluid as a mountain stream. You could bet your Neiman Marcus card she’d never been caught in her skivvies.
If Sassy weren’t the Ninja of Nice, she’d positively hate her.
“Nah.” Meredith snickered. “I think my boo just realized she’s tits out.”
Tits out. Oh, gosh.
Sassy crouched behind Grim in a knot of misery and wished she could slide through a crack in the pier.
Grim turned and lifted Sassy to her feet. His touch was warm and gentle, his hands strong and capable. A warrior’s hands; the skin of his palms was callused from wielding a sword.
Sassy gazed up at him, her cheeks burning. What must he think of her, and why did she care?
In the span of a few hours, Grim’s opinion had become very important to her. She wanted him to think well of her. Now and after she left.
After she left; the thought made her belly sink to her toes.
A blanket appeared in his hand out of nowhere.
“You are a beautiful, free-spirited woman.” Grim tucked the covering around her. “You have nothing to be ashamed of.” His voice dropped to a deep, intimate rumble that made Sassy shiver. “Were you not promised to another, it would be my pleasure to convince you.”
Sassy sighed. “If I weren’t engaged, I’d let you. But I am. Guess we’d better go meet your friend the giraffe.”
“Her name is Taryn, and she is not my friend. She is Kirvahni.”
Grim spat the word out like a wad of used chewing gum.
“Kirvahni? Are you related?”
“We have the same Maker. There any claim to consanguinity ends. We do not like one another.”
“You and Taryn?”
“The Kir and the Dal.”
“Why?”
“They are a haughty, exacting, disagreeable breed.”
Grim didn’t like the willowy supermodel? The hard little knot in Sassy’s chest eased.
“Yoo-hoo.” Meredith waved at them. “Shag your butts over here. Fire Crotch has her tits in a knot.”
Fire Crotch? The shot of Vitamin Nice Sassy had given the ghost the night before must be wearing thin. Sassy didn’t know whether to be alarmed or relieved. Mean Meredith was no picnic.
Nice Meredith, on the other hand, gave her the creeps.
“Why is Fire Cro—I mean, Taryn here?”
“I do not know.” Grim’s mouth thinned. “She insists upon speaking with Conall.”
Ooh, a mystery; Sassy loved mysteries.
She grabbed Grim by the arm and pulled him down the wharf. “Come on. I want to say hello.”
She skipped up to Meredith. “Morning.” Sassy smiled at the ghost and stuck out her hand to the huntress. “Hi, I’m Sassy. You must be Taryn.”
The redhead looked down her perfect nose.
She ignored Sassy’s outstretched hand. “Must I, indeed? I do not recall giving you leave to address me by name.”
“See?” Grim folded his muscular arms across his bare chest. “Haughty and disagreeable.”
Definitely; Taryn had the warmth of an icicle. Sassy wasn’t discouraged. She