Shortbread and Shadows - Amy Lane Page 0,17

head, brushing their lips together just close enough to categorize it as a kiss.

He pulled back and regarded Lachlan soberly. “Like that?”

Lachlan shook his head and tilted his face upward, smiling faintly. “More,” he begged.

Bartholomew lowered his mouth again, this time a little harder and sweeping his tongue against the seam of Lachlan’s lips.

Knock, knock, Lachlan thought. His tongue surged into Bartholomew’s mouth. Let me in!

Bartholomew gasped and opened his mouth.

Letting In

OH wow. Bartholomew had been kissed a few times, but nothing like this.

It might have been their positions—so close they could feel each other’s arousals pressed together. Or it might have been the element of danger and secrecy. The rabid crowd had not dispersed; of that, Bartholomew was certain.

But maybe it was just Lachlan.

He’d been sort of a hero today, helping Bartholomew track down the ingredients for the spell, blocking while they took off running, generally being a good guy and a member of the tight-knit coven, whether they were ready for it or not.

And now he was looking up at Bartholomew like he was special—wonderful, in fact, and he asked to be let in, and he tasted so, so good.

Bartholomew groaned into his mouth and allowed himself to be plundered, the kiss getting hot fast and Bartholomew not caring that they were hiding in a girls’ bathroom, only caring that Lachlan’s strong hands were around his thighs.

Lachlan grunted and stood up, carrying Bartholomew with him, and Bartholomew kept his ankles locked around Lachlan’s hips. With a heave, he shoved Bartholomew up against the door and the lock busted, crashing them into the center aisle between the two rows of toilets.

In front of three very surprised women.

“Oh,” said one of them, who was dressed very fetchingly as Wonder Woman. “There was a guy in here. There were two.”

“Which one of you’s the baker?” asked a curvy blond Captain Marvel.

“I have no idea,” Lachlan lied gamely. “Sorry, ladies. Looking for some privacy. The men’s restroom was packed.”

The women nodded sympathetically. “See?” said the third, dressed as Gamora, complete with a stunningly professional green paint job and an artfully tinted red wig. “Men. I told you—they’re so damned vain.”

Wonder Woman looked at them with apology in her eyes. “Sorry, guys, you seem very sweet, but if you want privacy, you’re going to have to go somewhere else. In about ten minutes the first panel’s getting out and half the convention is going to have to pee, right?”

“Yeah, sure,” Lachlan said, giving a cheery smile. “Didn’t mean to impose.” With that, he tugged Bartholomew’s hand, and together they made their way to the entrance to the ladies’ room. Lachlan went first, looking out carefully, and then he grimaced when he saw the security guard still there, arms crossed over his chest, looking suspicious.

“Shit,” he muttered. “That elevator’s seriously our best way out of here.”

“Is there any way we could distract him?” Bartholomew whispered, and Lachlan looked over his shoulder to where the three cosplayers were coming out of their stalls.

“Ladies?” Lachlan said, all arrogant smile. “We’ve got an absolutely huge favor to ask.”

A few minutes later, they held their breath, peering around the corner as their three friends sauntered by the security guard.

“What do you think they’ll do?” Bartholomew whispered.

“I don’t know,” Lachlan admitted. “I just told them to distract the guy. That could mean anyth—eep!”

Bartholomew was glad Lachlan made the sound first, because watching as first Wonder Woman’s corset magically unsnapped, followed by Captain Marvel’s, had not been in the job description.

Both girls shrieked convincingly, but they also jumped around a lot, and Bartholomew was mortified to realize this was the most breast he’d ever seen.

“Boobs,” he rasped through a dry throat. “Boobs everywhere.”

“They’re really very lovely,” Lachlan said with obvious enthusiasm, and Bartholomew growled. Oh yeah, he was fully aware Lachlan played for both teams. He’d watched as Lachlan had kissed both girls and boys goodbye on the vending floor after they’d helped him set up.

Lachlan gave Bartholomew an exasperated look.

“However,” Lachlan said deliberately, “I am obviously interested in somebody else right now.”

Bartholomew bit his lip. “Yeah?”

“Oh my God,” Lachlan muttered. Then, “Oh hey—look! He’s moving over there. Now’s our chance!”

Together they tiptoed out across the hallway, and Lachlan’s hand hit the door handle as the guard solicitously started to help Wonder Woman hook the multiple hook-and-eye getups that kept her corset on from the back. Captain Marvel made a deal out of zipping up the front of her spandex body suit, but would you look at that, boobs just