The Treble With Men (Scorned Women's Society #2) - Piper Sheldon Page 0,54
Laughter bubbled up from deep in my chest.
Devlin clutched a hand to his chest, his eyes wide. Backing into the wall behind him, he bumped into a short ornamental table, jostling a potted plant and knocking a small figurine over. Startled, Devlin yelped in fright and jerked away.
At this point, my arms were wrapped tight around my middle. The laughter came so hard, I was silent.
“Kim?” His voice was ragged and sleepy. “What’s going on?” After what felt like years of blinking at me while I laughed my face off, he finally seemed to fully register it was me. I couldn’t handle it. He was so dopey. Not at all the broody Devil of the Symphony now.
I shook with silent laughter. I just couldn’t stop hearing his girly little scream on a loop in my head.
“Are you—are you laughing at me?” he asked.
“Your scream—” I gasped out.
“You scared me.” He scratched his head, drowsy with sleep.
“Yeah, but then you screamed again.” My voice went up as I spoke. “Even after you saw it was me,” I gasped out, still fighting the giggles.
“I was confused—” he said.
“Like a Disney Princess.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “That’s sexist.”
I sobered long enough to say, “You’re right.” I nodded seriously. Then on a tight, controlled breath I added, “Disney princesses are made of tougher stuff these days.”
I breathed deep. No more laughing.
“Okay. Okay. I was sound asleep. I’m so glad you find this hilarious.” His voice was fake-stern but his eyes softened with amusement.
“And again when—when you hit the table. Don’t forget about that. You yelped!”
His voice took on a wry, self-deprecating tone. “Well. You can never trust these tables. They jump out of nowhere.”
That was it. I was lost to another fit. My back slid down the wall until I rested my head on my knees. The post-terror adrenaline and Devlin’s unexpected reaction had made me a little loopy. Every time I thought I had my laughter under control, I’d picture his oh-so-manly jump and the cycle just started again. My cheeks hurt from so much smiling.
Devlin chuckled a little as he shook his head. He slid down the opposite wall until we were facing each other in the hall. One lone light shone above us.
“I’m not used to company,” he said.
My face muscles twitched with the effort of composure. Finally, I collected myself enough to breathe deeply and wiped the tears from my cheeks.
“I’m never going to forget that for as long as I live,” I vowed.
“I’m here to entertain.” He had his back to the wall, one leg bent to his chest, the other leg sprawled out in front. He watched me like he thought I was the funny one. He looked half-asleep and wholly adorable. “If you ever tell anybody I screamed like that, they’ll never find your body,” he said, his tone dead serious.
“Five minutes ago, that might have scared me.” I grinned across the short distance between us. “But that was before I heard you yelp.”
He shook his head and then rested it back against the wall. The action jostled the small statue on the table and it fell over the edge, hitting his leg.
He jumped again and without a sound, clutched his hand to his chest. He glared at me, his face braced for my reaction.
I was lost to another fit of laughter.
Chapter 20
You aren’t alone.
Devlin
Kim’s eyes had heavy shadows under them, and she could hardly hold up her head. Her skin was so pale it looked like it might shatter if kissed. The last few minutes had really taken it out of her.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” I asked.
She made a face where she scrunched up her nose and lips. Thunder crashed and her whole body tensed.
“Are you afraid of the storm?”
“I’m not afraid,” she said. “I just couldn’t sleep through it.” She yawned. “Then you scared me.”
“I scared you?” I asked in a flat, sarcastic tone. “I live here. You were the one wandering around setting off the security cameras.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Security cameras?”
“Yes. But don’t worry, they’re only set when we’re sleeping or not home. They’re motion activated.”
Her eyes widened. “They weren’t going during the SWS meeting, were they?”
I kept my face blank and watched her. No. They hadn’t been recording, but now I sort of wished that they had been. What had those women been cackling about? At least the bathroom incident happened after that. I shuddered to think what they would have thought of the eyeful that Kim got.