Holding Out For Skye by S.R. McKade Read Free Book Online

she finds out.’ He’d replied, ‘She won’t find out.’ And I was like, ‘I said no, and I mean it, you idiot.’ Vanessa walked in just then. You know how she must have been listening in before deciding to make her appearance.”
    She could see Nick and Thea had grasped the implication and were trying not to laugh again. Skye sighed. Again.
    “So she drew her own conclusion that we were talking about our ‘unrequited love’. And then she was like ‘OMG, it’s true.’ Alastor just looked bored and well, the rest is history.” She casually bit into her pizza.
    “Not so fast,” Cian countered. “You left out the part where you threatened Alastor.”
    “I did no such thing.”
    “You little liar,” Cian chided.
    She glared at him. “I’m not! And what about you? You threatened both Vanessa and Alastor.”
    Nick and Thea sat back and watched them exasperatedly. They were used to their arguments.
    “Those weren’t threats. They were just mere promises.”
    “Oh, so you promised Alastor you’d beat him up?”
    “And you said you’d break him into little piecesor had you forgotten ?”
    Skye scowled. “I did not threaten him.”
    Nick decided to butt in or else they’d be here all day. “Skye, you threatened—” When she glared at him, he quickly rectified his words, “Ah—sorry, you told him you’d break him into pieces?”
    Before she could reply, Cian chimed in, “Yeah, she did. She called him a gibbon.”
    “What’s a gibbon?” Thea asked.
    “It’s a small ape.” Skye looked at Cian in exasperation as he snickered.
    “With long arms,” he added.
    A giggle escaped Thea’s lips and Nick laughed out loud. “Man, you have a lot of guts.”
    Thea added, “He’s really nasty, Skye. You shouldn’t have said that.”
    “Don’t worry. I can handle him.” Skye had always had to take care of herself so she’d taken self defence classes and knew how to fight. Being alone and a woman at that, you could never be too safe. Plus, bullies like Alastor needed a come-to-Jesus talk. She could do that very well.
    Cian smirked. “If he’s ever stupid enough to come after you, God help him.”
    Skye bristled. “You—”
    Thea interjected, “Cian, she just saved your reputation. You should be grateful.”
    “Yeah, buddy, you owe her one,” Nick put in his two cents’.
    “No, he doesn’t,” Skye fidgeted.
    “Yes, I do.” Cian looked at her pensively. “Why did you do it?”
    Skye’d been dreading just that question. She should have known he was too smart not to finally come around to that.
    “I annoy you like hell, you can’t stand me, I’m a flirt, I’m infuriating, exasperating, arrogant. I never shut up,” he counted his traits on his fingers, “So why’d you do it?”
    Skye looked at him straight when she answered. “Because no one deserved that kind of betrayal.”
    They all fell silent. The look in Cian’s eyes was making her nervous. She had never seen that look before. Damn, damn, damn. Say something! Why didn’t he say anything? He kept staring at her with those eyes, those piercing pale-colored eyes that felt like they saw right through her. No one should have eyes like that.
    Nick watched them, a smile hovering on his lips. Were they finally going to understand they had feelings for each other?
    “You’re still a moron though for making Vanessa your girlfriend. Anyone can see she’s a skunk,” Skye proclaimed, pulling her eyes away.
    Or maybe not , Nick thought, resigned. Of course, Cian argued back. They were like fire and gasoline. They just kept rubbing each other the wrong way or the right way, depending on how you looked at it. “So what happens now?”
    They both froze. Thea sent him a ‘What are you up to?’ look. Oh, he knew very well that neither Skye nor Cian had realized the consequences of their little masquerade. Cian would grasp it quickly. Hopefully he wouldn’t screw up this opportunity. But then this was Cian. Better cross his fingers.
    Skye