Free Bitter Black Kiss by Michelle Clay

spend time with you and get to know you better is quite the bonus.”
    A fierce blush rose on her cheeks. “Now you’re just trying to embarrass me.”
    “I love that smile of yours. I just wish you wore it more often.” He kissed her on the cheek. "It's okay if you don't want more than a working relationship, Nicole. It won't affect your career. I just hope that you'll want more in time."
    After saying goodbye, she hurried to her car. Her mood was buoyant as she got inside and watched Sean move down the sidewalk.
    Molly waited until Nicole had strapped herself in to say, “Gross. Why’d he kiss you?”
    She twisted to stare at her friend. “You aren’t going to believe this!”
    Molly looked suspicious. “Don’t tell me he asked you out.”
    Nicole twisted the key in the ignition then adjusted the rearview mirror. “What? Eww, no.”
    "You're a tongue-tied idiot when Brody's around, but you can talk to Sean? Why is that?" Molly didn’t bother to hide the disapproval in her voice.
    Nicole couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s easy to talk to someone when you have no interest in jumping their bones.”
    “Oh my god, I knew it!” Molly laughed too. “So what did Sean want?”
    “He wants me to take a look at a band as the Black Moon opener.” She couldn’t help grinning. “When he’s in L.A., he wants me to run things at Bitter Black. Can you believe it? I hope that includes Black Moon.”
    “That’s fantastic. I’m so proud of you, Nicky.”
    Nicole put the car into reverse. There was no way she’d tell Molly about the stupid rumors Sean had mentioned. “He asked us to have dinner with him next Friday.”
    Molly looked out the window, and her good mood fizzled. “Why? Does he expect me to tend bar at this party? He can kiss my—”
    “As guests only.” Keeping her irritation tamped down proved to be a chore.
    “I’m sure I have plans. If not, I’ll make some.” Molly continued to stare out the window. Her features pinched into a dark scowl.
    Nicole had regarded the rearview one last time before she backed out of the parking space. “Why don’t you like him?” She slid a glance toward Molly, carefully gauging her response.
    “I don’t trust his type.”
    “His type?” She hoped to god Molly wasn’t referring to him being a Lycan.
    Nicole waited her turn to pull into traffic. A courteous driver in a green Subaru waved her in. Tooting her horn in thanks, she accelerated and joined the line waiting for the light to change. After an awkward silence had formed, she said, “Is it because he’s—”
    Molly’s green eyes narrowed. “No. I like you, don’t I?”
    “Yes, but I keep myself on a leash.” A prickle of caution skittered up her spine. The discussion she and Vasquez had about wolfsbane and Hank Alvarez was fresh in her mind.
    Molly straightened in the seat. “I think you’d be able to control yourself even if you didn’t.”
    Nicole gripped the steering wheel so hard that the leather creaked. “We aren’t going to find out.”
    Molly fidgeted with the seatbelt and couldn’t meet Nicole’s eyes. “Did you hear about Hank? It was all over the news this morning.”
    “He’s dead, I know. That bitch detective questioned me about that too."
    “What are you going to do?”
    Casting another glance at her, Nicole noticed the worried look on her friend’s face. She shrugged and offered a hopeful smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll be alright.”
    Molly shifted in the seat to stare at her friend now. “You could wean yourself off the wolfsbane.”
    Nicole didn’t take her eyes off the road. “I’ll just buy from someone else. I won’t chance hurting you or someone else.”
    Molly sighed and peered out the side window.
    Nicole’s cell phone rang, filling the car with its chart-topping ringtone. She cast a quick glance at her purse, but didn’t dare answer while in traffic. “Would you get that?”
    Molly rummaged through Nicole’s purse and withdrew the thin phone. She