Page 97 of De-Witched

“What?” Alarm rippled through him. “You went out?”

“Uh-huh. We went to the coffee shop across the road. I had hot chocolate as Sloane said they were the best. Leah said we could put it on her ‘tab’ but I used your card.”

He looked at her drolly. “Naturally.”

She grinned. “And then we came out here to exercise the dogs. I like Chuck. Leah says he’s your favorite, too.”

Without asking permission, his gaze sought Leah across the small distance that separated them. She was windblown, capless, curls flying everywhere, in jeans and a snug sweater. Her small breasts rose and fell beneath the thin material. An erotic memory of teasing them with his teeth ran through his mind, so vivid that he felt heat of every kind flushing his cheeks.

As if Leah could hear his thoughts, she shivered. Or...

No coat, he realized.

“You need a coat,” he told her.

“I’m fine.”

He didn’t frown but he wanted to. “You’ll catch cold.”

“I’m fine.” Her stare drilled into him. He almost heard the words in his head: I’m not fragile.

If they’d been alone, he might have argued the point, but with his sister and Sloane keenly watching, he swallowed the retort. He wasn’t sure what to tell Melly about their arrangement, but he knew he didn’t want a big public display.

He refocused. “Chuck is a project,” he told Melly. “I’m attempting to make him more dog than beast.”

“He’s doing well,” Sloane ventured, in her shy way. “Chuck never sat before. He doesn’t always listen, but he’ll pay attention for a treat.”

“In other words, your typical male.”

Both girls hooted at Leah’s dry comment.

Gabriel shook his head, gesturing to Melly to walk inside. “I need to talk to you.”

“Here comes the lecture.” Melly pushed to her feet, not looking at all worried about his wrath. “I’ll probably be headed home after so—Sloane, you’ve got my number. We’ll text. Right?”

Anyone else might not see the slight anxiety that her potential friend might not follow through. Consequences of being a Goodnight. It was hard to find genuine people.

Sloane nodded with a timid smile. She ducked her head. “It was fun, like, hanging out.”

“You could come to me next. I can show you Bourbon Street.”

“No, you cannot.” Gabriel shuddered to think what Emmaline would say if his sister corrupted hers. He pointed ahead of him. “If you please, Amelia.”

With a final roll of her hazel eyes, Melly headed into the building.

Even as he followed, he couldn’t help but look back at Leah. A hint of a frown marred her forehead as she watched him go, her arms coming up to wrap around her stomach.

Was she annoyed that he was lecturing his sister? Surely she had to understand his concern. Melly was young, untried in society, witch or human, and was still not in full control of her magic. Letting her run loose in the human world was asking for trouble.

As soon as they were both inside, he cast a soundproof spell, sealing it with, “Susurri.” At his strongest, he wouldn’t have had to say the word, but he fell back on his schooling now.

The magical feedback ripped through him, and he clenched his teeth.

Melly touched his arm. “Gabriel?”

He nodded to let her know he was okay, breathed out through his nose as much for calm as to get his breath back.

Then he turned on her. “I cannot tell you how angry I am with you.”

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