Page 67 of The Secret Life of a Witch

“Fine, waste your time pretending to fight it.” His lips tilt into a crooked smirk. “I think we both know that, eventually, you’re going to be begging me to kiss you.” He reaches out and grazes his knuckles across my cheek, moving so fast I have zero time to react.

“In your dreams, demon,” I sneer with my eyes narrowed. On the inside, though, my heart is dancing like a loopy pixie at the idea of actually kissing him.

I’m seriously so messed up.

“Max, why did you bring me here? You said it was to talk to me. About what? I’m guessing about what I am.” I have no clue why since he gives me vague answers to any questions I ask him.

He wavers then conclusively nods his head once. “I’m going to tell you what I know about you, but only if you promise not to freak out.”

“Okay …” I wet my dry lips with my tongue as I consider what he wants from me. I mean, sure, it sounds pretty easy to stay calm and take a little chill pill for a few minutes. Considering how I reacted to what Hunter told me, though, I won’t be throwing down any bets that I am going to be all chillaxed while sexy demon Goth prince tells me that I’m a freak. “But what happens if I do freak out?”

“Then I’ll have to curse you with sleepiness again.” He presses his lips together, his eyes leisurely scrolling over my body. “And since my pets are banished from ever watching you again, I’ll have to be the one to do it.”

I hug my arms around myself, wondering why he keeps looking at me like that … Like … Well, I imagine like how I used to look at Hunter whenever he washed his truck. When he’d take his shirt off and his muscles would get all wet …

Holy no self-control!

“Between the two choices, I’d rather have you do it,” I tell him truthfully. “You seem like the lesser of two evils.”

His low chuckle makes me squirm uncomfortably. “The fact that you can say that shows how naive you really are.”

I scowl at him. “I’m not naive. I’ve been through a ton of crap.”

“You are with guy stuff,” he states matter-of-factly as he plops down on the bed beside me. The mattress concaves beneath his weight and forces me to slide toward him. “You have no idea how appealing you are, and I find it highly amusing.”

“Yeah, okay.” I snort a laugh, scooting away from him. “You know what? I don’t think I’m the one who’s naive. You’re just an idiot.”

His eyes flash blood red. “You know, normally when someone insults me, I throw them in the fire pit.” His hand darts out, his palm landing on my thigh. Then he presses his fingers downward as he drags me back toward him. “It’s a good thing I think you’re too weirdly beautiful to ruin that pretty little face of yours.”

I shake my head, huffing an exasperated exhale. “Stop trying to prove a fake point.”

“Which is?”

“That I’m attractive or whatever.”

He muses over something. “Why does this make you so uncomfortable?”

I shrug. “Because it’s a lie. I know what I am—how I look. I’ve been told it enough times.”

“Told what?”

“That I’m hideous. Not that it matters. I’ve gotten over it.”

He frowns, a crinkle forming at his brow. “What exactly happened to you in Mystic Willow Bay?”

I swallow hard as painful memories creep up of getting mocked all throughout my childhood. “I was told the truth.”

His eyes blaze like wildfires. “The truth?” He yanks me so close to him my legs end up on his lap. “You want to know the truth? Therealtruth?” He doesn’t wait for me to answer, putting his lips beside my ear. “Eighteen years ago, a little girl was born that was created from a demon with succubus bloodlines and a half-witch, half-demon feeder. The power of all four bloodlines were so powerful that no demon could resist wanting to get closer to her. The problem was, she was also so powerful that any demon that dared try to feed from her power died instantaneously. And then, one day her parents abandoned her in a lair. No one knows why, if maybe they were afraid of their own child or if the child killed them. Although, after meeting you, I no longer believe the latter.”

He wraps his fingers around my wrist, as if he’s afraid I’m going to try to bolt. “Then a bunch of idiotic witches found her and dragged her off to their magical kingdom where they let the girl pretend she was a pretty, pretty, almost powerless witch.” He cups his hand around the back of my neck and draws me closer, his lips kissing my ear as he speaks. “When really, she might be the most powerful hybrid demon that has ever been created.”

“You’re lying,” I croak. “I’m not powerful at all.”

“Why would I lie?” He breathes hotly in my ear. “And as for being powerful, you just haven’t been taught properly.”

“That’s not true. I took every power controlling class at school and none of them ever helped me improve my skills.”

“That’s because you were being taught how to use witch power. But you’re more than just a witch, my little rainbow trout.” He nuzzles his nose into the crook of my neck, breathing in deeply. “So much more.”

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