Page 137 of The Female

I shake my head.

“Not yet, but I’m sure he’ll be back soon,” I promise.

It took them two days to begin speaking the last time I sent them away and another three before they were calm enough to return home. Aziel’s rejection of his bond with Gray drives a wedge between them every few years.

This isn’t anything new.

“What if he doesn’t come back?” Charlie asks.

I resist the urge to laugh. Gray is stuck to her like glue, and I know he’d never up and leave her. The incubus has many good qualities, and loyalty is at the top of the list.

“That’s not going to happen, but you’ll be well protected with me if it does,” I promise, hoping to help soothe some of her worries. “I’m not going to let anybody hurt you.”

Charlie does seem soothed by my words, her heartbeat slowing and her body sagging into the couch. I hate to admit it, but I love how she depends on me.

“This is all my fault.” Her cheeks redden as she admits this. “I shouldn’t have let Aziel touch me.”

I grab her arm as she brings her fingers to her mouth. This time, I don’t let go, and I hold her clammy hand within my own as I adjust my crouched position into one that’s slightly more comfortable.

Dropping my knees to the ground, I sit back on my heels as her lips twitch. She’s trying not to smile at her hand in mine.

“Gray was looking for any excuse to blow up on Aziel. It would’ve happened eventually,” I say, leaving out the minor detail that this happens frequently.

I don’t want her to think we live in a dysfunctional household. It’s far from perfect, but we’re generally pretty good and I don’t want to taint her image of Gray. She views him as a solid, forever person in her life, and she’d no doubt be bothered if she knew his short absence isn’t rare.

My pulse races as I eye the gem between her collarbones. I’m happy she’s wearing the necklace. Charlie watches me closely, her eyes darting between my face and my hand wrapped around hers.

I’m not used to being around females, and I don’t know how to comfort her. I understand facts and logic, but feelings aren’t based on those. No amount of assurances that Gray will be back is changing the part of her mind that’s convinced he’s left for good.

I run my thumb along the back of her hand, hoping she finds comfort in the action. Her pulse races instead, the opposite effect of what I’m going for. Maybe I should try something else. I lean forward and pull her into a hug. She follows my lead, thankfully, and crumbles within my arms. There are no tears, which surprises me, but she does release a few shaky breaths.

“Thank you.” She buries her face in my shirt. I like it. “I needed this.”

She shivers as I run my hand down her spine, and I gulp as I feel my body begin to betray me. I like her tiny frame against mine. My arms tighten around her waist, squeezing her until she groans.

Charlie shoves her hands between our torsos and pushes me back so she can look me in the eye. Hers shine with curiosity, and a second later, she licks her lips and glances at mine. She wants me to kiss her.

“Do you think Gray is angry I let Aziel touch me? He always says he wants us to be together.”

I shake my head. It doesn’t take a genius to know what she’s trying to understand. She wants to kiss me, and she wants confirmation Gray won’t be angry about it.

He won’t.

The incubus views us as family, his den, and instinct makes him want to share her.

His urge isn’t nearly as strong as it is for the other incubi, and I doubt he’d be happy seeing her with somebody he doesn’t consider his family, but it’s different with us. He’ll take pleasure in knowing I kept her warm while he was gone.

Charlie’s pulse races as I cup her cheek. Her arousal hits me as I stroke her soft skin, and I can’t stop myself from leaning in and connecting my lips to hers.Fuck.

She tenses as I kiss her, her body stiffening before relaxing into mine. I tighten my arms around her waist and lift, giving me room to slip on the couch beneath her body. Charlie gasps, but she doesn’t complain as I set her on my lap.

“Gray isn’t going to be upset, but I’m okay with waiting if it makes you feel better,” I whisper. I don’t want her to do something because she feels she has to, and I won’t be upset if she needs Gray’s explicit permission.

Charlie sucks in a sharp breath as I suck her bottom lip between my teeth. My canine nicks her and draws some blood, and I suck the metallic liquid into my mouth before releasing her lip with a pop. Her body’s small and warm on mine, and I slip my hands underneath her shirt to feel more.

I hold back a moan as she tentatively leans in and reconnects our lips, her cautious actions a far change from our last kiss. I can’t tell which one I liked more.

It’s not fair both Aziel and Gray get to touch her soft flesh while I’m stuck watching. Charlie’s going to reek of me when they get home. They’ll know she and I were intimate, but they’ll have no idea what happened. They decided to fight like two idiots, and this will be their punishment.

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