Page 57 of Entranced By the Basilisks

“I liked it,” I admit. “No more nightmares.”

That detail alone makes me want to drag Jasper into my bed every night.

He blinks at me in surprise. “Good.”

“I’ve got breakfast ready downstairs if you lovebirds can be parted from bed.” Ari pretends to contemplate something. “Or you could invite me in, and we could have a different sort of start to the morning.”

Both Jasper and I stiffen at that.

“Damn,” Ari sighs.

I can taste my morning breath. If I am going to have a threesome, it’s not going to be at a time when I can taste my breath.

“Another time,” I say, my voice is small, but the teasing is there.

Ari smiles like I’ve just given him a puppy.

Jasper gets out of bed. “I’ll go get dressed and meet you down there.”

“And then we can show Emilia your surprise,” Ari calls from the hallway.

“What surprise?” I ask.

Jasper starts to regain more of his edge, and he shrugs. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

* * *

It’s a big fucking deal.

“When did you guys even have time to set this up?” I ask, my voice full of shock.

“Last night. Jasper thought you might be more comfortable here if you had an outlet other than flirting with me,” Ari responds.

“I thought you might enjoy having some normalcy,” Jasper says, rubbing the back of his neck. “Don’t worry about finishing the projects I brought. They all have due dates that are months away. Training is still your highest priority, but it can be exhausting to only train.”

The room they’d brought me to looks like a second study. There are shelves and shelves of books, but for once, that isn’t what catches my attention. On a sturdy-looking table are my tools! My organizer that holds the vital items of my craft, a book-repair knife, sanding blocks, and various containers of paste and gilt sit next to bins for washing paper, a steamer and even a press. Along with a stack of boxes that I assume hold projects for me to work on.

My throat is tight at the thought of these two setting this up for me, even though the purpose of my being here is to train. Yesterday had been fine, but the scattered feeling of needing to work on something is definitely back in full force.

“Thank you!” I throw my arms around Jasper. We both freeze, me from embarrassment and Jasper probably from alarm, but he thaws first, returning the hug.

“You’re welcome. Ari helped set it up.”

I glance at Ari, suddenly overcome with nerves that he may expect a hug too. Oddly, Jasper is still the one I’m more comfortable around.

The gleam in Ari’s eyes is mischievous, like he can hear my thoughts and thinks they are adorable.

“I’ll save your hug for another time, my spark. Before breakfast is hardly the time for me to discover how your body feels against mine.” With that, Ari leaves toward the kitchen.

Jasper’s chest moves against mine in a silent laugh. “I hope you’re prepared for how relentless of a flirt he is.”

I swallow. My brain stuck on the image Ari put there. I take a step away from Jasper and savor his hands falling away from my body.

“I don’t know how I’m going to survive him,” I say.

Jasper smiles. It’s barely there, but it softens his whole demeanor and reminds me of how he was right after waking. It almost distracts me from his murmured reply.

“That makes two of us.”

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