Page 22 of Spookily Yours

A small smile curled upon her lips. “You’re not a cat.”

“I told you I wasn’t.” My lip twitched. It was hard not to give her the same expression back.

“Still, I couldn’t be sure. Whowouldbelieve a talking cat?”

I chuckled. “Nothing gets past you, little witch, hm?”

Willow yawned, stretching her arms out. “What time is it?”

I glanced at the clock that sat on her bedside table. “Three AM.”

“I was out for that long? Gods.”

“Yes.” My head tipped down in a brief nod.

I’d sat by her bedside for hours, terrified that her breaking my curse had caused some irreparable damage to my witch. What I would do if it had, I didn’t know, but… I didn’t leave. Even though her scent was intoxicating to my system. I wondered if I was already addicted to it. If the way I craved her, down to my being, was normal.

I needed to keep my distance. To stay away. To not let my primal instincts take over.

I cleared my throat. “Now that I know you’re awake, I should let you sleep. We can talk more in the morning.”

“Mmm.” Willow’s eyes drifted closed once more, the ghost of a smile still carved onto her lips.

Stay.The voice crept into my mind, soft and sweet.Hers.

Rolling my head back, I let out a sigh of relief. Willow was okay. It would be fine.

And… it was good to be back in my proper form. I flexed my hands, staring at my fingers.

Touching her was bad. I knew it as soon as I had picked her up into my arms, carrying her limp body back to her bedroom, laying her under her comforter and making sure she was comfortable.

Because touching her… was going to make me want more.

And I couldn’t give her that. I wasn’t worthy of it.

What business did I have coming in here, messing up her life, anyway? She’d adopted a cat, expecting a lifelong feline friend.

Instead, she’d gottenme.

A tricky, conniving asshole who wasn’t even honest with his purpose here. And yet—I couldn’t look away. Couldn’t force myself to part from her. Fuck, but I didn’t want to.

Maybe I didn’t need to come to terms with the truths I’d realized today, but I’d think about those later. About what they meant.

Instead, I’d stay here, just like this—watching her sleep.

* * *

“Good morning,” Willow said with a yawn, tightening the robe around her waist.

When she saw me standing at her fridge, looking at its contents, she raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

“Making breakfast?” I answered. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

“You… you can cook?”

“Of course I can cook. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, after all.” I smirked.

“Huh.” She blinked, as if taking in my form for the first time. Taking inme.

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