Page 19 of The Teddy Bear's Prize

I don’t have to read her mind, all of her wicked thoughts are written on that beautiful face as she plays with my shadows.

Each stroke of her fingertips sends a new sensation through my body, I shift, feeling my cock pressinguncomfortably against my boxers. Maybe I was wrong, they might have some use after all.

“Careful, little doe,” I purr, “They’re quite sensitive.”

“Sorry,” Mia pulls her hand away, her cheeks flushing a bright shade of pink that travels down her neck and hides beneath her t-shirt.

It would be so easy for me to slip my tendrils around her waist and pull her onto my lap and kiss her senseless, leaving her needy. Who am I kidding? I am the desperate one, I cannot move past our kiss and I am already trying to find the correct combination that would allow it to happen again aside from reading her mind.

Not that she is much of a mystery after touching my tendrils. With a wave of my hand, I dismiss my shadows and watch as her lips part in surprise.

She blinks and glances down at her watch, “Damn, I should get to bed. I’m going to be on call all day tomorrow.” She pauses, “I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the couch. I converted the spare bedroom into my office after Erika moved out?—”

I hold up my hand, “The couch will be fine.”

She gives me a soft smile and touches my shoulder, “I’ll get you a blanket and a pillow.”

Home is a distant memory as I lie back on the couch, adjusting myself. If the Old Gods above can hear my prayers, perhaps I will be lucky enough to dream of her again tonight.

ELEVEN

Mia

It doesn’t botherme that Ijustfound out that my best friend since high school is a witch. It makes sense; she taught me everything that I know about astrology, manifesting and even how to read tarot. Her spreads were always superior to mine. Even the deck she got me for my birthday last year puts me on blast whenever I use it.

No, I’m fine with that.

What bothers me is the last thing she said to me as she was climbing into her car.

By the way, if you get the chance, you should totally bang that demon.

Trust me, I want to. It’s ridiculous how much I want to. I want to touch him, to taste him, and to have him pressing me into the mattress. I’m sure I will dream about that kiss for the rest of my life. Not to mention his shadows, I can’t stop thinking about all the filthy things he could do with them.

I can read the room and I know, at least from our smallmake-out session in the kitchen, that he’s attracted to me, too. But, like an idiot, I told him to sleep on the couch. I can’t help it. I panicked.

Dammit, Mia, don’t get attached. This isn’t the new normal, just one very weird and very satisfying day. He will always return to the demon realm. Don’t fall in love.

Sure, he’s gorgeous and remarkably gentle with me, but he’s still a demon. Even if his darker side only comes out to play to protect me. Ugh.

I pad across the bathroom, reaching behind the curtain to turn on the shower, testing the water with my fingers.

“Stupid.” I hiss to myself, pulling my shirt over my head and letting it drop on the floor before stripping out of my shorts, kicking the small pile of clothes towards the wicker hamper.

I step into the shower and close my eyes to feel the warm water pelt against my skin, making my hair stick to my neck. It doesn’t take long for my thoughts to wander.

In my fantasy, Tobias opens the door to my bedroom after hearing me in the shower and strips down to join me.

It wouldn’t happen in a million years, but this is my feral daydream, so I can’t decide which I want to feel first, his shadows or his strong hands.

I keep my eyes closed and reach for the shampoo bottle, instead, my fingers graze the smooth tile wall. The water blurs my vision as I reach for the bottle again, this time knocking it over completely, the corner landing right on top of my foot.

When I go to pick it up, my elbow slams into the wall of the shower, taking out two other hair products. The sound of them hitting the tub is enough to wake the entire neighborhood, if not the whole town, and I’m stuck here partially blinded and in pain.

“Mia?” Tobias asks.

“Shit.” I hiss under my breath.

I can hear the concern in his voice, and he’s a lot closer than I expect. I imagine he rushed to the bedroom as soon as the first bottle hit.

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