Page 49 of Hollyhocks

I gasp when her finger skims the tip of my cock.

“Let’s go see about that wine.”

I’m dumbfounded and hard as fucking stone when she walks away. I need a second to calm down. Seeing the monster in my clothes has me ready to strip Holly bare. I wonder if I imagined it hard enough if she’d look like the creature I desire as I fucked her.

“No, fuck. Come on, Fitz. That’s too wild of a thought. Even for you. What the fuck, man?” I hiss to myself, gripping the edge of the dresser.

I hang my head, taking a slow deep breath. My arousal fades enough but I’m one fucking lash flutter away from coming in my damn sweatpants.

“You got this. You’re completely fine. You’re fine.” I leave the bedroom when something floats in the air out of my peripheral. Holding out my hand, a small fluffy white feather lands in my palm.

Her wings.

“You have got to be kidding me. I’m imagining feathers shedding now? I need to sleep for a week. This is getting out of hand.” I drop the dream feather onto the dresser and head downstairs to see Holly sitting on the couch.

She has one of my favorite blankets tossed over her and a glass of red wine is in her hand. My glass is on the coffee table waiting for me.

“Sorry about that. I needed a minute.”

She takes a sip from her glass. “We all need a minute every now and then, don’t we?”

Holly looks too damn good on my couch. She’s made herself at home. Something about this picture feels so fucking good, so right. Seeing her gaze upon me as if I’ve plucked the moon from the sky to slide it upon her left ring finger is a gaze I’m suddenly in love with.

I’m so confused about that. One moment I’m all about Holly, the next, I want to only be her friend.

Then, an epiphany hits me.

When my mind isn’t playing tricks on me visualizing her as a monster—I only want to be her friend. Yet, when I see the creature of my dreams? I want to marry her at this very moment.

I’m one wild twister. Goddamn.

“Hey, you okay?” Holly crawls over to be closer to me, then wraps her arm around my leg. “Talk to me.”

I don’t even know where to begin. I’ll go with what does make sense. “My sister is on her way here because of my father. She and my nephew, actually. I’m probably not in a great situation for a relationship.” I take a big swig of the red wine she poured for me, the liquid smooth with a hint of sweetness to coat my throat.

How did she know where my wine glasses were?

“If it makes you feel any better, I can’t remember anything except for the last few days. Well, okay, that’s not true. I can remember little things, but they are blurry, and muscle memory is there.”

I sit up, blinking at her in shock. “Okay, you win. What the fuck? What do you mean you don’t remember anything?”

Her posture changes to a slouch. Holly’s confidence vanishes in the defeat of her own nightmares. Her eyes gloss over, a sadness overwhelming them. Lightning cracks outside. The crash is loud, proving how close it is. Holly closes her eyes, wincing with every bolt the storm brings.

Fucking Caden.

I take her hand in mine, loving how soft her skin is. I’ve never felt like this in my entire life. The purple flesh I love so much peeks through and a fin on the back of her wrist to her elbow captures my attention.

I wonder what creatures my mind is creating for this monster?

“It’s okay. This storm won’t hurt you,” I reassure her, giving her hand a tight squeeze. “You’re safe here.”

Holly turns her head away, wiping a tear off her cheek. I slip a finger across her jaw, forcing her to turn her head.

“Come here.” I reposition myself, making a spot for her next to me.

She eyes the empty space for a minute, unsure if she wants to be so close. Thunder vibrates the ground and the light above us shakes, the glass clinking together. Holly scurries to my side. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to my side.

“You’re alright, Wildflower. I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You’re safe here. Whenever you’re ready to talk about it, I’ll listen.”

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