Page 21 of Mochas and Minotaurs

“You were about to pass out standing up with Triscuit on your shoulder. Then you couldn’t get the fork to your mouth and started pouting.”

Shit, did I? Okay, maybe he was right. Technically, the ward was still up, the spotter was gone, and whoever was fighting me must be just as tired.

“Tomorrow then,” Penny said.

“Yes,” Lily agreed. “Tomorrow. And Mr. Minotaur, sir?”

Marcus scrunched his nose in the cutest way, wiggling the septum ring he wore. “Yes?”

“We, her coven, leave our sister in your hands,” Lily said, sounding super serious. “Griselda is your responsibility until we retrieve her tomorrow. Take this responsibility seriously.”

I knew Lily enough to know that was her way of making sure Marcus stayed for the night, and I got lucky. But how she managed to keep a straight voice through all that was a mystery.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Chapter 10

Marcus

“You’re not getting ridof me that easily,” I said as I tucked her into bed. “I made a promise to your coven, and I’m not leaving.”

I’d gotten Triscuit fed and settled for the night, and he’d been so tired he didn’t even complain that it was me and not Gigi doing the feeding. And when I was done, Gigi was already in her sleep clothes. Tonight she wasn’t in the skimpy night dress I’d seen her in the other day, but a black and gray camisole and shorts setwith little bats on them. It was made of a similar silky fabric as the dress.

“I told you, I’m notthatkind of witch. You can’t help me recharge.”

She meant that she wasn’t the type of witch who recharged through sexual contact. I’d already gathered that much from today’s demonstration. She recharged with physical things.

“Do you really think that’s why I’m here?” I asked teasingly. “Okay, it’s partially why I’m here. But not right now.”

“Do I look that bad?”

“No. That’s not how I meant it. You look tired but not horrible.”

I’d have her under me in a heartbeat. I’d wanted nothing more since that wonderful night together. But if sex didn’t replenish her, then I didn’t want to make matters worse by tiring her out even more. Unless…

“What about skin-to-skin contact? Does that help you recuperate? I mean, it’s a basic mammalian need, right?”

“Basic mammalian need?” The frown she gave me was fucking adorable. “I’m a woman, not a lost kitten.”

“Are you sure? You’ve got the sass. And the claws.” I eyed her black-painted nails that had been shaped to a point.

She hissed at me.

“See. I knew it.”

“I’m not a kitten.”

I picked up my phone and brought up a video I’d seen recently of a swaddled black kitten hissing like it thought itself really intimidating. “See, you look just like that.” I tucked the blankets around her a little tighter. “You said you become a gremlin when you are low on magic. I’d like to argue that it’s closer to an angry kitten. Scary, but cute.”

“I’ll take it,” she said. “I am the night! Hiss!” She cracked a smile.

“Yes, very terrifying, Kitten. But you still haven’t answered my question about physical contact.”

“Yes, physical contact helps, as long as it’s calming.”

That was all I needed. I reached for my shirt and pulled it over my head, tossing it over the chair in her room. Then the pants came down.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?”

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