Page 25 of Of Mercury and Mist

“Just use your fingers or I can do it,” she said.

There was plenty I wanted to do with my fingers, but her hair wasn’t on the list. She whimpered, and I met her gaze. She was staring at me, and I realized my eyes must’ve changed while I got caught up in fantasy.

There were many questions I suspected she wanted to ask, but she never did. How could she overlook the things she saw? I very much wanted to hear the excuses she told herself since the magic I’d weaved around her to forget didn’t appear to take as much as it should’ve. If it had, her gaze wouldn’t snag as much as it did when she was exposed.

“Look away,” I ordered. She did, and I put the product she used for her hair in my palms and began smoothing it through her tresses.

Whenever I took my eyes off the job, I could see her. She was reflected in the three-sided mirror, watching me with fascination and relaxing under my touch. It wasn’t right—it was very, very wrong. The power she had over me was infuriating; I shouldn’t want her treacherous soul so badly.

By the time I finished, she was nearly asleep, turned sideways on the countertop, her back against my chest and her head drooping forward while my heart pound frenetically in my chest. For whatever reason, she’d trusted me enough to fall asleep.

Carefully, I lifted her chin and pressed my mouth to hers. She stirred slightly and her lips parted before her eyelids fluttered. The world around us fell away as I leaned in, claiming her with my tongue, nipping at her lip, and pulling her to the edge of the marble fixture. Her nails dug into my shoulders as she kissed me back, winding a hand into my hair.

Ashley writhed in my embrace, rocking her pussy against my hardened cock beneath my pants. When I grasped my belt, reality came crashing back down. I’d almost claimed her. The scent of her desire and every fragrance that made her my angel, surrounded me, enchanting me, and I’d almost gone too far.

“No,” I said firmly. “You need to leave.”

“Micha—”

“Go home,” I ground out, shaking her hands off me.

Dazed, she glanced at me and hopped off the counter. Her clothing was a soaked pile on the shower floor, giving her nothing to wear.

Leaving her naked and smelling like a goddess, I walked to my room and grabbed a T-shirt and sweatpants. There was no way they’d fit her, but that wasn’t my problem, no matter how bad I wanted it to be.

Ashley could’ve been without suitable clothing because she was mine and I’d just ravished her rather than because she got in the shower fully dressed but she should’ve thought of that before she stole from me. She’d made her bed and now she had to lie in it.

Placing the stack on the counter and trying to modulate my breathing, I said, “Get dressed and leave.”

Ashley snatched the clothes, dropped the shirt, and threw me a dirty look.

NINE

Ashley

“What’s wrong? Why are you dressed like that?” Andy hollered after me as I stomped down the hallway heading for my room.

His hand caught the door before I could slam it shut. “Rough day at work,” I said.

“I told you they’re assholes. You don’t need that job, come back to work with us.” Andy leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms.

“You know I can’t do that. I’m too old for that shit.You’retoo old for that shit.” Crossing my room to my dresser, I tore off the unwanted T-shirt.It smelled like him. The shirt instantly went into my wastebasket.

“Where’s your bra?” Andy stared at me, his mouth hanging open.

“Unfortunate smelting accident,” I drawled, referencing a line from an old movie.

He rolled his eyes. “Seriously? They took your clothes?”

“No, not seriously,” I said, tugging a tank top over my head. What was I going to tell him? He’d go ballistic and the way things looked lately; he’d get himself killed.

“Don’t worry about it, I spilled coffee on myself and took a shower in one of the apartments. This was all there was to put on.” The blatant lies easily spilled from my tongue.

Andy gave me a pointed glance—he wasn’t buying what I was desperately selling. “Whatever. I mean it about you coming back to work with me.”

“Yeah? Well, that’s not going to happen. Sorry, but thank you for the offer.”

He stepped into my room. “Something’s up with you.”

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