Page 29 of Wicked Witchmas: Elara & Tripp

“Whatever.” Remembering she was irritated at his evasiveness, she waved him off and headed for the bookstore. Right before she reached the knob, he wedged his way between her and the door.

“I’m sorry, Elara,” he said solemnly.

“For?” she asked, dragging it out, not necessarily ready to forgive without him being properly repentant.

“For my abhorrent behavior the other day and for avoiding you ever since.” He tucked a lock of her windblown hair behind her ear. The warmth of his touch chased the winter chill from her skin. “You should wear a hat on cold nights like tonight.”

“I’m fine.” And she was. Mainly because he was showering her with the attention she’d always craved. Warmth swelled in her chest. “And I forgive you for your abhorrent behavior.”

“But not for avoiding you?” he teased.

Scrunching her nose, she shook her head. “No need for you to apologize in that regard. I avoid you all the time.”

He shifted closer and touched his nose to hers, and her breath caught in her throat.

“For whichyoushould apologize tome, flitter-mouse.”

A wave of amorous energy swept up from the boots, crashing over her. Elara wrapped her arms around his neck and used one hand to drag his face down, close to her lips.

“Mm. No. I don’t think I will.”

Then, she initiated their kiss. And miracle of miracles, he responded by encircling her waist with one of those steel bands he called arms and weaving his fingers into her hair to tilt her head back. Their kiss was beyond steamy, and she leaped upward, hugging his hips with her thighs. He shifted to support her weight, not breaking contact with her mouth, and Elara moaned her pleasure as she pressed into him.

As she broke to drag air into her lungs, she spotted Bohdan Sanderson’s grinning face a few feet away.

“I know you’re there, Sanderson,” Tripp said. “But you’re getting better.”

“You only know because she saw me,” Bodhan retorted. “Sloppy, man. Real sloppy.”

“Remind me to have you tied and your furry ass waxed during the next full moon for interrupting an intimate moment,” Tripp said with an evil grin.

The wolf shifter paled. “I only came to tell you that the countdown has started. You don’t have to be a dick about it.”

“You know what to do.” Tripp stared down at her, and Elara initially believed he was speaking to her until he called over his shoulder, “We’ll be there in an hour.”

“I’ll tell the others.” Wraith-like, Bohdan disappeared into the shadows.

“I don’t know what that was all about, but your threat was genius,” Elara said, nodding her approval. “Pure genius.”

“I’ve been around a good while and had plenty of time to devise clever punishments for the wicked.”

All her girl parts tingled, and she clamped her lips together to keep from panting. Why did his comment sound sexual? Was that her overheated mind and under-pleasured body?

Florence’s words returned to her.“Perhaps you should learn more about a fella before you jump into bed with him, yeah?”

With an abundance of regret, Elara unlocked her legs and slid down his body. Watching for any signs of falsehood, she asked, “Is your mother truly a goddess?”

Other than a grimace of distaste, he appeared truthful when he said, “Yes.”

“Why does it bother you?”

Instead of answering, he clasped her hand. “I’ll tell you another time. First, I must finish explaining the problem with those boots, Elara.”

“Why can’t you give it a rest, Tripp? Nothing dire has happened in the last four days.”

“Did you not hear Bohdan say the countdown had begun?”

She had, but the blood pounding in her ears from their mini-makeout had quieted any questions she may have had, and her brain cells weren’t working in unison quite yet.

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