Page 14 of Handcuffs and Hexes

Shit. I released her, and she continued loading the portafilter of the espresso machine. Except, with the brace on her right wrist, she was clearly struggling. Her fuse was short today, and she was tamping it down so angrily that the water would never percolate through the grinds properly. Her lips were trembling with frustration by the time I took it from her.

“Let me do it. Go sit down,” I ordered.

To my surprise, she didn’t fight me or kick up a fuss at my tone. This was more proof that something was wrong. Cooley always fought back.

I noticed the carton of milk on the counter, so I foamed some milk for her drink too.

When her drink was ready, she was still leaning against the counter, but her face was in her hands.

“Is the headache as bad as it was yesterday?”

She shook her head.

“Does caffeine usually help with your headaches?” I asked, trying one more time to get her talking.

She nodded, then took a sip. “Thank you for the coffee. This is good.”

Fuck. Things were feeling so awkward right now, and I hated it. She was shrinking in on herself, and gone was the woman who wouldn’t hesitate to tell me to pull my ego out of my ass and get lost.

“I didn’t want to use magic to speed up your healing yesterday since you already had such a big dose of it, but I can give it a try today if you want.”

She hesitated, then blew out a breath. “My head hurts, yes. But I’m kind of hiding in my hands for another reason. And I might as well be honest because if I don’t, I’m going to feel guilty forever.”

What was there for her to feel guilty about?

“I kissed Liam last night. He started it, but maybe he meant it like a chaste goodnight kiss. I don’t know. But I kissed him back, like really kissed him back.”

“Ah, so that’s the little secret Liam meant.”

Did she not enjoy it? Why was she acting like it was such a horrible thing?

“Did you enjoy it?”

There was a pained look on her face when she said, “Yes.”

“Well then, there’s only one thing left to do. We’re going to have to catch up.”

“What the hell does that—”

I took the cup from her and placed it down far enough away so we wouldn’t break it, then grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up to sit on the counter. Not expecting it, she squealed and then threw her arms around me. I stepped close, preventing her from sliding off the counter.

“You’re feeling guilty because you and Liam shared a kiss. The solution is easy. Kiss me and call it even.”

She frowned. “I’m not sure that’s how it—”

“Of course that’s how it works.”

I slid my hands into her hair, which she’d left loose today instead of in her usual ponytail or braid. It fell in soft waves aroundher face and was even softer between my fingers. I grabbed a handful, and her lips parted; that look of need in her eyes was back again.

“If I kissed you, would you enjoy it?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t know.” Her voice was husky but with a hint of challenge. “You’ve never kissed me.”

That was good enough for me. Releasing her hair, I grasped her hips and hauled her to me, loving that I’d had the custom countertops built at just the right height to press all the right parts together. The only thing between us now was the thin fabric of her top and my pants.

I claimed her mouth with mine, tasting her mingled with the nutty flavor of the coffee. Mmm, delicious.

Hazel resisted only for a fraction of a second before she moaned into my mouth, her questing fingers clutching at the collar of my shirt. I slid my tongue across her lips before seeking entry, deepening the kiss and sweeping my tongue into her mouth.

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