Page 83 of Primal Bonds

“Jesus, Evie.” Kyler shook his hand. “That smarts.”

Evie gulped. “Sorry—I didn’t think it would…what happened, anyway?”

“It felt like I touched a live wire.”

All four men were staring at her like she’d grown an extra head. She set down her fork. “What?”

Jace shook his head. “It’s just that fae warriors use fae balls as weapons. A light shouldn’t flash like that.”

Kyler chortled. “Evie Morningstar, fae warrior. I knew you were going to try to incinerate me with a fae ball.”

She pointed her fork at him, narrow-eyed. “One more word out of you and I will.” But she frowned at the fae light, shaken. She could’ve hurt Kyler.

“A fae warrior can conjure his or her own fae balls.” Jace squeezed her knee, seemingly reading her mind. “Your Gift seems related to the lights, but unless you can form your own, Kyler’s safe.”

“We’ll just be sure not to make you mad,” Horace said straight-faced.

She rolled her eyes, and he winked at her. Evie grinned back. Sam and Horace, at least, had accepted her into their circle. She wasn’t sure why she cared since she wasn’t going to be here that long—but she did.

Breakfast over, Horace got to his feet and gave a long, bone-cracking stretch. “God’s balls, I need a shower. And then I’m going to sleep until afternoon.”

“Me too.” Sam and Zuri followed him while Evie got up and started to clear the table.

“I’ll wash if you dry,” she told Jace.

Kyler helped carry the dishes over to the sink, and then tried his phone again. It still didn’t work, but he went into the living room to play a game, leaving her alone with Jace.

“Thanks,” she said. “For offering to help out Kyler. I’m just not sure…”

“It’s okay. I understand. You could always take money from me, you know. As a loan,” he added when her spine went rigid. “We don’t know how long this is going to go on. I feel responsible for the fact that you can’t work.”

She unclenched her muscles. Maybe she was being too stubborn. If the shoe were on the other foot, she’d want to help him. “All right. But only if it’s a loan.”

“It’s a deal. Of course, you could always pay me back another way.” He set down his dish towel and wrapped his arms around her where she stood at the sink, elbow deep in soapy water.

Her heart kicked up. “What do you mean?”

“I think you know.” His lips brushed over her neck.

She chuckled and then caught her breath as he nibbled his way to her earlobe. She rinsed the last plate and set in the dish drainer, and then clucked her tongue. “That’s bad, paying a man in sex.”

“Maybe I like bad girls.” One hand squeezed her breast while the other wandered lower to her shorts.

Her nipples prickled. Heat slid over her, thick and sweet as molasses. “In that case, what are your terms?”

“What are you offering?” His cock nudged the small of her back.

“Depends.” She twisted her head to kiss his throat and then started in on the silverware. “Pretty much anything is up for negotiation.”

“Anything? Oh, angel, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“No?” Somehow her wet hands were around his neck and his fingers were working their way into her waistband.

“If your brother wasn’t in the living room,” he muttered against her ear, “you’d be bent over the table right now, taking me.”

She gulped. She’d almost forgotten Kyler. She turned her head and gave him an open-mouthed kiss. “And I might even let you.”

He slid a finger into her damp panties for a quick, teasing touch. They both heard the front door open. “Anybody home?” Suha called.

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