Page 47 of Hexes and Exes

“Right. Just stay there for a second. I’ll be right back.” Bram rushes out of the room, but turns the fireplace with the flip of a switch first. The sound of drawers opening and shutting and Bram cursing drift out from the bedroom. He’s back in less than a minute with a pile of blankets and clothing clutched in his hand. He drops the blankets and pulls the sweatshirt over my head. Before I put my arms through, he unhooks my bra and guides it down my arms.

“See, not even a peek.”

I glare at him. He might not have seen my boobs, but he definitely saw a lot more than that.

He falls back to his knees and guides one foot and then the next into the sweatpants. Lifting my hips once again to pull them up to my waist. A pair of thick socks follows. I’m still frozen solid, but it’s a thousand times better than it was minutes before.

Bram picks me up and moves me to the couch. He begins piling on blankets. I feel like a little kid that he’s turning into a blanket burrito. My skin is prickling, like I’m being poked by ahundred needles as warmth seeps back in. Bram straightens and takes off his coat. He strips off his shirt next and then his pants.

“What are you doing?”

“Hey, a full sentence,” Bram says encouragingly as he lifts the blankets and climbs onto the couch next to me.

“Seriously, what are you doing?” My entire body has started to shiver now, beginning down at my toes and vibrating up to my teeth.

“My clothes were all wet and you need more heat.”

“That’s not a real thing.”

Bram rearranges me, wrapping his arms around my body and throwing a leg over mine.

“Yes, it is.” His hand slips under the sweatshirt and splays across my back.

Fuck, his hands are huge. He’s like a heater, pouring warmth into me at a rate that must be magic.

Whether it’s magic, or literally the amazing heat from Bram’s body, I slowly warm up. Shivers still wrack my body, but I’m slowly becoming aware of other things. Bram’s masculine scent, how solid every bit of his body is. I’m really trying not to notice Bram’s hard chest, where my hands are splayed. Or the way his leg thrown over mine presses his dick against me. I’m also pretending I don’t feel that he’s hard. I saw Bram wipe my kiss away. He’s not interested in me that way. It’s just a physical response because we’re pressed so close together.

“What did Lucida want?” I ask when I can get out a full sentence, and because I need a distraction.

Bram huffs out a breath. “She knew my mom. I had no idea.”

My head is tucked under Bram’s chin, so I can’t see his face.

“What did she have to say?” My words are a little slurred, like I’m drunk. It’s probably from the cold, but I think being this close to Bram is rendering me stupid.

“Nothing, really. Your dad came storming out, and I had this bad feeling.” Bram’s hand rubs up and down my back. The newly returned warmth in my body moves to my chest. He was worried about me?

“Yeah, he wanted to have a talk.”

“How did you end up in the river?” His words are sharp.

I groan. “I dropped a glove.”

A burst of amusement is chased by exasperation as Bram’s emotions flood into me. “So you decided to take a swim to get it back.”

“No, smartass. I was on the shore. At least, I thought I was.” I tip my head back to look at Bram. His gray eyes are stormy but half-lidded as though he’s close to falling asleep.

“Are you warming up?” His huge hand rubs up my back, the heat searing my skin. Bram’s hips flex and mine arch in an automatic response. Bram sucks in a breath, and I swallow down a gasp. My heart is racing, but at the same time, I’ve never felt more content.

“Yeah.” I tuck my head into his shoulder. I really want to kiss him, and that sounds like an amazing and totally horrible idea.

Bram’s breathing is labored and his exhales paint across the top of my head. I shift my body to get just a little bit closer. Bram makes a strained sound. His throat bobs as he swallows, and his hand flexes against my back before swooping perilously close to my ass. As the edges of his fingers dip beneath the waist of my pants, I suck in a shaky breath. Bram curses and jumps off the couch like I just grabbed his dick.

“Soup. Or tea. I should get you something warm to drink. Stay there,” he commands, as if I’m about to leave the blanket fort he’s built for me without assistance.

I sigh and burrow my head down. It’s probably for the best. I don’t know if I can handle being called a mistake again.

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