Page 91 of Ruthless Scoundrel
“You know, I’m only a brat around you.”
He grins. “Good, because you’remybrat.”
Something settles in the pit of my stomach and pulls, like an invisible string yanking me toward him. I grit my teeth and ignore it.
“I am not—”
“You aremy wife. You proposed to me, and I accepted, so that makes youmy brat, too.Now, let me help.”
His words have embers burning in my chest that feel more like safety than rage. But of course, he wants my powers strong. He needs my help to kill the false king who has his people. Vansen. No reason to feel fluttery embers because they’re all fake.
He takes my silence as consent and moves forward. He turns me toward the boulder, his chest pressed against my back as he moves me. His arm slides down my left side to my leg and my heart thunders. I wish it was in defiance, but it’s something else that makes it beat so loudly.
His foot presses into the side of mine, keeping it in place. He lifts my right arm, hand open, then has me grab my wrist with my left hand. His fingers trail along the inside of my forearm to my elbow. I refuse to shiver from the sensation.
“Put a little bend here so when the blast comes out, you won’t shatter something.”
I sigh dramatically and do as he says.
“Now, close your eyes.”
“I need to see my target.”
“Close.” He drags his fingers over my eyebrows and across my eyelids, pulling them down. The feather-light touch on my face has my center aching.
“Deep breath in. Imagine your body is full of rivers flowing away from your chest and every breath you take sends blue fire rolling through your body.”
“This is silly,” I say, captivated by his warm chest expanding behind me.
“It’s not silly. This is how I shapeshift. I imagine when I breathe, I’m filling my body with the shape I want to take, and then I do.”
“Why is it going to work for me?”
“Breathe in deep andtry, sunshine,” he says patiently.
I take a deep breath and envision my chest is a raging hearth. My arms and legs are chimneys that can direct the flow of heat. The fire blazes brightly as my lungs fill up.
“Now, push it down your right arm,” he says.
I command the fire to surge down my arm and I open the chimney chute of my palm just a little. A pinprick of heat sears my palm and my eyes fly open to see the narrow beam blast into the boulder. Shards of black rock fly away and land all around us. The divot is now a sizable crater with a warm, glowing center.
“You’ll be absolutely lethal,” he says, his voice filled with desire, and maybe even a little pride.
I swallow that thought and try to find my anger. “Better watch yourself. You’re just one moment away from being on the other end of it.” My words come out soft, unthreatening, teasing.
Jasper’s smile warms the tip of my ear. “Again.”
Chapter twenty-seven
Jasper
Waking up with Reina in my arms sparks a joy so deep in me, I feel my soul might be permanently altered by her. The warmth of her body, the softness of her breath, the smell of her wildflower hair—everything makes me feel like home is right here.
She mumbles something and wiggles, waking up my dick, too.
Fucking hells.
Taking care of my own needs has become completely impossible with her consistently attached to me, and it’s been quite some time since I’ve taken care of hers. I can’t go on like this, and I’m sure she can’t either.
