Page 21 of Unhinged Magic
Done with this game she was playing, I was desperate to make this right.
I didn’t know what I would say. Only that I needed to be near her, to speak with her alone. Somewhere without her brother.
It was hard enough trying to keep this thing between us a secret, let alone pretend it didn’t exist around him. I hated lying to Ty. I’d never lied to him in my life. There was no way I could tell him thoughts of Skye consumed my every thought, leaving me with a constant semi for his sister.
I let out a curse of frustration, and the sea air captured it, misting it into salt and sea spray. On the far side of Cutters Cove, a crescent moon barely illuminated the rocks I currently sat on outside Skye’s house. The ocean’s angry, high tide pounded against the cliff face, rushing at me and almost hitting my boots.Picking up a stone, I palmed it, my thumb running over its smooth surface before launching it into the ocean.
A constant tug pulled me toward her. The need to be near her vibrated through my limbs.
I felt the mate bond like she was my other half. Already a part of me. I didn’t understand how she could deny it.
I stared at Skye’s house, which was dark with no hint of movement. Go figure. I checked the time on my wristwatch. 11 PM.
Her house faced the oceanfront, the darkened backdrop behind it casting shadows over its exterior. I’d walked there when sleep would not come, no matter how long I lay staring at the ceiling. Thoughts of her consumed me.
My magic reached out to feel her presence in the upstairs bedroom, where a sliding door led onto a balcony. Its timber railings wrapped around the exterior, thick beams suspending it in the air.
The back of my neck chilled, hairs rising as if being watched. A warning that maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I reached out again, my magic searching for anyone in the vicinity, but found nothing. I parked that feeling, letting it settle on my shoulder.
Clambering up the rocks, I carefully made my way back up to the street when another blast of cold chafed my neck. I lifted my hood up and over my head.
Silenced by grass, my footsteps moved closer with an unnatural stealth until her balcony loomed above me. I wasn’t one for stalking, but fuck there was a first for everything.
Was this stalking? I wasn’t sure. Did I have a plan? No.
I took a final glance over my shoulder and down the amber-lit streets, another press of my senses to check we were alone before staring at the house again.
A large sculpture sat close to a supporting beam connecting with the balcony outside her bedroom. One hand on the beam, afoot on the sculpture, I lifted off the ground, just high enough to grab the balcony above. Gripping the edge, my biceps burned as I chinned myself up and over, landing silently.
I pressed my palm to the glass separating us before curling it into a fist. Unease lingered in my stomach, threatening to spill its contents onto my boots.
My head dipped, dropping against my fist, my eyes sliding closed until all I saw was her face, those fiery orbs. I couldn’t back out now.
I tapped lightly against the glass so as not to frighten her, as if a knock on her window in the middle of the night wouldn’t cause concern.
Fuck, this was a bad idea.Stupid.I turned, about to leave, when the door slid open.
Sleep-filled irises stared warily back at me. She rubbed them as if to clear her vision. “Wesley?” The distance in her soft voice hinted I had roused her from a deep sleep. She stood in the doorway, her hair tousled in messy waves falling freely over her shoulders.
Breathtaking.
I wanted to run my fingers through it. My gaze dropped to her bare legs beneath a white oversized tee that barely covered her thighs.
For the love of…
I quickly looked away.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, brow furrowed.
I shook my head. “I didn’t…” My voice faltered as I tried to refocus. This was a bad idea.
Skye wrapped her arms around herself, brushing them to keep warm, the effect causing her chest to move with it.
Fuck my life.
A shiver moved over her. “You can’t just turn up here. What is going on with you?” Confusion painted her heart-shaped face,and I knew I had screwed up. I shouldn’t be here. But Iwas. Acting like a fucking hormonal teenager. Shoving my hands into the pockets of my sweats, she followed the movement, shuffling uncomfortably. Her cheeks bloomed with heat.
Was she blushing?
