Page 56 of Ensnared
“Come on,” I say more gruffly than I intended. “We need to get to the computer store before closing.”
Her smile falters, and I curse myself for being so clumsy with her. I was never very good around women, but that doesn’t mean I can behave like a Neanderthal with Skye. She just gets under my skin, and my defense mechanism seems to be barking out random orders whenever she’s around.
Pull yourself together.
I pick up her backpack, then take her good hand in mine. She starts at my gesture but doesn’t pull away. I feel her gaze on me as we walk across the parking lot. She doesn’t comment. Neither do I. Let her think whatever she wants—that I’m being polite, that I’m just helping her because she’s injured. The truth is I’m having trouble keeping my hands away from her, and this is the tamest way I can keep touching her.
I help her into the cabin of the large pickup truck we keep at the hangar for running errands around Anchorage.
“Thanks,” she says.
“Don’t mention it,” I mumble.
She waits until I join her in the cabin, then faces me. “You know, I like it when you show me you care. Like with that handkerchief you gave me. Or the time you carried me from the woods.”
“If I remember correctly, you complained that time,” I remind her. “Loudly.”
She’d bit me, and though it hadn’t hurt too badly, I was still under the impression that I’d made a mistake.
She shakes her head from side to side. “I realize now that you could have just left me to fend for myself. Sea dragons and witches were never great friends.”
“Is that what we are?” I ask. “Friends?”
Her cheeks take on an adorable pink hue. “I hope so,” she whispers.
Fuck. I want to be so much more than friends, but if this is how she feels, I’ll be whoever she needs me to be.
“Fine.” I have to look away from her beautiful brown eyes and those perfect pink lips. “Friends it is.”
Nineteen
Skye
I’ve never enjoyedjealousy as an emotion, but I can’t deny that seeing Aiden seethe quietly is entertaining.
We’ve been at the computer store for more than forty minutes. It’s now fifteen minutes past closing time, but Pete, the assistant manager, is showing no signs of slowing down his presentation on routers, switches, and Wi-Fi boosters.
I’m in heaven, surrounded by tech that will make my work in Amber Bay not just possible, but enjoyable. Even though I’m wearing that single bracelet, I can imagine how awesome it’ll be to let my magic flow when setting these up.
“I’m happy to give you my number,” Pete says. “In case you need any help with setup, I mean.”
He coughs nervously and darts a look at Aiden, who is looming in the corner of the shop like a menacing shadow.
“That’s really kind of you,” I reply, taking the shop’s business card on the back of which he scribbled his digits. “We’ll be back in a couple of weeks to grab those switches you ordered.”
Aiden unpeels himself from the wall and saunters closer, then puts an arm around my shoulder. “Ready, Skye?” he murmurs into my ear.
I shiver at the sound of his voice, and my traitorous body wants to lean into his heat. I keep my wits about me, barely, and furtively pinch his side.
“Thanks so much,” I tell Pete. “See you soon!”
Aiden escorts me to the car. The moment we’re safely shut inside, I round on him.
“Was that really necessary?” I demand.
He snorts. “That guy was five minutes away from proposing to you. If I wasn’t there, he probably wouldn’t have let you leave.”
I throw my hands up, which is admittedly a little difficult with my cast. “Why do you care? And it’s not like I need another man. I have two already, remember?”
