Brie set a pair of wine glasses down on the table and sat across from me. Her warm floral scent filled the room until I could just about taste her in the air. I closed my eyes for a moment, beating away the thought of reaching over the table and snatching the robe off her. It would be safer if I stayed outside. She’d still be safe from intruders if I slept in the barn and patrolled the property. Being this close sent my blood on fire, and my little lamb clearly had no idea of the damage she was doing to my psyche.
I’m calm. I’m fine.
“I do not know how this is going to go. So I think I should just be honest.” She grabbed a large book off the table and patted the cover. “According to Fallon, we need to get this love spell off you as soon as possible, or you might die.” She bit her lip and glanced away. A worried crease worked its way into her brow. “And if none of these removal spells work…then we’re going to have to have sex.”
Phaaos God of Love, Lust, and Hunt, I will place a kill at your altar every week until my dying breath.I cleared my throat. The table was only two and a half feet at best. It would be nothing to reach her across from it. “That…seems like a brilliant plan. I have no complaints.”We can just skip to the end. Why wait honestly? Waiting is stupid. That string is. So. snappable.
Brie snorted and put a hand to her mouth before giggling. “That’s kind of the problem.” she said, “I want to avoid that if possible. We still don’t know if it’s you who wants that or the love potion.”
I leaned back in my chair, trying to smooth the desperate eagerness in my voice. “Ah yes, my precious virtue. I assure you, Lamb, I’m completely fine.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Remove the pillow.”
Damn.“Well played.”
“Look, we at least have to try. If it doesn’t work, then we can do it your way.” Brie flipped to a bookmarked page and ran a finger down the text.
Anger burned through me, and I looked away.This is ridiculous. I am not jealous of paper.But I wanted her hands on me. I wanted to skip her silly book of spells, throw her down on her bed and finally ease this all-consuming ache threatening to eat me alive.Alright. Maybe it was partially the love potion taking over. But still. Fuck that page.
Brie sipped her drink as she continued to scan over the book. “Do you want to start now, or wait until tomorrow? You look like you could use a good night’s rest.”
She uncrossed her legs, then re-crossed them, changing her right to be on top. It was only a moment, a second. But the barest peak of her inner thigh teased its way into my growing insanity. What I wouldn’t give to run my tongue along the rich length of her dark skin. Trail my way up her body and- “Felix?”
I shook my head. “I’m sorry, love. What did you say?”
She held my gaze, no doubt wondering if I’d keel over that very second. “Do you want to sleep first? If the love potion isn’t too bad, we can do this tomorrow.”
“Can I sleep with you?” I am nothing if not an opportunist. Amusement lit in her eyes, but she kept her face impassive. If I wasn’t so enthralled with every move she made, Brie would have made an excellent gambler. But I was. So the subtle shift in her eyes didn’t escape my notice. Nor did the tip of her wine glass as she loosened her grip. She was thinking about it.
Say yes. Please.I could be good for a night. What’s an aching cock compared to getting closer to my mate? Nothing. I knew she wanted to keep me at an emotional distance. It was smart, considering the drug. But dammit, I wasn’t going to let her. Brie was mine. Her caution was mine to ease. Her bed was mine to fill, and fuck everything I just wanted to fucking touch her.
“I don’t think that’s wise.” she sighed.
I grinned at her and raised my hands in surrender. “I promise not to ravish you in the night. We can put a wall of pillows up, if that would help.”
She widened her eyes and nodded. “Oh, of course, a wall of pillows. The one true way to stop a werewolf! Why didn’t I think of that?”
Leaning forward, I clapped my hands together as if revealing a dastardly plan. “We’re a team now beloved. We come to solutions together.”
“You’re impossible.” She said, laughing.
“No, I’m just in love with you.” I said.
Her laughter stopped, and she set down her glass. “Right, spell removal it is, then.”
“Is it really so unbelievable?”
“A little,” she began. “And while yes, a fated mate type situation would do wonders for my abandonment issues, I’m just not that lucky.”
Rage festered deep in my bones. If my Lamb’s reserved demeanor resulted from a past lover, then whatever fool it was would need to be dealt with. “Who abandoned you, sweetheart? I’ll bring you his head.”
“Whoa there, killer. I appreciate the offer, but I doubt having my dad’s head on a pike will be that great of a closure.” She tucked a loose black curl behind her ear. Her gaze drifted to the floorboards as if looking at some far off memory.
“We won’t know unless we try.” I said, playfully.
The reward was instant. Her nose crunched up before she attempted to cover another snort with her hand. I closed my eyes, savoring the sound of her laughter. Every day could be like this. Just chatting and laughing and finding out more about each other. “Do you want to tell me about him?” I asked.
She waved me off, trying to reel in the remaining giggles. “There’s not much to tell. My family has never been close. One day, my dad left to deliver goods to a neighboring town and didn’t come back. In retrospect, we should have probably been tipped off by the extra clothes and supplies.” She shrugged her shoulders. “But what can ya do? I was only five or six, so I don’t even remember him much.”
