Page 147 of Midnights
I don’t even want to admit how many times on this trip I’ve reached for the stupid toy Rachel gave me as a post breakup gift.
Joke’s on me, apparently.
That thing has become a lifeline. Every heated exchange, every lingering look, every moment I catch myself thinking about his voice, his smile, his damn arms. All of it fuels my guilty little late-night routine.
Even now, just thinking about him sends a pulse of hunger through my body. My skin is suddenly too sensitive, and my mind too restless.
I groan, flipping onto my stomach, burying my face in the pillow like that’ll shut my brain up. I force myself to breathe, to focus, to sleep. Really I do. But the second I wrestle my horny thoughts into a dark corner, thatotherfeeling slinks right back in. The one that makes my skin crawl.
It coils tighter, sinking deep into my stomach. I hold my breath, listening. Waiting. But all I get is silence.
Then it's gone, like it was never there at all. Poof. Except it leaves me with a tight chest and that lovely, gnawing pit of dread in my gut. Love that for me.
I take a deep breath, shaking my head. I’m likely freaking myself out over nothing, but now I’m even more awake than I was a second ago. I force myself to relax, stretching out under the covers, but my body is restless and aching.
I roll onto my side, pressing my face into the pillow with a muffled groan. It shouldn't be this hard to sleep.
The second I start thinking about Kane again, I press my thighs together, but it does absolutely nothing to relieve the needy pulse between them. So naturally, my hand starts drifting toward my nightstand.
Maybe just a quick—
“You’re not as quiet as you think you are, take the night off. Give her a break.” Rachel yells from the other room.
Oh. My. God.
Mortification slams into me, and before I can even scrape together a comeback, her voice pipes back in through the walls. I slap a hand over my face, debating if suffocation is a better alternative to living through the night and having to face her in the morning.
“Goodnight.”
Chapter 25
Enchanted
Raven
This bed is a literal cloud. I sink deeper, cocooned in layers of soft, luxurious sheets that practically hug me back. If someone told me the Egyptian gods wove this fabric themselves, I’d believe them. I could stay in this bed forever and die happy.
Unfortunately, Rachel has other plans.
“Today is the day!” She declares, launching herself onto the bed like a human cannonball. I grunt as the mattress absorbs the impact and my little bubble of bliss officially shatters.
I pry an eye open. “The day for what? My untimely death?”
“The sky's awake, today’s the day,” she sings.
I groan, shoving my face into my pillow. She’s lucky I love her.
Rachel grabs my arm, tugging at me. “Come on, we need breakfast before we start getting ready for tonight.”
Holy shit! I almost forgot what today was. That gets my attention.
“Fine.” I stretch lazily, reluctant to leave my paradise but tempted by the idea of fresh pastries and hot tea. “Want to go to that little cafe down the street for breakfast?”
Rachel grins. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”
The second we step inside, the smell of warm cinnamon and fresh coffee wrap around me. The energy in here is bright, cozy, and buzzing with life. It’s busy here this morning.
We grab a table by the window and Rachel immediately dives into the menu. I look around and freeze.
