Page 12 of Shadow of Spring (Wild Haven 2)

6

Archer

Ipush back from the table a few moments after Lena does. Serafina is practically in my lap, and I can’t stand the closeness. She’s beautiful, in an ice queen kind of way, but her floral perfume is giving me a headache. Not to mention the fact that she keeps trying to get her fingers as close to my crotch as she can without alerting the entire room. I’m pretty sure she’d be giving me a hand job under the table if I let her. Jesus.

“I’ll see you all next week.” I flash a smile around the table at Octavia, Ben, and Julian, nodding briskly in Serafina’s direction, because I’m not a complete dick. “Lena, can we have a word before I go?”

Lena’s pushing the bowls of M&Ms toward Ben and Julian, telling them to take them home, while I move to help Octavia up from her chair. She pats my cheek, and then waves goodbye as Ben and Julian usher her out.

“I’ll just wait here, then.” Serafina smiles at me, and I frown in confusion. “I’d like a word with you as well.”

What the hell is this woman playing at? I don’t know her well, but she’s associated with Anthony, which is enough to send up red flags for me. There’s something about her that makes my body recoil. A gut feeling that has no legitimate basis to back it up.

“I’ll walk you out,” I reply brusquely, wanting her out of my hair. I don’t give her the option to hang around like a bad smell.

Serafina waits for me in her chair, obviously wanting me to pull it out for her as I did for Octavia. She smiles up at me, and I think I’m supposed to be dazzled, but nothing compares to Lena’s brilliant smile. I really want to channel Davis and be an asshole, but I swallow down my irritation and pull out her chair.

“Shall we?” I motion toward the door, and Serafina apparently takes that as a sign to latch onto my arm.

She jabbers incessantly about random shit as we make our way toward the door. Like the painting on the wall, and how libraries stink and are so dusty. It can’t be more than thirty steps, but it feels like a damn eternity.

We pause at the main entrance, and I detach her clawed fingernails from my arm. “What was it you needed to speak to me about?”

She tiptoes those same nails, painted a pale pink, but filed to pointed ends, up my chest. “I’m just so excited to get the chance to work with you on this project. I think we could do amazing things together.” Her other hand flits over her neck and down to the low V of her dress.

For the second time in as many minutes, I wish I had more of Davis’s surly, gives-no-shits attitude in me. I’m a people pleaser. I like making others feel good, and it’s hard for me to be rude. Settling on a noncommittal sound, I push open the door.

“Enjoy your evening.”

Serafina manages to brush her chest up against me as she swishes past, even though there’s enough room for a fucking horse to walk past without touching me. I don’t exhale until the door clicks shut, and then I let the shudder out with a physical shake.

The library is technically still open for another hour, and I’m not about to let Lena walk home by herself. If I have to follow her around like a lost puppy while she closes up, I will. I head back to our meeting space and frown at the empty table. Not that I expected Lena to be waiting here for me, but I don’t see her as I glance around the room. This part of the library is fairly open, with some low-profile shelves scattered around and a few sitting areas set up. The majority of the stacks are in a section of the building that juts off the main room.

I take a quick peek in Lena’s office first, shaking my head at the absolute mess. There are books stacked on every available surface. There are books on her chair and choking the top of the desk. There’s no way Lena can get any work done in here. I’ve been in her apartment before, and it’s always uncluttered and tidy. Either she shoves her messes into a closet whenever I come by, or this is her one messy space.

When the office is a bust, I head toward the stacks. Cocking my head to listen, I catch the faint whisper of someone speaking, and the sound of books thunking as they’re being reshelved.

“Going to rip off those pointy daggers you call fingernails and make you swallow them down. Oh, but I bet you love swallowing, don’t you? Probably love doing all sorts of kinky shit that I’ve only ever read about.”

I slip into a shadow, carefully stepping closer to the last stack where Lena is most definitely talking to herself.

“You probably have crazy, gymnastic sex and give public BJs. Good for you.”

I almost smile at Lena’s huffy words, but instead of imagining Serafina doing the things Lena’s ranting about, I picture Lena. With me.

Her words send a jolt of lust straight to my dick, and I’m hard in an instant. For weeks now, I’ve barely kept this need in check. Every time I’m with Lena, something deep inside me uncoils a little bit more, a hunger that’s been getting stronger with each day that passes. I need to touch her, taste her, to take her in with all my senses. Those kind of thoughts could ruin friendships, but I don’t think I can stop myself from taking this step.

Keeping to the shadows, I sneak behind her, a grin stretching the corners of my mouth when she doesn’t catch on. With one quick move, I wrap my arms around her. One is secured over her mouth to keep her from calling out, and the other bands around her stomach. I pull her back against my body, moving without thought.

When I started this game, it was supposed to be a joke. A good-natured scare. The second her body presses against mine, it stops being funny. Lena stiffens against me, but as soon as she realizes it’s me, her whole body relaxes, sagging into me. Despite my hold, her arms are still free. Instead of trying to yank my arms away, her hands float down and squeeze my forearm.

Time slows as my breathing speeds up. Lena’s head drops back and rolls against my chest, her eyes falling shut. Her mouth parts with shallow breaths that paint my palm. She molds perfectly against my body, her back to my chest. Her head tucks in just under my chin. We fit together like she was made for me.

This hadn’t been my plan when I walked back here to find her, but now I can’t make myself let her go. The feel of her in my arms is too good, too right.

Her scent invades my senses. She always smells like a fresh spring day, of flowers blooming and something crisp. It makes my mouth water, and I drop my head, burying my nose in her hair and drink her in with a deep breath.

Both of us freeze as it registers what I’ve just done. My pulse takes off, a violent pounding in my chest. My arms might be wrapped around her, but with that one action, I may as well have said out loud that I want her. A thousand thoughts swarm my mind. All the reasons I should let go of Lena and sit my ass in a chair until she’s ready to leave for the night.

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