Page 78 of Feral

Now his eyes sparked with amusement and his grin widened to show straight white teeth.

“Let’s see, shall we?”

I crossed my arms and pretended to think.

“You sure? I know how fragile your Highlander egos can be. I wouldn’t want to bruise it.”

“Och lass, I think you’ll find my stamina is up to the task.”

I knew he was talking about books. And yet, I still had to remind myself that he was talking about books.

“Alright then, I did try to warn you,” I said, and placed another choice in his arms in an effort to bring my mind out of the gutter it so longed to be in.

We traveled along the history shelves and I added a book on goddess worship and another on the history of the sex toy, which I couldn’t help but squeal over when I found it. When Fraser’s eyes landed on the title his grin turned a tad lascivious and I had to lock down my body’s reaction.

“Iama sex historian,” I reminded him.

“Hmm,” it came out half yummy sound and half growl. “And is that all it is? Purely research?”

I turned away from him, trying to maintain some control, some distance. This was playful, friendly. Nothing more.

“Maybe,” I said, as I walked toward a different section. “Though sometimes I find myself in need of… experimentation let’s say.”

Fraser made a muffled sound between a cough and another growl and my face heated. It was thrilling to flirt like this, to trade verbal banter without the fear that usually accompanied it. I didn’t know why I felt so comfortable with him, but one thing was for sure. This was starting to cross the line we’d both agreed upon in the Jeep. And I didn’t want it to stop. I wanted to find out how far I could go before he pushed me up against one of these shelves and shoved his hands down my pants.

Stop, stop, stop! You can’t think like that Daphne!

To distract us both from this line of thinking, I chose a couple on Celtic legends that made Fraser snort.

“Something wrong?”

“If you wanna know about these legends, ya won’t find the truth in these books.”

“Really? Where will I find it then?” I asked with a smirk.

Fraser stepped closer, eyes glittering. God he was beautiful. Even if I did prefer his true form, Frasers glamour was a cross between a gladiator and a highland lord, all powerful and virile with a hint of the feral energy. It was an intoxicating mix, especially when he gave me that wry smile he was currently wearing.

“Right here, Daphne,” he whispered.

My breath caught and I remembered the kiss in the Jeep.

And his rebuff.

I stepped back and shook my head, the playfulness souring in my gut.

“What’s wrong?” Fraser asked.

“Nothing I just…I want to get some fiction before your arms get tired.”

Though the last part was spoken with a trace of a smirk, it was muted now. I was starting to feel like Fraser truly didn’t realize how he was affecting me, how this flirting was barbed, wounding me because it would never be anything more, never mean more to him than just friendly banter.

I was so focused on getting away from him and just finishing this shopping trip that I wasn’t watching where I was going and I ended up bumping into a woman in the romance section.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said, and then my eyes widened in shock.

The woman I’d bumped into, who was now grinning at me with lipstick smeared on her teeth, was none other than my Uncle George’s wife, Prudence.

“Why, is that you Daphne dear?”

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