Page 41 of Blood Magic (Ariel Kimber 3)

The only thing I was missing was a pair of fuzzy socks on my feet. I moved to the dresser and pulled open the first drawer. There were several pairs of fuzzy socks in there. They were all brand-new with the tags still on. Some kind soul had bought them for me and put them in the dresser. I pulled out a pair covered in leopard print and went to sit on the loveseat to put them on but stopped before I could make that first step.

I had a lovely purple silk robe in the next drawer down that I had never had the opportunity to wear before now. This I knew to be a gift from Dash. Not because I had been told it was from him, but because he had one almost identical to it. Dash’s was black and stopped high up on his thighs. I had a sneaking suspicion it was a woman’s bath robe but would never bring it up to him because it looked good on him. But damn, he sure flashed some seriously pale leg when he wore it. More leg than I would be comfortable showing off.

I looked down at my short-shorts and decided that last part was a lie.

Guess that meant I only thought it was weird because Dash was a guy. Did that make me a sexist A-hole? If so, I could live with that.

Honestly, I shouldn’t even be complaining because Dash had nice, muscular legs that I really didn’t need to be thinking about at the moment. It didn’t seem right or appropriate for me to think of him like that when he was still injured. Not that I thought he would mind. But I knew, and I minded.

I got out the robe anyways.

I shook open the silky number and shrugged my arms through the arm holes. The material fell all the way down to my feet and kissed the floor. The sleeves fell down past my hands which wasn’t actually awkward like you would think. The silky material felt nice against my skin. I pulled out the front and lifted it to my face. I rubbed my non-scarred cheek into the fabric and closed my eyes.

Heaven. It felt like heaven against my face. If only all of my clothes felt this amazing against my skin.

I dropped the front and held my arms out at my sides. The arms were narrow until just after the elbows where it started to flare out wide. It kept getting wider the further along it went.

I didn’t bother to tie it at the waist. I wanted to walk and feel it billowing out behind me, making me feel like I was someone special and about to step on to a music video set.

I didn’t think it was possible, but my stomach growled in hunger as I moved quietly down the hallway and to the stairs. After all the food I had been forced to endure at the Alexander’s I didn’t think I’d ever be hungry again.

I went in search of Julian, hoping his SUV parked out front meant he was still here even though it was late. Well, I assumed it was late, I really had no idea what time it was.

I hit the bottom of the stairs and ghosted through the dining room, heading towards the living room.

I rounded the corner and found him. He lay sprawled on Dash’s black couch, looking adorable and half asleep.

The television played some cooking show I had never seen before.

He looked so alone.

I didn’t like it.

I moved away from the wall and walked into the living room. He didn’t notice me or see me coming. His eyes were at half-mast and glued to the television screen.

He jerked upwards when I placed my knee in the couch between his legs.

“Ariel,” he started.

I shook my head, silencing him.

“I’m not her, Julian,” I whispered as I laid my body down on top of his stiff one.

He was speechless as I molded my body to his. Hip to hip. Chest to chest. I laid my face in his throat and breathed in. His body shuddered beneath me.

“I’m not her, Jules,” I said on a whisper. The nickname felt right to me, it felt perfect. “I’m not Annabell. You can dream again. I’m here now, and I’m not like her. Please, Jules, dream again.”

It felt important for me to tell him these things. He needed to know them. And it was better to do it here like this when there weren’t any of the others around to witness it.

His hands went to my hips as I snuggled into him.

Maybe I was being too forward, but I didn’t care. I hadn’t liked the loneliness he’d been exuding when I’d walked in here and spotted him.

Julian’s hands were inside my robe that had draped around the two of us like a silk blanket. Julian’s palms slid up my hips. They hit the hem of my tank top and continued up on their journey. Only this time they did it going under my tank top, his warm hands gliding against my bare skin.

I shivered at the touch of his hands on my skin (outside of my face and the times he’d worked on making my injuries go away) for the first time and pressed my face further into his throat.

I had completely forgotten my reason for coming down here to find him.

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