Page 22 of Rejected Moons (Rejected Moons 3)

“Whatever,” she says. “Take me to the coven.”

I have to get her away from that whole subject, so I turn and start up the flight of stairs behind me.

“Where the hell are you going?” she demands, chasing after me.

“It’s still the middle of the night, in case you hadn’t noticed,” I tell her. “I’m not going out there under the light of the moon. That’s when Moon Casters are most powerful.”

She sighs. I know she knows I have a point.

“Why don’t you just tell me where the coven is?” she suggests.

“Right,” I say. “If I do that, you’re going to ditch me and go off on your own. You know as well as I do that the only reason you’re keeping me around is so I can lead you to the coven.”

“Why do you care if I keep you around or not?” she asks.

I leer at her. “The sex is good.”

She groans. “You shouldn’t count on that happening again,” she says firmly.

“I think you had just as much fun as I did.”

“That doesn’t matter. I was having a fit of temporary insanity, that’s all it was.”

I notice what she didn’t deny. “Youdidlike it.”

“Can you just knock it off?” she says. I hear the aggravation in her voice. It’s kind of satisfying to know I’m having such a strong effect on her. It’s almost as hot as watching her get riled up when I touch her.

I push open the door on the fifth floor, but Emlyn starts up the stairs to the sixth.

Trying to take control again?

“Where are you going?” I ask her.

“Upstairs,” she says. “Obviously.”

“I think the fifth floor is high enough.”

“Well, I want to look around,” she says. “I’ll meet you back down here.”

“Whatever you say,” I tell her and head out of the stairwell.

This space probably used to be some kind of office. There are desks and chairs here, and even some pens and paper, which are pretty hard things to find nowadays. I pick up a handful of pens and stuff them in my pocket, even though I have no idea what I’m actually going to do with them. Better to have and not need, especially when it’s something so small and easy to carry.

Whydon’tI just leave Emlyn?

Is it really just the sex?

Now that I’m away from her and I can consider my feelings without worrying about her reading them on my face, I have to admit that it might be.

She said that I shouldn’t expect something like today to happen again. But that doesn’t mean I can’thopefor it. And she’s definitely the best I’ve had in a long time.

For a moment, I allow myself to imagine what it might be like to be with her again. I’d take my time next time. I’d really let myself learn her body, get to know what she likes best. I’d make it last hours so that neither of us would leave wanting more. We’d be too tired for more fordaysafter I was finished.

I don’t regret giving it to her fast and hard today. I think we both needed that. Butnext time—

Yeah. I’m definitely sticking with this woman for as long as she’ll let me. Maybe there will be a next time or maybe there won’t, but if there’s even a chance of it, I have to try.

I finish rummaging through the desks. I find a lighter, but—predictably—it doesn’t work. I haven’t seen more than a half dozen working lighters in my life, but of course you’ve got to hoard them whenever youdofind them.

---