Page 59 of A Touch Charmed

“I didn’t say anything.” My mother looked at me, a flash of pleading in her eyes. “Maybe she found an old letter around the house or something.”

I didn’t want to do my mother any favors. She certainly didn’t do me any growing up. But this was all she had. A cold house, my colder stepfather, the #blessed life she lived on Instagram. She’d lost her chance at real happiness twice over. If this fake one was all she had left, she could have it. I wouldn’t be the one to take it from her.

“I found a letter in a book in the library,” I said. “It must’ve been there a long time. It didn’t look like it had been touched in years.”

My stepfather’s mustache twitched, but he couldn’t prove I’d lied. “Well then. That’s that, I guess. Don’t expect me to support you anymore.”

“I haven’t expected anything from you in years.” Only for him to care, which he never managed to do. It didn’t matter anymore though. I had people who loved me.

As they walked away, my mother mouthed a thank-you to me. Her marriage might survive, but that wasn’t my concern. It was time for me to focus on my own family now. As Finn tucked me against him and walked me back to our group, part of me wept for the person my mother might’ve been in another circumstance.

I didn’t need to punish her for all the ways she’d hurt me growing up.

She did a fine enough job of that on her own.

Chapter 17

Thora

Finnbroughtthetwoof us to his house within a blink. Tension vibrated through us as we stepped over the threshold. It had been a while since we’d been alone like this. We expected the curse to make an appearance as a result, but all remained quiet. The house carried a hint of stale, unoccupied air. The curse hadn’t slipped in while we’d been gone, either.

That didn’t set my mind at ease.

Audrey believed it would be a few days yet before it could gather enough strength for another attack, but the stronger it grew, the less time it would need to rebuild. The fear it generated in the four of us who had been on the beach would’ve fed it the type of energy it needed. I didn’t think we had a few days this time.

Finn flipped on the lights. “This is our last time in this house for a while.”

The thought of that made me sad. I hadn’t lived here very long, but I’d already begun to think of Finn’s home as my own. “I kind of don’t want to leave.”

“We’ll be back.”

I bit my lip. “Is that an invitation to move in on a more permanent basis?”

“Thora.” He cupped my face, bringing my gaze up to his. “I thought you knew. I built every inch of this house with you in mind. When I asked you to move in with me the first time, I never had any intention of letting you leave.”

“Yeah?” A weightless sensation flowed through me. After everything we’d gone through, we’d still managed to find our way back to each other. I ran my hands up his chest. “Should we do anything special? Since it’s the last moment we’ll have alone like this for a while?”

“I was thinking.” He lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him. “I never did get around to fucking you on the kitchen counter.”

“You’ll never be able to make a sandwich again without getting hard.”

He gave me a wicked grin and set me on the counter. “Worth it.”

As he ran his hands under my skirt, heat pooled in my core. All my limbs went loose as my stomach muscles tightened. “These are really nice counters.”

“I picked them for you.” He pressed a soft kiss against my neck.

I was trembling so hard, the vibration of his voice against my skin nearly undid me. “I think I’ll like them better once you fuck me on them.”

“Me too.”

He claimed my mouth with his. His tongue stroked mine with perfect rhythm and I plunged my hands into his hair. The silky strands slipped between my fingers as I pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. He tilted my hips, dragging me against him and I gripped him tighter with my thighs. My hips rocked forward, but he held me still, teasing me with his lips. I clawed at the neck of his shirt, desperate to feel all of him.

“I need you to touch me.” The throbbing between my legs had turned to an ache.

He put his hand between us, pushing my underwear to the side to rub his thumb against my clit, moving it in a slow circle. “Right here? Is this what you need?”

“Yes.” I shuddered, grabbing his wrist as he pulled it away.

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