Page 21 of A Touch Charmed

Humor lit his eyes. “Definitely not grouchy now.”

Rivulets of water ran down the end of my chin and soaked into my white tank top. I wiped the water out of my eyes. “Okay. Maybe I deserved that.”

I shoved him, knocking him backward off his log. He grabbed my arm to steady himself and ended up pulling me down with him. We landed on a soft blanket of moss and leafy greens I hoped to God weren’t poison ivy.

He laughed as his hands came around my waist. Finn had the absolute best laugh in the world, rich and full-bodied, but smooth. I wanted to bottle it and charge fifty dollars a glass.

He tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and his intense blue eyes darkened as he trailed a finger down the curve of my neck to the front of my tank top. “You’re so wet.”

I squirmed against him, certain he wasn’t talking about the water he’d poured over my head. My magic swirled inside me, shooting off bright pinwheels of desire that I felteverywhere. “What are you going to do about it?”

His pupils flared. I leaned down and brushed my lips over his jaw as he hardened underneath me. Searing, clear light glowed off my palms. I threaded my fingers through his short silky hair, rubbing my clit against him. Who cared if it was the magic? Why couldn’t we forget the curse and just let ourselves take what we wanted from each other?

“Thora.” He cupped the back of my neck. The way he said my name sent a fresh wave of shivers through me. His fingers dug into my hip as I rocked against him. “Stop me. Please. I don’t have the strength to do it on my own.”

The desperation in his voice brought me crashing back to earth. I rolled off of him, my breath heavy as I lay beside him with a hand over my stomach. Arousal trembled through me, so potent, I couldn’t get a handle on it. I rubbed my thighs together, but that small bit of friction only made it worse. I needed more.

“I have to come.” I couldn’t draw in enough air. All my nerve endings pulsed and throbbed against each other. I was so turned on I physically ached.

“Breathe, gorgeous. This is a bad one, but it’ll pass.” Finn sat up, worry clouding his expression. “Let the magic flow out of you. It’ll take that feeling with it.”

My bottom lip quivered as I exhaled. I took in another deep breath, and as I released it, a thread of my power loosened. Bit by bit, I let the energy go. I closed my eyes and pictured blowing out candles as I exhaled. With each inhale, the flames returned, but they soon got lower and lower until I was able to blow them out altogether.

When I opened my eyes, I finally had it under control.

Finn touched my cheek and smiled. “There you are.”

“Can I ask you a question?” I leaned up on my elbows. “What would happen if we just gave in to the magic and fucked like rabbits out here? Would it really be that bad?”

“You ever have a one-night stand after you drank so much you don’t know your ass from your elbow and woken up next to someone whose name you can’t even remember?”

“No.” I hadn’t been celibate all these years, but whenever the urge to do something wild and reckless rose up in me, the Chase guilt and pressure would weigh me down before I’d get the chance. I’d only been able to let go of those familial expectations when I was with Finn.

“Here’s the deal. We could probably fuck like rabbits out here and it would be all well and good while we were doing it, but the minute your magic wore off, you’d hate yourself for it.” He stared down at his clenched fists, the self-loathing rolling off of him in waves so palpable, I could practically touch it. “That’s not something I’m willing to have a hand in.”

He didn’t specifically mention himself, but I had no doubt he knew exactly what that felt like. Maybe he had some regret for sleeping with Olivia. Or maybe it had been so long and so many women ago, he didn’t even remember.

That wasn’t something I wanted to think about, though. Who Finn slept with was totally his business. We hadn’t been together in seven years, and I’d gone out of my way not to know anything about what or who he’d been doing since I’d been gone.

I’d heard rumors since I’d come home, of course. That he was a player who had a different woman in his bed every night. I couldn’t go anywhere without someone wanting to tell me some story about Finn, hoping to get a reaction out of me. But I also knew how locals liked to exaggerate. I preferred to give him the same benefit of the doubt he’d always given me.

I laid a hand on his arm. “It sounds like you have some experience with this?”

He eyed my hand, covering it with his while our lights glowed between us. “I’m sure people have told you things since you’ve been back.”

“I’m asking, not assuming.”

“Okay, here’s some honesty. Since you asked.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I haven’t slept with anyone since you’ve been home, but I used to sleep around because feeling like shit or feeling numb beat the hell out of the emptiness I’ve felt since I lost you.”

“I…” I didn’t know what to say. My heart swelled, even as ever-present fear and insecurity crept in. I didn’t know if he was confirming the rumors or if it even mattered at this point. “Can I think about that before I respond?”

“You can do whatever you want.” He stood and offered me his hand, pulling me up from the ground. “I gave you that truth freely. I’m not looking for anything in return.”

“I feel like I should give you a truth too.”

“We’re not in grade school.” His eyes danced with amusement. “If you don’t return my truth, I’m not going to make you lick a metal pole in the winter.”

“If we’re going to work together, we have to trust each other at least a little bit. It’s a give and take thing, right? So ask me something. Anything you want. I’ll answer honestly.”

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