Page 71 of Yearning For Her

Willow smiled, and something bloomed in her chest.

“What’s that smile for?” Jamie asked.

Startled, Willow looked at Jamie. “Huh?”

“You’re smiling like you just had a night of great sex.”

Picking up her margarita, Willow brought it to her lips and took a deeper drink.

Here it goes.

“Do you remember Kian?” she asked.

“The hot goth who banged your brains out?” Jamie wiggled her eyebrows.

Willow laughed. “Well, that’s one way of putting it.” She set her glass down. “We…ran into each other again a little over a week ago.”

Jamie’s eyes widened. “You did? And you’re just now telling me?” She bounced on the cushioned booth seat. “Please, please tell me you got his number. You’re not letting him get away again, right?”

“He didn’t quite give me a choice.” Because, apparently, he didn’t really have one himself when it came to Willow. Feed from her or die. And he’d also happened to follow her home, not that could tell Jamie those little details. “He’s adamant about us dating.”

“And?”

“Jamie, it’s only been a month since Eli.”

“So?”

“Sooo…don’t you think that’s a little fast to be jumping into another serious relationship?”

“There’s not a rulebook for this kind of thing, Willow. You don’t have to go through some government-mandated mourning period for a failed relationship before you’re allowed to hook up with someone else.”

“We’re not having sex.”

Wait, does fingering count as sex?

Jamie rolled her eyes. “I don’t see why not. You already fucked, so why hold out now?”

“Because that was only supposed to be a one-time thing. I was never supposed to have seen him again.”

“Seems like fate had something else in store for you. Okay, let me ask you this—he’s hot, right?”

Willow leaned back in her seat. “I already told you he was. But appearances should have no bearing on being in a relationship with someone.”

“You still have to have physical attraction. And you guys apparently have it. He’s also good in bed, so that’s another plus for him. Is he a decent guy?”

Willow caught her bottom lip between her teeth and looked through the window beside their booth. She didn’t really know Kian, except that he was an incubus who’d lived a promiscuous life. He acted as though humans were beneath him, as though they were his prey, his food. But…he’d been sweet to her, in his own cocky way.

“I think so,” she said.

“And he wants to date you.”

Willow looked back at her friend. “He does.”

“So what’s the issue?” Jamie plucked up a tortilla chip, dipped it in the salsa, and bit into it. She waved the remainder around nonchalantly. “No one says you gotta get married. Date the man for a while, have a little fun while you’re at it, and see where it goes.”

You are my mate. The Fates have marked you as mine.

“I feel like it’s different with Kian.” Understatement, Willow. “I barely know him, but I just feel so much when I’m with him. I’m scared that if I open myself up, I’m just going to end up hurt. Again. And this time… This time I feel like it would gut me.”

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