As if he hadn’t even realized he’d gone all Vampire-terrifying, he murmured, “Let me watch.” His gaze was lit only with heat and desire. “I won’t touch you, I’ll only…” Again, he motioned to his bulging pants.
I blinked, grasping…Oh, shit…When he’d gone all loco, it had been him jealous. The scent of his possessiveness still hung in the air. I gulped, wondering if he had been right. This was uncharted territory for us. Jealousy wasn’t something either of us were used to. With mates, you knew they were faithful, thanks to the magic. And anyone else we hadn’t given a damn about. And he, obviously, did give a damn about me, like I did him.
When I sat silent for a few beats too long, he asked softly, “Sweetheart?” He bent at the waist to look me in the eye, only to wince and stand straight again.
I licked my dry lips and shook my head, staying strong on what I knew I wanted, even if he was freakily frightening. “No. If we’re exclusive, then I’d be more than happy to do that for you.” Another shake of my head. “But not tonight.”
He cursed, turning his back to me and crossing his arms, giving me a great view of his ass. Hormones nowhere near diminished from his little Vampire act, I had to close my eyes so I didn’t tug him back on top of me. He asked on a growl, “What if I decide a real relationship isn’t best for us? What happens then?”
Keeping my eyes closed against the scenery, I told the only truth available to us after feeling this way for him. “We go back to being just friends. To how we were before.”
He cursed again even more harshly, and I heard him moving away. I chanced opening my eyes. He was at the desk, grabbing his shirt and jerking it on over his head. Leaving his belt dangling, he zipped and buttoned his pants with a growl, then grimaced as he picked up his robe and towel off the floor. Hand on the doorknob, he glanced at me, his eyes flashing bright green. And continued glowing. Again, his voice harmoniously low and fangs extended, he probed, “Swear to f**king God you’re not going to Finn or Merrick or some other damn schmuck tonight?”
Freezing in place, most definitely seeing his predator make another appearance, I replied honestly, “I’m not going to visit any other person to fulfill my needs tonight.” Carefully, I raised my hand, waggling my fingers. “Just myself.” I held my breath as he stared me down.
After at least a half-minute of stillness, his lashes lowered lazily. When they lifted, his eyes were green. Normal green. Rubbing the back of his neck, he muttered, “Fucking shit.” Then he was outside the door before I could track him, slamming it closed so viciously that I watched as a crack webbed its way in the golden paint from the doorframe to the ceiling.
Staring at the closed door, I sucked air, breathing in an echo, “Fucking shit.”
What the hell had I gotten myself into?
I groaned, letting my head fall into my hands. I was left high and dry, and had just possibly awoken a predator of epic proportions if he couldn’t get himself under control. I wasn’t even going to think about my own predator. Hell, I wanted to leave the room right now and hunt.
For Jessica.
Mumbling to myself, I criticized, “Lily Ruckler, this may have been the stupidest thing you’ve ever done.” I pounded my forehead against my hands, sighing heavily when it didn’t clear the bloodlust any for Jessica. “Shit.” I stood from the couch.
And instantly fell to my knees.
Shaking my head, I placed a hand on the ground, trying to breathe through the lust that had bizarrely turned my body to jelly, which I was thankful for since it was overriding what I would have liked to do to Jessica. His mind hold had definitely taken a toll. Spending a good five minutes on the ground, I tried for calming breaths, sneezing sporadically. Ezra’s scent was dissipating and that damn fireplace was tickling my nose.
Wiping my free hand on my pants, I rubbed my nose once it didn’t stink of slut so badly. Gingerly, I got to my feet and stayed there for a full minute, feeling dizzy and aching everywhere he had touched. Rolling my head on my shoulders and windmilling my arms a few times, sneezing twice more, I made my wobbly legs move and started blowing out the candles he had lit in the room. As I began picking up the items that had been knocked to the floor, I noticed my hands were shaking.
I stopped and stared at my hand, watching it tremble in front of my face. Well, that was a new one. Pathetic, really. It was like Ezra withdrawal or something. I growled and picked up the pace, wanting to get out of this literally odd-smelling room.
Then I paused with a specific item in my hand.
A brown leather book.
I knew this book. But previously it had been glowing golden. Antonio’s book.
Scanning the room again, I groaned. Fuck, this was his frigging office. Not even curious about what was inside, nor stupid enough to chance reading from it, I placed it on his desk.
Only to sneeze.
And freeze with a damning thought.
My senses were wacked without Ezra in here distracting me with his touch and scent. I was shaking and wanted to growl. The symptoms were all there. But, God no…
Deliberately, I rose, lifting a pencil from the desk. Dread began to fill me as I walked toward the lounge couch we had been on only minutes before. I sneezed again, my whole body beginning to vibrate. Taking a calming breath, I chucked the pencil at the fireplace.
As if in slow motion, I watched it fly end over end through the air.
It bounced off thin air, that area a dot of golden magic as the pencil fell to the floor.
I felt the blood drain from my face. Oh, dear Lord above.
Beginning to hyperventilate, I whispered, “Drop it, Antonio.”
He had done this once before. Snuck up on us, while we had been sleeping in Ezra’s bed, before my surprise funneling attempt. It had wreaked havoc on my senses then, the same as it was doing now. But this time, Ezra and I had been doing much more than sleeping. If Antonio was in this room, hidden behind a Mage spell, there could only be one reason why.
Holding my breath, I waited.
It didn’t take long.
A too large f**king golden bubble appeared before my eyes, encasing a fourth of the room, an edge only a few feet in front of me.
Then it was gone. The room as it should be.
Dizziness rushed over me as I began gasping for air, very nearly on the verge of fainting.
Directly in front of me, standing at the fireplace, was Antonio. To his right, sitting on the far couch, was Elder Merrick. To his left, on another couch, was Elder Jacobs. Directly to my left, which I could see only from the corner of my eye, sitting on the gold leather chair, was the fourth to their group. Elder Zeller.