Chapter Eighteen #2
“No, you need not,” she retorted as she began the painful process of de-quilling him. Much like the victim of a porcupine or a cactus, it was an arduous process that made Smith kick at the stairs angrily and gnash his shark teeth.
Austin inspected Agatha next, “You okay, Aggie?”
“Outside of nearly scaring myself to second death, I’m downright dandy,” Agatha squeaked, dusting her palms off on her hazy skirt as she floated down to the floor.
Austin peeked at the dead thing that Havershum carted through the house on his dagger.
He tossed it out of the front door as the wards were still down.
If Lord Rosemont wasn’t still getting yelled at—or otherwise indisposed with Lady Rosemont—he’d remind his Lord that they ought to put them back up.
The storm was currently terrorizing the back yard, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t come back for them later.
“I just don’t know how that happened. It turned so fast,” Agatha continued with a sigh.
She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand.
Austin eyed her then glanced at the dangling hook that swung without its usual plant decoration.
He almost took it for granted, how it always brushed the top of his head as he walked past it.
They’d have to replace it, or else the hallway would feel naked.
“When did it happen?” Austin asked.
“Just like ten minutes ago. You came running up the stairs seconds after it happened.” Agatha flapped a hand at the laboratory door. He glanced back at the door, then up to the empty chain, then to Agatha. It didn’t make sense.
“Who could change a house plant into that?” Hyacinth stepped up beside him, eyeballing the hook suspiciously.
Snuffles laid against her chest, eyes closed and nose still.
A little snore broke through the silence and the three of them shared the most egregious, cute aggression known to person-kind.
Agatha floated close to him and wiggled in the middle of the air.
“He’s adorable,” Agatha whispered softly, as to not wake up the bunny.
“And probably not our culprit.” Austin shrugged.
He stole a quick glance at Melody and Smith.
They were sharing a moment by the corner of the stairs, Melody caged against the wall by Smith’s arms. Austin could feel the spark between them.
It made him feel like he was intruding. He turned to give them his back. “It’s been a long day.”
“Yes. It has,” Agatha sighed, floating away from the pair. “I don’t know about you, but I’m wore out. An early night sounds just right.”
Hyacinth smiled up at Austin. “Snuffles already beat us to sleep.”
Austin snickered, not letting it turn into a full laugh in worry that he’d wake the bundle of fluff. “Let’s get him to bed.”
Besides, he truly could not take another incident.
Austin had his fill of surprises. His body ached as he climbed the steps to the second floor.
Hyacinth stayed in step with him. Silence filled the space between them, but it wasn’t tense or awkward.
It was exhausted. It was bone-dead tired.
And it was going right to sleep. Austin held open her door and waited for her to duck under his arm.
“Austin?” she asked as he pulled away. Austin lurched, catching the door before it could close. “Aren’t you sleeping in here with me?”
He must have looked gobbsmacked because she giggled softly. His mouth flapped a bit like a fish does when stuck on a dry dock in the middle of summer. Uselessly. Until he wheezed, “Are you sure?”
“How are you going to get a good night’s sleep if you’re missing your teddy bear?
Plus I’ve hardly kissed your forehead,” she gave him a one shoulder shrug as she twirled away from the door.
Austin stared after her, mouth agape, and attracted flies with his unblinking eyes.
She’s…is this what flirting feels like? Is it supposed to feel like this?
He felt like a fool for even hesitating.
Scrambling inside the door, he let it swing shut with a hard click behind him.
Hyacinth put Snuffles down onto the pillow that lived on the floor next to her bed, the rabbit spreading out immediately.
Austin lingered awkwardly at the end of her bed, holding onto the post as she dressed down the bed.
She slapped the pillows then peeked over her shoulder at him.
“Are you going to lurk over there all night?”
“I might,” he blurted out, ducking his head.
“That won’t help you sleep.” Her tone was so playful and teasing it ran a shiver up his spine. “Do you not want to?”
“I desperately want to,” he confessed, a draw string harshly tugged on his back and forced him to speak the words swarming his mind.
I want to lay in this bed with you. I want to feel you curl against my chest. I want to hear you sigh dreamily and fall asleep in my arms. I want…
you naked against my body, your hands tracing every inch of my skin till I’m more shivers than flesh.
I crave you beyond anything else.
“Then get in bed,” she snorted, slapping at his side of the bed before crawling under the duvet. Austin dove in. The candles in her room, that lit the moment they entered, slowly dimmed. He considered sliding onto his side, but by the time his head hit the pillow, she was burrowing under his arm.
It put a grin on his face to have her slither up against his ribs and immediately drape her arm over him.
Austin let her curl her leg over his and cement her cheek against his chest. He waited long enough to be sure she wasn’t going to wiggle anymore, then he dropped his arm back around her.
His palm cupped her hip, and he couldn’t help his fingertips tracing swirls into the fabric.
My shirt. The feeling of her chest pressing against his, the two fighting for space to breathe, it brought the butterflies from the lab back. His eyes fluttered closed.
Only for her to shift. His eyes jerked open in time to watch her climb over him.
Austin stared at her wide eyed. She straddled his left leg, her palms to his chest as she stared down at him.
Eyes glowing a silvery lilac in the dark as all the candles went out with a hiss.
He felt her growing closer till her lips met his.
So hesitant and soft, timid and careful, the kiss made his chest ache.
She smiled against his lips before reaching up to press a kiss to the center of his forehead. “Sweet dreams, Austin.”
Austin found her shoulders in the dark. His fingers raced up her throat into her hair, fisting it.
Her curls wrapped around his digits and tickled his knuckles.
Austin smiled as he brought her mouth back to his, finding her lips curled wickedly.
Their second kiss in the dark was less timid.
More hungry. Like the shadows awoke that feeling in his gut.
The twist and tingle that made his cock hard once again.
It thumped against his thigh as her hips shifted against him.
Her fingers curled around his cheeks. Scraping her fingernails across his jaw till she raked the back of his scalp.
It ripped a groan out of him that filled her mouth.
Her tongue swiped his lower lip that time, asking for permission that he happily gave.
Hyacinth’s was soft, less heavy, but it was just as eager as he was to taste the other.
Exploring his mouth till they were tangled up like thread.
She broke the kiss first, gasping for air.
The wet smack of their lips as they parted was the sound that did him in.
Austin was dizzy, lost in the hazy dark.
The only thing he could find were her lips, over and over till neither of them could do anything but press their foreheads together.
Her breathy words filled his ears. “We should get some sleep.”
He nodded even though the last thing he wanted was to sleep.
Yet, he didn’t want to overwhelm her with the intensity of his obsession.
Hyacinth had not only stolen his breath away, but her sweet palms that brushed along his skin?
They held his heart. She could reach down into his chest and pluck it from his corpse, and he’d happily go with her as a trinket she carried in her pocket.
She pulled away an inch and he stopped her. Keeping his fist full of her hair, he guided her forehead to his desperate lips. She giggled in the dark as he left a hard, wet kiss against her brow.
“Sweet dreams, Hyacinth,” he panted. It was strange…how everything changed. How Hyacinth changed everything.