Chapter 9 Aurora #2
Ezra takes two quick steps forward, closing the distance between us before I can even blink. I go still, every muscle locked as something slams into me, sharp and sweet, like a sensory ambush.
Cinnamon and pine.
That scent.
The one from the bookshop.
From the bar.
The one that slithered under my skin and refused to leave.
There’s no fucking way. He wasn’t there. I know he wasn’t there.
Someone like him? You don’t miss a man like that.
So, why does he smell like the cinnamon-and-pine-soaked haunting that got me off twice last night?
Maybe there’s a local vendor selling the world’s most addictive cologne.
Maybe I’m losing it.
Maybe it’s Maybelline.
No. Focus.
Ezra somehow takes another step closer, backing me against the door. His warm body presses against mine, and—holy fuck. He’s so tall. Like, stupid tall.
I’m frozen in place, barely able to breathe, when I feel a cool hand slide up the back of my neck and tangle in my hair.
The overbearing man gently tilts my head back and drags his nose up my throat, his lips grazing behind, barely brushing that hypersensitive skin.
“Yeshua d’nash,” Ezra mutters, taking a step back.
When our eyes meet, he looks wild. Like he’s trying to leash something crazed living just under his skin.
I should be concerned, but there’s something stupid inside me that trusts he won’t hurt me.
My breath hitches when his fingers lightly run over my neck, and I swear I hear a small growl rumbling in the back of his throat.
He presses his body against mine, then leans over until his lips graze the space where my neck meets my shoulder.
His mouth and tongue blaze a scorching trail up my throat.
Fuck, his lips are so soft.
He stops at my ear, and for a split second, the world tilts. It’s like the moment before a fall, like the split second a rollercoaster pauses at the top of the first drop, just before it hurls you over the edge.
“Enyém.”
One word, whispered like a spell. Like a promise. Like a goddamn curse.
No clue what it means. Could be “mine.” Could be “kneel.” Either way, my thighs clench like I’ve been waiting my whole life for him to growl against my skin.
Before I can come to my senses, Ezra lifts my hand, brushes a kiss across my knuckles, and murmurs, “I’ll be waiting.”
His skin is cool against mine, and I swear I feel the crackle of something ancient where we touch.
Then our eyes meet, and for a second, I swear he looks at me like I’m the sun after centuries of darkness.
Ezra releases my hand with a smirk and strides off toward the bookshop.
The moment he’s gone, my system reboots with a single, crystal-clear thought—I’m fucking pissed.
He has no fucking right to touch me like that. I didn’t give him permission. Didn’t give him a signal.
Nothing.
He just took.
That won’t happen ever again. I don’t have to like the man to use him as masturbation fuel.
As I stand at the entrance to the shop, seething and plotting revenge, Eve swings her car into a parking space, a full five minutes late.
Shit, how much did she see?
I might as well get ready for some lighthearted teasing, because I doubt she’ll let this go.
“Holy shit! Did Lorewood’s hottest cryptid just scent-mark you like a Victorian sex panther? Bitch, what in the Bronte-ass dick appointment was that?”
Eve practically tumbles out of her car, a full trash avalanche of coffee cups and soda bottles following her to the pavement.
I smirk when I notice she’s still wearing yesterday’s clothes.
“Eve, it doesn’t matter what you saw. Ezra Aster is a self-entitled piece of shit who doesn’t understand the meaning of boundaries—or consent. Where the fuck does he get off?”
“Probably anywhere and with anyone he wants,” Eve mumbles as she digs around in the back seat for her purse.
Wow, someone’s got jokes this morning.
Whatever. Ezra is a chauvinistic pig. Full stop.
He’s the kind of man who takes what he wants. Who doesn’t ask. Who just—
Fuck. I can still feel his breath on my neck.
No. No, absolutely the fuck not.
“Aury, I’ve never seen him touch anyone like that or heard any fuck-boy gossip about him in town. And you know how everyone around here likes to talk,” Eve says as she instantly pulls the correct key from the ring and opens the front door.
Freaking show-off.
“Eve, it was nothing. He’s just another man who thinks he can take what he wants when he wants. Besides, there’s something bigger we need to discuss, like why you’re a full five minutes late.”
Please, please, please take the bait, E. I need a distraction from those intense moments with Ezra. I can still feel his hand in my hair and his lips on my skin.
Thankfully, Eve falls for my distraction tactics and turns toward me with a bright smile.
“You’re wearing yesterday’s clothes, so I guess your night with Thane went well. Was it worth the wait?” I ask as I open the register.
While I’m at home having dreams about an unattainable man, my best friend is getting dicked-down by the real thing.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not jealous. Thane is sweet, but he’s not my type.
Apparently, my tastes run more toward dream-haunting, ominously possessive older men.
Damn, my list of kinks is growing exponentially at this point.
“Aury, you have no idea. Thane is incredible. The dick on that man had me making noises I thought only animals made. And the way he used his tongue all over my body? I lost count of how many times I came. I barely slept last night. It was, like, non-stop.”
Eve’s face is flushed, and her smile is so wide I can’t help but mirror her excitement.
“Shit, I’ve never heard you talk about a guy like this before. Do you think this is something more?”
“Eh, who knows? We’re seeing each other again tonight, but I’m not thinking beyond that. Maybe I can get him to fuck my throat.”
Eve’s eyes become unfocused, and I watch with amusement as the flush on her face creeps down her neck and chest.
“Girl, I hate to say it, but I think you’ve got it bad for the bookshop boy.” When I can’t stop laughing, she slaps my arm. “What? I’m happy for you, even if it is only sex. I guess I’ll just have to be happy with my filthy dreams until I find someone worthwhile.”
“Oh, filthy dreams, you say? I want every nasty little detail!” Eve leans over the counter and places her head in her hands.
“It just felt so real. I mean, even though I haven’t technically been with a man yet, it’s not like I don’t know how to get myself off. But this orgasm was fucking earth-shattering. My sheets were wet, E.”
The dream rushes back with hazy edges, clinging like I never fully woke up.
It’s too vivid to pretend it didn’t happen.
Except I can. Because Louie would’ve lost her mind if someone was actually out there.
So. It didn’t happen. Probably.
“Aurora,” Eve sighs, dramatically placing a hand over her heart. “Still holding out like a gothic Jane Austen heroine? I’m both proud and deeply concerned.”
“Northanger Abbey barely counts, and you know it. But I’ll let it slide because you’re cute when you go full Regency heroine.
” I roll my eyes and curse my Irish roots when heat blooms across my face.
“Whatever. It’s not a big deal. I’m not saving my virginity for anything.
I just haven’t found someone worth it yet.
I need some sort of spark before I can even consider sleeping with someone. ”
Eve smiles and places a hand on my arm. “I get it, and I respect your decision. I would never push you into anything you didn’t want to do.
But I worry about your lofty expectations.
I know the type of books you read on your Kindle and the fantasies you have of sweeping romances and all-night fuck fests, but reality is a little different.
I just don’t want you to miss out on anything. ”
Ouch. I appreciate her words, even if they sting a little.
“Wait, what about you and Thane last night? And tonight? Tell me that’s not like something out of a spicy romance!”
Eve smirks and we both burst into loud giggles.
“Aury,” she groans, fanning herself like she’s about to combust, “last night gave ‘epilogue with a breeding kink.’”
I open my mouth to respond, but the bell over the door jingles as our first customers of the day stroll in.
Without missing a beat, Eve greets the woman and her two dogs like she didn’t just whisper “breeding kink” in public before breakfast.
The morning flies by in a rush of backpacks, water filtration systems, and freeze-dried meals. A few hours into my shift, Eve approaches me and shoves a slip of paper into my hand.
“I didn’t want to say anything until I confirmed with a friend, but there’s this guy who’s new in town. I thought you two might hit it off. That’s his number if you want to call or text him.”
Eve’s voice stays hopeful, her eyes scanning the shop like she’s not casually rewriting the entire trajectory of my existence between sales.
“I mean, no pressure! His name is Jameson, and he just moved here from the city, too, looking for a fresh start. I don’t know much more than that, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to give you his number and let you decide.
Unless you’re holding out for a certain Victorian sex panther who’s very into books to sweep you off your feet,” Eve says with a wink and a big, cheesy grin.
“Oh, thanks, Eve,” I say, chewing on a fingernail while I stare down at the string of numbers on the small piece of paper.
Between my dream and the strange shit from last night, maybe it’s a good idea to do something normal like go on a date. It might be nice to indulge in some food, wine, and friendly conversation.
Who knows? Maybe Jameson’s exactly the kind of aggressively normal guy I need to pretend my life isn’t on fire.
“You know what? I’m going to text him right now. Will you help me?”
I’m determined to get out of my comfort zone, and a date with an absolute stranger is a good way to ease into it. I mean, isn’t that how most sweeping romances start?
Eve chuckles and lets out a sigh of relief. “Hell yeah, I’ll help you! Let’s do this!”
As I add Jameson to my contacts, something cold licks at the back of my neck.
Just nerves. Probably.
But for a split second, I swear I’m being … watched.
Whatever. It’s Lorewood. Being watched might as well be a local pastime.
After a minute of being my own mental hype woman, I send Jameson a text explaining who I am and how I got his number.
He responds almost immediately.
Okay, was he like, waiting by the phone?
We chat for the rest of the afternoon, under Eve’s watchful eye, and agree to meet for a date on Friday evening.
“Yes! You’re finally going out! I don’t have to feel terrible about all the good dick I get now!” Eve’s icy blue eyes shine brightly as we both burst into laughter.
“I’m not making any promises, but Jameson seems nice, and we have some things in common. Even if nothing romantic happens, it might be refreshing to make a new friend who isn’t chronically horny.”
Eve glares at me, then says, “Okay, he can be your friend if you don’t fuck, but he’ll never be your best friend. That title belongs to me, and I’ll fight anyone for it!”
What the hell would I do without her?
I’d be all kinds of fucked up if she wasn’t in my life to love me unconditionally.
I wrap my arms around Eve’s waist, but my mind’s already somewhere else—spinning between Ezra’s hungry breath on my skin and the unshakable memory of Candy Mountain.
Because yeah, apparently, my brain can’t decide what’s more unsettling: an obsessive bookshop owner with a voice like smoke whispering enyém in my ear, or a unicorn getting kidney-jacked in a 2008 internet video.