93. Summer #2
Max winces, shoving his hand in his pocket. “I got a little panicked, and I freaked out so?.?.?. Fuck, I was stupid. I’m sorry.”
I search his eyes and then nod. “It’s fine, Max. Still friends.”
“Yeah?” Max asks on a relieved exhale, relaxing a little when I nod. “I know it’s dumb, but I was more pissed that I acted like an asshole about every-thing, and you stopped coming to the gym too. Even more than the other stuff.”
“I’ll start coming back.”
“Swear?” I nod, and Max pulls me into a hug. “Good. Missed you.”
I hug him back, enjoying the familiarity and comfort of a friend’s embrace.
He pulls back after a long moment. “How was All Souls? As crazy as the rumors?”
“You know, it was pretty good. Why don’t you come around this evening? We can order food, and Rafe can tell you all about the girl he met?”
Max’s eyebrows lift. “Rafe met someone?” he asks as we head back to our table. “A real someone?”
“A real female.”
“You telling him about Rafe?” Alice asks, sliding into her seat.
I nod. “I also invited him around for dinner so they can talk about it, but he’s being annoying and asking me the questions instead.”
“I can’t be curious?” Max asks .
“Are you coming to dinner or not?” I ask, rolling my eyes.
“Yes,” Max says, nudging me.
I know at some point I’ll need to have the discussion with him that I’m now celibate, but there’s no point in doing so until he asks.
Perhaps after freaking him out that last time, whatever we were doing has come to its natural end.
However, I have no idea how I’m going to bring up that particular conversation with the stranger, or how he’ll react.
“Whatever, I’m going to the restroom before class, and I need to talk to Professor Edwards,” I say, standing up.
My phone pings, and my stomach flutters when I see who it’s from.
Unknown
Missing me, princess?
I slide into the bathroom as I text him back.
Summer
How are you?
Unknown
How am I? You must really be missing me.
I find myself smiling down at my phone, and when I catch myself in the mirror, I shove my phone away.
I use the restroom before washing my hands and checking my makeup.
Surprise and a touch of fear make me shiver when warmth covers my face, and I’m plunged into darkness, a hard, muscled chest pressing against my back.
“Princess.” He pulls me back against him, and my body melts into him, recognizing him before my mind has registered who is behind me. “What is it?”
“Hm?”
“I could sense your anxiety,” he says, nuzzling my ear.
“You’re really here? How?” I ask, my voice practically a moan.
“It felt worth the risk, but I don’t have long.” I rest back against him, letting myself sink into his strength. “What is it?” he asks, and I know this is the perfect time to tell him, but the nervous butterflies are fluttering madly alongside the giddy ones .
“It’s nothing,” I say, just wanting to be with him for a moment.
“Liar,” he says, sliding his lips over my throat.
I tilt my head, opening for him and leaning back against his shoulder. It’s time to tell him. He’s not going to drop it. “I think we need to?.?.?.” I hesitate, but he doesn’t tense behind me. He just keeps dragging his nose along my neck. “Slow it down a little.”
Now he tenses and goes very still. I don’t move, barely breathing, but after a moment, he brushes his lips along my neck again. “Explain.”
I exhale. “I just think that we should probably slow down a little while you have to be in your other form.”
“Ah.” He chuckles darkly, and he brushes his fingers along the bottom of my skirt, just barely touching my thigh.
“W-what?” I ask breathlessly.
“You like feeling me too much. The real me.”
He drags my skirt up a little before pressing me against the counter and moving his hand to my shirt. He pulls it free from my waistband to tease his fingers over my stomach.
“That’s why you want less of me,” he murmurs, his simple touch threatening to set me aflame.
“That’s not what I said . . .”
“It’s what you meant,” he says, nipping at my ear.
I moan. “No, I said we should slow things down?.?.?.”
“Because I drive you wild,” he says into my ear, slipping his fingertips beneath the waistband of my skirt. “Slow down how?”
“No sexual things,” I say, and I feel his lips still for a moment. “Gods, I can’t?.?.?. I can’t think when you’re touching me.”
He chuckles again and slowly pulls his hand from beneath my shirt. From the way I press more against the counter, I’m guessing he’s braced his there, leaving just his palm covering my eyes.
I take a breath. “I need to spend some time focusing on me.”
“Focusing on you?” he asks carefully.
“Yes,” I say, my voice still thick with desire. “And it’s difficult to do when I’m distracted.” He goes so silent that if it weren’t for his hand over my eyes and the way that sliver of his magic within me squirms when he’s around, I’d think he was gone.
“You want to stand on your own,” he says eventually .
“I just want to sort my mind out.”
His hand settles back on my hip, and he turns me around to face him, somehow managing to keep his hand over my eyes. “And where do you want me to be?”
“I don’t want you to go anywhere,” I answer truthfully.
“I see.” I can practically hear him thinking, feel his eyes on me. “Keep your eyes closed.”
I nod behind his hand, fluttering my eyelashes so he can feel that I’ve closed them.
He wraps both arms around me and pulls me into his chest, burying his face into my hair. “If you’re confused, I will force myself to be patient once again. But I will be here.”
I exhale, relaxing against him.
“You were nervous to tell me this,” he says, pressing a kiss to my head.
“A little,” I say with a small nod.
“You expected me to react poorly?”
“I know, it’s weird cause you’re usually so levelheaded and reasonable,” I say, my lips twitching.
A chuckle rumbles in his chest.
“I should get to class.”
“You should, but before you do?.?.?.” He pulls me back and turns me to face the mirror again. I know I could open my eyes right now and see who he is, but I can’t break his trust like that. “I want to take a photo.”
I frown.
“Humor me. It’ll make this whole situation easier.” I nod, and he whispers in my ear, “I miss this already, but I respect your wishes.”
He snakes one of his arms around my waist, and the other goes back to my thigh, dragging my skirt up just a little more. A tease. Fuck. He presses a kiss to my neck, and then I hear the soft shutter of his camera.
“Thank you, little fae,” he whispers, and then he’s gone.