Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45326 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
I gave him directions for the long way, smiling whenever he leaned on the gas to see what the car could do.
“This is too much, though, Jess,” Austin said, taking a turn blindingly fast. I clutched the door handle, my stomach flinging out of my body. “That watch, too. I know of that watch maker, so I know how much his stuff goes for at auction. It’s too expensive.”
“Not for the Ivy House heir.” I affected Mr. Tom’s voice. “You have a responsibility to the house to uphold the very great prestige with which it has blessed you.” I went back to my normal tone. “And that was when I was trying to buy a moderately priced bracelet. What I think is moderately priced, anyway. I have a different playbook now. It’ll take a minute to catch up. Think of it as armor. If mages will actually read all those layers of meaning into the watch, like Sebastian says they will, it’s not just worth it, it’s necessary. This car, too. Mages will eventually come to visit. We need to look the part. They’ll be a lot harder to impress than those gargoyles.”
“Feels wrong to accept gifts of this magnitude.”
“Or does it feel oh-so-good?”
His smile gave him away.
“Turn left here,” I said, pointing at the road.
He did as I said, now having to slow down because we were outside of town on somewhat dark roads. The potential for animals to jump out in front of the car was high.
“So you’ve got your social media all set up and active?” he asked as I pointed for him to take a left.
“Yeah. At first it was mostly crickets, but post one picture with you in it and suddenly my old high school friends are coming out of the woodwork.” I laughed.
“Any notice from your ex?”
I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. “No. I’m over that. I’m happy where I am and don’t care what he’s up to. I’m good.” I turned back and ran my hand up his arm to his shoulder. “I have a dream life right now.”
“Except for the constant threat of dying…”
“I ignore that bit when I think about my dream life. Slow down here.” I peered out the window and then checked my phone. “Yeah, right here.”
“Are you taking me somewhere to kill me?”
“To use you first, obviously, what do you take me for? Use you and then kill you.”
“It would be a pleasant way to go.” He reached over, sliding his hand up my thigh and under my dress. “Let’s pull over somewhere secluded. I want to take you on the hood of this car.”
His fingers ran over my panties, applying pressure right where I needed it.
“No,” I said breathily as he rubbed. “Not until after.”
“After what?” he whispered, the car barely crawling along the deserted road, his fingers slipping into the side of my panties and sliding through my wetness.
“After the next thing.” I let my head fall back as my eyes fluttered closed. Summoning all my will, though, I pushed his arm away. “Not yet. Not until later. And then I promise the wait will be worth it.”
He pulled his hand away slowly before leaning toward me, pulling me into a scorching kiss. I moaned, lost for a moment, not wanting to come up for air. I didn’t relent, though, pointing ahead of us with a now shaking hand.
Knowing how he was affecting me, he chuckled darkly.
A mile down the road, we turned into a gravel area on the outskirts of a shabby sort of park. It didn’t have any equipment for kids to play on and the baseball diamond on the other side was in terrible shape. What it did offer, though, was a large picnic area that could easily house the group of shifters I’d invited.
Several cars and trucks were already parked in the lot, and a large bonfire sent swirling embers into the sky. Portable, battery-powered lanterns hung on little hooks to either side of a large metal BBQ, three guys standing in front with tongs or spatulas. Other people stood around or sat in the wooden chairs, chatting and laughing, holding plastic cups or cans of beer.
Austin shut off the car and stared out at the merriment for a moment—hesitating as if in indecision. His emotions through the bonds were muted, something I wasn’t used to. Was he doing that purposely to keep them from me, or did he not feel anything at all?
Kace, Austin’s longest friend in this territory, had said I could invite any shifters I wanted and it wouldn’t matter where they sat in the pack hierarchy. BBQs were well-established outlets for shifters—an opportunity for them to let their hair down. Fighting was strictly prohibited and challenges were forbidden. Austin had mentioned as much a time or two, and he’d seemed to relax at the feast we’d been treated to on basajaunak land. I’d thought he might be missing this. I’d thought maybe he’d enjoy just being a shifter for the night, no bar and no alpha obligations, without having to make allowances for other species or my odd crew. Just doing what he knew.