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)
“He might not have in the end, miss,” Mr. Tom said, “but I bet he did in the beginning, hmm?”
Austin just sat next to me silently, showing his support by listening, his arm draped around me.
I narrowed my eyes at Mr. Tom, thinking back. But it had been so long ago and we’d been so young. My memory was splotchy at best, the details long since washed away. All I remembered was how handsome and dashing he’d been, well-off and always nicely dressed. He’d had a nice car—an expensive car—and I’d been stunned by his attention to me. What we lacked in common I’d made up for by trying to learn his interests and appeal to him. So we hadn’t started on a good foundation, and with time, that foundation had crumbled.
“Regardless,” Mr. Tom said, “I think this is an easy problem to rectify.” He lifted his eyebrows. “We will invite him and his whole family for Thanksgiving or Christmas, and you can then shove your happiness in his face. That will be nice, won’t it?”
“His mom traditionally has a party the day after Christmas but no.” I furrowed my brow at him. “I’m not going to be petty. Honestly, let’s just forget about it. I’ll come to my senses any minute and go back to not caring. It’s fine.”
“If you say so, miss. Should I get you a glass of wine? Or something stronger? Maybe you’d like to dwell a little over a pint. The horrible Irishwoman is in her backyard drinking the basajaunak brew and singing like some sort of dying wild animal. She could be a distraction for you.”
“I’m good, Mr. Tom. Thanks.”
“Of course, miss. Let me know if you need anything, like a plan to out-happy your ex.” He exited the room and closed the door behind him.
I ran my hand up Austin’s thigh, smiling as he squeezed me closer.
“Sorry,” I repeated, snuggling into him. “I didn’t realize he could still throw me for a loop.”
“I understand how you feel, Jess,” and I could feel through our bonds that he did. He kissed my forehead. “When my first girlfriend moved on, I had some rage issues. I knew she was bad for me, but it still set me off. Some of these things hold onto us without us realizing. That’s why I offered to give you some space and let you deal with it.”
“And here I was worrying you might feel slighted or nervous that I still have feelings for my ex.”
“It would only be a matter of time before you came to your senses. I have zero fear of losing you to anyone else. Our bond is unshakable. Your heart is mine, and mine is yours. But I will admit it’s a little awkward dealing with an ex that I can’t just force into submission and make go away.”
“Well I mean…you could. I doubt it would be hard. It just wouldn’t be nice.”
He pushed up and angled before capturing my lips. Heat coursed through my body.
“I’ll meet him one day,” he murmured against my lips. “And when I do, I’ll make sure we shove our happiness in his face right before I prove how nice I most certainly am not.”
TWO
Jessie
“Wow.” Nessa eyed me as I came down the stairs. “You have a helluva glow about you today. Special occasion last night?”
“Another bang-a-thon,” Ulric said as he passed me and then her, heading for the door. His hair stuck out in all directions. “Sometimes her ability to heal is not ideal. If they get tired from all the banging, she can just heal him up for another round.”
“I didn’t heal him at all last night,” I replied haughtily. “I did it this morning because he had to get up early to check out a disturbance on the territory perimeter. Some foreign shifters are testing our defenses, I guess. He only just got back.” I could sense him outside, waiting with the rest of my people. “I wouldn’t want to send my man off to work tired after all the work he did for me last night.”
“It is truly a shame that female gargoyles are so rare,” Ulric muttered as he headed out the door. “Truly a shame.”
It had been a marathon last night. Austin had been staking his claim, ensuring I knew what I had with him. I’d risen to the occasion, wanting to prove my devotion and apologize for my temporary lack of rationality. I couldn’t have been any more secure in our relationship today than if there’d been only one man in the entire world and I had him. Which might as well be the case. There was only one man for me, at any rate, and after forty years on this earth, I’d finally found him.
Besides, Jimmy had been right. I had magic now! A lot of it, with all the perks of this house to go with it. I’d leveled up into a dream life (except for the danger, which I would currently ignore so that I could comfortably gloat). My ex might’ve started out a few pegs above me on the social hierarchy ladder in the Dick and Jane world (and his family and friends had made sure to constantly remind me of that), but I was part of a different social hierarchy now, and he couldn’t hold a candle to my position. Suck it, Matt.