Page 7

Seth

Their little secret? I narrowed my eyes at Hazel, who hadn’t caught Liam’s softly uttered words. What type of secret could the two of them possibly share?

After they’d left, Hazel had disappeared into the guest bathroom to get ready for the day, and so did I.

Since it seemed like I was getting a forced day off, I decided to go for my loungewear today, which was a pair of slim-fitting pants, slightly stretchy of course for comfort, and a billowy silk shirt, worn open at the front.

“What is this? Loungewear for pirates?” Hazel asked from the kitchen counter. She’d already commandeered my espresso machine and my coffee grinder by the time I came down.

“Only if you’re a pirate’s wench.” I waited for her to reply.

She didn’t.

I looked her up and down. She was still dressed in one of my old silk shirts, the one I’d worn so often that it was threadbare and mostly see-through. The curves of her body were outlined against the dark cabinet doors.

Shit. She’d given Mateo an eyeful. The manticore was lucky he’d already left. I’d have punched him if he were here for not averting his gaze.

“What?” Hazel asked defensively.

“Where’s your bra? And your underwear?” I asked, an idea of what this secret could be forming in my head. How much had the two of them done?

She shrugged. “In your washer or dryer? Liam said he washed them. I didn’t have time to look for them yet.” Her look turned sly. “Does my nudity bother you, Mr. Let’s-Give-Hazel-a-Peepshow-by-Making-My-Clothing-Transparent?” She cocked her hip to one side.

I prowled toward her, trapping her smaller form against the counter. She tried to keep her face neutral, but her breath hitched, and her nipples peeked visibly through the sheer fabric.

I placed a hand on the counter on either side of her, trapping her. “Did it bother Liam?”

My words had the opposite effect as intended. She seemed to fold in onto herself like she was trying to disappear. Then she tried to shove me away and escape the circle of my arms. But the worst part of it was how she refused to meet my gaze.

Had Liam done something that hurt her? No. I shoved the silly thought away. The Liam I knew would never, if not because he’d learned to be a decent soul, then because he knew it would make my life infinitely more difficult.

I gripped her chin gently but firmly and tilted her to face me. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she lied before trying to get away again, this time with some force. “And you’re making my headache worse.”

Shit. I released her, and she continued loading the portafilter of the espresso machine.

Except, with the brace on her right wrist, she was clearly struggling.

Her fuse was short today, and she was tamping it down so angrily that the water would never percolate through the grinds properly.

Her lips were trembling with frustration by the time I took it from her.

“Let me do it. Go sit down,” I ordered.

To my surprise, she didn’t fight me or kick up a fuss at my tone. This was more proof that something was wrong. Cooley always fought back.

I noticed the carton of milk on the counter, so I foamed some milk for her drink too.

When her drink was ready, she was still leaning against the counter, but her face was in her hands.

“Is the headache as bad as it was yesterday?”

She shook her head.

“Does caffeine usually help with your headaches?” I asked, trying one more time to get her talking.

She nodded, then took a sip. “Thank you for the coffee. This is good.”

Fuck. Things were feeling so awkward right now, and I hated it. She was shrinking in on herself, and gone was the woman who wouldn’t hesitate to tell me to pull my ego out of my ass and get lost.

“I didn’t want to use magic to speed up your healing yesterday since you already had such a big dose of it, but I can give it a try today if you want.”

She hesitated, then blew out a breath. “My head hurts, yes. But I’m kind of hiding in my hands for another reason. And I might as well be honest because if I don’t, I’m going to feel guilty forever.”

What was there for her to feel guilty about?

“I kissed Liam last night. He started it, but maybe he meant it like a chaste goodnight kiss. I don’t know. But I kissed him back, like really kissed him back.”

“Ah, so that’s the little secret Liam meant.”

Did she not enjoy it? Why was she acting like it was such a horrible thing?

“Did you enjoy it?”

There was a pained look on her face when she said, “Yes.”

“Well then, there’s only one thing left to do. We’re going to have to catch up.”

“What the hell does that—”

I took the cup from her and placed it down far enough away so we wouldn’t break it, then grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up to sit on the counter. Not expecting it, she squealed and then threw her arms around me. I stepped close, preventing her from sliding off the counter.

“You’re feeling guilty because you and Liam shared a kiss. The solution is easy. Kiss me and call it even.”

She frowned. “I’m not sure that’s how it—”

“Of course that’s how it works.”

I slid my hands into her hair, which she’d left loose today instead of in her usual ponytail or braid. It fell in soft waves around her face and was even softer between my fingers. I grabbed a handful, and her lips parted; that look of need in her eyes was back again.

“If I kissed you, would you enjoy it?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t know.” Her voice was husky but with a hint of challenge. “You’ve never kissed me.”

That was good enough for me. Releasing her hair, I grasped her hips and hauled her to me, loving that I’d had the custom countertops built at just the right height to press all the right parts together. The only thing between us now was the thin fabric of her top and my pants.

I claimed her mouth with mine, tasting her mingled with the nutty flavor of the coffee. Mmm, delicious.

Hazel resisted only for a fraction of a second before she moaned into my mouth, her questing fingers clutching at the collar of my shirt. I slid my tongue across her lips before seeking entry, deepening the kiss and sweeping my tongue into her mouth.

She sagged against me, her body molding perfectly against mine as I explored her soft curves.

She was perfect. I palmed her ass, squeezing the full cheeks and hauling her to press against me at the edge of the counter.

My shirt had fallen open, and her perky nipples pressed against my chest, the thin, silky shirt no match for it.

Fuck! She was so perfect.

Hazel might resist me with her words, but her body accepted me readily. Her fingers clawed needily at my shoulders, and her hips moved against mine, rubbing against the erection that was now tenting the front of my pants.

When I pulled, she pushed. We were on fire as our lips and bodies danced on the knife’s edge of want and desire. I wanted her. Needed her. Fuck! I couldn’t wait to be pumping inside her.

But I wanted Liam to be here for that. Maybe we could use his cock as a gag as I fucked her. The thought had so much blood rushing to my cock that I felt lightheaded.

When I released her lips, she made the softest sound of disappointment.

“Don’t worry, Sweetcheeks, I’ll take care of you.” I caught her by the throat, squeezing just enough to show her she was going to be mine.

Caught in the swirling magic that was starting between us, I kissed my way down her body, my mouth skating over her breasts and down to her belly.

Her eyes were closed now, and her lips parted.

Her fingers were tangled in my hair, greedily pushing me lower.

Everything felt out of control, but also very right.

I didn't care how fast this was moving; I wanted to give her all that she needed and not an ounce less.

“Do you want me to continue?” I asked, my breath fanning her lower belly. “Would you like me to go down on you?”

She inhaled sharply. I knew how she felt. This lust between us was heady and magical, and it was near impossible to think.

“Say it. Tell me you want me to lick your pussy.”

She let out a soft whimper. Ah, so she wasn’t used to naughty words. This was going to be fun.

“Come on, Gorgeous. You’ve got to tell me what you want. Use your words.” I reached down between us to run my fingertips up and down her slit, teasing her.

“I want you to lick me.”

“Lick your what?” I grinned. “ And remember to say please.”

Hazel’s face reddened fetchingly. I bet there weren’t many people who’d seen this side of her. I loved it.

“My pussy. Please.”

I grinned, triumphant, then guided her gently down to the counter.

I trailed a line of kisses down her neck and across her collarbone.

She closed her eyes, lips parted, breathing shallowly as I shoved the billowed silk shirt up and out of my way, exposing her to me.

Each breast was a perfect handful as she arched into my touch.

When I caught a tight, pert nipple in between my lips, she whimpered, the needy sound chasing tingling frissons down my spine.

Her hips bucked, leaving a line of wetness up my belly and probably all over the front of my pants too. Her fingers were tangled in my hair now as I gave each peak their due attention, suckling them in turn.

“Please,” she whimpered, impatiently pushing my head lower.

I skipped over her belly, going for the kill, licking her from the bottom of her slit to her clit, and was rewarded with a hissed, “Yes!” I found her clit easily and circled it several times before plunging two fingers into her soaking channel.

She was tighter than I’d expected, and after only a few strokes, her channel started fluttering around me, and the taste of her exploded on my tongue.