Page 26 of Snow’s Charming (Hope Runs Deep #7)
Happily Ever Maybe
T he drive back was almost a blur. If it weren’t for the stops for gas and Sylus hugging me every time he helped me out of the backseat of the car. I wouldn’t have realized how many states we’d crossed.
Yes, Sylus and I drove back together in the same car—but Zhang and Joker came back with us, too.
I couldn’t help but think our dads wanted babysitters for us.
They were just as weirded out about our blatant PDAs as we were.
It wasn’t like they hadn’t seen us hugging before, but now, everything was different because we had lifted the curse.
It was probably a good move to drive in a separate car from us because we’d been holding hands the entire ride. Even Zhang was making jokes about us being all loved up. And Zhang didn’t strike me as the type to tell a lot of jokes.
Everything seemed to be falling into place for the two of us—right? One could hope, I guess. Still. I can’t shake the feeling that this battle with Accius isn’t over. I looked out the window, convinced something in the road was ready to tear us apart again.
The feeling kept gnawing at my stomach, bubbling to the surface the closer we got to the inn.
I buried my head in Sylus’s chest, closed my eyes, and took in his fresh citrus scent, hoping his essence would calm the growing turbulence in my stomach.
I tugged him closer to me while letting out a shaky breath.
“Hey, princess, it’s going to be okay. We don’t have to worry about Accius.”
I pulled away from him slightly to meet his eyes.
“That’s just it, Sylus, we should worry about him—and possibly Jackie, too. I’m terrified that the mirror won’t hold her forever. And who knows? Maybe the Nuri clan can figure out how to free her. For all we know, they could be doing that right now—what’s stopping them?”
My breathing turned erratic, and I knew what was coming next. If I didn’t calm myself, I’d go into a full-blown panic attack. This was the last thing I needed. I had to keep a level head if I had any intention of protecting everyone.
Sylus pulled me closer as he drew circles on my back and kissed the top of my head.
“Baby, we will get them. I promise. I know it’s easier said than done, but please don’t worry.”
Zhang turned to me with soft eyes.
“Listen to your mate. He’s right. I’ve foreseen it. Everything will be all right. ”
He patted my upper arm, and I swore a calmness welled within my belly and radiated throughout my body.
I didn’t want to believe it because, let’s face it.
I didn’t exactly have an outstanding track record of good things coming my way.
Jackie always made sure I was miserable, and that thought kept looming in the back of my mind.
Still, I was partly to blame for my lack of positivity.
I should have risen above this just as I did all the other times Jackie robbed me of happiness, but for some unknown reason, I couldn’t shake the uneasiness.
It was as if I were experiencing a foreboding, something my English teacher always talked about.
But I never could figure out why it was so important for the story because I hated overanalyzing the author’s words.
They wrote them for a reason, and somehow, I don’t think it was for students in an English Lit class to pick apart.
I had this uncanny knack for figuring out the ending of a story after reading the first five pages, too.
I hated having that gift because it spoiled my reading enjoyment.
Who wants to read a book only to pick it apart for their teacher?
I wanted the pleasure of reading the words.
To get sucked into the story so well that knowing the ending didn’t bother me.
It was rare that any story I’d read where I had to guess the ending, but lately, I’d come across a handful of authors that surprised me in a good way.
They sucked me in, had me laughing in one chapter, crying in the next.
I even wanted to throw my cell against my bedroom wall once, upset that the girl was being stupid with the guy in a fantasy romance.
Now, that right there is an excellent author, for sure!
“I get it, I do. But it’s in my nature to worry.”
Sylus wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest again.
My heart rate instantly calmed the minute his citrus scent encompassed me.
I let out a sigh of contentment as he leaned into my ear.
His hot breath hovered over the shell, and he let out a guttural growl that vibrated through my body and sent a shiver down my neck.
“I’m glad my touch pleases you enough to comfort you, princess.
Your heart rate is almost at its normal rate.
” He pressed his silky lips to my earlobe, causing me to bite my lower lip to squelch a mewl of pleasure.
His eyes had the same darkened desire as when he kissed me for the first time.
My cheeks instantly heated. “You’re blushing, princess. ”
I bit my lower lip again and turned away from his piercing gaze. But he wasn’t having that, I guess. He captured my chin with his thumb and index finger, pinning me in place. My only choice was to gaze into those heated, dark topaz-colored eyes.
“I am not. You are just?”
His lips curled, and I lost my comeback.
Honestly, who was I kidding? I was a pile of goo every stinking time Sylus opened his mouth.
His dark topaz-colored eyes had me just as captivated by his sweetness as his silky voice.
I swallowed, and hard, trying to get my mouth quenched enough to talk, but when I parted my lips, his mouth was over mine.
“Can I unhook your seatbelt, princess?”
I murmured only in a pleased tone, which had him pressing the button of my seatbelt. In one deft move, he’d wrapped me in his arms and placed me on his lap.
“Your fathers gave me the fifth degree so that I’d keep you safe, Sylus. Having her in your lap?—”
Sylus put out his hands in defense.
“Zhang, I mean no disrespect to them or you, but we are a block away from the house. Can’t I hold my mate? Pretty please?”
Zhang let out a groan before responding. “Just don’t let your fathers see it! I don’t need a lecture from children with children. I’m older than your entire pack put together.”
“We know, man. You are as old as Egyptian sand.”
Zhang raised an eyebrow. “Who are you calling old, Sylus?”
Sylus let out a belly laugh, and Zhang smiled slightly before turning to face the windshield.
“Kids these days.” He said with a huff. Joker simply nodded in affirmation.
Sylus placed his chin on my chest and gazed up into my eyes.
“Now that they are done arguing with us until we get home, can I kiss you? It will probably be the last time we can for?—”
Sylus’s voice trailed, and he swallowed hard, squelching whatever thought he had. Somehow, I knew what he meant, and I placed a palm on his cheek.
“Sylus, I want you to kiss me.”
I guess he didn’t need to be told twice because his lips were on mine in the next instant.
All the feelings from our last kiss rushed back to me, and because I’d wanted to kiss him, I was the one to press my tongue over the seam of his mouth first. He groaned softly in my mouth as he opened to me.
I swiped over his upper and lower lip before tangling my tongue with his.
He groaned again, and the vibration was just as intoxicating to my senses as the taste of him.
The scent of cherries and cola flooded me as he placed his palms on my shoulders.
I pressed my chest into him, wanting to touch as many of his hard planes as possible.
However, just as soon as I did so, he pushed me back from him to put some distance between us.
But not before I got the chance to savor him by sucking on his bottom lip.
He let out a growl before placing more distance between us by gently sliding me off his lap.
“We are pulling into the driveway, baby. And even though I want to keep kissing you, we should respect what Zhang said. Let’s give our fathers some time to digest what’s happening between us,” he said.
“Okay,” I said, reaching for his hand and giving it a squeeze.
He smiled at me before opening the car door and guided me out. When my feet touched the pavement, a twinge of energy enveloped me. It was stranger than anything I’d felt before. My head grew heavy, and my body fell into Sylus’s solid mass before everything went black.
“Not again. What is this fuckery now? Can’t we catch a break before all hell breaks loose—again?”
Even though darkness surrounded me, I heard Sylus saying this as his grip tightened around me. I tried to open my mouth to respond to him, but I was too weak. It was as if all my muscles had turned to stone.
“Wake up, princess, please.” His lips were against mine, and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and deepen the kiss, but I couldn’t move. “Why won’t she wake up? Is this another spell?”
“I’m not sure, Sylus, but we will figure it out. Let’s get her inside. Raine should have some answers for us,” said Zhang.