Page 5 of Snow’s Charming (Hope Runs Deep #7)

I shot my hands in the air in protest. None of this was making any sense, especially since I left with barely two changes of clothing.

Material possessions, my ass! Another bra and at least an extra pair of underwear would have been fucking nice!

Especially since Dad’s will had left me with no cushion of income.

I was hoping for enough to tide me over until I found a job.

How can I live off of the literal clothes on my back for the next few days—let alone a month?

It would take that long to get a paycheck from the local StarCoffee or TeaTime!

How the fuck would I make getting a job work with a pair of jeans, two tees, and two sets of undies?

Surprisingly, Jerry gave me my two most expensive sets from Samantha’s Secret.

I was beyond grateful for those because they’d last, but one was a black set and the other an aquamarine one.

It was strange that he put those two into my bag.

I mostly had unmatched bras and panties that I purchased off of HaloHanger with my allowance from Dad.

Why Jerry handed me the expensive stuff was beyond me—unless his wife and maid Josie packed the bag—that was always possible.

“Dad—give me some privacy with my princess, please?”

“Fine. But don’t overwhelm her on the first night. We just got her back!”

“Noted.”

I crossed my arms again as Sylus turned to me. His eyes did that undressing of my soul thing again. I rolled my eyes and let out a huff. He can’t be sexy! I wasn’t having it. Nope! Not happening! Fuck his come hither bullshit stare! I need answers.

After his father was a safe distance away from earshot, he faced me.

His gaze seemed to pin me in place. I watched his dark, thick, curly short locks bristle in the cool breeze.

I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself as a shiver crept through me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if his sexiness had something to do with the electricity running through my body and my lower belly.

“Are you cold?”

He instantly placed his hands on my shoulders and rubbed them and my arms briskly.

The heat it provided was a warm welcome, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to let him or any of my father’s friends off the hook yet.

I still knew nothing and him touching me was making my head spin.

I placed a hand on his chest to put some distance between us so I could think.

And damn it! That was the wrong thing to do!

My inner goddess started swearing and swooning all at once, making me think about him naked.

Excitement pooled where it shouldn’t—I only had a half week’s worth of panties, after all.

Great. I hope they have a washer and dryer because I’ll have to do the laundry tonight.

I let out a breath that was half about his searing heated touch and half about my situation and started placing some distance between us.

There was no fucking way in hell I was going to do anything in my thoughts.

One, I can’t. I hardly know the guy. And two, since he and I are technically living together in this enormous complex, making out with him would be out of the question.

“Slow down, lover boy! Let me ask a couple of questions after the formal intro we just had before you put your hands on me—okay?”

Honestly, I didn’t understand where my smart mouth came from. For the past decade, I agreed with everything Jackie said if it allowed me to avoid a beating.

He instantly put a half an inch distance from me. I sucked in a breath, surprised at his response to my request.

“I’m sorry, princess. I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”

I locked my eyes on him. It was the third time he called me princess, and I needed to know why he was calling me the same term of endearment as my dad—especially when I’d never meant Sylus before. All of this was getting a little too freaky!

“Why are you calling me princess?”

He smiled this time. The smile reached his eyes and brightened them.

“Because you are my princess.”

“You keep saying that—why do you keep calling me what my father did? I don’t understand!”

His jaw locked in place momentarily, and then his lips thinned.

FUCK! At this rate, I’ll never know what’s going on.

Dad was always tight-lipped with me growing up, but I didn’t think it was this bad. Was he involved in the mob? The mob gangsters always seemed to call the daughters princesses in those sorts of movies—right ?

“Look, Sesi? I don’t know how else to say this but to ask you if you believe in fairytales—the supernatural ones specifically.”

I sucked in some air and let out a breath. I did not expect the conversation to go here. Was he diverting like his father? No. If he was going to do that, he wouldn’t have insisted on talking to me alone. Ugh! I’m so confused.

“Um…I believe ghosts exist. I think all the ghost chaser reality TV shows for the past couple of decades are proof of ghosts—sure.”

What else was I supposed to say to the sexy Adonis who was now giving me a shit-eating grin after my response?

“So you believe in the supernatural? Because this would make this convo a fuckload easier if you do!”

I sucked in a breath as his hand rested on my shoulder.

Heat pooled within me and rushed straight to my lower belly once more.

It was like a kindling fire I’d seen Dad make so many times in the fireplace after our Sunday night dinners radiating within me.

Without a second thought, I inched closer to Sylus.

What the fuck was going on with me? Sure, he was sexy, but I was barely 21. Dad always told me to hold out for my true love. And for my entire dating life so far, I’d done just that.

So why was my brain turning to mush right now?

Why was I so into this guy? I never had this feeling with anyone my stepmonster forced on me for all the parties for Dad’s company.

Why she asked me to date a bunch of asses with octopus hands, I didn’t know.

But I would be damned if I let Sylus grope me.

Not happening. Nope. I can’t get close to him because he’s probably like all the others.

You give them an inch and they want you to go the mile.

I frowned as those thoughts plagued my mind, and without realizing it, I stepped further away from him.

I gasped as he dropped to his knees before me.

“What do you think you are doing?”

The words were only a whisper from my mouth.

“I’m sorry, my princess! I did not mean to disrespect you!”

“What the damned fuck are you talking about?”

I’d now had it! This guy was making me have all the feels but wasn’t telling me a thing and my patience was gone for the night.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on or what?”

“Sesi, let me start with the easier part first. You are my betrothed, my princess, my queen, and Luna! You inherited not only an inn for revenue but—and this is the harder part—you inherited a wolf pack complex. It’s your destiny to be my Luna, my Queen, my everything.”

I scoffed at him, because how could I not?

He hadn’t a clue about me and he was talking about weird shit that doesn’t exist in real life.

His betrothed? Who arranges marriages in the 21st century?

Okay, possibly royalty, but I’m no princess!

Who the fuck was he kidding? I’m a nobody!

Jackie made that crystal clear for the past decade.

“I’m not sure who fed you a lie about me, but I’m nothing.

In case your father and the rest of the brigade didn’t clue you in, Jackie got everything.

I have nothing except a pair of jeans, two tees, and two sets of bras and panties.

Oh! I’m also the proud owner of some pictures of my father from my last birthday. But that’s it.”

I didn’t want to sound pathetic—nor did I want my cheeks to heat after mentioning the unmentionables—but they did without my consent. I probably shouldn’t have talked about my underwear with the Greek god.

He smiled as his eyes darkened with desire, making me blush even more.

“I hope Josie helped you out like I asked her to.”

My breath stopped as the next words I uttered spilled out of my mouth.

“The fuck?”

He put his palms out in protest—my guess in a mock defense.

“I’m sorry! Let me start over. Hi. I’m Sylus and I’m the Lord Alpha Shifter Wolf of the Moon Rising Pack and Inn. Well, at least I will be after the coronation.”

Before I could take in another breath, he clasped my hand and brought it to his lips. Heat coursed through me again and burst like a firecracker.

He inched closer to the shell of my ear.

The heat of his breath tickled my skin and did things to me I never thought possible before.

At one point, I seriously thought the numbness consuming my heart made me broken because I never ached for anyone before.

And if I’m doing this now right after we’d met, I’m so fucked.

Wait? Maybe I shouldn’t use that term. Too late.

I’m picturing him naked again. I almost lost my balance as my knees weakened from the brush of his fingertips on my bare-skinned shoulder.

“You are my Queen, Sesi. And by the sound of your racing heart, it’s clear you are as into me as I am you. I’m all yours, but only if you grace me with the pleasure of worshiping you as the goddess you are.”

Worship? Grace? Queen? All his words melted me into a pile of sweet goo as he kissed the shell of my ear softly and pulled me into his arms.

“Are you still cold? I can take you inside. It’s my duty—as I mentioned.”

He wasn’t doing the grabby-hand thing, but that didn’t matter because I still didn’t know this guy, and I certainly didn’t have any clearer answers to what was going on. Everything he said so far had me wanting to ask more questions.

I instantly broke his hold. If this guy was going to try a move—well? I wasn’t feeling it—even if he was Chary’s kid—I had to keep my head in check so I’d get the answers I needed.

“Stop! Don’t touch me.” I shuttered.