Page 32 of The Mating Claim

A smile touched his mouth. He enjoyed sparring with her like this. “I do not whip up. Perhaps a restaurant meal is an option. Now, go tobed.”

She made no move for thehallway.

“I shall remain here, all night,” he added. “I do not require much sleep, so there is no need for abed.”

Unless you wish to do other activities one usually does in bed. Such as getting naked andthen…

He tried to will the thought away, but it danced in his mind, sorely temptinghim.

“You’re not going to like this, wizard. You’re not spending thenight.”

His smile broadened. “That is, what is the saying? What youthink.”

She wentto bed with a full belly and a wizard sitting in her living room. Lacey locked her door in case he wandered during thenight.

And there was not a damn thing she could do about thewizard.

Drust could do whatever he pleased, and she was powerless to stop him. A locked door would never stophim.

At least he’d finally stopped staring at her mouth, as if he’d longed to kiss her again. Because she really wanted him to kissher.

And keep kissingher.

Lacey wasn’t stupid or naïve. Though she’d never had sex before, she knew the pull of sexual desire, knew that the wizard desired her as a man desired a woman. She felt thesame.

When they were together, sparks flew. Literally. She groaned and punched her pillow. Sleep with that man in her house proved impossible. At least she felt confident he could not find the book. It was secure, in the last place anyone would think tolook.

Using one or two of the spells inside the book might help her current financial situation. Then again, it was risky. Look what happened to Chase? Evie’s love and now her mate might be toast by now, because she’d failed to make the correct formula for the dragonspicepotion.

At least Evie was happy now. Lacey felt thrilled for her sister. And yet she felt wistful for herself. Not that she wanted a man in her life. She had trouble enough managing her ownproblems.

Mentally she racked over things Drust might find in the living room if he decided to snoop. Fortunately, most of her good items had already been sold in a vain attempt to stall the bank onforeclosing.

A whirring sound ensued. Lacey boltedupright.

“Oh no,” shemoaned.

She’d forgotten about the discreet package she’d received the other day, the object that still sat in the box. Her one luxury, purchased online and onsale.

Drust foundit.

Mortified, Lacey dashed into the living room to find the all-powerful Coldfire Wizard sitting on her sofa, frowning at the Magick Massager Deluxe. In red. Boxed in a fire engine red box, it looked like a smalltoy.

But definitely was not meant forchildren.

He glanced up and politely stood as she entered the room, grinding to an abrupt halt as she stared at him. “Put thatdown.”

“I was searching for the instrument that turns on the television and I found this on the table. You purchased a rabbit that quivers.” He held up the object and frowned. “For whatpurpose?”

Stomach trembling, she crossed the room and held out her hand. “You snooped. It’s mine. Give that tome.”

He held it out of reach as she danced around him, feeling awkward in her faded blue pajamas with the leaping white bunnies on them, almost as awkward as knowing the all-powerful Coldfire Wizard had his hands on her newvibrator.

Drust looked at her with those incredible, piercing blue eyes. “What isthis?”

“It’s, it’s a massager.” Lordy her face felt onfire.

The wizard turned the vibrator over in his hand, and flicked a finger over the rabbit’s tail. “What does itdo?”