Page 17 of Wishing Upon a Monster (Monster Brides Romance #40)

Aurora

I had a pretty normal shift at the nonmagical human side of the preserve, but it was nice to catch a car and be chauffeured back to headquarters.

“See ya, Mac!” I called to my driver, a quasi-retired preserve enforcer who had plenty of stories to tell, shutting the Jeep’s door with a slam.

The sun was setting later now that it was truly spring. I enjoyed the colors a little bit before walking into the lobby.

“Tell me you hit a home run this weekend!” Vickie floated quickly to my side.

“What? No! We just met each other, Vickie! Honestly!” I scolded, trying not to laugh at the utterly dejected look on her face.

“I think you need to work on getting to first base at least!” She teased, her cool hand solidifying enough to push me on my shoulder.

I coughed as I felt the heat rushing to my face.

“YESSSS!” she crowed, levitating up in the air with her fist raised in victory .

“Shhh!” I hissed and looked around.

We were thankfully alone.

“What you need to do is wear some low-cut tops, Rorie. You have great tits. It could give him ideas.” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “Oh! And then, you could let him fuc––”

“I swear to the Goddess if you finish that statement!” I power walked faster, not really knowing where Olan was, only that he said we could meet after work.

Maybe the conference room...

“You are no fun!” she pouted, letting me escape.

I hightailed it to the conference room, happy to see the door was open. Giving it a quick rap with my knuckles, I entered. A bored-looking Olan sat at the table, scrolling on a cellphone.

“When did you get a phone?” I asked as I flopped down in the rolly chair next to him.

“While you were out, Rocio offered to get me ‘set up.’” He said, swiping up and closing his phone.

That statement made me feel a little off, like I was annoyed he hadn’t asked me. Why would it matter who he went to for help? He had to occupy himself while I worked somehow.

I was thinking so hard, and feeling so much grumpier than I needed to, that I didn’t notice when he reached over and scooped me up. Airborne and feeling feisty, I wriggled in his grip.

“Min guldklump , what is this?” He thought, bringing me up to his chest.

I found what was becoming my favorite spot, snuggled against the crook of his neck. The scent of wet fall days filled my nose, and I sighed.

“I don’t know. I would have gone with you to get a phone. I mean, you can make friends, I like Rocio, and I know you have plenty of gold to tempt her, so it’s not that she’s taking advantage of you, I just...” I didn’t want to be left behind. Why I felt like that with Olan, I didn’t know.

“Aurora,” he said, nuzzling the top of my head, “your world requires me to adapt. I am trying to do that so that I can be the best partner I can be to you. Palmer suggested I get this phone with Rocio because they wish to get in contact with me about signing the treaty. Now that my demands have been met, the lawyers will draw up the paperwork for me to sign. I didn’t want to have to rely on you to communicate when you are going back to work. ”

“That makes sense.” I made a frustrated sound and looked up at him. “I don’t know why it bothered me that you… of course you would want to be able to communicate with whomever you want. I’m not trying to limit your autonomy––”

Olan swooped down, his lips crashing into mine.

He was completely in control, stalling all of my thoughts as his tongue skimmed along the seam of my lips.

I groaned, surrendering to his masterful advances.

My hands slid up his neck, enjoying the texture of his cool, soft skin as I traced haphazard patterns there.

He pulled me flush against his torso, his hands gripping my thighs.

I was never up for any sort of foreplay when I was on my period, and yet I felt needy in Olan's arms, the urge to grind against him to gain some relief overpowering.

He pulled back, breathing heavily, and allowed his head to fall back on the chair.

I sat astride him, my hands framing his neck while his flexed on my thighs.

“ Min s?de skat , I apologize. You just say things that make me forget where we are. I want you to care where I go, who I am with.” His hands slid up my thighs to my ass, squeezing the globes hard enough that I felt a zing to my clit.

I gave in, grinding against his abs. He let me drop down, the hard tip of his cock pushing against the thick seam of my cargo pants spurring me on to swivel my hips in earnest.

A whinging groan, like a weathervane moaning in the wind, left his deep purple lips, and I gasped, finding a rhythm that was quickly sending me towards orgasm.

“Use me, min skat , to chase your pleasure,” he encouraged, leaning down to nibble along my neck. His sharp teeth scraped lightly along my skin, and with a nip, I exploded. Dazed, I slumped in his arms as small aftershocks zipped through my body.

“What did I just do?” I wondered, feeling less embarrassed about the whole thing than I should.

“Mmm, I think perhaps your hungry little fisse needed tending. You trusted me to take care of you.” He nuzzled the top of my head, the pride filtering through with his thoughts.

I thought about that, not sure that my urge was necessarily based on trust, well, not fully.

Obviously, my subconscious had no qualms about dry humping a basic stranger.

Except we’ve spent almost every waking moment together for the last four days.

Could I say he was a stranger? Was I merely justifying my actions?

“You are thinking too hard, min skat . I wanted to pleasure you. Even if your mind has not reconciled that you are min skat , my treasure, your body has. I will never leave you wanting and needy for my touch. I may travel while you work, but it is you that I will always come back to, you who draws this lust from my being,” he assured.

“So, I was jealous and,” I looked over my shoulder to the slightly open conference room door, “ became an exhibitionist because I am feeling... territorial?”

“It is not... uncommon for the mates of Br?ndmands to be fiercely protective. We do grant wishes, and those are precious things. In the wrong hands... My kind could be compelled to grant unimaginable horrors.” He smirked. “Not that I could ever be coerced in such a way. I am very wise––”

Before I thought better of it, I popped Olan on his chest and sucked my teeth at him . “Wise indeed, old man! Since you are so decrepit, that means we are staying in tonight and not going on this mysterious date?”

Olan growled playfully, the sound making me shiver, and not in fear.

Sweet cosmos, my lady bits need to calm the fuck down. What the fuck is this? Or maybe it is the fuck that’s the problem. I want to progress to the fucking? Maybe not, since it’s a question...

“Aurora,” Olan nuzzled the top of my head, snapping me out of my spiral, “You are thinking too hard again, min skat . Let us depart, you will need to change for our date.”

“Oh, yes. Did you get your well on site?” I asked, trying to stand up.

He wouldn’t have any of it, instead standing with me in his arms. I suppose I should have been concerned about how it looked, an enforcer being carried by an eight-foot-tall obsidian god who...

You know what? Scratch that. That sounded pretty badass to me. I shifted, wrapping my arms more securely around his neck as he carried me to the front.

“Yes, they approved that concession for our use. Apparently, they disliked you driving through the preserve? Something about you being a canned human snack on wheels?” He strode through the lobby, giving Vicki a nod as we passed.

I harrumphed, looking over his shoulder, seeing her giving me two thumbs up as we exited the building, “They worry about the most unnecessary things.”

“I agree, min skat . I know you are a formidable warrior, but it helped us get this.” He gestured to a well that looked pretty similar to the one in my backyard, minus the golden script.

“Before you take me home, what are we doing to necessitate a wardrobe change?” I peered down at the darkness within the well.

“We need to dress you warmly; it is very cold where we are going,” he said before stepping up on the ledge of the well.

Intrigued, I held on tighter as he leapt into the well.

We went to Iceland that night, where I met Bjarndyrakóngur, the King of Bears.

He insisted I call him Bear and took us to a beautiful glass building very reminiscent of the snow houses I remember seeing on TV as a child.

Inside was the most impressive setup, many pillows and furs were situated around a low table on which sat a massive charcuterie board.

There was a sweet wine called Kvoldsol, which was delicious, and I had more than one glass of it.

Supposedly, centuries ago, my husband granted Bear’s greatest wish, but he would only smile fondly when I asked what the wish was.

Olan assured me that he hadn’t traded a very big wish for this evening’s date, and I quickly forgot to ask more when the brilliant glow of the Northern Lights filled the night sky.

I lay in Olan’s arms, mesmerized. Maybe I had too much wine, or maybe the days were catching up with me, but I fell asleep under the lights only to wake up the next morning in my bed, with the alarm chirping in my ear.

I tried not to think too hard on why I was disappointed to wake up with only Sashimi next to me.

I pulled my knees to my chest, less bothered by the brand-new sleepwear I didn’t recognize, in a pale blue I loved, and more concerned about the care he was showing me .

Or maybe... it’s not the care he is showing me, but how much I care about it?

I sighed, watching as dawn broke over the trees.

Am I like... those stupid people in the romance novels? The ones where the heroine has a solid person who makes her life more worthwhile and refuses to see it?

I buried my face in my kneecaps, like the pressure on my face could force the sense into my head faster.

I am one hundred percent that bitch.

I really didn’t have time for life-altering revelations.

Then again, I supposed life-altering revelations didn’t have time for me to ignore them.

Maybe that’s why they were such a bitch?

My transfer to the night shift had been approved, but I wouldn’t start training under Irene until next Monday.

I had day shifts on the human side of the preserve for the rest of the week.

No, I need to take time to reflect today, because this isn’t going how I expected. I like him. He’s kind. He’s strangely flirty, and, okay, at first I had trouble reconciling that because, I mean, he’s an eight-foot-tall shadow monster...but he’s becoming less of a monster and more of an Olan.

I lifted my face and reached for Sashimi. Running my fingers through her fur, I continued to think.

Even if he were as handsome as an angel, I would think I would have just as much trouble accepting the attention.

People don’t flirt with me. Beings don’t either; Nash’s horny ass doesn’t count.

People don’t want to stay the night and have breakfast after––much less cook it.

Then there are the kisses that don't have to lead anywhere. .. the easy affection.

I feel my face heat. The solo orgasm in the conference room...

The problem was, he was growing on me. If he grew on me, I couldn’t break this marriage of ours apart .

Sashimi’s purrs filled the spaces between the morning calls of birds as I wondered if I really wanted to break it apart. What would happen if I grabbed this impossible situation with both hands and never gave it a chance to shatter?