“Right now?” He looked outside as if it were dark.
“Yeah, I didn’t feel like it earlier. Besides, my favorite vendor doesn’t open until later in the day. And he’s probably wondering why I haven’t come in days.”
I kept my voice light, but my heart thudded against my ribs. I wondered if he was noticing the way I was trying not to look too eager to leave, trying to keep some distance, some control over myself. And I thought spending the least amount of time together was best.
“He.” His eyes narrowed like he wanted an answer to a question he never actually asked. My stomach tightened underhis gaze, and I felt a flicker of that impossible pull I couldn’t quite resist.
“Yes, he is expecting me.” I looked at Abram and waited for him to say something, hoping he might say anything, to bridge the quiet tension. “I guess I’ll see you later.”
He looked like he might say something, like he was about to reach for me or stop me, but he didn’t. My chest ached with the half-glimpse of hope I let die, and I headed out, feeling the weight of the unspoken between us.
I smiled at Nate when I approached the cart. His eyes flicked over me in quick recognition, and some of the tightness in my chest eased. Nate had always been easy to be around—steady, familiar, uncomplicated.
“There’s my favorite girl.” He ignored the two women fawning over him when he saw me, coming up and hugging me. “Where have you been?”
Heat flushed my cheeks.
“Oh, just busy with coven stuff.” I left out accidentally getting married to a god. “I waited all day to come see you. I have been dreaming of a pastry.”
He draped his arm over my shoulder and pulled me back behind the cart so I could see all the options he had today.
“Wow, you went all out.” I smiled at the flavors.
“I have to keep my favorite customer satisfied so she’ll keep coming back to me.” He gave me a big grin, and his arm stayed slung over my shoulders.
“No one comes close to your pastries, so don’t worry about that.”
I bent down, focusing on the sweets a little too hard when I felt him behind me. His presence pressed close, unmistakable. He followed me. The thought made my heart lift in a way it shouldn’t have, a fragile, reckless thrill curling through me. Then I heard his voice, and my body betrayed me, stiffening as memories I didn’t want resurfaced.
“Do you flirt this much with all your customers?”
I whipped my head around to see Abram standing at the cart. My cheeks immediately heated as his red eyes bored into mine. A shiver ran down my spine, equal parts fear and desire. He was clearly pissed. My stomach tightened as his gaze darted to Nate’s arm draped over my shoulder.
“Remove yourself from her,” he warned.
Nate didn’t. He looked at me for an answer, and my heart thumped painfully in my chest. “Do you know this guy?” he asked.
“Yes.” I didn’t say anything else. My hands trembled slightly at the tension radiating off Abram.
“I’m not going to tell you to remove your arm from my wife again before I rip it off myself.”
The wordwifelanded like a blow. My chest ached, breath catching as I realized he’d said it out loud, in front of everyone.
Nate’s eyes flicked to me, uncertainty written all over his face. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing.
Nate looked at me, his eyes darting down to my hand.
“I don’t see a ring on her finger.” Nate glared at Abram.
I felt a pang of guilt and embarrassment twist in my gut, my throat dry. Abram’s eyes flickered to me, searching, demanding. My pulse raced. I stepped out of Nate’s touch, and he frowned, a small, confused crease forming between his brows.
“You married this guy?” Nate sounded disappointed.
“Whatever you thought this was, it wasn’t,” Abram said, his gaze flicking briefly to me before returning to Nate.
“Abram…” I sighed, the tension pressing against my chest like a physical weight.
“Let’s go home, wife.” He used the word like a blade, his possessiveness cutting straight through the air.
