I wave off his thanks and shift in my chair as I consider whether or not I can even get to my feet as full as I am. Jak chuckles again as he levels me with a playful grin.
“Do you think you can move?” he teases.
I give him a mock scowl but immediately ruin it with a giggle. “Oh, shut up and help me.”
With a laugh, he gamely complies and, somehow, I end up tucked back in bed to sleep off the meal with a long nap, but I can’t say that I mind. Not when I have a surprisingly warm frost demon curled up beside me, a content smile on his face as he drifts off into his own food coma. I can’t complain. It’s actually a rather perfect way to spend a cozy winter day.
Chapter 10
Jakfros
Iprowl restlessly toward the back of the cabin before abruptly spinning around and stalking back to the living area at the front. I can only pretend that the enticing sounds and fragrances of Shawna bathing are not what is luring me back toward the bathing room repeatedly. I try to distract myself by rearranging some décor near the fireplace before slowly working my way inward, making tiny festive adjustments here and there. And yet, somehow, I find myself standing outside the bathroom door again like a lecherous and depraved creature.
From behind the door, I hear the sound of water splashing and smell the tart scent of apples—not unlike the dessert from the previous day—carried on the escaping steam. With it, the delicate ripple of happiness curls through the air. It stirs my appetite, and the yawning hunger within me seethes with its silent demand. It would be just a small matter to step inside and take a taste of the pleasure infusing into the steamy air. Then there is also the temptation to glimpse more of Shawn’s lush figure. That alone makes my mouth grow dry as my hunger rises sharply.
Ridiculous! Am I a frost demon or an incubus? I should only be concerned with the pleasant energy flowing from her, even if it is just a small amount of excess at this moment. Yes, she is attractive—I have privately noted that many times—butwhatever attraction a frost demon might feel toward his or her prey never factors into the hunger. Not even among the females who breed freely with their prey. Desire is something that they indulge in only as an afterthought once their hunger has been satiated. To be obsessed with her body and have that inflame my hunger is unnatural. And to be tempted... that is to toe the line of everything that is forbidden.
A shiver runs through me at the very thought of the “unnatural” pleasures that I could enjoy with Shawna. If she were agreeable to it, I would make her sing her passions to the realms so that it becomes a dream of longing and need to all that is slumbering, even to the trees frozen in the grip of winter. Imagine how eagerly life would burst forth come spring, ripened with its own hunger throughout the coldest nights.
The hunger stirs more violently within me, curling upward from my belly in long, barbed tendrils that sink deeper into me, inflaming my blood as my entire world narrows to an unthinking and unseeing state of need bleeding through my being. I do not even realize how powerfully it has gripped me until I hear the sound of wood splintering. The door comes back into focus before my eyes and I see my hand splayed against it, holding up my weight as I lean into the door as if it is a flimsy barrier that I just push my way through. But my claws have scored deep marks into the door. I stare out those furrows in surprise, not even able to fully comprehend what I am seeing.
I did that? I am a jovial creature of winter. Although I can have a vicious bite, I prefer playful nips and the dance of my claws as I spin my magic. Not... this.
“Jak? Is that you?”
I jolt back and stumble over my own feet as I guiltily take a couple of abrupt steps back. Caught, my heart races, my mouth gaping and snapping shut repeatedly as I search for any excuse to explain why I am loitering outside of the bathroom.
I hear a soft curse, and it sinks to my mind that I heard a much softer variation just moments ago, though I had dismissed the sound. It is louder now and the frustration more evident as it is accompanied by the sound of sloshing water.
“Damn it! Why isn’t this coming open? Jak?”
Oh, she doesn’t suspect anything. She is calling me for assistance. My shoulders and wings sag with relief, and I edge back toward the door, careful to make my steps sound louder to emphasize my approach. I rest my cheek on the door.
“Shawna? Is there a problem?” I call through the door.
The water sloshes again, louder this time, and it is followed by the sound of footsteps approaching the door. I wrench back just in time to avoid falling through the doorway when the door swings open and Shawna blinks at me in surprise. A fuzzy red robe with a tiny holly print on it wrapped around her. She pinches the neck of the robe together with one hand as she stares at me, and I return her stare as guilelessly as possible. Her brow dips slightly, with a faint crease of confusion popping between them, before her expression relaxes with relief.
“Oh good. You’re here.” She huffs a small, frustrated breath and chuckles as she opens the door wider and turns toward the tub, gesturing to it. “As it happens, there is a little problem. The plug that blocks the drain is stuck in the tub. I can’t release the water.”
I glance over at the tub quizzically. The steam coming off it is barely perceptible, but there is enough of it to make me confused. Is she finished already? The water has not even cooled down yet.
“You want to drain it?” I echo and look back at her in scrutiny. Her hair is damp and her skin an alarming shade of red. “Did you burn yourself?,” I ask in alarm, and I instinctively take a step closer.
To my surprise, she giggles and takes a step back out of reach. “Don’t be silly. I’ve obviously finished bathing. I just need help to drain the tub.”
