Her smile came back in full force.
“You’re right,” she said and gave the collar of my shirt a tug, bringing me back in for yet another tail-curling kiss.
I pulled her in close, feeling each soft curve of hers mold into my chest. I was ready to get back to what we’d started before her phone rang, but Daphne eventually placed her hand over my mouth, blocking my lips.
“I have to go and call Wendy and Effie,” she murmured apologetically. “Raincheck?”
With a sigh I nodded, letting her slide down my body until she was standing on her own again. “Raincheck, but just know that once the equinox kicks in, I’m not letting you leave my bed for a week.”
Her cheeks flushed adorably and her teeth pulled her lower lip in. “Maybe I don’t need to call just yet…”
A laugh rumbled out of my chest and I gave her backside a little swat with my tail. “Go, dragonfly, before I change my mind.”
Daphne shot me one last glance before turning and hurrying out of the barn, already calling Wendy and Effie on her phone.
I stood alone for a long time, trying to breathe through the pounding waves of lust that were getting harder and harder to tamp down whenever Daphne was nearby.
An annoyed huff came from the stall where Cocoa and Marshmallow were.
“She’s not coming back,” I told Cocoa, earning myself a baleful glare from the mare. “No matter how much you glare at me, she’s not going to come back and spoil you.”
With one last whinny from the mare, she turned and headed through the door to the outside paddock attached to her stall.
Marshmallow, who was about as sweet and soft as the treat she was named after, leaned over the stall door for scratches from me.
“We should have named Cocoa Sour Patch instead, huh, Marshmallow?” I asked the mare, running my trimmed nails through her forelock and mane. She made a noise of agreement before following her sister outside.
As soon as she was gone, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed Art’s number.
“You’ve reached the bullshit voicemail of Art Nagathe,” Art answered cheerfully, clearly not a voicemail. “If this is Cashiel calling to bug me about stupid shit, please leave a message at the beep…BEEP.”
“Cut it out,” I said, rolling my eyes. “I need you to look into some things for me.”
“What else is new, buddy. You know, between you and Dallan I have to wonder if you’re only friends with me because of my computer talents.” Art’s voice sounded pouty through the speaker.
“That’s exactly why I’m friends with you,” I responded, a grin on my face when I heard the naga give an offended gasp.
“You’re lucky you’re one of my only friends, you big ass stone bat, or else I’d drop you like it’s hot,” Art quipped. “Now what can I do for you, Oh Needy One?”
“Mike Campbell signed his divorce papers out of the blue today, I need you to figure out why.”
There was a beat of silence. “That’s fishy as fuck, Cash.”
“I know it is. That’s whyyouare going to figure out what’s going on. Preferably by the time I come out of the equinox,” I said, gripping my phone tightly enough that I could hear the metal buckle a little bit under the pressure.
“Ooh, that’s in two days, right?Bow-chicka-wow-wow,” the naga sang.
“Just figure it out, bye, Art.” I hung up the phone before he could get anything else out, shaking my head.
The one drawback of explaining why Daphne and I needed time off for the equinox was that everyone knew what was going to happen during said equinox.
The group chat that all of the guys shared had been lighting up all week teasing me about it.
Everyone seemed happy for me and Daphne. Well, everyone except for Ambrose. He was still avoiding the shop, either rescheduling his tattooing appointments or canceling them altogether.
I still wasn’t happy with the elf, but even I could admit that his usual snarkiness was missed at Monstrous Ink.
Stepping out into the yard, my eyes were immediately drawn to where Daphne was leaning against the fence talking on the phone. Her ass looked far too good in the pair of jeans she had on and I was, yet again, reminded of the itching urge to tug them down to her ankles and explore every inch of her right out in the open.
