Semantics.
“Then stay out of my…chest,” I countered.
His eyes immediately dropped, and a tendril of heat slipped down the bond, making me blush. Gods, this was impossible. Ibarely had a hold on my own emotions around him, and now I had to juggle his as well? His hunger grew as he scanned my bare legs before bringing his gaze back up to meet mine.
“You look good in my clothes.” His voice was deeper, almost a purr, and it felt like a caress.
I crossed my arms to keep from reaching for him. “It was the first thing I grabbed to cover up.”
Truly. This was not like the hoodie situation. I wasn’t wearing his shirt because I wanted to. It was necessary. That’s all.
“And you were going to what…run all the way to campus naked but for my shirt?” I scoffed at his possessive tone, but he kept going, “I don’t know how I feel about others getting a glimpse at what’s mine.”
“Don’t start with that territorial bullshit,” I said, pushing at his chest. “Nothing has changed.”
He gripped my wrists in a firm but gentle hold and crowded me against the wall, one of his legs slipping between mine. From our hips up, there wasn’t an inch between us to spare.
“I’m being who I’ve always been when it concerns you. Youaremine. That bond flickering in your chest only proves it.”
Panting. I was actually panting like a bitch in heat. I felt him, both inside and out, and it was enough to short-circuit any argument I had. He wasn’t really touching me, not likethat, but gods did I want him to. The attraction was on another level thanks to that damn fledgling bond taking up too much space in my chest.
I felt all of his desires like a battering ram against my defenses. It was impossible to hide from it. I couldn’t push it aside. Couldn’t bury it or find my way out. Fear and desperation simmered beneath the bond’s influence, and suddenly, like a breath of fresh air, it disappeared. Kaiden backed away with it.
“How did you do that?” I asked, a little dazed.
It was quiet on his end like he flipped a switch and shut it alloff. I searched hard, but it was only me and my own emotions left.
“Immense self-control,” Kaiden replied. It sounded like he was struggling, but he kept the bond shut down. “Come. Let’s have some breakfast and discuss what’s going to happen now.”
My mind was clear, and I had him to thank for it. I also had him to thank for saving my life, which I still hadn’t done, but if he somehow thought all that meant he now had a say in my future, he was in for a rude awakening.
fourteen
Kaiden
I held my breath all the way to the kitchen. I felt her irritation and expected it, but I wasn’t sure if it would lead to another chase across the parking lot. I fucking hoped not. It wasn’t a lie that I hated running first thing after waking, especially today. My heart got enough of a workout when I woke to find my bond missing from my bed.
Eryn sat silent at the large island, looking sexy as fuck in my shirt. Her emerald eyes tracked my every movement as I gathered the ingredients to make breakfast. I wasn’t trying to show off, but I made a mean omelet, among other things. Cooking wasn’t too different from preparing a spell, and I was proficient at both.
Once the cheese melted enough, I folded the egg over the ham and peppers, slid it onto a plate, and set it before the enchanting woman still glaring at me. Her eyes widened at the sight of my latest masterpiece, and her stomach grumbled its demand that she dig in. I chuckled at her expression—a mixtureof hunger and stubborn denial—and added a tall glass of water next to the plate.
“Eat up,” I said. “We have a lot to figure out.”
“It’s huge.” Her scowl was adorable, more of a pout in my opinion, but I didn’t voice that out loud. My smirk only fueled her irritation, and she dug in before I could play off her words. “Shut up.”
“You’ve had nothing but antidote in your stomach for twenty-four hours. You have to be starving.”
She didn’t deny it. She also didn’t say anything about how awesome the omelet tasted, but that was okay. I knew it was. I went to work on my own breakfast, and finished before she even made it halfway through hers. Pushing the plate away, she leaned back in her chair with a slightly less intense stare.
“Keep going,” I demanded, and instantly, her scowl returned. Tough shit. She needed to eat. “I won’t tell you again,” I warned. “Next step is feeding you myself.”
There was a hint of curiosity from her side of the bond. It was smothered in fury, but there. She was beyond stubborn…and apparently liked it when I got bossy. Interesting. Also good for me, because I had a feeling she’d call me that more than once in the near future, and not just about her eating habits.
I grinned. There was nothing I’d love more than to boss her around the bedroom…once she let me cross that line. Perhaps that line was closer than I thought if she kept sneaking glances at me like that.
“I literally came back from the dead less than twelve hours ago. Give me a break.”
I glared, but she glared right back, the magick in her gaze flaring. Sexy as fuck. After a tense stare-down, she picked up the glass and drained the water. Better, but we’d work on it.
