“Well... you must have done something, because—” Another wave of laughter took me, prolonged by the way his bare brow line lifted impatiently. “—because... she’s shaved off your eyebrows!”
It took a moment for the words to sink in.
Then Blaise slowly raised a hand to his face and gently traced where his eyebrows should have been.
And then—to my complete and utter surprise—he burst out laughing right along with me.
As soon as one of us started to calm down, the other would set them off again. Before long, we were both rolling around on the bed, tears streaming down our faces, laughter echoing through the room. We didn’t stop laughing until I accidentally rolled into the crook of his arm, the heat of his body searing through me like wildfire.
We both stilled.
My eyes drifted up to meet his devouring stare. His throat bobbed, his lips parting slightly, and from the corner of my eye I saw the sheets tent as his body reacted to my touch alone. The stitch in my side vanished, replaced by a slow, molten heat pooling deep in my belly—desire twisting together with the frantic urge to say something.Anything.
For fear of rambling, I said nothing at all, silently willing him instead.
Kiss me, Blaise. Please. Kiss me.
As if he could hear it, he tilted his head toward mine, nostrils flaring as he drew in my scent—giving me time, space, and the chance to pull away if I wanted to.
I pressed my lips to his and immediately lost myself in the sensation of him. The softness of his mouth against mine. The shudder of restraint that rippled through him, as if every instinct was urging him forward and he was holding himself back by sheer will alone. His hand rose to my cheek, thumb brushing gently over my skin before his fingers slid into my hair and cupped the back of my head.
He drew me closer, a quiet sound slipping from his throat as his control finally cracked. His tongue brushed tentatively against my lips, asking rather than taking. I opened my mouth to him, and he kissed me deeper, his tongue caressing mine in reverent strokes.
Then, just as the kiss threatened to tip into something deeper—just as his hunger began to steal his rhythm—he broke away.
A soft groan escaped him as he pressed a final, lingering kiss to my lips before resting his forehead against mine, eyes closed, breath unsteady.
He let out an amused huff of air, his lips twitching.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Your eyebrows are tickling me,” he said through the grin.
I couldn’t help the snort-laugh that escaped me as I pushed him away. Blaise fell back onto the bed, still smiling like an idiot, watching me devotedly as I reached into the drawer of my bedside table. My fingers closed around a familiar small bottle.
When I presented it to him, his hairless brows furrowed. “What’s that?”
“Hair-growth potion.” I pumped a small amount onto my fingertip. “I always keep a bottle handy—just in case I annoy Creep or singe my own brows off while brewing.”
Blaise leaned forward obediently, eyes closing as I smoothed the potion along his brow line. His lips brushed the flat of my palm, and an entirely involuntary moan slipped from me.
“They should grow back within the hour,” I said, my voice coming out a pitch higher than usual. “So... are you going to tell me what you did?”
He chewed his bottom lip. “I might have threatened bodily harm to her idol.”
I blinked, not understanding.
“Priscilla was here last night. Well—technically this morning—”
He didn’t get the chance to finish.
Waves of anger and betrayal crashed over me all at once as I screamed, “Creep!”
I twisted in the bed, scanning the room until I caught the glint of her glassy gaze peering from behind the door. She vanished instantly, the attic door slamming shut a heartbeat later.
I kicked the quilts aside and lunged into the dressing room, grabbing the bag of clothes I hadn’t yet unpacked. By the time I stomped back into the bedroom, Blaise was staring at me in panicked bewilderment.
“How’d you do it,hm?” I shouted at the ceiling. “Invite her in and leave the laptop open?” I yanked the door wide as I stormed into the hall. “Or was it the sticky note with the coordinates I conveniently left out for you?”
