“Where else would I be?” Jade responds with a roll of her eyes. “Men,” she mouths to me.
“Oh, hi, Ava.” He gives a crooked grin when he steps into the room.
Liam’s intentions aren’t hard to decipher. He’s been makingnot so subtle passes at me since the day we met. The man can’t seem to take a hint despite Valen spooking him the one time.
“Hey, Liam,” I reply kindly but not encouragingly. While it’s hot seeing Valen, who’s such an even-tempered guy, go all alpha protective over me, I’m not sure what the mate bond might make him do if Liam keeps pushing boundaries. I’d feel bad if Valen killed the guy.
“How was your holiday?” he asks and tries to make eye contact I intentionally avoid.
“Good.” I purposely don’t ask how his is.
“I already told you, Liam, it ain’t gonna happen.” I love how blunt Jade is and appreciate her letting him down for me. A smile twitches at the corner of my lips, but I hold it back, lest Liam think it’s his doing.
“And I told you I’m not giving up just because of some bloodsucker,” he retorts.
“You fucking should, spellcasting imbecile,” a voice growls from over Liam’s shoulder.
Liam tries to hide his fear, but everyone in the room knows it’s fake bravado. He seems to steel himself before turning around. When he does, he spots Valen holding two to-go coffee cups and he’s wearing a scowl that could kill a man. With his dark hair styled in controlled waves, wearing a black shirt with a dark brown jacket, jeans, and boots, he looks like an avenging angel.
Ironic.
“Every time I try to talk to Ava, you show up. Are you skulking around like the cockroach you are? Vampires really are the scum of the earth leeching off trash and unsuspecting women who don’t know any better.” Liam spits, and I raise my eyebrows at the venom in his voice and the insinuation.
“Dumbass,” Jade mutters, knowing this only ends one way.
Chest beginning to heave, Valen’s eyes narrow. “I’mgoing to pretend you did not just insult Ava’s intelligence.” Valen speaks with controlled anger. “Your unintelligence, however, is insulting to me. Every word that comes out of your mouth is idiotic drivel. Ava has shot down your advances, yet you refuse to get it through your thick skull that she ismine.” The way he emphasizes the word has me shivering with need. “You know what you’llneverhave? Her, needy and desperate beneath you, writhing for release. Breasts heaving, eyes full of lust, and rocking against your cock. I’ve seen it and it’s fucking beautiful.” Stepping toe to toe with Liam, he continues. “If you want to resolve this in a duel, warlock to cockroach, I would be more than happy to take you up on it.” Valen’s head tilts with predatory focus. He shrugs off his jacket and rolls up his sleeves like he’s ready to fight the guy right here.
Liam shudders slightly and tries to play it off with a scoff. “As if you’re worth my time. Fuck this.” He walks out of the store without a backward glance.
For a second Jade and I look at each other with wide eyes. She mouths, “Wow.” I nod in agreement. The tension in the room is suffocating.
“Jesus,” Jade finally speaks. “I’m sorry about him. If he weren’t one of the few helpers I have for both the apothecary and stationery store, I’d fire his ass.” Jade bites off a piece of licorice and shakes it at Valen. “Unfortunately, I need him. Good job putting him in his place. I doubt he’ll try anything else with Ava after that. You really peed on your territory.”
Valen’s eyebrows pull together while Jade whistles and walks back into the store.
“I do not know what that means.”
Tension lines his shoulders, so I slowly walk over and pat his arm. “Liam’s an idiot. Don’t let him get to you.”
“Fucking warlock,” he curses. “No good. The whole lot of them,” he bitesout, lips pressed in a flat line.
“I won’t argue with that,” Jade mumbles.
“Kind of hot seeing you get worked up over me,” I whisper. Him describing what I looked like in such a vulnerable state might make some girls mad, but it turned me on. “Thank you for defending my honor.” I reach up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek, but at the last second, he turns his head. Soft lips meet mine and my eyes fly open in surprise. Neither of us backs off, and we breathe each other in.
I know he can smell my arousal and his pupils shrink. The telltale points of fangs press against his lips, and I lick mine in anticipation. This must be the fangboner Zav likes to talk about. I want to see this carefully controlled vampire of mine lose it.
Valen’s heated brown eyes meet mine after tracking my tongue and then blessedly, the dam breaks. He sets his cups down on the table and lifts me up by the backs of my thighs. I wind my legs around his trim waist and hold on for dear life. Backing me up to the wall, he fuses our lips together. I can tell possessiveness is riding him hard. The frantic movement of his mouth begs mine to match his fervor, and I open for him, letting him know I’m here and I’m his.
Fangs nip at my lip, and I groan, realizing it’s my new favorite thing. I find myself wondering what his real bite would feel like.
“Stay away from him.” Valen pulls back with a growl. His nose traces down the side of my face, and he presses a kiss against my jaw. “I don’t want him anywhere fucking near you. It makes me feel … unstable.”
I pant and struggle to form words. “You know when you curse, it just turns me on even more. Prim and proper Valen with a dirty mouth,” I murmur against his ear.
When I’m about to dive in for more, pounding comes from outside the room.
“No sex in my store!” Jade yells.
