“Do you think something else might be going on?”
He chewed on his last cookie. “Magic. It’s the only explanation.”
I got up and put the last of the cookies on his plate. As I stepped away, Ethan grabbed my wrist in an iron grip. I froze. Our eyes locked; his ringed in flecked gold.
He tugged me closer and put his nose to my wrist. Ethan’s eyes fluttered shut as he inhaled deeply.
Oh. Shit. Stepping away would tell him I had something to hide. Maybe he wouldn’t sense anything.
But when he opened his eyes, they were the color of molten gold and midnight blue. “Our scents are entwined.” His voice was low and growly, the predator peeking through. “Why?”
“We aren’t lovers. I swear to you.”
“Answer the question.”
I went to my knees. He still held onto my wrist. “I don’t know.”
When his eyes narrowed and his grip tightened, I shook my head. “I don’t. I swear. You and I are friends.” I dropped my eyes. “Or we used to be.”
“Look at me, Moira.”
I lifted my eyes. “Friends don’t carry each other’s scents. Tell me what we are to each other. Tell me why I don’t remember.”
“We are friends.” I licked my lips. “That’s all.”
“You’re lying to me.” He dropped my wrist like it burned him. “Why is everyone lying to me?”
I held up a hand. “I’m not. We are friends. I wanted more. You kept the boundaries between us.”
He went still. “No. I would never step out on Sarah.”
“You didn’t.”
He scented the truth on me and slumped, a slow and unsteady breath coming from deep within him. “That does not explain our entwined scents.”
“I can’t help you there.” My suspicion pointed to the very beginnings of a mating bond, but Ethan refused to acknowledge what was happening between us.
Since he hadn’t brought it up, I could only assume he hadn’t looked for anything other than his scent. Small favors. If he figured that one out, he might shatter.
His jaw clenched. “What the hell is going on?”
“You’re intelligent, Ethan.”
“Lord,” he growled.
I snorted. “We are long past that. If you think something is wrong, then trust your instincts. But don’t do anything you might regret. Investigate, figure things out, then reach out to your trusted network.”
Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have a network. My Keep is my network.”
I got up from the floor. “That’s where you’re wrong. I’m here. Rowan is here. Even your archnemesis Evie is here for you.”
“You know what happened.” The words were not a question.
“I have more dough in the refrigerator. Would you like to take some cookies to go?”
Ethan stood. He wasn’t the tallest of Lords, but he was taller than me.
“I can make you tell me,” he murmured in an almost seductive voice.
