Page 28 of Snowed In with an Incubus

Jaz’s hands paused on his forehead, mid-stroke. “Wait, so … you’ve never fed during sex before?”

He shook his head, picking up an orange off her tray.

She dropped her hand. “Sam.”

He nudged the yogurt cup at her. “Eat your yogurt. I gave you the nice spoon.”

She eyed the teaspoon. It was ornately carved and stupidly small, and every girl who saw it immediately remarked on how cuteit was. Going off the look on Jaz’s face, she was suppressing that same reaction.

“Teaspoon for ants,” she mumbled as she ripped the yogurt open, hands still shaking.

He watched her eat, still tucked against his chest. He had no idea how he was going to go back to a lifetime of potion afterthis. More than that, he had no idea how he was going to go back to being alone after this. He was already thinking how much it was going to suck tomorrow night to go to bed without her pressed againsthim, their scents mingling so heavily he could barely tell where she started and he ended.

Chapter 10

Sam was purring.

Jaz didn’t realize what it was at first. The warm surface under her cheek was vibrating, and she took a moment to bask inhow nice it was before prying her eyes open and realizing oh, it’s his chest.

She snuck a groggy look up. Sam was dressed in a baggy shirt and sweatpants, scrolling through his phone with an absentmindedhand stroking Jaz’s hair.

Jaz smiled reflexively. The sting from her breakup was still there, but it was hard to feel too bad with a cute guy who cutup an orange for her and told her to drink electrolytes after making her come so many times she’d lost count.

She stretched. The purring went silent.

“Oh,” Sam said. “Hey. You’re up.”

Jaz made a sleepy noise of complaint. “Don’t stop.”

“Stop what?”

Jaz sat up, running a hand through his hair. “You were purring.”

“I was?” Sam looked embarrassed. He often did when she brought up anything about his incubus side. It made her feel strangelyprotective. She wanted to go find whoever had made him feel ashamed and curse them out.

“It was cute,” she told him, and yawned. It was warm, she realized. Not just him—he was always a furnace. The room was warm, the air not chilled like it was when she went to sleep.

He must have turned the heat on, Jaz thought. Getting it all warm for his human.

It made her blush. She wasn’t his human. She was here for New Year’s. Then the roads would be clear, and she’d cruise out of Claw Haven. Maybe she wouldn’teven take a break at her aunt’s house like she’d been planning—a week or two to get her head on straight and apply for jobs—beforeslinking back to Chicago. Maybe she’d head straight for an airport instead. Back to Chicago to stay with Lilian. Like hertime in Alaska was an embarrassing year-long pit stop. Everything about it would fade.

She rubbed her cheek against Sam’s narrow chest. Even if she eventually forgot what her and Brandon’s bedroom looked like,what plants she had, or what show she and Brandi watched together, she wouldn’t forget this. Orange slices and warm sheetsand the throb of a healing tattoo. Fiery eyes and flared wings and purring. Even if she never saw Sam again, she’d rememberthese days for the rest of her life.

She stretched again. “What time is it?”

Sam checked his phone. “Three.”

“Oh wow,” Jaz said. “That was a pretty serious nap.”

“Not—”

They both went silent as Jaz’s stomach growled. She winced. She’d had a bagel at the café while she was waiting for Sam, butthat was a while ago, and she’d had a serious workout since then. Her legs were still watery from it.

Sam slid out from under the covers. “I’ll make you something to eat.”

“I’ll come! I’m not in a sex coma this time, I can cut my own oranges.” She paused. Sniffed herself. Tried to remember thelast time she showered and how much physical activity she’d had since then. Then she looked over at Sam, who had clean clothesand freshly washed hair and didn’t stink like old sweat.

“Actually,” she said, “I’m gonna shower.”