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Although it didn’t bother me that he frequently talked to himself, it wasn’t my favorite when he did so mutely as his words often clued me into his true mood. Those smiles of his were too wide to all be genuine happiness.

I leaned father away from the grotesque, taking advantage of his distraction to put as much space as possible between our bodies while remaining seated on his muscular thighs. “I would love it if you taught me.” My core clenched as he bent forward, erasing my hard-fought distance. I pushed a hand against his grin, heedless of the sharp teeth beneath my palm. In fact, the added element of danger… Forcing those thoughts away, I continued, my voice a husky rasp, “I need to make one a thing abundantly clear. I have no interest in a relationship. My top priority is keeping my job and earning the credits from my summer master’s course. After this one, I only need to take two more courses this fall to meet the degree requirements.”

Bane’s eyes hooded as I slid my hand over his chin, down his throat to his chest, then settled it lightly the bulge pressing against his pants, struggling to keep my face from showing any reaction. Judging by his devilish expression and the way he crowded me, I failed miserably. I forced my eyes not to blink as the obscenely thick thing kicked against my palm and he inhaled sharply against my throat, my fingers squeezing in reaction. “Um, but…that doesn't mean we can't indulge in other ways.”

That rumbling vibration started up again in his chest, reminding me of a cat. A really, really big cat. I rubbed my thighs together. Now that’s a sound I wouldn't ever get tired of hearing.

“Define indulge,” he asked, leaning back just far enough to halt my fidgeting, eyes glued to my lips.

I shrugged, attempting to make this proposition into something smoother, an impossible feat considering my awkward personality. “Uh,” my dry tongue almost stuck to the roof of my suddenly parched mouth, “f-fooling around.”

He chuckled darkly, “Define fooling around.”

A sigh rushed from me and I rubbed my temples. “You know what I mean.”

His face rushed forward until his lips were so close to mine I swore I could feel them move as he spoke. “Who’s to say that I do, eh? I'm not human. You lot love to use all sorts of odd vernacular.”

I narrowed my gaze at him, irritation flooding my veins. His damn teasing. “Fucking, gah. Pleasuring each other,” I blurted out far too loudly, yet my tone dared him to contradict me.

A gasp cut through the air as he caught my braid, wrapped it around his hand like a leash, then sharply tugged my head back, his erection jerking heavily under my ass.

I raised a brow. “See something you like?” Staring him down, my heart beat faster, knowing he wanted this just as much as I did. “I have no intention of falling for you, Grotesque.”

“Trust me, that’s not a problem,” he assured, the gravelly pitch of his voice and the claw of his thumb running over my lips forcing me to throb with want. “I have no control over how or when these the coven will send you into another fairytale, but I will do my best to be there with you and to protect you within them. Meanwhile, when we're not losing time,” Bane licked his lips, the very tips of his tongue ghosting over mine, “definitely get to know each other better.”

What am I doing?

I reached back and pried his fingers away from my braid and rushed off his lap, backing away several steps. “I’m serious, Bane. I don’t understand whatever this is between us.” He opened his mouth to speak but I held up a hand. “No, let me speak. We barely know each other, yet there’s no question there’s something drawing us together. Maybe it’s as simple as attraction and overwhelming sexual chemistry. You can deny it and hide behind your smiles, but I know you feel something. Your thoughts practically scroll across your forehead.”

“Do I want to fuck you? Hell yes. Do I want a,” he swallowed, then grimaced as if choking on his next words, “relationship? Never.” Shifting on my feet, and therefore rubbing my thighs together, I let the burr of his accent wash over me. He leaned forward, digging his elbows into his knees and tunneling his fingers into his hair. “Don't worry, there's no risk of me getting attached.”

I held my ground, heart in my throat, and ignored the instinctual urge to keep moving away from him, distracting myself by watching him lift his arms over his head, lacing his fingers at the base of his skull. My breathing stuttered, eyes frozen to the muscles of his biceps and forearms bunching and flexing, the senselessly attractive smile on his face growing.

“Nothing stopping you from riding my cock, Honeybee.”

My jaw dropped. So much for my seduction skills. Use your words, Miko. Say something, damn you!

Bane stood in one fluid motion, tucking in his wings, and moved to me in two strides, then taped a claw under my chin, closing my mouth. “I’ll let you think on that for a while. Maybe if you picture it hard enough, you’ll dream of me tonight.” He groaned and adjusted himself. “Fuuuck. I can see it clearly. You splayed out on your belly and writing on that four-poster bed, my name on your lips as I eat your needy little cunt from behind. See you tomorrow, Lass.”

I watched through wide, unblinking eyes, still unable to move or think clearly, as the infuriating, yet alluring bastard sauntered away, his tail swinging jauntily behind him and a whistled tune cleaving the silence.

CHAPTER 13

Delicious Brew

MIKO

Isighed, my muscles loosening, and enjoyed the sensation of closing the library at its proper time after a full day of work. Well, almost full day of work, being forced into a fairytale not existing on any scale of productivity currently available.

“Not that it mattered if I was productive or not. No one else showed up besides, Axel.” Annoyance prickled my skin. “Who doesn't even exist,” I grumbled to myself, shaking my head, then preemptively brushed longer section of bangs to the side so they didn’t stick to my forehead behind my glasses.

Moments later, a locking mechanism sounded, I unlocked my Jeep, leaned in and started her up, making sure to turn the AC on full blast.

Tossing my backpack on the passenger seat, sweat beaded on my forehead as the crucible that my poor Jeepie had transformed into wore on my very soul. A sliver of bright blue caught my attention at the edge of my vision. I turned, arching a brow and searched for the source, spotting it less than a second later peeking out between the cushions of the rear bench seats. Pain briefly sizzled along my wrist, my skin fleetingly adhering to the black leather as I reached and extracted the familiar shape, hurrying into the slightly-less-sweltering evening air until the air conditioning did its job.

I peered at the rubber duck squatting in my palm, trying my best to ignore the oppressive heat insistent on melting me into the pavement of the student parking lot. “Sorry I didn’t find you sooner, Scooba-ducky. You must've gotten shoved there when I loaded up my luggage.”

I pulled out my phone, immediately noticing a text reply from Mo, but I swiped it aside in favor of documenting my latest discovery, then balanced my newest ducky on the driver side mirror and sent the photo to my fated bestie. Entering our text thread, I snort laughed as I read her multiple excited responses to the skeleton duck picture I previously sent.