“Yeesh, touchy!” he said. “Forget I said anything. Mal is right. You’re such a prude.”
“We can’t all be man whores like you,” I said under my breath.
Adrian clutched his chest. “You are so judgemental. You miss out on so much fun that way.”
“Not judging,” I said, raising my glass to my lips. “Just noting the differences between us.”
“You wish you were this charming,” he said with a wink. “Speaking of, I’ve got someone waiting for me.”
My eyes went back to the witch as Adrian stood up and said his goodbyes to Malik. Luckily, my middle brother was quiet and didn’t really care if I wanted to stare at a stranger all evening. I appreciated that no one would tease me for watching the pretty witch like an absolute creep.
After a while, Malik clapped his hand on my shoulder and headed out, leaving me at the bar alone. The two witches were almost done with the bottle of wine. I was far too fascinated with the blonde’s lips as she sipped from her glass.
She was entrancing. Every movement was a revelation. I knew I had to meet her, but I didn’t want to interrupt her evening with her friend. I was still trying to figure out what todo when she rose and hugged her friend. They walked out as I scrambled to get the bartender’s attention.
The disgruntled bartender glared at me, looking a little too much like Geralt of Rivia staring down a monster, when I made the mistake of snapping my fingers to get his attention.
“Please, I’ve got to go,” I said, wishing I had cash. He finally handed back my card. “Thanks.”
My heart pounded in my chest as I strode from the bar. A soft tug in my chest pulled me to the right, and I turned, spotting her curvy figure. Her hair looked like a lighter silver than mine in the moonlight. My instinct was to run to her, but from the way her steps swayed, she was more than a little tipsy, and I’d probably scare the shit out of her.
My steps were clumsy as I tried to casually follow her. Trying to appear as just a normal dude out for an evening stroll, I headed back to where I’d stashed my selkie coat—definitely not a stalker following a gorgeous witch. I had to go this way anyway.
She moved to the sand and stooped to pull her shoes off. I bit my fist, trying to stay silent as she displayed her round ass. I didn’t know someone's ass could look that good. I wanted to sink my teeth into each rounded cheek and hear her gasp.
My hands clenched at my sides, and I willed my cock to stop getting hard. At least no one was there to see me acting like a horny teenager.
She dug her toes into the sand, and I nearly swooned.Yes, a six-foot-five selkie man, swooning over a woman I didn’t know. But she was quite possibly the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, so who could blame me?
I took a deep breath and tried to psych myself up to approach her. We were almost back to my selkie fur, and I’d have no excuse to follow her any further after that.
Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I got ready to call out a greeting.
I can do this.
I’d tell her how beautiful she was, charm her, convince her to give me a chance. Something whispered in the back of my head that we were meant to be.
Just as I opened my mouth, she stopped and stooped, staring at one of the big rocks along the edge of the beach. My heart leapt into my throat. She lifted something very familiar and important to me—my selkie coat that allowed me to return to my seal form.
I stood there like an idiot, staring as the witch examined my coat and then carried it away.
How is this even possible?
Usually, people didn’t notice our coats. Hell, she’d ignored Adrian’s coat on the rock beside it like she hadn’t even seen it.
After my shock wore off, I lurched forward, trying to keep pace with her. My voice had dried up, and I curled my hands into fists as all my thoughts swirled around in my head.
The street was too quiet, too empty, and I woulddefinitely scare her if I approached, so I forced myself to keep my distance, quietly trailing her as she climbed the steps to a condo. The door closed behind her, and the lock clicked into place.
My shoulders slumped. She was home safe, but she had my coat.
That wasn’t ideal.
Minutes ticked by as I stood in the shadows and tried to sort out the best plan of action. Ultimately, I’d have to come back the next morning. I didn’t want her opening the door to strange men in the middle of the night, even if it was me.
It felt like leaving a piece of myself behind. Ignoring the wrenching feeling in my gut, I started the long walk home. If I’d had my coat, I would have swam.
If I’d approached her earlier, I wouldn’t be in this situation. Maybe I’d even be back at her condo with her. Heat sparked through my body at the thought.
