“Want to shower together?” I waggled my eyebrows.
She kissed my warm, salty skin. “You are a very dirty man.’
I gave her a tap on the ass. “Come on before I think of some other ways I can debauch you in this bed.” Slipping from her body, I almost changed my mind and stayed right where we were. After a brief pause, I leaped from the bed and pulled LeeLee up with me, tossing her over my shoulder. “Let’s go, you sexy thing, or we’ll never get out of here.’
The quick shower turned into another form of love play. My mind, though, kept going back to the memories I’d been bombarded with of LeeLee’s. I wanted to go back in time and beat her parents. If I ever saw the old woman who clearly loved to torment her and had meant to have young LeeLee killed—if she was still alive—I’d kill her with my bare hands.
“I can’t believe the town puts on such a festival,” LeeLee looked around at all the decorations lighting up the sidewalks.
I shook my head at the almost over-the-top displays. “Maybe they hadn’t always done it?’
There were no signs indicating it was annual or anything to say whether it was new or old. “I remember parties, but I was never allowed to go.” She shrugged, trying to hide the hurt. Her brow furrowed in thought. “I can’t remember, but something is right there.’
“Let’s just take in the sights and see if something jars your memory.” Since she’d been so young and not allowed out of the blasted castle, there hadn’t been too much for me to see in her memories except a sad and lonely child.
She wrapped her arms around me, resting her chin on my chest. “Thank you for coming here with me.’
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, love.” My eyes moved over her face, then focused on the crowd milling about. Some were dressed up like witches and warlocks, which made me shake my head. I brushed a strand of her white-blonde hair awayfrom her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. “Ever have caramel apples?’
Her heart pounded against mine, and her nose crinkled adorably. “I don’t think so. I’ve had apples, but the caramel always looked sticky.’
Oh, I could imagine doing some inventive things with the sticky stuff. My dick jerked at the imagery, lengthening against her stomach. She grinned up at me, making me suck in a breath. I was totally whipped but honestly couldn’t care less.
“How about I introduce you to one of my favorite treats?” I grinned down at her, then led her toward one of the vendors set up. I asked for extra caramel over the apple slices, then we sat down next to a family. The little girl beamed up at us, remarking that LeeLee looked like a Disney princess who could make ice. The mother apologized for the child’s outburst, making the little girl cry.
LeeLee surprised me when she turned to the girl and smiled. “I love that movie. However, I can’t make ice or anything cool like that. My name is LeeLee. What’s your name?’
“Jazmine, but not like the princess one in the movie either. I wish I were a princess,” the little girl sighed.
LeeLee laughed. “Well, I think you are much prettier than any princess.’
The parents laughed, then thanked her before ushering their child off to go see the large pumpkin mountain. “What the heck is a pumpkin mountain?” I looked at the family hurrying toward the opposite end of the town.
She shrugged, licking her lips. I growled at the unconsciously sexual act. “LeeLee,” I groaned before stopping. More people began walking in the same direction as the small family, excited whispers reaching my ears as I picked up our trash.
“Let’s go see what all the action is about.” Her eyes widened for a full minute, and she took a deep breath, then let it out. “Okay.’
We began walking with the crowd, her hand swallowed by mine. A stark reminder of how much smaller she was. I pulled her into my side, basking in her show of contentment, loving the feel of her slender frame against my hardness.
“How awesome would it have been to grow up with this every year?” she whispered.
I came to a stop and noticed we’d reached the area drawing a crowd. The pumpkin mountain, as the town called it, was smack dab in the middle of the town—a place we had yet to explore—with thousands of hand-carved pumpkins stacked on top of each other. The entire thing was well over twenty feet high and twice as long. Hushed whispers and excitement arced through the gathering crowd, but I wasn’t sure what they were expecting. Fairy lights lit up the entire area, making the scene look bright enough that it could’ve been daylight instead of night.
Something had me and my wolf on alert. “Stay next to me no matter what, LeeLee.’
The light dimmed in her eyes. “Do you sense something?’
She was enjoying herself, and I didn’t want to bring her down. Real life tended to do that to a person. If I had to hold the world at bay so she could enjoy one night, I’d do it. “I just don’t want to lose you in the crowd.” Again, I didn’t lie, which with her shifter senses she’d smell. I didn’t want to scare her, nor did I want her to think the world was full of sunshine and rainbows.
Damn, I had an insane urge to wrap her in a bubble only I could access. The thought of all the ways I could penetrate her bubble flashed into my mind, making me smile in spite of the situation.
“Are you thinking of dirty things, Mr. O’Neil?” she whispered too low for anyone but me to hear.
My lips tilted up in a grin. “Know me so well already?’
She shimmied her ass against my groin. “That is kind of hard to miss.’
“Behave,” I mock growled.
