Page 74 of Haunt Me, Maybe

Aven stepped closer, her chin lifting. “You prefer control.”

The word landed between us, and my dick twitched at the thoughts it inspired. She had no idea. My expression didn’t change, but the air between us did. Especially as I leaned in.

“But you enjoy when I take that control. Don’t you, Trouble?”

I didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Aven’s pulse jumped in her throat. A faint shimmer of gold sparked at her wrists.

“You’re impossible.”

“And yet,” I said softly, lowering my voice. “You haven’t denied it.”

She blinked rapidly, and the tips of her ears burned such a deep pink, they disappeared under the purple hue of her hair. A quick shake of her head, but nothing made it out of that pretty mouth. I chuckled.

“At a loss for words? Or can’t find the right lie?” I taunted.

Stepping into her space, the warmth of her body brushed against the edge of my existence. I cocked my head and deliberately ran a finger across her exposed collarbone. Her eyes darkened, and her breath hitched. Finally, those lush lips parted.

“Don’t get smug.”

Did she not know me?

“Oh, I absolutely will. I have every reason to be.”

I dipped down to whisper in her ear, to remind her of the ways and reasons I had to back up my confidence. One of her hands left the book to press against my chest. Her fingers curled into the material of my shirt, as if they remembered the feel of my skin underneath.

“Admit that you like it,” I murmured, breath grazing her ear.

She shivered but stubbornly pushed against me. “I absolutely do not.”

I laughed out loud and her magic fluttered, honest as ever. God, what I wouldn’t do for some privacy so I could make her eat her words…among other things. Her lips twitched and she pushed harder, so that I was forced to take a step back. Now she was the one smirking.

“So arrogant,” she breathed.

“Confident.”

“Overconfident.”

“Prove it.”

Her mouth opened⁠—

Children, Fenn cut in, eyes thin slits of annoyance. If we are finished circling each other like hormonally compromised hawks, perhaps we can return to the topic of the homicidal warlock narrowing in on this attic?

Aven stepped back half a pace, color high on her cheeks, and muttered something under her breath. I snorted, still charged from our heated exchange. It was safe to say there was more on my mind now. My concentration was split between the plans for Aven’s training and…thoughts of training her for something else.

Like taking my co⁠—

Aven shot me a look, and I replied with an innocent smile. These next few days were going to be interesting.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Aven

Heat flooded my face all the way to my ears. I stepped back, pretending to examine the spellbook like it had suddenly become fascinating. I felt Wes’s gaze on me. Still arrogant and entirely too pleased with himself.

“He started it,” I muttered under my breath, and Wes snorted.

Fenn was less than impressed, but he thankfully didn’t call me out on my childish behavior. I dragged in a steadying breath and forced my focus onto anything but the taunting ghost before me. I tried the desk, the lamp, and even the aged floorboards. The attic creaked faintly from our exchange, like it too waited to see what would come out of our mouths next.