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“I’m serious, Fee. I don’t know how much more time we can spend together.” He shouldn’t have even come with her today, but his father had been out on a hunt and he just … he just really fucking missed her.

The water rippled against his side as Phoebe swam closer.

“What do you mean?”

He lifted his head and found her staring at him, droplets of water tracing over her delicate face.

“I just … we need to cool it for a while.”

“But Theo⁠—”

“My father is a dangerous man,” he snapped, fear making him mean.

“Okay, okay. It’s okay,” she soothed, swimming closer until her hands were on his face, brushing the hair from his forehead. “We’ll cool it. We’ll take a break for a while.”

He reached for her, grabbing her waist and pulling her against him. Her legs wrapped around him as they floated.

“I’m sorry, Fee.”

“It’s okay. We knew this was an unlikely friendship from the start. We’re like when a puppy befriends a duckling.”

He sputtered a laugh. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You know those videos of unlikely animal friendships? We’re like that. I’m the cute little duckling and you’re the big, tough doggie but we just … we just make sense together somehow.”

He shook his head, unable to contain his smile. She always had that effect on him.

“And we’ll figure it out. But for now, we can take a break,” she assured him, planting a soft kiss on his nose. “We’ll be safe.”

It was then that Theo fully registered that he was holding Fee’s mostly naked body in his arms. Her soft skin was warm against his in the cool water, her breasts pressed against his chest, his hands gripped tight to her thighs.

And none of this was safe.

“Shit, Fee,” he breathed, resting his forehead against hers.

“Good thing we’re just friends, huh?” she whispered. “Otherwise, this whole story becomes a lot more tragic.”

“Right.” His hands slid up her thighs to her ass in those tiny fucking panties. Fee wriggled against him, her core hot against his abs. He groaned.

He let his lips graze her ear, let his tongue trace a path down her neck. He sucked her soft skin and she whimpered.

“What do you think would have happened if we’d let ourselves…” She trailed off, lost to Theo’s lips and tongue and teeth.

“Obviously, it would have been incredible,” he murmured against her skin, and she giggled, soft and light.

“Obviously.”

He kissed across her collarbone not letting himself dip lower, even as Fee bent back, floating on the water and giving him a life altering view.

“And then what?” she asked.

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” He pulled her closer again, wrapping his arms around her. She tucked her face into the crook of his neck, returning the nips and licks and kisses he’d given her. His cock ached.

“I don’t think once would have been enough for us, Fee,” he groaned. “I wouldn’t be able to leave you. And then what? We don’t … we can’t…”

“I know,” she said, her voice breathy and low as she rubbed against him. “Werewolves need their packs.”

“And nymphs don’t settle down.”