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I could suck him dry in other ways…
My face warmed. I launched myself out of Maddox’s arms and stalked across the room to clear my head. Had I stayed in his embrace any longer, I might have crossed a line. We’d agreed to not push things. I would stay in my own lane, and he would stay in his.
But I wanted those lanes to collide in the worst way.
I ran a hand over my face. “I should go back to sleep.”
I wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep any time soon, but I wasn’t going to tell Maddox that. If he stayed, I would be distracted in the worst ways. A part of me wanted to ask Vi or Ness if they felt like this around the Callahan brothers. They had mates, so they would know what it felt like for the bond to come alive.
However, I didn’t want to suffer the disappointment of finding out that Maddox wasn’t my mate. I wasn’t sure why that would hurt, but I could feel the phantom pain just thinking about it.
“All right,” Maddox said uncertainly, like he wanted to stand watch and make sure I stayed safe.
“You can’t do anything if she shows up again,” I said as if that should be reassuring.
Maddox’s lips formed a thin line that betrayed his frustration.
“It’ll be fine.” I tried to give a reassuring smile.
* * *
Thankfully,the ghost didn’t show up again. I managed to get a couple extra hours of sleep, too. However, I still woke before the sun rose. Wandering out into the kitchen, I searched for mugs, so I could make myself a cup of coffee.
When I found a bottle of whiskey before I could find the coffee, I raised a brow. Shaking my head, I continued my search until I came across a mug in the shape of a corgi. I sipped my coffee in solitude, waiting for Maddox to come out and tell me that I was using his ex-wife’s favorite mug or something.
He didn’t appear, though. Coffee finished, I stared into the bottom of the mug and wondered if staying around Maddox was a good idea. While he needed my arcana, I would only end up hurting myself by getting too attached to him. I didn’t want to call this a parasitic relationship, but I was afraid to let my guard down.
In the end, I rinsed out my mug and retreated to take a shower. The warm water settled the knot between my shoulders. I wrung out my hair and wrapped it in a towel. While it would have been nice to have my skincare products, I figured I could go retrieve them later.
Towel wrapped around my body, I stepped out into the hall. My mind wandered. Had there been another emergency call in the middle of the night? If there wasn’t, then that might point to Maddox as the killer. I desperately wanted that to not be true.
Mind elsewhere, I ran right into a wall.
Not a wall…
The pale white blockade was actually a chest, shirt hanging open to reveal the chiseled muscles before me. I swallowed, audibly. Breath shaking, I lifted my gaze up to meet Maddox’s.
To my surprise, his face was red. His lips parted. I caught the slight tremble of his lower lip like he was fighting something. It made my core clench. A warmth spread between my legs and reminded me that I was wearing nothing but a bath towel.
I averted my gaze and clutched the towel tight. “Oh, uh…my bad?”
Why did it come out as a question? What did I think I was doing?
It didn’t help that Maddox smelled of spicy soap and warm skin. The intoxicating scent pulled me in even though I’d already planted my heels firmly. I wasn’t here to fornicate. My first and foremost responsibility was to protect him from himself. Jumping his bones wasn’t going to do that.
Maddox said nothing. Instead, he took a step closer until our bodies brushed one another again. I quickly moved aside to let him pass, thinking that’s what he wanted. It put my back against the wall, and Maddox moved to fill the space in front of me once more.
My breath hitched. Warmth infused my body. The usual cold chill of death faded altogether, leaving me too hot. Even the towel was too much against my skin.
Maddox trailed his fingertips up my bare thigh. I nearly let out a moan from how good the light touch felt. My head tipped back, and my eyes fluttered closed. Maddox growled, the sound low as it rumbled through me.
With my free hand, I gripped his shirt and yanked him closer. He happily obliged, pressing me firmly against the wall. He pushed his knee between my legs before leaning in close to brush his nose against my bare throat. When he breathed deep, I stifled another small sound of excitement.
I had to let go of his shirt and put my hand on his shoulder to steady myself or else the tremble taking over my body might drop me to the floor. I wanted him to grab ahold of me and bite my neck. It was the only thing on my mind. I could think of nothing else.
Maddox froze.
He remembered himself. I had to do the same. Though need drove me wild and stole all logical thought from me, I had to wrestle it back. We couldn’t do this, as badly as I wanted to.
