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“We should get you to bed,” Denver whispers in my ear, snapping me from my thoughts. His arms shift, one resting against my back, while the other scoops under my legs.
“Denver.” I try to bat his hands away when he lifts me up against his chest and stands. “Put me down.”
“Make me.” He chuckles, clutching me closer to him as if he’s scared I’ll actually do it. I could get down in a heartbeat but honestly, it feels good to have someone take care of me like this. Denver grins down at me, clearly guessing my thoughts from my lack of thrashing about and puffs out his chest in triumph.
“How did you hear me anyway?” I ask, lips tugging down as I stare at the door.
“My room is right next to yours.” He gives me a look of disbelief, like I was supposed to know that. He walks casually over to the bed and pauses when he reaches the edge.
“Since when?” I rack my brain for a memory of anyone coming or going from that room, but there’s nothing. My mind has been so focused on all the crap happening around me that I can’t remember speaking to anyone out of my little circle really.
“Since the first day.” He chuckles, his eyes lighting with amusement as he drops me down onto my rumpled sheets. The bed is high enough that I don’t really fall too far, but I let out an oomph at the unexpected smack of my plush mattress against my back.
“Seriously?” I grumble, narrowing a glare on him that doesn’t hold any of the heat it used to.
Denver chuckles softly and climbs into bed beside me, nudging me to shuffle over to make room for him. He slides one arm under my neck while the other wraps around my waist, gently turning me so he can tuck me against his chest and spoon me.
“Why haven’t we been taking advantage of this?” I ask with an indignant huff and look back at him incredulously.
“I told you, next time you have to come to me,” Denver groans, lightly scraping his teeth along the shell of my ears which elicits a soft moan from my lips. “I’ve been waiting.”
Desire courses through my veins with my body so close to his, and I move to turn in his arms but his grip tightens on me.
“But tonight, you need to get your rest,” he whispers and pulls the covers up over us. I nestle into him under the warmth of the blanket, immediately feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me again.
“I promise tomorrow I’ll help you look. We’ll find him.”
I sigh a breath of relief at his assurance, grateful that he’s here to put my mind at ease.
“But there’s more I have to tell you,” I say through a yawn, my eyelids already drifting closed despite my attempts to keep them open. I want to tell him the rest, about what really happened yesterday, all of it.
“It can wait,” Denver whispers. He places a chaste kiss on the back of my neck, sending a flood of comforting warmth through me. “You’re not going to scare me off now, Hart. Not now that I know that you want me too.”
“Thank you, Denver,” I murmur, my consciousness slowly fading as sleep tugs me into its enthralling embrace.
“Of course. Anything for you.” The words are barely a whisper, and I’m not even sure he really said them as I fall into a blissful, dreamless sleep.
Chapter Twenty
Aria
“We’llmeetoutsidethefront doors tomorrow to practice with the new spells you learned today,” Landon says as he strolls back to his desk and idly tidies a stack of papers. “Have a good evening.”
He watches the classroom as students pack up, their excited voices raising now that they’ve been dismissed. His eyes land on me as though he somehow senses my unease. I slowly place my materials into my bag, waiting until the classroom empties out.
I sling my bag over my shoulder this time, not wanting to be empty handed otherwise someone might get suspicious over why I’m lingering at my desk.
“I’m ready to crush a steak,” Luke groans as he stops in front of Denver’s desk. Samuel isn’t far behind him and the two warlocks waiting for the Prince heir to join them.
“You guys go ahead,” Denver waves them off, doing his best to avoid looking at me the same as I’ve been doing most of the day. It hasn’t worked though, and I’ve caught myself staring over at him more than once with that goofy grin on my face. If Glenda could see me now, I bet she wouldn’t even want me to be Coven Leader, Hart blood or not.
“What’s going on with you?” Luke demands, crossing his arms over his chest as he glares down at his friend. “You’ve been acting weird all day.”
“Are you still going on?” Harper groans. Just the sound of her voice seems to make Luke stiffen, his spine going ramrod straight. “Why don’t you be a good little boy and mind your business.”
Her lips curl into a sinister grin, and I choke back a laugh at the fear coming from Luke. She really gets a kick out of terrifying that man, but who can blame her.
“What she said,” Denver huffs out on a breath of amusement as he gestures to Harper with his thumb. “I’ll tell you when you need to know.”
