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“I think I should get the next hug from the lioness,” he huffs out on a breath of amusement, his fingers lightly brushing my shoulder. I do my best to suppress the shudder that rolls through my body at that one innocent touch, and I ease back from Harper. My heart pangs with the reminder of his nickname for me. Witches have always had an affinity for feline familiars and Greyson insisted that mine would one day be a lioness. It both made me feel better in high school that I hadn’t found mine yet and made me feel powerful, that he, a shifter, would equate me to such a strong, majestic animal.
“Wait your turn, wolf,” she chides, her lips quirking to the side in displeasure, but thankfully doesn’t go after him any more than that. Harper is fierce and protective, and I know she would still be that way even if she wasn’t going to be my third. I mean, I can more than take care of myself, but her having my back just as much as I have hers makes my chest warm with pride.
“I think I’ve waited long enough,” Greyson murmurs, so low I’m almost sure I wasn’t supposed to hear it. Pulling in a shuddering breath, I turn to him and his golden eyes collide with mine. I swear they’re creased with sadness, but any trace of that sorrow is gone when he glances down, noticing just how close our bodies already are.
A danger alarm should be blaring in my mind, warning me to keep my distance, but it’s muffled by the beat of my heart pounding in my ears.
“I missed you, Lionheart,” Greyson whispers. His strong arms wrap around me before I can say anything else.Lionheart? That’s ... new.My chest warms at that thought, my mind flooding with questions. Had he always called me that to himself? Did he just come up with it now? Either way, now that he’s called me that I never want him to stop.
I relax into his embrace and let loose a sigh of contentment as I rest my head against his chest. Running my hands up his back, I appreciate the strong feel of his muscles and realize just how much I missed this.
“I missed you too.” I let the words slip from my lips, allowing this one moment. I can keep my distance later, but it’s been five years since I’ve seen this man, I can afford to let that wall drop a few feet.
Greyson leans down, his warm breath feathering a light caress over my cheek as he places a chaste kiss on the top of my head. I grip him just a little bit tighter in response, as my knees wobble slightly, and I hurriedly catch myself before I roll my ankle in these heels.
This isn’t me. I don’t get weak in the knees over a guy, but I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit that it was always different with Greyson. He was always able to bring out that inner piece of my heart that I kept tucked away, the kindness that Glenda attempted to beat out of me as a child.
“Such a touching reunion,” a man says with a cluck of his tongue, his sarcasm clear in his chastising tone. “Speaking of touching, are you sure you should be seen so close to a wolf there, Hart?”
A whirlwind of emotions rock through me as I register just who this newcomer is—fear, excitement, anger ... and worst of all lust.
“Denver,” I growl, the sound rumbling from my chest before I let my hands fall from Greyson’s back. I give him a contrite wince as I back away, guilt twisting in my stomach for letting the moment end so abruptly.
I wish I could spend forever wrapped up in Greyson’s arms, but Denver’s right. As much as I wish I could just flip him off and ignore his warning, I have to consider the prying eyes of the students and parents surrounding us. Luckily they’d all cleared out of the area once they noticed the standoff forming between Denver and me. Anyone with half a brain knows to keep a wide berth when a Hart and a Prince go toe-to-toe. I grit my teeth as I narrow a glare on Denver Prince. I fight to hold on to that spark of frustration as his cobalt-blue eyes lock onto mine and not remember how they looked while he was—
Nope, not going there.
Instead, I focus on the cocky smirk curling on his lips and the triumphant gleam in his gaze. That smug asshole. I bet he’s all too happy that he caught me like that. I bet he’ll be running to tell his grandmother as soon as he leaves. Yes Aria, focus on how much of a douchebag he is rather than the way that the sunlight gleams off the golden flecks of blond in his light-brown hair as he sexily pushes it back out of his eyes.
“Are you sure you should be out in the sun? I always thought leeches shrivel up and die if they’re outside the water too long,” I quip, focusing back on his shitty attitude rather than the way his biceps bulge as he crosses his arms over his chest. The movement emphasizes his massive pecs, and my mind flicks back to memories of that night when my hand trailed over the delicious expanse of his sculpted chest, making me just want to rip that shirt off of him.
I snap my gaze back up to his face, hating how attractive I find that smug smile when it used to only infuriate me. Still, my fingers itch to caress the smooth, chiseled jaw, but I fist them at my sides, not trusting my willpower right now.
“Oh, Hart,” Denver chuckles, his sultry gaze dragging up my body, lazily taking in every inch of me as though he has any right to do so. I wish his attention twisted my stomach in disgust, but that isn’t the case. No, far from it actually. Tendrils of desire lick up my spine as memories of the other week flood my mind. He’s fucking seen every inch of my bare skin splayed before him like an all-you-can-eat-buffet, and the subtle curl of his lips seems to communicate just that. “Whoever said school isn’t fun, never got to attend with you, sunshine.”
I pull in a sharp breath as a growl rumbles from beside me and Greyson steps forward, his teeth bared at Denver. But both Harper and Carter move to pull him back. Thankfully he must think better of it since he doesn’t resist.
“You should put a leash on him, Hart,” Denver says, a flicker of anger sparking in his eyes before it’s washed away with an apathetic glint. “Or finally let him off it.”
“You fucking—” I start forward before Greyson breaks free of Carter and Harper’s hold. He can’t attack an heir—even if Prince’s title will only ever officially be Consort—but I sure as hell can.
I lift my hand before me, unsure of whether I’m about to call on my magic or just punch the asshole when he cuts me off. “Ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
I pause at the confident warning tone, some of my anger fading as his eyes capture mine.
“It would be a shame if Glenda were to find out about your ... friendship with the wolf.” Denver cocks a brow in challenge as his words settle over me. “If you attack, I’ll have no choice but to explain why that happened, and word will get out that Aria Hart is no better than her mother.”
“Aria,” Carter, and Harper exclaim, just as I’m about to launch myself at the grinning Denver Prince. My fingers curl, my perfectly manicured stiletto nails poised to gouge those blue eyes straight from his head when a strong arm wraps around my middle, pulling me back into a leanly sculpted chest.
“He’s not worth it, Lionheart,” Greyson murmurs, his voice instantly soothing me. I can’t suppress the shudder that runs over my skin as a huff of Greyson’s warm breath trails down my exposed neck. I swear his chest rumbles in response but it’s gone before I can really know for sure.
“Oh, Hart knows I’m more than worth it,” Denver drawls, cocking an eyebrow as if he’s daring me to disagree, to admit what we’d done. His eyes smolder as he scans over me once more. “I’ll be seeing you.”
With that, Denver turns on his heel, confidently striding up towards the school like he hadn’t both just threatened me, and reminded me of what it felt like to have his body twined with mine. Fuck, even now I can’t help the way my gaze follows him, taking in the way his muscles bunch as he walks away.
“You can’t let him rile you like that,” Harper says, tugging me from Greyson’s grip. His warm, comforting arm slips away, and I immediately miss the feel of his chest pressed against my back.
“Why?” I ask seriously, straightening my jacket and shirt before the droves of students and parents pass us by now that the threat has passed. “I can more than take him any day of the week.”
