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“Is that not enough?” Her mother sighs dramatically and purses her lips. “I can’t make much promise for your… delightful taste in men, but I could… wait, I suppose. If your experiment is successful, we won’t need to kill him after all.”
“You leave them alone, you—”
“Now, don’t get all worked up on me. I do have this,” her mother holds up a piece of paper. “It would cover Juliana’s tuition. Isn’t that the only reason you started working here in the first place?”
Hesitation flicks across Adara’s eyes, and I refuse to watch this witch play games with her any longer. I clear my throat as I walk from the shadows, right into the bar. Both women turn to face me, Adara’s face losing all color as she glances between me and her mother, whose lips pucker sourly.
“You know, it’s funny,” I say, walking over to Adara and grabbing her hand. I pull her tight against me, facing her mother with a grin. “I believe that bill is already paid.”
“What—” her mother sputters, her eyes narrowing at me.
“Hard to use a paid bill as leverage, unfortunately. Juliana Morrow’s tuition is paid in full—for herentireeducation. Room and board too, of course.” Pure pleasure ripples through me at the look on her mother’s face. “Now, I believe it’s time for you to leave.” I hold open the door, waiting for her mother to collect her shattered thoughts and pick her jaw up from the floor.
Her eyes snap from my face to Adara, who shrinks back. Her mother’s hand whips out, but I grab her wrist just before the slap makes contact, yanking her close. I stare down at her, a breath between our faces.
“If you ever think of laying a hand on her again,” I hiss under my breath, silver overtaking my eyes as I let my claws lengthen and pierce into the tender flesh at her wrist, “I will gladly tear you apart. She’s the only reason you’re still standing here.”
Monique’s gaze flicks to Adara for a moment before she blows out a breath, plastering a fake smile on her face and running a hand over her curls. “Well, I never expected it to play out quite like this.” Turning her face to me, her smile grows, wicked and malicious. “No more fog clouding your mind, Disantollo?”
She smirks, and I toss her out of the door, slamming it shut behind her. I lock the door, turning back and wrapping my arms around Adara’s shaking shoulders.
“Are you okay?” I ask her.
She buries her face in my shirt, nodding slightly. “She has magic, Gideon. A door isn’t enough—”
“The bar is protected. No spells with the intent to harm can be cast here. You let her in, didn’t you?”
She pulls her head back to look up at me, regret painting her face.
“I’m no fool. I know how magic operates, little witch.” I run a hand down her hair, smoothing it back from her face. “I had an old friend protect this bar with a spell long ago. The only witch I’ve ever trusted. Well…” My thumb brushes over her lips. “My circle seems to have grown by one.”
“Were you serious? About Jules?” Her eyes search mine, her voice almost worried to ask.
“Of course I was. It’s been paid for, with a lovely note signed in your name that stated it includes a donation to the academy itself. I did pay a bit early, though, so she won’t have to wait until fall to attend. She can start this winter, early acceptance with the room and board available whenever she wants it.” I smile as a gasp escapes her.
She jumps up onto her toes, wrapping her arms around my neck. “Why would you do that?” she asks, tears wetting the collar of my shirt.
I laugh, burying one hand in her hair and rubbing her back with the other. “Because I didn’t want this to happen. Your mother doesn’t deserve to have leverage over you, and this was the only way you’d be tempted to leave with her. For others, not for yourself.”
She loosens her grip, sliding her hands to each side of my face as she pulls my lips down to hers. I lose myself in her scent, her taste. In the fact that she kissed me and not the other way around. She presses against me, and I spin with her, pressing her back against the door. Her fingers slide into my hair, pulling me closer as she deepens the kiss. She parts her lips, opening for me, her tongue meeting mine stroke for stroke.
I fist her hair, the silky smooth strands slipping perfectly between my fingers, and brush my other hand down her body, gripping her hip. I press into her, wanting no space left between us, no air, no breath. She moans lightly into my mouth, and my wolf breaks free. My claws lengthen, digging into her jeans, and I nip at her bottom lip, licking the small bead of blood that forms. Her wide silver eyes gaze up at me, her chest panting as she tries to catch her breath, her hands still tightly clinging to my hair.
“Tell me what you want,mia fiamma,” I say, my lips brushing against hers as I speak. “Tell me you want me.” I work to catch my own breath, knowing I want her—all of her, all over me. But I won’t take her without her telling me I can. I want her to give herself over to me. My tongue licks along her bottom lip, and her eyes dip to my mouth.
“I-I want you,” she whispers. Her eyes look up at mine. “I want you, Gideon.”
Desire flares through me, and my wolf is near howling in my chest as I crush my mouth to hers, my hands palming her ass as I lift her up. She wraps her legs around my waist, sealing her body to mine, as I carry her through the bar. Reaching the closed office door, I press her against the wood. My lips trail from her mouth, planting kisses along her jaw and down her neck to her shoulder. I nip at the exposed flesh of her collarbone, brushing my tongue over it. Dipping my head low, I drag my tongue along the edge of her shirt, dipping it between her cleavage as she arches into me, her head dropping back against the door.
She whimpers, her grip in my hair tightening, pulling me closer. I reach down, twisting the doorknob and shoving the door open and kicking it closed behind me as I carry her to my desk. My lips never leave hers as I sweep the top of the desk clear and set her on it. She stares up at me, breathless, her lips swollen from kissing, and her eyes widen as I finger the hem of her shirt. Pulling it up reveals the smooth skin of her stomach, and her breath hitches when my thumb brushes her bra, slipping beneath the wire to touch the silky swell of her breast.
Dragging her shirt up and over her head, I let my hand wander to her back, unclasping her bra, and cup her breast, watching her suck her bottom lip into her mouth as a small moan escapes. Lowering my head, I suck one nipple into my mouth, her moan turning into a whimper as my fingers roll and pinch the other one.
Placing my palm to her chest, pushing her back, I trail my finger down, caressing over her stomach as she lays down before me. Her back arches as I lean back down, recapturing her breast in my mouth as I slide my hands down her waist, reaching the button of her jeans. I quickly realize these are the jeans from hell—or a mother expecting celibacy while her daughter tempts the devil. They’re so tight I can’t pull them in any direction, and it’s her next moan as my tongue flicks her nipple that has me letting out my claws, slicing the ridiculous fabric off.
She gasps, her eyes snapping open. “Gideon!” she scolds.
“Darling, the only way you get to say my name right now is if you scream it,” I say, letting my hands brush along her thighs.
