In Flames - Elise Faber Page 0,26

and purchased those. That was easier than creating a factory just so they could create a router.

But they could create a router.

With enough patience and magic, they absolutely could.

Same with laptops and computers, wiring and cell phones.

It was just . . . money wasn’t a problem, and they had bigger problems than mass-producing the new iPhone whatever.

Plus, copyright infringement.

Plus, they were spoiled and—

There, she went off on another tangent.

“See?” he asked, trailing his fingers down her arm. “Plants and growing shit.”

“But you grew this,” she pointed out.

“That’s true.” A shrug. “Sometimes, the earth magic gets a little pent up and needs the exertion.”

“That sounds terrible.”

“I’ll survive.” He glanced down. “Want to tell me why we got on the topic of reviewing our magical prowess?”

“Ew,” she muttered. “That sounds terrible.”

“Suz,” he said.

She ignored him. “I really like that tree,” she said. “The one with the purple flowers. What’s it called?”

“Jacaranda,” he said then added without missing a beat. “What did I say?”

“Nothing.” Her eyes stayed glued to those pretty purple flowers. “I just really like their coloring is all.”

“Suz.” A beat where she began counting those pretty purple flowers. Because it was much easier to count and then—oh look, there was a whole other branch with even more flowers to count. It was so much easier to not think about what was going on in her head instead of the ridiculous urge to want this bond to mean something when it clearly couldn’t.

It was hours old, for fuck’s sake.

And she was annoying even herself—okay, fine, so maybe she wasn’t the most patient person in general—but this simpering oh-no-he-might-not-like-her shit was tiring.

She needed to get over it, and quickly.

“Hey,” he whispered. “Firefly, it’ll be—”

“Fine,” she said, putting a little bit of space between them. She couldn’t think clearly when he was so close. “Of course, it will be fine. It’s just been a long day.” That was the truth, and also her cue.

This was just too much, and she needed sleep and—

Repeat: it was just too much.

She’d reached her limit.

Standing, she allowed her gaze to flick to Graham’s. But only for a second. He could already see in her mind, so he didn’t need to see her expression and get further confirmation of how unhinged she was feeling.

“I’m going to bed,” she announced.

He slowly came to his feet. “I’ll walk you to your room.”

“No.”

It came out too sharp; she knew that.

But circling back to unhinged and terrified and feeling too fucking vulnerable.

His golden eyes held hers. “I’m going by myself,” she said firmly.

A burst of frustration, of refusal in her brain, but he didn’t voice those feelings aloud. Maybe he sensed how close she was to the edge, or perhaps he just had more self-control than she did. Either way, after a long moment, he just nodded and said, “I’ll see you later today.”

She crept back to the door, her fingers grasping the cold metal.

“Suz?” he said as she tugged it open.

Her feet skittered to a stop.

“Sweet dreams,” he murmured.

Another nod. Her feet still frozen.

“Go on, Firefly.” Still spoken so softly, so carefully.

With that, finally, she could move, could escape into the hall.

She sped through the winding, and thankfully empty, corridors, her footsteps clicking on the dark wooden floor, rapid movements that brought her quickly to her rooms.

Her palm on the door opened the lock and she burst inside, out of breath, sweat sheening her skin.

She stumbled into the shower, threw on pajamas.

And fate was with her.

For once that day, it was with her.

Exhaustion pulled her under almost the moment she snuggled under her blankets.

Almost.

Because just before she drifted off, she had the distinct thought—

Perhaps fate had actually been with her twice that day.

Ten

Graham

He remained in place long after the door closed behind Suz, realizing that this was going to be more complicated than he had anticipated.

Stupid to just now recognize that?

Certainly.

But several centuries on this planet didn’t mean he was immune to that common male affliction. Snorting at one of his sister’s favorite sayings, he lay back on the cushion and stared up at the sky. Pondering. Trying to untangle the tangle. Suz liked him. He could feel that with certainty. Suz wanted him. Also something he could feel with certainty. And Suz was terrified of him—though perhaps she was less terrified of him specifically and more terrified of what he and the bond represented.

Either way, he needed to take himself and his centuries and find some patience.

To tread carefully, win her over by inches.

God knew they had plenty of time