Feline the Pressure - L.A. Boruff Page 0,1
with her men." He walks off the back porch with his eyes raking up and down my body. There isn't enough light to see them in detail, but my body tingled with the weight of his gaze. He's probably only doing it to check I'm okay, but it doesn't stop me thinking about him doing it in a completely different way.
"What are you doing out here with nothing but that little nightgown on?" He steps forward, closing the gap between us and puts his hands on my waist. The heat of his palms seers my skin, even through the material between us. And I don't think it has anything to do with his fire magic.
This is all James. All the effect he has on me and nothing more than that.
It's only then I notice that he’s not wearing much himself. Just jogging shorts with bare feet, and a thin t-shirt clinging to his muscles in the moonlight. And he must have been lying down at some point, because his blond hair isn’t neat, like usual, but sticking out in every direction in an absolutely sexy way. Unable to help myself, I lick my lips. And only partially because I can feel his dick against my thigh.
"You distracted me." I push away the irritation from losing that sense of power. "I was after something."
"You looked like you were about to walk into the woods, past the ward, barefoot and barely dressed." He pulls back, but not far enough that our bodies stop touching, thankfully. I want him close. Always.
Even though I'm mildly irritated at him, I don't want him to let me go. It's not like I can feel the magic anymore. It disappeared when I was suddenly distracted, and I doubt it'll come back. Perhaps when he's gone? But knowing James, that isn't going to be for a long while.
"Well, maybe I was going to search the woods. But I felt something." I do my best to describe the sensations I experienced to him, though I don't think I've managed to do it justice. Nothing can compare to the rush of magic through me.
Despite the inadequacy of my description, he looks sufficiently impressed. "I see why you were pulled toward it, but remember, there are still so many things in this world that we haven't had time to teach you about. You should always tell one of us, even if the feeling is good like that."
I frown, trying to work out if he's being protective or condescending. Perhaps a bit of both? It's almost impossible to tell with the three of them sometimes. But even if I don’t like his tone, I know deep down he's trying to help.
That doesn’t mean I have to like that raised brow of his or his damned tone.
Frustration rises inside of me.
It doesn’t help my irritation that a part of me knows he's right. The magic came so suddenly, and I gave over to it as soon as it arrived. Now that it's influence has faded, I'm starting to see things a little more clearly, and perhaps going with the magic wasn't the best choice I could have made, given the circumstances.
Which also doesn't mean I have to let him know he's right, not a chance, even if he is pulling me close again. And he looks hot as sin. He presses a kiss to my temple, and my eyes flutter closed despite my internal protests.
I snap them open, determined not to fall for his charms. At least, not yet. I can save that for later.
"I'm not a child, James."
“I didn’t say–”
“You didn’t have to. Your tone said it for you.”
Despite my guys’ claims that they have faith in me, they all see me as so inept in the magical department that I swear they all think of me like I’m a baby in all things. The thing they don’t understand is that I've been on my own for a long time. I survived some tough situations in foster care and some even tougher situations investigating the supernatural for my blog. So, I didn't need three infuriating men treating me like I’m helpless, new to magic or not.
"I know you're not," he promises. "You're the most capable person I've ever met. But you're also one of the most reckless. And I worry about you. Not because I have to. Or because I think you'll hurt yourself, but because I want to, Callie. I..." he trails off.
But I can hear the words he wants to