to me and slipped his hand around my waist. “Look, I’m sure whatever it is, it’s not a big deal. It’s probably me, anyway. And just like you said, we exerted ourselves.” He leaned in and kissed me on my cheek below my ear. “Maybe it’s because of that.”
That’s what I’m worried about, I thought.
Markos dressed, and I followed him to the kitchen where he opened his cooler and began unpacking the food he’d brought. He pulled the cork on a bottle of white wine and got out two glasses.
“Just tea for me,” I said. “I don’t drink much.”
With a flourish of his hand, he flipped a container of tea in the air and caught it. “No problem. Tea it is. I brought some magnificent Elforian red tea that I’ve been saving to have with you. Why don’t you get that water boiling, and I’ll make us a pot?”
“Okay,” I said, and the tightness in my chest loosened a bit.
It was hard for me not to feel happy around him. I leaned against the counter and watched with interest as he decorated one of my wooden cutting boards with an assortment of yummy-looking ingredients. He flashed a warm smile at me as he deftly sliced up some strawberries and arranged them on the board.
“Boil the water?” he said.
“Right.” I hurried to get the kettle.
I didn’t know why I’d been unable to complete the reading. I was trying to stay present with him and not worry about it, but it was something that’d never happened to me before. Had it just been a fluke? Had my focus been impaired because of what we’d just done together?
I flinched when Markos came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. I’d completely zoned out. I slid my hands over his and relaxed into his body, shivering slightly when I felt his lips press against the side of my neck. Having him with me felt so good. I loved every moment of it and how happy it made me feel. I loved that he’d given me something new that I had never gotten before from my life as a reader—being desired.
We kissed, and heat began to kindle inside of me again. I could feel the shape of his cock against me, and I resisted the temptation to grind against it with my behind.
“Sausage,” I said, reaching out and taking a slice of cured sausage from the platter and popping it into my mouth.
Markos laughed and went back to the other side of the counter to pour water into our teacups. We brought everything outside, and he explained each piece of the platter he’d assembled for us. I listened but was mostly just paying attention to how incredibly handsome he was. Who knew I was capable of feeling this way for an alpha…
Had I known, would I have taken the vow all those years ago? Divination was everything to me. The Moonstar Dating Agency was the culmination of a lifetime of dedication. I couldn’t have imagined loving anything more…
If only we could go further than this. Like the vision I couldn’t penetrate, I was at a threshold I couldn’t cross. All I could do was look from where I was standing and imagine what it would be like to be truly with him. All I could do was enjoy this moment because it was the most I could have.
The next day, I felt a lot better about things. Markos was going to pick me up from the office after work and we were going to go to the restaurant we’d failed to eat at before, and afterward… well, afterward I presumed we’d have sex again. I couldn’t wait.
It was pretty much all that was on my mind. As I was on my way to the office, padding along the wolf run, I looked up in the sky and saw a cloud that looked remarkably like Markos’s cock. There were so many things to try, so many positions and techniques from my books I could put to use. Maybe he could do me from behind… I pranced across the street and narrowly avoided a speeding car because I was too busy fantasizing about him putting it inside of me.
Get it together, Kole, I told myself.
I wanted to be in his arms, and if I didn’t have a full day of readings to do, I probably would’ve flitted over to The Wagging Tail and tackled him behind the counter. I knew I needed to walk