allergic. But then as time went on and we started the magazine, well…things changed.” I shook my head. “Sometimes success builds character, and other times it reveals character.”
“And with Ellison—it revealed his true nature?”
I nodded. It had revealed it, all right. “We were heavily involved in the Seattle art and theatre scene. Our magazine took off. We started going to cocktail parties and fundraisers and dinner parties that were actual sit-down affairs instead of hors d’oeuvres. Ellison grew to love that world and I grew to loathe it. I hated making small talk and doing the air-kiss thang, and…you know.” I licked my fingers and dabbed at my lips with a napkin. “I didn’t fit in. I fit in when we were younger and we hung out with other bohemian types, sharing poems and drinking wine and eating chips. But that only lasted a few years.”
Killian leaned close, searching my eyes. “You’re not a socialite by nature.”
“No, I’m not,” I whispered, staring into those dazzling pools of green. “I can manage a formal party and even enjoy it now and then, but week after week of unending snarkiness hidden beneath an oh-so-genteel demeanor? I can’t do it.” I was barely breathing as he moved in, wrapping me in his arms again.
I moaned, softly, as his lips explored mine. He slid his hands beneath my sweater, his fingers gliding up my back. I could feel his desire as the heat between us continued to build. All I could think about was how much I wanted him, about how much I needed a man’s touch—a man who wanted me, a man who needed me.
He tugged me out of my chair, bringing me over to straddle his lap. Now I was looking him directly in the eye, and I could feel how much he wanted me—how hard he was against me. My stomach was in knots as I took the initiative, going in for another kiss, and yet another.
Moments later, I broke away, dizzy with lust. “I would ask you to stay, but I’m exhausted,” I said. I wanted him in my bed, but my body was giving me the signal that if I didn’t get to bed, I’d end up with a migraine.
“We have time enough for that,” he said, stroking my hair back as he kissed me again, this time on the cheek. “I’d love to stay, but you’ve already had one hell of a day.”
I reluctantly slid off his lap, wondering if this was actually happening. Had I really just made out with my new neighbor, who happened to be a gorgeous wolf shifter? And where was this leading? But those questions would keep for another day.
“I’ll walk you out,” I said, feeling disappointment that he hadn’t pressed me to stay. And yet, I was relieved that he hadn’t once overstepped the line.
I boxed up one of the pizzas for him. “Take this—you can snack on it tomorrow.”
“You have to go into work?” he asked.
“Oh, yes. I need to be there by nine.” I looped my arm through his.
“That’s pretty,” he said, pointing to the dining room table as we passed by.
I glanced at the rose. Once again, it was glowing, and I thought I could hear the faint tinkling of teacups and the thinly veiled sound of laughter. The Ladies seemed to approve of him, and that—I suspected—meant a great deal.
“That’s…from a relative,” I said. “I’ll explain later.”
As he headed down the sidewalk back to his house, I glanced up at the sky. The storm had broken and we could see the stars glistening through the diminishing clouds, icy studs against the black of night. I shivered, folding my arms over my chest. Everything felt pristine, like a frozen world—so incredibly beautiful. And yet, below that beauty, I knew only too well that danger was waiting, and that tomorrow I’d be back facing an enemy that scared the hell out of me.
But we’re here now, Esmara’s voice echoed in the back of my mind. And now that we’ve summoned you, your life will change, and you’ll learn to cope with both fear—and joy. Because the two often come married together, and you can’t find your joy if you let the fear stop you.
With that, I waved at Killian one last time as he vanished into his house, and I turned back inside, feeling oddly content in a way that I hadn’t for years.
Chapter Fifteen
I had nightmares of creatures chasing me, and I could hear Tad screaming, and then everything