The Werewolf Dates The Deputy - Kristen Painter Page 0,37
fingers made contact, the sword disappeared again. “Let me guess. It’s returned to you?”
She nodded. “That’s how valkyrie and berserker swords work. Trust me, it’s a good thing.”
“I believe you. It’s pretty cool. Like the best possible safety a weapon could have. Thank you for sharing that with me.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I feel special.”
Her gaze narrowed. “Are you making fun of me?”
“No. I really do feel special. I’m guessing you haven’t shown that sword to many people. Have you?”
She shook her head. “Sorry for assuming the worst.”
Against every instinct telling him not to, he reached out and took her hand. “You don’t have to think that about me anymore. I promise. I’m going to do everything I can to be friends with you. I want us to be a team and work together.”
She looked at his hand holding hers, then up at him. “The only problem is…”
When she didn’t immediately finish her sentence, he did it for her, his heart sinking in his chest. “You don’t want to be friends with me.”
“Right.”
He let go of her hand and walked away. She was impossible. Hard-hearted and—
“Titus.”
“What?” He snapped, turning to look at the most difficult woman he’d ever met.
Oddly, she looked nervous. Almost reluctant. She sighed and stared at the ground. “I meant that I don’t want to be just friends with you. I would be okay with trying to be a little more than that. I know that’s a complete reversal from what I said earlier and that it’s a big ask coming from me, the same woman who just said terrible things to you in your hot tub, but you’re such a different man than I thought you were and—”
He stepped into her space and kissed her, hard. He threaded his fingers into her hair, cupping her face in his hands, and pressed his mouth to hers. He wanted to show her he was serious.
She melted against him, the little sigh that escaped her throat caught between them. Her hands went to his waist, then slid under his shirt and higher to his ribs.
Her touch nearly took his breath. How long had it been since he’d felt a woman’s touch? Too long.
A little voice told him they were just feeding the spell, strengthening it. He didn’t care, even while he understood that he didn’t know what was real and what was magic. The separation between the two ceased to matter.
Only she mattered. Only this moment, this kiss.
Temperatures went up. His, hers, the room’s. They might as well have been standing on a lava field.
After a few more long moments, she put her hands to his chest and pushed, ending the kiss. They were both panting.
She shook her head. “Are we really doing this? Giving in to the spell?”
“I don’t see it that way.”
She looked up at him. “How do you see it, then?”
“The spell wouldn’t work if there wasn’t something there already, right?”
“I don’t know. But…maybe.” She held his gaze. “I guess we’ll know when Alice breaks it.”
He nodded. “We should probably go to bed.”
Her eyes widened. “Settle down, Merrow. That’s too fast for me.”
He snorted. “I meant we should go to sleep. In our own beds. The inspector arrives tomorrow. And you need to get to work on figuring out how to stop that wraith.”
“Oh. Right. Sleep.” She laughed, cheeks going pink. “Do you usually have breakfast? Or do you go straight to work?”
“I go straight to work, where I make breakfast for my crew.”
She was still smiling. “Does the binding spell make me part of the crew?”
He nodded. “Absolutely. Can you be ready to leave by six thirty?”
Her brows went up. “Wow, you do start early. Sure, I can be ready.”
“Good. I usually swing by Zombie Donuts on the way in, grab a couple dozen.”
She smirked. “That’s very nice of you, but buying doughnuts doesn’t qualify as making breakfast.”
“Oh, the doughnuts are just the appetizer. You’ll see.” Then he pulled her in and kissed her once more, short and sweet. “Now, we really should go to sleep. Because if I kiss you a third time, sleep will be the last thing on my mind.”
Jenna slept. But she also dreamed. Weird, happy, scary, mixed-up dreams that had everything in them from her ex to the wraith to Titus in the hot tub. There was even a cameo by Duncan, Tessa’s cat.
Jenna woke needing coffee but feeling okay about things between her and Titus.
Honestly, she was slightly giddy in the weirdest way about suddenly being involved with