The question was, what would happen when he got tired of waiting?
I pulled the covers up to my chin, my eyes on the soft moonlight shining in the many windows of the largest room I’d ever called my own. I nestled into the soft bedclothes and fluffy pillow, thinking about the events of the night. As sleep dragged at me, warmth sparked down low and curled up through my middle. It spread, saturating my body, a deep ache tightening my core.
Pleasure came next, forcing out a gasp, localized between my thighs. I pushed my legs together, twisting as though I could move away. A sudden urge for fast, hard contact bled through my thoughts.
I gripped the sheets, trying not to give in to the sensations, which had come out of nowhere. At this point, everyone knew not to spy on me during certain times, but until they learned how to magically control the link to automatically shut down in private moments, Jasper and Ulric would know what I was up to before they could sign off.
Realization dawned.
I checked the links, the pleasure pumping higher now, consuming me. It was pounding between my thighs, massaging the bundle of nerves at my apex. I stifled a moan as I blocked my magical connections to Jasper and then Ulric. These feelings weren’t from them.
Half grossed out, I blocked the rest, the pleasure cutting out immediately, leaving an absence in its wake.
Panting, now off-kilter, I felt Mr. Tom downstairs, tidying up the kitchen after making me a late-night snack. Wasn’t him, thank God, something I was happy to ascertain through his position in the house and not through the link. Edgar was out in the wood, doing God knew what, but he was walking around. Couldn’t be him.
“Please don’t be Niamh. Please…” My stomach twisted in distaste.
I couldn’t not know. I couldn’t have that hanging over my head as a maybe.
I unblocked the link and blocked it back up super quick, the briefest of feelings. Nothing. She was probably asleep.
“Thank all that is holy,” I said, heaving out a sigh. I wasn’t sure I would’ve ever recovered from…
My phone vibrated on the nightstand. Frowning, I pushed up to an elbow to peer at the screen.
Text from Austin: You okay?
I frowned harder. When I unblocked the link between us, the pleasure didn’t resume. He must’ve felt my distaste.
Phone in hand, I was about to text him a quick answer and let him get back to things, but…
A spike of unease pierced my middle. What if he was with someone?
It felt like acid dripped down through me.
I wasn’t, by nature, a jealous person. Never had been. Boyfriends had flirted with other women at parties and my ex-husband had been known for his “charm.” I’d never worried about it.
I didn’t have any right to Austin, but I hated the thought of someone else sliding against his amazing body, or delighting in his expert, passionate kisses.
My stomach turned at the thought of him taking someone else on the perfect date, or directing her with a gentle but firm hand on the small of her back.
The phone rang this time, vibrating in my fingers. Austin’s name was on the screen.
I slid my finger across it, answering the call.
“Hey,” I said, uncomfortable, hating that I felt this way.
“Hey.” His voice was thick, rough. His breathing came faster than normal, like he’d been working out. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
“For what?”
“I… Uhm.” I swallowed. Now that I was in this position, I suddenly understood why he’d been hesitant to tell me about listening in through the link. “I accidentally forgot to close down everyone’s links, so…”
A rush of heat flooded my body from Austin. He’d liked hearing that.
His voice lowered, his tone softer now. “Is that why you felt so disgusted?” I could hear the teasing.
“I didn’t know who was…” Another rush of heat. I barely stifled a gasp. “I usually only have one or two of them open at a time, so I haven’t practiced deciphering who is who when they’re all open. I closed them all—”
“How’d you know it was me?”
Another sheen of sweat broke out on my forehead. An insane part of me wanted to dip my hand south, like we were in college in different dorms, unable to stand the distance separating us and desperate for the time when we could feel the rush of each other’s bodies again.
“I had to check each person. It came down to you and Niamh, and I couldn’t live with the not knowing… I had to know if I’d ever be able to look her in the eyes again.” I laughed nervously. “But anyway…” I licked my lips, needing to know. Not able to help it. “I should let you get back to your date.”
“I haven’t had a date since the one with you.”