Page 100 of What The Hex (The Family Spells)
“Hah.” Hex put a knee between my legs, making my little black dress with the white demon fur trim ride up my thighs. “Are you asking me to marry you, Graceley Spells?”
Was I? My words had been a joke, but … that was the natural conclusion for us, right? That’s where we were headed. Like everything else in our relationship, it might have to be a rush job. In order for Hex to join Coven Apothecary, we needed to have a proper handfasting ceremony to bind ourselves to one another.
“I’m so relieved you didn’t marry Violet at the sanctum.” The words whispered past my lips, and Hex’s face hardened and then softened. He let out a sigh and leaned down, brushing his mouth against mine.
“So am I.” And then, as if he were trying to make up for lost time, he kissed me with a fervid passion that had my toes curling in my button-up witch booties. Hex’s tongue played across mine, drawing out a moan that I didn’t bother to stifle. Even if someone came up the stairs and found us like this, I wasn’t ashamed.
Lulu Witch had lost this battle.
I twined my arms around Hex’s neck as he leaned into me, releasing my wrists so he could brace himself on his forearms. The mattress creaked slightly as he ground his hard cock against yet another pair of my winter-themed panties, these ones white with blue snowflakes.
Hex took a handful of my red hair in his fingers, making the hat go even more askew on my head, and pulled. I tilted my head back, opening my mouth to him. Magic rippled between us, happy and bright and fresh. We were building power back at a much faster rate than I’d expected, a huge relief considering that we were essentially at war on all fronts.
“New panties?” he queried, stroking a finger along the already-wet length of them. My entire body went to gooseflesh, and I let out a breathy sigh.
“Like I said, I have enough holiday panties to get me through New Year’s …”
With a rending of fabric, Hex tore them right off and stuffed them into his pocket.
“If you all keep ripping my panties like that—” I started as Hex leaned down to kiss me again, and then we both paused. A sharp prickle traced down my spine, raging hot and then ice-cold. Hex’s spelled broom collapsed and fell onto the floor.
We were about to have a visitor—one that neither of us was going to like.
Hex stood up suddenly, pulling me along with him. I straightened my hat and shimmied my dress down my thighs as we made our way over to the window to peer out at the street.
On the sidewalk, just in front of the gate, there was a krampus.
Right there on the motherfucking sidewalk of a Seattle suburb.
A witch-eater.
I turned wide eyes over to Hex and he returned the stare.
“Do you think your grandma set us up?” I whispered, but it didn’t matter if she did or not.
This was not unexpected.
It’s why we had Monster with us, after all. Demons could walk through spell circles, from one place to another. The reasons behind it were complicated—something about traveling briefly through Hael without actually being there—but as much as I enjoyed magical theory, it was the holidays.
I definitely did not have time for that shit.
My heart was thundering as I watched the creature reach out a hand and rake claws over the wards, causing them to purl in such a way that we could see the bubble-like shape over the property. It was like staring across hot pavement on a summer day, just a witchy ripple in a December sky.
Theoretically, if given enough time, the krampus could start a fire outside the fence and use the trail of carbon to crawl over it. Theoretically.
I saw Monster waltz out the front door in his slick designer clothes, his shadow wings exploding from his back. He didn’t break stride as he approached the gate and pushed it open, using his wings to lash out and wrap around the vrag’s neck.
Whelp.
That was our cue.
“Grab your toothbrush,” I told Hex with a wry half-smile, glancing his way and trying to pretend like I wasn’t all worked up by him offering his pouty mouth to service me. “That’s our cue.”
I opened the window and climbed out onto the roof as Hex gaped after me.
“Graceley,” he warned, but I was already calling the broom I’d left on the front porch and snatching it in my hand. I hopped off the roof, using the power in the broomstick to slow my descent. Landing was effortless, even in the sexy, little dress I’d worn for the occasion. Good thing it was spelled to keep my, uh, lady bits covered. Otherwise going commando in this icy winter wind might be a tad awkward.
