Page 42 of Not Your Ex's Hexes
No, thank you. This witch didn’t need romantic entanglements. Until her situation—or her view—changed, she’d give Mr. Wiggles a workout and maybe have a replacement model on hand in case he gave out.
“Sounds like a plan.” Temporarily distracted, Rose released her hold on the camera and held her breath for one second, then two.She opened her mouth to hoot in victory when it toppled over for the one millionth time. “Son of a…”
With a frustrated growl, Rose yanked the glue from her pocket and squirted a generous dollop beneath the base before smooshing it down on the beam. “Please stay. Please.”
She counted to twenty, and then, one finger at a time, released her hold. She didn’t breathe. She didn’t look at it sideways.
And it stayed.
“Thank Goddess,” Rose muttered.
She admired her handiwork a second before climbing down. Two rungs into her descent, her right boot slipped. Her chin smacked against the step, sending a bolt of pain straight through her jaw and her equilibrium sideways. The ladder’s weight shifted. There was no stopping the fall.
This was going to hurt.
Rose threw a panicked look beneath her to make sure neither Bella nor the puppies were anywhere they could be crushed, and then she hoped for the best. Tucking her arms over her head like a makeshift helmet, she braced for impact. A second into the fall and she landed with anoomph.
Not on the hard ground.
Not even in a hay pile.
Her body instinctively settled into a warm, firm embrace until her firm, spicy-scented chest-pillow chuckled. “Do I want to know why you’re on a ladder before the sun even makes an appearance?”
Rose’s gaze connected with Damian’s, their faces less than an inch apart as he held her in a princess carry. Gold flecks dotted his gorgeous gray irises with a slight mix of green and blue, the colors turning more vibrant the longer they stared.
As she struggled to form words, Damian’s mouth curled into a small smirk. The longer she tried saying something—anything—the more aware she became of Damian’s nakedness. Well, half-naked.
Shirtless with his tattoos on full display, he provided her with anearly morning visual treat that was even sweeter than her favorite breakfast cereal. Her mouth literally salivated.
Olive was right. Something needed to be done about this dry spell. “Why are you walking around the barn without clothes?”
His lips twitched again. “Because I thought someone was breaking into the clinic to steal meds and throwing on a shirt didn’t seem as important as making sure the ketamine didn’t go missing.”
Rose glanced at her hand, reflexively playing with the hair at the base of his neck. She immediately stopped and mentally scolded herself. “As you can see, I’m not robbing you. If anything, the cameras will make it harder for anyone to do that, so you’re welcome.”
“You may not be robbing the place, but what would the Supernatural Council say about breaking-and-entering? Maybe extend your time here? Imagine how many more stalls that would be to muck out.” Damian’s eyes glittered with thinly veiled humor.
Rose shot him a glare. “Funny this morning, aren’t we? Figures you’d be a morning person.”
“And you’re not?”
“I am after I’ve had about three cups of coffee. Approach me with anything less in my system and I can’t be held accountable for my actions.”
He smirked. “Now’s who’s being funny this morning?”
“Funny? It’s the Goddess’s honest truth.” Rose returned his grin, only half-joking.
And her hands were back to playing with his hair.
She forced her hands to still.Again. “I think it’s safe to put me down now. Concussion averted thanks to your impeccable timing… and paranoia about ketamine thieves.”
Damian dropped her legs, but the arm banded around her waist stayed put. Friction from the rub of their bodies conjured a low moan from Rose, and she wasn’t the only one physically affected by their close proximity.
His erection pushed against her stomach. The devil on her shoulderchanted for her to rub herself against him as if he were a scratching post, and she a cat. For a brief second, she contemplated it.
Okay, maybe for a few prolonged seconds.
He slowly released her, stepping back and taking away the temptation. “I answered all your questions, little witch. It’s your turn to answer mine.”
