“OK,” he said softly yet his jaw was still firm. Obviously he wanted more.
“Turned out that some of the guys made a contest. Or maybe bet is the better word. To see who could get me to have sex with them first. Figured it’d be easy because I was starved for attention. Their words. Not mine. I never wanted any of their attention.”
“The. Fuck.”
“Yup. And I fell into their fucking net. When my grandma found out she was so angry. Only partially at me because she’d taught me to have my guard up but she almost burned the town down.” I locked eyes with him. “Figuratively speaking, of course.”
Luken’s jaw tensed harder, turning to marble before he pushed himself up and began the trek back down the doc.
“Where are you going?” I called out as I hopped up behind him.
“To find him.”
Jumping in front of him, I put my hands up until his chest made contact as my way of stopping him. “No. You’re not.”
“Yes. I am.” He could’ve pushed right through me had he wanted to but he paused anyway.
“Luken, that will just make it worse. I’m over it.”
He snapped back. “The look on your face didn’t say you’re over it.”
“That’s just the embarrassment.”
“What the fuck do you have to be embarrassed about?” he demanded.
Damn. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “The proof they needed to win.”
Now his entire body turned to stone, unnaturally still. “And what the hell was that?”
My stomach turned. Boiling acid making me seasick. “A picture.”
Luken stepped around me and slammed his hands into his pockets as he began walking quickly again. This wasn’t going to end well.
“You’ll go to jail,” I called as I jogged after him. “There’s no doubt he will press charges. His family has money and they’ll use it against you. Against me.”
Luken stopped so abruptly that I almost slammed into his back. Skidding to a stop, I put my hands up to brace the contact if it came. It didn’t but the idea of wrapping my arms around his waist to stop him was pretty appealing. He turned back to face me wo quickly that I never had the chance.
“Against you?”
“Well yeah.” I looked up at him through my eyelashes as if not making full eye contact would somehow protect me from the redness creeping up my neck. “You’ll leave here eventually right? I won’t. I know I won’t. This is my life forever and his family will turn the town against me even more. If that’s possible.”
He thought about what I said and had to know there was no way to argue against me. “I want to kill him.”
“Line forms to the left.”
Luken snorted then rubbed his hand over his jaw. “So, what happened to the evidence?” he asked as if admitting it was pictures was a crime.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. He either still has them or he deleted them.” Luken reached out, putting a hand on each of my shoulders then slid them down until he folded our hands together. And I let him, knowing that I was trusting him too quickly. Yet something deep inside me, the voice of my conscience maybe, knew that I could trust him. He wasn’t like David or the other boys I’d gone to school with.
Luken was different.
“It sets my blood on fire that you went through that.”
A small smile appeared on my face. “Mine too.”
“But also, he made it so much harder for the next guy.”
This time my stomach clenched for a whole other reason. My eyebrows slammed down as if he was talking a foreign language that I didn’t understand. “Next guy?”
His eyes settled on mine, but he didn’t say anything at first until finally, he wet his lips and took a breath. “You’re beautiful, Miranda. Now because of that mother fucker you probably don’t believe me.”
He was right. I didn’t. I mean, I knew I wasn’t gargoyle ugly but beautiful? Not so much.
“This town could’ve ruined you,” he kept going. “Yet here you are facing life changing events and you haven’t let them beat you. On top of that, you’re letting me stay with you in a time most people would want to be left alone. That tells me you’re as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside.”
Luken brought his hand up to rest on the side of my face. His thumb stroked over my cheekbone. My mouth suddenly went dry as everything inside me began to vibrate with nervousness… anticipation. His tongue peeked out to wet his bottom lip. Before I could register what was happening, his lips were on mine. Soft but demanding and moving against me as he slipped an arm around my waist then tugged me to him.
My heart thudded almost to a stop with the surprise that Luken was kissing me. Me.
I braced myself against his shoulders, my fingers curving to his muscles as his tongue gently licked at my lip. I didn’t need any further encouragement as I opened up for him.
When his tongue touched mine, it was like my body came alive. This was nothing like the handful of kisses I’d had before. The biggest difference being that Luken wanted to be kissing me. I never would’ve known that David hadn’t wanted to kiss me back then if Luken weren’t kissing me now. But this with Luken was everything a kiss should be, soft yet demanding, gentle yet there was no doubt who was controlling this moment, and I could never go back.
He brought the moment to an end and rested his forehead against mine, each of our chests rising and falling as we tried to catch our breaths.
“Miranda,” my name fell from his lips, but it sounded like an admonishment. Hopefully to himself and not to me for having done anything wrong. That might’ve been the best moment of my life. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?”
“You just told me something personal and I shouldn’t have taken advantage.”
I pulled back. “You didn’t.” His mouth opened like he wanted to argue the point but I wasn’t going to let him. “Luken, you didn’t. I wanted to kiss you so please don’t try to make this something ugly. Your kiss was the single best thing I’ve ever had.”
A cheeky grin formed on his lips. “It was pretty fantastic.”
I pushed my fist into his ribs. “I wouldn’t get cocky. The only other kisses I’ve ever had came from a douchebag who was trying to win a hundred bucks.”
The humor left his face as serious line scratched across his forehead. “You’re worth so much more.”
Now I swallowed hard. “You might be the only person who thinks that.”
“Then I’m the only one who matters.”
Chapter Eight
Luken
As much as I wanted to put my fist through that guys teeth, I wouldn’t. Miranda wasn’t wrong when she said it’d just make things worse for her. She also wasn’t wrong when she said that I was supposed to leave eventually then she’d be here alone to endure whatever fallout my actions caused. Except that I didn’t think I’d be leaving without her anytime soon. No idea what the council had planned but if they thought I’d leave her here now that I knew how she lived, they were out of their goddamned minds. Now I’d had a taste of her which left me wanting more.
Fucking fine position I’d put myself in.
“Have you ridden enough rides for today or do you want to go back?” I asked.
“I think I’d rather go home now.”
The sun had begun to set, and we’d been gone most of the day. I hoped this was exactly what she’d needed because it was for me even though I hadn’t known I needed it.
I pulled her into my side with my arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders as we walked back to the parking lot. If possible the lot was fuller now that it had been when we arrived.
The ride home felt somehow different than the ride there. Miranda held onto me tighter than she had before, those fingers drifting across my stomach dangerously close to where I wanted them, though not necessarily while I was driving. I didn’t think she even knew she was doing it. Too soon, I pull
ed onto her road, then her driveway, and then I was cutting the engine.
The last thing I wanted was for her to close herself off in her room for the rest of the night instead of spending more time with me.
All of a sudden I was a needy bastard that couldn’t get enough.
“You hungry?” I asked once she got the door unlocked. To keep my cover I probably should’ve asked for a key even though I could unlock that door without it.
“A little,” she answered, flipping the entryway light on.
“How about I go grab us something? What do you want?”
“I’m not picky.” Miranda raised her arms over her head in a full body stretch. I ran my hand over my face because there’s no way she could know what she was doing to me. Her movements were normal, innocent even yet they had me feeling a stirring in my pants. “Hey.” She tossed her keys at me. “Take my car. Don’t want the wind making the food cold.”
When I shut the door behind me, I put a quick protection spell on the house for my own sanity. The last thing I needed was for that asshole to come knocking and Miranda to be alone. Which was why I almost didn’t want to leave.
Still I took her car into town, got us a pizza and some ice cream then headed right home.
Miranda was laying on the couch in the living room with the television on. When she heard me, she popped up. Damn. She’d changed into pajamas—a tank top and what looked like, tiny shorts. Her blonde hair hung down her back though it’d been brushed out since our time on the motorcycle. I wasn’t sure which look I liked better. This relaxed with smooth hair or the wild abandoned the bike ride had given her.
“Hope you like pizza,” I told her.
“I said I’m not picky but pizza is one of my favorites.”
“I’m going to put the ice cream in the freezer and be back with some plates.” I told her as I set the box on the coffee table. “Drink?”
“Water but I can get it.”
“I’m going anyway.”
A quick trip to the kitchen was all I needed before returning with two large glasses of water, plates, and napkins. It wasn’t until I took that first bite that I realized how hungry I was. I liked this. Sitting on the couch with Miranda, the TV on, eating, and chatting about things that were less important than the heavy shit earlier.
“I feel like things are unbalanced now,” she said after her second slice. She’d set her plate aside indicating that she was done.
“How’s that?”
“You know the most embarrassing thing to happen to me and as far as I can tell, you’re still perfect.”
I snorted. “Definitely not perfect, sweetheart. Plus, you’re not the one who should be embarrassed about any of that.”
“He has pictures of me naked. Or mostly naked. Or… well, I guess I don’t really know and that’s embarrassing enough.”
I sat up straighter. Rage causing my spine to turn to steel. “What do you mean, you don’t know?”
“He says he has some. I saw one that was… ” She shuttered. “But I have no idea when he took them so there could be more. There could be even worse ones.”
“Still. That’s all on him.” I thought about what she’d said for a minute. “You want something embarrassing about me?”
She nodded a little too enthusiastically and her smile was just a little too wide for my liking. “The most embarrassing if possible.”
I groaned because I knew exactly what that would be. But I also wanted to give her this.
“Fine.” I dropped my plate on top of the pizza box. “This should work for you. It was right after my mother died. I was… fifteen and my life had just been uprooted. So I was with my friend Miller at the park and saw this amazing pair of legs headed for us. I’m talking… mouthwatering legs.”
“Legs can be mouthwatering?” she asked with her head cocked to the side.
“Absolutely. Like yours right now. Peeking out from under the tiniest shorts I’ve ever seen.”
Her cheeks bushed pink making what I’d said totally worth it.
“You’re crazy,” she told me as she fought back a smile.
“Your legs being mouthwatering is a fact that we could ask anyone to confirm.” My gaze dropped down the legs she had stretched out in front of her. “Then again, let’s ask no one.” A small giggle rose from her which made me smile. Making her feel better had become my top priority.
“So, great pair of legs.”
“Right.” I snapped my fingers as if she’d reminded me what I was talking about. Fuck. Miller never let me forget this one. “So I can’t take my eyes off the woman coming our way. I can’t see anything but those legs and let’s just say… things south of the border took notice.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You got a—”
“Hard on? Yup.”
“From a pair of legs?”
“Again, I refer you to your legs right now.” Her face blanched and she shook her head. “But yes. I wouldn’t say fully erect but enough that I knew I was going to have to either get it under control or take care of myself.”
“Dear lord,” she muttered.
“I was about to point them out to Miller when the woman said something and my entire world came crashing down.” That might’ve been an overstatement but good for the telling of this story.
“Who was it?”
“Miller’s grandma.”
She burst out in a loud laugh. “What?”
“Yup. Miller’s seventy-year-old grandma gave me a hard on. And he never lets me forget it.”
“How did he know?” She hadn’t stopped laughing.
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “It was pretty obvious.”
“Oh my god.” Miranda buried her face in the back of the couch as she continued to laugh. It didn’t matter that the beautiful sound was muffled by the cushion. I was satisfied just knowing that she was having a moment of happiness.
“Does that help?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think it’s on par with mine but it is pretty good.”
“Glad to be of service to you.”
We cleaned up from dinner then settled in for some TV. Only in her room. Miranda said her TV was better than the one in the kitchen because she’d bought it with her own money.
Overall, I thought her bedroom was in better condition than the rest of the house. It was easy to see she’d tried her best to make this one room her home even when her grandma had given up on the rest of the house. Her bed loomed largely in the middle of two windows and the big flat screen hung on the wall across from the bed. Miranda also had her own bathroom attached to her room. Everything about this room was a part of her.
Miranda climbed onto the mattress then crossed it on her knees before leaning over onto her nightstand and coming back with the remote. I sat on the edge and waited but fuck did I like watching her move around.
“Come up here,” she demanded.
I toed off my shoes and settled beside her. Except she was under her blanket and I was above it.
“You could go change if you wanted to,” she offered. “I’ll look for something good to watch.”
She had a point. I dropped a kissed to her temple, grabbed my shoes, and headed for my own room.
Normally I slept in my boxers but knowing I was coming here, I packed actual pajamas. It might have been summer in Warwick but the house somehow stayed cool, maybe central air, maybe magic. Which was how she could be under blanket while still being comfortable. I yanked on a pair of pajama pants and a grey T-shit then headed back.
Miranda was right where I’d left her only now she was focused on the screen. At least until I climbed back in beside her and shoved my legs under her blanket.
“I’m glad you needed to come here,” she said quietly.
“Me too.” I threw my arm around her and pulled her into my side.
“Though don’t think I’ve forgotten that you still haven’t told me why.”
I hadn’t forgotten either and was pretty sure it was coming soon
er rather than later.
We silently watched whatever movie she put on. A romantic comedy that I wasn’t really following as my mind was preoccupied with telling Miranda about her heritage. Something that needed to be done carefully. I didn’t want to scare her but she had to know. I liked her so much that I didn’t want her to kick me out before we found out where this could go. My thoughts also drifted to the council and how they’d feel if she and I were together. But then I kicked those thoughts out of my head because I couldn’t live all parts of my life by their standards. I needed something just for me and right now Miranda was what I wanted.
“You’re not even watching,” she cut into my thoughts.
“You’re right. Sorry about that.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“I don’t think you want to know.”
“Ah. But I do so spill.”
I wet my lips quickly. “I was thinking about that kiss on the dock earlier.” Not a total lie. That memory was dancing around the edges of my brain.
“That it was a mistake?” The doubt in her voice made me want to find the guy who’d wronged her again.
“The opposite. That I want to do it again.”
Miranda’s breath caught and she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Then why don’t you?”
Didn’t need to tell me twice.
I grasped her hips and pulled her over until she straddled me. Her hands settled onto my shoulders as I wrapped one of mine around the back of her neck and pulled her to me.
Finding her lips again felt like finding a familiar comfort even though we weren’t all that familiar with each other yet. But damn my erection was immediate. He didn’t know we weren’t familiar yet. There was no way she wouldn’t feel it.
As a matter of fact, I wanted her too. Wanted her to know she was desirable. Wanted her to know she was wanted… coveted. Not just by me but the coven wanted her too.
Much too quickly, Miranda pulled back, chest rising rapidly. “Woah.”
“Too much?” I asked her. I’d been so lost in her taste, in how she felt, and the thoughts running through my head that I couldn’t remember if I’d handled her too roughly or moved too quickly.
Witch of Warwick (Dark Coven Book 1) Page 6
