Page 33 of A Cursed Noel
Why is she lookingat me that way?
“I can see yourprowess with the ladies is on point as always,” she mutters.
“Celia, bereasonable,” I tell her.
“Don’t tell me tobe reasonable. There’s something evil in my house, eating away atmy soul, and my family’s, for months. I’m going with you, whetheryou like it or not. And don’t youevercall me fragileagain.”
She jabs me in thechest with her finger for emphasis. The last creature who did that tome, I broke his finger off and made him eat it. With Celia, I justfind myself smiling. She’s seriously cute, even when she appearsready to punch my skull in.
I give her a quickkiss. “You’re staying here,” I order. “When I finish off thecreature, I’ll come for you and—”
It’s then thedelicate little darlin flips over the cinderblocks, lands in aforward roll and stalks toward the house all in one fluid move.
I tackle her and rollher away from the steps. Using my weight, I straddle her and pin herhands over her head. “I told you to stay put.”
She blinks back at me,her tone matter-of-fact. “Get off me before I kill you.”
Her attitude shouldn’tturn me on, especially at a time like this. But it’s like my wolfwent from hating females and straight into heat the moment we sawCelia.
“No,” I reply. “Idon’t think I will.”
“Aric, good looks andcharm won’t help you now,” she says.
I smirk. “You thinkI’m good looking and charming? Tell me more.”
“Get off me or facethe full wrath of my inner beast.”
Her voice cuts off aswarmth fills my face. It’s not anything she says, it’s just her.Her long wavy hair I want to drag my fingers through, her flawlessolive skin I can’t wait to taste, and those large green eyes thatwill always see the real me.
And that mouth? I’llonly stop kissing it to kiss other parts.
“I don’t want tofight with you,” I manage. Nope. Fighting is not what I have inmind right now.
I don’t need a mirrorto realize how my gaze heats. We don’t know what’s waiting for usinside. But me on top of Celia like this stands everything atattention.Everything. I can’t control myself around her.And I’ll be damned if I want to.
Celia swallows hard,the heat from her blush pelting her body and tightening the tips ofher breasts. “I don’t want to fight either,” she manages. “Iwant to…”
She doesn’t finish soI do it for her. “Yeah. Me, too.”
Another wave of heatrolls over her body, spurring a growl foreign to anything thatresembles rage. “When this is over, let’s pick up from here, andsee where it takes us.”
At her nod, I bend tokiss her.
My lips never make itto hers.
A powerful entityemerges from the shadows
And it attacks with thevengeance of a thousand fires.
Chapter Ten
“Get the hell offmy sister!”
I don’t get to seewho the husky voice belongs to. Everything happens too fast.
The entire yardelectrifies, standing my hair on its end. This is volatile magic, rawand unrepenting. My only thought is to haul Celia to safety, butthere’s no time. There’s only pain and destruction.
Jolts of power strikedown my nerve pathways and detonate at my core. I’m thrown acrossthe property and slam-dunked into an old wood pile.