My eyes fill with tears, and I look away, shaken. I hadn’t even realized I felt all of this fear inside me until now.
“Maybe you should talk to someone about what has happened to you,” she says, softening for the first time. “Forgive my manners. I never did tell you my name, did I?”
“I didn’t ask.”
Her smile is small. "I'm Raine. I'm the one in charge of scheduling, but Shella is the academy counselor. She holds no judgment and—"
“Does she use telepathy?” I blurt out.
"You're concerned that she'll read your mind despite your defenses. I understand your fear, but you can trust her. If you don't, well, there wouldn't be a reason for you to see her, then, would there?"
“No.”
“I’m not saying you must talk to her, but… I wish you would trust me. I would never allow a student who would abuse the magic taught in any class to take that course. Believe me. The likes of Thistle would never take anything remotely close to Mesmerization, but I do understand your fears and concern. Taking that into account, you can take Telepathy and Oneirokinesis instead. Does that suit you?”
“Yes, thank you, Raine.”
“Six courses instead of five. Are you up for that?”
“Yes!”
As I turn to fly away, I hope I told her the truth.
Chapter 6
My flight out of the office is short-lived as I flew right into someone. As I collect myself, I realize just who I bumped into.
“Damon.”
“I’m not at all surprised that you couldn’t help wanting to touch me as soon as you saw me.”
“Hmm.” I can’t help smiling. “Only I didn’t see you.”
“Then it’s just your body is attracted to mine like a magnet.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s something like that.”
He looks just as hot as ever, his dark eyes locked on me. His hair is a little longer than normal, and he has slight stubble that he normally doesn’t have. His shoulders look broader than I remember, as if he’s put on more muscle over the break. Maybe he did.
I can’t help licking my lips. Just thinking about his muscles has me recalling the dream and running my hand along his bare back…
“Like what you see?” he murmurs.
Laughing, I push his chest. “You wish.”
“Maybe I do wish,” he says as he captures my wrist, keeping my hand trapped against his chest.
Underneath his shirt, he feels as hard and muscular as I thought he would. My breathing hitches, and my head is all foggy. It’s hard to concentrate on breathing right now. As much as I hate to admit it to myself, I’m horny, and right now, I want him.
But if Sage were the one before me, would I feel this way with him too? This fluttering in my stomach, this sweating of my palms, this tightening of my chest?
“How about I get a proper greeting?” he asks.
I tilt my head to the side. “A hello isn’t good enough for you?”
“Did you even say hello to me?” he asks, leaning down and nuzzling his nose against mine.
I’m so flustered that I can’t even recall if I did or not. “Hello, Damon,” I murmur and fly up just enough to press my lips against his cheek.
Only Damon chooses that moment to turn, so our lips meet.
I want to draw back, but I don’t. He releases my wrist and wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer to him, his hands splayed on my back before settling on my waist. I’m freaked out, so I keep my arms tucked in between us, pressing against his chest before relaxing slightly and returning his embrace. My lips might relax too, and his tongue gently enters my mouth.
As the kiss deepens, a falling sensation washes over me, and I just know that if I let myself go, I’ll get lost in him. The thought of that, of falling into Damon, of getting lost in him, terrifies me, and I draw back, breaking off the kiss.
I’m not sure how he’ll react, but all he does is chuckle.
“Did I startle you, Warrior Babe?” he teases.
“No.”
“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he says hoarsely.
I force myself to meet his gaze. “What makes you think I’m afraid of you?”
“Isn’t just about everyone? I’m not even a full-blooded demon, but they treat me as if I’m not exactly one of you all.”
“How can you say that when all of the girls flock to you?” I protest.
“They love the lure of a bad boy.”
“Well, you are one,” I point out.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
I furrow my brow. “Damon, you had me jump out of a plane with my wings tied up. I almost died.”
“I would’ve saved you, but you saved yourself. Warrior Babe.” He grins recklessly, his lips curling all lopsided and crooked. It suits him.
“It was reckless and dangerous and totally bad boy.”
“If you want a bad boy, I can be a bad boy. I can take you into my arms and kiss you until you beg me to stop… or beg me for more.”
“I don’t want you to be this or that. I just want you to be you.”
“And that, Warrior Babe, is why you’re the fairy I want. Not your sister who acts like I’m some kind of demon just because I might have a connection to her own dark past. Not the girls who just want to be with me because they want a notch in their lipstick case. I want the fairy who sees me for who I am and doesn’t want anything more from me than myself. You don’t want to change me. You don’t see me as needing to be saved. You just want me for who I am.”
I don’t know what I want, who I want, but I can’t deny his charge. He’s right. I don’t want him to change at all.
“I…” I can’t think of any words to say, so I just stare at him as if I’m
