Page 115 of Lured By Shadows

Even when the isolation started weighing on her, she'd never admit it.

Maybe a little attention wouldn’t hurt her.

Especially with Mr. Scarbrough talking about easing up on her hours, giving her room to breathe and maybe dip a toe back into dating if she wanted to, without it feeling like the end of the world.

Culver’s hand naturally reached out, and my first instinct was to grab it. My cheeks heated as my brain finally caught up and registered that I was standing there holding Culver Scarbrough’s hand right in front of my ma, wondering what the hell she’d make of it… if she’d jump straight to thinking we were some kind of item now.

I wished.

Crap, there I went again, hoping for something that probably wasn’t meant for me, picturing Culver sticking around when deep down I knew he’d probably bolt the second he got the full experience with me.

But then he looked down at me with that soft expression mixed with his smirking grin, and I got lost in my own head again, letting myself imagine maybe it could be different.

Just maybe…

That thought tangled up the moment my ma giggled again.

“Well, you two go enjoy yourselves today. It’s supposed to be nice weather.”

Ugh, she was already cataloging things and jumping to conclusions she shouldn’t, assumptions I had no business entertaining myself.

And with that thought, I felt Culver squeeze my hand, dragging me back into the moment like tiny sparks racing beneath my skin every time our fingers touched. It made me wonder what it’d feel like when he finally pushed inside me, whether that same current would still buzz between us and light up every nerve in my body.

God, I was still horny.

The ache from last night hadn’t faded at all after getting myself off thinking about him.

As he eased me into the passenger seat, my mind drifted back to the balcony railing that still didn’t make sense. I knew damn well what I’d seen out there: broken and jagged, like something had snapped it by force.

So how the hell did it look untouched now?

My eyes fluttered toward Culver. “What did you do last night?”

“After dropping you off?” he questioned with that heavenly tone of his.

“Duh,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest and snuggling deeper into the sweater layered over my dress, both pieces from Golden Valor.

“More importantly,” his eyes swept briefly toward me, “what is it that you did? That kiss you bestowed was delicious, but I wonder if you slept much after it. Perhaps you thought of me all night long?”

My eyes widened, heat flooding all the way down to my collarbone because he’d seen straight through the act without even trying.

“Ha, you think that a little kiss on the cheek would mean anything to me?” I rolled my eyes, trying to ward off the embarrassment. “It was nothing.”

“Oh, is that so?” He was driving now, heading to wherever he had planned for us, which I realized too late I hadn’t even asked about. One more thing about him that pulled me under without a fight. At least he’d buckled up this time, a small win that sent a flutter through my chest.

“If that is the case, it would be easy to do it once more.” He smirked that annoyingly gorgeous smirk of his, his sunken eyes lighting with mischief.

I scoffed, straightening my back in defiance. “We don’t always get what we want, Culv. Your fantasies aren’t my problem to solve.”

“If you cannot do it, just say that.” He hummed, feigning innocence, and my mouth dropped open at him.

He was acting like a damn child, and why was it that I wanted to give in and kiss him?

With a swift click of my seatbelt, I swept across into his space. My nails clawed into the middle console while my other hand tilted his face toward me. My breath fanned across his cheek before I closed the distance and kissed it. He was cool to the touch as usual, but the contact had my heart racing in my chest like it was trying to break free.

My hand cupped his cheek as my lips grazed down to his chin, my teeth dragging lightly against it before I kissed him once more. I could hardly pay attention to his reactions, let alone mine. Everything just felt so right in the moment.

“See,” I whispered into his ear as I leaned closer, “I can do it, perverted wolf.”