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“I’m sorry. I…wanted tea and got myself turned around.” I look back at the door and rub my arms. “I know this will sound crazy, but something terrible happened down here.”

I’m careful with my words. He’s not ready to know who I am, and I certainly don’t want him to look at me with pity.

My eyes travel up and down his body, taking in every inch like he’s a cold drink on a hot summer day. Alden is shirtless, and his black sweatpants hang low on his hips.

He doesn’t say anything, just holds out his hand. For the first time in years, I bite back real tears. Not the ones I use for show, but the ones that sting, make my chest hurt, and my body tremble. Alden has no idea what his gesture means to me, but I reach out and slip my hand into his just as I did twelve years ago.

He’s so warm, and as he slowly draws me in, his body heat seeps through my thin shirt. I struggle to take a deep breath when his eyes lock on mine.

With a quick turn, he pushes me up against the wall and traps my hands over my head. My chest heaves with every breath when he leans in close and brushes my jaw with his lips.

“You shouldn’t wander the halls all alone in the dark,” Alden whispers, and the hair on the back of my neck stands. “And never come down to this end of the hall again.”

I swallow the lump in my throat and nod.

“Because something bad happened,” I say, like it’s fact and not a question.

“Yes,” he confirms, and then nips at my neck before inhaling deeply.

My poor knees shake, trying to keep me upright.

“Tell me, Emily…why do you affect me like this? What are you doing to me?”

I don’t answer. His lips hover so close that I can almost taste them.

“Are you a witch?”

I lift a single eyebrow.

“A siren?”

The corner of my lip twitches.

“Maybe an angel.”

“I’m definitely no angel.”

I’ve longed to be a witch and cast a love spell on him. Maybe my wish has come true, and I’m just now wielding what the fates have given me.

He nips at my bottom lip, and his eyes darken with lust as he teases me with the tip of his tongue.

“I want to ravage your mouth, and then your body,” Alden growls. “But if I kiss you…I don’t think I’ll be able to stop.”

Forming coherent thoughts has become more difficult, and I’m second-guessing every move. Hold him closer, push him away, play innocent, fuck his brains out—every idea jumbles together like a bad game of Scrabble.

This is what I want. I’m out here for this very reason. But the range of emotions I feel is affecting my restraint. I don’t want him to stop. I’m going to fall over the cliff and plan be damned.

But then Alden pushes back and releases my arms. I shiver at the sudden loss of his body heat and stumble away from the wall.

“I’m sorry. I know you’re not comfortable with me being Rob’s brother, and his funeral is tomorrow. I don’t want you to regret staying the night. Come on, I’ll show you to the kitchen. I was getting myself some chamomile tea when I heard someone lurking in the hallway,” he says.

That’s a lie. The kitchen is too far away, and the house is too well soundproofed for him to have heard me, but I don’t call him out.

Alden stuffs his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants, drawing my eyes down. He is noticeably hard, but he acts like he is not affected at all.

My brain is fried, my heart is still going wild, and I can’t stop staring. I’m caught between jumping on him and going for tea.

He takes another step, then turns away before glancing over his shoulder.