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“Head thing?”

“The sleep magic.”

My brows rose.

“Oh.” He glanced at me and then back at her. “Why do you want that?”

Her stomach let out another disgruntled gurgle. “That. There’s no way I can sleep like this.” She turned her back to me as Zeke came over and crouched next to her.

“Ready?” He placed his hand on her forehead, and she nodded.

She trusted us to look out for her while under the effects of a magic-induced sleep. It wasn’t like we would let anything get to her. If we needed to run, we’d wake her first. Zeke could pull her out of it as quickly as he had put her into it.

“Sweet dreams, Rae,” Zeke whispered.

As soon as Zeke put Raelynn to sleep, I insisted he rest while I took the first watch. He’d been going too hard, and I needed time to come up with a better plan to escape this cursed place before the magic attacked his mind too.

We couldn’t leave Raelynn alone out here to fend for herself.

Even though I wanted to come up with a plan, the smell of apple crisp and roses, plus the ache in my pants, made it impossible. She was dreaming of something—or someone—that made her feel good, and I wouldn’t wake her to give myself some peace when I knew she was sick.

I’d leave her to her fantasies—they were a lot better than this fucking place.

I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned when her scent grew stronger. “Fate is fucking with me. It has to be.”

I didn’t know how I expected to live with her and not strip my cock raw daily in the shower. At least with Zeke, I didn’t have to contend with his smell haunting me everywhere I went.

Zeke shifted and mumbled something about dessert.

I wondered if he smelled her too, but the thought fled when I noticed her body tense with his movement. She wasn’t asleep anymore. I watched, waiting to see if she would roll over or fall back asleep.

Her fading scent helped my hard-on settle down now that I wasn’t drowning in a rose-filled bakery.

I almost wondered if she’d stopped breathing with how still she remained, but then I realized she was holding her breath. Why? I squinted, waiting. She couldn’t hold her breath forever.

As soon as I heard her deep inhale, the surrounding air exploded with the scent of tart apples.

“Fuck,” I groaned. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

She flinched and peered over her shoulder before rolling over.

“Well?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, her attempt at indifference ruined by how breathless the words sounded.

Did I want to draw attention to her aroused state? Not really. I wasn’t into embarrassing someone for my amusement. I only teased her when I knew she would push back.

“Sure,” I said, crossing my arms, which caught her attention. “Enjoying the view?” While I wouldn’t mention her scent, I would call out her checking me out.

She glanced away. “Nothing to see.”

“Right. Just go back to sleep. I want to go as long as possible without stopping again, and we can’t if you’re sick.”

“I feel fine now.”

“Doesn’t matter. Sleep. Go back to dreaming.”

Her eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “What?”