Page 40 of Oohs, Ahhhs, and Orbs

I leaned over so I could watch as Logan turned the blade over, examining the handle closely. “It’s funny. I could have sworn when she bought it a couple of months ago that those stones were rubies.” I shrugged. “I guess they are actually garnets with how dark red they are.”

I glanced at the time on the register and was surprised to see that it was already past six o’clock. I hadn’t seen Shayla all day and wondered if the hotty professor was keeping her busy. I decided I was done cleaning for the moment and would finish tomorrow, so I started placing the athames back into their shelf. Logan handed me the one he’d been studying, and I smiled at him gratefully.

“Want to head upstairs and grab some leftover pasta from the fridge?” I asked as I wiped my hands off on the towel.

“You had me athead upstairs,” he grinned, making me flush at the suggestiveness. “I already locked the front door,” he said as he walked around the counter. When he got to me, he bent down, and I lifted my chin, expecting another kiss. Instead, I found myself being hauled over his shoulder. As I squealed out a shocked laugh from the sudden move, he smacked my ass then rubbed the sting away.

He took the stairs two at a time. I noticed he was careful not to jostle my ribs with his shoulder and warmed at thethoughtfulness. “The door is closed?” he asked. When he opened it, an angry Mortimer yowled and ran through the open doorway as if his tail were on fire.

I sighed. “I had to lock him up again. When I brought out the athames, he started acting crazy and wouldn’t stop clawing at the counter.” For the hundredth time, I wished I knew what his problem was.

Logan stopped and slid me off his shoulder, and I found myself sitting on the island that separated the kitchen from the small living room. I spread my legs wider in an invitation that he immediately took advantage of. He cupped my cheeks with gentle hands, then breathed against my lips.

“You have no idea how much I missed you today. After spending all weekend together, I crave just being near you.” He brushed his lips over mine. “I don’t ever want to leave your side. I am already so addicted to your touch,” he ran his nose down my neck and over my collarbone. “Your scent.” He licked a path down until his mouth was hovering over the swell of my breast and gently bit me there. “Your taste.” He licked the sting away, and by the time he was tugging my shirt to the side and pulling the cup to my bra down to expose my aching nipple, I was panting as my belly clenched in anticipation.

“Please, Logan. I need you,” I whispered huskily.

“You have me, sweet little witch. Always.”

Chapter

Twenty-One

LOGAN

Ismiled as I watched Bridgette at her workstation in the back of her shop.

She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Beyond her outward beauty, though, was an inner light that showed so brightly that I was in awe every time I looked at her. I still felt as if I didn’t deserve her.

My gaze traveled down her body, taking in the woman who regularly stole my breath with her innate sexuality. I didn’t think she knew how sexy and alluring she was.

I watched as her long red hair caressed her shoulders, making my fingertips twitch, wanting to be there, trailing over her soft skin just so I could see the goosebumps dot her skin. I loved it when her breath caught whenever I touched her, tasted her, and breathed her in.

I thought I was in love once. Finding this incredible woman who had been designed especially for me by Fate taught me, though, that I hadn’t known the meaning of the word.

In such a short time, my heart had fallen, landing directly at her adorable little feet. Words were inadequate to describe thedepth of the feelings I had for her. The only reason I hadn’t said those three little words yet was because I was hesitant to frighten her.

I knew Bridgette was still struggling with our mating. She’d had terrible examples of men before I came along. The way she’d followed me to see where I had gone the day I went to visit Samantha made my heart ache. Not because she didn’t trust me. I knew I had fucked up that situation. I should have been more open with her. No, I was sad because it meant that she was still struggling with accepting me. When she’d asked if I still loved my ex, it was all I could do not to drop to my knees and beg her to see what was in my heart.

My little witch glanced over her shoulder at me again from where I was watching at the stairs. I tipped back my bottle of beer, set the empty bottle on the step beside me, and stood up, unable to resist the temptation of her seductive little smile.

“Oh no, Detective. No more distractions!” she laughed as she saw my intentions clearly on my face. I ignored her protests and stalked toward her, determined to steal another kiss. I watched as she spun around to face me, her palms up as if to ward me off. “The last time you interrupted, it took an hour, and I had to start over again from scratch,” she pouted.

“Only a kiss,” I lied, having no intention of stopping until I’d wrung at least one orgasm from her sexy little body.

“Liar,” she replied, her voice husky and her pupils dilating as she followed my every movement.

Her body jerked when I was only a few steps away. When her eyes widened in alarm, I froze in my tracks. “Bridgette?” Her arms jerked up, held straight out from her sides. “What the fuck is happening?” I demanded as I watched terror sweep over her face, turning her soft green eyes dark.

“Logan?” she choked out. As my name left her lips, bright red dots appeared on her cream-colored blouse, the color seepinginto the fabric and spreading quickly. In my confusion, it took me several heartbeats to figure out what I was seeing. Horror consumed me as dark blood began to seep from an invisible wound on her chest.

“Fuck,” I choked out and darted forward, needing to stop what was happening but not knowing how. “Bridgette!” I bellowed in rage as I tried to get to her, but it felt as if I were walking through wet cement. No matter how much effort I put into reaching her, I was barely making progress. My mate and the love of my life was bleeding out only a few steps from me. I felt hopeless and enraged and more terrified than I had ever felt in my entire life. “Bridgette!”

As I struggled to get closer, to stop the invisible monster from taking her away from me, I watched, helpless, as the light that always shone so brightly began to dim in her eyes.

“Logan,” she mouthed, the words inaudible over the pounding of my heart. “Don’t let me go,” she pleaded.

“Bridgette!” I bellowed again. “Don’t you fucking leave me! Don’t you fucking dare!”

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