Page 13 of Witch Unexpected
“Oh, you know just how to give a girl tingles, don’t you?”
“I don’t have time forgirls, Cora. Now,womenare a different matter.”
My mouth went dry at the reminder of who I was dealing with.
“Youarespecial, Cora. It’s a fact.” He sounded almost weary.
“Yeah, and I’d like to stay that way. Special and unfettered, so get your ass into gear and help me fix this.” I bit into my sandwich and suppressed a moan of pleasure as flavor exploded on my tongue. “I’ll owe you a favor.”
“Are you speaking with your mouth full?” he asked.
“Yeah, enjoy it. It’s the only time you’re gonna get to hear that sound.”
“We’ll see.”
Why did I even play this game with him?
My neck heated. I chewed and swallowed quickly. “Just hurry with a loophole.”
“Next week,” he said. “This week is…busy.”
“Oh, you have a hot date?’”
“Several, actually.”
Several? No, I wasn’t even going to ask. “Fine.”
I supposed I could refrain from taking the amulet off deliberately or accidentally for a week.
He hung up without saying goodbye, but there was no offense taken. Elijah was just…Elijah, and despite his connection to the Grimswood Coven, he was one of the few people in the witchy world I fully trusted.
I polished off my sandwich, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and carried the second sandwich I’d made into the living room.
“Here you go, Wren.”
My furry little friend was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.
His stomach had been grumbling when we’d got back, but the soft snores emanating from his tiny body told me what he needed most right now was rest. I set the food on the coffee table, grabbed a throw off the back of the sofa, and gingerly draped it over the tiny creature.
What had Jasper called him?
Mogwai.
I’d need to look that up. Do some research, but not tonight. I glanced up at the gap in the drapes and the gray predawn light beyond. Okay, so it was morning already. A yawn battled with my jaw, and I bit it back. Yeah, yeah, I needed sleep.
I was almost at the door to the hallway when a thought occurred to me. What if Wren woke up and got spooked? I mean, this wasn’t his world. He might get scared.
Fuck it.
I scooped him up, blanket and all, and carried him to bed with me.
For the first time in a long time, I wouldn’t be sleeping alone.
* * *
I was wokenby the shrill ringing of my phone. I was sure I’d put it to vibrate before I’d gone to sleep. I rolled over and made a grab for the bedside table. Something brushed the inside of my arm. Soft, warm, and furry. I froze, a scream trapped in my throat as an image of a humongous spider flittered through my mind, but then my memory returned.
Wren.
