Page 12 of Paper and Passion
“I know.” My tentacles lift, and I flatten ahand over them. “Balancing things will just take some getting used to.”
“There’s nothing to balance. No accounts to keep. Just an equal give and take, the same as we have now.” She wraps her tentacles around mine, twinning us together. Her smirk is all heat and mischief. “If you want, I’ll let you finger me in the car on the way back to the hotel.”
“Yes, please.” Seas, I love having my fingers inside her.
“I love you.” She kisses me. Once. Twice. “You love me.” Another quick kiss. “And we’re gonna love the hell out of her.”
“If she’ll let us.” Maybe that’s what really worries me. That she might not want this once she knows exactly what we’re asking of her. She seemed to like my dirty talk about knocking her up, but that doesn’t mean she’ll be into the reality.
“Don’t worry, baby.” Alex kisses my nose. “Just find those invitations.”
“Already did.” I wave a hand at a box on the bottom shelf.
“I knew I loved you.” She grins and pats my chest. “Now, let’s get these to our girl.”
Chapter 8
Tillie
By the time I flip the closed sign, the store is swept clean, the storage room is organized, and Adrian and Alex are still here. They’ve both been unnervingly helpful.
“So, can we take you to dinner, pretty girl?” Alex asks, wrapping her arms around me.
“There’s something we’d like to discuss,” Adrian adds.
There’s a note of unease to his tone that sets me on edge. My mind runs through a thousand horrible scenarios that make little sense. I already know they’re not human. So what could make him sound so nervous? Is he gonna tell me they need me for some ritualsacrifice? That’s a thing with some creatures, right?
Before I can answer, Sheet-y is moving again. Fuck me. What the hell’s wrong with this place today? It’s been moving more in general since my grandma’s death, but today has been especially bad.
I nearly lose my balance again, but Alex presses me into the window to hold me in place with her body. The store lifts a few feet, and I watch as it strolls down the street. A few people look up at us, but most continue about their business. This is Ghostlight Falls, after all.
A basket of pens slides off the counter, sending them rolling everywhere. Great, I just cleaned those up. The shelf of greeting cards by the door hits the ground just next to us with acrash. Adrian throws himself over Alex and me, shielding us even though the shelf already fell and nothing else is nearby. It’s incredibly sweet.
When Sheet-y stops, the waterfall the town is named for makes a picture-perfect view from the window, but the shop is a mess. I’ll need to spend most of the night cleaning up.
“Well, thanks for the dinner invite, but it looks like I’ll need to stay a bit longer.” I rest my forehead against the cool glass.
Alex and Adrian don’t move back. Her weight presses into me, and his hands wrap around my middle, spanning my belly in a way that’s oddly comforting.
“Will the store move again during the night?” Alex asks.
“With my luck? Yeah.”
“Then come to dinner with us.” Adrian presses more firmly on my stomach, pulling me back into Alex. “You need to eat something. And what good will cleaning the store do if it’ll just be a mess again by morning?”
“Is that the logic you use with making your bed or doing dishes?” I ask, turning my head to see him. His face is so close, we’re breathing the same air.
Alex chuckles. “No. He’s a total neat freak.”
“I could use one of those in my life.” There’s no humor in my laugh because of how true it is. The little house my grandma left me is as much of a disaster as this shop, my purse, and my love life.
“We’ve got you, sweetheart.” Adrian brushes his nose against mine. “But right now, you need to eat. And we need to talk before this goes any further.”
“Well, that’s not ominous at all.”
He steps back, releasing both Alex and me,but she doesn’t move as quickly. She kisses my neck, soft and sweet. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing you don’t already want.”
While I’m still wondering how she knows what I want, she steps away, grabs my hand, and pulls me toward the front door.
