Page 37 of With This Witch
“Well, it seems as though you are ready to fall asleep,” he says, getting a sleepy “hmm” back in response. “While I have enjoyed every minute of tonight with you, I don’t want you to feel pressured to share a bed with me.”
Petra takes long enough to respond that he is sure she has fallen asleep. He closed his eyes while he waited and absolutely did not start to doze off.
“I enjoyed tonight as well. I don’t want you to think otherwise,” she replies, picking at the fluff on her shirt.
“I wouldn’t dare,” he says, winking at her even though she can’t see it.
“But I think I will sleep in my room,” she says hesitantly, as though trying not to disappoint him.
They will need to talk about what tonight meant for them. If it meant anything at all. He sees her nervous picking and fidgeting, and it lets him know she’s not near ready for that, but the time will come. Kissing the top of her head, he reassures her, saying, “That’s okay. I didn’t expect any of this”—motioning around them with his free hand—“to happen tonight. I only want you to be comfortable.”
“Thanks,” she says, pushing herself off him. He instantly misses her warmth and weight on him. How long will it be before he can feel it again? He can only hope it’s not long, as he isn’t sure how to survive without her in his arms now that he has had her.
“Truly, Lachlan, thank you. For everything.”
“Anytime.”
She walks away from him, moving down the hall toward the guest room, and he feels his heart leave with her.
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
Petra
Entering her room, Petra leans back, resting her head against the closed door, sighing, both thankful for how well things between her and Lachlan have been going and scared of how good everything felt with him tonight. Howrighteverything felt.
This wasn’t meant to be a serious arrangement. It’s a fake marriage, and only until she gets her Premier Witch title. But tonight… no, tonight definitely did not feel fake. It felt more real than any other relationship she had ever been in, including the two-year relationship with Liam. Liam was good at the start, and even though she thought he was the love of her life at twenty-two, he made sure to let her know she would never be good enough for him before he left her. Their sex was decent, but the heat and passion were nowhere near as hot as it was with Lachlan. Which, of course, means she needs to shut it down and keep to the friend zone so neither one of them gets hurt.
She pushes herself away from the door before she does something stupid like going back out there to find him. Pulling back the covers, she crawls in, sinking into the soft, pillowy mattress and pulls the light gray fluffy duvet back over her.
Holy goddess, this is the most comfortable bed ever.
She lays on her back and raises her arm above her head, tucking it under the pillow. A pleasant, satiated feeling starts to overcome her, but thoughts of Lachlan keep running through her mind. How his rough hands roved over her skin, his mouth on her nipple, the feel of his kisses on her lips and body, the feel of his perfectly thick dick in her mouth. This leads to imagining what it would feel like in other, more sensitive places. Magic tingles under her skin, flowing toward her core as it responds to her lurid thoughts, setting her back on edge.
While she may be lying on a cloud, she tosses and turns for what feels like hours, unable to find sleep. Giving up, she pulls herself out of bed again, deciding that maybe a glass of water will help settle her mind and nerves. Opening her door, she finds Lachlan standing there, fist raised, about to knock.
She jolts in surprise as they both begin to laugh. “Hi.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I was coming to check and see if you were alright before I headed to bed,” he says, raising an arm and leaning against the doorframe.
“What time is it anyway?”
“One thirty.”
“Wow. Why are you up so late?”
“Bar life. I’m used to being late, so it’s just a habit now.”
“Ah,” she says. “Well, I’m just going to get some water. Unless you’d like to join?”
“Oh. Yeah. Sorry,” he responds, moving out of her way so she can pass. “And water sounds… nice.”
She giggles softly to herself as she walks down the hall. He’s so confident and commanding as a demon leader, yet he fumbles his words here. It’s endearing. They’ve been friends for years, and yet she’s never really seen this side of him. It’s nice to see beyond that tough demon persona that he usually employs.
She gets them both a glass from the cupboard and goes to the water dispenser in the fridge to fill them up. Handing him his drink, she takes a sip from hers, catching his eyes flick away from her quickly.
Working with young children means she is often up early, and while they have lived together for a couple of weeks now, she’s usually fast asleep at this hour and when he would normally be coming home from the Acorn.
“So what do you typically get up to when you are up this late but aren’t working?” she asks, filling the silence as he leans down, resting his forearms on the counter.
