Page 42 of With This Witch
He blinks in surprise. Of all the things she could have said, he didn’t expect that.
“I’m going to do my best,” he tells her, hoping he exudes more confidence than he currently feels.
“I would expect no less.”
“Night, Daisy. Thanks again,” he replies as a sense of warmth fills him.
“Night, Lach.”
He hangs up, places his phone back on the counter, takes a deep breath and lets it out, releasing the tension and dread that had accumulated within. He picks up his drink and moves into the living room, Morris following him. Knowing he won’t be able to sleep until Petra is home, he turns on the TV, intending to watch something to distract himself while he waits. So he waits, aimlessly scrolling through various streaming services until finally settling on some action movie with superheroes.
A little over an hour later, he hears the door open, and Petra calls out, “Lach! I’m back.”
His heart leaps in his chest. Galloping. Dancing.She’s home, his demon sings.
“I’m in the living room!” he shouts back, trying to sound calm.
She appears in the doorway as if she were a gift from the goddesses. Even in just her sweats, sweater falling off her shoulder, her hair up in a messy bun, she’s perfect. He sees her eyes flare as she finds him, stopping on his exposed chest. He may have forgotten his shirt in the kitchen. Oops.
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
Petra
Goddesses’ gonads!
Petra stops at the entry to the living room, caught by surprise at the sight of Lachlan stretched out on the couch, shirtless and chiseled as if he is a statue gifted by Hecate herself. She is about to say something, but the sight of him causes her brain to short-circuit and instead leaves her mouth hanging open and maybe a bit of drool to escape.
She is silent and staring at him for what begins to feel like an awkward amount of time. Lachlan stretches one arm above his head before bending and tucking it behind the pillow underneath. A knowing smirk forms on his lips as he waits for her to regain functionality.
Her eyes roam hungrily over the corded and well-defined muscle. She doesn’t count, but she’s confident she sees more abs on him than should be humanly possible—which, given he’s a demon, may explain some of it. His arms are god-like, and now she understands why it’s felt so much like home when she has been wrapped in them, for they’re nothing if not brick walls.
Finally, she realizes she’s still staring, and as she shakes her head, rattling her sense of speech back into her, she catches the growing bulge in Lachlan’s pants, and a little squeak escapes her lips.
“Welcome home,” Lachlan says, his voice husky and wanting.
Petra clears her throat and stammers, “Huh… hi.” She pulls her eyes away from Lachlan’s sculpted form and focuses on a spot on the couch above his head. Even though she had his dick in her mouth a mere twenty-four hours ago, it is impolite to stare at a friend’s body.
“How was your afternoon with Daisy?”
“It was good. We went out for some cocktails and had an early dinner. It was nice to be able to hang out, as we haven’t had much time to do that lately,” she says, keeping her eyes focused as she navigates to the chair opposite him and sits.
Lachlan laughs. “You can look at me, you know. I swear you, or I, won’t spontaneously combust.”
“I know I can look at you. But I’m not entirely sure it’s safe to do so. Hecate may come down and smite me.”
“Why would she smite you?” He flexes his chest, making his pecs dance.
Rather than answer the question and admit the many dirty thoughts floating around her brain about what she would like to do to Lachlan, Petra refocuses and broaches the conversation they need to have.
“I think, if we want…this”—she points between them—“and our friendship to remain intact, we need to set some boundaries.”
Lachlan sits up, a mix of curiosity and disappointment on his face. “I think we crossed that line last night when I made you come with all your clothes still on.”
“I know, I know. And as much as I enjoyed it, I don’t think that should happen again. It was a… miscalculation of judgment.”
“A miscalculation of judgment? You mean a mistake?”
“I think we both were curious, but I don’t think it should have happened. It was a one-time thing to alleviate the tension between us. We need to establish some boundaries so it doesn’t happen again.”
