Page 16 of Hopeless Magic
My arms fold across my chest. The cuffs along my forearms brush across my skin as I hold myself tightly.
“My aunt is the only family I have.” Again, I hate that I’m telling them this. “I will not just skip past her house without stopping in. You have poor manners for a Prince of Juvar.”
“Former Prince,” he corrects and it almost makes me smile.
His rejection of the title does something weird to me. It makes me entirely too happy. It makes me … like him. I like him for not wanting something most people would beg to have; a title, a feeling of importance, power.
“Would the former Prince of Juvar care to come inside for some breakfast.” My aunt places her hand on the curve of her hip and Daxdyn pushes past Ryder in an instant, their shoulders knocking slightly.
“Of course he would,” Daxdyn says in a smooth voice.
My aunt’s gaze ignites just looking at his beautiful face and I know exactly what she sees.
“You have the face,” her fingertips skim his abdomen, “and body of a high value escort.”
The easy demeanor he holds in his perfect posture fades just slightly as he seems to repeat her words in his head.
“Wh—what?” The ever-constant smile falls right off his face. It’s replaced with a confused look that makes Darrio laugh out loud. His rumbling laughter causes me to smile and I glance at him. Darrio darts his gaze from mine, the happiness tearing from his features.
Daxdyn’s pretty eyes are wide as he stares at my aunt with a new kind of awe in his gaze. Pushing past Ryder, I run to Daxdyn’s rescue. My boots skip up the steps until I’m at his side.
“They’re tired, Lady Ivory. Do not exhaust them further.” Gods above, please do not offer them anything embarrassing. My new friends don’t know this yet, but oral sex is considered a side dish here. They’re in for an awakening if we linger in this house. “I’m going to shower. Please be nice to my friends.”
“I’ll only treat them how I know you should be treating them, Kara.”
I cock an eyebrow at the serene smile resting on her beautiful face. A hint is laced through her careful words.
“Well, I’m an asshole to them. Please follow in my footsteps.” A tight smile forms on my lips.
Her red nails skim up Daxdyn’s bicep and his brows pull together as he looks at her hand there. Something appears to be swirling in his mind, I can tell. He must be real close to an understanding.
“They deserve a bit more than that, don’t you think?” my beautiful aunt pleads.
“No. No, they don’t.” I detach her palm from his arm and his mouth parts as he looks from me to her.
“Not even a teensie,” she parts her index finger and thumb as her lips form a perfect pout, “little bit?”
“Nothing.” My brows arch high as I emphasize that she is not to offer them a single sexual thing. “Do not offer them anything. Please.”
Why is it so hard to just not care? I shouldn’t care. What do I care if one of them or all of them gets the house special?
My jaw clenches just thinking about it.
The men stare at us in confusion, clearly listening to our banter but not understanding any of it.
Her lips thin. Not a line creases her face. Lady Ivory looks more like my sister than my aunt.
“Fine,” she says with a wave of her hand. “I’ll be a terrible host. Is that what you want to hear?”
Slowly, I nod to her.
The tension in my shoulders falls like I just won a strenuous battle instead of a plea for a sexless night. It feels strange trying to protect them. Even if it’s only from my aunt’s deviant behavior. I just want to keep them safe. From her. From sex … with her.
What is wrong with me?
I roll my eyes at myself and begin climbing the glossy wooden stairs. A redhead in a tight corset and even tighter jeans passes me.
They’ll know. The three of them will know what this place is the moment they’re inside. I’ll be enjoying a long, hot shower by then. I refuse to worry about them any longer.
