Page 26 of Hand-Fasting and Other Hazards
Except it was. To him, at least.
Gingerly, he slid into his side of the bed, reaching over to turn off the lamp on the nightstand. The room plunged into darkness, save for the faint glow of moonlight seeping around the edges of the curtains. The silence was comfortable for all of two seconds, before a low thump and the jingle of Jade’s collar filled the room.
“Oh no,” he muttered, knowing what was coming.
Jade landed squarely between them, her weight sinking into the mattress like she owned the place.
“Is this normal?” Nia asked, her voice amused.
“Yes,” he said flatly. “She thinks this is her bed.”
Jade twisted around in an exaggerated show of getting comfortable before settling in, her head resting on Lochlan’s leg.
Nia laughed. “I guess I am the one taking her spot, then. Will you share?”
Jade let out a huff.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’”
Lochlan leaned back against the pillow as a small smile crept across his lips. The weight of Jade, the sound of Nia’s quiet laugh—it all felt surreal, too close to something he hadn’t let himself admit he wanted. For a long while, the room was quiet, save for the faint rustle of blankets and Jade’s soft, even breaths.
“Goodnight, Nia,” he said softly.
“Nigh’, ‘ochlan,” she mumbled through a yawn, already half asleep. Within moments, her breaths evened out and the quiet rhythm of sleep filled the room.
Lochlan stared at the ceiling, his thoughts drifting and refusing to settle. He replayed the quiet moments of the evening—the sound of Nia’s laughter, the way her sadness lingered in her expression—as Jade snuggled between them. It was strange, sharing his bed, his space, his life.
Ever since opening the front door for Nia, Lochlan had felt like he was balancing on the edge of something he couldn’t quite name, but that he knew would either fall apart, or change everything. For now, he stayed on that edge, waiting for sleep to claim him, Nia’s presence filling a space he hadn’t realized was so empty before.
CHAPTER 10
Nia
“YES, THAT LOVE SPELL WAS A MISTAKE. NO, YOU CAN’T UNDO IT.” —THE WEEKLY HEX
Nia woke to Jade’s gentle snore and the dog’s solid form pressed firmly against her back. On her other side, the warm weight of a body rose and fell beneath her cheek, comforting in a way that sent a sleepy hum through her.
The scent of cedar, something clean, and something undeniably Lochlan filled her lungs. She sighed, melting further into the warmth, the faint brush of his skin and the light dusting of hair beneath her fingertips grounding her in half-conscious contentment. It was instinctual, the way her body gravitated toward his. She let herself drift there for a fleeting moment—until reality crashed over her like a bucket of cold water.
She opened her eyes and froze.
The slight movement made Lochlan shift, his arm tightening where it rested across her ribs, muscles flexing in a way that sent a pulse of awareness through her. She held her breath, panic warring with the pull of drowsy comfort.
Lochlan’s breathing evened out again.
Carefully, slowly, she began to untangle herself from his embrace.
There should be medals for this kind of acrobatics, she thought, her heart pounding as she slipped from the bed without disturbing him—or Jade, who gave her a single, judgmental glance before tucking her head back down.
Nia closed the bathroom door behind her and leaned against it, ignoring the pang of guilt gnawing at her chest. Cuddling could not—would not—be allowed. Not with Lochlan. Not with anyone.
She glared at her reflection and muttered, “You liked that way too much.”
Lochlan was sweet. He was kind. He was handsome in a rugged, unassuming way that made her stomach twist inconveniently. But none of that mattered. What mattered was how dangerous it felt to like him, to want to reach for him, even in sleep.
She splashed water on her face and let the cold shock her back to clarity.
She’d taken a vow years ago at eighteen, with her mother’s journal clutched in shaking hands—a promise carved deep inside herself. She would never give away her freedom. Never let anyone dictate her life the way her father had done with her mother.
