Page 76 of Cursed Touch
She visibly startled and peered over her shoulder. “You scared me!”
He sat up and moved closer, giving her a kiss on the shoulder. “Sorry. Did you do all this?” he asked, waving a hand before them.
She graced him with a beaming smile. “Mhmm… Mom taught me nymphs are linked with the earth. It’s getting easier each time I call forth different plants or water. Water is the easiest for us, and Mom said it was because we were naiads, like Mia assumed.”
He grinned at her excitement. “How do you feel? It’s not too taxing, is it?”
She shook her head. “Yesterday was rough, but now? This is invigorating! I feel both powerful and in awe over what I can do. It’s the craziest thing.”
“Yesterday?” he asked, searching for his clock.
“Oh, sorry!” Vanessa waved her hand, and the vines over his nightstand moved like a curtain.
Five in the morning.
Carter stood from the bed. “How long have you been up, sweetheart?”
Vanessa’s gaze moved down his naked body. “Not sure. I think an hour or two. I woke up feeling really energized.”
Carter padded to the bathroom and relieved himself before leaning against the doorframe. “So, tonight is our family dinner…”
Her eyes moved down to his semi-erect dick. “You have no shame,” she muttered before attempting to complete his sentence. “But?”
He shrugged. “Maybe I’m hoping the more you see it, the more you’ll take advantage of me.”
“But what?” she asked, ignoring him.
“But, some of the others think if you’re ready for it, you should show your force to Olsabir tonight,” he said, not really on board with the suggestion but ready to move on with their lives. “I mean, we would all go, but it’s up to you if you want to try today. If not, I’ll ask Joel to join you again at the shop until you’re ready.”
Vanessa’s mouth opened and closed a few times. “I, um… Well, my mom said she’d stand at my side when the time came. She suggested a few simple things to do to put the status of me being a human to rest.”
Carter knelt next to her. “The most important question is, do you feel ready? You’ve only tapped into your magic less than twenty-four hours ago.”
“What do you think?” she whispered.
He shook his head. “What I think doesn’t really matter. My instinct is to whisk you away and protect you under spells so no one will come after you again. Whether you decide today is the day or a month from now is, we’ll stand at your side. Oh, and before I forget, you need to close the shop on the twenty-second.”
Her brows pinched. “What’s on the twenty-second?”
“You’ll be my plus one to Serena and Ethan’s wedding.”
Her lips parted in surprise. “Seriously? How did I not know this? That’s intwoweeks! What the hell am I going to get them?”
Carter chuckled. “I’ve been meaning to mention it, and well, other things have come up.” He looked around his room and grinned. “You could always provide the flowers,” he said with a wink.
She shook her head. “I’m sure that’s covered by now.” Vanessa dropped her head in her hands and sighed. “What the hell should I do?”
“A gift certificate to—”
“No.” Vanessa chuckled and met his eyes. “Not about the wedding gift, about me and the stupid demon who has it out for me.”
“What does your gut tell you?”
Vanessa looked around the room and waved a hand around. “Thiswas rather easy. My body is vibrating with all this added energy, and it’s begging me to connect. I don’t even remember what I felt like before I tapped into this. Going up against a demon, something I didn’t even believe existed until a few months ago? I-I don’t know!”
Carter finished pulling on some shorts and sat next to her, then pulled her onto his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and they held each other for a moment, giving and receiving comfort. He breathed her in and noticed her scent had changed some. It was more earthy and flowery but not from a bottle.
When he pulled back, their gazes met. “It’s okay not to know. No one is forcing you to do this today. Why don’t I make us some breakfast and we can relax, remember what it was like before you learned all of this?”
