Page 18 of Don't Bait Me (Nora Jacobs 3)

“Still. If you need more time, we can work up to it.”

He sighs. “You’re going back to work tonight, Nora. This will help keep you safe. I need to try.”

I give in with a nod. I know how hard it is to face your fears, but I also know it’s important to try. I can’t belittle Oliver’s efforts. Neither, it seems, will Rook or Wulf. They’re both frozen, watching with bated breath to see if he’ll really do it.

Oliver steps forward so that he’s toe-to-toe with me. I take his trembling hands in mine. His thoughts are a frantic sort of mantra as he works up the courage to do what needs to be done.You’re not going to hurt her.You’ve done a ton of glamours before. She’ll be safer. You can do this. Nora needs you.

Smiling softly, I place his hands on my cheeks and hold them there. Most of Oliver’s tension melts away. His eyes fall shut again, and he leans forward until our foreheads are touching. “You’ve got this, Ollie,” I whisper. “I trust you completely.”

He takes a deep breath, holds it for a couple of seconds, and then lets it out slowly. His voice barely makes any sound when he speaks. “Okay,” he whispers. “Here I go.”

He doesn’t open his eyes or break the physical contact between us, but his brow furrows in concentration. The tingling of magic starts at the top of my head and spreads out over my body like a warm blanket. It’s heavier somehow than the glamour Terrance put on me. Instinctively, I know it’s stronger. So much stronger.

Oliver starts to tremble again, and his breathing quickens. His thoughts become a bit jumbled. He’s starting to panic, so I say, “I’m fine. You’re doing great.”

My voice calms him, and he finishes placing the glamour on me. I know when he’s done, and I know he succeeded in making it strong. I can feel it.

“Nicely done, kid,” Wulf says. “You’ve dampened her power a ton. The allure isn’t nearly as strong, and I can’t tell she’s a siren anymore.”

Oliver ignores Wulf’s commentary. I’m not even sure he heard him. He’s still holding my face, leaning his forehead to mine, panting, while the adrenaline leaves his system.

“You did it, Ollie,” I say. There’s a smile in my voice.

His eyes crack open, and he lifts his head from mine, but he doesn’t release his grip on my face. His gaze drops to my lips, and he swallows. “I need to kiss you.”

My heart skips a beat. “Okay.”

He tilts my face up, and his mouth falls on mine. This kiss is ten times more passionate than our first kiss had been. That had been a hesitant getting-to-know-you kiss. This is a physical and emotional release. He buries his fingers deep in my hair and probes my lips with his tongue, seeking entrance to my mouth. When I open up for him, he doesn’t hesitate to take the kiss deep.

My entire body lights on fire. I match his passion and slide my arms around his neck, pressing my body flush against his. One of his hands falls down my back and pulls me harder against him. We’re lost in each other. Lost in the moment. It’s heaven.

And then it’s shattered by the sound of a low growl.

Oliver and I rip apart, chests heaving, as we both try to recover from that kiss. I completely forgot that we have an audience and that one of the men watching us is a territorial werewolf I agreed to go out with. From the blush on Oliver’s cheeks, I’d say he forgot about that, too. “I’m sorry,” Oliver mumbles. “I got carried away.”

I grin at him. “I’m not sorry. You did it! You used your magic.”

Oliver matches my smile, and I wrap him in a tight hug.

“Nora,” Wulf warns. He’s gripping Rook’s shoulders. Rook doesn’t appear to be straining against his hold, but he does look like he’s on the verge of losing control. His wolf has taken over, and he looks like he wants to tear into Oliver.

I let go of my best friend immediately and return to Rook’s side. He quickly snatches me up and pulls me into his lap, cradling me against his chest. I allow it. I know his wolf needs this. I just don’t know what I’m going to do about this problem. He can’t always act like he owns me. Rook gets that. His wolf, not so much. “Hey buddy,” I say, meeting the glowing eyes of my wolf. “I’m here, okay? I haven’t forgotten about you.”

“He had his hands all over you,” Rook growls.

Willing myself not to blush, I meet his gaze with a steady one. “Yes, he did.”

“He kissed you.”

“Yes, he did. And I allowed him to.”

Rook’s jaw clenches, and he growls again. I hold his stare, daring him to argue with me about this. After a long minute, he voices another complaint. “He put magic on you.”

I smirk. “That was kind of the point. I need it to keep me safe.”

He frowns and inhales deeply. “He changed your scent.”

“I think that was also the point. Do I smell human again?”

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