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Never saw that in the book.

“They can see us?” I grabbed onto his sleeve and earned a half grin. “Yeah. I’ll make sure we didn’t change the story when we surface. I usually don’t, but we don’t know what you do.”

And so we went through a few chapters, following the romance, and found ourselves outside the MC’s dormitory building, watching the stars as they got it on somewhere—loudly.

“Ready to head home?” He glanced at me, but I was entranced by the magical new world around me.

“Yeah. I suppose I don’t know you well enough to watch sex with you.” I laughed and earned a half smirk of a glance that made my insides warm.

And maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe the emotions, the book, the romance, any number of things, but when he leaned over, I caught myself heatedly staring at his full lips. He had soft brown skin that complemented the clean-shaven smoothness of his jawline. Like a magnet to steel, I was there, our lips crashing and tongues gliding.

It wasn’t just me. He felt it, too. We hummed and our hands wandered, the world around us stuttering as I fell back, as if crashing down to the ground, grass plush around me. I captured his face in one hand, and my other flew out to my side, gripping onto the soft blades. “Oh, fuck.” My breath shivered, and he groaned.

As if sudden realization hit us both, we pulled apart, and Zeke grabbed my arm and made a book-closing gesture, winking the world around us out of existence as my paperback fell to the floor of my apartment with a thud.

Grass stains on his knees, blades of grass still in my hand and in our hair. I panted as we glanced at one another and then took stock of everything.

“Oh, boy.” His low tones made my stomach clench.

“I’m sorry… I just—” I backed away, and he waved me off.

“Nah. We got caught up in the book. I’m—” He reached for my hand and then up to my head, plucking the blades of grass from them. He stuck one into his mouth and tapped it with his teeth, frowning. “It’s fine. But this is something else.”

He showed me the grass as if it meant something.

“Not all of us can bring things back.” He twisted a blade and reached down to take the book. “No more reading, tonight. I need to do some checking. If you can bring things back, we need to set you up with some ground rules, quick.”

“What? Why?”

“Fantasy diseases, invasive pests, you name it.” He gave me a stern glare. “It’s a good thing, though. Great thing.”

My heart thundered in my chest, and he leaned in to give me a peck on the cheek. “Go get some sleep.”

He bolted up and left, keys in hand. “I’ll come and pick you up in the morning.”

I sat there stunned as the door shut and car started.

My stomach growled.

The clock on my phone said it was way past bedtime.

Maybe it was time I heated up some of that food my mom sent.

I needed the comfort.

Chapter Twelve

Zeke

I probably could have walked back to the library, and should have—but I wanted to be back sooner. I needed to talk to Isa and didn’t like the thought of Lex driving in his state of mind.

As I pulled up to park, I passed by a surly patron avoiding eye contact with me as they shoved a book into the return slot.

I didn’t recognize the face, but I recognized the gait and the facial expression, bored and distrustful—“Ville?”

The stranger stopped in step, and I held up the strands of grass still in my grip. He squinted. “What?”

We met on the steps, and he leaned over, staring at the broken stalks in my hand. “What is this?”