Page 19

She glances up at me, smiling when she sees the expression on my face. “I think I had the same look of disgust on my face last night when they proposed my arranged marriage.”

Try as I might, I can’t erase my scowl. “I can’t believe your mother went along with Heston when he said you weren’t welcome in the house if you refused to marry Victor.”

Scarlett shrugs as if it doesn’t bother her, but I catch the traces of pain in her eyes before she glances away from me. “My mother—” She stops and clears her throat. “I guess I should call her by her name now since she’s all but disowned me. Johanna has always disapproved of me, and she still makes it clear she considers me a failure as a woman since I haven’t married and birthed a horde of children at my ‘advanced’ age.”

I struggle with the urge to spit out a curse but master it eventually. “I am very sorry to hear that, Little Red. And I promise, if for some reason you can no longer stay with Vera, you will always be welcome in my home.”

Her answering glance is sharp enough to cut flesh.

I lift my hands in a gesture of peace. “Not as anything but someone who shares the space with me. I would expect nothing from you beyond sharing household responsibilities. You would have your own room and make your own choices.”

Scarlett visibly relaxes as she sighs. “Thank you for the offer, Hunter. But Vera has already told me I’m welcome to stay as long as I like.” Then, she laughs. “However, I may take you up on a daytime visit when her paramours come over. She told me she’ll need privacy when her lovers stop by.”

“Lovers?” I ask. “As in more than one?”

She laughs, and the last vestiges of stress fade from her face. “Yes. Apparently, she has three suitors, and they’re all desperate to outdo one another in their courting. Their competitive nature extends to the bedchamber.”

I try to keep my thoughts off my face, but my little witch can see my discomfort with a single glance. She laughs again. “Vera has always been her own woman, and she always will be.”

“Sounds like someone else I know,” I murmur, smiling down at her.

Her pale cheeks flush and her indigo eyes sparkle as she looks up at me. “I take that as a compliment.”

I can’t resist touching her, just a brush of my finger on her cheek, as we stop beneath a willow tree. “You should.”

Chapter Nine

Scarlett

Hunter’s presence should annoy me.

I should be angry at him because he isn’t giving me space.

But I’m not.

His presence is relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Talking to him about the townsfolk, gossiping about who is bedding who, young couples getting married, or long-married couples having issues. I enjoy his company, but there is also tension between us.

With each step, each word, it grows.

It finally snaps when I kneel in a patch of ginseng to harvest the roots. When I look up, I’m only inches away from Hunter. His eyes collide with mine and the intensity in them is nearly frightening.

Without thinking, I jump to my feet, almost stumbling. Hunter rises with me, somehow even closer than he was a moment ago. His hands come to my waist, holding me steady when I nearly fall to the ground. The heat of his hands is like a brand through the thin material of my dress. It sends an involuntary shiver down my spine, and my breath becomes short.

He’s too close. Strong, solid, and unyielding. There’s a darkness in his eyes I’ve never seen before. It’s nearly irresistible. The urge to rise up on my toes, to kiss him is so strong it’s nearly terrifying.

I try to step back, to put more space between us, but he moves with me. In a blink, my back is against a tree, and I’m staring up into his face. He’s too close. His green eyes are piercing as they gaze into mine, as if he sees through the flimsy shield I’m trying to erect between us.

“I want to kiss you,” he murmurs, his eyes dropping to my mouth.

By the goddess, I want the touch of his mouth against mine. But I can’t. I’m already in a strange pseudo-relationship with a Lycan. I don’t need a handsome woodsman on my heels as well.

His head drops slowly. “If you don’t want me to kiss you, tell me.”

My heart thrums against my sternum. I can’t speak the words, even though I know I should. Because it would be a lie. I want to feel his lips against mine more than I want my next breath. I want to experience the darkness in his eyes with my mouth and my body.

I can’t speak at all. I’m drowning in the sensations washing over me and the intensity of the longing that grips me.

Hunter’s hands squeeze my waist lightly as his head stops descending. I can tell he’s going to pull away because I haven’t said yes or no. But I can’t let him go without experiencing at least one kiss.