Not Your Ex's Hexes (Supernatural Singles, #2)(53)

The thought that Damian had shared something important with her sent her insides into an unexpected tingle.

“Next, you’ll knock me off this chair by informing me you know of the hex.”

Rose’s gaze lifted to Julius’s. “The hex?”

“The one placed on him by a witchy ex-girlfriend.”

Rose stared blankly, not knowing what to say.

“The threat of losing his soul—and his humanity—upon finding love only compounded his decision to leave Hunting behind. My badass, bounty-seeking brother gave up something at which he excelled to live a life that’s a lie.” Julius smiled wanly. “I’d hate for that to happen to you, too, Rose. I’ve never seen anyone incapacitate three upper-level demons as quickly and efficiently as you did the Gryndors, and I’ve witnessed a lot of takedowns through the years. Tell me you’ll at least think about my offer.”

Rose didn’t know what to think … about the unexpected job offer or about Damian.

He’d been hexed? By a witch? And not with a case of shifter-fleas or a pimple that wouldn’t give up despite prescription meds. Someone hexed him so hard it put his freaking soul in jeopardy?

That was The Craft–type Magic, and it gave witches a bad name.



* * *



There were a million things to do and a fence to repair and yet Damian couldn’t tear his gaze away from the back of the barn, where Rose excitedly groomed Butternut while standing in front of a small tripod setup and talking to the camera that she and Terrance had dragged everywhere during their daily routine.

Mucking out stalls?

Video.

Filling the feed troughs?

Video.

He didn’t know what people found so fascinating about deworming puppies, but they’d even watched him do that earlier that morning, asking him a million questions about canine health. When you saw the cruelty people inflicted on animals daily, it was nice to know there were those out there who desired the opposite.

And thanks to accumulating donations, in addition to the money from the Gryndor debacle, Damian had made an early run to the supply store to pick up much-needed meds and fencing supplies, along with other odds and ends necessary to turn the sanctuary into a hazard-free zone. Especially the far barn closer to Miguel’s place that lay empty, too run-down to be of much use in the condition it was in now.

It was a single check off on a massive to-do list, but when you’d been unable to check off anything for months due to insufficient funds, that one check was a like a damn badge of victory. Even he couldn’t help but think it was turning out to be a pretty good day.

“Oh, my Goddess.” Rose’s sexy rasp had him looking up from where he pounded a new fence post into the ground. “Did I see a smile? Was Damian Adams smiling, or did I get hay in my eye again?”

“No, but you have it in your hair. Come here.” Grinning wider, he tugged off his gloves and plucked the stray hay strand from her ponytail, letting his fingers linger over her cheeks.

“I’m sure that’s the least disgusting thing on my body right now.” Rose glanced at her dirty jeans and mud-covered boots.

He couldn’t help but look her over, too, and hell …

Instantly semi-hard, his erection pushed against his zipper. Days had passed since the night at his place, and while he’d had reservations about a sexual relationship before, he couldn’t find one now.

Evidently, she couldn’t, either.

Her caramel eyes shot him a lusty look. “You shouldn’t look at me like that with people around, doc. It’s not exactly on the down-low.”

He shot a glance to where Miguel and Terrance led the horses back to their stalls, oblivious to them a hundred or more yards away. “They’re too far away to see anything.”

But he wasn’t one to take chances … at least not anymore.

Linking their fingers, he dragged her to the front hood of the truck, so the massive machine blocked their view, and pushed her against the cool metal. He swallowed her breathless gasp with a searing kiss, and then she tugged his body closer until the edge of his erection pushed against her stomach.

She smirked. “It can’t be easy pounding posts into the ground when you have that happening behind the scenes.”

“You have no idea how hard it is.” With one hand on her hip, he tugged her leg around his waist with the other, changing the angle until they aligned perfectly.

She giggled, running her hands down his chest until she slipped them beneath his shirt. “Oh, I think I do. As you pointed out once before, I’m a fixer. I like to fix things, and I’d very much like to help you with that little problem.”

He tucked his mouth into the curve of her neck, lips brushing over her ear. “Is that so, little witch?”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t mean it.”

His chuckle turned into a groan as she rolled her hips against his throbbing hard-on.

Miguel’s and Terrance’s voices echoed from across the court, making Damian all too aware where they were. With a heavy, horny sigh, he very reluctantly disengaged his mouth from her body. “As much as I want to take you right here and now, I’m not in the mood for an audience.”

“That means that sometimes you are?” she teased.

He winked, enjoying the way her blush crept from her cheeks and down her neck. “The longer we continue this fuck-buddy program of yours, the more I’m sure we’ll learn about each other’s little quirks and turn-ons. And I have to admit, I really can’t wait to discover yours.”