Not Your Ex's Hexes (Supernatural Singles, #2)(64)
“I wasn’t hiding,” Rose denied all too quickly.
“Babe, I may not be an expert on a woman’s mind, but I am at evasion tactics, and baking when there’s already a feast on the other side of those doors is a perfect example.” He kicked up his mouth into a grin. “How is this FBA supposed to work if we’re never in the same location to act on it?”
“There will be no arranging of anything, nor acting on it while at my sister’s house … especially if it comes at the price of having to defend my decision to Hunt. Again. I’m perfectly satisfied with Mr. Wiggles.”
It looked as if it caused her physical pain to say it. He chuckled. “Liar, liar, cauldron on fire, little witch.”
He transferred one hand to her waist, dipping his fingers below the hem of her shirt to find her soft, silky skin beneath. “Maybe I don’t want to discuss the Hunt, either.”
He trailed his hand higher.
She trembled in his arms, her breath picking up. “You don’t?”
Damian shook his head, his hand moving a little higher. “I want to remind you there’s more pleasurable ways to spend your time than playing Dog the Bounty Hunter.”
Rose set her hands on his chest, and for a moment, he thought she’d push him away. Instead, she linked her arms around his neck, her gaze dropping to his mouth.
Sucking in a groan, he palmed her cheek with his spare hand, and tilted her gaze up to his. “What do you say, little witch? Are you prepared to be reminded?”
“You think you can seduce me into changing my mind, Damian Adams?” Rose’s breathless voice challenged.
“I don’t know, but it’ll be a lot of fun finding out, don’t you think?”
A sexy smile ghosted over her lips as she leaned closer, diminishing the inch of distance between their mouths. For a split second, Damian thought his plan had worked. Point for him!
Within a millimeter of kissing contact, Rose paused. The lusty little glint in her eye transformed into something else entirely. “I’m not changing my mind about Hunting, and neither is your brother. No matter how many times you threaten him.”
Damian muttered a soft curse, his jaw clenching. “The bastard told you…”
“To let me know he wouldn’t hold me to our agreement if I’d changed my mind, which I didn’t. And just so you know, I won’t … no matter how much you turn on the sexy grumpy veterinarian thing.”
All fight drained from Damian’s body as he scanned the determination on her face. It was time to rev up the backup plan.
“You realize that in addition to the psychological and emotional demands of the job, there’s also the physical,” Damian informed her, crossing his mental fingers. “Long hours. Risk of injury. You probably wouldn’t have as many Girls’ Nights with your sisters and Harper. Your social life will basically be nonexistent.”
Rose’s lips twitched as if she saw right through him. “Being Prima Apparent got me used to long hours, and with my Magic on board, injury risk is fairly low. And Harper and my sisters understand the need to find my thing. They’ll understand.”
“And your social life?”
She let out a sexy little snort. “My social life is already nonexistent … with the exception of the time I spend with you.”
“You’re determined to do this, aren’t you? There’s absolutely nothing I can do to change your mind short of cuffing you to my bed?”
“In all honesty, even cuffs wouldn’t work. I can just Magic my way out of them.”
Damian mumbled a string of curses, each one making Rose’s smirk grow as he mentally receded away from his backup plan and transitioned toward the last-ditch proposal. “Fine, but I have a few requests.”
“No way. I—”
He smooshed his thumb over her mouth and silenced her with a pleading look. “Just hear me out, okay? I promise I won’t try and change your mind.”
“Fine.” She nodded her agreement, voice muffled.
“Hunting is dangerous, especially if you go into it with a distorted view about what it’s like. Things don’t always go as smoothly as they did with the Gryndors.”
“And…”
Damian couldn’t believe the words about to leave his lips. “And I’ll do it with you. I’ll mentor you. Or you can shadow me. Whatever you want to call it.”
Filled with distrust, her eyes narrowed. “You want to teach me the Supernatural bounty hunting ropes? Be your … intern?”
“Do I want that? Fuck no. But as you pointed out once before, I’m the Scourge of the Supernatural Underworld, and if you’re hell-bent on doing this, I won’t let anyone else teach you but the best. And that’s me.”
Rose’s triumph slowly morphed into one of concern, and it didn’t take a genius to tell who it was for. “But you don’t do it anymore for a reason, doc.”
“And now I have a reason to do it.”
Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she shook her head. “No. I won’t let you subject yourself to a way of life you’ve spent years avoiding just so that I can catch a thrill or two.”
He brushed his mouth over hers in a soft kiss, silencing her the only way he knew how, and when she leaned into him, he did it again before reluctantly pulling away. “I meant the sanctuary. The payout from the Gryndor takedown helped a lot, but it was only a drop in the bucket compared to what the sanctuary needs to get in the black again.”