Tethered 02 - Conjure (31 page)

Authors: Jennifer Snyder

I felt when the Jeep stopped and heard the engine cut off, but kept my eyes closed. I wasn’t ready to move yet. The motion of the car and the stress of the night, mixed with the guilt that now ate at me, had me feeling sick to my stomach.

At least now I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t feel good.

“Did she barf, because I didn’t hear anything?” I heard Adam ask.

“No, she didn’t,” Kace snapped. “And if she had, I would have cleaned it up. Stop being such an ass.”

I fought to keep in the smile that wanted to spread across my face.

“Addison, wake up. We’re here,” Callie said. Her cold hand gently shook my arm.

I waited until I heard Kace tell me we were home before I opened my eyes. He helped me out of the Jeep and up the endless stairs to his apartment. I headed to the bathroom once we’d made it inside and finally relieved my bladder.

Callie was standing outside the door when I opened it, holding a stack of clothes in her hands. “Here, these are some pajamas to change into. I keep a stash of clothes here for just in case.”

“Thanks,” I said as I took them from her.

“Are you feeling any better?” she asked.

I inhaled. “A little.”

“Good.”

She walked down the hall and I turned back into the bathroom to change into something more comfortable.

The sweatpants were a royal blue and a little too long in the length, but that was the way I liked them. Callie had also lent me a thin yellow tank top that had a built-in bra. The entire outfit was way more comfortable than what I’d been wearing.

I headed to the living room after I was finished changing. The TV was blaring some movie already, and Adam and Callie had made themselves comfortable on the couch. Kace stood in the kitchen buttering some bread.

“Want a grilled cheese?” he asked as he scooped some more butter onto his knife.

My stomach grumbled. “A grilled cheese sounds good.”

“One slice of cheese or two?”

“Definitely two.”

He smirked at me. “I think we just found one more thing we have in common.”

I chuckled and leaned against the counter to watch him cook.

After eating, Kace and I cuddled on the couch beside Callie and Adam to watch a movie and wind down from our night. I should have been enjoying the simplicity of the moment and the sensation Kace’s touch always awakened within me, but I didn’t. Instead, I compared it to what I’d felt with Theo in the hallway, and the honest truth was, Kace’s touch didn’t even measure up.

A thickness entered my throat. I reached for my glass of water on the coffee table and Kace’s hand shifted to the small section of skin along my lower back that became exposed from the movement.

“Are you ready for bed?” he asked in a low whisper, once I leaned back against the couch to take a sip of my water.

I nodded. “Sure.”

I was exhausted, but more so, I was ready to put this night to an end. Tomorrow would be a new day and I was hoping the things I felt right now would be gone.

“Well.” Kace stood and slapped the palms of his hands together in front of him. “I think we’re going to head to bed. See you guys in the morning.”

“Night,” Callie said.

I smiled at her. “Night.”

“Just don’t be loud, okay?” Adam asked. A little glimmer of amusement shined in his eyes as he stared at Kace.

“Shut up,” Kace growled.

Adam threw his hands up in the air. “What? That’s what you always tell me before we go to bed.”

Kace shook his head and ginned as he took my hand and led me out of the living room. “God, he’s such an ass sometimes.”

“Do you say that to him?” I asked as we started down the hall.

“Sometimes.” Kace shrugged.

“Then he’s not being an ass; it’s considered payback,” I said with a smirk.

Kace chuckled as he opened a door all the way at the end of the hall. His room was larger than I’d expected, but also more colorful. Most guys’ bedrooms were plain and boring shades of black and gray. They were messy and held a stench of sweat and musk to them. At least, growing up, those were the types of guy bedrooms I’d been in.

Kace’s room was nothing like those though. His was painted a sophisticated shade of bluish-gray. There wasn’t much for furniture—just a queen-sized bed, one nightstand, and a small dresser—but it was immaculate. One picture hung from a nail by a black wire on the wall beside the mirror above the dresser—it was an Asian symbol that I figured stood for air in Chinese or something.

“Wow, I was not expecting your room to be this clean,” I said as I glanced around.

Kace chuckled as he flopped down across the bed. He interlocked his fingers and placed them behind his head.

“Life gets messy when your space is messy,” he said casually.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You sound like a fortune cookie.”

“Actually, I think that’s where I heard that from to be honest.” He grinned.

I walked around his bed and climbed onto it from the other side. The soft, plush comforter felt cool beneath me as I slipped over it to sit closer to Kace.

“You aren’t ready to go to bed, are you?” I asked him as I folded my legs to sit cross-legged.

“Nope,” he said, making the P pop a little.

“Then why did you say you were? We could have finished the movie.”

“I had other things on my mind.” Kace grinned devilishly as he leaned up to kiss me.

I moved my lips against his, desperately trying to feel the warmth that always made my head swim when we kissed. I did. It was there, but it was nothing compared to what I knew I would have felt had I kissed Theo.

Entwining my fingers into Kace’s hair, I hiked my leg up and placed myself directly in his lap. I needed to be closer to him—to feel him more. His tongue swept into my mouth and found mine. The warmth within me bubbled beneath my skin, but it didn’t even begin to scratch the surface of what I’d felt with Theo. Pulling at the edges of Kace’s T-shirt, I lifted it up and over his head and then tossed it behind me. A low growl escaped his parted lips, and I ran my hands down the length of his solid chest.

I needed to lose myself in Kace. I needed to feel our magick attempting to mingle together beneath our skin. I needed to forget about Theo.

Kace brought one arm around my waist and pushed me gently until I was pressed against him chest to chest. He then twined his other hand into my hair and tugged until my head tilted back and exposed my throat to him. His lips grazed across the sensitive skin of my throat while his tongue licked and his teeth nipped here and there.

“You want it a little rougher tonight, huh?” he whispered, his hot breath steaming against my skin. “We can do that.”

I didn’t speak. The moan that came from my parted lips seemed to be enough of a response for both of us. Kace nibbled at my shoulder and I shivered in his grasp. This was exactly what I needed. Loosening his grip on my hair, he reached for the edges of the tank top I wore and peeled it off carefully.

Looking me directly in the eyes, Kace brought one hand up to cup my bare breast. His fingers worked, massaging it a little, before he brought his lips down on it. The warmth I’d been dying to feel exploded through me at the feel of his lips on such a sensitive area.

“Tell me what you want,” Kace said in that sweet and sexy rasp of his as his tongue brushed against my nipple.

“I want you,” I answered, falling into the depths of that swimmy head feeling I’d been hoping for.

It was true; I did want him, in more ways than one. This thing with Theo had to end.

And there was only one way I knew that would end the tether with Theo while bringing me closer to Kace again…

I needed to become initiated.

To Be Continued In…

COMING SOON!

As always, this book would not have been possible without the love and support of my family and friends—my mom, sister, husband, kids. You all mean everything to me.

A special thank you to Regina Wamba of Mae I Design for another beautiful cover, H. Danielle Crabtree for another spectacular editing job, Stephanie Parent for taking the time to proof read for me, and J.T. Formatting for making it look stellar on ereaders as well as in print!

Also special thanks to Alyssa Rose Ivy, who talks me off the ledge when I’m ready to erase every word I’ve written and start from scratch all over again. How did I ever do this thing called writing without you?

And lastly…thank
you,
dear readers! I can’t tell you how happy I am that you all fell in love with this world I’ve created as much as I did. Your emails, comments, and tweets put such a smile on my face and make everything that much more worthwhile.

Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina were she spends most of her time writing new adult and young adult fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

Find out more about her latest novel by visiting her blog:

http://jennifersnydersblog.blogspot.com

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The Reaper Novellas:

Touch

Choice

Hereafter

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