“Charming.”
“That’s one word for it, though not one I’d personally use. Do you want help up the stairs?”
I hesitated and then nodded. While I could probably lean on the banister just as easily as him, I rather liked his closeness. The way his scent wrapped around me, warm and comforting. “But after I shower, we need to have a council of war—”
“Already on it,” Belle said. “Monty, Ashworth, and Eli should be here for breakfast in fifteen minutes.”
“We open in fifteen minutes.” I looked around. “Where is everyone?”
“I explained what happened and gave them the day off. Figured it was easier than trying to juggle plans and customers.”
“Good thinking.”
“Go,” she said. “I’ll start breakfast.”
Aiden carefully helped me up the stairs and into the bathroom. “I can see why you enjoy my shower—there’s barely enough room to swing a flannel in this thing.”
“Which basically sums up our whole upper floor accommodation.”
“Then why not move into my place on a more permanent basis?”
I touched his stubbly cheek and stared into his beautiful eyes. “I think we both know why that wouldn’t be a good idea.”
“Actually, no, we don’t. You’re all I want, Liz—”
“At this point in time—”
“Which is all I care about.” He brushed limp hair away from my face, his fingers warm on my skin. “You spend far too much of your time worrying about the future. You need to live for now.”
“I am. But I also can’t afford to deepen a relationship that realistically has no future. We both eventually want marriage and kids, Aiden, and that’s not something we can achieve together.”
No matter how much I might wish otherwise.
He didn’t immediately answer, but I could feel conflict in him. Could see it in his aura and smell it in his scent. His fingers tracked slowly down my cheek and caught my chin. Then he kissed me like it meant something. Like I meant something. Something far more than just another woman whose company he enjoyed.
And while I had no doubt he cared for me as much as he would ever care for anyone who wasn’t a werewolf, to believe the depth of emotion I could feel in this kiss was the short path to madness.
He eventually released me, but if the shadows and uncertainty I could feel in him were anything to go by, the kiss had comforted him no more than it did me. We were stepping into dangerous territory and we both knew it—even if he didn’t appear willing to acknowledge it.
“Do you need help stripping down?”
“I’ll need help with your sweater, at least.”
He gently tugged the sweater off, then kissed me again and left. I finished getting undressed, then got into the shower and let the hot water run over my body in an attempt to ease all the aches and bruising. I just had to hope that we caught the Empusae today, because I doubted I was going to be in a fit state to be chasing demons across the countryside tomorrow.
Once I’d dressed in my own track pants and a loose-fitting zip-up sweater I could undo easily, I shoved my feet into some shoes and headed downstairs. All three witches had arrived and were busily tucking into an assortment of bacon, eggs, and freshly made bread.
“I’ve put yours in the warmer,” Belle said. “The horde’s appetite is a bit voracious this morning.”
“Midnight rescues will do that to you,” Ashworth said. “Though I will point out that the young laddie here does not have that excuse.”
“No. He just has a naturally healthy appetite.” Monty’s gaze was on Belle when he said that, and there was a wicked gleam in his eyes.
She gave him ‘the look’, which was met with an even wider grin. She shook her head and looked at me. “Do you need help with that plate?”
“No, I should be fine. Thanks.” I grabbed a tea towel to counter the hot plate and then joined them at the table.
“So,” Monty said. “How did you manage to pin a tracker spell onto the Empusae? And is it still active? Given she’s magic capable, it’s possible she’s already countered it.”