“If they hadn’t used a potion to help them, I would know that they’d been able to read every element of the curse because they’d have removed it in another way entirely. Basically, it means there’s hope.”
He went still, and my heart fluttered. I wanted to be able to help him so badly.
“That would be…incredible.” His voice was soft.
“I’m committed,” I said. “I won’t give up until I remove the curse. I promise.”
He frowned. “No. Don’t make that promise.”
“Why not?”
“The last sorceress who tried collapsed. She was in bad shape. I don’t want that to happen to you.”
“I’ll be fine. We’ll take it slowly. Want to try now?”
“That’s not really taking it slowly.”
“I know, but I just want to get a feel for it. I’ve got to start somewhere, and I’d like to get an idea of what I’m working with.”
He hesitated.
“Come on. Let me try.”
“If you’re sure. But if you feel faint at all, stop immediately.”
“Will do. And I have Poa here to help me.”
She had laid down on her chair and was having a nice post-dinner bath. Fortunately, she had the good grace to not stick her leg up in the air to lick her bum—a move I called the turkey leg—but that was probably because we were with Rafe. If it was just me, she had no shame.
“Poa?” I said. “Can you help?”
Him? Yes. I like him.
“Great.” I looked at Rafe. “She likes you. Now stand up.”
He did as I commanded, standing in front of me with a stalwart expression on his face. It was almost as if he were trying not to have hope, and it hurt my heart for him.
“I’m going to press my hand to your chest,” I said, planning to mimic what Hazel had done with me. I’d only practiced on inanimate objects with Emma, so this was going to be an entirely different process.
He nodded, and I pressed the flat of my palm to his shirt. Immediately, I could feel the curse inside of him. It was dark, like a heavy fog that filled his soul. But I felt more distant from it than I should—like it was just out of reach.
An idea came to me, but it was probably ridiculous. There was no way I could ask him to—
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Huh?” My gaze flashed up to his.
“You look doubtful.”
“Um, yeah. I had an idea, but…”
“What is it?”
I drew in a deep breath. “Take off your shirt.”
His brows rose. “What?”
“I can feel the curse, but I think this would work better if I touched your bare skin.” I could feel the heat rush to my cheeks as I said it.
“Okay.” His voice had turned a bit rough, but surely I was imagining it.
When I glanced up to meet his eyes, however, the heat in their emerald depths made it clear that I hadn’t been imagining anything. Memories of the kiss flashed in my mind, and I tried to drive the thought away.
I stepped back as he pulled off his shirt, careful to keep my gaze directed over his right shoulder. I certainly couldn’t look at his eyes, and staring at his chest just felt like too much.
“Okay, I’m going to touch you again,” I said, trying not to sound as breathless as I felt.
Chapter
Nineteen
Rafe
I’m going to touch you.
Isobel’s words echoed in my head, and my heart hammered against my ribs. It took everything I had not to close my eyes and clench my fists. I didn’t want her to know how she affected me, but it was going to be impossible if this went on for too long.
To make matters more difficult, she was standing so close that I could see the silver in her eyes, and her scent was a drug. I inhaled, trying for subtlety. In the ideal world, I’d stop breathing entirely. Since that wasn’t an option, I should at least try to look unfazed.
Her palm was warm against my chest, electric. Heat roared through me, and I trained my gaze at a spot on the wall over her head. When her magic flowed through me, I had to bite back a moan.
This was not part of the deal.
The process seemed to last forever yet end too quickly. But when she drew her hand back, I could finally breathe. I chanced a glance at her face and saw the faintest flush to her cheeks. Her bottom lip was damp where she must have licked it, and it took everything I had not to pull her into my arms and kiss her.
Why the hell was this so difficult?
And how were we going to keep avoiding what was clearly between us?
She cleared her throat. “All right, so I’ve got a bit of an idea of what’s going on. But we’re going to need to go to Avalona Island.”
I frowned, her words temporarily distracting me from the thoughts running through my head. “Where?”
“According to Emma, there’s an island about three miles off the coast of Charming Cove that has a whole lot of magic. It’s a special place to the coven, and it’ll help enhance my power so that I can get a full read on your curse.”
I cleared my throat. “So we’re going to an island to do more magic?”
“Yes. Tomorrow. I just need to find a boat.” She frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I have a boat. But we need to work on your house.”
“Right. I know. But we can just pop over really quick in the morning.”
“House first,” I insisted. “You have a deadline. I’ve been like this for a decade.”
“But you’re miserable.”
“I’m fine.” She gave me a hard look, and I sighed. “I’m used to it, okay? I want to get your house finished.”
“To get me out of here, right?” She arched a brow.
“Exactly. It won’t do me any good to find my pack if you’re still in my house, driving me crazy.” That didn’t make much sense, but she’d just been touching my bare chest. I was far past sense.
“Won’t you go live with them if you find them?”
She had a point. All I’d wanted for the last decade was to find my way back to my family. “I would, actually. But I won’t leave until your house is finished.”
She smiled. “So you really do like me?”
“I tolerate you.”
“Sure, Mister Built-Me-A-Custom-Kitchen.”
“It’s literally the only thing I know how to do.”
“Not the only thing. But you’re darned good at it.”
“Then just let me do it. We’ll focus on your house, then we’ll go to this island and deal with my issues.”
“We’ll do it tomorrow. Because I want to do this,” she insisted. “And I don’t like being told no.”
I groaned. “Fine. But house first.”
“Good. House in the morning, island in the evening. Deal?”
She looked so damned stubborn as she stared at me, jaw set and face determined. “Deal. As long as we make good progress on the house tomorrow.”
She grinned. “I have a plan for that, actually.”
“You do?”
“Oh, I do.” She moved toward the stairs. “And now, I’m off to bed. Your turn to do the dishes.”
I looked back at the paper takeaway containers. “Sure, I can do that.”
“Good. See you in the morning!”
Isobel
Of course, I tossed and turned with dreams of Rafe. The feel of his firm chest beneath my palm was burned into my memory, and I couldn’t shake the sight of his face.
He’d looked tortured.