Spellbound

Original Edition: Thirty-Five

Soren leaned forward and took my hands in his. "I know that you have taken pride in doing all of this on your own, and I admire that about you. But I also know that you don't deserve to have to pay ten thousand dollars in fines from years ago that you had nothing to do with." He took a deep breath. "I sent a check to city hall yesterday. The fines are paid in full."

I felt the knot release from my chest, and I exhaled in a long whoosh, squeezing his hands in relief. "You shouldn't have done that."

"Hazel left me some money. It wasn't much, but it was enough to pay her debt."

"No. I can't let you do that, Soren. You've been here for all these years and that's the one thing she left you."

He laughed. "Didn't you hear me? It's already done. And you're right, I've been here for centuries now. I've earned my own way and have more than I need invested into different companies. It will take me a moment to get those funds released, but when I do, I will still have money for all my exciting online shopping sprees and ordering Taco Bell through Doordash." He rolled his eyes and took on a more serious expression. "She gave Archer and me a lot—a space of our own, freedom within our boundaries, and friendship. The money is of little consequence to me. If it makes you feel better, you can come up with a way to pay me back."

I smirked at him and said, "Well, as far as payback...I have to leave in a few days. I won't have the money before then. Do you take other forms of payment?"

The idea of leaving broke my heart, but if I didn't make light of it, I'd be in tears every minute. Humor and sarcasm were how I dealt with hurt. It was a good mask that served me well most of my life. This was just another moment where I would slip it on and hide my feelings until the pain subsided a little.

"Do you want to clean mine and Archer's bathroom?"

I wrinkled my nose and stuck out my tongue. "That's gonna be a no from me, dog."

"So, no dirty work?"

"It depends. Some types of dirty work are more fun than others."

He tilted his head back, laughed, and tried to keep a straight face as he said, "Something tells me you like the kind that has you rolling around and under things."

"Excuse me?" I cocked a brow. This was a side of Soren I'd never seen before—playful, carefree, and meeting me sexual innuendo for sexual innuendo.

"You heard me."

My heart skipped at least three beats before I said, "Well, as fun as rolling underneath things can be, I also like the kind where I can be on top. You know, not your usual grind."

He gathered both of my wrists in one hand, threw me back on the mattress, and lingered over me. "What about the kind that holds you down and is hard to get out from under?"

My heart pounded against my ribs, but I didn't look away as I whispered, "The harder the better."

The air between us shifted. Soren bit his bottom lip, and his cerulean eyes darkened. "It's really hard—being near you like this, staying away from you; it's all so damn hard."

My breath hitched, and I pulled one of my wrists from his grasp, reaching up to push a strand of hair from his forehead. "Then just stop." I shifted under him, aligning our bodies perfectly. "Stop making it hard, Soren."

He lowered his head, and his lips grazed mine. "If we do this, if we give in, you have to promise me one thing."

I nipped at his bottom lip and whispered, "Anything."

"Promise you won't fall in love with me."

It seemed like an easy enough promise to make. I mean, he wasn't proposing marriage here, just a healthy make out session. And heaven knew how badly I wanted to kiss Soren Hyde.