Page 45 of Oracles Always Win

I’dknown as soon asIstepped onto the ground inWillowLakethat this place would change me.Ijust hadn’t realizedeverythingabout my life would be flipped upside down.AndIwasn’t the only one whose life would be impacted.

Myteam had been with me a long time, butIcouldn’t predict how they would react to this news.Onceagain, my chest ached at the thought of my team, my family, leaving me.Theinn appeared to have lots of unused space…Couldwe convert it into a home for all of us?Wouldthey want to stay here?Wouldhaving them here makeJakeuncomfortable?Afterall,I’dchosen my team for a specific reason, and it wasn’t for their social skills.

Mythoughts were presumptuous, consideringJakedidn’t even know he was an oracle or could have a fated mate, butIdidn’t get to whereIwas by sitting back and coasting through life.TheEternalMagickept me humble—she dictated my need to tether to a place and she chose my fated mate—butIseized every bit of control over my lifeIcould.Irefused to feel vulnerable or lost again, and ifIcould stop other people from feeling that way, thenIdid that too.

ButIcouldn’t controlJakeor our potential mating.IfIrushed this,Icould lose everything.Iclenched my hands into fists, fighting the desire to gather him close and never let him go.

Jakestirred in the bed.Hestretched and groaned and then his eyes fluttered open.

Okay.Itwas time to have a candid conversation with my mate and hopeIdidn’t screw everything up.Sweatbeaded along my hairline and my palms felt clammy.

I’dgrown up being told demons were never unsure, that uncertainty was a species trait we just didn’t possess.Whata fucking lie.

Itmade me wonder what other liesI’dbeen told.

Chapter Eighteen

JAKE

BeforeIeven opened my eyes,Iknew two things.First,Iwas in my bed at the inn.Second,Iwas not alone in my room.

ThenIremembered everything else…Well, most of it anyway.Enoughto knowIwishedIcould just fall back asleep, wake up alone, and continue living my life like nothing had happened.Callme an ostrich.Thatwould be fine.

Butmy secret was out, and, just likePandora, the oneGreekmythIremembered,IdoubtedIcould push it back into its box.

“Jake?” the deep sonorous voice that could only beMr.HornyDudeasked. “Youawake?”

Ipulled my blankets over my head.

“Areyou okay?”

“Yeah?”Iwhispered.Iwas physically fine, although the rest was to be determined.Isighed.Thismoment of reckoning had been coming for a long time.Ifmy secret hadn’t been discovered byMr.HornyDude, then it would have been some other well-meaningWillowLaker.Sallycame to mind—she’d been really nosy lately—or maybeAlice.Itwas just my luck that it had to beGage.

“I’lljust step out so you can have some privacy to shower and get dressed.I’llbe in the hallway when you are ready.”Hepaused. “ThenIthink we should talk.”

Ohright.Iwas almost naked becauseI’dpuked on the only guy my dick had ever taken a liking to.Fan-fucking-tastic.HowhadIforgotten that little gem?Andhaving theI-think-we-should-talk talk before we even started dating seemed unfair.Shouldn’tIat least have the memory of a date to soften the conversation to come?

Ididn’t open my eyes or move untilIheard the door close behindGageandIknewIwas alone.ThenIforced myself to crawl out of bed.Itdidn’t take nearly long enough to make myself presentable.Evenstripping my bed and putting on fresh sheets didn’t waste enough time.Gagewas leaning against the wall across the hall from my room whenIfinally opened the door.Ifroze in the doorway.

I’dknown he’d be waiting for me;Ijust didn’t expect him to be waiting right there in the hallway.Astrange sense of déjà vu swept over me.Itwas just like the day before, whenI’dseen him in this same hallway and assumed he was something my brain had dreamed up.Mygaze flitted to the console table, then back toGage.Hislips twitched, like he knew whatIwas thinking.AsIscrambled to close the door on my atrocious paintings,Gagecleared his throat.

“Iwould like to talk to you about your work.”Hemotioned toward my room.

“Nope,”Isaid, popping the ‘p.’Ichecked that my room was locked. “Thanksfor bringing me home.I’mokay.Youcan go now.”

“Jake.”

Hearinghis rumbly deep voice say my name made me shiver in the best of ways.I’dhave thought my acute embarrassment would have slain any lingering hopes of sexy times with the guy.Apparently, my cock hadn’t gotten the message.

“Gage.”Isaid his name in the same tone he’d used, asIwalked past the guy.

Ahuff of irritation followed me down the hallway.Hetrailed after me all the way through the inn.Iopened the locks on the front door and then retreated to the dining hall and kitchen.Peoplewould arrive soon for the potluck, soIshould check if anything needed to be moved or cleaned or fixed before they arrived.Sure,I’dalready done this same routine this morning afterI’dcleaned the pub, but that was irrelevant.Gageleaned against the stainless-steel counter in the kitchen and watched me putter around the room.

Myheart pounded asIrealized this was the perfect opportunity to talk to him—not about my paintings, but about other stuff.Sexystuff.Wewere alone.Noone would arrive for the potluck for a bit.Andmy body’s excitement at being close toGagewas back.Icouldn’t believeIwas aroused.Again.

“Youknow,”Isaid, asIwiped the center island in the kitchen for the second time, “Iwas thinking of asking you for coffee.”

Hey, look at me rocking my ostrich routine!Excellent.Gome.IfIignored everything else that had happened, maybe he would too.Fingerscrossed.