Page 60 of How to Woo the Undead

And how pretty his name sounded coming from her.

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

Hyacinth

Hyacinthliedaboutthedream. In fact, there were nodreams.She was stuck in a nightmare. Another instance of watching Sabine hurt someone, but the image was interrupted by a pair of bunny teeth. They sank into her toes, and she woke with a yelp. She’d almost kicked Snuffles if she hadn’t been so thankful for being interrupted. Then she realized she was at the bedroom door, trying and failing to open it.Someone’s locked it.She slumped back to bed more irritated than anything. But the sky was a deep orange and the trees around Rosemont Manor left shadows everywhere. She didn’t want to look at anything in fear Sabine would show up again. So, she crawled under the blankets and curled up against Austin. He snored so sweetly, it was comforting.

She didn’t mean to wake him. Keeping her mind busy with digesting the words Greggory spoke by drawing swirls into Austin’s chest seemed like the wisest course of action.Pfft, as if I decided this.Her hands kept wandering of their own free will. From his neck to his arms, to the stitches on his hip. That’s when she saw his cock jump in his pants and she got..well, distracted. Her intentions changed immediately.

I think I should feel guilty…but I don’t.Not at all. Especially after, while she sat in Austin’s lap in her bathtub. Somehow, duringthe night, her bathtub was made three times the size it was before. It basically became a hot tub, no longer a claw footed porcelain contraption. It was built into an ash wood frame, a long, squash shaped basin that fit both of them and then some comfortably.

“Austin,” she whispered, realizing the funny feeling she had was simply because she lied. She shifted to look up at him. “I might have lied about the dream.”

“What do you mean?” He furrowed his brow.

“I didn’t dream about us having sex. I just, was lying there and was touching you…then I just sort of felt like it.”

His head fell back as a full-bellied laugh filled the bathroom. She would have shrank if he didn’t immediately wrap his big arms around her and hug her tight. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“It didn’t sound as appealing in the moment,” she confessed with a non-committal shrug. “The ache between my legs was because of you, it was just sort of random. And Ireallywanted you to fuck me.”

Austin snorted. “You honestly could have just said that, and I would have.”

Hyacinth tried to hold off the smile, but then he kissed the side of her head, and it grew on her lips. He hugged her tighter while peppering her hair with more kisses. All until she sighed dreamily, leaning her head back against his shoulder. He cupped her cheek, turning her face till he could leave a soft, tender kiss against her lips. They sat in the steaming bath, quiet for a long time. Soaking in the minty healing salts that eased the sting between her legs. If she were being honest, she considered asking him for more. There was a hunger deep in her belly that craved more. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself the speak the desire into existence.

She needed answers.

“Austin,” she broke the comfortable silence finally, reaching for the loofa covered in soap. She started with her toes and shins, filling the bath with foamy bubbles. “Will you tell me what I was made for?”

He sighed, “It won’t make you feel better.”

“Why do you get to decide how it makes me feel?” she asked, twisting to look over her shoulder.

Austin stared at her, glowing red orbs studying her face. With another sigh of defeat, he glanced down to the water. “I do not wish to put pressure on you. I never wanted you to feel obligated.”

“Why would I feel pressure?” She stopped cleaning her thighs to turn to him more.

“Because you were made to make me happy,” he confessed, unable to look her in the eye.

Hyacinth stopped completely. Time stood still. She stared at the man incredulously.I was made…for Austin?She blinked. And blinked. And blinked through her dry eyes before the giggles bubbled up through her chest. Austin jerked, gaze darting up to her face in befuddlement. She sputtered before deep belly laughter spilled out of her. She lost grip on the loofa.

“Hyacinth?” He grimaced, studying her as she laughed harder.That’s it? That’s all it was? Why would that—

“That’s it? I was just made to make you happy?” She gasped for air.

“Well, I was really sad there for a while and Lord Rosemont was worried about me. I just didn’t want you to think youhadto make me happy.” He flapped his arms about, avoiding her gazeonce more. If he could blush, really blush, she could just imagine pink coloring his cheeks and tinting the tips of his ears.

“But that’s what I was made for!” She cackled harder.

“Yeah, what if you didn’t like me?” he huffed.

“Idolike you.” She arched a brow back at him.

“What if you didn’t want to be with me.”

“Idowant to be with you.”

“Well, I didn’t want you to feel like you had to. If you were going to like me. If you were going to be one of us, I didn’t want you to feel…burdened by it.”