Page 73 of Operation: Ogre

He touched my exposed ribs, and I flushed. I was wearing a black button up shirt with a white cravat that was pinned with a skull, but the shirt only went down to my ribs. Over it was a long jacket that buttoned over my shirt, also leaving my midriff bare. My leather pants hugged my frame and were tucked into knee high boots.

A flush rushed to my cheeks. “Thanks, big guy.” Running my gaze over him, I commented, “You look fucking hot, if me mauling you as soon as I saw you wasn’t evidence enough.”

He blushed, and I kissed the color, which seemed almost silvery blue in this light. I did love his iridescent skin. It was always changing depending on how I looked at him. My soon-to-be boyfriend wasn’t just a monster, he was magical. My boyfriend. That thought alone made me smile instead of panic. I was getting better. I was starting to believe him when he said nothing fundamental would change with us. My almost-boyfriend who I was in love with. I hadn’t said yes yet, but he’d say yes, right? He hadn’t changed his mind about me. He couldn’t have.

I took a deep breath. Trust. I needed to trust him and stop trying to control everything.

Jaxon bent down and pressed his lips to mine while his fingers played with my bare skin. I groaned into the kiss, going up on my toes to get closer to him. After a second, I said, “Maybe we should just stay here.” I dragged my fingertips down his arm as I batted very long, very fake eyelashes at him.

Jaxon groaned. “I would love that, but if we miss the ball, you’ll be sad later.”

He wasn’t wrong, but I was very horny at the moment. Still… I did love dancing. “Fine, we go, we have fun, then come back to our room and fuck.”

Oh, he laughed like it was a joke, but I saw the bulge in his pants and the way he shifted closer to me, licking his lips. Yep, I couldn’t wait to fuck him again. No matter how many times we did it, I couldn’t seem to get enough of him. I didn’t think I ever would, and I was more than okay with that.

After one last kiss, and a groan, on my part, I took Jaxon’s hand and led him outside. People were running around the campus in costumes, finery, or monster forms, laughing and screeching. More than one person had a red cup that I highly doubted was filled with punch. Jaxon was glaring at the cups, no doubt hating the plastic, which made me smile. It was just so him, and I was really into him.

Yeah, that still scared me, but I was forging forward. I was going to trust that Jaxon wanted me as much as I wanted him. Yep. I could do it.

I tugged him toward the dance, pausing at a booth decked out with red velvet drapes, fairy lights, and candles to take a picture with Jaxon, who blushed the entire time. Not giving him even a second to think about it, I dragged him onto the dance floor and wrapped my arms around him. His arms curled around my waist as we moved to the music. He was still rather robotic in his movements, but he was looser than last time. Jaxon was learning. In no time, he’d be a fabulous dancer. I was sure of it.

We were hardly the only new couple on the dance floor either. I spotted Mort Rain, better known as Mothboy, dancing with the music major transfer student who had that horrid bird familiar who’d made me crash into Tate. I still hadn’t quite forgiven Reginald, even though that wasn’t Arie’s fault. I saw Aaron dancing with a group of frat bros. One of them, Caleb, was with some human I was only vaguely familiar with. I caught sight of Tate and Luc dancing so close together they might as well be one person.

Floating chandeliers hung overhead, giving the ballroom a magical air. The DJ was playing a nice variety between fast and slow tunes. A table covered with a red velvet cloth had dark red punch in a crystal bowl and little plates with cakes on them. It felt slightly prom-like to me, with the selfie stations and whatnot, but I wasn’t mad about that. I’d been a huge fan of school dances in high school and that hadn’t changed with time.

Dean Yaga was even here, nodding in time with the music on her floating pedestal. I spotted the bright pink Crypt Keeper, Mrs. Crimpton, sticking out in the sea of dark colors, chatting with the dean. Carter was near them, chatting with Dan. I didn’t see my sister or Penelope, but I was positive they were around. Neither of them were the type to miss a party.

I turned my focus to the man before me and couldn’t help the gentle smile that bloomed. I cupped his cheek, rubbing his skin with my thumb. He was so damn special. Why hadn’t I noticed how much I liked him last year? I’d always cared about Jaxon, from the instant I’d first seen him, but why couldn’t I have seen the true depths of my feelings? Maybe I had, but it had scared me. That was possible. Look at me now, terrified to tell him I was in love with him when I knew he cared about me in return.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I replied. Now wasn’t the time. I didn’t want an audience the first time I told him I loved him.

Jaxon nuzzled my forehead. “I’m so happy to be here with you.”

My pulse pounded. “I’m happy to be here with you too. I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else.”

“Good, because I don’t want to share you with anyone else.”

It was like my heart was trying to break out of my chest. “I’m so glad it’s you.”

“Me for what?”

“Everything.” Hand on his shoulder, I simultaneously pulled him down and went onto my toes so I could press a kiss to his lips. This kiss was slow, unhurried, and full of emotion. It was as if I could feel his heart beating in time with mine. In this moment, we were existing as one. I never wanted to be away from him. This might have been fast, and yet it had been a long time in the making.

Apparently, my romantic heart had been waiting for Jaxon and he sure as hell had been worth the wait. He was worth my fear. He was worth taking a chance on. He was worth being brave for. Jaxon was worth everything.

Chapter Thirty-Two

Jaxon

Iscoured my appearance again. My hair was neatly braided, I was wearing my favorite hoodie, and while I was a more sickly shade of lavender-blue than my usual darker purple, my skin was blemish free. All in all, I looked good. It was Chris’s twenty-second birthday, and I wanted him to enjoy it. It was Sunday morning, so he had no practice. He had gone for a run as soon as he’d woken up.

Chris and I had stayed late at the Halloween Ball, dancing, drinking, and laughing. It had been a great night. I’d enjoyed my time with him, though I had enjoyed coming back to our room more. Chris had slowly undressed me, then bent me over my desk chair and fucked me within an inch of my life.

Today, though, I could feel the difference in him. Chris hated his birthday so damn much, but I was going to do my best to make this the best one he’d ever had.

Thankfully, Carter had allowed me to borrow his car, after several threats on my life if I dared return his “baby” with a single scratch on her. It was a damn ancient station wagon, but from how he acted, you’d have thought it was a Ferrari or something. After threatening me about his car, Carter had then threatened me about driving recklessly and hurting Chris. I had to spend nearly an hour convincing Carter that his car and his brother would both be safe in my hands.