Page 146 of Infernal Bonds

“Back then, there was a vallant who wanted to destroy the council and take over. Like all vallants, he excelled in manipulating magic, but his specialty was glamors and illusions.”

I reached for the towel with shaking fingers, gripping it to keep from breaking the counter as anger and anxiety warred inside me.

“Ever since I found out the truth—that he’d used a glamor to disguise one of his sympathizers as my mom and kidnapped me—I haven’t been able to trust anyone the same way again.”

Raelynn slumped against the counter, not saying a word.

I didn’t want her to say anything. I was giving her the rawest piece of me—the only thing I could give her. I didn’t need her words or pity.

“It’s why I hate illusion magic. It almost destroyed my family.” I tossed the towel onto the counter and crossed to the cupcakes, sliding the tins over. “It took me away from Zeke.”

She turned to face the cupcakes, still quiet but making it clear she wanted to stay and finish what we’d started.

I hoped telling her the truth would help her see why I hadn’t trusted her at first, and how finding out her family had used glamours on their kids made that distrust grow into a rift between us.

It didn’t excuse the way I’d acted, but I’d keep trying to make it up to her. Whatever it took.

Zeke cared about her, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care about her too.

I finished securing the piping bag with the special tip and got into position. “You’re going to start in the center of the cupcake and apply medium pressure, swirling outward and up, like this.” I used the nearest cupcake to show her what to do, then passed her the bag. “Now you try.”

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You can. Just mimic what I did.”

Her teeth sank into her lower lip as she concentrated, swirling the next cupcake. “It’s messy.”

“It’s fine. Keep trying.” I stepped behind her, looking over her shoulder.

I couldn’t bring myself to let her go. Given what I’d done, I doubted she’d still have me. But until she told me she wanted to break the tether completely, I wouldn’t stop trying.

I placed my hand over hers, altering her starting position. “Try from this angle.”

She swirled the frosting on the cupcake, and it looked a lot like the one I’d frosted. “That looks better.”

“See? Told you you could do it.”

I watched her continue decorating the cupcakes, moving closer until my body pressed against her back. Goose bumps peppered her neck when my breath brushed across her skin. “What are you doing?”

“Keep going.” I kissed the soft spot beneath her ear and rested my hand on her hip, slipping my thumb beneath her blouse to tease the skin of her side while she worked.

After a few more minutes, she finished the last cupcake and sighed, setting the piping bag on the counter.

“Good job,” I whispered against her neck.

I hadn’t made it easy on her, but I needed to touch her.

If she didn’t want me here, she’d tell me. Raelynn never shied away from saying when she wanted me to fuck off. Instead, the room had filled with the scent of apple crisp and ripe plums, while her breathing became labored and her skin flushed.

I decided to take another chance and stepped back, giving her an out. I braced for rejection even though her body said she wanted me.

She turned around and looked up at me, her blown pupils nearly swallowing the stormy color of her irises.

I took a step toward her and touched her stomach with my fingertips. “I want you,” I whispered, hating how vulnerable my voice sounded.

This woman had me wrapped around her finger, and I didn’t know how she’d done it. I wasn’t sure I cared anymore.

She put her hand over mine and dragged it down to slide beneath her shirt, never taking her eyes off mine.