Page 43 of Infernal Bonds

“What?” I wasn’t at all embarrassed about the volume of my voice. Ezra had the nerve to insinuate that. “Are you insane?” I turned my glare on him.

He continued to stare at me in that cold, detached way. “It’s a reasonable question.”

“Reasonable?” I scoffed.

“You haven’t been intimate with Zeke, and Ash isn’t home, yet you smell like this.”

“Like what?”

Zeke cleared his throat and took a long drink of his water.

“Have you forgotten that we can smell when you’re aroused?”

I whirled around in my seat to stare at Ezra in shock.

“First of all, what the hell does being a-aroused have to do with drugs? And second of all—” I groaned and slumped back, dragging my hands down my face. “Why is it so hot?”

I moaned when a cool palm touched my forehead.

The relief hit so hard it almost hurt.

I turned into the touch before I could stop myself.

“She’s feverish,” Ezra said.

I groaned in discomfort when the touch disappeared. “Put it back.”

I wasn’t above admitting his hand felt incredible on my skin.

Zeke asked, “Put what back?”

“Hand.”

Ezra’s cool hand returned. I knew it was him. The touch felt the same. Did he want to touch me? A pulse thrummed between my legs at the thought.

“Stop touching her,” Cyn groused, and I opened my eyes. He dropped into his seat. “What the fuck is wrong with her?”

He sounded like his usual surly self, but he looked concerned.

“I don’t know,” Ezra said, his voice a lot closer than before.

I rolled my head to the side and found that he’d slid his seat over next to me. “Hi,” I whispered.

He started to lower his hand, but I grabbed it, holding it against my skin.

“What have you consumed today?” He grasped my hand when I trailed my fingertips along his palm against my forehead, holding it in his. “Raelynn. Focus.”

Cyn slammed his elbows on the table, holding his head. “How can anyone focus with that smell everywhere?”

I leaned toward Ezra, but he steadied me back into my chair.

Did he not want me? I thought he did. He watched me with Ash.

“Don’t upset her,” Zeke said quietly.

Cyn looked at him. “Upset her?”

“Her scent changed.”