Night Witch (Weatherstone College, #2)(14)

A shiver traced down my spine, and I glanced over my shoulder. “Misti . . . ?” She had a name like a pet . . . only there was nothing domesticated about this creature. I could see the wild energy in her gaze as she watched us.

She got to her feet and stretched languidly, and I found myself breathlessly waiting for her next move. Turned out, it was morning scratches behind the ears. She prowled forward, headbutting my hand. “Hello, pretty girl,” I crooned, my fear fading as she purred. “You’re just perfect, aren’t you. A pretty baby girl.”

Logan chuckled from behind me. “Never thought I’d be jealous of a cougar, but here we are.”

I shot a knowing look. “You want to be a good boy, Logan Kingston? You need some praise in your life?”

His eyes darkened as his chest rumbled. “You’re playing with fire, baby. But I can definitely be a very good boy for you.”

Fuuuck. Well . . . that backfired.

Returning my attention to Misti, I scratched her until she was on her back, purring and pawing gently at me. “Trust you to tame the wild beast,” Logan said, watching us both. “Misti is not bonded to me, but she comes around every now and then. I have no idea where she goes when she’s not here though.”

He was wearing an adorable lopsided smile that only added to his sexiness. I’d never seen him rumpled and half asleep, and his full lips were so close that I only had to lift my head an inch to touch them.

Drawn to his power, I almost kissed him, before he brushed his hand along my cheek. “That was your phone ringing before,” he told me, and I jolted at his words. “I brought it up last night. You should check your messages.”

Oh shit.

Mom would be wondering where I was, since I hadn’t come home last night or called in this morning. I also needed to make sure Sara was okay.

Logan clouded my mind until I forgot anyone else in the world existed. Which was dangerous for more than just me.

Grabbing my phone, I swiped a finger to unlock it and groaned at the multiple messages and missed calls. My ass was in big trouble.

Logan pulled himself out of the bed and opened the blinds with the press of a button. As the morning sun filtered in, I sensed he was done being my sweet spellcaster. His expression remained carefully blank as he rubbed his hand across Misti, before opening the door so she could head out of the room.

When he entered the bathroom, I let out a sad huff and called my mom. It rang twice before she growled down the line. “Paisley Hallistar, you better be in the hospital.”

I managed to swallow my laughter, lest I fanned her current anger into a volcano of rage. “Mom, shit, I’m so, so sorry. Sara and I got a little hammered last night and ended up at a hotel. We didn’t want to navigate across town so drunk.”

It was a reasonably safe lie, because as I’d dialed Mom, I’d noticed a text from Sara saying she was at a hotel and safe in all ways except for her vagina. Which was about to be demolished. Her words, not mine.

“Honey, you know we have one rule about nights out. You have to let us know if you’re not coming home, so we don’t freak out and think you’ve been murdered.”

“I know, and it won’t happen again. I’m sorry I stressed you out with everything else that’s going on.”

She paused, breathing deeply. “It’s okay. I understand your need to escape for a few hours. As long as you’re safe, then we’re all good. Will you be coming home soon?”

“Yep,” I said, resigned to the fact that my time with Logan was coming to an end.

“Okay, good.” I could hear her relief. “We need to pack for a few nights in the city for Dad’s trial. It starts tomorrow, but they’re expecting it to run for at least three days.”

Three fucking days for a simple expulsion from Weatherstone. This entire charade was outrageous.

I kept my thoughts to myself because she was already worried enough. “Okay, Mom. I’ll see you soon. Love you.”

“I love you too, Paisley.”

The line went dead, and I let out a low breath of frustration. For one brief night, consumed by Logan Kingston, I’d forgotten that my family’s entire future rested on this trial—which probably wouldn’t go well because Dad was guilty of what they accused him of.

I couldn’t understand why anyone cared though.

The bathroom door opened and broke me from my darker thoughts. I lifted my head to find Logan in a white towel, which contrasted against his gorgeous jewel-toned tattoos.

“Everything okay?” he asked, and I was happy to see that he wasn’t completely icing me out.

“Just Dad’s trial tomorrow,” I said shortly, pulling myself out of bed. Logan’s shirt brushed my bare legs and I tried not to remember the way his hard thigh had pressed against my center. “I need to get home.”

He nodded. “I’ll take you.”

When I entered the bathroom, I closed the door so I could pee and brush my teeth. Retrieving my dress from last night, I slipped it on but left my panties in Logan’s wash basket.

No way was I putting on dirty underwear, not even at the risk of flashing the world my goods.

When I stepped out, I had the shirt in my hands. “Here’s your shirt. Don’t say I never return your clo . . .” I trailed off as I noticed the view outside the windows.