Read Online Irresistible Magic by Deanna Chase - Free Book Online Page B

hadn’t forgotten our plans for the evening and neither had I. Of course, now we were banned from going anywhere accept Tal’s apartment.
    Oh crap. Our first date and we’d be alone at his place.
    My heart started to beat erratically and my breathing turned uneven. What would he do? What would I do? Hell, I wanted him. Badly. But when we took our relationship further it would change everything. Was I ready for that? Tal gave me a worried glance. I shook my head, indicating I was fine. But I was far from it. A swarm of butterflies had taken up residence in my chest.
    Harrison checked a text on his phone and then, without a word, stepped outside. The door shut silently behind us and waiting at the curb was Tal’s new black truck. The four of us climbed in with me and Link sandwiched between the two of them.
    “So,” I said, “your place?”
    Tal took off, clutching the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. A few moments later, he purposely relaxed his grip. He reached out and placed a light hand just above my knee. “Sorry. It’s not much of a date.”
    A smile tugged at my lips. “I’m sure we can think of something to salvage it.”
    He let out a surprised laugh. “You think so, huh?”
    Heat crawled up my neck, but I smiled at him and tried to forget Harrison was privy to this conversation. “We’ll figure something out.”
    “No doubt,” he said in a low seductive voice. “But dinner first.”
    We were quiet the rest of the way to his apartment. Tal turned right off St. Charles. Another right and then a left and we were pulling into the long driveway of a large, unfamiliar French colonial home that appeared to be converted into multiple apartments. So this was where he’d chosen to live. It was gorgeous. He pulled around to the back and parked next to a red Saturn SUV.
    All four of us climbed out, and without even so much as a good-night, Harrison disappeared, presumably to find a good stakeout spot. I breathed a sigh of relief.
    “Fancy place,” I said, glancing up at the three-story home and admiring the multitude of bay windows and intricate moldings.
    “It’s a one-bedroom,” Tal said.
    I lifted an eyebrow. “Who gets the bed?”
    A gleam lit his green eyes. “We’ll negotiate after dinner.”
    I took his hand and let him guide me to the stairs. Nervous anticipation sent blood rushing to my head. For the first time, his flirting actually meant something. When we were in the friend zone, Tal had been quick to flirt, but anything that was too overtly relationshipy, like helping me with my coat or holding my hand, had been off-limits. It had been a line we’d drawn and neither of us had dared to cross it…until last week when Tal hadn’t been able to handle the thought of David and me together. Tal had finally admitted his feelings for me. Everything was new, but also familiar. It was odd. Not uncomfortable, just different.
    “So,” I said as we climbed the back stairs. “You said something about dinner. Does this mean you cook now? Or am I going to have a frozen dinner forced on me?”
    He placed a hand on his chest and gave me a wounded look. “Ouch. If you must know, I have learned a few useful things.”
    “In the kitchen?” I teased.
    He gave me a sly grin and stuffed a key into his door. A second later he pulled me into his kitchen, slamming the door behind us. He lifted me easily and placed me on the counter, moving to position himself between my legs. Leaning in, he brushed his lips along my jawline and trailed soft kisses to that sensitive place just beneath my ear.
    “Hmm,” I murmured, my skin tingling all the way to my toes. He could do that forever and I’d die a happy fae. “That’s nice.”
    He lifted his head, his intense gaze searing into mine. Then he placed both hands on either side of my face and moved in. My nervousness came rushing back. Not from the physical act, but from the desire and intense need to belong to Talisen. To give him that part of me