Free Bewitched, Bothered, and Bitten by C.C. Wood Page A

hands cupping my jaw, that I realized the shrieks were coming from my throat.
    I choked on the scream, cutting it off, refusing to let it loose again. Instead, I whimpered. I hated the pitiful sounds escaping from my mouth, but I couldn’t seem to stop.
    Finn released my face and wrapped his arms around me, dragging me into his lap. I pressed my forehead into his neck, trying to gain control over myself. He rocked me, rubbing my back gently. I felt wetness trickle down my face and knew I was crying.
    “It’s a dream, Kerry. Just a dream.”
    I took a deep breath that caught in my throat and I hiccupped. I tried to calm down enough to remember what the dream had been about, but it was no use. All that remained in my memory was a black void.
    After a long while, I finally relaxed against his body.
    Still stroking my back, Finn asked, “Do you remember what the dream was about?”
    I shook my head.
    “Do you want some water?”
    Again I shook my head and burrowed closer.
    Finn maneuvered us so that we were back beneath the blankets and my back was to his front. Then he surrounded me. There was no other word for it. His long arms wrapped around me, one under my body, the other coming over my ribcage. Then he moved so close that I was plastered to him from the crown of my head to my feet.
    We didn’t speak anymore, which was a relief. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to think. The slow tempo of his breath helped me sink deeper into relaxation. I dozed, never completely awake or asleep, until dawn. I could tell by the looseness of his body that Finn was sleeping soundly. Unable to stand lying in bed any longer, I decided to get up and let him rest.
    Moving slowly, I slid out of bed, shivering at the chill in the air. Both fires must have gone out last night and I hadn’t thought to turn on the furnace. I snagged a pair of thick flannel pants and socks from a basket of clean laundry and crept out of the room. I was surprised that Finn didn’t wake up.
    I moved downstairs on silent feet, avoiding the steps that squeaked. Once in the living room, I switched my shorts for the pajama pants and pulled on the thick, fluffy socks. Already feeling somewhat warmer, I went to the large fireplace and poked at the ashes. The fire was completely dead.
    I tried to be quiet as I scooped out the ashes and started a new fire. Within a few minutes, it was crackling steadily, the flames growing bigger and brighter. After I was satisfied that it wouldn’t go out, I rose from my crouch next to the hearth and headed into the kitchen. I was in desperate need of caffeine. The stress and lack of sleep from last night were taking their toll.
    As I prepped the old fashioned percolator, I heard the sounds of Finn moving around upstairs. I lit one of the gas burners on the stove and set the percolator on it. While I waited for the coffee to finish, I set a pan on the stove to fry bacon but didn’t turn on the burner yet. I required coffee before I would have the ability to concentrate on cooking.
    Though I wasn’t very hungry, I needed to eat and Finn was a big guy. Even if he didn’t need blood this morning, he had to have food for fuel. Funneling the amount of magic I’d used last night took a toll on me. I might not be a skinny girl, but that sort of casting depleted my entire body and mind.
    The coffee was just beginning to perk when Finn came down the stairs, wearing only a pair of mud-stained jeans. He had my cell phone in his hand.
    Pausing by the counter, Finn tilted his head and ran his eyes over me. “How are you feeling this morning?” he asked.
    “Tired and sore.” I was tired from lack of sleep and sore from our joint activities after our showdown in my yard last night.
    For the first time, Finn didn’t smirk when I made a reference to sex. Instead, he glanced over at the stove and was visibly surprised when he saw the enameled percolator there. “Is that…”
    I smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah. My mom always said