The Modern Witch's Guide to Faking It With a Werewolf

Max

I threw another log on the fire, the flames crackling as they licked up the fresh wood. The warmth was almost too much, but I needed something to do with my hands. Dallas had disappeared to explore the rest of the cottage, and it took everything in me to stay rooted in place.

The door to the kitchen creaked open, and Dallas's voice called out, cutting through the silence. "There's champagne and some snacks!" Her tone was light, but then she added, her voice rising with excitement, "And a hot tub. Oh my gosh, come on, Max! We need to get in. I'm still really sticky from that honey."

The thought of her in that hot tub did nothing to calm the storm raging inside me. But before I could even process what she was suggesting, I found myself moving towards the kitchen. She was there, rummaging through the cabinets.

She turned to me, holding two tall glasses, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Come on," she urged, grabbing my hand and pulling me towards the back door. "Don't be weird."

I let out a groan, grabbing my glass of champagne as we stepped outside. The night air was cool, a stark contrast to the warmth of the cottage, and it did little to ease the tension in my chest. Dallas was already at the hot tub, shoving the cover off with a determined push. The steam rose immediately, curling into the night air like a beckoning invitation.

I hesitated at the edge, my eyes scanning the surroundings, looking for something—anything—to focus on that wasn't her. "We don't have suits," I said, the words coming out more as an excuse than an actual concern.

She shot me a mischievous look, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. "We can just skinny dip. I won't tell if you don't." The way her eyes sparkled with mischief was my undoing.

Before I could muster up a coherent objection, she was already pulling her sweater over her head, the fabric slipping off her skin with an ease that sent my pulse racing. A low growl rumbled in my chest, a warning that even I wasn't sure I fully understood. The sight of her standing there, undressing without a second thought, was pushing me dangerously close to the edge.

She caught the sound, her movements pausing as she narrowed her gaze at me, her expression shifting from playful to something more challenging. "Turn around then, don't be a baby, Max."

Reluctantly, I turned around, my hands clenching at my sides as I tried to rein in the wild thoughts racing through my mind. I heard the rustle of clothes behind me, the soft splash of water as she slipped into the hot tub.

"You can turn around now," she said.

I did, slowly, my breath catching in my throat as I took in the sight before me. The steam rose around her in soft, curling tendrils. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head, and she was watching me with a look I couldn't quite decipher—something between amusement and expectation.

"Are you getting in, or are you just going to stand there all night?" she teased, but there was an underlying tension in her words.

There was no way out of this, not without making things even more awkward, so I did the only thing I could. I set my glass down, kicked off my shoes, and pulled my shirt over my head.

Dallas's eyes didn't leave me as I undressed, her gaze steady, unwavering. I could feel the weight of it, the way it made my skin prickle with awareness. It was different from anything we'd ever experienced before—this was. Well I didn't really know what the fuck was happening right now.

When I finally slipped into the water, the heat enveloped me, a stark contrast to the chill of the air. I settled across from her, keeping my distance, but the space between us felt charged, like an invisible thread was pulling us closer.

"This feels amazing," she sighed, leaning back against the edge, her eyes closing as she relaxed into the warmth.

I nodded, my throat too tight to form words. The water lapped gently around us, the only sound the soft bubbling of the hot tub and the occasional sound of wildlife moving through the forest.

We sat in silence for a while, the tension coiling tighter as my eyes raked over her body through the bubbling water.

"Max," she said suddenly, her voice soft, tentative. I looked up, meeting her gaze, and saw the vulnerability there, the same uncertainty that had been gnawing at me all night.

"Yeah?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Do you think two people, that obviously have chemistry can have sex and stay friends?" Her question throws me entirely off balance for a moment and I think for a minute.

Clearly, if the two people she's talking about are us. The answer absolutely fucking not but instead I say, "yes."