The beast and the blessed novel by Ashley Breanne novel Chapter 146

Thirty-Nine: Joselin

Joselin's P.O.V.

My legs were limp noodles beneath me, even hours after my punishment had ended. Tobias had been kind and loving. He drew me a bath, rubbed me down with lotion, carried me downstairs, and sat me at the dining room table with a glass of water.

I watched him closely. Every move he made as he worked around the kitchen to cook us some food was so fluid.

Tobias was so calm and relaxed. It was the most peaceful I had seen him in years, and it made me not want to tell him about my vision until I had to when Rona returned.

The doorbell rang, making Tobias tense, but he ignored it and began to plate our lunch. I had never thought he would enjoy cooking, let alone be so good at it. I also secretly enjoyed that he only cooked for me.

He hated Cyrus, but I had the feeling that even if they were best friends, he wouldn't have cooked for Cyrus last night.

I smiled at him as he placed the bowl in front of me, the chicken and vegetable-covered rice steaming looked delicious, and by the thick sauce over it, I knew it would be sweet.

My eyes closed as he pressed his lips against my head. I couldn’t get enough of this man. His smell engulfed me, and I leaned back, enjoying the heat of his body so close.

The sound of the doorbell chiming again had him growling, storming toward the door. I would have sent them away, forced them off the porch with my magic if I thought it would be okay. But until I moved in, that felt like crossing a line.

He kept to himself, but that didn't mean he didn't have friends who may come over occasionally. There were still things I needed to learn about him and his life.

I leaned to the side, wanting to see who was at the door, but remained seated as I had been instructed when he carried me down here. Instead, his broad back blocked my view from the outside except for two neon pink ballet flats. They were so small; I was sure they were a child's.

But then I heard her voice. It was not the voice of a child. While high-pitched, no kid would talk the way she was.

"Oh, good! You're here! I knew you were because I smelled food, but when you didn't answer the first time, I got a little worried that I missed you again." She spoke in rushed excitement, and I shoved a large bite of my food into my mouth, trying to force it down behind my possessiveness.

Tobias was a big man; he could handle a child-sized woman if he wanted to. Then again, as she pushed past him and entered his house, I felt my energy return tenfold. Who does she think she is?

Her curled blonde hair was loose around her face, and her cheeks were as pink as her lips. She looked flushed, as if she were warm instead of aroused, but a small part of my mind was convinced that the color of her cheeks was because she had touched my mate. Her shoulder and potentially her breast had grazed against him as she forced her way into the house.

I scowled as I examined her. She had a tiny waist with wide hips. Her breasts were so large that I was sure she was top- heavy and would topple over at any moment.

"I have great news for you, and I think you'll be really happy! I haven't seen you smile since we were kids, but this might just do it!" Her head was still turned, staring at him as she walked forward without looking.

I've seen him smile. I've heard him laugh.

She yelped when she bumped into the coffee table, and I couldn't help the smirk that graced my lips.

It only took one look up at my mate to determine that I didn't just dislike her. I hated her. His jaw was clenched, his shoulders and back were tense, his eyes were black, and his hands were in fists. She made him uncomfortable. She ruined his peace.

"Oh!" She chimed, forcing my eyes back to her to find her staring at me with a smile so wide that I hoped she would catch a bug or two in her perfectly straight teeth. "I didn't even see you there! You're as quiet as Tobias is! I love your hair; it's so interesting. How did your eyes get like that?

Gosh, it smells so good in here."

She babbled enthusiastically, and I didn't know what to do. I hated Tobias's name rolling off her lips, and I could see that she wasn't marked when she moved and her hair adjusted.

Just as Tobias wasn't. He had marked me, but I couldn't mark him. The idea of walking right over to Tobias and biting him would have turned me on again if I hadn't been completely depleted of all energy, and there wasn't a colorful Chihuahua of a woman yapping at me.

Her royal blue capris and white and pink blouse made her impossible to miss but way too bright to look at.