by Nicole Hall
He sounded so sad all of a sudden that Charlotte didn’t want him to finish the story. “You don’t have to tell me the rest. I don’t mind you being grumpy.”
He laughed again. “I never know what’s going to come out of your mouth. I like it.” He paused, and she might as well have been glowing again. “She was with another guy. Screaming his name while she wore my ring.”
Charlotte grimaced. “Sounds like she wasn’t nearly good enough for you.”
“You got that right. I turned around and dropped her. Let her keep the ring. She sent me one text message that said she didn’t want a stupid, small-town redneck after all. I guess I’ve been grumpy ever since.”
“I’m sorry that happened to you.”
“Me too.” Another short pause, then he surprised her with a question. “Why don’t you leave your apartment?”
She chewed on her bottom lip before deciding to answer. “I have a lot of trouble following directions or understanding how I’m supposed to react to random people.”
“You were like that in high school. What changed?”
“I didn’t have a choice about being social in high school. After we graduated, Keely left. Then after the utter disaster that was college, my parents died. They left me a trust that supports me. I get my groceries delivered. Amazon for everything else. Why force myself to leave if I can stay here and avoid all the people in public?”
“Don’t you get lonely?”
Hard yes, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit that. “Sometimes, but I have my art, my computer, and I talk to Keely every day.”
“Don’t you want to meet someone and do all the marriage and kids things Keely’s always talking about?”
“Don’t you?”
He was silent for a second. “Fair enough.”
Her eyes drifted closed again, and she snuggled a little closer to Brandon. It was nice talking to someone who didn’t judge her. If she wasn’t careful, she could get used to having him around.
Charlotte had one of those glorious mornings where she opened her eyes and was instantly awake. The sun was shining, and the tree outside her window was casting lacy shadows on her bed.
Which she wasn’t alone in.
At some point in the night, she’d wrapped herself around Brandon on top of the sheets. One of his arms was around her waist holding her tight against him. Her head was on his shoulder, her leg tangled with his, one arm across his tight abs, and his fingers were twisted in her hair. She tried not to move, but the unmistakable feel of him hard against her thigh made her want to rub against him.
Heat flooded her, and his grip on her hair tightened. Charlotte sucked in a breath and slowly looked up. His eyes were open and blazing as she met his gaze. Under her cheek, his heartbeat sped up. Her lips parted. She’d thought he’d wanted to kiss her the night before, but there was no questioning it now.
He gave her plenty of time to move, but she knew exactly what she wanted as he leaned down. She pushed up to meet him halfway, and he hauled her more fully on top of him. His hand in her hair kept her still while his tongue swept against hers. It was like someone put a live wire to all the sensitive parts of her body. She mindlessly arched into him and dimly thought this was what kisses were supposed to be. His groan vibrated against her lips.
She ran her hand up his bare chest, enjoying the warm skin over solid muscles. He released her hair and skimmed down her back, leaving a trail of fire in his wake. He splayed his fingers at the small of her back and rocked against her. Charlotte moaned and tilted her hips so he could hit her in just the right spot when he did it again.
His hand drifted lower, delving under her pajamas and undies and sliding them down. The feel of cool air brushing her bare butt disrupted her haze. Brandon was under her, kissing her, touching her, and she wasn’t dreaming. She broke the kiss and pushed against his chest. He immediately let her go, but Charlotte needed to get away.
“I’m sorry. That was a mistake. I’m sorry.” They were tangled in the sheets, so when she rolled off the bed, she took most of them with her. She hopped backward on one foot to the bathroom, kicking until the fabric released her. Brandon leaned on one elbow and watched her go with a small smile.
“I’m sorry.” The smile faded as she shut the bathroom door firmly between them. Charlotte leaned back and slid down the wood until she was sitting on the cool tile. The bed squeaked, and Brandon’s footsteps approached the bathroom instead of running the other way.
“Charlotte, come out.”
She didn’t know what to say, but nothing could be worse than the look of pity she was sure was on his face. At least if she stayed in the bathroom for the rest of her life, she’d never have to see it.
The doorknob rattled and she grabbed it before he could turn it all the way. “I need some alone time.”
“Look, I’m not going to barge in there, but I want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am not okay.”
She heard a thump that sounded suspiciously like his head hitting the door. “You can’t say stuff like that and then refuse to open the door.”
“I can do whatever I want. It’s my house.”
“What’s wrong?”
She laughed without humor. “I apparently can’t keep my hands to myself. Turns out you were right to be wary.”
Another thump. “Charlotte, I was kidding last night. I was deflecting because I really wanted your hands on me.”
She stopped berating herself and hope filled her. “What?”
“I’d think it was obvious from my reaction this morning, but my new favorite way to wake up is with you draped over me half-naked.”
She stood and tried not let self-doubt creep in. “I wasn’t half-naked.”
“Honey, what you’re wearing barely qualifies as pajamas. I’m not complaining. Let me make that abundantly clear. Will you come out now please?”
“So you can ogle my pajamas?”
“Yes. And because I want to see your face when I tell you this next part.”
His voice was gentle but there was a wicked undertone that sent shivers racing across her skin. She pulled the door open a crack and peeked her head through. Brandon was standing right on the other side.
He put a hand on the frame and leaned forward. “I’m planning to get you all the way naked as soon as we deal with the imp.”
Heat rushed up her cheeks as he held her gaze. “That’s pretty straightforward of you.”
“I feel like you don’t deal well with subtlety.”
She nodded slowly, then her eyes widened as the rest of his sentence sank in. “Rav. I totally forgot about her.”
She rushed past him into the bedroom and sank to her hands and knees to search the dark confines of the laundry basket. Nothing.
The imp was gone.
Charlotte found a spot where the wicker had been chewed through to create a small hole. She looked over her shoulder to find Brandon staring at her butt. It sent a thrill through her to know he really was attracted, but she needed him to focus.
“Can you try the door?”
His eyes shot up to her face, and he didn’t look even a little embarrassed to be caught. The knob turned, and the door opened smoothly. Charlotte hauled herself up and readjusted her pajamas to cover the good bits.
“Looks like we’re all free.”
Charlotte sighed at her ruined laundry basket. She’d liked that one. If Rav had locked them in last night, she was more than capable of freeing herself without destroying anything. It was probably more payback for trapping her in the first place.
“Okay, go check the living room. I need to put on some real clothes.”
He turned to leave and she thought he muttered too bad. She’d deal with Brandon and his announcement later. For now, she needed to find her lost imp.
It took a few minutes to change, but Brandon wasn’t in the living room when she opened the door. It was still a mess with charred book pieces scattered all over the water-stained floor. Rav ha
d been there. She’d torn what little paper was left to small shreds and spread them about like confetti. Charlotte groaned. This was why she didn’t have any pets. She poked the cow mug with the toe of her sock.
Somehow, she didn’t see herself drinking chocolate milk out of it in the mornings anymore. Best to toss everything and scrub the floors. Charlotte looked up as a quiet crunch came from the kitchen followed by the sound of the refrigerator door closing. Was Brandon raiding her fridge?
She turned the corner and almost ran into him. He was leaning against the doorframe, watching Rav reach shoulder-deep into a box of crackers. After the chaos of the living room, she wasn’t sure what she’d find in the kitchen, but everything was clean and gleaming in the morning sun. The storm must have passed while they were sleeping.
Next to the crackers was a glass bottle of single-serve Frappuccino with the lid off.
“Hey, my coffee.” She started forward, but Brandon extended an arm to stop her.
“She’s had a hard night. Why not let her indulge a little?”
She goggled at him. “You want to give the imp who magically locked us in the room last night espresso and sugar?”
He shrugged. “When I tried to get closer, she growled at me.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Rav?” The imp looked up and smiled at her. The fangs weren’t nearly so scary in the daytime. They were tiny anyway, hardly big enough to pierce skin. The gnawed through laundry basket flashed across her mind, and Charlotte pushed the image aside. She refused to be scared of a creature who was smiled at her so much.
Rav reached into the box again and pulled out a fresh cracker, then offered it to Charlotte. She raised a brow at Brandon, who lowered his arm with a skeptical look. “If she bites you, it’s not my fault. You don’t know what imps eat.”
“Beside crackers and expensive coffee?”
He shrugged. She took a few steps into the room and crouched down in front of Rav and her breakfast.
“Look, I’m not sure if you understand me, but I’m going to try this anyway.” Charlotte spoke slowly in a low tone, like she did to her neighbor’s daughter who she suspected of being part mongoose. Rav lowered the cracker and cocked her head.
“You can’t stay here. In this world I mean. You need to go back where you came from.” Charlotte made shooing motions with her hands and Rav mimicked them. “Right, go home.” She nodded, then Rav nodded and smiled.
Charlotte stared at her for a second. “I could have sworn she understood me last night.”
Rav blinked. Charlotte was on her own. Brandon came to stand next to her, and Rav hissed at him before nearly sticking her whole head into the coffee. He laughed, and Charlotte shook her head.
Maybe she wasn’t as alone as she thought.
Two hours and several mimed conversations later, Charlotte walked into Over the Hill Antiques with Rav zipped into her purse and babbling happily. She held the door open for an elderly couple exiting and prayed that their hearing was bad. From the strange look the woman was giving her purse, God was thwarting her again today.
Brandon’s hand on the small of her back urged her into the store. “I can’t believe it took us over an hour to find this place.”
“I can’t believe you made us wait while you traded your motorcycle for your car.”
Brandon sighed. “I’m not about to put you on a motorcycle with a sugar-crazed magical creature strapped across your chest.”
“I told you. The cat carrier was too obvious. This purse was the best I could do on short notice.”
She could see his point, but if he was going to complain about time, then so was she. She’d bought the book in this store yesterday, so technically it was their fault she’d accidentally conjured an imp. Books like that should come with warning labels. At the very least, they should help her find a way to send Rav back.
The store was musty but bright. The entire front wall consisted of windows covered in paint. Buy, Sell, Trade in large, bright orange letters to the left. The name and address of the store in curvy black letters to the right. Too bad Halloween was months ago.
The store stretched back past rows and rows of unorganized junk usually found at garage sales. Dress forms, kettles, half a chess set. Charlotte shook her head and tried not to touch anything. In the back was the sales counter, manned by an old-fashioned push button register on top of a glass case of costume jewelry.
Behind the counter sat the same two ladies that were there before. Both appeared to be in their late fifties and were wearing long flowing dresses with bell sleeves. One was tall and statuesque. The other was short and reminded Charlotte of the Strawberry Shortcake doll that she’d lost decades ago.
Charlotte jostled her purse to quiet Rav and stepped up to the counter.
“Excuse me. I bought a book here yesterday, and I’m having a bit of trouble with it.”
The taller of the two spoke first. “I’m sorry, young lady, but all sales are final.”
“No, you don’t understand. I don’t want to return it. I couldn’t even if I wanted to, but I was hoping maybe you had another one or maybe the name of the person who sold it to you so I could contact them?” Charlotte held her breath as the women looked at each other.
“What book was it?” This time the shorter one spoke. Her smile made Charlotte clutch the purse a little tighter.
Charlotte chewed on her bottom lip. “Modern Magic. It was leather-bound, and it had a bunch of weird symbols on both covers.”
Another shared look.
A twinge of uneasiness crept up Charlotte’s spine when the women turned back to her. The tall one was smiling now too, but her cheeks were stretched and thin as if she was out of practice.
“I think we can help you. Tell us, what exactly is your problem?”
Rav chose that moment to decide she wanted out of the purse. She started scratching and biting and hissing, causing the purse to jump around on its own. Charlotte faked a cough and hunched over it, squeezing the purse between her arm and side.
Brandon took over the conversation and nudged her ankle with his foot. She couldn’t tell if it was an I told you so or a get control of the crazy imp, but neither message was particularly helpful. Her throat was getting raw from the fake coughs, but poking the bag didn’t seem to calm Rav down. A light smack did the trick though. She whispered a quick sorry and felt Brandon’s hand circle her wrist.
When she straightened back up, both women were staring at her purse with beady, hawk-like eyes. The short one started talking, but Charlotte wasn’t listening. She was watching the tall one make her way around the corner of the case, never taking her eyes off of Charlotte’s purse. Rav said a couple of words in her imp language and for once Charlotte picked up the meaning right away. Run.
Brandon must have gotten the same message because he quickly outpaced her, pulling her forward by her wrist. Fear made her graceful as she raced for the entrance, dodging the racks of junk and knick-knacks cluttered in the store. A curse and the shatter of breaking glass told Charlotte those old ladies were chasing them through their own store regardless of their stock and other customers.
Brandon and Charlotte burst through the door as Rav figured out how to work the zipper from the inside. The imp popped out of her purse, hissed at the women behind them, then burrowed back under the wallet and cell phone. Luckily no one was on the street to see that little demonstration, but from the shrieks behind her, the old women had seen the lithe purple body.
They took off down the street, but it was several blocks to the car. Charlotte rounded a corner breathing hard and slipped on a pile of pine needles. She would have face-planted right into the concrete if Brandon hadn’t spun around to catch her at the last second. The guy had superhuman reflexes.
He flashed her a smile and proceeded to half carry her the rest of the way to his car, where he unceremoniously tossed her into the passenger seat. She glanced at the side mirror and saw the old ladies hobbling up the sidewalk after them. But Brandon was f
aster. He hopped in, started the car, and pulled out into traffic in front of a white minivan.
She put on her seat belt and sucked in air for a minute. When her heart crawled down out of her throat, she flopped her head sideways to face Brandon. He looked completely relaxed.
“Are you secretly a superhero?”
He flashed an amused look at her. “I can’t share that information.”
“How are you so calm and not breathing hard?”
“We only ran like two blocks. From some old ladies. It wasn’t exactly dangerous.”
“That was more cardio than I normally get in a year.”
He checked her over again, more slowly this time, and his eyes lingered on her face. “You okay?”
“Watch the road. I’m fine, just out of shape.”
With his gaze forward again, Charlotte curled up and looked her fill. She’d never had anyone catch her when she was falling before. It was a nice change to have someone she could lean on, but how long before he got tired of the weirdness and left?
The trees passed in a blur behind him, but she recognized the odd little gas station turned taco place as they drove by it. In the opposite direction of her apartment.
“Where are we going?”
“Back to your place, eventually.”
“Eventually?”
“Yeah, I’m going to take the long route.”
So much for not dangerous. Even Brandon recognized that there was something wrong with the whole exchange with the old ladies. Charlotte checked on Rav and found her curled up in one corner of the purse, snoring lightly. Her hands were tucked under her cheek and her tail twitched occasionally. Charlotte was glad Rav hadn’t been hurt by the encounter. She closed the zipper again and set it on the leather seat next to her.
The car was warm from the sun, and the noise and vibration made her sleepy. After a minute, Charlotte’s eyes drifted closed. Rav had the right idea, and she hadn’t slept very well the night before. A lot of strange dreams that involved a shirtless Brandon. She struggled against the weight of sleep.