by J. L. Weil
Quickly, I realized that I needed to be a little more specific.
Let’s try this again, Google.
This time I typed MOONDUST IN SPELLS and hit enter. Skimming headline after headline, I found nothing of real use that told me what moondust was. But I did get quite acquainted with some wacky spells I contemplating trying, and then I thought better of it. I didn’t want to blow up my house. Ugh. That was the last thing I needed—to be homeless.
By the time I gave up the search, my half-eaten noodles were cold and stuck together. I dropped the bowl into the sink, too drowsy to even clean it off.
Just as I was about to head to the stairs, I heard a rap on the window at the back door. For a startled moment, my heart jumped in my chest. What if it was another witch attempting to chop my head off… or worse? Was there something worse than losing your head?
Peeping around the corner, I saw a shadowy figure through the window. Panic squeezed my ribs. The figure’s head glanced up, and I felt a scream bubble up in the back of my throat. My fingers clenched the wall.
Eyes like dark blue diamonds sparkled through the glass.
“Gavin,” I exhaled.
Chapter 6
“Hey,” he greeted me nonchalantly, like I hadn’t just almost peed myself.
I pulled him inside by the front of his hoodie. “Damn it. You scared the crap out of me.”
Gavin smirked. “Sorry,” he said, though he didn’t look it.
I shut the door and ran my hands up and down my arms. Brr. It was cold outside. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. I hope that’s okay…?”
Um, yeah. “Do you even have to ask?” I slipped into his arms and tipped back my head. “You are not going to believe the kind of day I had.”
He pressed his lips to my right temple and then to my left. “Sophie sort of filled me in. Sounded like… a typical day with my sister.”
Good, because I wasn’t sure I had the energy for a play-by-play of the freakish events. “Remind me to say no next time she wants to hang out.”
He laughed. The sound was a dark zap to the gut—the good, tingling kind.
I yawned. A big, unholy yawn.
“You’re tired. I won’t stay long.” He kissed the tip of my nose.
The problem was that I didn’t want him to leave, but he was right about one thing: I was practically asleep on my feet—and it was entirely Lukas’s fault. If Lukas needed to talk to me, he was going to have to find means besides hijacking my dreams. It was wreaking havoc on my life. My grades were slipping, and my aunt was counting on me to help out at the shop. In short, I needed my beauty rest, and Lukas was just going to have to accept that, or I would push him out if I had to.
I pulled out of Gavin’s arms, stopping at the bottom of the stairs. Resting a hand on the banister, I turned around. “I was just going to bed. You coming?”
He angled his head, and then his lips stretched into a grin. “Thought you’d never ask.”
I paused, waiting for him, and then I slipped my fingers through his as we climbed the stairs, hand in hand. Even as exhausted as I was, I felt giddy. Gavin, in my bedroom, alone—dream come true. And way overdue. We really hadn’t had any “quality time” together, if you get my drift. I was in need of some serious lip-locking.
Pushing him inside my room, I shut the door behind us, softly clicking the lock in place. Insurance, just in case Aunt Clara decided to check on me. I kicked off my shoes. “God, it feels like forever since I’ve seen a bed.”
Gavin backed into the room, grinning, with a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I really hope that is code for something naughty.”
Gathering the ends of my sweater, I raised a brow. His blue eyes deepened, and I lifted my shirt over my head. “Not tonight, Slick,” I said, the corners of my lips curving. I had a tank top on underneath. The teasing had been fun; however, there was a good chance it would backfire on me.
Forcing myself not to laugh at his down-turned lips, I climbed into bed. Gavin slipped under the covers, turning on his side to face me. I closed my eyes, breathing in his warmth. He ran a hand through my tangled hair. I normally brushed it before going to bed, but tonight I was too drained to do my nighttime routine.
When I opened my eyes, I saw that the twinkle in his eyes had faded. “You need to be more careful.”
Not this speech again.
I had a pretty decent-sized bed. When it was just me, I felt like I was swimming in space and blankets, but the moment Gavin got in, it suddenly seemed small. His feet touched the edge of the bed, and Lunar was having none of this sharing. He meowed at us, raised his tail, and left for a more spacious place to doze.
I shifted, resting my head on my hands to meet his stare. “Nothing happened.” Unless you counted Janessa’s creepy freak-out.
His arms slid behind his head. “True, but it got me thinking. I should have gone with you. Nowhere is safe anymore, not with your face and stats on every witch’s Most Wanted.”
“There is no way for you to be by my side 24-7.”
“Wanna bet?” he challenged, going He-Man on me.
I found it kind of hot, but still, his idea of being my shadow was out of the question. “I don’t need a bodyguard.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped. “That is exactly what you need.”
I huffed. “I take it you’ve been giving this a lot of thought?”
“It’s been on my mind a time or two, between trying to weasel information.”
“And what about you? It’s okay for you to go gallivanting in what is dubbed as the witches’ bad part of town? Isn’t your life in danger while you are digging around, asking questions about me?” I thought those were all extremely valid questions. I was a concerned girlfriend.
“I can take care of myself.”
He could be so stubborn. Irritation spiked. I sat up. “And I am just a weak, uneducated witch who can barely cast a proper spell.” Dry lightning cracked.
His eyes flashed like the light I created. “Now you are putting words in my mouth. You know that is not how I think of you.”
How had things gotten so heated so fast? Fighting was taking more energy than I had to give. He was right. That had been a low blow. We both knew that I could do some pretty wicked magic, including the little light show that was going on outside. My eyes traveled to the window, watching the sky light up. “I’m sorry,” I apologized.
Gavin ran his fingers through his dark hair, stretching the material of his cotton shirt taut over the muscles in his chest. “I don’t want to argue; that wasn’t my intent when I came here. I just… missed you.”
What girl on any planet could possibly stay mad after that? Not me. My heart softened and went all mushy. “Me, too.” I reposition myself into his arms, sighing. “Can you get the lights?”
His lips quirked up. “With my hands tied behind my back.”
The room was suddenly engulfed in blackness, except for the occasional flicker of lightning. It was slowly dying, along with my temper. Lying in the dark, I asked, “What do you know about moondust?”
Twisting his head, he looked down at me. “I’ve never heard of it. Why do you ask?”
I shrugged. “It was just something the fortuneteller mentioned.”
He exhaled, running his hand along my spine. “And you think it is important?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s probably nothing. I was mostly curious.”
For a few minutes, a comfortable silence unfolded between us. There was a security and ease I hadn’t felt in a long time that came with being wrapped in Gavin’s arms. Somehow my mind and body knew that, with him sleeping beside me, my dreams would be undisturbed. And I didn’t want him to leave.
Just as I was about to succumb to sleep, I felt Gavin press his lips to my forehead. “Sweet dreams, Bri.”
My eyes fluttered open. I couldn’t believe what I was about to say. “Stay. Don’t leave.” I stretched my arm over his chest, keeping him close.
Winding my arms around his neck, I replied, “Can’t you just make yourself invisible?”
He arched a brow.
“Don’t worry.” I tugged him closer, suddenly not feeling so sleepy. “She goes straight to bed. After the hours she works at the shop, she always falls asleep as soon as her head hits the pillow. Where is your car?”
Even in the dark, I saw his eyes glimmer with desire, doing crazy things to my belly. “On the side of the road.”
I grinned. “Perfect. What about your parents?”
He nibbled on my earlobe. “Jared will cover for me,” he murmured, his breath tickling my ear.
The moment our lips met, static tingled, and I jolted in shock. Our kisses were literally becoming electric. He ran the pad of his thumb over my lips. “That is wildly crazy. You pack quite a punch.”
A short laugh escaped me. “Tell me about it.”
His lips drifted over my cheek. “It’s sexy.”
My eyes wavered shut as he kissed me again, but this time it was soft, heartbreakingly so. But it didn’t take long for the sweet, tender kiss to deepen. We were kissing, really kissing. The I-don’t-need-oxygen kind of kissing. One of his fingers hooked into one of my belt loops, yanking me to him.
My lips parted. With the sweep of my tongue, I took it to a whole new level, evolving the kiss into an explosive hotness. Gavin’s hands moved down to my hips, pulling me underneath him, leaving not even a millimeter of space between us.
His fingers slipped under my tank top, then splayed across my bare stomach. My pulse hammered, and my veins filled with magic. Gavin growled as I scraped his bottom lip with my teeth, sliding my tongue over the silver hoop on his lip.
I was going to lose a lot more than sleep, my shirt, and my sanity, if we kept attacking each other, yet I couldn’t seem to make myself stop. It was a good thing Gavin had control over his hormones, because I was pretty much powerless against mine.
“I have to stop kissing you now, or I won’t be able to later,” he murmured.
I was having a hard time seeing through the lustful haze Gavin had induced, but I groaned because he was right. As much as I really wanted to kick this up to the next mind-blowing level, tonight wasn’t the night. I wanted to be fully aware of every moment, every touch, and every sensation. I wanted to treasure the memory. “I know,” I conceded, but it was hard to get my body to agree.
His eyes darkened to a color deeper than indigo. Voice thick, he said the words that made my heart jump into my throat. “I love you, Bri.”
I nestled my head on his shoulder, laying my hand over his heart. “I love you more,” I mumbled sleepily.
When I was in his arms, it was easy to convince myself that I was hopelessly in love with Gavin. Everything about our being together made sense and felt right—a perfect match.
Chapter 7
Valentine’s Day—barf.
I despise mushy holidays like this one. It was overrated and another excuse to spend money on crap I didn’t need. But for Mystic Floral, it was a jackpot—the busiest freaking day of the year. And I got to work an eight-hour shift. Go me. Good thing I didn’t have any hot plans with my boyfriend.
My cheeks flushed as I leaned on the glass counter, daydreaming about the things he had done with his hands last night. I think I spaced out, because the next thing I knew, Aunt Clara was eyeing me over a banquet of long-stemmed roses, clearing her throat.
“Sorry?” I posed as a question, just in case I was in trouble.
She set the red buds aside, pulling out a pencil from behind her ear. “Bored?”
I shrugged. “Not really, just enjoying the quiet before the storm of chaos strikes.”
“Hmm. That reminds me. Only seven days to go. We need to take a quick inventory and make sure that we are fully stocked for next week.” The end of her pencil tapped on the counter.
I groaned. “Valentine’s sucks.”
She smiled softly at me. “Well, babe, the rest of the world adores love. And so do their wallets.”
I tucked my hair back. “Do you ever get sick of flowers?”
Running a finger along the petals delicately, she got a wistful look. I guess I got my answer. “Honestly, I don’t. The running the business part, sure; it can be overwhelming at times. But the moment I shut myself in the back room, and it’s just me and the sweet smell of freesia, tulips, and daffodils, I forget about everything else. It calms me,” she said.
“I need something like that in my life,” I mumbled.
“We all do. Don’t worry. I have every confidence that you will find what makes you happy.”
Maybe I already had. Using magic—and the ocean—they gave me a tranquility I’d never felt. I must have gotten a goofy look on my face.
Aunt Clara laughed. “And I am not talking about a boy. No matter how magnificent his butt looks in jeans.”
I made a face. “Are we talking about you or me now?”
“Umm. I’m ninety percent sure we were talking about you,” she said.
Narrowing my eyes, I looked at her, really looked at her. Something was different. “Did you get your hair cut?”
“Maybe,” she replied, a hand smoothing down her long hair.
It also looked extra caramel-y. “And highlights? Geez, what’s the special occasion?”
She gave me a dry look even as her eyes shined.
“Oh. Is Chad taking you out for V-day?” I drew air-hearts when I said his name.
Aunt Clara giggled. She giggled!
Apparently someone had been struck by Cupid’s arrow—in a bad way. “Possibly,” she said, busying her hands with the roses.
I screwed up my face.
She shook her head, her hair falling over her shoulder. “How did I end up with such an anti-romantic niece?”
Leaning back on the stool, I replied, “It just seems like such a gigantic waste for one day. I don’t need flowers, chocolates, or candles to feel loved. You should be able to feel it in the little things that cost nothing. Like a hug or a kiss…”
This earned me a grin. “I see. So I can assume then that you and Gavin don’t have any romantic plans?”
I rolled my eyes. “I hope he saves us both the embarrassment.”
She flicked the end of my nose. “By the way, just so I know… have you and Gavin been doing a lot of, you know… kissing?”
My cheeks flamed an ungodly shade of red. “Ugh. We are not having this talk at work, are we?”
Grabbing a pair of shears from one of the drawers, she began to trim the stems off the roses. “Hmm. I guess not. So that is a yes?”
I dropped my head into my hands.
She laughed, turning around and leaning against the counter. “So I’ve been meaning to ask you how things are going with Gavin and Lukas?”
My heart pitter-pattered. “Can I plead the fifth?”
“And here I was under the impression that you had that all squared away. You are dating Gavin, right?”
Technically, yes. But it is little more complex than that, Aunt Clara. You see, I am sharing dreams with one and making out with the other, but my heart is conflicted. I am mixing up love for a friend with the real thing. Got any advice for that? I smiled. “Yeah, Gavin and I are dating.”
“And you and Lukas are…?” She left the sentence open for me to finish.
Somehow I knew before I even opened my mouth, my answer was going to bite me in the butt. “Friends?” That was the most pathetic response. I cringed.
Concern flickered over her pretty face. “You don’t need to convince me, Brianna. You need to convince yourself.”
I sighed heavily. She was right. Someday I was going to be able to make decisions without second-guessing myself. I was going to have the confidence to make the right choices—possibly when my life wasn’t so complicated.
Who was I kidding?
My life was always going to be a mess. Unless
, of course, I laced up my pointy boots, put on my black hat, and got this witch crap down pat. Do I embrace it or hide from it? I had been struggling with that decision all year.
The deeper I got in magic business, the scarier I became. It frightened me to think of the kind of person I might become if I fully accepted my fate as a witch. There was still this pinch of darkness inside me from when I had taken the tiniest bit of Gavin’s magic.
On the other hand, if I turned away from my powers, would I risk losing Gavin? Would I lose a part of myself that I had only just found? Now that I have tapped into this part of me, I wasn’t sure I could just turn it off or walk away. I had unlocked a piece that was tied to my birthright. By refusing it, I felt like I would be rejecting my parents.
The door chimed, and my aunt’s face lit up. I figured it was Chad, so I didn’t bother to look and kept twiddling with the pen in my hand. When I felt the undeniable tingles of a witch, my head snapped up. Gavin. I hadn’t expected to see him so soon, especially since we spent the night together.
My heart somersaulted and fireflies started to prance in my belly.
“Your ears must be ringing. Brianna and I were just talking about you,” Aunt Clara said as Gavin walked further into the shop.
He had a cat-caught-the-mouse grin on his lips. “Should I be worried?” he teased.
I steadied my hand on the counter. It was all I could do to keep from falling out of my chair. His dark hair was windblown and utterly sexy, and he made jeans look sinful.
Aunt Clara gathered her newly-cut roses in her arms. “Good luck with this one, Gavin. She’s a cynic.” Then she disappeared to her workroom to do what she did best.
I faced Gavin, sapphire eyes twinkling at me. Propping a hip against the counter, his fingers danced over my open palm, drawing circles. “So I was thinking for Valentine’s D—”
I let out a long, loud groan before he even finished the word.
His brows rose. “I am guessing by the ghastly look on your face, you hate all things Valentine’s.”
I stood up from my seat. “See, you totally get me.”