A couple minutes later—true to Willow’s word—she emerged from her bedroom looking more beautiful than ever, though she probably wouldn’t believe him. Her dark locks framed her face perfectly. Smoky make-up had her dark green eyes standing out. Deep red, bow-shaped lips begged him for kisses. The dress hugged her curves beautifully, and she’d even put on a pair of sexy black heels that showcased her legs.
Holy fuck! He had never seen her wear heels before. Who would have known something as simple as seeing her toned calves would be such a turn on?
His gaze coasted up her body, his eyes landing on the moonstone resting against her dress. It glowed in the soft light in the room. Calling him closer. Tempting him to pull her against him in order to lay butterfly kisses across her luminescent skin.
“Do I look okay?” She asked and bit her lower lip.
Cedric swallowed his groan and ignored the throbbing arousal coursing through his blood. “Beautiful.”
She let out a pent up breath and smiled. He didn’t know what she had to worry about. She was breathtaking. “Thank you,” she said. “Are you ready to go?”
He nodded and she headed for the door. As she reached for her keys, something he’d never seen on her before caught his eye.
He walked up behind her and ran his hand up her right arm. The branches of a tree spread over the soft round cap of her shoulder and crept down onto her arm. Small red flowers stood out against her pale skin. “When did you get this? And why haven’t I noticed before?” He traced the swirls and dips of the branches with his finger, wondering how much more there was to the tattoo. It looked as if it started somewhere on her back.
She looked down at her arm. “I’ve had it for over two years. I got it on my twenty-fifth birthday.”
“How come I haven’t seen it before?”
She shrugged and took the keys off a hook near the door. “I’m not in the habit of showing it off. I got it for me, not everyone else. I also have a healthy T-shirt addiction that covers it.”
“What does it mean?” Plucking the keys from her hand, he ushered her out the door. He locked the door, and stuffed the keys into his front pocket. He wanted to ensure she stayed with him, even if he managed to irritate her. There would be no running off this time. He threaded their fingers together and walked her to his luxury SUV.
He got her settled in her seat and shut her door. Once he was settled in his own seat, he started the vehicle and reversed out of her driveway. The place he had picked out was on the edge of town, quiet and still undiscovered. It would be perfect for their first date, and a twenty-minute drive to get there, which gave them time to chat, get comfortable with each other.
For the first time that night, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had her in his SUV, and her keys were in his pocket. She was his until he took her home. He glanced at her when he got on the main road that would take them out of town. “You never answered my question.”
“About the tattoo? Haven’t really had a chance.”
He shrugged. That was true. He’d asked the question then got her in the vehicle. “Now is a good time. We have a little bit before we get to our destination.”
She thought about it for a moment. He felt her eyes on him, as if assessing his sincerity. Whatever she saw, she relented and answered him. “It represents my path as a witch. There are deep, long roots in the center of my back that represent the start of my journey and my family. The trunk shoots up the middle of my back, then abruptly curves and branches out. The crooked branches are the twists and turns I’ve been through. The flowers are my hopes and dreams. The spells I’ve mastered, and the ones falling off are the ones that have failed. It’s a continual work in progress. I get new flowers and bits of the tree added each year.”
Cedric nodded and glanced in her direction. “I’d love to see the rest some time.”
Willow smirked, a little half smile curving her lips. “No one but my tattoo artist has ever seen the whole thing. I haven’t even shown my family.”
“It seems a shame to cover it up.”
She shook her head. “No. Like I said. I got it for me, not for the world around me.”
He wondered if there was a way he could convince her to show him. Certainly, if he got her into bed, he’d be able to get a look. He was dying to trace the outline with his fingers. But saying that out loud would probably hurt his cause more than help.
Another thought burst in his mind when he replayed her words in his head. No one but my tattoo artist has ever seen the whole thing. That meant she hasn’t been to bed with a man in—ages. He hadn’t expected that bit of information or how pleased it made him.
They drove until they hit the edge of town, making a right turn that would take them down a dirt road toward the forest and lead them to the secluded Callisto’s. It was a rustic, higher-end restaurant run by a food crazy Werebear Clan that lived in the mountains, and happened to be Cedric’s good friends. The place was an unknown gem on the cusp of breaking out. Patrons were slowly discovering it and calling it the best restaurant in five counties. Everyone praised Joel, the co-owner and head chef, for coming up with it. What no one besides Joel knew was that Cedric was the silent co-owner. It was Cedric’s concept and his money that got it off the ground.
He parked amongst a few other cars and hopped out. He rounded the hood and was pleased to see Willow waited for him. He opened the door and took her hand, helping her out of the tall vehicle.
A small smile played on her lips, and he couldn’t resist kissing her. A light brush of his lips, taking care he didn’t mess up her make-up.
Her eyes flashed silver, and she ran her tongue over her bottom lips. He watched as she swiped where he had just kissed her and imagined she tasted him on her.
She tipped her head to the side and studied his face. Happiness radiated from her, and he couldn’t be more thrilled to know he’d been the one to make her that way. “I’m not sure what your game is, Cedric, but I’ll play along—for now,” she said, her voice damn near a whisper.
Cedric caught every word though and stored them away to go over later. “Shall we head in for dinner, my lady?” He bowed slightly and held out his arm.
She laughed and took it. The glide of her hand over his forearm was more like a caress, a preview of things to come later.
Chapter Six
Jun 7th – Sunday
Willow looked around the restaurant, wondering how she’d never heard of it before. From the exterior, the rustic log cabin looked like an ordinary home but once inside, it oozed elevated charm. The interior was dark and earthy. Exposed beams and a high ceiling set off the deep green walls. Heavy wood tables looked like they had been cut straight from the tree. All of the tables had over-large stuffed chairs pushed up to them. It screamed comfort and masculinity while not giving the idea a person had just walked into a man-cave.
It was no wonder Cedric wanted to make sure she was dressed for the occasion. The atmosphere called for something nice but not overly done.
A curvy brunette with the most fascinating whiskey-colored eyes greeted them after she got off the phone.
A flare of interest lit the woman’s face, but quickly died. “Ric, I didn’t expect to see you tonight.” The woman sounded genuinely surprised. About as surprised as Willow was hearing him called Ric. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
When did he start going by that? Willow wondered. She looked at him in her periphery. He didn’t seem fazed at all by the woman’s use of the name.
“Evening, Natalie. I have a reservation at five.”
She immediately looked down and ran a long tan finger tipped with dark red nails over the book in front of her. “Yes, Stone. Party of two,” she looked up and smiled. “I assumed it was your brother bringing another of his airhead dates here. You know, there are cheaper ways to get laid.” She shook her head. “Follow me and I’ll take you to your table.”
They followed behind Natalie to a quaint little table in the back corner of the room. Cedr
ic kept his hand on the lower part of her back, the heat of his palm radiating through her dress. It made her feel cherished in a way.
He held out her chair, waiting for her to sit before pushing it in. Taking a seat opposite of her, he turned his attention to the hostess. “Ever since Rod’s fiancée broke things off, he’s been sowing his oats.”
“He’s more than sowing oats. He’s tapping every eighteen-year-old blonde he can get his hands on,” Natalie said, rolling her eyes. “Have you seen the women he’s been dating?”
“Bobble-headed, brainless twits who couldn’t cast a spell if their life depended on it,” Willow commented without thinking.
Two sets of eyes turned her way, and she blushed. “Sorry. That’s the kind you usually go for, Cedric. I figured it was a family thing.”
“Funny,” he said drolly.
Natalie laughed and nodded her head. “That’s exactly the type Roderick has been bringing in. It makes me sad for the next generation of witches.”
“I know what you mean,” Willow said, deciding she liked Natalie more and more. “He won’t have any better luck with faeries. They have this overwhelming feeling of entitlement. So annoying.”
Cedric cleared his throat. “If you ladies are done,” he said with a frown.
“Oh, cheer up, Ric. Your date seems a hell of a lot smarter than your usual fare.”
Natalie held out two menus, but Cedric took both and gave them back. “Just tell Joel I’m here. He already knows what I want.”
“Ohhhh…arranged this one in advance. I’m impressed. Usually you let the woman pick her meal so she can see the prices.” She looked at Willow. “You must be very special for him to already know what you want.”
“Special in the head to keep putting up with him,” Willow replied with a smile.
“I like her. You better not let any guys in the Clan get a whiff of her. You just might find some competition. I’ll tell Joel you’re here, and you two can get your date started.” Natalie left and their waiter showed up. He filled their water glasses, then scurried off to grab the bottle of red wine Cedric had requested.
“Sooo…Ric?”
“You know I’ve never liked Cedric.”
That was news to her. Was she living in a bubble or something? “No. I didn’t know that. I’ve called you Cedric my entire life.”
“And, you’re the only one who still does,” he said, not sounding bothered by it.
She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. To her, he would always be Cedric. The boy who named her Wills. The kid who used to pull her pigtails. The teenager who used to do his damndest to make her feel like a fool. The man who, with one kiss, could make her forget all of the above. “Why didn’t you tell me to stop?”
“I don’t know, honestly.”
She didn’t buy it. “Come on. You have to have some idea why?”
“If I were forced to come up with an answer—which it seems I am—it would be because I liked that you were different from everyone else in my life.”
A tiny bubble of happiness burst in her chest. It was silly to let it happen. She didn’t know what game he was playing, but it couldn’t end well. At least not for her. “You are a dangerous, dangerous man, Cedric Stone.”
A sly grin lit his face, and she knew she was in trouble.
Cedric waited until the food came out before bringing up what happened earlier in the week. Hoping the food would keep her mouth busy before she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. Like he knew she tended to do—at least with him.
He’d told her he loved her, and she either didn’t hear him, or plain didn’t believe him. He’d bet on the latter.
“Let’s clear the air, Willow.” He took a sip of wine, then set it down.
She swallowed the bite she had taken and looked at him, question glittering in her eyes. “About?”
“What happened on Tuesday. I didn’t know about that proposal. Had absolutely nothing to do with that proposal. Want nothing to do with that proposal. I have no interest in being a pawn—prize—whatever in someone else’s game.”
She pursed her lips for a second. His gaze fell to them, and all he could think about was kissing her again. “Okay. I believe you.”
Her response had him looking her directly in the eyes. “You do? Just like that?”
She snorted. “I do,” she said. She took a couple bites of her fish while he thought that through. Tried to figure out how he felt about her easy acquiescence. He was thrown off his game, along with the speech/begging he was going to do. He felt a little deflated.
“Huh. I didn’t expect you to give in so quickly.”
“I can be a surprising woman, Ric.”
He cringed. “Cedric.” Ric sounded wrong coming from her mouth.
She chuckled and finished eating her food. When she was done, she pushed her plate away and picked up her glass of wine. She settled back in her seat and looked at him, a thoughtful expression on her face.
“What’s on your mind?”
“A lot, but I’m not ready to talk about most of it yet. Let’s talk about the solstice celebration. That seems safe enough and is the reason I agreed to dinner.”
He would bet she agreed for a different reason, but wouldn’t argue. “Okay. Where are you at with it?”
“Let’s see. I have a rough draft of the activities and events plotted out. I still need to get with Aaron at the firehouse to confirm the number of trucks and men we’ll have. Ensure we have two trucks on hand for the day of the solstice for the big bonfire. And find someone to oversee the newly minted witches who tend to get a little magic drunk every year.”
Cedric didn’t hear anything past her mentioning Aaron. “Aaron ‘the hose’ Hoserman?”
She crinkled her cute little nose up. “He doesn’t like it when people call him ‘the hose’. It’s pretty degrading, don’t you think?”
“Then he shouldn’t look like he should be a male stripper or have,” he cast a pointed glance at his crotch and hoped she got his meaning. Talking about how he knew Aaron had a huge dick wasn’t what he considered ‘date’ material.
“I don’t mind that he does,” she smirked.
“No. I’ll go see him.” No way was he going to let Aaron get close to Willow. Not with that lust-filled look on her face. “What else?”
“Nothing at the moment. After the schedule is approved, we’ll need to get in contact with everyone and make sure they have what they need. After that, we’ll pass what we have on to Hazel and she’ll take it from there.”
“Does that mean we can spend time together not focusing on work?” That was his ultimate goal. The work thing was to get her used to him being around and not in the annoying way he usually was.
“How about we concentrate on the celebration first?”
It wasn’t a no. He could deal with that. “Okay. Work first, then play.”
“Something like that,” a tinge of worry colored her voice.
They finished their wine, and Cedric popped back to see Joel while Willow was in the ladies room. He found his friend in the office looking over some paperwork. He pushed open the door, not bothering to knock.
“Delicious as usual, man.”
Joel looked up with a smirk on his face. “Of course it was. How did it go?”
“Good. She’s in the ladies room. I told your sister to keep an eye out for her.”
“She’s really the one you want to shackle yourself to for the rest of your life?” Joel asked, leaning back in his chair.
“Yep.”
“But haven’t you known her forever?”
“Yep.”
“Then why are you all of a sudden figuring out she’s the one for you?”
Cedric could understand why Joel was questioning him. Joel had yet to find his mate and was frustrated as hell. He masked it by acting like marriage and long-term commitment were dirty words. “Knowing the woman of my soul is a bit different than you finding your mate. I don’t have a beast in me tryi
ng to make a connection.”
“I know that,” Joel grunted. “So, how did you know?”
“Because it’s Willow. There’s been this thing between us since we were five that hasn’t ever gone away. She’s been part of my life for so long, and when Reid asked her out, it freaked me the hell out. I realized I wanted her. Had always wanted her, and not just how I wanted her in high school.”
“Yeah, you were pretty obsessed with her back then.”
“No I wasn’t,” he said, defensiveness coating his voice.
Joel threw his head back and laughed, the deep, barrel sound filling the room. He wiped his eyes as his laughter died down. “Oh my god, that was good. She was all you talked about back then. We could all see it.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“And ruin the show? Hell, no. You would track her down whenever you had a free moment just to make her uncomfortable.”
“Some friend you are.”
“I’m a damn good friend. Who else would want to go into business with a warlock who spends most of his time chasing skirts?”
Cedric rolled his eyes. “We still on for Thursday morning?”
“Yeah. I agree we need to look at expanding our marketing plan.”
Joel stood and Cedric followed suit. “Good. I’ll see you then.”
“Yeah, you better go find your date. The waiter came back commenting on how tasty your girl smelled and mentioned the moonstone around her neck. Seth’s ears perked right up at that bit of information.”
“Shit. You tell that Bear to stay away. I have got to get her to take that damn thing off before the solstice celebrations start. Every warlock worth his magic will be all over her.”
“Good luck.” Joel chuckled and took off toward the kitchen.
Cedric found his date at the hostess station talking to Natalie. The two were laughing about something when he walked up behind Willow and wrapped his arms around her waist.
Seth, the massive black bear who looked like he should be playing professional football and not chopping onions, appeared in the dining room and cast a glance in their direction.
Willow: June Page 5