Willow: June

by Brandy Walker

  Their server brought their food, ending the conversation. She was definitely not supposed to fall in love with Aaron Hoserman.

  They ate their meals and chatted about the solstice celebration. When they were done, Aaron paid and escorted her to her car. He kissed her cheek and waited next to her car as she got in. He motioned for her to put the window down.

  “I had a good time,” he said, leaning down, his hand on the roof of her car.

  “I did too, even if you think I’m in love with Cedric.”

  He chuckled. “I know you are now, if that comment is still bothering you. I hope it works out, but if he breaks your heart and you need a shoulder to cry on, I’m happy to supply mine.”

  “You’re just hoping I’m a wreck and decide to fall into bed with you.”

  “Just putting it out there,” he waggled his eyebrows.

  “You’re incorrigible. I’ll see you around, Aaron. Thanks for lunch.”

  He tapped on the roof of the car and stood back. “Thanks for showing me I might actually be able to be friends with a woman…as long as she’s taken.”

  Willow reversed out of her spot and drove the ten minutes home. As she approached her house, she noticed a very familiar, expensive SUV parked in front, but there was no sign of the driver.

  “This should be fun.” Parking, she got out of her car and made her way to the front door.

  Cedric was leaning against the railing just like he had the Sunday he showed back up in her life.

  She nodded at him and let herself in. He followed behind, not bothering to wait for an invitation. Keys and purse put away, she figured it would be a good time for some tea. Something to keep her hands busy as she waited for Cedric’s reason for being there.

  He sat in one of the chairs and waited. His eyebrow raised and a wounded look on his face. The guilt of going out with Aaron grew. In the back of her mind, she knew she was wrong, but she’d used the lame excuse that she and Cedric weren’t really dating to justify it.

  She made them each a cup of tea and set his down in front of him before she took her seat.

  He sipped it quietly, studying her as her nerves ratcheted up another notch. His steady gaze was beginning to unnerve her.

  She couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m sorry,” she said, not even knowing that was what was going to come out of her mouth.

  “You’re sorry for what?”

  “The lunch date. It was a mistake.”

  He nodded as if agreeing, but didn’t say anything.

  “I knew I shouldn’t have gone, even though you and I aren’t really a thing. I mean, we’ve gone out twice, and once was after coven business. I don’t think that actually counts as a date. That’s two people eating because they were hungry after getting some work done.”

  “Are you trying to convince me or yourself? I was surprised and pretty pissed you went out with Aaron. I know I don’t have a claim on you, but I thought you understood I want something more.”

  “More?”

  “Yes. More than our current relationship that you say isn’t really friendship. I meant what I said the other day, Willow. I’m in love with you. It’s taken me a long time to realize that was what I felt, but it doesn’t make it any less true.”

  “Oh.” It was all she could think to say.

  “Don’t worry. I can wait to hear you say it back. I know you need time, but don’t take too long.” He sipped his tea, then let out a loud breath. She got the impression he was warring with something inside. “Can you do me a favor?”

  “Of course.”

  “You don’t even know what it is. How can you say yes without details?”

  “When have I ever turned you down?”

  His mouth curved into a pleased smile. “Don’t go out on any more dates with other men. Aaron is pretty fucking lucky I’m not over there maiming him.”

  She snorted and nodded. She was fairly certain she wouldn’t be seeing anyone else. The guilt she felt for having lunch with Aaron was enough to put her off.

  Chapter Ten

  Jun 12th – Friday

  Willow saw Cedric every day over the next couple of days. He would show up in the morning, sometimes bringing a hot tea for her, sometimes just bringing himself and a scorching kiss that left her breathless and aching for more. They would talk and get to know each other, occasionally reminiscing about their past.

  He figured out if he brought kitty treats for Edward, he would escape the power-hungry feline’s zapping. Willow also thought he was letting the familiar siphon off a little power to keep him happy.

  He was taking his time with her. She knew it. He knew it. They didn’t talk about it. She had the feeling he was letting her get used to having him around. Each morning he stayed a little longer, then he left to do Goddess knew what.

  They didn’t talk about what he did for a living. Honestly, she figured wooing women took up the majority of his time.

  She smoothed her hand down the long flowing skirt she’d put on when getting ready. During Cedric’s morning visit that day, he told her he had special plans for them and to dress nice. He had been tight-lipped about what they were going to do, and told her she had to trust him.

  She found it easier and easier to do just that. She was beginning to believe what he said about wanting more with her. He told her repeatedly all he wanted was time with her. Nothing more. Nothing less. She thought about embroidering the saying on a pillow for him.

  She heard a car pull up in front of the house. Peeking out the front door, she saw his SUV. He stepped out and strode through her lawn looking hotter than ever.

  He had on a charcoal grey suit with a matching vest and crisp white shirt beneath. His tie had small black and white patterned squares. And a white pocket square was neatly folded and sticking out of the breast pocket. His shoes were black matte and perfect for the overall look.

  A flicker of heat burst through her chest. He looked devastatingly good, and a hell of a lot more dressed up than last time.

  Catching her bottom lip between her teeth, she wondered if she was dressed nice enough. She’d picked a white silk sleeveless top with tiny pearl buttons. Her skirt was a modern design of red, white, and black freeform shapes. She’d wedged her feet into a pair of heels that had seen action only once before—in the store. They were black and had a deep red heel that matched the skirt perfectly.

  Grabbing her house key and the tiny black wristlet she’d switched to for the evening, she locked the door and waited for him on the porch. A slow grin curled Cedric’s lips as he mounted the few steps it took to get to her.

  “You look gorgeous,” he said, his sincerity easy to hear. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he hauled her against his body. She ran her hands over his chest, unable to resist touching the soft fabric of the suit.

  She tilted her head up in expectation of his kiss. He didn’t leave her wanting. Lowering his mouth to hers, he brushed his lips softly against hers before lifting his head.

  “Thank you.” She blushed, the heat filling her cheeks. “Good enough for tonight? You were pretty cryptic this morning.”

  “No one will be able to keep their eyes off you.” He ran a knuckle down her cheek. Every hair on her body stood at attention. The caress set her on fire.

  “Let’s go, love, before I drag you back into that house and ravish you.”

  Willow didn’t think that sounded half bad, but she didn’t give voice her opinion. She was enjoying his slow seduction, and part of her was afraid he would stop if he got into her bed. And maybe, in the back of her mind, she thought that might be his ultimate goal—dump her once he’d conquered her. She was enjoying him too much to put an end to whatever the hell it was they were doing. If she got a little frustrated at the speed of things occasionally, then that was her problem.

  He threaded their fingers together and walked her to the SUV. Once he got her settled and buckled, he brushed a soft kiss against her lips. She let out a dreamy sigh as he walked around the front of the vehicle
.

  Twenty minutes later, they were pulling up at Callisto’s again; except this time, the parking lot was packed. People milled about out front, chatting and seeming to wait. She spied one of those little square coaster-looking things that lit up, in a man’s hand. They were waiting for a table.

  “It looks busy. Maybe we should go somewhere else.”

  Cedric grinned down at her and tugged her along. “Nope. This is right where we need to be.”

  “Okay,” she said, then looked around. “I don’t mind waiting if you don’t.”

  “We won’t have to wait.” He opened the door for her and pressed his hand to her lower back, propelling her in front of him.

  Natalie was at the hostess station, along with another younger woman. Natalie looked up and saw them come in. “Willow,” she gushed and came forward, enveloping her in a hug.

  “This place seems to have exploded,” Willow said, looking around at all of the full tables. Servers rushed around with pitchers of water and food. People talked and laughed. It was probably a restaurant owner’s wet dream.

  “Yeah, can you believe it? It’s insane.” Her focus drifted to Cedric. “And you! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  Cedric shook his head slightly, then looked at Willow.

  “Tell you what sooner?” Willow asked, looking back and forth between Cedric and Natalie.

  “You’ll know soon enough.” He turned back to Natalie. “Is he in his office?”

  “Yep. You know where it’s at, and your table is ready whenever you are.”

  He nodded and guided her through the throng of people toward the back. He went through the employee only door and pointed to an office on the right. “We’re heading in there.”

  “What deep dark secret am I about to learn?” She asked as he opened the door and waited for her to walk in.

  “That he’s part owner of this fine establishment.” A man with a deep voice and barrel chest stood behind a desk. A lock of dark hair drifted onto his forehead and he brushed it away. He smiled and held out his hand. “I’m Joel.”

  Willow narrowed her eyes as she tried to place him. He seemed so damn familiar. It took her a couple of seconds to match the name to a figure from her past. “Joel McIntyre. I remember you from school. Oh shit, Natalie is your sister! Oh my God, how did I not see that earlier?”

  “It’s been a while since you’ve seen any of us. The whole clan retreating to the mountains really set us apart from people in town for a while.”

  “I remember that. It was after your brother disappeared. Did you ever find him?”

  The light in Joel’s deep brown eyes dimmed at the mention of his brother. Joel motioned for her to take a seat, waiting until she sat before he did. Cedric took the one next to her.

  “Chester. Yes, we did, but he’s stuck in shifter form, and has moved to the other end of the forest. We aren’t sure what happened, and he isn’t saying.”

  “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know. I have a friend who is sort of engaged to the wood elf overseeing Foster’s Woods. She’s a faerie, and together they might be able to help. If not, maybe I can work up a spell that would bind your memories, and you could see what happened.”

  Joel tapped his fingers on the desk and studied her, his gaze jumping to Cedric after a second. “How come you never offered to do that?”

  “Not really my realm.”

  Joel grunted. He turned his attention back to Willow. “Thank you, I may take you up on that, if I can get him in the same room as me. But, enough of Chester, how’s it going with my partner over there? You know, he’s been sweet on you since high school.” The corner of Joel’s mouth curved and mischief twinkled in his eyes.

  Willow glanced at Cedric. She wasn’t sure, but it looked like a faint blush brightened his cheeks. “He has, has he? I never would have guessed that.”

  “That’s because he’s a guy. We don’t express ourselves well. Tugging pigtails and making fun of girls worked for us when we were young, and we never thought to change our approach.”

  “Is that why so many of you are hopelessly single?” She turned to Cedric. “And why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “That I’ve had a thing for you since high school?” He sounded horrified at the thought.

  “No. That you were part owner of this place? That’s fantastic. I never would have thought you had it in you.”

  “I’m not sure how to take that, but no one knew. I came up with the idea and had the cash, while Joel and his family had the talent and drive. We decided to keep my involvement a secret. My reputation would have hurt more than helped.”

  She furrowed her brows in confusion. “I don’t see what opening a restaurant has to do with your reputation of a serial dater.”

  “That right there. That’s what people think of me. Shameless flirt who only thinks of sex and a good time.” He shook his head, a self-deprecating smile on his handsome face. “We wanted a certain atmosphere and thought if people knew I was the brains behind it, it would end up being a place to hangout and hookup. Not a place to have an extraordinary meal in an upscale environment. This town has needed something like this for years. Big steaks, fresh fish, generous portions when requested.”

  She hummed in understanding. She was also guilty of seeing him as a man only interested in scoring with women and having a good time. Though, the last week or so, he had done a good job of showing her how different he was.

  “Well, now everyone is going to know you aren’t that guy anymore,” she said, reaching over to squeeze his hand. “They’re going to expect great things from you.”

  Cedric blushed a little deeper, squeezing her hand back. “As long as you’re with me, that shouldn’t be a problem. Come on, let’s go celebrate and grab something to eat. Joel, are you going to join us?”

  Joel stood and shrugged. “I’ve never turned down a cause for celebration.”

  Cedric tapped his foot impatiently as Seth and Joel occupied Willow’s attention. When they finished eating, he was ready to go. He’d spent enough time sharing her with Joel, and he wanted to get Willow back to her home so he could coax sweet kisses and a hell of a lot more from her.

  Joel, the good ole buddy that he was, insisted on giving her a tour of the place, to include the kitchen in which they now stood.

  As soon as they stepped into the hot, bustling place, Seth made a beeline for Willow. He stuck his face in her neck and breathed in deep. She giggled like a schoolgirl and playfully batted the big man away.

  “You smell nice,” Seth grunted.

  Her hand slid up to grab the moonstone. “That’s only because I don’t have kitchen smell all over me.” Cedric had to wonder, again, if she even realized she did it. There was an absentmindedness to the action. “Dinner was delicious, by the way.”

  “Thank you.” Seth grinned, big and toothy. Cedric would have been humored by the way the guy was acting since it was so out of character, but the fact he was doing it because of Willow kind of pissed him off.

  “Seth was gracious enough to take over head chef duties while I ate and tended to the huge influx of customers. The bit on the restaurant turned out better than I thought. The response has been amazing. Now, I just hope we can keep it up,” Joel said hopefully.

  “I’m sure you will. The food is fantastic. The owners are amazing. The restaurant is in a great location. The only thing I would suggest is an outdoor dining area that opened to the woods. Maybe a giant pergola so people didn’t feel like they were out in the open and vulnerable. You could put those tall outdoor heaters out there too for chilly nights. I’d go with the pyramid flame ones with the fire shooting up the middle. I know a lot of shifters would feel better sitting outside.” Willow’s eyes widened suddenly. “I’m so sorry, you didn’t ask my opinion.”

  Cedric chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “It’s fine.”

  “And a great idea,” Joel added. “It wouldn’t take much to add it on. We could put in a door leading out w
ithout much disruption to daily operations. We should sit down soon and work that out, Ric.”

  Willow giggled and he squeezed her shoulder. Her amused gaze turned his way. “Now that people know you’re involved, Ric, I’m sure they’ll be clamoring to see you. I’m surprised you aren’t out there now schmoozing with people. Working the crowd.”

  Cedric scowled at her for calling him Ric. She knew he didn’t like it coming from her. He didn’t get the chance to voice his opinion, though.

  “That’s a brilliant idea, Willow,” Joel said smirking.

  Cedric’s plans for the evening looked grim. He knew he should be out showing his face and talking to people. He knew a lot of them had come to see if it was true, and to see if he fell on his face. But tonight was supposed to be the night. A big culmination of telling the world—okay the town—he was more than a playboy, and a private celebration with the woman he loved.

  Cedric groaned. “Fine, but only for a little while. I have other plans for tonight.”

  They ended up spending the next four hours at the restaurant. He finally announced he had enough and escaped with Willow out the back door. She laughed the entire time he hustled her out to the SUV.

  “You know it isn’t nice to laugh at people,” he said, pushing her up against the door.

  “I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing with you,” she chuckled, then pinched her lips together.

  “Notice, I’m not laughing. If I had known people would feel entitled to talk to me, I wouldn’t have let the news come out.”

  She cupped a hand on the side of his face. “Oh, you poor baby. It must be hard work to have everyone want to be your friend.”

  He shook his head and frowned. That wasn’t really the issue, and any other day he wouldn’t have minded. “You know all I wanted to do was have dinner, then take you home where we could spend some time together.”

  “You had to know something like that would happen though. You can’t announce to the world you’re a respectable business owner and not think people would be curious. It’s very different from the image you’ve put out there over the years. Playboy. Ladies man. Ne’er do well.”