Ma’am stood. “To wrap up, Olivia will get back to work now, James is going to return tomorrow afternoon, and the rest of you can have a week off. Will and Lily, please stay. Everyone else, I’ll see you later.”
Liv threw me a perplexed look and wished me luck before she left. Was I in trouble again? Or did Angelica want to make sure I didn’t lose it when Will finally told me that we couldn’t be together? He wasn’t the type to have asked for backup though. Despite laying down the law earlier, he was one of the strongest people I knew. If he found something tough, you knew it was something that would break lesser mortals.
Angelica walked over and sat in Olivia’s chair. “I know you two haven’t had a chance to talk things through yet, but my solution for where you’re going to stay still stands. You’re coming to stay at my place. I’ve had Beren put extra protections on the property. It’s the only solution I’m happy with. I don’t want any of you out of my sight, to be honest, not until we have a handle on what’s going on. We came too close to losing you, Will, and I won’t let it happen again.”
Oh my God. He was going to live with us? What fresh hell was this? Living with a man I couldn’t have. Thanks, universe. Talk about cruel.
“That’s all I wanted to say. I’ll leave you two to talk. I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do.” Her smile was gentle as she stood. Hmm, and how was it that no one had interrogated me about my new witch skills? Maybe no one had wanted Agent Bradford to know, which made sense.
Once the door had clicked closed behind Angelica, Will turned to me. We stared at each other for a minute, my heart trying to reach the speed of light. This was it. The moment I’d been dreading for weeks, since that moment at the bus stop in the rain. I swallowed.
He reached out a hand and gently ran the back of it down my cheek. His gaze softened. He shook his head slowly. His voice was gruff when he said, “God, how I missed you.”
My nose tingled with the burn of tears. “I missed you too.” I wanted to say so much more, but missing me didn’t mean he wanted to get back together. And I’d let the L word out yesterday too. Everything was on the table. Maybe he’d forget, and we could pretend it wasn’t out there making everything a bazillion times more awkward than it had to be.
“Was it my imagination yesterday, or did you say you loved me?” A little more blue glowed in his eyes, as if the clouds were parting.
My cheeks heated. Okay, so we weren’t going to pretend I hadn’t said it. “Yes, I did. I’m sorry, Will, but that’s how I feel. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. So much has happened since our fake break-up. I’m afraid it was actually real. It will break my heart if it was, but I’ll be okay. I promise. And I still want to be here for you. If nothing else, I want us to be friends. I’ll always care about you, I’m afraid.”
He laughed. “Don’t look so happy about it.” He moved his chair closer to mine and leaned forward. “For your information, I do not want to break up with you, and here’s something that might just surprise you: I love you too.” The clouds parted all the way to reveal brightness as strong as the sun. His dimples were back! I grinned.
“You’re not just saying that to make me feel better?”
“When have I ever done that?”
“Never?”
“That’s right, and I’m not about to start now.” He took my hands in his and stood, pulling me up with him. He wrapped his arms around me and gathered me close, then leaned down and kissed me. The zing of adrenaline careened around my body, making me light-headed, filling me with joy. His lips were warm, oh, and so was his tongue. Hmm, too much information, I’m sure.
As we kissed some more, I flicked the universe a thank you. It didn’t always get it right, but when it did, it couldn’t get it more right. The next two weeks were going to be amazing, and I wasn’t going to waste a minute of it.
Will and Lily were back. Maybe we needed a couple name… Willy? Ah, no, maybe not.
Will’s voice came through into my head. Shut up, Lily, and just kiss me.
About the Author
USA Today bestselling author, Dionne Lister is a Sydneysider with a degree in creative writing, two Siamese cats, and is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Daydreaming has always been her passion, so writing was a natural progression from staring out the window in primary school, and being an author was a dream she held since childhood.
Unfortunately, writing was only a hobby while Dionne worked as a property valuer in Sydney, until her mid-thirties when she returned to study and completed her creative writing degree. Since then, she has indulged her passion for writing while raising two children with her husband. Her books have attracted praise from Apple iBooks and have reached #1 on Amazon and iBooks charts worldwide, frequently occupying top 100 lists in fantasy. She’s excited to add cozy mystery to the list of genres she writes. Magic and danger are always a heady combination.
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Also by Dionne Lister
Paranormal Investigation Bureau
Witchnapped in Westerham #1
Witch Swindled in Westerham #2
Witch Undercover in Westerham #3
Witchslapped in Westerham #4
Witch Silenced in Westerham #5
Killer Witch in Westerham #6
Witch Oracle in Westerham #8 (out August 2019)
The Circle of Talia
(YA Epic Fantasy)
Shadows of the Realm
A Time of Darkness
Realm of Blood and Fire
* * *
The Rose of Nerine
(Epic Fantasy)
Tempering the Rose
Witch Haunted in Westerham Page 20
