“What’s he doing coming here so late?” Cruz’s face tensed as he made a move to open the door.
“No idea, but I’ll handle it.” Wedging myself in the tight space between Cruz and the doorway—not a bad place to be—I opened the door a few inches. “Justin.” I noticed a yellow taxicab idled in the driveway behind him.
“Finally,” Justin slurred. The waft of alcohol drifting from him assaulted my nostrils. “I wasted weeks putting up with your pretty princess ways. I even volunteered at that disgusting animal shelter just to make you happy. What did I get out of it? Not a damn thing.”
I searched his expression, trying to figure out why he was here, but all I saw was an upset drunk. “Justin, we went on a few dates. That was it. I think you should go sleep this off.”
He’d probably been out partying with his friends, had too much to drink—which was extremely obvious—and thought coming out to Sage Springs to talk would be a good idea. Part of me felt sad that he was so desperate to hang on to a never-to-be relationship.
“Oh, I’ll sleep it off. Right next to you.” Justin leered at me, straightening the stiff collar of his polo. “Come on, babe. I’ll show you what a mistake you made by dumping me. I’ll rock your world.” His lips peeled apart into a toothy smile, but it looked more like a grimace. That part that felt sad was swiftly knocked out of the way by a wave of revulsion. How could I have dated this guy?
“That’s enough,” Cruz said quietly, opening the door the rest of the way. Pure menace emanated from his tense body as he stood beside me glaring at Justin. “You should leave.”
Justin laughed, which caused him to lose his balance, so he had to lean against one of the rocking chairs for support. “This guy? You invite this guy over, Lexi? I couldn’t even get an overnight invitation, but this piece of street trash waltzes right in?” He eyed Cruz in disgust.
Now it was my turn to get angry. “He’s not trash,” I informed the drunk in front of me, crossing my arms. “You need to get in that cab and leave, Justin.” Cruz placed his large palm on the small of my back, letting me know he was right there if I needed him.
“Tattoos, piercings, some black clothes, a few chains … Hell, I could do that,” Justin choked out, laughing at himself. “Are you into dress-up, Lexi? Just say the word. If that’s what it takes to get in those sweet little shorts, I’ll wear whatever you want.”
Cruz snarled and charged around me in the blink of an eye.
CHAPTER 11
“Listen, asshole, I don’t know what your problem is, but you will never talk to her like that again.” Cruz gripped the front of Justin’s maroon polo in warning. “If I even hear a whisper of you being around her, looking at her, talking about her, thinking out loud about her, I will be much more prone to punching that carefully crafted nose of yours, you hear me?” Cruz’s warning cut through the night like cold steel. There was no room for argument, even Justin had to see that.
Justin straightened his shirt and raised his chin in defiance once Cruz released him. “Whatever. She’s not worth it, anyway. I’ll find someone more knowledgeable, if you know what I mean.” His callous eyes slid to mine as he poked at my insecurity.
Lifting a fist and pointing to the cab, Cruz didn’t say a word. Scoffing, Justin slunk off to the awaiting car, nearly tripping twice.
“At least he took a taxi,” I sighed, forcing an optimistic tone in my voice as I shut the door.
“Who was he?” Cruz barked, crossing his arms and peering over me to make sure I locked the door.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, wishing our evening hadn’t been ruined.
“Lexi,” Cruz said in a tone that made me answer.
“That low-carb guy I was telling you about.”
Cruz’s face twisted. “You dated that guy?”
I let out a low, pathetic laugh. “We all make mistakes, right?”
“I guess, but that guy’s a real asshole.”
I placed a hand on my hip, sizing him up. “Hey, should I dig up that photo of you with Kim Jones that was splashed all over the Internet a few months ago?” I quizzed, watching his eyes widen at the mention. “You remember, the one where she’s wearing a fishnet jumpsuit and had her skin painted purple?” I brought my arms up and crossed them over my chest. “Or how about—”
“Point taken,” Cruz responded, one corner of his lips tugging up. “I suppose we all date losers at some point. But in my defense, I didn’t know she was such a loose cannon, and our publicists set us up for that photo op.”
“Don’t they always?” I mumbled, feeling the tension in the room dissipate. “Don’t forget your TV show groupies.”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t date the groupies. I hang out with them.”
“Uh-huh.” I raised my eyebrows to show him I wasn’t buying it.
“No, really. It’s part of my job.”
“To have dark-haired dolls throw themselves at you? You poor thing.” I stuck out my lower lip and patted him on the shoulder.
Cruz laughed, hooking his hands around my waist and lifting me so we were eye to eye. “I’d much rather have tiny blondes throw themselves at me, but no such luck.”
I smirked and raised a shoulder. “Too bad for you,” I teased, dropping my lips to his cheek for a quick kiss before he settled me back on my feet.
“Are you going to be okay out here alone?” Cruz asked, checking the locks on the door again.
“Yes, I’m fine here.” I patted his chest. “Protection spell, remember? If someone so much as raises a hand my direction, they’re knocked out for several hours. Well, Ivy said ‘long enough to hide the body,’ but I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” I reasoned.
Cruz nodded solemnly as he captured my hand. “Everything in me wanted to pulverize that guy.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. He was drunk but harmless.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Cruz countered, kneading his thumbs into the inside of my hand. My toes curled in pleasure. “Promise to call if he does that again?”
“Sure.” With those hands working magic on mine, I’d have agreed to anything. Besides, there was no way Justin would ever chance a busted nose, especially one that had already been made aesthetically pleasing by a surgeon.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” I croaked, feeling my body go all tingly as Cruz smiled down at me. The way his charming smile lit up his face completely enchanted me. It wasn’t fair. “And I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Dorothy is around here somewhere, I’m sure.” I looked around the room, knowing she was close. “Dorothy?”
Her form popped up next to me, and I chuckled. Eavesdropper.
“Dorothy, I’d like you to meet Cruz.” Cruz smiled and waved at the white-haired historian, who nodded a hello.
“You’re nicer than you look,” my great-aunt said by way of greeting. “I wasn’t so sure about that metal in your mouth and pictures on your skin, but I’ve met worse. Like that Justin, for example.” She frowned at me.
“You’ll watch out for our girl here?” Cruz asked her, nodding toward me.
I huffed and pulled at a strand of loose hair in mild agitation. “Guys, I can take care of myself.”
Ignoring my comment, Dorothy nodded to Cruz. “Of course.” She disappeared in a blink of an eye.
“Not fair to vanish like that,” I grumbled, knowing it was pointless.
“You’re cute when you pout.” Cruz smirked and placed a kiss on the tip of my nose. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow night for our date.”
“Date?” I gulped.
“Yep. And you’ll just be wasting time if you try to make excuses,” Cruz reasoned, squeezing my hand in his to punctuate his message. “I’ll text you tomorrow to let you know when exactly since my schedule is kind of crazy.”
Again, I heard Ivy’s, Eliza’s, and Aggie’s encouragement sweep through my mind. Not that I needed much of a boost since Cruz had pretty much enthralled me this evening with our one-on-one time. “All r
ight.”
The tension that had been creeping onto Cruz’s face while I internally debated dissipated, allowing a winning grin to shine through. “I told you,” he boasted, picking me up and spinning me around.
“Hmm, maybe I already have plans. I think something slipped my mind,” I teased, tapping an index finger against my lips in mock contemplation.
Cruz scoffed. “Nice try, but nothing’s coming between you and me and our date tomorrow night.” He placed me on my feet and took a step back. “Oh, and I almost forgot. There’s been a new addition to the cast, and that person was extremely specific on what she wanted from Sweet Stuff.” He handed me a folded piece of paper and I opened it, seeing what the person had requested. Fat-free, sugar-free, gluten-free desserts. A little bland for my tastes, but whatever.
“Is it someone really famous? Has the person been in a blockbuster movie?” I squeaked, unfazed by the challenging dessert request. Maybe Tommy Hillsdale had signed on. Or maybe it was Anka Denile, the daughter of the man from the Western movies my dad loved. Maybe I could get an autograph for him! He’d be over the moon.
“Not exactly,” Cruz hedged, breaking into my babbling thoughts. He smoothed a hand over his head as he avoided looking at me.
“It’s gotta be someone great. I mean, it’s your show.” I beamed up at him.
“It’s Bianca Sutherland.”
My smile deflated like a botched soufflé.
☀ ☀ ☀
“I can’t decide,” I whined, my eyes panning between two equally adorable pets.
“I’m not surprised,” said Jacey, the pet adoption director. “To be honest, I can’t believe you don’t have a fur baby at home yet. I figured with all the time you’ve spent volunteering, you’d have your own little army.”
It was the following morning, and in an attempt to keep my mind off Cruz and my looming date, I’d decided to dive headfirst into becoming some lucky pet’s human. The trouble was, I couldn’t decide between two very different animals. I’d taken a liking to the sleek white cat the day she’d been dropped off at the shelter a month ago. I’d been on play duty that day, and she’d pranced right up to me, purred until I picked her up, and then lazily batted at my cheek. She was mild mannered and mellow.
“Ruff! Ruff!”
A six-year-old dog tried to get on my lap, which would have been fine except the cat was already there and the dog weighed a good forty pounds. A woman had found him on the streets and brought him to the shelter a few months ago. He was friendly, but most people coming into the shelter wanted puppies, not an adult dog. Besides that, he had a lot of energy, which had caused all the interested adoptees to shy away. His black eyes settled on me, and I swear they somehow latched on to my heart.
“I’ll take them both,” I decided, watching as the cat and dog playfully fought for the space closest to me. I stood up and clapped my hands. I had my own pets!
“Are you sure?” Jacey asked, eyebrows raised. I could feel her sometimes-the-excitement-of-a-new-pet-wears-off-fast speech coming, so I held up a hand to stop her.
“I know the spiel, remember? I come here every month to volunteer, and yes, I’m absolutely certain.” I picked up the cat and contemplated a name for the dog. Brown fur. Kind of bland, but it reminded me of something …
Jacey filled out the paperwork as I toyed with potential names. “What are you going to name the cat?” Jacey asked, not looking up as she wrote. I studied the white feline happily purring against my chest.
“Marshmallow.” The name fit the color of her fur, and she was so fluffy.
“All right. How about this fella?” she asked, pausing to scratch the dog behind the ears. “Since he was a stray, you get to bestow the name.”
“Ummm … Peter?” The dog stared at me blankly. “Bob?” He didn’t move. “Okay, we’ll switch to foods since you like to eat so much. Spices, maybe? How about Cinnamon?” He huffed, apparently not impressed. His fur rippled in agitation, and I recognized the color. “Nutmeg!” The dog rolled onto his back and kicked his legs up in the air, squirming happily. I bent down to pet his exposed stomach.
“Ooookay. Nutmeg it is,” Jacey said, shaking her head and muttering about people coming up with weird pet names. “Don’t take offense, I’ve heard worse.” She looked at me with a grin and handed me the papers. “Here you are. Welcome to the fine world of pet adoption.”
I shoved the papers in my bag and hugged Marshmallow close to me as I did a little dance. Jacey laughed, used to my antics, and waved goodbye. “Come on, Nutmeg,” I called, gently placing a collar and leash on him. I settled Marshmallow in her pet crate. “We’re going home.” At the word “home,” Nutmeg’s eyes darted to mine and he whined. “That’s right, buddy. No more shelter for you. I’ll even get you your own toys.”
I smiled down at him and loaded him in the Rover. Marshmallow did not seem to enjoy the ride as much as Nutmeg did. She let out soulful cries every time the vehicle hit a bump, but Nutmeg’s tongue wagged in the wind as he stuck his head out the window in ecstasy. Sure, it was a little brisk out, but I couldn’t resist the look of happiness that such a small thing brought him. I cranked up the heat and laughed at the dog’s exuberant expression.
I made a quick stop at a pet store, and spent more than I should have on new toys, pet beds, and food, but they were worth it. Once home, I opened the driver’s side door and Nutmeg bounded over me and ran in circles in the yard.
“And what’s this?” Dorothy asked as Nutmeg trounced around in what was left of the flower garden. “Animals?” She turned up her nose as I pulled Marshmallow free of the confines of her crate. “Lovely, now I can watch that thing make a mess of the yard.”
“They’re not that bad,” I answered, feeling like I was on top of the world. I was settling in and putting a stamp on the place, because after all, it would be mine for a long time.
“I take it this is a sign you’re committed?” Dorothy asked, raising a finely plucked eyebrow at me.
“I’ve been committed from the beginning, Aunt Dorothy. The spell’s already been done,” I reminded her yet again.
“Yes, but I remember being in your shoes.” A fraction of a smile popped up on the ghost’s face. “I wasn’t sure you were the right fit, but—”
“No need for your concern,” I chirped. “See? Beautiful home, pets, loving family and friends. Everything I need is right here in Sage Springs.”
Dorothy crossed her arms and studied me. “Are you so sure of that? What about the young tattooed man who visited last night? He seemed to catch your attention.”
Cruz. “He’s only here for a few weeks,” I responded with a nonchalant shrug. “I accepted my responsibility months ago. I’m bound by my word and now by magic.”
“Yes, but isn’t he a witch? He might attempt some kind of reversal spell if he finds out, and that would be devastating.”
“I’m aware of the consequences, which is why we’re only going on a few dates. And I would never agree to a reversal spell.” I couldn’t do that to Eliza. I was the chosen one, and I would carry the burden alone.
“Very well, dear.” Dorothy pointed to the dog, who was having a heyday hurtling himself through the yard. “And don’t let that mutt dig up my mums.”
CHAPTER 12
After making sure Nutmeg and Marshmallow were comfortable at the cottage, I opened Wicks Before Pricks for a few hours in the afternoon as Ivy had requested. I loved her shop. It smelled divine and drew in such an eclectic clientele that I jumped at every chance to help out. Besides, she paid in candles, and I was all about that.
And it didn’t hurt that Cruz stopped by.
Of course it had to be while I was in the middle of ringing up my former piano teacher’s purchases, which were six votives of Whole Lotta Lovin’. According to the sign hanging next to them, the beige candles were packed with ginseng to boost sexual desire and libido. I pasted on a professional smile and bit the inside of my cheek to keep from asking questions, like why the eighty-f
ive-year-old spinster needed sexual-boosting anything.
“Here you go, Ms. Kinder.” I offered her the bag with what I hoped was an impassive expression.
“Thank you, Lexi,” Ms. Kinder whispered, turning to peer at Cruz for a moment. “Let’s keep this between us girls, shall we?”
I nodded politely. She winked at me and walked past Cruz, crooking her white-topped head at an angle to get a good look before she left.
Cruz chuckled as the door clicked shut. Meandering over to the bin of Whole Lotta Lovin’ and tossing a votive into the air, he winked at me. “Good thing you opened the shop for Ivy while she’s away. I mean, what would the old ladies do without their sex boosters?”
I snorted and shook my head. “I learned the first time I filled in for Ivy not to ask questions.” I walked around the counter and locked the front door, having fulfilled my duty to mankind … or at least the clientele. “What are you up to? Aimee said you were busy most of the day when I dropped off the pastries earlier.”
“Everyone deserves a break,” Cruz replied, stalking toward me with a glint in his eyes. “It so happens that my break involves you. And our date.”
“Yeah?” I eased back against a table, watching his lithe form move toward me.
“Yeah.”
I glanced at the clock. “Well, it’s four, and the text you sent an hour ago said you’d pick me up at eight, sooooo …” I ran a hand over my frazzled hair, knowing it was a mess. “I’m not ready yet.”
Cruz let out a low whistle as he reached out to stop me from trying to fix my hair. “I beg to disagree. You look amazing,” he said, smoothing his hands over my arms and linking our fingers. “But alas, I’m merely on a short break.” His eyes twinkled as he tugged me closer.
“What do you plan on doing with your break?” I asked, eyebrows arched. The way Cruz looked at me made me feel more confident, capable, and desirable. Maybe I should suggest Ivy sell a candle like that. It could be called Sinfully Sexy.
“I have an idea or two.” A grin crept onto Cruz’s face as he leaned toward me.
Cinnamon and Sunshine Page 9
