Don't Hex and Drive (Stay a Spell #2) - Juliette Cross Page 0,83

in the chair and gave me a wistful smile and a wink. “I won’t ruin your date.”

He already had. Just by being here, he’d shown in glaring contrast the difference in my date and who I really wanted.

I couldn’t do anything but glare at him as he stood and brushed his fingers along the curve of my neck exposed above my cardigan sweater. He gave me a friendly squeeze that I felt zing all the way to my toes.

“Enjoy the rest of your date, Isadora,” he said sincerely and then marched for the door.

A few seconds later, Terry took up his place. “So, where were we?”

Then he launched into his thoughts on Friedrich Nietzsche, expounding on his views on traditional morality, and he truly lost me.

It’s not that his thoughts weren’t interesting. To many women, he’d be reeling them in with his immense brain, but I was a simple girl. And I honestly didn’t want to debate whether a fallen tree really made a sound in the woods if no one was there to hear it. I’d rather discuss what kind of tree it was and if it held any medicinal properties that could be brewed into a healthful tea.

The real problem wasn’t so much that Terry’s long-winded philosophical history was boring—but sorry, to me it was. The real issue was that my mind kept wandering to someone else. As I sat there, I compared Terry’s rather unremarkable voice to the sexy timbre of Devraj’s. Terry’s eyes, though intelligent and nice to look at, didn’t carry the same weight and heat of Devraj’s. Even his smile didn’t compare. Not to mention the fact that I’d checked out of this conversation at the third reference to Sigmund Freud’s Oedipus complex.

I was bored. And annoyed. Perhaps even a little sad.

Since Devraj had strolled up, I couldn’t think of anything else but him. It was all his fault!

Okay, that was a lie. Terry and I just weren’t meshing, which is why when he asked if I wanted another round, I politely declined and told him I needed to get going. After Terry paid the bill, we walked out together.

“That was lovely, Isadora,” he said politely, and I cringed inside when I realized he had enjoyed this far more than I had. “Should I call you again?” he asked with that hopeful look in his eyes.

This was one main reason I hated dating. When I didn’t return the guy’s feelings, I hated rejecting them. But I wasn’t the kind of girl to lead a guy on either.

Swallowing against the discomfort, I said, “I’m sorry, Terry. But I don’t think so.”

“Ah.” He looked down with a tight smile, then offered his hand to shake. “It was a pleasure nonetheless.”

“Thank you,” I said, giving his hand an apologetic squeeze then withdrawing. “I’m sorry.”

“Not necessary. Take care.” Then he sauntered off toward his car.

Devraj leaned back against the wall of the Cauldron, one knee propped up with his foot against the brick behind him, arms crossed. That’s when I noted he was wearing dark jeans and a black Henley, his hair in a man-bun, looking far too fine for words. Somehow, that irritated me more.

His expression was one of concern as he watched Terry walk away. “Ouch,” he said, finally looking at me.

“Why are you here?” I sauntered over.

“Moral support?” He raised his brows innocently, his charming smile beaming.

“No, you’re not. You were waiting for me.”

Looking a little sheepish, he admitted, “I wanted to be sure you were safe. These guys aren’t always who they say they are on those dating apps.”

“Same thing Violet told me.” I couldn’t actually be mad about that, but still.

Blowing out a breath, which lifted a wisp of my long bangs, I said, “But you interfered. And you—” I bit my lip.

“I what?” he asked, all innocence.

Please.

“You distracted me,” I admitted. But his aggravatingly knowing smile made me go on. “And I don’t like you butting in and acting like the protective big brother or whatever.”

He opened his mouth to say something then stopped. He tilted his head, dropping his foot from the wall, and tucked his hands into his jeans’ pockets. “Were you enjoying his company?” he asked, expression serious. “Was this going to lead to a second date?”

There’s no way in hell I’d be going out with Terry again. I had already been contemplating excuses to leave early when Devraj had shown up.

I glanced up the street, heaving out a sigh, propping my hands on my hips. “That’s not the