Witch In Charge - Celia Kyle Page 0,21

head ruefully. “It has its downsides.”

“More pancakes, ladies?” Nathan walked slowly through the archway leading to the table and chairs which were roughly in the center of the covered garden. Kelly hadn’t had a chance to explore it yet, but at the mere thought of trimming, weeding, and replanting, the house threw a fit so severe Kelly’d had to reassure it immediately that no landscaping would be done.

“Yes, please.” Tiffany looked up, her eyes lingering appreciatively on Nathan’s shirtless form. He wore his usual snug-fitting leather pants but he didn’t even seem to own a shirt. Seeing him walk through the dappled shade while the light chased across his chest and arms was almost hypnotic, he looked that good.

“How’s that sun protection spell holding up?” Kelly asked lightly, trying to sound cool. She still hadn’t gotten used to the idea of such a hot guy wandering around her house half-naked.

For the first time since she'd met him, Nathan smiled—a truly brilliant smile that could part clouds and make angels sing. “So far so good.”

As he bent to pour them more tea, the sunlight glinted on his hair and deep red highlights shone through the darker curls. When he looked up at Kelly and smiled, his blue eyes struck her right in the chest.

Or maybe lower, she thought. What’s he packing in those leather pants?

The table holding the food suddenly vibrated. The glass top shivered and the wrought iron scrollwork of the legs rattled on the ground.

“Cut it out,” she muttered. “I’m not going to.”

“Going to what?” Nathan asked. “Give me more jobs to do? When you said I could serve you in return for casting the protection spell, I didn’t expect to be your damn butler all damn day.”

Kelly grinned and shrugged. “You’re bound by your word now.”

“That I am.” He gave a weary, theatrical sigh, then flashed her a grin and a wink.

“I’ll be back with a fruit salad.” He took the tray and bowed, looking like the sexiest Playgirl butler in history.

I wonder what he looks like in just an apron.

“Hey, Kelly?” Aurora’s voice dropped into that hushed whisper girls used when it came to boy talk. “Who was the guy you were kissing last night?”

“Oh, you know. No one special. There are plenty of hot pieces of man-candy around here.” Kelly shrugged and quickly hid behind her cup, sipping tea so she wouldn’t have to answer any more questions.

Nervousness clawed at her throat. She had to hide her feelings because they surprised her. A bit of kissing had never affected her this way before. She didn’t want anyone else prying into it until she was absolutely sure what they meant.

What does it even mean to be sure? I’m not good at the long-term stuff. I’ve never done it!

She had been doing very well this morning in forgetting Ronun's existence, which was a difficult task indeed when he wouldn’t get off her damn porch.

Tiffany and Aurora were deep into a conversation about mugwort and hen’s bane. Who knew that a necromancer and a conjurer of fluttery butterflies could have a lot in common, even if it looked like they should switch wardrobes?

Kelly’s phone buzzed, making a grating noise as it slid across the glass tabletop. It was a text from that same impossible number.

“Six six sixes,” she muttered.

“Huh?” Tiffany grunted.

“I just got a text from a number that’s all sixes and it says to call Cora.”

“Guess you'd better call Cora then,” Aurora said with an impressed smile. “It may be the dead prompting you.”

“Don’t you start,” Kelly said, wagging a finger at her new roommate…and friend. “You might be able to bring dead rats back to life, but I can glamor them and hide them under your sheets.”

“Ew! Don’t do that. Please.”

“Don’t make wisecracks about the dead,” Kelly joked back.

“Gotta be someone you both know,” Tiffany said, thoughtfully. “Any thoughts on who?”

“Demon spawn?” Aurora said with a snicker. “But seriously, if you see those things here, let me handle them.”

“No doubt,” Kelly muttered.

Another text arrived and it was even more cryptic.

The lite has returned.

“Light? What light?”

Kelly shrugged. “Maybe the power was out at her place?”

“No,” Tiffany said softly, narrowing her eyes and staring up at the twisting vines. “We all know there are never power outages in Othercross. It’s not like we’re on some antiquated human power grid.” Her expression grew sharp and dreamy at the same time. “No, this is magic. I can feel it, I just can’t track it.”

Thats y i chose u.

“Oh, that clears things