Page 23 of Lila

“Whoa, it’s okay. I’m sorry he scared you. He just sometimes gets carried away and does what he wants.” She sends a scolding look at Stoic as he lowers his head and dashes away.

“I don’t know why animals keep jumping on me today. That’s how I got this little guy,” I laugh. “I’m Lila. This is Gray.” I nod down to Gray. “We were on our way home when he dragged me in here going on about Pac-Man.”

“Pac-Man,” a mechanical voice echoes.

“See? You try saying no to that.” I smile fondly at Grayson and ruffle his hair.

“You like Pac-Man, buddy?” She bends down and asks him.

He smiles and rapidly nods his head. Lizzy and I both laugh.

“Well, then. Let’s get you set up, little dude. Pac-Man is 25 cents. You got any quarters?” She asks.

Grayson frowns and shakes his head.

“I got some, don’t worry. Here you go.” I dig through my purse and the chinchilla crawls further up my chest until it’s under my neck pressing its entire body into me. I chuckle and hand Gray all the quarters I could find. Which isn’t much. Hope he doesn’t get mad when he runs out and we have to go home.

Lizzy stands up and leads us to the game. Once it comes into sight, Gray rushes ahead and starts playing while Lizzy and I are still walking. Guess the magic thinks he’s close enough to me.

“He’s very one-minded. He probably won’t even notice I’m not right behind him.” I shake my head, laughing.

“My boys are like that with video games too. Heck,I’mlike that with video games. The kid would fit right in around here.” She chuckles. “Everything around me tends to disappear when I get in the zone of a good game. I’d probably forget to eat if it weren’t for Raz reminding me.”

“Oh, you have kids?”

She throws her head back and laughs so loud everyone in the arcade turns to stare at us. “Oh, god. Sorry. No. No kids. I mean my boyfriends. They own this arcade, well, three of them do.”

“Three of them? How many do you have?”And how many people am I going to meet today that have multiple lovers?

“Five-” she starts before someone calls her name. “I better see what they want. It was nice meeting you, Lila. I hope to see you around.”

“Oh for sure. I have a feeling Gray’s going to want to come all the time,” I laugh and she waves goodbye as she walks over to a group of good-looking men and what looks like a massive lizard, crocodile monster.

With Lizzy gone, I walk over to Grayson and watch as he runs from ghosts and eats fruit. The chinchilla rubs its nose against my chin and I smile as I scratch the back of its head like I know it likes. My fingers catch on something and I look down to find a blue collar around its neck with a silver tag that says Mateo.That’s an odd name for a pet. And where the heck did the collar come from? That wasn’t there a minute ago. Most importantly, why is there suddenly a fiery rope of magic connecting us?

“Gray! Is that you? What are you doing here?” a smooth voice says from behind me and a shiver goes down my spine.

Gray spins around with a huge smile on his face. He fiddles with his tablet and says, “Uncle Harkin!”

I get to put a face to the voice when a tall, lithe redhead stops next to Grayson and ruffles his head. And boy what a face it is. The only fault I can find as I study Gray’s uncle is the fiery rope of magic connecting us.What the hell is happening?

Chapter 17

Harkin

Ilookaroundtosee who Gray’s here with. I didn’t see Ann, and Luca isn’t due back to town for a few hours yet. He must have gotten a new babysitter. But who is she? My eyes connect with a pair of honey-brown eyes and I freeze, completely struck by her beauty. I know it’s rude to stare, but that’s what I’m doing and the longer I do, the more I feel like my soul is complete. I didn’t know it wasn’t already, but something inside me shifts the moment I lay eyes on her.

“Mate.” The word is a whispered breath, but it breaks the spell we were both under and her eyes widen.

“Uh-uh, no. Not mate,” she says, her words like a stab to the chest. “Babysitter. Hi! I’m Grayson’s babysitter, Lila,” she rambles.

Lila. My mate, Lila.

The furball lying across her perfect chest that I somehow missed until now, hisses and Lila holds on to it when it looks like it’s going to jump on me.

My lips twitch and I arch a brow at the possessive creature.I’m not going to take her from you, little guy.

“Hey, Gray! How ya doin’, buddy?” I turn my attention back to Gray because if I keep looking at her, I won’t be accountable for my actions.

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