Page 78 of Bargains with Benefits
I bit her lip as we parted. “That’s for laughing at the idea of me hiding in the closet.”
She pulled her arms back, smiling, and wiped them together, flour coming off them in waves. “You’re lucky you took your jacket off,” she said. “Even so, there are remnants of flour on your shirt.”
I glanced down and saw the white flour handprints on the crème-colored fabric. I tilted my head back, staring at the ceiling as if asking for patience I didn’t need. She giggled again at my dramatics. My lips were on hers in a moment, greedy to capture the sound.
“That should be done,” she said, pointing to the dough. “It will need to rise. You can wash your hands there while you tell me what happened next.”
I moved to the sink and did as she instructed, thinking I could get used to our shared responsibility in the kitchen. I wasn’t a baker like her, but I knew she liked to knead the dough as a form of stress release. Now that I’d tried it, I understood the appeal.
“I searched for you at the paper. It was probably while you were at your parents’ house.” Her hand grabbed my wet one as I reached for a towel. Before handing me the dry cloth, shesqueezed my hand like she knew what that part of the adventure would have cost me.
“Well, once I had the evidence, I returned to the paper to change the column. It turned out that once I had proof, Patricia saw reason and ignored her orders.” He shook his head. “She’d been told she had to print a story about the bribes to stop the school building. Not specifically who she had to name as the culprit.”
“So, you did it? You got the story you wanted into the issue?” she asked.
“I did.” Today’s paper was once again clutched in my hand. My fingers felt clammy where I gripped it, not so much because of the article about my parents but because of the other change. “I know we didn’t discuss this, but I made another change…to your recommendation.” I glanced over my shoulder as more noise poured from the library. “Not that you need it, but I am sorry I didn’t let you read this before it printed.” I cleared my throat. “I didn’t think our original plan…fit anymore.”
I handed her the paper. “This one is much more you.”
She took the paper from my hands and started reading.
36
Luna
Icouldn’t read the article fast enough. Every word written tugged at a piece of my heart. It was like he’d taken the words from my impromptu speech at the tavern yesterday and poured them onto the page. My heart swelled, and happy tears filled my vision, making it even harder to read. I’d barely finished when I threw myself at him again. This time, his wind anticipated my actions. My arms looped around his neck as I leaped from the floor into his hold.
He bore my weight effortlessly as my legs wrapped around his waist. His wind encircled us as I fused my lips to his. I wanted no space between us.
“It’s perfect,” I said between kisses. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
I struggled to catch my breath as my lips moved to his neck, and I ran my hands freely through his hair. His smile against my lips as I did so brought me warmth in a way that had nothing to do with my body pressed against his—though it didnothing to stop my thoughts from roaming to the closest place we could be alone.
He lifted his head and searched the room as if understanding my thoughts. The kitchen was not a great option. It had two doors and no locks.
“Do you have something in the oven?” he asked, his voice a little desperate with indecision.
“Yes, and it’s almost done.” I slipped from his arms, but not before pressing another lingering kiss to his lips. “As soon as it’s done, you’re mine,” I said as I turned to check on the baking muffins.
His gaze tracked me as I crossed the room to the oven. Glancing over my shoulder, I couldn’t help but sigh at the picture he made, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the door frame. He looked thoughtful, even as his pose had me fanning myself.
“I’m sorry, I made this entirely about me when I walked in. I thought I’d need to do more groveling, having not returned when I said I would.” His voice was a little gravelly as he spoke, attempting to suppress the emotion in the statement. Part of him must have expected me to assume the worst. “Please tell me about your day. How did you fill the inn?”
“It’s not quite full,” I said as I opened the oven. “But we do have guests. Lots of them. And they’re all staying until Long Night.”
He held my gaze, waiting for my explanation.
“I asked for help.” I shrugged, not sure what else to say. “You inspired me.”
This was how I would explain how much I admired what he’d done. Not just because it had saved Darius from unwarranted embarrassment but because it had been the right thing for him—for Vincent.
“When I couldn’t find you and realized you had to be confronting your parents, I knew you were being true toyourself, standing up for the beliefs that drove you from Andiveron House in the first place. I went to Parkview Tavern to do the same. Mom’s actions made me realize how much I wanted to embrace both parts of myself.” I swallowed. “Once I knew the blood magic was gone, nothing was holding me back. The tavern was full, not only of friends and customers but of their guests and out-of-towners. I told them all about the inn and the kind of place I wanted it to be, very much like the article you wrote.” I gestured to the paper. “And a lot of them came. Others came independently; the magic must have been working hard to drive people away.”
He reached for me, unable to stay away after I closed the oven again and grabbed a towel to retrieve the muffins. “I’m so proud of you, Luna. This is amazing. You did it.”
“We did it.”
His lip tilted into a half smile. “I’m sure I didn’t do anything.”
