Page 67 of Spellbound & Speechless
“I don’t get to cook much when living out of motels, but… I know a thing or two.” He focuses onthe apple, peeling each to perfection. “My knife skills are better than yours.”
“You’d better stop before you offend me.”
He smiles over his shoulder. “Don’t be offended. This is a good opportunity to improve our teamwork. Look at the silver lining, Aspen.”
I huff, and as I gather my ingredients, my cheeks grow warmer. “We already work pretty well together.”
“We do.” He doesn’t look up as he peels the next apple. “You aren’t doing the dishes, either. We don’t need to get your wound wet.”
My eyes widen. “But it’s bandaged!”
“I don’t care.”
There’s no reason to argue. Complaining about a man offering to help with the dishes is ridiculous. His help in the kitchen is the bare minimum, so I don’t let myself moon over him for too long before I get to work.
Chapter 24
Aspen
“I have a surprise for you.”That’s all Mac says before he leads me through the quiet streets of my hometown—a place he suddenly knows better than I do.
How can he expect to surprise me in Starbrook? If anything, I should be the one planning surprises. I’ve already thought of a few things I want to show him. Starbrook is home to some beautiful trails, and I think he would appreciate them, considering his interest in nature.
If he wants to surprise me, I won’t complain. Who doesn’t like a fun surprise?
Mac and I have spent a few days together, and things between us feel different. At work and around the others, he is as stoic as ever, but when it’s just the two of us, I see another side of him.
A soft, wild side.
I don’t doubt that the surprise he’s showing me will be a good one. I trust him, and I think he’s learning to trust me, too.
A light breeze ruffles the colorful autumn foliage, and my shoes crunch through the fallen leaves. A guitar playsnearby—likely Sophia, a town musician I know well. Families bustle around the shops on Main Street, and… Starbrook feels peaceful again. It’s as if the attack never happened.
Maybe it’s me.I’mat peace. Good sex does that to me. The corrupt witch hasn’t attacked again, and Mac and I have had ample opportunity to spend all our free time together. To be in the throes of budding love once more is a gift from my goddess, and it’s one I’ll never take for granted.
“Look!” I pull him closer to the musician. “That’s Sophia.”
“Huh.” He tilts his head to the side. “What’s her deal?”
“She used to be in a rock band,” I whisper. “Now, she does this.”
People stop to drop money into her guitar case, but Sophia is too focused on the music to thank them. We never expect her to. She’s a siren; her music reflects the dreamy quality one would expect. Her dark hair and mature beauty are equally mesmerizing.
I sigh softly as I toss a five-dollar bill into the guitar case. “Lovely to see you, Sophia.”
She meets my eye momentarily, her dark gaze twinkling with mirth.
Mac scoffs and grabs my hand, pulling me in the opposite direction. “C’mon. You’re getting distracted.”
“Don’t be jealous!” I giggle.
“I’m not.” He squeezes my fingers. “Just excited to show you where we’re going.”
“Now I’m intrigued. It must be good if you’re not falling for Sophia’s charms.”
“It is. It’s better than good.” He snorts. “And I’m not the type to fall for a siren.”
“You say that now, but if you were in the middle of theocean with nothing but a bunch of smelly men and buckets of rum…”
