Page 42 of The Magic of Discovery
Sore? From the ride here? I watched as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, and realization dawned on me. Barking out a laugh, I startled her accidentally.
“Oh, yeah. Cam didn’t give details, he would never do something like that, but I do know he spent last night with you,” I confessed, raising an eyebrow to see how she would react to that information. My own ass was a little tender if I was being honest, so who was I to judge?
“And you’re okay with that?” She dropped her eyes to the blanket, cheeks tinting with a slight blush that made her all the more adorable.
“Sweetheart, look at me, please.” Her beautiful green eyes lifted, and I continued, “Cam is my best friend. All of the guys are. I love them all equally. They’re great men, and they deserve to be happy. You do, too. If we can all make each other happy, why wouldn’t I be okay with that?” Based on her nervousness about dating multiple guys, I had to admit I was slightly worried about what her reaction would be when I told her about Sloane and me. Would that be the bit of information that sends her into overload? Knowing I would tell her tonight before this went any further, I decided to wait a little longer, ensuring first that she was comfortable.
“I guess I just never thought that anything like this was possible or that it could actually work. What are the odds of a group of hot guys moving into my small town, then three out of four of them wanting to not only date me but being okay with all of this? It’s like a hot fantasy come true,” she laughed, shaking her head in disbelief.
Moving across the small distance between us, I picked up her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertips.
“What are the odds that we would come here for a job and find a gorgeous, sweet witch who wants to put up with all of us? I think we’re the ones living out a fantasy. I had hoped that one day we might find someone who would be willing to accept our team.” We shared a look and a shy smile, and I could feel the heat of a blush spreading across my cheeks this time.Christ, I feel like I’m thirteen years old again.
“Thank you, Fischer. You’re so sweet.” Her voice was soft as she stared at me.Stars, if she only knew just how not sweet I truly am.
Clearing my throat, I turned to my bag and pulled out the foil-wrapped sandwiches and the container of homemade chips.
“Aww, did you actually make this for tonight? That is so cute, Fish,” she gushed as she grabbed the container and flipped the lid before popping one of the chips into her mouth. Groaning, she closed her eyes as she savored the taste.Why is she so damn sexy when she’s eating? For fuck’s sake.
“Actually, I can’t take credit. Kai’s the chef of our group, so he offered to make us dinner,” I confessed.
Swallowing her bite, she giggled. “Gods, he is too much. So are you, by the way, and these chips are the bomb. I need to get the recipe.” She leaned in and kissed my cheek, and an emotion that I wasn’t familiar with bubbled to the surface of my mind: contentedness.
Using our foil as makeshift plates, we poured out the chips and continued eating together, the moment peacefully quiet. After a few moments, I pulled out the bottle of wine and held it up in question.
“Wine sounds great, thanks.” The date suddenly felt much more ‘date-like’ if I was judging by what I’d seen others do. Food, check. Alcohol, check. Sexy as sin witch, check.
“Yeah, we didn’t have any unbreakable glasses so... we’ll have to drink it from the bottle. I apologize,” I explained with a frown. What if she wasn’t the kind of girl who would just throw back a bottle of wine? I’d been watching her intensely the whole night, not wanting to miss a reaction since I had to scrutinize each one to figure out how I was doing with this whole date experience. Searching her expression for any sign of disappointment, I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding when a brilliant smile lit up her features.Shit.When she smiled at me like that, it made me feel likeI’dgenuinely pleased her, not my magic, but me, Fischer Bahri. It was addictive, and I wanted to see that brilliance every moment I could.
I’d never been a lazy man or a slacker. Bored was often the best word to describe me. It might sound arrogant, but I couldn’t remember ever really having to work hard to win someone over. Look at that real estate agent last night. Initially drawn in by my looks, all it took was a slight push of magic to snare her in my trap. Saige was an enigma though, and she captivated me. I found myself wanting to know everything about her so that I could earn her happiness and affection, not manipulate it. I welcomed the challenge. To be fair, I was downright fucking excited about finding out all the things I could do to get her to smile at me, the words I could say to get her to swoon in my arms, the delicious things I could do to her body in order for her to give herself to me completely. Yeah, I was going to implant myself in this woman’s mind, in her gods damn body, and I was going to do it organically asmyself.
“This will be perfect as long as you don’t mind getting my cooties,” she teased, taking the uncorked bottle from me. Raising it to her plump red lips, she took a drink, a drop of wine dripping from her chin when she pulled the bottle away. I found myself reaching out and swiping it with my thumb. I popped it into my mouth, and her pupils dilated at the action.
“I’d be honored to have your cooties, sweetheart.” I flirted and she blushed.
She passed the bottle back to me, and we ate while we made small talk about the quirks of the town, how good the food was, and stories about her gran.Yes, that pervy old lady was indeed her gran.We finished eating and drained the bottle of wine, the time having passed quickly.
“Oh my stars, I am so full,” she groaned, laying down across the blanket on her back. Rubbing her hand over her belly, she draped her other arm over her eyes. A breeze whipped through the trees, my hair tousling with the force of it.
“Are you getting cold? I have your sweater here in my bag...”
“I’m okay right now. Come down here and talk to me,” she murmured, keeping her arm over her eyes. I scooted over to where she was and laid down next to her, on my side. Propping my head up on my hand, I couldn’t look away from her. Red waves splayed out around her head, her pearly skin nearly glowing in the dusky lighting.
“Fischer?” My name on her lips was like a prayer.
“Yes, sweetheart?” I answered, heart racing with anticipation of what she might say next.
“For someone who can read emotions, I thought you might have kissed me by now,” she nearly whispered, lifting her arm off of her eyes and giving me a cheeky grin.
A genuine laugh spilled out of my mouth, surprising me when it filled the air around us. I wasn’t used to a partner who made me laugh and smile like this; I was used to one who fulfilled every dark fantasy and had very different noises coming from my mouth. My heart sped up at the thought of having them both and how well they complemented each other.
“Is that what you want? A kiss?” I moved closer to her now, my body pressed up against hers.
“For starters,” she quipped back with zero hesitation. Throwing my arm over her waist, I leaned away so that I could look down at her beautiful face. She blinked slowly, her eyes drinking in my features just as greedily. The soft touch of her hand warmed my cheek, her fingers running through the dark stubble that was always there.
Lowering my lips to hers, I brushed them lightly with my own, a shiver working its way down my spine.So soft.Breaking away, I looked down at her to see if that was okay. I didn’t want to push or take advantage of her.
The next thing I knew, I was the one on my back, and she was leaning over me, her hair falling around us, blocking out everything else. I ran my hand up the back of her thigh and hooked it over my hip, grabbing a handful of that amazing ass. Groaning, she took my mouth and ran her tongue over the seam of my lips, wanting entry. Opening for her, she dipped into my mouth and teased my tongue, deepening the kiss as my hands ran along her back. I pulled her closer to me, the sudden, hungry movement throwing her off balance until her thighs straddled me, moans escaping us both when she settled and sank her hands into my dark curls.
