Page 36 of Wishing for a Werewolf
“There’s no need.” My hand wraps around hers, and I lean over her shoulder, using her grip on the fork to bring a piece to my mouth. The sweet and spicy scent of her hair combines with the cinnamon and ginger of the syrup until I feel as if my senses are on overload.
Yet I only want more, my erection springing to life.
I finish off her food, curled over her, her heart fluttering so loudly I can hear it as I keep her hand locked in mine. Then Skye passes over her plate, and I eat that as well, attempting to assuage one hunger by fulfilling another.
My straining cock isn’t fooled.
Across the table, Shadow eats the last bite of Hannah’s waffle, having tackled Kayla’s first. As soon as all of the food is gone, a jolt of magic shivers through the air in a soundless pop that feels like the release of pressure.
Kayla surges upright, taking a quick step away from the table. “It worked.”
“Oh, thank god.” Autumn slumps in her chair. “I thought for sure I’d stuck us all at this effing table for the next month or something.”
“That would be really freaking awkward with all the coffee we just drank. Speaking of which…” Hannah bolts for the restroom in the back of the café.
“I have to reopen the library,” Skye pushes her chair back and stands, then leans over and places her hand on Autumn’s shoulder. “You okay?”
“I’m good.” The redhead squeezes her friend’s fingers. “You go do what you gotta do. I’m sorry I made you late.”
“Ehh.” The blonde waves a hand in dismissal. “I’ve got an understanding boss.”
“You’re your own boss.”
“And I’m very understanding.” Skye winks and hurries away.
“I’m off, too. Laters.” Kayla stalks out of the restaurant, Shadow on her heels.
Autumn shifts in her chair, and I force myself to step away to give her room to stand. “Thank you for the save.” She gestures toward the empty plate.
“I ate something tasty.” I shrug. “Not exactly a hardship.”
“I still appreciate it.” Then the corners of her lips turn down. “Skye and I researched all morning, but we didn’t find anything that will help with Operation Wish Swap. It’s looking seriously doubtful we’re going to solve this by tomorrow.”
I tip my head and grunt in agreement.
“Why don’t you come by the farm in the morning, and I can write our acceptance letters for Mrs. Greely, so they’ll be ready by the time the mail gets picked up at noon.”
“All right.”
“It’ll be okay. We just have to work together for the fall festival. How hard can that be?” She leans over to blow out the silencing candle, making the soft fabric of her dress tighten across the curve of her ass.
“Pretty damned hard,” I mutter under my breath as my cock springs back to full attention.
The next morning, I do a quick patrol of town before running to the goat farm. It’s a drizzly fall day, one of those where it rains lightly yet continuously. Under the trees, the soft patter of raindrops on leaves makes a soothing sound, the wet painting their fall colors in even brighter reds, yellows, and oranges.
Yet I break out of the calm of the forest onto pandemonium.
A huge truck, larger than any human vehicle I’ve ever seen, sits in front of the red barn. Instead of having walls and a ceiling, most of its length is taken up by a platform piled high with rectangular blocks of hay. The only thing protecting them from the elements is a large tarp stretched over the top.
“Dad, are you okay?” Autumn gestures wildly at an older man staggering under the weight of a yellow-green block of hay. She stands right inside the door of the barn, gripping the handle of a flat, low wagon a couple of feet long, and as soon as he drops the hay bale onto it, she heaves backward, pulling it deeper inside.
“Fine, pumpkin.” He doesn’t look fine. He looks like he’s barely keeping up with the younger man working by his side, both their tanned faces flushed and sweaty.
When the redheaded witch returns to the door, she spots me, smacks her forehead,and groans, “God, I completely forgot we were writing the letters this morning!” She spins toward her cottage, then toward the people moving the hay, then back again, her words tripping over themselves in her haste. “I guess I can leave for a bit. I mean, I have to. We have to make sure the letters are postmarked with today’s date, or Mrs. Greely will give the fall festival events to someone else, and Operation Wish Swap will be a bust!”
I grip her shoulders and force her to stop and look at me. “How can I help?”
“We ordered our winter hay months ago, having no idea it would be raining today. If the bales get really wet, we don’t have enough storage room to keep them spread out to dry like they should, so we need to get them inside as quickly as possible.”
