Chapter 12

November 1st Arianna opened her eyes slowly and looked around without moving her head. Oh God, oh God, oh God! It was daylight! She held her hand up and focused on it. The light was so dim that she wasn’t sure if her vision was blurry or not. She tried to slide from the bed but realized her leg was pinned beneath the weight of another leg on top of hers!

Turning her head slowly, she found herself looking at the back of Leo’s head. Oh . . . why hadn’t she gotten out of here before midnight? A flush fell over her as she remembered exactly why she hadn’t.

Now what? She bit her lip and tried to think. She had to get out of here.

She started to sit up so she could work her leg from beneath his and then froze when she heard someone in the next room and the door was still open! She dropped her head back down quickly and pulled the sheet up. Please don’t let it be Evan! Closing her eyes, she held her breath and hoped they wouldn’t come in.

“Boss?” a man’s voice hoarsely whispered from the door.

She felt Leo move around, freeing her leg. “In here, Teddy.”

“Oh. Do you know how many rooms I had to search to find you?” The man’s voice came from inside the bedroom now, near the door if she wasn’t mistaken.

He chuckled from beside her. “I’ve been in this one most of the night. How was my party?”

His party? His party! Leo . . . Leo was Evan? She clenched her jaw to stop herself from screaming. No wonder she had been so attracted to him!

“Great! I just sent the last few stragglers home in cabs. We had a missing secretary . . .”

“Celia?” Evan sighed.

“How did you . . . anyways, she is all right, just had a nap under one of the covered tables is all. So, I was going to go home and crash.”

“Alone?” Evan asked with a hint of humor.

The man chuckled from the door. “No, but thanks for asking.”

Evan shifted on the bed. “Go get some rest and take a cab. You look beat.”

“Will do, boss. Later.”

She heard the door close.

~

Evan exhaled and leaned back into the pillows just as a pillow smacked into his face. After grabbing it, he quickly tossed it aside and looked at the rather perturbed-looking witch beside him.

She spoke in a low voice. “You know the owner . . .”

He shrugged, trying not to grin. “Not a lie. I do know myself quite well.”

She actually hissed at him, reminding him of a cat, and then squinted at him. It was hard not to notice the sheet she was clutching to her wasn’t doing a good job of covering everything.

Another pillow bounced off his face, this time without the help of her hand.

“I can’t believe . . .” She sent him an angry look. “You . . .” She growled this time and bounded from the bed, taking the sheet with her. She practically ran to the window and huffed out a breath. Turning she scowled at him. “How could you . . .” She clutched the sheet tighter. “Why would . . . uh!” She growled again and the curtain flew open.

He was trying not to smile, but it was hard because she looked so damn fine when she was infuriated.

“Did you know it was me?” she finally asked.

Evan leaned on one elbow and raised an eyebrow. “Do you think I’m in the habit of seducing strange women in masks?”

“I don’t know!” She pulled the sheet and tucked it around more of her.

Evan sat up. “The hell you don’t!” He couldn’t believe she thought that. “I come and see you every damn day, Arianna . . .” He tilted his head and looked at her. “Or would you rather I call you Gracelyn?”

“You . . . you knew all this time?”

She had the saddest look on her face, and it was all he could do to stay this far from her and answer her. “I’ve been looking for you for years. That night, when your sister died, any witch of substantial magic within a hundred miles felt the strength of the spell used.”

He got up, grabbed his pants from the floor, and pulled them on. He wasn’t going to stand here naked and argue with her. “We have to protect our own kind, so some of us started searching.” He moved closer to her. “I suspected it was you in that little shop, even though I couldn’t prove anything without asking you outright. But the curse is not the reason I come to see you every day.’

Wide eyes looked into his. “It’s not?”

“Do you need proof?” She frowned at him. He motioned with his head toward the mirror behind her. “How’s your eyesight?”

Her hand slowly moved to her face. She blinked and then turned and looked at her in the mirror. She could see herself clearly. She looked at him in the mirror. “I don’t . . . I don’t understand.” She looked from her reflection to him twice.

He smiled and moved until he was right in front of her. “You don’t?” he said in a hushed voice as he brushed his lips over her mouth. “It’s fairly simple, Arianna.” He kissed her again. “I can truly see you all the time. I’ve always seen you, and we broke the curse.”

~

Arianna stood there looking into his eyes. Her heart was beating so hard that she could feel it in her throat. Her brain was trying to grasp what he was saying. She was herself again, completely and it was past Hallows Eve. His mouth feathered over hers again, which did not help her sort through all the confusion.

Something brushed against her leg and she jumped and looked down. There sat Phinehas, her cat! “You traitor,” she said with a smile as she scooped the precious creature into her arms. “Have you been here the whole time?”

Evan looked from her to the cat. “This explains so much. He is the one who led me to your shop several days in a row. I think he wanted to make sure I remembered you. Then he moved in here and I was hooked on seeing you.” He rubbed a hand over the cat’s head. “No wonder you moved right in and refused to leave. This was your home long before I came here.”

Arianna nuzzled her face into the soft black fur. “He was never happy after we left.”

Evan took the cat from her and set it on the floor again. “Then come back, make your cat happy.” He took her hands and leaned his forehead to rest on hers. “Make me happy.”

Her head was spinning. “Come back?”

He grinned. “The house is still in Gracelyn Arianna Trainer’s name. I’m just watching over it. Although I have made several changes of what room is used for what, but we can change things back if you want.”

She frowned. “This is still my house?”

He nodded and then searched her eyes. “If you prefer, we can change it to Arianna Thorp, but I don’t see the need in changing it twice.”

“Twice what?”

He squeezed her hands. “Changing it to Arianna Thorp and then to Dermott, unless you want Dermott-Thorp or possibly Thorp-Dermott . . .” He stopped when her eyebrows shot up. “You don’t like the man behind the mask?” he asked quietly.

Arianna smiled. “I definitely like the man behind the mask Evan; I’m just a little overwhelmed right now.” She moved away from him and went to the window. “I have my sight back, my house and my cat all at the same time.” She turned to look back at him. “And now I have you too.” She grinned at him as he walked over.

He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her. He kissed her deeply before smiling at her. “Let’s go find something to eat. I’m starving.” He set her down, moved over to the closet, and pulled out his robe for her. “I have a machine that makes those lattes you like.”

She slipped on the robe and his heart did a little flip at how perfect she looked wearing it. “You do?”

He nodded and held out his hand. “That way you can have one whenever you want.” He grasped her hand and started toward the door. “I was thinking you could use that large room downstairs and move Dreams here…”

“Move my shop here?”

He nodded and pulled her under his shoulder as they walked to the stairs. “Yes, then it will be easier for you to watch the kids . . .” He paused and looked down at her confused look. “Did I mention I want kids? Lots of our children learning to wield their magic all over the house . . .”

She stretched up and kissed him quickly. “I could be persuaded to have a child or three.” She ran a hand down his chest.

He sighed and then hugged her into his arms again. “I think I should start persuading you

now . . .”

She struggled. “What happened to latte and food?” She laughed when his shoulders dropped and then kissed him again. “So is Evan as skilled in seduction as Leo?” She bit her lip.

He smirked. “More so.”

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “I think I need a demonstration before I agree to having children and moving my shop.”

He gripped her around the waist and boosted her up on his body. Her legs locked around him, as his mouth moved over her throat.

“Evan, thank you for inviting me to your party.”

His mouth covered hers, and he kissed anything else she was going to say right out of her head.