Page 52 of Offsides Attraction

“Ho, ho, hold on.” Maggie stopped to catch her breath. “You kissed him and now you can’t read him and you think it’s a magical challenge?” The shaking intensified. As did her laughter. Normally, Maggie’s joyful laugh made Penny smile, but now it set her teeth on edge. George joined her. His cat laughter sounded like a cross between a goat and a bagpipe.

Penny tossed back the blankets. “I don’t need to stay here and take your ridicule. I thought you’d understand.” Maggie grabbed her hand.

“I do. Penny, don’t you see? He isn’t a magical challenge. You love him.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it? If I came to you with the same story, what would you tell me?”

“That you couldn’t read him anymore because we can’t read the people we love. But Maggie, I have been able to read him, a little, just not like before.”

“When?”

“Usually when he’s upset, he draws his eyebrows together or flares his nostrils. And his eyes get a predatory gleam in them before he kisses me.”

“Lucas does he eyebrow thing, too, but his eyes go all soft and gooey before he kisses me, like the inside of a freshly baked brownie when it’s warm. But a predatory gleam now and then wouldn’t be bad either.”

“But how can you read him if you love him?”

“Oh, Penny.” Maggie sighed, sounding like a verbal, condescending pat on the head. “We can’t read their minds, but we can still read their body language. It’s how ungifted people do it.”

“So those times when I thought I was reading him and overcoming my challenge, I was just doing what regular people do?” Ew.

“Yep.” Maggie sounded smug, and Penny was sure her annoying sister was smiling.

“So, my gift isn’t broken, and he isn’t a challenge?” Penny said, trying to digest Maggie’s theory.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s a challenge, just not in the way you’d hoped.”

“Wow,” Penny said, feeling numb. Her world had been tossed tonight. She’d always been a tinge jealous of Bash’s living in New York City in the off-season, which was a childish reason for taking an instant dislike to him, but now that she knew his real identity she was a green-eyed monster. He had everything she’d dreamed of, but it didn’t seem like he wanted it. She’d trade with him in a heartbeat if she could.

And now Maggie’s crazy theory had Penny in love with Bash when she could barely be in the room with him without arguing or wanting to kiss the smug look off his face. But he’s not always a challenge or smug. He’d listened and watched when they’d been at the shelter. And he was courteous and interested at the book clubs. And he was kind to fans, even when he wanted to escape.

Penny pounded her pillow and stuffed it under her head. She’d planned a happy single life with no one to answer to but herself. But if she stayed with Bash, she’d need to bend to his life, a life in New York City away from the coven. “I’d lose my magic,” she said.

“Or it might make you stronger,” Maggie said, sounding half asleep. “Nanna always says love is the strongest magic there is. Take the leap, Pen.”

But what if he won’t catch me?

Chapter 23

Penny dragged the dense ciabatta bread around her plate, soaking up every delicious drop of sauce. “I didn’t know you could cook.”

“It’s hard to reach this age and not know how to cook at least one date-worthy meal,” Bash said, topping off her wine.

“Is that what this is? A date?” Penny hoped she sounded cool as she reached for her glass. She wanted this to be a date, or at least a fresh start for them. She liked Bash a lot, maybe even loved him, and for the first time, she wanted to see where a relationship went. Bash Vander Vetter was more interesting than a book.

“Do you want it to be?” he asked.

“Yes, I think I do.”

“Good, because I didn’t buy the flowers for my roommates, and I didn’t slave over a hot stove, making mea culpa pasta sauce for them.” The corner of his mouth quirked up, and Penny laughed.

“I’d think they’d dine on that daily, what with living with you.”

“They’re no saints, either,” he grumbled.

“Saints are overrated,” Penny said, leaning forward. Bash’s eyes widened and Penny was pleased she hadn’t changed when George had pointed out the deep V-neck of her sweater, while muttering something about chastity belts needing to make a comeback.

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