Page 55 of Wood You Knot

“Let’s have lunch this week. Whenever you want, just text me what day works best for you.”

“I don’t even have your phone number yet.” I laughed, feeling a little embarrassed that I’d bedded the man twice before I’d even programmed his number into my phone. That wasn’t like me—at least, I hadn’t been that way with anyone else. Not even Warren. I’d made him wait months…

Of course, he’d probably been getting his fill elsewhere during that time, but I preferred not to think about that.

I told myself that wasn’t the reason I’d given in to those urges with Nix so quickly. It had just felt right at the time, and it still felt right. I didn’t regret my decision; I felt safe in his company. I felt like he held the key to unlock every part of me I’d kept fastened and sealed.

“What’s your number?” he asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket. I told it to him, and he sent me a text message. My phone chimed on the other side of the kitchen with the text, and he beamed at me. “You’ve got it now.”

“Good.” I smiled back at him. The way his eyes swept over me, drinking me in, made the feeling of hope bloom in my chest like a flower in the sunlight. That’s what Nix felt like—sunlight and warmth. Like his very presence fed my soul.

“Well, I’ve got to go now. I’ll text you later, though,” Nix said. Finished with his coffee, he stood up and pushed in the stool.

“Okay, that sounds good.” I tried not to let my disappointment show. I had a busy day myself. I had to shower before I met up with Tabitha and Parker at the beach to pick up Daphne and do their family photo session.

Nix leaned forward, his hand framing the side of my face as he captured my lips in a kiss of unspoken promises. He pulled back; his eyes locked on mine.

“And for what it’s worth, I honestly don’t mind spending time with Daphne too. In fact, I’d like that a lot—she’s a cool kid. There’s a lot of fun stuff we can do around town, when you’re ready to tell her about us,” he told me, his eyes conveying his sincerity.

I nodded, absorbing his words and trying not to let those seeds burrow too deeply into my heart, but it was almost as if I didn’t have a choice in the matter.

I walked Nix to the door, and he kissed me once more before leaving. Closing the door, I leaned against it and pressed a finger to my swollen lips.

Chapter Twenty

Nix

“Some warning on what was in the Choco Temptation stout would have been nice,” I said as I stormed into the garage and glared at my brother later that evening. It was the first time I’d seen him since Friday night.

I’d had a busy day at the lumberyard, and Parker had been tied up on a job. I found him in his garage working on a dresser, sanding it down and prepping it to be stained. He’d paused and looked up at me, almost appearing dumbfounded.

“What do you mean?” Parker asked, feigning innocence. But I could see right through it.

“Choco Temptation. The love elixir, really?” I huffed, aggravated. I’d spent the day thinking about how much that slip-up had almost cost me, and I wasn’t impressed.

Sage had been so upset at first, and I couldn’t blame her. For a moment, it’d felt like I betrayed her trust, but I honestly hadn’t known the stout contained the love mixture.

“Oh crap, you got that one?” Parker’s eyes widened. “Yeah, there’s two kinds. The Midnight Malt, and the Choco Temptation Stout. The Choco Temptation is usually reserved for the couple packages at the Whimsical Woods Resort. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think.”

“I’m sure you are,” I deadpanned.

“So you guys drank the love elixir, then? Guess that explains why you weren’t home last night.” He smirked.

I crossed my arms, giving him a look that said I clearly wasn’t impressed. Even if I did end up having a great night with Sage, it could have easily been a disaster if she’d opted to get mad at me for unwittingly forcing her to drink the love elixir.

I mean, I hadn’t forced her, per se…but I’d supplied the chocolate stout with the love elixir in it and poured it for her, which was almost the same thing.

“Yeah, well. No thanks to you guys.”

“No, thanks to the love elixir. I told you, that stuff is potent.” Parker nodded, convinced of it. “Did you guys have a good time, though?”

I sighed, letting my arms fall to my side. “Yeah, we did. Until the Hartley sisters showed up.”

“They crashed your date?” Parker shook his head, a little shocked and a lot amused.

“Yeah, they did. Drove right up to us in their Commander. Then they made a comment as they drove off about how we’d had the Choco Temptation, and that’s when Sage read the label on the bottle, and we found out we’d been drinking a new version of the love elixir.”

Parker winced, the reality of how not good that situation must have been hitting him. “Dang, sorry to hear that. I’m glad it ended on a good note, though. Does she want to see you again?”

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