Page 20 of Hot & Bothered

Immediately, her heart did a little pitter-patter. Coupled with the Knight of Cups and her King of Cups—not to mention the wine—she was a little light-headed.

He tilted his head to the side when she hesitated. “Is it another bad one?”

“No. It’s … I swear I didn’t tamper with these, okay? Like, you shuffled them. This was also completely random.”

“Okay …”

“It’s the Ace of Cups. And it means new love, a new emotional beginning, proposal, marriage, new relationships and opening one’s heart.”

The man didn’t blink.

Her cheeks grew hot again.

She cleared her throat and pressed on, reading from her book because it was easier to bury her nose in the pages than keep looking at him. “The Ace of Cups indicates that a romantic offer awaits you. A new suitor or partnership. If you are looking for love, it’s right around the corner. Emotionally, this is a time to open yourself up. Be vulnerable and express the softer side of yourself. It is a new emotional beginning. A chance to start fresh.”

She swallowed, but didn’t dare look at him yet. Rather, she just moved on to the seventh card, the one furthest from her in the straight line, and turned it over. “This one is the Wheel of Fortune. It is the seventh card—Advice.” Shefound The Wheel of Fortune in her book. “The Wheel of Fortune means luck, a turn of events, karma, movement, shift, improvement, fate and change. A major change for the better is happening. The universe is ready to move things in your favor. Momentum is gathering and moving toward divine order.”

She still couldn’t look at him. Not after that Ace of Cups card. Her cheeks were too hot, her arms still covered in goosebumps. He probably thought she rigged the deck and was trying to manipulate him. She wasn’t. This was fate. This was divine intervention.

“Your eighth card …” She needed to just keep talking. If she kept talking, if she kept going through the cards, she’d get further away from that Ace of Cups. She flipped over the next card. “This card highlights the people, energies or events which will affect the outcome of your question that is beyond your control.”

“My question?”

“Anything you’ve been pondering.” She glanced up at him out of one eye, then put her head back down and flipped to the page for the corresponding card. As she read about the card, her heart sank.

“What is it?” he asked in mild panic.

She shook her head and pushed away the aching sensation in her chest, throwing on a big fake smile. “The Six of Cups. Keywords are pleasure, nostalgia, friendship, meeting, gifts, security, romance, the past, reunion, childlike. If you are in the market for love, you may be meeting a romantic partner or being courted. This could be someone new, but more often—” She choked on her own saliva. “But more often it suggests a blast from the past or someone who you know. The energy with this card is about returning to one’s roots. It can also mean you may receive a gift.”

“A blast from my past?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.” Exhaling, she turned over the final card, then flipped through her book to find the ninth card. “The ninth card is … The Nine of Wands.”

“The Nine of Wands is the ninth card? How crazy is that?”

Indeed. She already considered the coincidence of that occurrence.

“This is perhaps one of the more difficult positions to interpret. It reflects your hopes and fears. And because hopes and fears can be so closely intertwined, we may need to draw a second card for clarification. Up to you. But keep in mind, that which we hope for may also be that which we fear, and so may fail to happen.”

“Okaaaay …”

“The Nine of Wands represents defense, preparation, completion, paranoia, protection, boundaries and distrust.”

“Paranoia?”

“You have learned a big lesson and even though you are moving on, what is the takeaway from this experience? Did you do the proper work to heal? Or did you just slap on a Band-Aid and call it fixed? It’s time to move on and make a mental note not to do it again. Also, watch your back. If you think someone is out to get you, listen to your gut.”

His mouth dropped open.

“Do you want to pull another card?”

Jace just stared at the Nine of Wands, blinking and thinking. Eventually, though, he seemed to either figure out what the card meant, or gave up trying to figure it out. Either way, he shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Tell me about the last one.”

Peyton nodded and flipped over the last card. “The tenth card represents where the situation is headed and if/how the issue will be resolved. It assumes the outcome based on you continuing your course of action.”

“It just looks like a sun.”

“Because it’s the sun card. The Sun card is a great card. It represents optimism, success, joy, birth, happiness, health, inner child, energy and enthusiasm. A happy and joyous outcome. The freedom to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Celebration and pleasure.” She lifted her gaze to his. “It’s a great card to pull fora final card. It’s honestly, my favorite card in the deck. I know when I pull this card, I’m going to have a great day.”

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