Page 64 of The Bookbinder's Guide to Love

“I won’t kill your vibe with her,” Oz said, picking up one of the journals on the counter. “Is this what you’ve been doing?”

“I’m strictly the assembly line for the journals. They’re all Sera’s ideas,” he said.

“What’s this one do?”

“Brings you what you desire most,” Wes said. He’d purchased one earlier and he wasn’t sure he’d use it, but he was tempted. He wanted Sera to be in his life. He might not be able to say the words to her or even express them in his actions at times, but his subconscious was making him keenly aware he didn’t want to leave Sera or Birch Lake.

“And people believe that?”

“Oz, there is power in writing things down,” he said. “Sera and her friends focused their energy and opened this shop. Then Amber Rapp did the same. So, yeah, I think it works.”

Wes had been skeptical when he’d first heard Sera talk about it, but he had started to believe. There was magic—not the fictional witchy stuff that everyone flocked here for, but real mystic energy in Sera’s journals, in speaking things into existence. He didn’t deny it.

“I’ll take one,” Oz said, pulling out his wallet. “I’ve had my eye on the new PlayStation but can’t get on the mailing list to get one. Maybe this will help.”

Wes wasn’t sure Oz believed the journal would work for something so material, but he sold one to his brother anyway. “Poppy’s got some special tea for the night and Liberty charged some crystals if you’re interested.”

“I’m not turning new age or anything. Just supporting my brother,” he said.

Greer came over with their boyfriend, Riley, and made the introductions before offering to watch the shop so Wes and Oz could mingle. He took Greer up on the offer and moved through the throngs of people toward Sera.

Merle stood next to her and said something Wes couldn’t hear, and Sera threw her head back and laughed. A jolt of desire went through him as he watched the joy on her face and let her laughter wash over him like the scent of her lavender perfume. It was something that affected him deeply.

He stood there for a minute as realization started to dawn. He wasn’t taking a chance and easing his way toward caring for her. He already did care. Not the way he’d been defining it, but maybe in a bigger way. In a way that involved theLword.

Damn.

He turned away for a minute because he knew that if Sera saw his face, she’d guess something had changed in him. He doubted she’d figure out what he was just now starting to realize. That no matter how much he told himself he was moving slowly, he hadn’t been. He hadn’t taken the precautions that he’d wanted to. But maybe that was why he’d stayed all along.

He’d long since given up the illusion that it was for the books or anything Grandpa had left her. He was here for Sera. He might tell himself other things and even tell Oz or Sera something else. But the truth was all centered on her.

“Dude, you okay?” Oz asked.

“Yeah. She gets to me,” Wes remarked. Letting his brother think it was merely a physical reaction that had him slowing down. Knowing how much he cared for her had made his arms feel empty. He just liked touching her. He always did. But now he knew that it was because she was a fire in his veins. She was a passion he’d never be able to walk away from.

The party wound down and Sera was sitting on Wes’s lap around a long table with Oz, Merle, Poppy and Liberty. Oz and Poppy had been talking quietly for a long time. Liberty was annoying Merle as she liked to do, asking him pointed sexual questions about his D&D quests. He’d told her a number of times that wasn’t the aim of the game. But she liked to try to rattle him.

Actually, Merle was always so calm and even-keeled that it was fun for everyone to watch him playfully lose his cool.

“Hey. I know you said you don’t do gifts on V-day, but I have something for you.”

He was more relaxed than she’d ever seen him before, and for the first time since they’d met, she wasn’t tense either. The worry that had been continuously dogging her since he’d asked if they could start spending nights together had finally eased.

“What is it?”

“Come with me and I’ll show you,” he said, lifting her off his lap and standing.

“If it’s your cock, I’ve seen it before,” she said.

“Oh, I’ll be giving you that later, but I have something else for you now,” he said, kissing her hard and quick.

“Are you two leaving?”

“Not yet,” Wes said. “Just wanted to show Sera something in her back room.”

“If they were on a compaign with us, I’d guess they were going to have sex,” Liberty said pointedly at Merle.

“We’d have to roll to be sure,” Merle said wryly. “But I’d be tempted to agree.”

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