Page 83 of Wicche Hunt

I’d had Phil’s guys install an antique chandelier. It was a French nineteenth century fixture, with elaborate black iron scrollwork holding five candles. I flicked my fingers and the candles lit. Declan reached over to the light switch on the wall and turned off the canned lights forty feet above, leaving the candles flickering in the now dim room.

Declan pulled me into his arms and kissed me until I forgot where I was and what I was doing. “Oh,” he growled, “I like this room.” He palmed my butt and then lifted me up so I could wrap my legs around him. Pressing me into the wall, he kissed up and down my neck. “I could install a Murphy bed.”

I glanced around, judging distance. “Maybe just a really sturdy table.”

“Done.” And then his mouth was on mine.

I was pulling his shirt out of his jeans when I remembered we had cops outside. Patting his shoulder, I said, “Wait a minute.”

Wolf gold eyes met mine.

“Dead guy. Cops. Statements.” I wasn’t any happier about it than he was.

His head dropped to my shoulder. “Forgot.”

I saw his truck outside in the parking lot. “Let’s go get dinner from your rig and I’ll spell your tires and windshield against random acts of wolf violence.”

Blowing out a breath, he set me back on the floor. “Yeah, okay. But don’t forget where we were.” He rubbed his hands over his face and then finished untucking his shirt. “I’ll get my measuring tape too, so I can see how much room I’ve got to work with in here.”

“How much room do you need?” I ran my hand down his thigh.

“Watch it, woman.” He took my hand and led me out. “Don’t forget to turn off the lights.”

Laughing, I flicked my fingers, snuffing the candles. “You seem to be walking a little funny. You okay?”

“What did I say about watching it?” He swung around, picked me up, and threw me over his shoulder, one large mitt of a hand on my butt. “That’s a little too much lip outta you.”

“I thought you liked my lip.”

He opened the back door and came to a sudden stop. I pushed on his back to lift my upper body and see what was going on.

“You put her down this instant,” Bracken ordered.

Declan did and I stepped in front of him. Bracken was about to nail Declan with a spell.

“I’m okay. We were just messing around.”

“There are police officers here. One came to my door and wanted to talk with me.” He looked both outraged and concerned. “She said someone had tried to hurt you and asked if I saw anything, which, of course, I hadn’t. And then this.” He gestured at a very tall and muscular Declan.

Stepping forward, I rubbed his shoulder. “Thank you for looking out for me, but I’m okay. The guy who was looking in my windows earlier? He came back with a gun.”

Bracken stood rigid, his expression furious.

“I spelled the gun to jam so when he tried to shoot me, it exploded in his face. This one,” I said, pointing at Declan, “pulled me out of the way so I didn’t get hurt. The cops are out front investigating. We were going to his truck to get dinner. It’s Mexican. Are you sure you don’t want to eat with us?”

His eyes brightened atMexican. “Oh, I don’t want to intrude.”

“It’s no intrusion. In fact, you can come help me now. There are some local wolves causing Declan trouble, trashing his rig. Let’s go get the food and add some protective spells.”

Bracken nodded, turning back toward the parking lot. “I know just the one to use.”

After my uncle and I each added our own protective spells, we all headed back in for dinner.

“You could probably enter that truck into a demolition derby now,” I said.

“Do they still have those?” Bracken asked. “I remember hearing advertisements for them. They were quite irritating,Sunday, Sunday, Sunday,”he mimicked.“Come to the monster truck rally.” Shaking his head, he added, “Humans are odd.”

Declan grinned at me and then pointed at the studio door. I took me a minute and then I saw it too. Three little noses were hanging over the edge of the roof.

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