Page 8 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Midlife

I nearly fell to the floor as panic gripped my chest. Was he a demon hunter? Was that why he wasn’t in the registry? Was he hunting the succubus who’d killed my parents? Was the succubus now after me? “W-what warning?”

His eyes narrowed to slits. “Lenny ate my cinnamon rolls.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I ran a shaky hand through my hair, relieved his anger was simply a case of pilfered pastries. “I thought he was full after eating all of our free samples.” I spun on my heel and marched toward the swinging door that led to shelves where the pastries were cooling. “I have a fresh batch right out of the oven.”

“I don’t think you’re hearing me,” he snapped, just as I pushed open the door. “Lenny ate the orange-glazed cinnamon roll intended for me.”

I froze and slowly faced him as those grinding wheels in my head came to a halt. “Oh? Oh!”

“So you did spike it!” He pointed an accusatory finger at me, those gold flecks in his eyes sparkling like fireworks.

I clutched my throat, then squeaked when the swinging door smacked my backside. “I-I-I...”

His features hardened. “How long does the spell last?”

“I-I don’t know.” I stumbled forward, then stopped when I realized I probably didn’t want to get too close to him while he was angry. He knew about magic, after all, which meant he was magical, which also meant he was a law breaker because he wasn’t in the registry. “How did you know?”

“If you thought Lenny was a creep before your spell, magnify that by ten now.” He threw out his arms with a dramatic flourish.

“Oh, hocus croakus.” I bit down on my knuckles.Damn that Ethyl!

“Keep your wand handy.”

I swallowed back a lump of apprehension. He must’ve thought I’d cast that spell. How embarrassing. “I will.”

“Also, I don’t like being tricked.” He drummed long fingers on the glass case overlooking the chocolate-glazed donuts. “If you wanted me to take you out, all you had to do was ask. I would have said yes.”

I perked at that. He would’ve said yes? Then I inwardly cursed when that angry look in his eyes sharpened. He might’ve said yes before but he wouldn’t go out with me now.

The wheels in my head and heart simultaneously started spinning. “I wasn’t trying to trick you, I swear.”

“Nah.” He let out a bitter-sounding laugh. “Just poison my cinnamon roll with love potion. I’ll be taking my business elsewhere.” He turned on his heel and marched toward the door with a rigid spine.

“Wait!” I practically flew around the counter, chasing after him like the pathetic, love-struck witch I was. “I didn’t put love potion on your cinnamon roll.” I grabbed his elbow, trying to jerk him to a stop, though it was as futile as trying to reign in a dragon in heat. “Ethyl did and didn’t tell me until after you’d left.”

He turned so suddenly, I stumbled into a hard, broad chest. I gaped up at him, dumbstruck as I melted against his solid body in a puddle of lust.

He arched a thick brow. “Why would she do that?”

I untangled myself from his heat, stepping back while clutching my elbows with trembling hands. “Because she knew I was too shy to ask you out.” Fire flamed my face as I looked away.

He closed the short distance between us, his heat encompassing me like a giant solar flare. “You didn’t need to be shy.”

“Neither did you.” I pouted. “You could’ve asked me a long time ago instead of coming into my shop every morning, leading me on with your shameless flirting.”

“I’m a shameless flirt, says the woman who put a love spell on my cinnamon roll.”

“For the last time, I didn’t do it!” I winced at my tone, then looked over my shoulder, pleased and maybe a little disturbed that Des was still engrossed in his video game.

When the front door banged open, I jumped with a squeak while Ric swore.

The little pastry pilfer pointed at us with a finger dyed by orange glaze. “Hey! I told you she was mine!”

Awww, holy demon dung!

I whipped out my lipstick wand and zapped the sniveling toad, cringing when he crumpled to the floor, hitting his head against the tiles with a sickeningthud.

Ric hovered over Lenny and tapped his limp head with the tip of his boot. “Did you kill him?”

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