Page 55 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade

Astria glanced past Jeffrey to an area where no one was standing. She shook her head slightly and then spoke out of the side of her mouth in a hushed tone. “Leave him alone.”

Jeffrey cleared his throat. “Sorry, miss. Teasing him is kind of what I do.”

Astria gasped. “You heard that?”

“Uh, no,” said Jeffrey rather unconvincingly.

She swallowed hard. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

“Then, uh, who were you talking to?” asked Jeffrey, stealing Stratton’s question.

“Ask her out!” shouted Marcy.

The lights flickered again, and Stratton realized he’d let his power surge once more. He handed the phone to Dana and did his best to concentrate on controlling his Fae side before he leveled the building or the block.

The feeling that something was close to him left him looking over his left shoulder slowly. Nothing out of the ordinary was there, yet Stratton still sensed something. Whatever it was could mask itself from view of others. He could tap fully into his Fae side in an attempt to see it, but depending on what the thing was, it still might not be viewable to him.

When he visited Maria later, he’d ask if she had any ointment that could aid him. If not, she might have the ingredients needed for him to make his own.

For now, he just wanted to stay right where he was, staring at Astria.

Staring at Astria?

He stiffened, realizing that’s exactly what he was doing.

“C-can I get you anything else?” asked Astria.

He nodded.

“What?” she asked.

“You,” Stratton said, coughing slightly, attempting to cover the slip.

Jeffrey’s laughter filled the awkward silence that fell between Astria and Stratton. “This is great. Legs, record it.”

Something bumped Stratton’s shoulder hard enough to make him stumble forward into the counter, his hands going to the top of it to steady himself. He shot Jeffrey a murderous glare, only to realize Jeffrey wasn’t in a position to have been the one to shove him.

No one was.

Astria gasped and reached out quickly, her hands moving over Stratton’s. The second their skin met, everything around Stratton felt electrified. He could hear his heartbeat increasing, could feel the blood rushing through his veins.

Astria squeezed his hands briefly before something else was added to the mix. Hands that weren’t Stratton’s or Astria’s. Hands that couldn’t even be seen, and they certainly didn’t feel human. They wrapped around his, wrenching them free of Astria’s.

Stratton jerked back quickly, his gaze darting around the café. The fierce need to protect Astria hit him like a ton of bricks.

“Oh boy,” said Dana into the phone. “I think you might be right, Marcy.”

“Right?” questioned Jeffrey as he took a step toward Stratton. “About what?”

ChapterTwenty

Astria

Time seemedto slow as I watched Torid put a foot out and trip Faye’s son as Jeffrey took a step toward the police detective. The small cup of coffee the man had been holding was launched into the air, directly at Stratton. It splashed all over the front of the incredibly sexy man’s designer blue dress shirt and partially onto his light tan flat-front dress slacks.

My eyes widened and I stared at Torid. I was torn between being mortified that he’d behaved in such a manner and slightly proud of him, since my past with the police wasn’t exactly great. “Ohmygod! How could you?”

Jeffrey stood there holding his bagged croissant, a shocked expression on his face. “I didn’t…shit.”

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