Page 38 of Anders and the Girl Worth Fighting For
“Hey, I resemble that comment. I was told I’m very special.” I faked outrage, keeping it light. She had started on the cookies without even realizing what she was doing.
“I’m sure. Give me the cinnamon, sweet basil, rosemary, and honey. I’m doing the love spell first,” she said.
I held back the ingredients, hoping to tease her a bit more.Maybe I would push her again today. The thoughts of last night had kept me up all night long.
“What if I want to do it?” I asked. “After all, it’s really just a lust spell and men know best about that, right?”
There was that blush again. I’d hoped she remembered being enveloped by me, the hot press of our bodies together, the desperate crush of our lips, melding into one. I knew I was.
“Fine. Just put it in until your ancestors say to stop.” She threw back. When she wasn’t overthinking, her sass seemed to come easy. It was hot. I didn’t realize I would like that, but fuck if I wasn’t ready for that lust spell.
I pulled the bowl over to me and just started dumping the spice in. Grace tried to stop me at one point. The first sounds of protest crossed those lovely lips. “Uh uh,” I tsked. “My ancestors say to use a lot. They really like it when I lust. Raises the possibility of more descendants for them to boss around.”
“Fine,” she ground out as she folded her arms and gave me ample inspiration for a lust spell.
I continued to add the spices with abandon, pouring out the honey as suggestively as possible. I’m not sure it was possible at all, but I sure as hell was trying. She just rolled her eyes and turned back to her cookies. The spell must already be working.
“Ok. That’s done,” I said after using entirely too much, I’m sure.
“Right,” she said, shaking her head. “Now we put the butter and egg yolk in and mix it all up. I…” she stopped herself before she finished. I could guess where this was going, but I wanted her to say it, to break the bonds of her past life.
“You…” I prompt when she is quiet for too long.
“If the spell is going to work, you have to mix with your hands.”
“Yeah. You said that.”
“You also have to think about it,” she said in a rush. “This isa love spell and I think for it to work you have to think about love while you mix it up and imagine all that going down into the dough.”
“Think about love?” I pushed her. She shouldn’t be ashamed of herself, her desire, or her magic. Besides, it was so much fun teasing her and watching her blush.
“You know. What does love look like? Feel like? When you fall in love, what will the person be like and what will your life be like? Think of the little things like a mundane Thursday night when you’re both tired and all you can do is crash on the couch next to each other and somehow that is the best thing there is.” She got a far off, dreamy look in her eyes and I started taking notes. “Or doing something small for the other person, like making sure the toothpaste is always pushed to the top of the tube no matter how squished the other person makes it. You know?”
She had some specific ideas about love and I wondered, briefly, if Bill did these or if she never got what she really wanted. I banished the thought quickly. Bill had no place here. I was going to make all these happen for her. She would get her tired cuddles and small acts of service. She would get everything.
“Yeah. I know.” I sunk my fingers into the bowl. Yolk and flour coated my hands.
I couldn’t take my eyes off of Grace. I thought of how she was so unsure of whether she should do this, but so sure of how it should be done, betraying just how much she thought about doing it.
I pictured the letters. The unicorn that caught my eye, the fake cheery bullshit she wrote that first time, how she used so many words to say so little and how, somehow, I knew I needed her to know me, of how she slowly opened up to me in future letters. She never said she was unhappy in so many words, but it was clear. She focused so much on things that didn’t matter andeven back then, I could see right through it.
I thought about the sad smile I saw on the wedding announcement for her and the asshole. I thought about the smile she wore today when I made her so exasperated she could barely stand me. It was beautiful. I thought about the flush on her cheeks and the way her eyes dilated when I drew near.
I remembered about how distraught she was when she thought I didn’t want to kiss her and how broken she seemed. I thought about how she melted into our kiss last night and I wanted a repeat and so much more. I would give anything to make her happy.
“It’s probably mixed enough.” Her words brought me out of my daydreams and back to the dough coating my hands. The mixture was similar the cookie dough I used to sneak as a kid.
“Right. Sorry. Got lost in the lust,” I said as I winked at her. Even to me, my words sounded a bit strained. Grace just rolled her eyes.
“I probably need your help with shaping these,” she said. It was a refreshing change from earlier when she thought she had to do it all alone. “There’s quite a bit of dough to roll out and cut.”
She would get my help with anything.
Chapter Nineteen
Now that the serious job of baking is out of the way,” I said as we took our seats. “I have more information for you. Provided you want to hear it.” I noticed she didn’t sit as far from me as she could, but curled up like a cat and faced me. The only thing between us was the mug of tea she sipped.
“Yes. I think I can handle it.” She blew on the tea and then took a sip and moaned softly at the taste. “I missed you, tea,” she whispered to the mug. I smiled in amusement and tried not to get sidetracked by the sound of her pleasure.
