Page 30 of Bewitched By the Voodoo King
The air smelled like sandalwood and something sweet—jasmine, maybe. My father used to call this space her temple—her sanctuary. I’d spent countless nights in here growing up. We’d cuddled on these very cushions.
“Well, what was said about me?”
Maple’s cheeks colored under my scrutiny, and I found myself wanting to reach out and touch her. It was such an odd feeling since touching in such a formal manner was unheard of. It gave the other person access to your thoughts, your soul— your desires. But I found myself not worrying about that as much as I would have before. I certainly didn’t worry about it as much as I had with Babette. Our touches had been only through intimacy, when I knew she couldn’t sense other things about me.
“She mentioned proposals to beignets today,” my mother smirked as she wrapped an arm around my shoulders. She was the only one that I knew would never take without consent. I trusted her with my touch and affection.
Maple covered her mouth as her face flamed even brighter, and I wondered, for a brief moment, what it would be like to kiss her. If her cheeks would turn this shade of red, or if she would melt into my hands as I touched her. I blinked hard. I couldn’t go there—not here beside my mother. I probably didn’t need to even go there when I was alone.
“I was just telling her about,” she paused and looked down at her lap.
My mother finished the sentence for her. “Your first date.” She raised her brows as she looked at me. “But from what I cantell, there was no parting kiss, so it wouldn’t be considered a first date.”
I opened my mouth and then closed it.
“It wasn’t a date,”It was a date. What was I doing?
“You said it was,” she blurted. “You saidfirst date.”
My mother hummed, clearly enjoying herself far too much.
“I was joking,” I muttered but it was a lie. The worst lie I’d ever told. I didn’t know why I was bothering with the lie to begin with, but here we were.
Maple’s lips pressed together. “Well.Good.Because I definitely wasn’t dressed for a date.” She gestured vaguely to herself. “I had powdered sugar in placespowdered sugar should not be.”
A startled laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “That’s… fair.”
A knock on the door pulled us out of our conversation. The door swung open to reveal my sister, Adelle. Her eyes softened when they landed on us all sitting around with Mother. I unfolded myself from the cushion and held my hand out to Maple. She put her fingers in mine hesitantly before she rose with me. She went to take the robe off, but my mother held up her hand. “Keep it, honey.”
“You two don’t have to leave,” Adelle started.
I shook my head. “Your time with our mother is just as important.”
Adelle’s expression fell slightly. “I was just going to fill her in on everything that happened today.”
“Thank you,” I said without thinking. It was one last thing I needed to do… and I could finally be alone with Maple.
We left my mother’s chambers and walked down the hallway side by side. “How long have you been in there with her?”
Maple shrugged and the robe slid down one of her bare shoulders. What was she wearing under that? My brain short-circuited. “A few hours, I guess. I needed someone to talk to, about all of the wolf stuff today and about… ournotdate. I tried to call one of my sisters, but they’re busy preparing for her baby shower this upcoming weekend.”
I stopped. “Do you want to go to it?”
She looked up at me with wide eyes. “Why would you ask that?”
“Because you aren’t a prisoner here,” It was an easy answer. “You can come and go as you please.”
She laughed softly. “I don’t have a job, and I don’t have any money. I don’t know how I would even go about that.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You have access to my money.”You’re my wife.It was right on the tip of my tongue. I didn’t know how I managed to hold it in.
She shook her head. “Nah, I’d like to earn my keep.”
I puffed out my cheeks to keep all the words in. What did I say to that? “We could start with the wolf stuff. You figure that out, and you have access to the coven’s coffers for life.” I bumped her shoulder with mine to lighten the tone, but I meant every word. She could have whatever she wanted until the end of time. The only thing I couldn’t give her was an annulment. That wasn’t how the magic worked.
This time she stopped— right outside of her door, and disappointment licked my soul. “So,” she said quietly. “If that was a date… would you want a second one?”
I turned to look at her with her frizzy curls around her face, and the desire to kiss her came rushing back, full force.
