Page 40 of Once Upon a Curse for True Love
Her jaw dropped, eyes widening behind those ridiculous, sexy glasses.“Who are you?”
Still holding the door, he grinned down at her.“Your problem.Possibly your type.”
“Definitely not my type if you make cheese puns,” she insisted, dropping into the passenger seat with an eye roll that didn’t hide her smile.
“Don’t complain.”Donatello reached into his jacket pocket.“The cheesy puns come with crackers.”He tossed her a packet of Cheez-Its, remembering how her stomach had protested yesterday.He was used to working through meals, forgetting to eat, but he didn’t want Andromeda to go hungry again like she had yesterday.Donatello winked, playing it off as part of their banter.“Before your stomach starts making those inhuman sounds again.”
Something shifted in her expression, the playfulness giving way to a guarded uncertainty that was vulnerable and contemplative as she picked up the crackers.
“Thank you.”The whispered words made his skin tingle, only this time, the spark traveled to his chest, settling there like a warm stone.
It was a packet of cheese crackers, barely worth the dollar he’d spent at the gas station that morning.And yet, from the way she was gaping at him—like he’d done something genuinely meaningful—it could’ve been diamonds.
Donatello cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the naked gratitude in her eyes.He wasn’t used to this, to someone seeing past his cocky exterior so easily.He closed her door and circled to the driver’s side, using the moment to regain his composure.
As he settled into his seat, he sneaked a glance at Andromeda, who was already opening the crackers with a small, private smile.
“This interaction is weirdly wholesome for us,” she said.
“Should I say something annoying and restore the natural order?”
“Please do,” she answered, but her eyes told a different story—one that made Donatello wonder if he was getting under her armor more than it was wise for either of them.
Chapter Sixteen
Hot Cop Says What
ANDROMEDA
Andromeda shouldn’t swoon over a packet of Cheez-Its.They were processed cheese dust pressed into squares, for hex’s sake, not a bouquet of flowers.But as she tore into the crinkly red package Donatello had tossed onto her lap, a traitorous warmth unspooled in her chest.He’d remembered she was starving after their shift yesterday and brought her snacks.It was the sweetest thing—especially coming from a man who didn’t appear to have a soft bone in his body.
She popped a square into her mouth.The salt hit her tongue first, then the sharp tang of fake cheese—comfort food at its most artificial and most effective.
“Mmm…” Andromeda couldn’t help her moan, nor she missed his satisfied smirk.
She munched another cheesy square, studying his profile while pretending to be interested in the scenery.Today, he’d swapped the beanie for an SMPD baseball cap that he was wearing backward, hiding his lilac locks, but nothing could disguise the sharp angle of his jaw or the way his hands dwarfed the steering wheel.
Detective Trouble indeed.In a few days, he’d gone from “arrogant jerk who destroyed her door” to “surprisingly thoughtful guy with a killer smile who remembers she gets hungry.”And apparently, the way to a witch’s heart was definitely through snacks and improvised Chinese dinners.And, mortifyingly, corny cheese puns that should have made her cringe and instead turned her ridiculously warm and hexing fuzzy.
“You’re quiet,” Donatello observed, glancing at her.“Plotting my demise or enjoying the culinary masterpiece?”
“Debating if your snack game redeems your personality.”
“And what’s the verdict?”
He sounded casual enough, but she suspected the question was everything but.
“I’m confused about how we went from handcuffs and forced court sentences to Chinese dinners and gas station snacks.”
“Handcuffs are still on the table, for the record.”
“Do you wish to be turned into a traffic cone, detective?”
“If it keeps me from saying anything stupid.”
“What stupid thing were you about to say?”
“That’s classified information, Swan.”He winked, and she hated how that simple gesture sent a bolt of heat straight through her.
