Page 64 of Charmed, I'm Sure
“In a hurry, sunshine?” I asked as I approached.
She whipped around to face me, lips pursed as she folded her arms across her chest. “Unlock it, please.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement that dripped with her frustration from the conversationthat had just transpired. I guessed Jaelyn wasn’t kidding when she said she was ‘riled up.’
I shook my head as I closed the remaining distance between us, relishing the way her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly. Her head tilted back as I stepped into her space, forcing her back against the car door. “It’s been quite a morning, cher.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes, but it was the unintentional tells from her body that I honed in on. It was the tiny, sharp intake of breath when I gripped her waist, the way her pupils dilated incrementally, and the beautiful pink hue coloring her face that set off the freckles dusting across her cheekbones and nose. “That wasn’texactlyhow I planned this morning to go.”
“Oh?” she whispered, her throat working around a swallow as her eyes flicked between mine.
I let my eyes roam down her frame and slid one hand up her side until I could wrap it around the side of her neck. “No, sunshine. But seeing you flushed and in a towel was certainly a highlight.”
Before she could reply, I pressed my lips to hers. She went stock-still for a microsecond before her hands fisted into my shirt, tugging me closer. Kissing Magnolia was as easy and natural as breathing, and the way she always melted into me felt like nirvana for a mere mortal like myself.
Pulling away, I swept my thumb across her bottom lip as a contented smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “That’s more like it.”
“I’ll say.”
I pressed a kiss to her brow, then stepped out of her space. “You really didn’t tell Jaelyn?”
Her entire body sagged with the sigh she expelled. “I wanted to. Almost did the day we went shopping.”
“So why didn’t you?” I asked as I pulled her away from the car and opened the door for her.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I tell her everything, and she actuallypushedme to give you a chance. I guess I liked it just being us. I liked our bubble.”
Mags slid into her seat, and I closed the door, pausing the conversation until I slipped into my own. “But your sisters knew. Your aunt, too.”
“Kind of hard to keep it a secret when you’re showing up at our house to clean the yard, cowboy,” she said sardonically.
“True,” I replied with a chuckle. “Sorry about that.”
Silence filled the cab for a moment as I backed out of my space and headed out of the lot.
“Don’t be. Honestly, it was like a weight lifted. It was nice not having to hide you from my family. I should have told Jae; she’s just as much my sister as Maddie and Mer.”
A heaviness settled across her features, and I reached across the console to entwine our hands. When Magnolia turned toward me, her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, so I tightened my hold, warmth filling my chest when she returned the squeeze.
It was time to turn this day around.
“What do you want to do today?” I asked as I wove my way through the game day traffic.
“You mean you didn’t have everything planned down to the minute? Speaking of, how in the hell did you know where Meredith’s apartment was?”
“Are you hungry?”
“Taylor.”
“Your sister stole my number from your phone and texted me last night. Still don’t know why, but I’m not complaining. Now, are youhungry?”
Her eyes pinched closed as she muttered, “I’m going to kill her,” before blowing out a breath and answering my question. “I’m always hungry.”
“Great, we have a reservation atThe Windchimein twenty minutes.”
“Holy shit, this is so good. Do you want a bite?” Magnolia asked, cutting off another piece of her omelet.
I’d been toThe Windchimefor brunch before, but I’d always opted for the Eggs Benedict. Magnolia, on the other hand, had gone for the Boudin Omelet—something I had never even considered.
“No, I’m alright.”
“Oh, come on, cowboy. Live a little.” Magnolia stabbed the bite she’d just cut with her fork and held it out to me. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, the fork swaying slightly as her hand moved closer to my side of the table.
