Page 146 of Charmed, I'm Sure
Taylor stopped in front of the double doors leading to the kitchen. He pulled me out of the way as they swung shut behind the hostess, then cupped my face in his hands.
“Mags, baby. I need you to trust me.” His thumbs brushed along my jaw. “Stop trying to figure out what’s going on and just enjoy it.Please.You’re making me nervous.”
I bobbed my head and took a steadying breath.
“Good.”
Taylor pressed his lips to mine, soft yet demanding in a way that turned my insides to liquid.
Was I hungry? Absolutely. My stomach felt like it would claw its way out of my body if I didn’t feed it soon.
But as his mouth moved over mine, slow and languid, as his hands slid into the hair at the nape of my neck…
I wasfamishedfor him.
Taylor broke the kiss—far too soon, if you asked me—and grasped both my hands in his before backing through the swinging doors.
The kitchen noise engulfed me instantly. The symphony of orders being called, the rhythmic clatter of pans, the chorus ofyes, chefwarmed my heart. White-coated chefs moved with the effortless coordination of a dance, and the scent of sautéed garlic and fresh herbs filled my lungs.
“What do you think?” Taylor asked, allowing me a moment to take it all in before leading me to where the hostess stood waiting.
“This is amazing, Taylor.”
The delicate scrape of wood against tile caught my attention as he pulled out my chair. I finally tore my gaze from the flurry of kitchen staff, only to freeze in place.
A vase of peonies—exactly like the ones in my hand—sat at the far edge of the table. Tea lights flickered along the crisp white linen, gold chargers and matching silverware marking our places.
“Holy shit, cowboy,” I breathed, tears burning the backs of my eyes as I lifted a trembling hand to my mouth.
“Do you like it?” There was a nervous wobble to his words that made my heart clench.
I turned to meet his gaze, finding those sapphire blues shining with unshed tears of their own.
“I love it. Thank you.”
“I feel like a whale,” I groaned dramatically as Taylor helped me out of the car when we got back home.
Dinner had been delicious… divine… honestly, I wasn’t even sure. At some point, I was pretty sure I blacked out from the sheer explosion of flavors dancing over my taste buds. But now that we were home, all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and pass the fuck out. I’d make it to bed eventually, I was sure—but the couch was closer, and the food coma was calling my name.
“Cutest whale I’ve ever seen,” he chuckled, pulling me from the car and into his arms. “Did you have a good day?” he asked, pressing a kiss to my crown.
“It was the best day. Thank you, for everything.” I pushed onto my toes, capturing his lips in a slow, lingering kiss. “I think I’m going to go die now, though. Death by food overload.”
His chest vibrated against mine as he laughed, his hand trailing soothing lines up and down my spine.
“Do you think you could hold off on your coma for a little bit?” He released me and reached into the car for my vase of flowers. “I have one more surprise for you.”
“Another one?” I squawked, in a very unladylike manner.
“Come on, I’ll show you.” Taylor held the vase in one arm and linked his opposite hand with mine. Interest thoroughly piqued, I followed—not that I wouldn’t have anyway, considering I lived there and all.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that,” he mused as he stepped through the front door.
The enchantments I’d woven into the house tickled over my skin the second I crossed the threshold. It was the same welcoming sensation I felt every time I walked into the manor—likea warm embrace wrapping around me. The fact that Taylor could feel it, too, had me wondering if perhaps he had a witch somewhere in his bloodline.
“You will,” I said with a shrug as I hung my coat on the rack beside the door. But when I turned back toward Taylor, all the nervousness I’d sensed from him earlier had magnified tenfold, radiating from every tense line of his body.
“Are you okay?” I asked, concern edging my words as I stepped forward and took his fidgeting hands.
