Page 20 of Halloween With the Siren
Marisol looks up at me, lips parted, eyes wide, and a radiant blush warming her cheeks. “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
I press a hand playfully over her eyes. “Don’t give me those ‘kiss me’ eyes right now. I promised the pack that there’ll be no hanky-panky or inappropriate touching until we’re all together again. I always keep my promises.”
Marisol puckers her lips and pushes her chin out toward me. “So even if I tease you, you won’t kiss me or touch me?”
I shake my head and move my hand down, covering her lips instead. “Won’t do anything that I wouldn’t do in front of Doc Calla or Lucille.”
Mischief flashes in Marisol’s eyes, and for a second, it seems as if she’s going to try and seduce me with those wonderfully plump lips, but she blinks herself out of it and asks neutrally. “So, what’s in the box?”
I grab onto the safe topic with all my might and hoist the box into my lap. “We each got you something small.” Lifting the first item out, I pass Bash’s gift. “This is from your fox. He said to think of him when you soak in a bath later. He chose all the scents himself.”
Marisol takes her time sniffing all six bath bombs, a happy little shimmy in her shoulder with each one that passes under her nose. “This is so thoughtful. Please tell him thank you from me.”
“About that… If you’re okay with it, you can tell him yourself tomorrow morning. He was hoping to come here early to swim with you.”
“I’d really love that a lot. And Killian?”
I pass her Killian’s present wrapped in tissue paper while I relay his message. “Killian has class until early afternoon, but heasked me to check with you if it’s okay if he comes round the pub after work. He’d love to see you in your element and help you with closing up at the end of the night, if you’re not sick of him by then.”
Marisol runs her hands across Killian’s favorite sweater before bringing it to her nose for a deep inhale. “That’s a very generous offer, but won’t it be too daunting for him? My friends will more than likely be there and will most certainly pester him with questions.”
I tuck some hair behind her ear and run a hand down her long silky locks. “He’d welcome that. We all would. Any opportunity we can get to prove to you, and your friends, that our intentions are real, we’ll revel in it. Besides, if you have any heavy furniture that needs to be moved, Killian would be all too happy to show off what his muscles can do.”
“You won’t find me complaining about that. I’d be happy to have him there. And you?” Marisol puts the sweater on her other side and takes the airtight box I hand her.
I clear my throat and swallow against the nervous lump that’s suddenly appeared. “This is from me,” I say awkwardly. “I went fishing this morning and caught you something. Cooked it a little earlier and made some side dishes for you too. I hope you like it.”
“That’s amazing, Silas. Thank you so much. I know I’ll love it.” Marisol pauses and her eyes scan my face, the words sitting between us growing heavier with every breath that passes. “You’re really serious about wanting me part of your pack, aren’t you? All of you?”
“We are,” I say, my chest rising and falling as the air grows thicker.
“I think you’re going to make me fall in love with you.” The whispered sentence is barely audible, and I’m not sure if she wants me to respond to it or not, but I simply press my lips toher forehead and hold onto that hope as I return to Cape Easton, feeling excited and hopeful for the future.
Chapter 11
Marisol
“Ithink you guys win Halloween with this display,” Maisie says, hooking her arm into mine as we stare up at the giant skeleton seemingly breaking through The Singing Seahorse’s roof and looking down at the rest of the town.
My lips lift into a dreamy grin, feeling all gooey inside at this practical display of Pack Morgan’s commitment to wooing me. “The guys really came through with this.”
Silas, Bash, and Killian somehow figured out how to wire glowing lights into the skeleton’s hollow eye sockets, giving it an even creepier look to complement my already spooky-looking pub. Black roses creep up the sides of the stone building, going in through the windows and draping across the ceiling inside. Outside, hay bales are placed around a giant bubblingcauldron, and jack-o’-lanterns are scattered throughout—small ones suspended from trees and larger ones line the cobblestone path leading down the hill, stacked between clusters of skeletons in all kinds of compromising positions.
Maisie wiggles her eyebrows at me and bumps me with her shoulder. “One might think Pack Morgan is trying to impress you.”
“Or all of Starry Hill,” I say with a light laugh, thinking about how hard they’ve worked over the past few weeks to help anyone who’s needed assistance with their Halloween decorations.
Once the guys knew how important the party was to me and how special Maisie and I wanted to make it, they basically threw themselves into Halloween mode and have spent every free moment on the island. During the times they weren’t here, they made bespoke decorations—like the giant skeleton—and later transported it to Starry Hill and assembled it on my pub’s roof.
One evening after work, I returned to my cottage to find a large sheet and projector erected on the beach, a couple of blankets and cushions for a late-night picnic, plus four pumpkins ready for carving. We watched our silly scary movies while carving the jack-o’-lanterns that now decorate my porch. It was the most thoughtful and fun date I’ve ever had. And yet, I didn’t get anything more than wholesome cuddles and forehead kisses.
Killian, Silas, and Bash also helped hang every single lantern inside The Singing Seahorse, and even assisted Beck with sourcing some of the things we requested from the mainland. It was imperative to them to get Beck’s approval early on so they could enter the waters without worrying about a giant water dragon sinking their boat.
Maisie turns toward me and takes my hands in hers. “Well, let me tell you, on behalf of Starry Hill, they’ve definitely succeeded with impressing us. And I know you never asked for it, but I justwanted to tell you that I very much approve of you becoming part of their pack.”
“Yeah?” I ask, more than a little hopeful that I’ll get my own happy ending. It feels like every day I spend with each of them, I fall a bit deeper. Maybe a lot deeper.
“My dear friend,” Maisie says indulgently, her golden curls framed by the setting sun behind her. “These guys have shown up repeatedly for you. Every day since you’ve met them. Foxy Bash with how he makes you laugh, wolfy Killian with his endless ocean knowledge, and kitty-cat Silas anticipating all your needs. Not to mention everything they’ve been doing behind the scenes for everyone else. Ren told me about how they helped set up Arran’s castle for the haunted mansion, and I know they decorated Lucille’s shop for her. There are probably a thousand other small things we haven’t witnessed ourselves.”
