Page 18 of The Forty-Year-Old Virgin Witch

“Are you looking for someone? You’ve been stomping around quite a bit.”

The blonde woman from the flower shop stood in front of me, all fake titsand luscious lips. I cringed, not realizing how obvious I must have looked. It would be a while until the backup team arrived. Perhaps I could—

No.

Stayed focused on the job. That’s what you got paid to do.

I looked the woman up and down, since it was obviously what she wanted. Her low-cut top left little to the imagination, especially when paired with tight jeans and heels. Shallow, conceited, and probably happy with a one-night stand. Ideal.

That same thought wriggled its way to the forefront of my mind again. It would be a while until the backup team came. Besides, she probably knew everything and everyone in this town. The knowledge would be invaluable.

I gave her a winning smile and allowed her to hook her arm in mine. She led me back to her shop, where she shut the windows and locked the door behind us.

???

An hour later, I had all the information I needed from Donna. It had been child’s play to flatter her. I’d asked if all the women in the village were as beautiful as her, or if she was the only one. Predictably, she’d gone on a tirade listing all the single women in the village and everything that was wrong with them. From her description, one stood out as likely to be my rogue witch.

“Aggie is just … weird. No one knows where she came from or what family. She sells weeds and gross drinks and beauty products. It’s a good thing most of her customers are at death’s door and don’t notice how disgusting her creams and tinctures are.”

A lone woman who specialized in herbs and potions? It had to be a witch. Though just to be sure…

“You own a flower shop.”

Donna pressed her chest close to me, and I admit I enjoyed the view as she leaned in conspiratorially.

“I order most things from the larger cities—I hate being in the woods myself. All those bugs and dirt under my fingernails. I don’t think so.”

My smile turned brittle, but she was too self-absorbed to notice.

“Aggie is the real-deal weirdo. She even lives away from everyone else on the north side of town, close to the woods.”

Yep, definitely a witch. Donna leaned in closer, her lips hovering just under my face. I stood up and waved the cloud of her perfume away from my face.

“It was nice meeting you, but I really must be going.”

The look of absolute shock and confusion on her face was almost worth it. Then anger clouded her features, and I knew I had to play this carefully.

“You’re free later tonight, right? I have some business to take care of, but then I’ll look you up.”

I made a point of running my gaze up and down her body again, and the fire in her eyes cooled to simmering arousal. She was putty in my hands.

“Of course. Come by the shop whenever you’re ready. I’ll wait for you.”

I’ll bet she would. I shot her a cocky grin and left the shop, going north. It would have been nice to have Ayah scout ahead for me, but I’d survive. I just needed to watch out for vampyres and werewolves … so no big deal.

I didn’t have to go far to spot a small, stone cottage enclosed by a white wooden fence. A large garden nearly overwhelmed the backyard, and smoke rose from the stone chimney. It was so traditionally witchychicthat I almost chuckled. Putting a hand out, I felt the pulsing of witch wards. Extremely weak witch wards.

Hmm, well that was hardly a challenge, was it? Disappointed, I broke them in my fist and strode straight up to the door and kicked it open. I was confident in my ability to take on a witch who couldn’t even set wards.

The scene in front of me made me freeze, and I immediately cursed my own hubris. Fuck, I hadn’t expected to see them here.

The werewolf sat crouched in a chair much too small for him, patiently chopping vegetables. The vampyre wore a purple apron and stood over his shoulder, scowlingand attempting to supervise. Over the hearth a large cauldron was boiling broth. It smelled divine.

I had only a split second to note the unconscious witch in bed before the vampyre’s enraged face flashed before me, and then everything went black.

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