Page 44 of Witch Please

“It will make Maya’s life tough,” he said softly.

“I’m sure I can do my thing and get it going again. No worries. I’ll be right there. And…” She hesitated, wondering if she ought to get this personal when she was trying to cut the connection between them. In the end, tenderness won out over caution. “I’m sorry you’re having such a shitty day.”

“It’s looking up. I’ll see you soon.”

Danica rushed through the usual closing procedures, set the magical alarm, and locked up. Before leaving, she did remember to grab her gear, a toolkit she and Clem had purchased as a prop. She set it in her bike basket and rode the six blocks to Sugar Daddy’s, which was already closed. But Titus was there, watching out the window for her, and he let her in before locking the door behind them.

That motion sent a little shiver of anticipation through her.Nothing’s going to happen,she reminded herself.That’s just to keep customers out.

As Titus had said, it was obvious that the cash register had taken a knock. This thing wasn’t quite an antique, but it wasn’t a fancy POS unit like you’d see in a larger establishment. It was a model with programmable keys and an electronic totaling system, along with a simple cash drawer. These had been popular in the early 2000s, still serviceable with good upkeep.

“Is there any hope, doc?” He regarded her with a glum expression.

Danica wanted to hug him. Like, a lot. To cover that impulse, she said, “Definitely. I hate to be predictable, but do you have the owner’s manual?”

Titus shook his head. “Bought it used. Let me write down the model number. I can probably download it from the company website.”

Danica opened her toolbox as he headed for the back. With any luck, she’d have time to repair the register before he came back. And if he wondered about how fast she’d allegedly cracked it open and put it back together, at least he’d have a working till when the bakery opened. When she was sure there were no witnesses, she closed her eyes and cast magical senses toward the breakage inside. Two vital parts, one cracked entirely and the other disconnected from its dock. She poured her abilities into mending the damage and even more energy into guiding the displaced section back into the proper slot. Physical manipulation took a lot out of her, and she was trembling when she opened her eyes.

Carefully she plugged the cash register back in and beamed when it powered on.There, not bad for five minutes.Part of her did feel guilty charging so much for spell work that could be completed so quickly, but they wouldn’t earn a living if she only charged for the actual time involved. Plus, it factored in recovery time needed for her to be able to do magic again.

I should let him know I’m done, though.

Cautiously she pushed through the galley door into the pristine kitchen. A muffled curse from the office suggested he wasn’t having much luck finding the owner’s manual. Danica rapped lightly on the open door, and then stepped in.

“Hey, I…” She trailed off as she took in his defeated posture. Titus stood with his back to her, the browser on his desktop open to a search page, but he had both arms on the wall, braced with his head down, and his breath was coming fast. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything,” he muttered.

I shouldn’t get involved.

But there was no stopping her mouth. “You can talk to me. I’m here for you.”

“My sister is heartbroken about the new baby, and there’s nothing I can do to make her feel better. And then today, in the bakery… That asshole could have hurt her. It just feels like everything is fucked up, and it’s probably my fault. Because—”

“Nope,” she cut in. “You’re a great brother. Even I can tell that. And you’re an amazing person. I get that when you’re having a terrible day, everything feels worse than it is. But here’s some good news: The register is fixed. And Maya will be okay.”

Ignoring the inner voice ordering her to retreat, she crossed to him and rubbed his back, soothing circles that created little sparks. Their sexual chemistry was so fierce that it still crackled even when she was offering comfort. He spun too quickly for her to step back and pulled her into his arms, his hold hot and desperate. The moment Titus touched her, she forgot all the reasons why this was a bad idea.

He cradled her close, pressing his face into her neck. It felt like he was breathing her scent in like she was emotional ether that could stop the pain. “You make everything better. Just you. Only you.”

“Titus…” She had no idea how her face must look as he pulled back to gaze at her. But she felt like begging.

I’ve never felt this way before.

There was no tentativeness in his kiss. His mouth took hers like he had been waiting to kiss her his entire life. He went deep, devouring in tender strokes of his tongue. She bit gently on his lower lip, tugging with her teeth, and he moaned, the hottest sound ever. It swept over her like a sexual tsunami, making her quiver from head to toe. Already, she was getting wet, just from kissing and feeling his body against hers. His big hands roved down her back, teasing lower with each maddening sweep, until she rose on tiptoes to get some pressure between her legs. It also nudged her ass into his hands.

“God, yes,” he groaned, closing his palms on her and dragging her body against him.

So hard.

His cock throbbed between them, contained by his pants, but they were soft cotton and she could feel more of him in his uniform than the night they’d kissed in the parking lot. She ran her hands over his chest, toying with the buttons on his white jacket. He wasn’t wearing the apron—less for her to strip off. Teasingly, she moved and he pushed in response, never breaking the kiss. Instead, he kneaded her ass cheeks with incredibly strong hands, working her against him until she gasped against his mouth.

I want him so bad. Right here. Right now.

Everyone else was gone for the day. There would be no interruptions.

Am I really doing this?Witches couldn’t get pregnant unless they willed it and released a little magical energy. It was a bit more complicated than a mundane conception, and thanks to two vivimancer coven sisters, she was inoculated against mundane diseases. There was nothing stopping her from taking exactly what she wanted for once.

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