Page 53 of Witch Please

“She disapproves of some of my life choices.”

He wished she would trust him with her problems, especially after the way he’d unloaded on her last night. “That’s cryptic.”

Instead of explaining, she finished her sandwich and took a sip of her juice. “What can I say? I’m a woman of mystery.” Sighing, she shook her head. “It’s a long story, but it has to do with our family stuff. I talked about Mom and Gram, right?”

“Oh, right.” Comforted, he sorted through what she’d told him. “I guess your cousin is ready to take sides and maybe is pressuring you to do the same?”

She tilted her head, seeming pensive. “That’s not…entirely wrong. Clem definitely agrees with Gram on some points, and she’s got her own issues with our mothers.”

“They’re sisters, right? Who both kept their maiden names after getting married? But that was the limit to their feminism, and your grandmother doesn’t like their partners.”

“Damn, your memory is amazing. Yeah, that’s the situation overall. Though minor correction, she was good with Auntie Allegra’s first husband, but he turned out to be a cheating hell beast, and my aunt is happier with her subsequent pick.”

“But I’m guessing he doesn’t have the right…pedigree to please your grandma?”

“Got it in one. You’re really good at this.”

“Does your cousin disapprove of me for some reason?” It was a shot in the dark, but given her family dynamic, the supposition made sense.

He didn’t expect her to freeze and gaze at him with enormous eyes, as if he’d developed mind-reading powers. “How did you know? Did she say something to you?”

Oh shit. Her cousin hates me?

“No, I extrapolated from context.”

Danica groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Why do you have to be both absurdly hot and wickedly smart?”

That compliment wrapped around a complaint puffed him up to an incredible degree. He tried to rein in his ego with limited success, rubbing her back gently in the meantime. “She doesn’t know me yet. I’m sure she’s protective of you because you’re like sisters, and she doesn’t want you to get hurt again. After what happened with your ex, I can understand her caution. I’m confident I can win her over. What’s her favorite dessert?”

“You are too good to be true,” she mumbled.

“Nah, that would be you.”

Titus half-closed his eyes in pleasure when she shifted closer and snuggled into his arms like she belonged there, all warm and soft, smelling of lemons and flowers. Her voice was so soft that he didn’t catch her response.

He stroked her back gently. “What was that?”

“Never mind. It’s pointless wishing for things that you can’t change.”

Racking his brain, he tried to understand the bias against him. Maybe her cousin thought any relationship Danica had would be doomed due to rebound? “Why can’t we? There must be some reason that your cousin is already dead set against me. Is it because—”

Before he could finish the question, she kissed him.

Chapter 16

Danica hated doing this to shut Titus up, but on the plus side, she was still kissing him, and that wasalwaysawesome.

He cupped the back of her head and deepened the kiss. His beard scraped her cheeks while his mouth plundered hers deliciously, and when she pulled back, she was breathless. Titus stroked a finger down her cheek, traced the line of her lips, and pressed against the small indent in her chin. It was like he was memorizing her features, and damn. She couldn’t say that anyone had ever looked at her like that before, as if the sun rose and set in her eyes. Her heart went wild.

“Maya has plans tonight,” he said softly. “And it won’t take me that long at the station. Do you want to come over for a while? If the quarrel with your cousin can wait.”

His brown eyes practically simmered at her, and she immediately forgot all the reasons why this was a bad idea. “What time?”

“Seven.”

“I’ll be there,” she said.

There would be questions when she got home, but currently, she didn’t care. Quickly Danica packed up her lunch and hugged him impulsively. She wasn’t prepared for the sheer power of it, the way he wrapped himself around her and laid his cheek against the top of her head. Titus hugged like his life depended on it. She felt the goofy smile forming when he finally let go.

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