Page 28 of Extra Witchy

Leanne waved a hand. “But she’s not my immediate problem. I’m choosing to live in the moment and…bask.”

“In what?”

“You,” she said, surprising him. “I hope you’re a high-quality cuddler.”

“I’ll do my best.” To that end, he snuggled her against his side and tried not to think about how good she smelled, fresh from the shower. But he couldn’t resist one long, deep inhalation, drinking in the sweetness of her skin.

“Are you sniffing me?” Leanne asked.

Trev froze.Busted.It seemed better to admit it than make it worse by lying. “Yeah. Your shower gel smells amazing. I was wondering what it is.”

“Orange blossom and juniper. It’s pricey, but worth it.”

“No kidding,” he mumbled.

“You’re cute when you’re shy.” She kissed his cheek and settled in, choosing a different show without him asking, presumably so they could watch together from the beginning.

That was quietly considerate in a way he wouldn’t have expected. And while the program was interesting enough, he paid more attention to how she felt tucked into the crook of his arm, her weight on him gradually increasing as she relaxed. Her hair occasionally brushed against his arm when she laughed, and she was so warm and soft that it drove him wild.

How the hell did I get this lucky?

Chapter 10

If anyone had told Leanne that she’d have a live-in “boyfriend” by the end of the summer or that Junie would stick around St. Claire after having her plans wrecked, she would’ve laughed.

But two weeks later, that wasexactlythe situation. So far, Trev had been a quality housemate. The only issue was she didn’t want him smoking in the condo, and he agreed to stick to edibles while they were cohabiting. She didn’t have any sense of how often he went that direction, but the place was always clean, and he usually had dinner ready when she got home. Already she’d gotten into the habit of texting him when she was on the way, and he’d greet her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Mostly, he’d stuck to the guest room, claiming he didn’t want to encroach on her space. In the past fourteen days, there had been two occasions when they had some wine after dinner and fooled around, but he seemed to prefer taking it slow. Which made her nervous, like he believed they had a shot at a real relationship, but she didn’t let it mess with her head too much.

Today’s the day.

She tugged at the hem of her jacket and strode boldly into Mayor Anderson’s office without knocking. His brow furrowed over that, but he didn’t have a chance to say a word before she set her resignation on his desk. The frown deepened as he read the letter, then he flattened his palm with an audible thud.

“Is this a joke, Vanderpol?”

“Not remotely, sir.”

“Cut to the chase. What do I need to offer to make you stick around?” Leaning back in his ergonomic leather office chair, he seemed confident this was a power play.

And itwas, in a way, but not in a manner he could predict or obviate.

“There’s no ‘closer’ here,” Leanne said. “I’ll save you some time in offering random bennies to sweeten the pot. I’m done working for you because I’m planning to run for city council, and I need the time for my campaign.”

“You have family money to fall back on? That doesn’t pay a living wage,” Anderson said, like he was telling her anything she didn’t already know.

“I’m aware. I’ll work freelance in the interim and look for a suitable position once the election is over.”

Mayor Anderson smirked when she said “suitable position.”Damn I hate this asshole. Just one hex. He would never know it’s not a natural infection.

“You’re going after Dan Rutherford,” the mayor said then.

In all honesty, it surprised Leanne that he recalled where she lived well enough to place her in the correct district. She froze. “Yes, that’s why I’m resigning.”

Meaning she didn’t want Mayor Anderson poking around in her business, calling it “good” because she worked for him, and then passing on his insights to Rutherford. It would be an uphill battle as it was, without fighting the mayor and all his cronies at the same time. No, the way she had the battle planned, it would happen in stages, and it wasn’t time to take on Tom Anderson.

She had a list, she’d checked it twice, and Dan Rutherford was the first name on it.

No question whether he’s naughty or nice.

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