Page 21 of Witch of My Heart

I glanced around. I had a lot of boxes for when I was a cat. That might be too strange. Maybe not.

“Maybe we should find out if our mate understands the importance of a good box to sit in,”my cat whispered into my thoughts.“Then again, even if he doesn’t, he’s still nice to look at.”

I glanced around the room again frozen by the choices. What was Blithe thinking right now? He was probably convinced I was a one hundred percent certified lunatic.

The door to the witch room opened down the hall and Blithe called out for me, “Cord?”

“Yes?” I squeaked.

“I can’t really hear your thoughts, but there isn’t any need to panic. It takes some time to draw out things, but it’s not a service I’m only willing to provide once, mate. I’ll put it on whatever you like that’ll hold the ink. I’m not going anywhere and it’s not limited edition.”

I opened my mouth to tell him that I suffered from decision paralysis, but that would just make me sound even loonier.

“Do you need some help?” Blithe called out again when I didn’t answer.

“Maybe,” I said. “I think it’s easier to think when you’re near me right now anyway.”

“I’ll do you one better than helping you choose,” Blithe said, peering through my cracked door. “When you feel up to it, I’ll teach you how I do it. I’m sure you’ll come up with more creative uses for it than I ever did.”

I turned on my heels, Blithe’s scent distracting me from the boxes. I peered back at him through the crack in the door. He grinned and lit everything inside me up.

“Most folks aren’t so eager to share their hard-won magical secrets,” I said, trying to ignore all the yarn balls rolling around inside my stomach.

“It’s not that much of a secret,” he shrugged. “Besides, I think secretism is what landed me in my current position and may or may not have started many w-words. The word we’re not saying right now.”

“Have you ever taught anyone else this spell?” I asked through the crack.

“I offered a few folks but none of them thought it was worth their time. I think an appropriately temperatured drink is the launch pad of most of the world’s innovations.”

“Or an appropriately temperatured butt,” I said, echoing the words my cat whispered into my thoughts.

I blushed as soon as I realized what words the furry asshole slipped out of my mouth.

“Or that,” Blithe said, still smiling at me.

“I didn’t--- My cat is an asshole,” I said as the blush spread up to my ears and down my neck.

“Cats are cats. Wolves can be assholes too and as for vampires, we don’t really have an excuse,” he said, slipping his hand through the crack in the door.

I met his fingers halfway and entwined mine through them. His hand was bigger than mine and mostly soft, except for the indentation in his ringfinger where his pen must’ve rested through many long note taking or writing sessions. I imagined him tapping the pen against the table or nibbling on the cap while he was lost in thought.

“This is the tiniest bit ridiculous,” I laughed.

“What is?” he asked.

“That I want to watch you study just so I know exactly what you do with a pen,” I blurted out.

“I don’t mind a bit of academic voyeurism, but I’d much rather study with you,” he said and squeezed my hand.

“If I yanked you into my bedroom with me and slammed the door shut, would you be mad?” I asked him.

“I’d be honored, mate,” he smirked, leaning in close like he might try to kiss me through the crack.

Chapter Eleven

Blithe

Cord was stronger than he looked. He opened the door with one hand and yanked me inside with the other. With practiced grace, he pulled me out of the way and slammed the door behind me just like he promised. If I had been shown the room before meeting him, I would’ve known in a heartbeat that a cat of some sort lived here. A massive complex cat tower/climbing system combo took up an entire wall. Another was covered by a bookshelf full of romance novels by the likes of Aben Radcliffe and others and of course, magic books.

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