Irresistible Magic (29 page)

David pulled another frame off the wall. This one was of David tinkering with a car. He couldn’t have been more than ten. “This was the night Allcot officially became my father. My mother had died three months earlier. It was cancer. Incurable. We all knew it was coming. He’d loved her as a sister. Besides Pandora, she was his only trusted friend and in her will, she asked him to be my guardian.” He stroked the edge of the frame. “He begged her to let him turn her, you know. At the time, I hated her for her decision. I hated him, too, for letting her die.” Pain lined his face as the memories overtook him. “She was the only person I had in the world and he’d let her die.”

I stopped breathing. David had never talked about his mother except to say she’d died when he was young and that’s how he’d come to Allcot. I knew instinctively he hadn’t opened up to anyone else in a very long time. “I can see how that could make a ten-year-old very angry.”

David cut his gaze to mine. “I was angry for many years. You see, I didn’t just lose my mother that day. I lost the only father I’d ever known.”

I furrowed my brows. “You’ve never talked about your real father before.”

He scoffed. “That’s because I’ve never met the bastard. I’m talking about Eadric.”

“What do you mean, you lost him? You’ve been at his side ever since.”

He shook his head sadly. “In physical form yes, but the person he was with my mother died right along with her.” He sat down heavily in a leather chair and glanced up at me with sad eyes. “She was his best friend. The one he counted on to keep him human. Without her, he let the darkness creep in. I didn’t know it then. All I saw was an angry, unrecognizable man.”

“And you want me to give him back his light.” It wasn’t a question. I already knew the answer, but he nodded anyway, hope clear in his pained expression. The desire to nod, to give him the answer he was desperately searching for, filled every inch of my chest. It squeezed my heart and formed a lump in my throat. How could I deny David this one request? He’d revealed more of himself to me in the last thirty minutes than he had in our yearlong relationship. And in that moment, all the pain I carried from our failed relationship fled.

He was hurting more than I was, and he’d keep on hurting for centuries for his choices. I knew rationally that I wasn’t responsible for his turning, but it still weighed on me. It was because of me. I owed him something. I just didn’t know if I could give him what he wanted. I cleared my throat and offered him my hands.

He grabbed them, holding me tenderly, never once breaking our gaze.

“Is it enough for me to say I’ll think about it?”

A soft whoosh of air escaped from his lips and I stifled a laugh. Vamps didn’t need to breathe, but he’d been holding his breath anyway. His shoulders visibly relaxed as he gently squeezed my fingers. “It’s more than enough.”

Chapter 23

I sat in one of the wingback chairs, studying David. Seeing him appear so
human
brought memories crashing to the forefront of my mind. And chief among them was the first day we’d met.

I’d been heading from my office to my lab when Tami, my assistant, poked her head into the hall. “Willow! Can you give me a hand for a sec?”

“Sure.” I grabbed an apron, and as I entered the front of the store, I winced. A mother stood at the counter, her five kids running full tilt around the rest of the customers waiting in line.

“Where’s Georgie?” I asked.

“Lunch.” Tami stuffed a dozen Truth Clusters into a bag and started ringing up her customer.

I stepped around her to help the next patron and stopped in my tracks. Holy fae. The human man in front of me had the deepest midnight-blue eyes I’d ever seen, complemented by long, dark eyelashes. I licked my lips unconsciously and cleared my throat, praying he hadn’t noticed my ogling.

But then his lips broke into an amused smile that reached those lovely eyes. Whoa. Dark, slightly curling hair, strong angular jaw, broad shoulders, slim through the hips, and the only flaw I could find was a small scar just below his bottom lip. Someone had superior genes.

“Good afternoon,” he said in a slight Southern drawl. Local boy for sure.

“Hi,” I forced out and stared.
Good God, Willow, get a grip. There’s a line of people waiting.

The cash register drawer slammed closed and I realized Tami had finished helping the mom with the hellions and had already moved on to the next customer. And I hadn’t even taken this guy’s order yet.

“What can I get for you today?” I smiled brightly.

His gaze flickered over the bakery case and then he pointed to what I’d named Happy Cookies. The frosting-covered sugar cookies were the only things we sold that weren’t magically altered. I just thought the sprinkles and bright yellow frosting made them look happy. “Two dozen, please.”

“Sure.” I busied myself packing the cookies in a box, trying to keep my attention focused on the task, but my gaze kept wandering to those gorgeous eyes. It was almost cruel to bless a man with such beauty.

“Hot!” Tami whispered as she scrambled by me to the mocha machine.

I nodded, trying to keep a straight face.

“Anything else?” I asked him and placed the boxes in a two-handled bag. “Molten Muse or some Kiss Me chocolates?”
Oh crap.
Why had I offered
those?
Heat crawled up my face.

He raised his eyebrows and his lips twitched in amusement again. “Those Kiss Me chocolates, are those for me to eat or the person I wish would kiss me?”

“Uh…” I let out a nervous giggle. “The other person.” My face burned hotter and I wondered how long it would be before I combusted.

He nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, then. I’ll try one and see how it works out.”

Of course he had someone he already wanted. I frowned. Why would
he
need Kiss Me chocolates? Whoever the woman was, she should get her head checked if she needed a nudge to lock lips with this one.

I kept the smile pasted on my face, added the Kiss Me treat to a small bag, and slid over to the register. “Ready?”

He shook his head. “Can I get a Mocha in Motion as well?”

“Sure.” I spun, almost crashing right into Tami. “Sorry!”

She smirked and shook her head, obviously holding back laughter.

“Shut up,” I hissed before she said anything that would make me want to hide under the counter.

“Did I say anything?”

“You were thinking it.” A minute later, I handed Mr. Gorgeous Eyes his drink.

“Thank you,” he said, handing me a card to pay for his purchases.

I smiled. “That’s my line.”

He waited patiently while I fumbled around with the credit card machine and when we were done, he tilted his head and eyed me appreciatively. “Nice wings.”

I felt my wings spread with pride and knew I must be blushing again…or was it still? Faeries weren’t all that common in New Orleans. We usually preferred heavily forested areas, so I was used to being stared at. But the way he studied me sent tingles to all the right places and made me squirm.

“Thanks,” I said, almost shyly.

“Ahem!” the woman behind him huffed. “I’m in a hurry.”

“Excuse me, I didn’t mean to hold anyone up,” he said to the woman in line and nodded a good-bye before he headed out the door.

I did my best to not shoot eye daggers at the woman. She was a customer, after all. But I hadn’t seen such a lovely male specimen in months. It was a shame to rush him off. I sucked up my resentment and hurried to fill the woman’s order.

An hour later, with the store finally empty of customers, I did a cursory sweep of the lobby and stepped outside to check the sidewalk tables.

All but one was empty.

“Hello again,” Mr. Gorgeous Eyes said, leaning back in his chair.

“Oh.” I sucked in a breath as my pulse quickened. He had an air of easy confidence about him. “You’re still here. Enjoying the afternoon?”

He picked up the tiny bag I’d stuffed the Kiss Me chocolate in. “I was waiting for that girl.”

“
Oh,
” I said again, a tremor of disappointment flashing through me.

He waved to the empty chair. “Have a seat?”

“But what about your date? Won’t she be here soon?”

“No date.” His eyes crinkled as he squinted into the sun. “I took a chance, hoping she’d show up here.”

Poor bastard had it bad. It would be almost pathetic, except he didn’t look upset in the least. I shrugged. “Sure, for a minute.”

He held out his hand. “I’m David.”

“Willow.” Our hands met and I swear electricity jump-started my heart, making it skip a beat.

“Nice to meet you,” he said.

“Likewise.”

We sat in silence for a moment until he started chuckling.

“What’s so funny?” I frowned, glancing around.

“Me. I was trying to figure out a way to offer you this,” he said, holding up the tiny Kiss Me chocolate bag, “but I seemed to have misplaced all my moves.”

“Your moves? I…” What did he just say? “You bought that chocolate to give to me?”

“Yeah.” He laughed. “Any chance you’ll take me up on it?”

“Um…” Heat crawled up my neck. What was I supposed to say to that?

Shaking his head in mock sorrow, he put it away. “That’s what I thought. How about we try dinner instead?”

“Dinner?” I seemed to have lost my ability to form coherent sentences.

“Dinner,” he said firmly. “Friday?”

For some reason, I found myself nodding. Why was I agreeing to this? I just met him. Easy answer. He was nice, too gorgeous for his own good, and I hadn’t had a date in months.

“Great.” He handed me a business card and a pen. “Write down your address and I’ll pick you up at seven.”

A moment later, I grinned and handed the card back to him. “Just so you know, my roommate is a witch. If you’re a crazy stalker or serial killer, she’ll find ways to make you suffer that you’ve never dreamed of.”

“Noted.” He held his hand out again. “Nice to meet you, Willow.”

A spark ran through my fingers as my hand met his. “You, too. See you Friday.”

“Count on it.” He nodded and took off down the sidewalk. A few feet later he turned and held up the bag. “Do you think I’ll need this?”

Laughing, I shook my head and disappeared back into my shop.