“What if everyone dresses up as their favorite witch and wizard?” Gillian tilted her head to the side and her light brown ponytail fell over her shoulder. “You could ask Nico to go as your date.”
Shaking her head, Brooke smiled at her cousin. Gillian could be as persistent as a bad rash. But she did have a point. Nico would make the night memorable. Everyone in their friend group was blissfully happy and in love. Alex and Willow had been the first couple to tie the knot. Garrett and Gillian were next. A couple of months back, Alex’s special agent partner, Cayden, had surprised their friend Natalya with a romantic proposal. As for Saje, she was in love and living with her hunky demon boyfriend, Nick. And Brooke remained in the same place. Alone. “Who knows, maybe I can get a few more cats.”
“I can already feel a sneeze coming on.” Gillian clicked the neon “open” sign off.
The bell dinged and the door opened and closed, blowing in a light summer breeze. “Nico?” Brooke sensed his magnetic presence right away. The scent of his cologne filled the shop. She spun around and her breath lodged in her throat. “What are you doing here?” The sight of him made her ache.
His thick brows knitted together. Anger and confusion flared in his eyes. “Can we talk?” He looked as gorgeous as ever in a green Gemini T-shirt, faded jeans, and damp hair. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” he said, glancing over at Saje and Gillian, who seemed to be listening to every word.
Gillian came up and gave him a hug, breaking the tension in the air. “No, not at all. We’re just about to close.”
And before Brooke could stop them, both women grabbed their things and headed for the door. The two waved good night.
“See you in the morning,” Brooke mumbled, shutting the door behind them. After she slid the lock in place, she turned back to face Nico, hoping he couldn’t hear the wild thump of her heart.
“I want to know why you took off this morning without waking me up and saying goodbye.” Hurt laced his voice. Nico’s chest expanded on a deep breath as he took a step closer.
“I’m sorry, Nico. There’s no excuse for what I did, but I don’t have sex on the first date. I broke rule number one in the matchmaker’s handbook.”
“We’re back to that? There are no rules when it comes to this kind of thing.” His voice softened, charging the air between them.
“I freaked out. My flight instincts kicked in. I was wrong.” Brooke sighed. “You didn’t deserve it, especially after going out of your way to make the night special and romantic, but I figured it was better to rip the Band-Aid off clean. It makes things less awkward for everyone.”
Anger flickered in his eyes. “I guess you made the decision for both of us then? What if I told you that this wasn’t a one-night stand for me? You would've known that if we talked.”
Setting the keys on the counter, she blew out a breath, mentally kicking herself for offending him. “True. I shouldn’t have left. I’m really sorry.”
“Apology accepted. I was hoping to wake up to a warm, sleepy woman in my arms, and not a cold bed.” Nico took another step, closing the distance between them. His proximity muddled her brain.
He’d somehow managed to obliterate all of her memories of sex with any other guy in one incredible night. “Why don’t we go to my office and talk?” Since she’d never stopped to think how this might affect him, she owed him that much.
“I’m right behind you.” He followed her to the back. This time when they got to the purple drape, he pushed it aside and motioned for her to go ahead of him into her office. He took a seat in the chair next to her desk and she sat across from him on a cushioned stool.
Heat smoldered in his eyes. “I could smell you when I woke up. I can still taste you on my lips.”
His words made her flush. “Nico.” Her nipples hardened, beading against the silk of her blouse. All day long she’d thought about the strength of his arms, pulling her closer, his hips arching to push deeper inside her. The slow, sudden ache between her thighs became uncomfortable.
“What are you thinking about, Brooke?” he asked in a low, intimate tone that reminded her of their naked bodies tangled together. “You’re red all over.”
She cleared her throat. “Things moved fast. I’m not used to getting my head caught in the clouds.” She’d never experienced this connection to another person before. And she didn’t know how to navigate the situation.
“I understand better than you think.” His words shredded the barrier she tried to maintain. He ran a hand through his damp hair, making it stand on end. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. I should’ve told you right from the start…”
Her stomach knotted. “Told me what?”
“I’m divorced.”
The words hit her like a poison dipped arrow to the heart, which was ridiculous and made absolutely no sense. But then the thought of Nico still having feelings for his ex-wife coated her throat like acid.I’m being a hypocrite. “You never said anything when I asked you about your longest relationship.” Brooke tried to keep the accusation out of her voice and failed. She had zero claims on him at this point.
“You’re right and I’m sorry for omitting the truth and not being upfront from the beginning.” A wave of tumultuous emotions swirled in his eyes.
Her thoughts spun in a million different directions, and one thing became clear, Nico had the power to hurt her like no other man. “You don’t owe me anything.”
“I think I do. Please, let me explain.”
CHAPTER8
NICO