The vibration of his voice made her ache all over. She nodded andgulped her wine, catching a slight buzz. “Aries typically favor red.”
“But I chose purple for the color of the dress you wore at the wedding.”
A surge of heat spread from her cheeks to her neck. His sweet words blew through the last of her defenses. “You remember the color of my dress?”
“I remember a lot of things, tiny details about people that interest me.” Their gazes locked, and she couldn’t look away from the heat and hunger burning in his eyes.
“I…didn’t know. You never said anything.” Brooke stared at his lips as he lifted his glass. They were full and sensual, perfect for kissing.
“I heard you were taken, and I didn’t want to be a jerk.” The deep timber of his voice slid into her blood, igniting her desire.
“I was, but we broke up.”When the season changed, so did his feelings. And like all the others, she never heard from him again.Another ghost situation.She wondered why she even bothered to date anymore, but then loneliness would creep in through the cracks of her heart, and she’d dive in again.
“I’m sorry, but the way I see it, this is my lucky day. The truth is I’ve been thinking about you for months now.”
The admission sent her heart galloping. His charisma made him shine brighter than any star in the sky.Why get excited?They’d go out a few times, have some fun. And based on the chemistry pulsing between them, they’d have mind-blowing sex that would last for days. But then summer would turn to fall, and he’d forget all about her, and she’d be left broken-hearted.
“Seeing you again brought my attraction back full force.Keep your fee, Brooke, and go out with me.”
A thrilling sensation moved through her, but she ignored it and pushed on. “I’m flattered, believe me, but I can’t. I don’t date my clients. It’s a strict rule of mine.”
“Technically, I was only a client for about five minutes.” His phone beeped. He glanced at the screen and muttered a curse. “I’m sorry. I have to go put some fires out at the restaurant.” Nico pulled out his wallet and slapped some cash on the bar. “Let me drop you off and make sure you get home safely.”
“I appreciate it, but it’s out of your way. I’ll be fine.” She didn’t want to be alone with him in a confined space. It would be too tempting.
Nico looked like he wanted to argue, but eventually shook his head. “Let’s get out of here.” He rested his warm hand at the small of her back as they walked to the front doors. Searing heat singed through the thin material of her dress, and she swore her panties caught fire.
They stopped at the revolving double door as well-dressed couples walked in and out of the hotel. He leaned down and kissed her cheek, and a soft hum of electricity sparked between them.
“Think about what I said. I’m not going anywhere, unless I read the situation wrong, and you’re not interested.”
“No…it’s not that. Quite the contrary, but I hope you understand why I can’t go out with you. It may sound silly, but I have rules about these types of things.”
“I respect your decision, but I want you to remember one thing.” He bent his head and whispered close to her ear. “Rules are meant to be broken.”
Her breath lodged in her throat. His words left her flushed and too aware of every scorching inch of him. She watched as he pushed through the doors onto the sidewalk and disappeared through the crowd.
Sighing with arousal and frustration, tonight she’d nix the bath in favor of an ice-cold shower.
* * *
Brooke stood at the greenhouse stove helping their potions guru, Saje, heat up a batch of concoctions for the upcoming Founder’s Festival.
“How did it go with Nico?” Her cousin Gillian stood at one of the butcher block tables piling crystals, sticks of incense, and candles into a box. “Arabella filled me in.” The curse only affected those on her maternal line, so thankfully her cousin was spared.
A flush spread to Brooke’s cheeks. “As it turns out I was zero for three on the matches. But we talked, and it was amazing. He ended up asking me out.”
Saje looked up. “Wait, I’m confused. You agreed to fix him up with other women, even though you’ve been infatuated with him for months?” She moved to one of the other tables covered in splotches of candle wax. Her dark ponytail swung back and forth as she filled a mortar and pestle with lavender and wormwood and ground them into a fine dust.
Releasing a long, deep breath, Brooke filled them in on the finer points of the evening. “So you see why I can’t go out with Nico?”
“There’s a reason none of Nico’s dates worked out. He's supposed to be with you.” Gillian added a pile of their business cards, brochures, and handmade lotions to the box and then sealed it up. “Why not give him a chance? He’s a great guy, and he’s seriously fine.”
“Agreed. He's also charismatic and easy to talk to.” The more time Brooke spent around him, the more she swore they’d known each other in a past life. She sighed deep. “The fact that he’s sexy as sin doesn’t hurt. And we’re compatible, astrologically speaking. I checked with my pocket Ephemeris and our stars align.”
Saje wiped her hands on her apron. “Even more reason to go out and have some fun. Sometimes you need to trust your instincts and go with what feels right.”
“I get what you’re saying, and I hate to sound like a Debbie Downer, but things won’t work out. They never do. It’s time I accepted my fate.” Turning off the burner on the stove, Brooke forced a smile. She’d pored over every spell and incantation she could find on lifting the curse, but nothing ever seemed to work. “Why would things be different with Nico?”