Page 23 of A Heart On A Sleeve

“Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve exposed yourself in public around here.

But I’m inclined to agree with not wanting you out here on display.

Come here and give me a hug before I leave you to it.

” He stretches his arms out wide for me to walk into.

I take two steps forward, enveloping myself in his warm, strong, cinnamon-scented embrace.

Sam lifts me up as I wrap my legs around his waist and bury my face in his neck.

I don’t know what has gotten into me, but something about him caring where I was or even thinking to bring me coffee has me ready to throw all caution to the wind.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispers.

“Are you serious? Like this?”

“I’ve never been more serious about anything.” He looks me square in the eyes, heat and something else reflecting back at me.

“Yes, plea—” Before I can finish the word, his lips crash down on mine.

They are soft yet firm, and I can hear a slight groan release in his throat.

He breaks away, but I dive right back in, not ready to be done so fast. I slide my tongue over the seam of his lips, asking for entry.

He opens, deepening the kiss as our mouths mingle, desperate to gain even an inch of purchase.

I feel my back hit the side of the house as his hands wrap around under my butt to hold me up.

He lightly kneads and massages as we lose ourselves for who knows how long.

The sparks between us are undeniable, but suddenly reality sets in that we are in public and I’m supposed to be sick.

I break away, sucking in the air he has stolen from my lungs.

Sam is still holding me up, his erection pressed perfectly to my center, my arms around his neck. I bury my face in it so I don’t dive back in for round two—or would this be three? Who knows.

“That was . . . I think I need to know the brand of chips you buy.” He smirks, as I look up at him in horror.

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I—put me down so I can go die of embarrassment.” I swat at him trying to wriggle free.

“I’m joking, babe. That was the best kiss I’ve ever had in my entire life.

” He peppers my cheek and neck with kisses, reassuring me before blowing a raspberry near my collarbone.

“Can’t you tell?” He leans forward, pressing himself into me a little harder.

I can’t help the squeak that tumbles from my lips as sparks ignite through my core, and my vagina turns slick.

My mind is still stuck on the word babe .

I thought I’d hate it, but weirdly I don’t.

“Um, yeah . . . yes.” I wiggle free this time, Sam setting me down gently on my feet. “It was for me too.” I can feel the pink blush racing up my neck and onto my cheeks.

“Be careful, with whatever you’re doing today.

” Sam places one more kiss on my cheek, adjusts himself downstairs, and turns to walk back to his bike.

I watch him put his helmet on, my stomach churning with the flaps of a thousand butterflies.

He lifts his hand to wave when I shout, “Thanks, Sam. Text me.” With a quick nod, he mounts the bike and races off down the road.

I lean back against the side of the house, my fingers touching my swollen lips, and close my eyes.

This man is going to be the death of me, especially if we don’t find Irina.

And soon. Every time I start to feel like maybe I could actually let myself fall for him, I get a weird tingly sensation in my arm and am ripped from dreamland back to the cold reality that I’m literally cursed.

Getting myself together, I shake off the exchange and go back inside.

“How is your lover boy this morning?” Ari asks, leaning against the kitchen counter, clothed and sipping my drink.

“Was I out there that long? Give me that.” I dart across the room, grabbing my drink and taking the final glug of it. I pull the sleeve of my shirt up to my elbow, and sure enough, there’s a bag of salt-and-vinegar chips hanging out next to Boo. Oh, my hell!

Ari notices but instead of bringing it up, she responds to my question.

“Nope, only maybe ten minutes, but we overslept. Howie has been waiting for us at my place for thirty minutes, so you need to move it, sister. Go rinse off from whatever just happened out there.” She shoots me a knowing look, but all I can do is smile as I skip into my bathroom to shower and change.

A quick twenty minutes later, we are out the door, rushing into Howie’s vintage Bronco idling in front of my cottage.

Ari had texted him to tell him where we were so we didn’t lose any additional time.

I still haven’t figured out why he’s escorting us, but I’m going with it in hopes of playing matchmaker if nothing else comes out of this day.

“Hey, Howie. How are you?” I ask, sliding into the backseat.

“Hi, Olive. I’m good.” He smiles at me in the rearview mirror, pink dusting his cheeks as Ari slides into the front passenger seat. “Where am I taking you ladies?”

“Hi, Howard. Thanks for coming with us.” Ari fastens her seat belt before patting his hand on the gear shift in gratitude. “We need to go to Salem, to the historical society to be exact.”

“Learning about witches?” His gaze meets mine in the rearview again, and I realize she didn’t tell him what we are going for, just that we needed to go somewhere and he jumped at the opportunity to drive us like the sweet golden retriever he is.

“Oh, sort of,” I say. Ari spins in her seat to look me in the eyes and nods. “I have a little something going on, and we are trying to get to the bottom of it.” Howie pulls away from the curb, making his way down my street and toward the edge of town.

“What’s going on that you need to go to Salem?” When he asks, he seems genuinely curious, not nosy.

“Can I trust you?” I ask, attempting to assess his response via the single small mirror in the center of the truck.

“I think so?” This sweet man doesn’t know what’s about to happen.

“So, I met Irina during the Hollow Hearts Festival, and she put a spell on me, and now I have a tattoo.”

“I’m sorry. What the fuck did you just say?” Howie’s tires squeal as he slams on the brakes and slowly pulls to the side of the road.

“You heard her, Howard.” Ari nods, as if to put him at ease. “She met the real Irina, the one from all the legends, and she cast a spell on her.”

“I thought I was the only one.”

“Excuse me, what?” I shout, unbuckling and clambering forward onto the center console to look at him.

“I met her once. I thought I was crazy for years,” he explains, putting his hands over his face in what I think is shock.

“You’ve met her? Why? What did she say?” Ari asks, pushing me back so she can also see his expression.

“Look, it was a long time ago. Remember Brian Danfield?” He shifts in his seat, turning fully toward Ari.

“Yes, I remember him, the only kid in tenth grade that could grow a full beard. What does he have to do with this?” Ari asks, unbuckling her seat belt and tucking her leg up under her.

“You never thought it was weird? The beard, I mean?” he asks, a slight wrinkle in his brow.

“I guess, but that beard paid off for him big time. We went to senior prom together.” Ari’s face turns a fluorescent shade of red at the reminder of that particular facial hair. There’s a story I’ve never heard. Howie’s face twists in pain for a split second before returning to normal.

“Brian and I saw her at Hollow Hearts that year. She took us to this creepy room, I guess it was her shop. I had a bad feeling about it, so I bolted, but Brian stayed. A week later he had a full beard. I never asked, but I always thought something weird had happened there. I mean, there was no way that guy was just suddenly able to grow a beard like that. Or at least that’s what I told myself,” he mumbles the last bit as Ari and I exchange glances.

“Okay, Howie. I’ve been there, in the shop I mean. That’s where she took me, but I can’t find it to get her to undo this.” I pull at the neckline of my shirt, revealing my shoulder and the top of the tattoo.

“The shop is not there. It’s nowhere.” Howie’s eyes glisten. He’s resigned himself already, I can tell, that we aren’t going to find Irina.

“Did Brian ever find her again?” Ari asks, reaching out to pat my knee.

“Not that I know of, but once he had the beard and the popularity, we didn’t talk much.” He sinks back into his seat, closing his eyes.

“It’s okay, Howie. Thank you for telling me. I just need to find answers, and you have to promise not to tell anyone.” I pat his shoulder, reassuring him that I’m not upset.

“I won’t tell anyone, but I do want to help you.

You won’t find anything in Salem. They all but banished every trace of her and her sisters when they escaped.

But I know a few people in town who might know something about the old legend.

I could ask around if you’re okay with it.

” Her sisters? How have I not come across anything about her siblings?

Is it one of them that spoke to her—the mystery voice?

Ari and I nod simultaneously. “Please help me, Howie. But don’t give anything away.”

“Yeah, she doesn’t want lover boy to know,” Ari chirps.

“Sam? I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

“Yeah, Sam. It’s new and a magical tattoo is really unexplainable.” I shudder thinking about what he would say if he knew. Not only is it embarrassing that I even needed her help opening up in the first place, but he would think I’d completely lost my mind.

Howie nods in understanding, puts the car back into gear, and pulls away from the curb. “You ladies up for lunch at Union instead of a road trip? I want to get there before old Mr. Weiss gets in. He might know something.”

“That would be great,” I say. I’ll have to sneak in the back so Beau doesn’t catch me, but if there’s a chance someone knows something, I’m not missing it.