Page 22 of Bewitched & Bewildered (Witches of Starbrook #1)

Chapter 22

Juniper

Of course, someone comes in as I’m about to lock the door. That’s just my luck.

“We’re closing soon.” I glare at the doorway.

Oh, how I long to close the apothecary for good. We’re staying open a little longer to move as much of our product as possible, and the shelves are emptier by the day. It’s a comfort to know we won’t be left with an unmanageable amount of stock, but…

Reality is slapping me in the face. It’s almost the end.

My somber tune changes when I see who’s at the doorway.

Ozan stands there with a smirk on his lips. He crosses his arms.

I lift my brows in a challenge.

“Sorry,” he says. “I’ll go?—”

I cross to the other side of the shop in an instant. My fingers move to the lock, twisting it shut. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Laughter passes from his lips. It transforms into a surprised sound when I grip his shirt, pulling him in for a kiss.

Glass windows surround us. Ozan doesn’t care; he kisses me without question. His hand rises to the back of my neck, holding me in place as his tongue explores my mouth.

We’re getting good at this dance. As the days pass, I spend more nights at his apartment than at my family home. He knows my body like it’s his favorite song, and I learn to let him take the lead.

He guides me backward, pushing me toward the office. Before we can make our way there, he pauses.

“What’s going on?”

I lift a brow. “We’re about to have sex, I imagine.”

“Not that.” He looks at my potion cabinet, his brows furrowing. “Your stock is low.”

I freeze. Of course, Ozan notices something is different. He pays more attention than I once gave him credit for. There’s no real reason for me to keep the secret of the shop closing from Ozan…

But I don’t want to see him look at me with pity. I know he’s going to give it, or else he’ll try to convince me not to give up. That isn’t what I need from him. Ozan is a distraction, and so far, we haven’t allowed our relationship to be more than that.

“I’ve been too busy to brew,” I say.

That doesn’t explain the rest of our empty shelves.

His eyes narrow. “I hope that’s not my fault. Am I too distracting?”

“You are.” I tug on his shirt. “Do you hear me complaining?”

“Maybe you should complain . I don’t want to get in the way of your work, Juni. ”

“I welcome the distractions.” Letting go of him, I walk into the office. “Please, Ozan? Come give me another one.”

“Another what?”

“A distraction.” I look over my shoulder. “Or an orgasm. Whichever you prefer.”

Both are good.

He may be perceptive, but Ozan is easy to distract, like any man. A groan falls from his lips as he pushes past the curtain and follows me into the office.

The room is more organized than before. Rowan transferred everything onto the computer. The old filing cabinets are gone, and the desk is clean…

It’s ready for me to sit on, and I do, crossing my legs and watching Ozan.

“Do you want me in here?” He watches me from the doorway.

“Yes. It’s poetic, don’t you think?” I tilt my head to the doorway. “We had our first kiss out there…”

His fists clench as he prowls closer. “How could I forget?” With hunger in his eyes, he pries my legs apart and moves to his knees.

I run my fingers through his hair. “That was so long ago.”

He presses his lips against my inner thighs. When his dark eyes lift to meet mine, I melt. After years of knowing Ozan—and despising him—I cannot believe how easily I melt for him.

He lets out a groan. “Juniper. You aren’t wearing anything under here...”

“I know.” I smirk. “It’s laundry day. You’re distracting me from all of my?—”

His mouth presses against my core, and I nearly lose my words .

“—responsibilities,” I finish in a shaking voice.

“Oh no.” His murmured words vibrate against my heat. “Now you have plenty of time to relax. We can’t have that.”

This doesn’t feel like relaxation. A single touch from Ozan sends electricity through my soul. The old frustrations I felt for him are gone but replaced with tension, making it impossible to find a moment of relaxation when I’m under his mouth.

The peace will come later, when he wraps me up in his big arms and plants kisses on my hairline.

His lips wrap around my clit, and I press my hand to my mouth, muffling my moans. His eyes never leave mine as his tongue rolls over my clit, causing my pleasure to coil tighter. Closer.

Ozan’s tongue dips into my entrance, and the moan that comes next is from him , his eyes rolling back as he gets a taste of me. His tongue darts into me over and over, encouraging my arousal to coat his tongue. I wrap my legs around him, heel pressing into his back to pull him closer.

He pulls his head away, and I whine as his fingers play at my entrance. “Did you work hard today, baby?” he asks.

I nod mindlessly.

“Hm? Use your words, Juni. Let me hear it. Do you think you deserve to come?”

“Yes,” I whimper.

He plunges two fingers into my pussy. Deep. So deep.

That’s all it takes to stretch me out and make me feel him . My thighs shake. Each word vibrates against my core.

“I think you do, too.” He laps at my clit, and his words get lost.

Mine disappear, too, dissolving into breathy moans that echo through the office. I should be concerned with someone walking in, but the further he pushes me, the more I worry only for my pleasure.

Ozan is a distraction, but he’s the best one I can imagine. He pushes me to pleasure until I can’t think straight, and even though I’m failing at everything I’ve ever wanted, he makes me feel like I deserve it.

He is becoming the sunny spot in my bleakest days.

Beneath the bliss is a worry—a thought that’s becoming harder to push away. What am I to do when he’s no longer here? Where will the sunlight come from then?