Page 20 of Bewitched By the Siren (The Bewitching Hour #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY

Hali

Slouching back in my chair, I stare at the steaming cup of coffee on the table in front of me as my knee bounces up and down at a quick, unsteady pace.

I’m all over the place this morning. One minute, I’m a hot mess, and the next, I’m relaxed and satisfied after what could possibly be the best night of sex I’ve ever had.

Possibly? Yeah. No. More like most definitely .

And I’m not stupid. I know the reason it was better than ever before is because Brendan is the first guy with whom I’ve shared a real connection.

Sure, we’ve only known each other a few days, but the time we’ve spent together puts us on a much higher level of intimacy than any of my usual one-night stands with strangers.

Strangers I force to forget I exist the second it’s over.

And that’s why I’m nervous as hell, my gut twisting too tightly to even think of stomaching the coffee before me and my knee tapping out the rhythm of “Flight of the Bumblebee.” I left Brendan’s bed last night while he was sleeping, and I didn’t use my siren song to make him forget what happened between us.

I’ve never had an awkward morning after , and I ran before I was forced to experience my first. But, of course, my clandestine departure is sure to make my next meeting with Brendan even more awkward than it would have been if I had stayed.

How will he react? Will things be weird between us now? Or will he just leave Circe Key now that he knows––for sure––he’s not going to get me to sign with his agency?

Is that what I want?

A knock on the door interrupts my spiraling thoughts, and my knee freezes mid-pump as I suck in a sharp breath. It’s Brendan. It has to be. The only other people who come here are Mom’s nurses, and Barb is already here, helping Mom shower.

I don’t move or make a sound. Maybe if I wait him out, he’ll give up and go away. I’m not ready to face him, yet. Not ready to see the disappointment in his eyes at my little escape act last night. Not ready to hear him say he’s leaving.

He knocks again, and I blow out a long breath before pushing out of my seat. I may have only known him for a few days, but that’s long enough to know he’s not going to just leave when he knows we’re home.

I might as well just get this over with.

Walking to the door, I pull it open slowly.

My breath hitches in my throat the second my eyes land on him.

Arms crossed over his chest, one shoulder braced against the door jamb, and lips curled upward, he has that thoroughly-fucked look about him.

He’s usually a handsome man, but with that soft, gentle smile and the burn of lust in his eyes as he looks back at me?

I feel my underwear inching themselves down without any help from me, at all.

“Good morning,” he says, his voice light and happy like he harbors no resentment over the fact that I snuck out while he was sleeping.

“Morning,” I reply, my mind going blank as I fight to come up with an excuse for leaving in the middle of the night.

Because he’s going to ask why I did. I know he is.

His mouth opens, and I try to hide my flinch, but I’m left with a dizzy sense of confusion when all he asks is, “Do you have plans for breakfast?”

Wait. What?

When I just stare at him like he’s not speaking a language I understand, he cocks his head. “Breakfast? That meal you start your day with?”

I shake my head, clearing the cobwebs before answering. “No.”

His smile widens. “Good. I thought we could take your mom out to eat.”

My mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, and though I didn’t know it was possible, Brendan’s smile grows even wider. He wants to take Mom and me out? To breakfast?

And he’s not going to bring up last night, at all?

“I don’t want to overstep,” he says, his smile fading when I continue to stand there, speechless. “It’s just…after talking with her last night, it seems like she doesn’t get out much.”

That snaps me out of my stupor.

“I try to get her out, but she always refuses. She thinks it’s not worth the trouble and doesn’t want to be a burden.”

That’s the truth and the basis of most of our arguments.

Mom’s been hiding away in her bedroom for far too long, giving up on a life outside this house when she actually has so much life to live.

Just because she can’t walk doesn’t mean she should hermit herself away for the rest of the time she does have.

Brendan pushes himself off the doorjamb, straightens his spine, and puffs out his chest. “You just leave her to me.”

He moves past me into the house, and I reach out to tug at his sleeve. He freezes and looks over his shoulder at me as I squeeze past him to block the way.

“Give me minute. She just had a shower, and I should make sure she’s dressed before you go barging in to…charm her.”

He smirks at that, then nods. Spinning quickly, I rush down the hall and peek into Mom’s room. She’s dressed and sitting in her wheelchair, her eyes closed as Barb smooths some product through her damp hair. Barb shoots me a questioning look, and I shake my head before ducking back down the hall.

Lifting my hands and swinging them in the direction of Mom’s room, I say, “Have at it. Good luck.”

He smirks at me as if to say I don’t need luck as he brushes by me.

I follow at a slower pace, stopping outside Mom’s room and leaning back against the wall to eavesdrop.

Brendan greets Mom warmly, and she titters like a schoolgirl, making me roll my eyes.

Mom introduces Brendan to Barb, and as soon as the greetings are out of the way, Brendan starts schmoozing.

“It’s a gorgeous morning out there, and I thought we could go out for breakfast.”

“Go out?” Mom asks, a nervous rattle in her voice.

“You, me, and Hali,” he says. “And Barb, of course, if you’d like to come.”

“Oh, thank you, but I have a shift with another patient when I finish here,” Barb says, and I twist to peek through the door so I can see Mom’s face.

She looks torn. Like she doesn’t want to burden anyone, but she also doesn’t want to disappoint Brendan. That one nods at Barb, then looks back down at Mom.

“What do you say, Grace? Don’t break my heart, now.”

Holy shit, is Mom blushing? My own eyes widen at the sight of her pink cheeks and fluttering eyelashes. What in the hell kind of Twilight Zone universe are we in right now? Mom doesn’t blush. And she certainly doesn’t bat her lashes at men less than half her age.

“Okay,” she says, and my head rears back.

“Perfect,” Brendan says. “I’ll give you time to finish up here. I’ll be back in, say, half an hour? Is that enough time?”

Barb nods in response to the question, and Brendan mimics the gesture before dipping his head at Mom. Then he spins and spots me in the doorway. I take a step back so he can pass, and he shoots me a wink as he goes by, then whistles a jaunty tune as he leaves the house.

My eyes are still as wide as saucers as I turn back to face Mom. What sorcery is this? She’s smiling as she answers some question from Barb, then looks up and sees me. Her eyes travel down the length of me before snapping back up.

“You should go get dressed, honey. We’re going out to breakfast with Brendan!”

Speechless, I simply nod before turning to head into my own room.

I haven’t heard that kind of excitement in Mom’s voice in years.

I squelch the twinge of jealousy pinching in my chest. It doesn’t matter that Brendan was the one who talked Mom into leaving the house and not me.

What matters is that she is leaving. And she’s happy about it.

By the time I’m ready, Barb has already rolled Mom out into the living room. The nurse calls out a good bye to me on her way out, and after I wave, I look down at Mom, who’s staring at me with a knowing glint in her eye.

“I heard you go out last night. Did you have fun?”

I squeeze my eyes shut at her tone––which implies she knows exactly where I went and what I was doing––and groan, “Mom.”

“Okay, fine,” she says, holding up her palms in surrender. “I won’t ask for any details. Just know, Hali, I’m happy for you.”

I nod and turn away, not wanting to rain on her little pony parade.

I’m not sure what last night meant to me.

I’m still processing the whole “I slept with a man and didn’t make him forget me” part of the equation.

But for Brendan, I’m certain it was just sex with a woman he met on a business trip. Nothing more.

Definitely nothing for my Mom to be so happy about.

As promised, Brendan appears at our door a half-hour after he departed.

He takes control of Mom’s chair without hesitation, rolling it through the door and down the little-used ramp I had installed when Mom started losing her mobility.

Brendan was right. It is gorgeous out this morning, and we chat and laugh as we walk down to the Circe Key Grille .

The restaurant serves a buffet-style breakfast, and Brendan wheels Mom down each aisle, letting her choose which items she wants and loading up her plate before parking her at a table and going back for his own food.

He’s charming and considerate, making the outing a true delight for Mom.

And for me , too.

When we get back home, he pushes Mom back to her bedroom and helps her into bed while I adjust the covers and hand her the remote for the television. Once she’s settled and comfortable, we walk back out to the living room, where Brendan turns to me.

“This was really fu––” he starts, but I cut off his words with a press of my lips to his.

One arm circles around me without pause, pulling me against him as he kisses me back. His other hand cups my jaw, holding me still for the onslaught. When the kiss winds down, I pull back to meet his gaze.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“You’re welcome,” he whispers back, then presses a kiss to my forehead before releasing me.

Then he smiles at me, a grin so bright, I have no choice but to smile back. And with nothing more than a wave, he turns and leaves the house. I watch him go, my chest burning with emotion and my head light from that unexpected kiss.

Oh, God.

What have I gotten myself into?