Page 121 of Magical Mischief

Because right when I was in the middle of chanting the line that sealed the month-long effect, I heard the front door hinges creak, and a voice that warmed my insides even on the coldest days called.

“Maeve? You in here?”

I jerked my head up at the worst possible second.

My tongue twisted around the final words of the spell.

Because my brain short-circuited at the sound of Keegan’s voice.

Truth and Light.

There was a faintpopin the pot.

A wisp of lavender smoke curled toward the ceiling. Something smelled too sweet, like honey, which wasn’t part of the plan.

But I didn’t have time to worry about it, because Keegan, gloriously rumpled, wearing a half-smile that suggested he’d justwoken up, stepped into my tiny kitchen and gave me a grin that made my stomach flip.

“Hey,” he said, looking cozy and comfortable with his hands in his pockets. “Sorry if I’m interrupting something important. I tried knocking, and the door wasn’t locked, so…”

I swallowed. “Hi.”

He nodded at the little pot. “New potion?”

I breathed, trying to recall where I’d lost my place in the incantation.

“Practice makes perfect and all that. I’m trying to, um, fix some leftover thoughts about my ex, which might be the least flattering way to greet a handsome man like you, especially one I might have a minor…err…majorcrush on.” My brows waggled at him, and my eyes widened. “I mean, leftover thoughts. No, leftover exes. No crush. Just hiccups.”

Keegan’s hazel eyes steadied on mine. “Leftover thoughts, huh? A crush? This all sounds interesting.”

“Yeah. No. No, crush.” I coughed nervously, stirring the brew as a reflex, though I was pretty sure I’d messed it up beyond salvage. “I was going for a month-long aversion spell. Like every time I think of him, I’d get hiccups. But… I may have just goofed up the final line.”

Keegan made a sympathetic face. “That’s rough. Maybe it’s still salvageable?”

At that exact moment, the pot gave a little hiss, releasing a burst of pinkish steam that tickled my nose.

Pink was… well, reminiscent of those potions I’d read about that made people tell the truth. My cheeks warmed,wondering if I’d just conjured a mini truth-serum cloud in my kitchen.

I parted my lips to say something, but a bizarre impulse took hold.

I realized I felt no sense of filter. If a thought popped in my brain, it tumbled out immediately.

Like now.

Specifically, thoughts about Keegan.

And I had a lot of those. Why was he so tall? And that hair, the messy blond color, always looked better after he ruffled it. The sweet shape of his mouth…

I snapped my jaw shut, trying to hold in the flood. Too late. My mouth just started babbling.

“I want to mention, for the record, you look extremely good in those jeans,” I blurted. “And I’m sorry if that’s weird, but it’s just, you do. I think you should know that. Also, your hair is basically perfect for running my hands through, even though that’s probably not a thing you want me to do right now. And your eyes are… I mean, it’s almost unfair how nice they are. Been that way since you were a kid.” I snapped my mouth shut and clenched my eyes closed.

“Thanks, Maeve.” The deep gravelly tone sent a shiver through me.

“I—um. That wasn’t… I think something went wrong with the spell.” I opened my eyes to see him studying me, and my belly did a nosedive.

Keegan’s expression shifted from confusion to a grin that reached his eyes. He took a slow step forward. “Is that so? I wonder what else you might want to tell me.” His brows lifted.

“Yes, that’s definitely so,” I said, but the words kept spilling out anyway. “I can’t stop telling you exactly what I think. Like, how your shoulders fill out that shirt in a ridiculous way, and how sometimes I catch myself thinking about them, and you—argh!”