Page 25 of Spellbound & Speechless (Witches of Starbrook #2)

Aspen

“I have a surprise for you.” That’s all Mac says before he leads me through the quiet streets of my hometown—a place he suddenly knows better than I do.

How can he expect to surprise me in Starbrook? If anything, I should be the one planning surprises. I’ve already thought of a few things I want to show him. Starbrook is home to some beautiful trails, and I think he would appreciate them, considering his interest in nature.

If he wants to surprise me, I won’t complain. Who doesn’t like a fun surprise?

Mac and I have spent a few days together, and things between us feel different. At work and around the others, he is as stoic as ever, but when it’s just the two of us, I see another side of him.

A soft, wild side.

I don’t doubt that the surprise he’s showing me will be a good one. I trust him, and I think he’s learning to trust me, too.

A light breeze ruffles the colorful autumn foliage, and my shoes crunch through the fallen leaves. A guitar plays nearby—likely Sophia, a town musician I know well. Families bustle around the shops on Main Street, and… Starbrook feels peaceful again. It’s as if the attack never happened.

Maybe it’s me. I’m at peace. Good sex does that to me. The corrupt witch hasn’t attacked again, and Mac and I have had ample opportunity to spend all our free time together. To be in the throes of budding love once more is a gift from my goddess, and it’s one I’ll never take for granted.

“Look!” I pull him closer to the musician. “That’s Sophia.”

“Huh.” He tilts his head to the side. “What’s her deal?”

“She used to be in a rock band,” I whisper. “Now, she does this.”

People stop to drop money into her guitar case, but Sophia is too focused on the music to thank them. We never expect her to. She’s a siren; her music reflects the dreamy quality one would expect. Her dark hair and mature beauty are equally mesmerizing.

I sigh softly as I toss a five-dollar bill into the guitar case. “Lovely to see you, Sophia.”

She meets my eye momentarily, her dark gaze twinkling with mirth.

Mac scoffs and grabs my hand, pulling me in the opposite direction. “C’mon. You’re getting distracted.”

“Don’t be jealous!” I giggle.

“I’m not.” He squeezes my fingers. “Just excited to show you where we’re going.”

“Now I’m intrigued. It must be good if you’re not falling for Sophia’s charms.”

“It is. It’s better than good.” He snorts. “And I’m not the type to fall for a siren.”

“You say that now, but if you were in the middle of the ocean with nothing but a bunch of smelly men and buckets of rum…”

He seems to consider, but he shakes his head rather than agreeing. “I’m thankful to never be in that situation. Not that I have a problem with the men. It’s the smelly part that’s throwing me off.”

“You would be smelly too, in that scenario.”

“Fair point.”

I don’t know what to expect, but where he takes me is a tad lackluster. I tilt my chin, peering at the old, rundown… wait, what was this shop before? I don’t quite remember.

“Your information is outdated.” I smirk. “This place hasn’t been open in years.”

“That’s the point.” Mac leans against the brick wall, and a sliver of sun shines into his bright eyes. “What do you think of it?”

“I think… oh! It used to be a candy shop! Am I right?”

He chuckles. “No clue. That’s not the point. We’re here to talk about what it could be. It can be anything you want, right?”

I glance into the dark shop, frowning thoughtfully. “Like…”

“Like somewhere for you to sell your designs.”

A smile dances on my lips. “Like a boutique?”

“Exactly what I had in mind, yeah.”

“That would be nice.” I bite the inside of my cheek. “I probably can’t afford it.”

“You could get a loan.”

“But a boutique may not make any money. People in this town don’t care about fashion.”

“Or it might make a shit ton of money and awaken a new group of fashionistas.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “You never know. ”

It’s something for me to consider. I want to stay in the fashion industry, but I can’t go back to working for a company I don’t believe in. I need somewhere else to make my clothes, and maybe… maybe I can even sell them. Mac may be right.

“Oh, but I’m just one person,” I say. “I can’t do it all.”

“No one is asking you to do everything. You’re not alone, Aspen.” He takes my hand and pulls me closer, his expression softening. “You have me, and you have your sisters. Besides… think about how many great fashion empires started with just one person.”

Even though I’ve spent weeks with my sisters, and even though I’m a part of the family again, it’s hard to wrap my head around having their support. I was alone for so long, and it was my choice. Now, I choose to be with the people I care about, but I’m still not brave enough to accept their help.

“Well, in that case…” I bite my lower lip. “I’ll have to track down the owner and see if we can get a tour. If I’m opening a shop, the energy must be perfect.”

“Nah. No need to bother anyone with that.” Mac tugs my hand to lead me around the back.

“Oh? Did you already get a key?”

“Something like that.” He presses his lips together as he blocks the door with his massive frame. For several moments, he says nothing.

I glare at his back. “Mac! You can’t break into my future boutique.”

The door opens with a click. “I can, actually, and it’s way too easy. We’ll need to up security once we buy it.”

We . He makes it sound like we’re doing everything together, even though our relationship is so new. In some circumstances, it would scare me. Moving too fast in a relationship is rarely a good thing. It’s usually a major red flag, but…

There’s something about doing it with Mac that feels right. Everything about being with him is right. Falling for someone comes with adrenaline, a pause, some kind of consideration or fear. With him, it’s as easy as breathing.

If I didn’t know better, I would think he put a spell on me . No one has ever made me so infatuated.

I’m so obsessed that I let him guide me into the shop, ignoring the risk of getting into trouble. Oh, that would be terrible. People always talk around Starbrook; the last thing I need is them talking about us breaking the law.

I can hear it now. Aspen Hawthorne is back in town, and she’s breaking and entering!

The old ladies who sit around the park would eat it right up, and the old men would make it the headline of our pathetic little newspaper.

He flicks on a light. “Look at that. The power is still on and everything.”

“Thank the goddess.” My shoes click against the hardwood. “I guess this place isn’t as outdated as I thought.”

“That’s a good sign, huh?”

“Yeah.” I brush my fingers against the dusty shelves. “It’s all coming back to me. This used to be filled with rows and rows of sweets.”

“Which one was your favorite?”

“Oh, the fudge,” I say. “Easily. There’s nothing like homemade peppermint fudge. I haven’t thought of this place in years, but now that I’m here, I miss it.”

“I can think of one thing you’ll like more than the fudge.” He stands behind me, resting a hand on my hip. “Racks and racks of your designs.”

“For all sizes.” I turn my head to look at him. “That’s why I left my last job, you know. I love making designs for larger bodies—for all bodies, really—and they asked me to remake them. They wanted me to make them smaller.” I wrinkle my nose.

“Foolish of them.”

“Isn’t it? Aside from the ethics of not making clothes for everybody, they’re leaving money on the ground.”

“Look at that. You’re a great businesswoman already.”

“And you’re a wonderful boyfriend already. I’ve dated people for longer and received a fraction of the support you’re giving me. Not bad, considering it’s your first relationship.”

“Why, thank you.”

“Why is that?” My voice goes softer. “I’m sure anyone would be pleased to be with you, so… why did you spend so long alone?”

He’s a little older than I am, at least in his thirties. It may say more about me than him, but I can’t imagine spending so long without a lover. He must be so lonely, even though he doesn’t appear to be. From the time I met him, Mac seemed perfectly happy on his own.

“Because…” He deflates, sighing.

I squeeze his shoulder. “Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad.”

“No, no. You can ask me anything.” He still hesitates, staring at a dusty wall rather than looking at me. “Do you know about fated mates?”

“Well… yes. I know it’s different for wolves than witches, but I understand the concept.”

“My parents were mates.”

“As you mentioned before.”

He shifts his stance and buries his hands in his pockets, searching for something—probably a cigarette.

The search quickly stops. “My dad’s death ruined my mom.

She never dated again. She left the pack, and without a leader, they disbanded.

It became easy to see that… losing someone you love is, well…

fucking shitty. It’s the worst pain I can imagine. ”

My brows furrow. “Especially when it’s your mate. When your souls and minds are linked in such an intimate way.”

“Yeah.” He exhales and bends, pressing his forehead to mine. “Especially then.”

“I’m proud of you.” I hold the sides of his face with a tender touch.

He chuckles. “For what?”

“For letting me in.” I push his chest, leading him to the wall. “I know that couldn’t have been easy to talk about.”

“But it is.” His back hits the wall, and he smiles at me, shaking his head. “Opening my heart to you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. That’s what makes you so dangerous.”

“Me? Dangerous? Never.” I push my freshly manicured nails into the dark, knitted fabric of his sweater. “Is it open to me now? Truly?”

“As open as it can be.”

Mates. The idea buries itself in my brain, and I can’t understand why. Perhaps it should upset me. He may have someone else out there—a mate, or multiple mates—someone who isn’t me.

That feeling doesn’t come. Instead, I’m invigorated.

It’s only the beginning. I’m not unrealistic enough to ask for more, and he’s already given me more than I ever thought he would. It only took one glance at Mac to realize he was closed off when we met, and now…

Now, he smiles at me, as bright as the morning sun .

“Can you help me with something?” I drop to my knees in a fluid motion.

“I dunno.” He lifts a brow. “Seems an awful lot like you’re trying to help me .”

“Is that what it looks like?” I press a kiss to his pants, brushing my mouth against his clothed thigh. “Have you ever heard of sex magic?”

His fingers flex. “Yes… can’t say I’ve practiced it myself, though.”

“Of course you haven’t. You’re not a witch.”

“Good observation.”

“Pleasure is a powerful energy for a love witch. For a witch like me..” He’s already springing to life under my lips. I rub my tongue along the line of his bulge. “I want to make this place my own. Will you help me with that, Mac?”

“Anything. Anything for you.” His fingers curl into my hair.

“All I need you to do is focus on your pleasure.” I exhale a hot breath against his thigh. I unzip his pants and push them down enough for his hard cock to spring free. “I’ll do the rest.”

I can practice sex magic on my own, and I have for years, but there’s nothing like harnessing a partner’s raw sexual energy—with their consent, of course. There’s power in someone giving it up and letting me create what I want.

It takes less energy from me this way, too.

I run my tongue along his thick, hard cock, memorizing each vein. His head is already weeping, and I lick it up, savoring his taste.

Pleasure arrives when I call, as it should. It floats around us like a red cloud of desire. Commanding the energy is easy. My lips wrap around his cock, and he grunts, forcing the energy to explode, grander and brighter than before.

I stroke him and suck his tip.

“You’re such a cock slut,” he says. “All you want to do is swallow my cum. My greedy girl.”

I smile with my eyes and take him deeper, gliding his cock across my wet tongue. His fingers tangle in my hair, and he thrusts into my mouth, hitting the back of my throat.

His dirty words become a low, filthy groan.

His pleasure spikes. I imagine the shop—my shop. My designs are in the window. I’ll fill it with the soft, pink colors. There I am, sitting at the front, sketching my heart away. The cute pink sewing machine I’ll put in the corner.

I was supposed to do the work, but he takes over, thrusting into my throat as I imagine it all. His pleasure grows and glows brighter with each thrust, and when his moans become whimpers, I know it’s time.

I take him into the back of my throat and swallow his arousal. Every last drop belongs to me, at least in this moment. It bursts from my chest into the shop, and I send it down to earth, grounding my visions.

He’s a sweet mess when I look up at him. A smile dances on my lips.

“Wow,” I whisper, tucking him back in his pants. “You’re such a good boy for me.”

He groans and rolls his eyes, helping me to my feet. “Don’t be a brat. C’mere.”

We can’t do anything else without the risk of being caught, but he gives me one good, long kiss before we go on our way.