Page 11 of Spice (Unhinged Holidays #1)

Eight

Willow

Halloween - One year later

I step out of The Cauldron and onto the tree lined street, which looks much the same as it did a year ago.

The air is crisp, the leaves are falling all around me, and everywhere I look, I see signs of Halloween.

I glance up at the sky, taking in the nearly full moon, already visible in the growing dusk.

The air smells like cinnamon and bonfires, and the leaves rustle in the breeze.

I can’t help but think back to how I’d been feeling just a year ago—a bit lost, uncertain of my power, jaded about the holiday.

It’s nothing short of amazing how much can change in a year.

“Bye, Willow! Thanks for dropping in. It was so great to see you and the little one,” says Alicia, one of my former fellow baristas, as she steps out of the door behind me. I’d come by about an hour ago to visit and chat with my old co-workers, and the time had flown by.

“Bye, Alicia. I’ll stop by again soon. It was so good to see everyone.” And it was. I mean it.

“We miss you. No one makes a pumpkin spice latte quite like you.”

I laugh and accept the compliment. Thankfully, the only lattes I make now are for my extremely handsome husband.

I stopped working at The Cauldron early into my pregnancy, once I gathered the funds (thanks to Ezra) and the courage (also thanks to Ezra, at least in part) to open my own magical supplies shop.

I also make and sell magically enchanted candles, give tarot readings, and host monthly coven meetings in my cute and cozy little space, called the Moonlit Market.

I’m not scared of my power anymore. I’m not afraid to take risks.

I’ve stepped into who I was always supposed to be.

I’ve invited my mom to come by the store, but she hasn’t yet.

We had words when I confronted her about my Everwane status.

It came to light that the man she’d claimed was my father wasn’t, and things have been tense between us ever since.

But, we’re working on it. Slowly. It’ll take time to heal, but I’m confident we can get there.

I glance down at my daughter Briar, who’s snug in the baby carrier I have strapped to my chest. She yawns and shoves a fist in her mouth, clearly ready for a feeding and her crib.

I take a careful sip of my pumpkin spice latte, hoping the plain white to-go cup doesn’t spark her interest. But it catches Briar’s attention anyway, and she reaches for it, letting out a squawk of protest when I hold it out of her reach.

“No, baby girl. It’s hot. And I need the caffeine. I have a hot date with your handsome daddy tonight.”

Her fist goes back in her mouth, and I chuckle, tracing the tip of my finger over her cheek. She coos softly and my heart melts just a little more.

The pacifier clipped to the baby carrier levitates into the air in the tiniest, wobbliest burst of magic. Briar leans toward it, her little bow-shaped lips open. The magic bursts like a delicate soap bubble, and I can tell she’s about to lose it.

“Here, baby girl,” I say, offering her the pacifier. She gloms onto it greedily. Yep. Definitely dinner time.

As if on cue, a very familiar black Mercedes pulls up to the curb in front of the coffee shop. The engine shuts off and Ezra steps out, wearing his usual all black.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the way my heart flips over on itself when I first see him after any time apart. Doesn’t matter if it’s just a few minutes. Every reunion makes my body come alive.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he says, his deep voice washing over me and making me melt in a wholly different way that Briar’s baby sweetness.

“Hi, baby,” I say, beaming at him. He might have complained the first time I called him that, but the nickname has stuck. “You’ve got a little something…” I point to his shoulder, where there’s a clear spit up stain. He shrugs and laughs.

“Parenting is so very glamourous, isn’t it? Are you ready to head home? I don’t want to rush you if you’re not finished with your visit.”

“I’m almost ready, yeah. I just want to finish up my drink and enjoy the Halloween scenery for a minute before we go.”

He leans in and kisses Briar on top of her sweet-smelling head, and then gently lifts her out of the baby carrier. Holding her in one arm, he pulls me close with the other, then kisses me like we haven’t seen each other in a year.

My entire body is tingling when we break apart. Thankfully, we’ve gotten good at controlling our sexually charged magic, especially in public. We’ve had lots of opportunities to practice, especially when my pregnancy hormones were completely out of control.

The three of us sit down on a nearby bench, Briar snuggled in Ezra’s strong arms. Every storefront is decorated for the holiday, jack-o’-lanterns in front of each door.

I take another sip of my drink and almost choke when one of those jack-o’-lanterns starts to float toward us, spinning in a lazy circle.

Briar’s arms are outstretched and she’s kicking her feet in excitement. I glance at Ezra and a soft smile pulls at my lips when I see him watching her with proud amusement.

“Born with more raw power than half a coven,” he says, stroking a hand over her delicate curls.

“That’s what happens when you breed your mate on an altar under a full moon on Halloween.”

He laughs and we quietly fist bump. Briar’s powers are already impressive, and she’s only three months old. She’s going to be a force to be reckoned with when she comes of age.

I lean back and look over at Ezra, who’s watching me intently. I know what he’s going to say before he says it.

“I’m so lucky,” he says. “So incredibly lucky.” I send a pulse of pure, unfiltered love down our bond in response. I have no words for how I feel about him and the life we’ve built together over the past year. The family we’ve created.

Plus, I get to live in a castle. So, that rocks.

I look up at the moon, once again remembering how different my life was before Ezra. Remembering how scared we were in those moments before we knew we’d broken the curse.

He slides closer on the bench and wraps an arm around me, kissing my temple. “You were my salvation that night. You still are.”

I shake my head, my eyes stinging with tears. “And you were mine. I just didn’t realize what you were saving me from.” A life of fear, timidity, never claiming a power that’s my birthright.

“Willow,” he says quietly, and then kisses me again, a little longer and deeper than is appropriate given that we’re on a bench in the middle of a public street.

When he pulls away, he flicks his finger and draws the jack-o’-lantern Briar was playing with closer, making it float right beside us, just as he had a year ago to test his magic.

To prove that the curse was broken, and he wasn’t about to die.

He snaps his fingers and it starts to glow with a soft gold light that I feel through our bond.

It’s love and gratitude and excitement for the future. It’s friendship and desire and trust.

Briar stretches her chubby little hands up to towards the slowly rotating jack-o’-lantern, watching in awe as it hovers just out of reach. I lean my head on Ezra’s shoulder and he sighs. I feel his contentment wash over me.

“As much as I might wish to, I can’t regret anything about the curse. I’d relive every second of it, because it brought me to you.”

I laugh softly. “That’s so unfairly romantic, Mr. Blackthorne. How am I supposed to compete with that?”

“The ball’s in your court, Ms. Ashwood. And don’t pretend you don’t love it.”

“Yeah,” I admit, finishing my drink and tossing it into a nearby trash can. “I do.” Just like I love every single thing about my crazy, magical life that would’ve felt impossible a year ago. “I really, really do.”

Thank you so much for reading Ezra and Willow’s story!

This was such a fun one to write for me—something a little bit different, with magical elements, but still the same smutty goodness as my other stories.

If you want more Ezra and Willow, click here to get access to their exclusive bonus epilogue, where you get a peek at some sweet (but still filthy) married sex with more magical mishaps.

Ready for your next obsession?

He’s her most infuriating client.

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“I’m going to teach you how to open up your throat and let me in,” he says tracing a finger down the front of my throat. “Teach you how nice it feels to have your little belly full of Daddy’s cum.”

“Oh, fuck,” I whisper, my pussy clenching violently at his words. I can feel how wet my panties are. They’re soaked. Absolutely soaked. I’ve never done any of this before, but with Logan, I want to. I want to learn everything. I want to give him everything.

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“With you cheering us on, I’m sure we’ll kick some serious ass,” I tease, and she blushes.

“I’ll do my best. I’m not the loudest, but I’ll make sure to scream every time you have the puck.” Her cheeks are the sweetest shade of pink as she flirts with me.

This is the best day of my fucking life.

“Well, in that case, I’ll make sure to hog the puck all night so I can hear you screaming my name.”