Page 24 of The Autumn Leaf Bookshop (Everly Hollow #1)

Three Days

Sylas

M e: I can’t get you out of my mind.

Raene: This sounds like your problem.

Me: Definitely my problem, but you’re not helping.

Raene: I offered to help with my mouth. But shouldn't you be busy with vendor phone calls, running an adorable bookstore?

Me: Ohhh, you’re trouble. So, you think fall is adorable?

Raene: No. Your bookstore is adorable, and I’m winning anyway. I’m halfway through my list of vendors and others who are setting up food booths.

Me: Is it a challenge?

Raene: Of course, you made two lists…

Me: What’s the prize?

Raene: Hmmm… I’ll think on it.

Me: I have some input.

Raene: I’m sure you do.

Three days.

It’s been three days since I saw her. Kissed her. Felt her in my arms. Three days since I had her riding my hand. The sounds she made are tattooed on my brain. I’ll never forget her whimpers. The gasp of her breath being taken away.

I wanted her to stay that night. Goddess, I wanted her. I wanted to push past the boundary of firsts, take her deeper, give her everything, but I didn’t want her to regret it. I need Raene to be one hundred percent sure she wants this, wants me .

The way she kissed me. It was supposed to be just a kiss. That’s all I’d let myself imagine. A taste. A moment. A way to finally feel what I’d been denying every time she looked at me with those wide, curious eyes.

But then her mouth touched mine, and everything I thought I could control melted away. It was hunger. It was a surrender. It was need. I had her in my arms, but she was in control the whole time. She told me what she wanted, and I gave her exactly that.

Her fingers curling into me like she was holding on, like I was the only thing tethering her to the ground.

And when she pulled me back for more…when her eyes searched mine before her lips claimed me again, it undid me.

That look? That silent plea, hoping we were on the same page? I’ll never forget it.

And then there was her body. Soft and warm, pressing closer, moving against me.

The roll of her hips when my fingers were inside her made me think of things I shouldn’t, things that would keep me awake tonight.

Fuck, the thought of her actually riding me…

her knees braced on either side of my hips, her head tipped back as she moaned my name.

It does things to my chest, to my head. I’m already too far gone .

And then there was the scent of her arousal, sweet and unmistakable. It soaked into my skin and flooded my senses. Her body made that for me. Because of me.

I was the reason her breath hitched, the reason she trembled, the reason she was wet and wanting. Just knowing I could make her feel like that, make her want like that, sent a low, deep ache straight through me.

She has no idea what she’s done to me. No idea how badly I want her again. How badly I want all of her. Her mouth, her hands, her voice, her body moving against mine until neither of us can breathe.

That night, my self-control? Nonexistent. I had to take the edge off, my mind replaying her voice in my head. Thinking of how she felt, so tight and wet. Even then, it wasn’t enough. It’ll never be enough.

I come downstairs a few hours before opening, still in my grey sweats and a black t-shirt that’s seen better days. I need coffee before I can even think about dealing with the festival flyers or whatever the hell is going on with my magic.

The wreaths were enhanced yesterday to look more realistic.

For some reason, they grew too. That wasn’t supposed to happen.

Now I have falling leaves, and I look at the shimmering enchanted tree, my beautiful tree, and notice a few more leaves have fallen.

The last thing I need is a mystery a few weeks before the fall festival.

The shop is quiet, soon filled with the familiar sounds of coffee brewing and tea steeping. The rich aroma anchors me .

“Nice outfit, boss,” Nim says, swooping down from the open skylight. Here we go.

“Are you going for the ‘I just rolled out of bed thinking about Raene’ look?”

I grunt, grabbing my mug and pouring coffee like it’s my saving grace. “It’s called comfort, Nim,” I say out loud, adding pumpkin caramel creamer to the mug. “Not that you’d know anything about it.”

“Deflecting,” he sing-songs, the words slipping into my mind like smoke, curling around each thought. He flutters in a lazy circle above my head before landing on the edge of the coffee bar with a thump.

“You’re brooooooding,” Nim croons down the bond. “I know why.”

“Do you?” I grit down the bond, taking a sip, willing the coffee to hit my veins faster.

“Three guesses, ” Nim says, beginning to slurp from the bowl of tea I had set down for him. “And I’ll only need one. Starts with ‘R,’ ends with ‘aene,’ and she’s been living rent-free in your brain since the kiss.”

I sigh, leaning against the counter. “You’re really not going to let this go, are you?”

“Nope.” His voice hums through the bond, smug as hell. I think he’s smirking, hell, I can practically feel it. It’s not just his voice in my head; it’s the faint ripple of satisfaction rolling off him, like the twitch of his tiny snout is sending chills straight down my spine .

His tiny face is too expressive for his own good. “You’re walking around like a lovesick human. Are you adding hearts to the festival flyers you printed yet? Or is that next on the list?”

“You’re hilarious,” I mutter, grabbing the stack of flyers I printed earlier and moving them to the counter. I catch myself staring at the top one for too long, like maybe I’m trying to distract myself with the words.

“And no, I’m not lovesick. I’m just…thinking.”

“Uh-huh, whatever helps you sleep tonight.”

“Enough,” I growl, heat rushing to my face to the points of my ears. I set my mug down a little too hard, and Nim chuffs, his wings flickering like he’s laughing with his whole body.

“Touchy,” he says. “But seriously, Ash, when’s the last time you were this worked up over someone? Like, ever?”

I stare into my coffee, the steam wafts to my nose, and settles me some. “That’s none of your business. You’re a dragon, Nim. You can’t help me with my problems.”

“It’s literally all my business,” Nim says, pretending to dust his wings. “Because when you’re distracted, things get weird. Like, say, your magic deciding to go haywire and make leaves fall indoors? I can feel it.”

That makes me pause. My jaw tightens. “I’ll handle it.”

“Sure,” Nim says, unconvinced, polishing off his tea. “But maybe, just maybe, figuring out your emotions would fix both problems. Ever think about that?”

I glare at him, but he only flashes that smug, sharp-toothed grin before flitting into the tree, curling up on his branch like he’s the king of everything.

And the worst part? He’s fucking right. My magic is tied to my emotions, something I haven’t had to face in a very long time, and now I don’t know what the hell to do about it because Raene is going to leave.

Dominik’s place looks like the ultimate bachelor pad and smells like pizza and beer as I’m greeted by the sound of the pregame commentary blaring from the TV.

He’s got a spread of snacks on the counter, too—potato chips in a bowl with various dips and tortilla chips alongside a mini crockpot of his famous spicy queso that’s probably going to wreck someone’s guts later, but we will regret nothing.

I add my contribution to the mix, setting down the boxes of wings from the bar, garlic parm, and buffalo.

“About time you showed,” Viktor says from the kitchen, popping the lid off a pizza box, the steam exhaling its scent in the air. “I was starting to think you’d hoard those wings for yourself.”

“You underestimate my generosity,” I shoot back, smirking as I open a container.

Dominik strolls in from down his hallway, wiping his hands on a towel. “Beer’s in the fridge. Help yourself. And don’t forget Garruk’s cookies.”

Garruk, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed, gives a sheepish shrug. “I do my best.” He lifts the lid off his container of chocolate chip cookies, and the smell immediately hits me: chocolate and sugar.

I grab a cookie because sometimes dessert is best to have first. Chewy center, crisp edges, chocolate melting on my tongue. Perfect.

“Does anyone want pizza?” Viktor asks, throwing a few slices on his plate before closing the box and moving on to the wings.

“Did you bring anything other than just pepperoni, mushrooms, and black olives?” Garruk asks, grabbing a paper plate.

“I brought three boxes, including a meat lover's and a supreme.”

Garruk dives into the supreme, throwing two slices on his plate. “So you brought that monstrosity because you’re the only one that’s going to be eating it, right?” He laughs, taking a bite of his pizza before adding some chips and queso to his plate.

I opened the box of Viktor’s special to take a look. It didn’t look that bad, but my face must scream something else.

“Looks weird, huh?” Garruk asks. “Like what kind of mushrooms are those? They have a purple-pinkish hue to them.”

Viktor takes a large bite, shrugging his large shoulders. “Well, I like it.”

Dominik just shakes his head, amused. “This is why I just buy the beer and host. It shuts all of you up.”

We all laugh at that.

I make my way to the living room with my loaded plate to sit on the couch, resting my plate on the coffee table. Viktor sits on the other end, Dominik in his reclining chair, and Garruk at the barstool near the island .

“So,” Viktor says around a mouthful of pepperoni, “the deck project is finally coming together. Though the weather would screw me over with rain in the forecast. I’m getting the railing up this week. It’ll be good to go before the rain sets in.

Dominik nods, looking at the game on the TV. “You’re taking on another job after that?”

“Maybe one smaller project before winter hits. Then I’ll switch to indoor stuff. Elora wants the space above her second barn remodeled into a small apartment. ”

“Really, what for?” Garruk chimes in, licking wing sauce off his thumb. “Is she going to just rent the space out?”

Viktor nods his head, eyes on the screen. “I think so. Late fall and winter will be perfect to work on, have it ready by March.”

Dominik leans back against the couch and turns to me.

“I know you wanted to talk to me about a booth this year during the fall festival. I’ll set up a booth for floral arrangements.

Mostly bouquets, maybe a few of my dried arrangements if I can get enough stock done in time.

I think people will like the mix of fresh but also seasonal. ”

“That sounds good,” I say, eating a wing. “I’m sure it’ll go great.”

Dominik grins. “That’s the plan. Are you good on your end? I know you were nervous about Vera not being able to help. You can’t tell us you weren’t. How’s everything shaping up with Raene?”

“Going well, she has a lot of great ideas,” I say easily, because it’s true.

Mostly. I even got a bulk order placed for the lanterns.

“Flyers are printed and posted. I dropped some off around town already. I’ll hit the rest of the businesses, your businesses as well, and the town hall tomorrow, make sure everyone knows the itinerary. ”

They all nod, satisfied with my report. I leave it at that.

I don’t want to mention more about Raene.

Not in detail, anyway. Not the way she looked at me like I was the only thing that existed when I had her pinned against a wall, or the way her lips felt when they brushed mine.

That fucking mouth. I just say, “I’m getting to know her,” because anything more would probably make me give away too much, and with a small town.

Everyone knows everything, and no one knows how to stay out of your business.

Yeah, I think as I sip my beer, I’m definitely getting to know her.

The memory of her is constantly buzzing on my skin and replaying in my head like a record on repeat.

My body remembers every single second.

“PICK-SIX!” Garruk suddenly yells, launching up from the stool so fast he nearly spills his beer.

He’s pointing at the TV like the players can hear him. “Go, go, go!”

We all jump to our feet just as the defense intercepts and runs the ball down the field.

The room explodes in shouts and cheers. Viktor’s fist-pumping, clapping Garruk on the back like he’s proud.

Dominik’s laughing. I can’t help it, I’m yelling too, adrenaline rushing as we see one of our favorite players crossing into the end zone.

“Hell yes!” Garruk exclaims, hopping in place like one big ass kid. “That’s how it’s done! ”

“Damn,” Viktor says, sinking back onto the couch. “That is one hell of a way to start the season.”

“Yeah,” I agree, dropping back into my seat with a grin. “That’s a good way to start his contract year.”

Garruk shoves a queso-loaded chip into his mouth. “Is he in the last year of his rookie contract already?”

“Yeah, we'd better resign him at the end of the season,” I chime in.

The game rolls on, but my mind drifts again. Flyers. The festival. Raene. She’s everywhere in my head, like she belongs there, and soon, I’ll see her again. I already know it’s going to be so fucking hard to keep my hands to myself.