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“This is a mistake,” Indigo said as she stared at herself in the full-length mirror. Her dark hair was pulled up into a wavy ponytail, showing off her long neck. The sapphire blue wraparound blouse hugged her in all the right place, and her jeans were doing fabulous things for her backside.

“That color of blue is never a mistake,” her younger sister Lily said, giving her a look of approval. “If I showed up on a date looking like that, I think Brax would probably drag me off to the nearest coat closet.”

“He’d drag you off no matter what you were wearing,” Indigo said, rolling her eyes. Lily and Braxton were still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Keeping their hands to themselves definitely wasn’t in the cards. “Besides, I wasn’t talking about this.” She waved a hand at her outfit. “I mean the date. I shouldn’t be going out with Niko at all. He’s an investigator for the Magical Task Force of all things!”

Lily brushed her blond hair out of her sparkling blue eyes and stared impatiently at her sister. “Niko isn’t Paul.”

“Of course he isn’t,” Indigo said. “But that doesn’t mean I can trust him. What do you think will happen when he finds out about my past? Even if he believed me, I’d be detrimental to his career if anyone ever dug that up.”

“Indy,” Lily said softly as she moved to stand next to her sister. “Brax says that Niko is the most loyal person he knows. Don’t you think it’s unfair to judge him before you even give him a chance? He was relentless in bringing down Brax’s ex, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. But that doesn’t change things for me and you know why,” Indigo said. Braxton and Niko grew up together and were best friends. Of course Brax thought he was loyal. And he was definitely grateful after Niko had helped save Lily from being tortured by Brax’s power-obsessed nightmare of an ex-girlfriend who had cursed him all those years ago. But Indigo barely knew Niko. They’d spent one night together over a year ago. A mind-blowing, unforgettable night. But still, that was before she knew he was an agent for the Magical Task Force.

The buzzer sounded, indicating that someone was at the door.

“Too late. You can’t send him away now.” Lily practically flew to the door to greet Niko.

Indigo took a deep breath, smoothed her hair one more time, and then strode out into the living room. While the one-bedroom apartment that was above her store, Brooms that Vroom, wasn’t terribly large, it did make for a convenient commute. Her office was next door and the shop just downstairs.

“Niko, don’t you look handsome,” Lily said as she waved Indigo’s date inside. “Is that jacket new?” Lily eyed him with appreciation as she ran her hand down his leather-clad arm.

Indigo narrowed her eyes at her sister as a tiny ball of jealousy hit her out of nowhere. Stop it , she ordered herself. Lily had no interest in Niko. She was happily loved up with Braxton. Besides, Indigo couldn’t make a claim on the man she had zero intention of dating. Tonight was just a one-off thing.

“It is.” Niko smirked at her. “Now stop flirting with me before your sister gets violent.”

“Violent?” Indigo scoffed as she shook her head at him, hating that he saw right through her. “You flatter yourself.”

Lily chuckled and stared pointedly at Indigo’s fists. When she met her sister’s gaze, she lifted one eyebrow.

Indigo walked over to the door and held it open. “Tell Brax hello for me.”

Lily took the hint, and while shaking her head, she strode out the door. But then she paused and looked back. “Have a good night, you two.”

“I plan on it,” Niko said. He had his hands stuffed in the front of his jeans pockets and was rocking on his heels.

“That’s the last time I invite you over,” Indigo muttered to Lily before shutting the door on her sister. Lily’s laughter could be heard for the next few seconds as she descended the stairs.

“By the time this date is over, you won’t even remember you said that.” Niko winked at her. “Ready to get dinner?”

“As ready as I’m ever gonna be,” she said, sounding more annoyed than she’d intended. It wasn’t Niko’s fault that she was determined not to date him. Or that what she really wanted to do was forget dinner and tug him into the bedroom. If she had her way, she’d recreate the night they’d spent together in Florida and then cease any further contact with him.

Would that even work? Now that Niko had moved to Washington permanently, he’d been a constant presence in her hometown. Of course he was. When he wasn’t working or at his own house in the neighboring city of Hansville, he was spending time with his two best friends, Brax and Dante. Keeping her distance from him was going to be nearly impossible. Especially if he kept showing up at Brooms that Vroom to rent a magical broom every week when he went on rides during the sunrise instead of just buying one like a normal witch.

“How do you feel about Italian?” Niko asked as he opened the passenger door of his shiny new blue Dodge Ram truck.

“Are you kidding?” Indigo asked, her expression incredulous. “You do realize my grandmother’s surname is Befana, right? Old world Italian. Deep roots. It doesn’t get deeper than that.”

Niko snorted. “Yeah, I knew that. So it’s a yes?”

“As long as it’s really good Italian.” Indigo climbed into the truck. Once he joined her, she eyed him suspiciously. “Are we going somewhere outside of Befana Bay? Because ever since Ricci’s closed, we haven’t had any decent Italian other than Enzo’s Pizza.”

“No. Not leaving Befana Bay,” he said as he put the truck in gear and headed down Main Street. “And we’re not going to Enzo’s.”

“You’re not going to tell me?” she asked, suddenly amused. She’d always been attracted to men with a bit of mystery.

“Nope. It’s a surprise.”

Indigo couldn’t help the small smile that claimed her lips. “This should be interesting.”

He glanced over at her and winked before turning his attention back to the road. They drove out of the downtown area and out onto the two-lane highway.

“I thought we weren’t leaving Befana Bay,” Indigo said, her eyebrows raised.

“We’re not.” He slowed and took a sharp right turn onto Befana Meadow Road and then pulled into a small parking lot. He killed the engine and smiled over at her.

Indigo looked up at the Gothic-looking library and then back at him. The library had closed about ten years ago when the state budget had been cut. She’d known the building was for sale but hadn’t heard of anyone purchasing it. From the looks of things, both the parking lot and the building had been cleaned up recently. In fact, the building looked better than ever. It had been freshly painted, and the landscaping was tidy with abundant flowers lining the pathway to the front door.

Niko jumped out of the truck, and a moment later he opened her door and held out a hand to help her down.

“Care to explain?” she asked as the pair walked up to the front door.

“Sure, but let’s get inside first.”

The moment they started up the steps, the lanterns lining the stairs lit, casting a pleasant glow. Vines of fragrant orange honeysuckle materialized out of thin air, covering the handrails, and the front door slowly opened as chimes welcomed them into the gorgeous building.

Indigo glanced up at Niko, her eyes wide with surprise. “Did you have anything to do with this?”

He shrugged one shoulder as he gave her a cheeky smile.

Indigo stared, utterly amazed as they stepped into the candlelit library. They walked through the marble entry and into the main section of the library. The floor-to-ceiling shelves were stuffed solid with books, and there was a table set for two right in the middle of the room.

Niko held a chair out for her and then took his seat across from her. “I thought a quiet, private dinner might be nice before we head out on that moonlit kayak trip.”

“What… How…” Indigo shook her head, unable to process what he’d planned. Then she leaned forward as she held his gorgeous gaze. “Is this building haunted or something? Housing werewolves? Or vampires?”

“What?” he asked with a laugh. “No, why would you ask that?”

Indigo shrugged just as a server dressed in all black arrived and filled their water glasses from a carafe. “I figured the Magical Task Force must have purchased this building. Why else would you have access to it?”

“You think the MTF imprisons vampires?” he asked, his eyes glinting with humor.

“Yes. I’m certain they deal with every magical creature.” Indigo sat up straight, her shoulders back, suddenly very interested in everything he had to say. “They do, don’t they? Are they in the basement? Will I get a tour later?”

Niko let out a bark of laughter. “We can take a tour of the basement after dinner, but I fear all you’ll find is boxes of inventory.”

“Inventory? Of what, magical handcuffs?” she asked before she could think that through.

“Now that would be interesting,” he said with a smirk.

Indigo felt her face flush with heat but willed herself to keep eye contact as she rose to the challenge. “It would, wouldn’t it?”

“There’s a reason why I never forgot you.” He reached across the table and covered her hand with his, squeezing gently.

Indigo stared down at the connection for a few beats and then slowly pulled her hand away. The spark between them was entirely too intimate. Too comfortable. Too… everything. She should have never agreed to this date. After letting out a long breath, she raised her gaze and focused on the books surrounding them. “Tell me about the library. How did you manage all this?” She waved her hand at their surroundings. “And why does it look like this place never closed down ten years ago?”

“Dante purchased it and turned it into a bookstore,” he said nonchalantly as if he hadn’t just dropped massive news out of nowhere. “Remember when I said I’d take you to dinner and a bookstore? I figured this would be a little more special than taking you places you’ve already been.”

Indigo stared at him, speechless for a long moment. Then she blinked and shook her head. Dante was Niko and Brax’s best friend. He’d moved to Befana Bay about six months ago and as far as Indigo knew, he was working at Brax’s outdoor shop just down the street from her broom shop. “Dante bought the building and turned it into a bookstore? Why did I not know about this?”

“He’s been keeping it close to the vest, making sure the sale went through before he told anyone.”

“But it’s all fixed up and there are books everywhere,” Indigo said. “The sale didn’t just close last week.”

“True. I’m sure Dante has his reasons. He’s announcing it tomorrow, so he said it was okay to show you tonight. Lily learned about it yesterday but was kind enough to keep it a surprise.” He nodded to someone over her shoulder.

A handsome server with dark hair and startling blue eyes arrived, someone Indigo didn’t recognize, and filled their water glasses. He then snapped his fingers, summoning two wine glasses that landed with a soft thump onto the table. “Red or white?” he asked.

“Red,” they both said at the same time.

The server reached for a bottle perched on a side table that Indigo hadn’t noticed when they’d arrived and proceeded to pour their wine. When he was done, he wiped the bottle with a cloth napkin and said, “Your first course will be out in just a moment.”

“Thank you, Mateo, I appreciate you helping me out tonight,” Niko said.

“Of course, Mr. Morales.” Mateo gave him a slight bow before he retreated.

Niko rolled his eyes at the man and shook his head, looking amused.

“Friend of yours?” Indigo asked.

“You could say that. He’s Dante’s store manager. He’s also the one responsible for the landscaping and renovations around here.”

“That’s… wow.” Indigo glanced around, looking for the striking man. “I’ve never met him before. He’s new around here, isn’t he?”

Niko let out a bark of laughter. “Yep. But Dante’s known him forever. He’s his stepbrother. But enough about Mateo. How do you feel about lobster ravioli in an asiago cream sauce?”

Indigo felt a smile claim her lips as she beamed at him. There was no way he’d guessed her favorite meal all on his own. “You’ve been talking to my sisters, haven’t you?”

“I do my homework.” He winked at her, and Mateo placed the antipasto course in front of them.

“You know what, Niko Morales?” she said, taking a sip of her wine.

“What’s that, Indigo Easton?”

“You’re a really good date.”