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“Oh,” I muttered, and then set about removing the tape I’d just applied. “Sorry, Phoebe.”
She smiled. “No worries. Just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Just tired,” I said, though I’d just had lunch and coffee so I should have been fine.
“Yeah, those motel beds are a bit lumpy.” She grimaced. “I’m thinking we should have taken Pepper up on the chance to stay here.”
I shook my head. “No, once we really get painting, the fumes will be awful.”
“True.” She returned to surveying the house for any needed repairs.
I sighed. I needed to pay more attention.
“So this is how you paint a house,” a deep male voice drawled behind me.
I spun around and stared at the man behind me. My heart beat rapidly, and I raised a hand to my chest. Tall with long dark hair, he wore jeans and a t-shirt with a leather jacket over top. He was like a giant walking sign: Bad boy! Girls beware. And I wanted to jump right in.
“Hi,” I said, taking a breath and trying to focus. “Tripp, wasn’t it?” His name didn’t fit him at all. It sounded like a country club man’s name, and this guy screamed dark alleys and tattoos. I wondered if he had any? I ran my gaze over his form again, and my fingers itched to inspect him. I loved a good tattoo.
He inclined his head. “And you’re Delphine.”
“You remembered . . .” I halted, rubbing my chest. Of course he remembered. I had caused a pretty big scene in his aquarium.
A lazy smile crossed his lips, and I felt it all the way down to my toes. There was definitely still some odd connection there. Was it that orange magic? Or was it real?
“I came to talk to you about this morning,” he said. His eyes were a gorgeous blue that seemed to peer right into my soul.
“Oh?” I barely resisted fanning myself. Who would believe I was hot on a cool November day? The sun had gone behind the clouds, and as soon as it had, the temperature had dropped, but I was warm.
He nodded. “I have some questions. Maybe we could go for a walk?”
“Yes!” Phoebe exclaimed behind me, pushing me toward him. “She’d love to.”
I stumbled on the rocky ground, nearly pitching forward but catching myself at the last minute. “Phoebe,” I growled. “I didn’t even know you were there.”
I looked back at my sister and she grinned. She probably thought he’d asked me on a date. I hadn’t told her about this morning. I sighed and glanced at Tripp.
“Shall we?” he asked, offering an arm.
Holding myself back from the eye roll—this wasn’t a date, he wanted to see how much trouble I was going to be—I forced myself to nod and walk next to him.
He pursed his lips but then dropped the arm. “I won’t keep her too long,” he said to Phoebe.
“As long as you like,” she said cheerfully.
This time, I cast my gaze back at her and rolled my eyes.
She waved.
“Sisters,” I muttered.
“Wouldn’t know,” Tripp said. “I am an only child.”
“Oh, you aren’t missing much, believe me,” I continued as if I wasn’t just nervously blabbering for no reason. Maybe he did miss having siblings. Maybe he’d have had nice siblings and not pushy older sisters that dragged . . . um . . . him off to magical towns.
He chuckled.
We reached the sidewalk and turned left, heading down the quiet residential street. It was a Saturday so there should have been a few children out to play, but not on this street I guessed. I was alone with this scary and attractive man. I rubbed my arms through my coat. Suddenly I wondered if it had been such a good idea to agree to a walk.
