“Beautiful, ain’t it?”
I jolt and jump back a foot, heart racing as I jerk my head upward.
Dain laughs, brows raising as he lifts both hands. “Sorry, Shadow, didn’t mean to terrify ya. You must’a been a bit more entranced than I realized.”
I wave a hand to cool down my face. Is it hot out here? Laughing, I point to the green floral pattern on the edges of my sleeves. “Green witch. This place is pretty much my catnip.”
He grins at me, and it’s so fucking sexy with the way his amethyst eyes crinkle in the corners. Not to mention he’s huge, standing almost two heads taller than me. And now that he’s not tucked behind that skinny bar, his wings are held aloft and more relaxed. They’re gorgeous too with deep purple and black veins and sharp black claws.
Andddd now I’m thinking lascivious thoughts about the male smirking at me. I’m about to start babbling about how many species of gourd there are, but thankfully, he saves me from my favorite topic.
“The garden’s the last spot on your scavenger hunt, if I recall correctly. Although,”—he looks around—“you seem to have been deserted.”
I laugh. “They left me for greener pastures, you might say.”
He snorts. “Is that a country metaphor? Well done.”
When he offers me his arm, I slip my fingers through, resting them in the crook of his elbow.
“How are you growing this garden here?” I glance up at him. “The west isn’t exactly known for rainfall but these plants are thriving in a way even green magic can’t achieve without nature doing some of the work.”
He nods. “We had a very beloved keeper long ago who built this garden. After he passed, the Gulch never ever accepted anyone else, and this garden was his passion project. So the town got together and devised a system of gutters and rain barrels to collect the little rain we do get.”
He points to the red dirt beneath our feet. “There’s also an underground reservoir and series of canals beneath us that’s fed by snowmelt. So, there’s a bit more water than it seems at first.”
I pepper him with questions about their water containment system as we walk to the closest pumpkin hallway.
“Gods, these are so pretty!” I squeal with excitement at the multicolored mini pumpkins hanging like tiny decorations from the arched frame. Their vines and leaves curl throughout a network of supports. Up close, each one is supported by a near invisible mesh that’s tied to the metal bars.
“Brilliant,” I murmur. The creative side of my brain is already thinking about how to incorporate this into some of my upcoming projects back home.
By my side, Dain’s quiet, seeming content to watch me as I gush over the garden.
Or maybe I’m being weird, getting so excited about pumpkins at midnight. Just as quickly as awkwardness rises, I quash it down. If he thinks I’m being weird about pumpkins, then we’re likely not a great fit to hang out.
Laughter rings out from the opposite end of the maze, followed by a crash and a series of loud curses.
Dain sighs. “Sounds like one of the tourists tried to walk into the gnome village.”
“Oooh, got zapped by the protective magic, I suppose?”
“It’s strong here,” Dain says with a gentle laugh. “Our gnomes are just about feral on the best of days and they don’t take kindly to monsters walking through their space. The magical barrier around their village’ll blast you back a few feet.”
“Poor things,” I say. “So, I guess that’s what’s in the middle of the maze?”
Dain chuckles. “That’s it, pretty girl. You got the scavenger hunt all checked off?”
“I do now.” I wave the paper to show him. He takes it and shoves it back in my purse, slinging his other hand around my waist at the same time. Bending down, he drops his gaze to my mouth and licks his lips.
“I got a beautiful garden at my place, Shadow. Would you like to come see it?”
My mouth drops open, but I zip it quickly shut. He’s speaking my love language by hinting at yet more foliage. I lift a brow. “Are you offering to show me your…plants?”
His answering chuckle is so deep and resonant, my nipples pebble at the promise of it. “That and anything else you might wanna see. You can take what you want from me, little witch.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” I say with a wink. Don’t mind at all.
Dain
