“That's because it's not.” He took my hand. “I’m all in."
I dropped my gaze to the sand. Another wave crashed against the shore, reaching so far up that it almost touched us. “This is just the potion speaking. You won’t feel this way once it wears off.”
“Kitty, I thought this was obvious when I willingly ate those cookies, but I guess it wasn’t.” He put a finger under my chin and tilted my face up until I had to look him in the eye. “Love potions don’t work on dragon shifters.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“Most witch magic doesn’t work on us.”
“Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?”
“I thought you knew. I figured Lizzy might have told you I was a shifter, and that’s why you’d drawn a dragon on your jack-o’-lantern the other night.” He gave me a sheepish grin. “And I just assumed you knew that your magic didn’t affect me since you seem to know everything else about potions.”
“I don’t know everything, especially about shifters.”
“Then allow me to teach you.” He flashed me that charming smile again, but I refused to be derailed.
“If you were unaffected by my magic, then what on earth were you trying to prove by eating those cookies? It wouldn’t have killed you either way.”
“Of course it would have. Just because the spells don’t affect me doesn’t mean I’m immune to whatever deadly reaction you thought you concocted. But I trust my instincts, and they were telling me your cookies were safe.”
“But if the love potion didn’t work on you, that means…”
His thumb caressed my jaw. “That everything I’ve been saying and doing the last few days was because I wanted to?” He took another step forward and slid an arm around my waist. “Nice of you to notice finally.”
I bit my lip, my heart pounding a mile a minute.
He leaned close so his words were feather-light touches against my lips. “Considering there was never any question ofyoubeing influenced by a love potion and you still kissed me—twice now, I might add—does that mean that I can kiss you again and we’ll both be clear on what it means?”
I smiled and pushed up on my tiptoes, wrapping an arm around his neck to hold him close so I could whisper against his lips, “And what exactly does it mean?”
He pulled back a little and kissed my forehead. “That.” My left cheek. “I.” My right cheek. “Can’t get.” My nose. “Enough of.” My forehead. “You.” Then his mouth was on mine again.
Without the desperate edge, his lips were soft and slow. It was as comforting as a well-formulated spell and as warm as a loaf fresh from the oven. His hands trailed down to the small of my back, and he tugged me closer.
A sigh slipped out of me as he pulled away, and he grinned. “That good, huh?”
“So good.” I nuzzled against his chest.
He wrapped his warm fingers around my cold ones. “I always knew we’d make a good match. You need someone to warm up those icicle fingers of yours.”
I raised an eyebrow. “And here I thought it was because I’d finally found someone who wouldn’t tell me what to do.”
He cocked his head, then shook it with a grin. “Nah, it’s definitely the body temperature thing. Plus, I enjoy being around your magic.”
“My magic?” I quirked an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Dragon-shifter magic can sometimes be unstable and wild. It takes more effort to control, but your magic calmed it. From the very first time I saw you, I felt your magic helping to balance mine. I need you in my life.”
I bit my lip, remembering the first time I’d met Riley and how he’d saved me from the books. “Maybe I needed you too. Or at least my magic must’ve thought you’d help balance me. It was why I was reaching for that book that toppled over, and the whole reason we met.”
He kissed my forehead. “Yet another reason to love your magic.”
I sighed again. “This was totally worth falling off a cliff.”
His jaw tightened. “Speaking of cliffs, what were you doing up there?”
“I was just talking to Jaxon and—”
