One of the board members tossed back their drink, depositing their glass on a passing tray. “We’d love to see your magic in action, Ms. Spellman.”
“Here? N-now?” My mouth went dry. I briefly considered fishing the ice out of the bottom of Grant’s glass just to soothe it. Not a classy move, but necessary. I forced a laugh. “I try not to match where I work. It’s too risky.”
Grant nodded as if he agreed with me. “Two miracle workers would make terrible soulmates.”
“He’s right—”
“Thanks,Ms. Spellman," he said, exaggerating my name. "Iamright. Which is why you should match them.”
Grant pointed toward the bar where the bartender I’d spoken to earlier was mixing drinks. Waiting at the counter was the woman who’d manned the lifeguard chair at the pool, now in a resort polo and apron.
I clenched my teeth, shooting him a glare, but Grant just let the silence simmer like he’d thrown down a gauntlet.
Okay, maybe this wasn’t terrible. They already had a spark; I just had to ignite it. This was easy! I could match them in my sleep.
My palms felt damp as I smoothed them over my dress. Nerves, obviously. The last time my magic manifested was about a week ago in the grocery store while I flirted over a display of pre-packaged meals for one. The guy joked that if we put ours together, it would count as a date. I tossed back my hair, and a wave of magic knocked over a tower of canned goods.
One clocked him in the forehead. When he came to, he fell in love with the attending EMT.
So technically, it worked. But I wasn’t proud, and I still ate my frozen meal alone.
“I'd be happy to show off my skills!” I said with way too much animation. What was I doing with my hands? They fluttered in the air like I was doing a one-woman jazz routine.Get a grip, Spellman.
The board watched the bar expectantly. Grant just watched me. Yeah, my hands were still twitching.
I focused. I had this. I magicked miracles and bonded couples faster than you could take a shot of spiced rum.
The board waited.
And waited.
My magic fizzled in the air, barely creating a spark. I dropped my hands to my sides. There was nothing there…
I’d glitched.
Chapter 6
Valerie
I was going toget fired in a tropical paradise, in front of a man who’d probably turn the day into a paid company holiday.
A bead of sweat slid down my spine. The board waited, Grant watched, and my life flashed before my eyes in a cliché montage accompanied by a sad trombone.
Then Grant shifted, his hand closing over my arm. Ice shot through me as if I'd fallen into a frozen lake, the shock stealing my breath. My magic flared hot in my veins, nerves prickling as heat collided with cold. It pooled in my chest, tingled down my fingertips, then spilled into the air with a shimmer that frosted before melting into steam.
At the bar, a cocktail glass rattled, sloshing neon liquid over the edge. The bartender grabbed for it at the exact moment the lifeguard did, their hands meeting. Neither moved. They just stood there, still touching, sharing a look that seemed to slow time.
A warm gust swept through the pavilion, shaking loose a shower of hibiscus petals from an arrangement overhead. They swirled lazily through the air, settling in her hair like giant snowflakes. The bartender’s mouth curved. Slowly, he pluckedone petal free, his knuckles grazing her temple before tucking a stray strand behind her ear. She smiled softly, then laughed at whatever he said next.
When he handed her his phone, she hesitated just long enough to make the board lean in. Then she tapped the screen, handed it back, and flushed pink all the way to her ears.
“That was wonderful,” my boss breathed, pressing a hand against her heart. “This is why Valerie will make an exceptional member of the new team you’re putting together. I’ll hate to lose her, but she’s destined for bigger things.”
My lips trembled, and I pressed them firm. I was rattled. No, I was way beyond that. Grant’s touch still sent icy coils up my arm, my own heat rushing to meet it, sparking and blending until it felttoogood. I couldn’t fake that. Even as I faked a smile for the board, the edges brittle.
And that was the problem.
His magic. His touch had come to the rescue, and it just proved every smug thought Grant Delaney had ever had about me. That I was all glitter and no substance. That my perfection wasn’t cultivated, but filled with cracks. That I was one bad match away from crashing out. How was I supposed to solve the hardest cases when I couldn’t even cast a spell on an easy one?
