“I’m good,” Cece said. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“You as well.” Garth gave Briggs a grin. “Briggs.”
“Garth.” Briggs kept his voice civil but couldn’t manage a smile.
Garth, Davis, and Fenton left the office as Ronin leaned against the reception desk. “Hey, girl.”
“Hi, Ronin,” Cece said. “Did you have the protection spell done?”
“Good to go,” Ronin said with a grin.
“Monroe got here a little early, so Mal got him started on the others,” Willow said. “He decided to have protection spells put on everyone in the firm.”
“Really?” Cece said.
Willow nodded. “Yeah, he figured why not. Monroe says the spell will last a year as long as we’re not, like, attacked by a witch, and if our employees have protection spells, it’s just another service we can offer to clients who need help with witches or warlocks, right?”
“Right,” Cece said. “Did he do one on you?”
Willow nodded. “Sure did. He had to modify it to protect both the baby and me.”
“Good, that’s good,” Cece said.
Briggs could smell her relief, and when he gave her a questioning look, Cece said, “If he knows that he has to modify a protection spell for a pregnant woman, then he’s at least competent.”
“He seemed great to me,” Willow said. “Nice guy and cute. Also single.”
Ronin laughed. “It was one of the first questions she asked him.”
“Hey, I like to look out for my single friends. Maybe he and Cece will hit it off and -”
Briggs’s growl cut her off, and Ronin laughed again. “Now you did it, Will.”
“What did I say?” Willow asked.
Mal stuck his head out of the boardroom. “We’re ready for you and Briggs, Cece. Tori, can you stick around until I’m done?”
Briggs and Cece headed into the boardroom. Burned white candles and two unburned black candles sat on the boardroom table, and the room smelled of burnt herbs. A man with light brown hair and dark eyes stood near the table, and he gave them a friendly smile. He was on the taller side and lean with wire-rimmed glasses that he pushed up his nose as he studied Cece. His gaze lingered a bit too long on her, and neither Briggs nor his bear liked that one fucking bit.
He inhaled deeply, searching the warlock for any hint of attraction to Cece. His bear growled when he immediately caught the scent of the man’s interest in Cece, and Mal gave him a look.
“You good?” Mal asked.
“I am,” Briggs said.
Mal studied him, and then Cece, and sweat rolled down Briggs’s back.
You’re going to get us fucking fired, and then we won’t have any reason to be around Cece, Briggs snarled at his bear. For the last time, chill the fuck out.
His bear pouted but retreated, unnerved by the thought of not being with Cece.
“You must be Cecelia,” the man said.
“I am. You’re Monroe?”
“That’s right. And you’re having trouble with some of our kind.” He smiled at her.
“Yes,” she said.
