Page 4 of Christmas Magic

“In a good way, I hope.”

“The best way.” With his thumb, he stroked her jaw. “I will go up the ladder. I will hang the garland.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“But, first….” His mouth claimed hers.

Closing her eyes, she melted against his muscled body and kissed him back. Held in his strong arms, she’d never felt more safe. Cherished. Loved wholly and completely, as if they’d always been meant to be together, their souls entwined—

“Ugh. They’re at it again,” said a male voice with a British accent.

Molly’s eyes flew open.

Lucian reluctantly lifted his mouth from hers.

“Galahad,” Lucian muttered. “Last I saw, you were sound asleep on the Edwardian chair.”

Marching across the Aubusson carpet, the fluffy golden and yellow feline yowled: “I left my napping spot, concerned because I didn’t hear the sound of the tape. If I’d known you and Molly were just swapping saliva—”

“They are newly engaged,” said Rose, a gray Sherwood cat. Like Molly and Lucian’s other three female kitties, she had the breed’s mask-like marking around her eyes.

“Not that newly engaged.” Galahad growled. “It’s been a few months now.”

“You’re just jealous,” said the plump, ginger tabby following Rose.

Galahad snorted. “No, Marigold, I’m not.”

“Are too,” a calico said. “Grow up.”

“Ha! Funny. I can’t grow up. Remember, Petunia? Thanks to Agnes’s curse, I’ll be a teenage squire forever.”

“Curses are so unfair,” mewled Daisy, a golden and white feline.

“We understand your situation better than most, Galahad,” Rose meowed. “We’re reincarnated ourselves. Once, we were witches. Remember?”

Molly met Lucian’s gaze, and he matched her wry smile.

“As usual, our cats have plenty to say,” he murmured.

Still savoring the heady glow inside of her roused by his kisses, she rested the side of her face against his chest. “They do try to keep us out of trouble.”

“Yep.” Galahad sat on his haunches. “Someone has to.”

Lucian kissed the crown of her head. “Hey, you cats. Why don’t you go back to snoozing? We are grown-ups, engaged to be married. We don’t need chaperones.”

“Actually, you do,” the squire said.

Lucian growled. “No—”

“We don’t want another catastrophe. Have you forgotten how Molly became possessed? How the anomaly we detected in July became a Category Five threat? The battle involving Dealers of Darkness as well as super scary Agnes?” Galahad shuddered. “Never again.”

“Those were exceptional circumstances,” Molly soothed. “Things are different now. I have magic—”

The squire wailed as though she’d trodden on him. “We all saw the remains of the poor, unfortunate blinds.”

“We certainly did,” Rose meowed.

“Shattered wood. Mangled cords.” Galahad put a paw over his eyes. “Tragic.”