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I huff out a laugh. “She and I are equals, actually. It’s only in the coven that she’s ahead of me.”

“Close enough.” She slides into my desk as if she owns it, wheeling around in the chair and opening the folder containing the seating chart. “For now, I’m just a volunteer, so… let’s get back to work, boss.”

I swallow thickly. “Don’t.”

“Sir.” She wets her lips and lifts her eyebrows.

This is exactly why she can’t work for me. This is temporary.

It’s clearer than ever that Aurora is trying to push my buttons, but maybe in a completely new way, and gods, it’s working more than ever. My pants tighten—again—and I inhale, slow and shaky through my nose.

“You don’t want to call me that,” I whisper.

“Why?” She leans in, challenging as ever. “Does it make you hard?”

“No.”

I’m a damn liar, and I’ll definitely be thinking about her teasing when I’m finally alone tonight. Our time together, just one time and so long ago, still gives me plenty of other things to think about… and it doesn’t seem like she would mind if she knew.

That doesn’t mean I feel any better about her being the object of my fantasies. She’s been a thorn in my side for weeks now. Why am I thinking about her like this?

Maybe it would help to get her on her knees, punish her throat, fuck the brat out of her⁠—

No, no. What am I thinking? Completely unprofessional.

“Too bad.” She flips the pencil over and erases a name, her attention switching swiftly. “I’ll have to keep trying.”

“Good luck.” I clear my throat and turn around. A moment alone. A walk. Fresh air. “I’m going down the street to get a coffee. Do you want anything?”

“Almond cream cold brew?”

“You got it.”

It’s a useless question, really.

I already know her coffee order.

Seth, the local barista, greets me when I enter the café. He’s an attractive, athletic man, and non-magical, but his marriage to a witch named Rowan Hawthorne gives him a strong tie to our community.

“G’morning!” he says, pausing to look at his watch. “Or afternoon. Oops. I had the opening shift today.”

I lift one of my eyebrows. “Then where’s Farrah to relieve you?”

“Should be here any minute. I’ll have to take care of you in the meantime. Black hot coffee?”

“Yes, and…” I clear my throat. “Aurora’s order. Do you know it already?”

He cocks his head. “Nope. I think Farrah usually takes care of her. You’ll have to remind me.”

“Light roast cold brew with almond cream. Light ice.”

She complained the one time I forgot the light ice, even though she constantly forgets to remind me about it. In her mind, heavy ice means she’s getting less coffee. I haven’t bothered explaining why that’s wrong, and I suppose it doesn’t matter.

“I’ll remember next time,” he says. “Speaking of Aurora… I’ve heard you’re doing some kind of star magic at the harvest fest. That true?”

“Yes. Or rather, Aurora is the one doing the magic.”

“Cool.” He pours the cold brew into one cup and my hot coffee into another. “You know, if you need another astro witch, Rowan would probably love to help.”