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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Lucy

Heart hammering, Lucy untangled herself from Grayson and ran to answer the phone.

“Hello?” she asked, breathless. Her head was spinning. She looked back at Grayson. He looked so put together in his maroon sweater and black trousers, buttoned up in a white shirt and tie. But his expression looked as dazed as she felt.

“Lu! You’re still there, good.” It was Charles.

“Why?” She focused on his voice and not the blood pounding in her veins. “What happened?”

Grayson came over, and she held the phone between them so he could hear. He brought his head down so their cheeks were flush, separated only by the phone, which didn’t help her heart rate in the slightest. Charles laughed.

“Look outside, sweetheart,” he said.

Lucy and Grayson turned to the windows.

“Oh.”

There was a snowstorm raging outside, three times worse than it had been when Charles had left, and neither of them had noticed how bad it had gotten. The street was already covered.

“I was just watching the news,” Charles continued. “All the roads are closed, so you kids stay there tonight. Don’t try driving, all right? It isn’t safe.”

“Okay,” Lucy squeaked.

“And stay warm!” Charles said. “Night night.”

He hung up. Lucy blinked. She turned to Grayson.

“You’re a witch,” Grayson said. “Can’t you do something?”

“I’m not that powerful,” she said. The snow was seriously coming down. “Trying to drive in this is just a bad idea. Why … Do you want to try going?”

She was secretly delighted to be stuck in the store with him, but not if he didn’t want to be here. He had been so close to kissing her, and her body still pulsated from the sensation of his lips so tantalizingly close to hers.

“No, you’re right,” Grayson said, face turning pink. He cleared his throat. “It’s better if we stay.”

“Right. Absolutely.”

She suddenly felt very hot. She seriously wanted to kiss him. Just once! Which did not mean she liked him. It was just a physical urge because he was gorgeous, and they had spent so much time together lately.

In all her years, no one had ever gotten close to her heart, and as a result, she had never been heartbroken. She kept herself safe.

“So we’ll stay,” Grayson said, swallowing. “Might as well get comfortable.”

He headed toward the fireplace, grabbing some wood from the side and placing it inside atop the burnt-out coals. He struck a match against the starter log, which lit quickly and began lighting the rest of the wood. The logs glowed bright as they caught aflame.

Lucy grabbed a blanket from the lounge chair and spread it on the floor in front of the fire, between the two chairs. She sat down, crossing her legs, and Grayson sat down next to her, leaning against the chair opposite her.

“It’s as good a place as any to be stuck,” she said, looking around. She took in the sight of the quiet bookstore, the shelves of endless books, and the snow falling outside their windows in the lit-up, silent town. The fire crackled, warming her cold hands.

“The company isn’t too bad, either,” he added, staring at her.

Her pulse scattered, and she looked away. From the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw him smile to himself.

She glanced back at him, but he was gazing at the fire now, face golden from the flames. He crossed his arms, biceps flexing. She wanted to take a bite out of him.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, sticking his hand into his pocket. “I’ve got something for you.”