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“Shifters usually don’t do perfumed soaps,” he noted, being an ass because, well, that was just his default state. “The scents can mess with our noses.”
“Oh, I know.”
“You know?”
“I get all kinds of customers at my shop. Mainly humans, and a couple of witches who are like me, not bothering with Coventry, but I get enough curious shifters in here that I thought I should have something to sell them. Soaps infused with essential oils, laced with a scent-reducer potion. A perfect gift for a shifter.”
He was impressed by her ingenuity as well as her business sense, knowing her customers—even if she’d just admitted that she used a little witchcraft in her products despite not being a practicing witch.
Still, she said gift again. It wasn’t exactly the easiest way to lead the conversation toward the surprise in his pocket. Oh, well. He needed to hurry. If she brought up Ralph again, he wasn’t sure his wolf could take it.
“Speaking of Coventry, I’ve got a question for you. I know you’re not part of the coven—”
She sighed. “I’m still a witch, though, Colton.”
He knew that. And hell if that wasn’t the biggest hurdle he’d had to overcome to get to this point. “I know. And that’s why I was wondering… you like diamonds, Shea?”
“As much as the next girl, I guess,” she said carefully. “Why do you ask?”
Colt had to work to keep a satisfied grin from curling his lips. That was too careful. She might not use the diamonds the same way another witch would, but that didn’t mean she didn’t understand the value of the gem.
Witches adored the shiny rocks. It was a fact of Para life. Shifters constantly battled with their beasts, corpses needed the blood they were missing since they were, you know, dead, and witches all hoarded diamonds.
Even witches who didn’t practice witchcraft had a weakness for them.
Slipping his hand in his pocket to grab it, he held the uncut gem out to Shea.
She didn’t take it.
“What’s that for?”
“It’s for you,” he grunted, taking her hand gently, cupping her palm so that it was a makeshift bowl and dropping the one-carat diamond into it. “A gift for my mate.”
Her fingers closed around the diamond so that it didn’t fall. “You said that we weren’t mates. You’ve been telling me that for months.”
“And?” Colt crossed his arms over his chest. “I changed my mind.”
Shea placed the diamond on her shiny back countertop before perching her hands on her hips. “And I’m supposed to… what? Swoon? Is that what you expect me to do?”
He could still remember the feel of her in his arms. The taste of her on his lips. Her woodsy scent wrapping around his senses, imprinting on his soul.
It might’ve taken him longer than it should have to accept it, but now that he had?
There was no going back.
His cock was already rock hard. If he didn’t stop torturing himself with the memory of that one kiss and the deliciousness of her true scent, he was going to explode in his jeans.
In an instant, looking at the dare written in her purple eyes, he decided it would be worth it.
“You can kiss me,” he said boldly.
She pursed her lips before shaking her head. “That’s okay. I’m good.”
* * *
She stunned him.
Huh. Shea hadn’t even known that that was possible. Her arrogant, handsome wolf looked so shocked at her refusal, it was all she could do to keep from tipping his open mouth closed with her finger.
