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Still, there was a nice kick with my aji Amarillo hot peppers, and I’d made my hot sauce to add for the daring. I couldn’t use it, but good for those who had iron stomachs and numb tongues.
An arm snagged behind me as I pulled up the back of the group to leave the garage. The body was big and muscular and one I knew, so I didn’t freak out, but then I was annoyed, so I was about to pull away as he started nuzzling my neck.
“Don’t make dates with them,” he practically begged. “Don’t let them touch you anymore. Let me. Make dates with me, cinnamon. Don’t let them have you. Let me. All I want is to be inside of you.”
Rage flared in me as I elbowed him as hard as I could and he let me go. I shot him a hurt look over my shoulder I couldn’t swallow down. I managed to keep my voice down, but that was it, and that was hard enough since I wanted to scream at him.
“Now you care? Now you fucking want me because others do? I’ve done everything short of climbing on your cock in your sleep to offer myself to you. And all you did was push it back or tell me we’d talk later like I don’t fucking matter and could so easily be brushed aside.” I sniffled and looked away. “Fuck you, Finn. Maybe I’ll just let a whole group of them fuck me since you didn’t want me for real.”
Fuck him, he wasn’t going to make me cry at my own damn party. I stormed off, making sure I cooled it before I reached the party again, but I did grab another glass of wine which probably wasn’t smart, so I did nurse it.
I didn’t like having booze with high school kids working the party, but I’d made it damn clear that if any of them got into it I would not only fire them but tell their parents and call the cops.
I’d never seen so many faces lose color so fast. Yeah, I gave good threats and I kept them, so it was good they knew that already.
JR—the owner of a popular steakhouse who I’d been talking with earlier—found me and smiled. “You’re a hit.”
“We’ll see,” I sighed, moving my wine glass in front of my mouth in case anyone was paying attention. “Some seem to be here just to pee on me so no one else gets me. Leaves a woman a bit miffed.” I swallowed down how that pertained to my personal life at the moment.
“Well, I just like talking to you about your love of cooking and good cuisine. I’m not even sure how I could use your awesome jams, but maybe if we had a sampling of my menu Friday, you could find some ways? With a nice bottle of wine? I wanted to ask if you know an in with this vineyard.”
“I do and—”
“We have that thing Friday already,” Finn said from behind me.
I swallowed down my shock in time at what he’d said but jumped like he startled me. I gave him a death look to back off, but he was glancing out at the party like he knew he might turn to ash if he met my gaze.
“Right, I’d forgotten about that.”
“Maybe another time,” JR muttered, glancing at Finn. “He works for you?”
“He manages my greenhouses.”
He gave me a curious look. “He’s a bit young, isn’t he?”
I shrugged. “Maybe, but he’s dedicated to the job and is good at motivating the worker bees since he’s not a dry, old manager type.” I wasn’t sure what else to say, but I wasn’t going to keep flirting with Finn right there. “Finn, get JR’s card and we’ll get it to Tallulah’s distribution person.”
“Of course.”
I excused myself and moved to another group… Only to find Finn there moments later, and the shit did everything he could to cock block me. Hell, I was very sure he shot someone a death look for just coming to talk to me.
“This party was amazing,” Sarah praised. “That dress is killer.”
“I took a chance and I think it fit in,” I agreed, giving her a half hug.
“This is my husband, Peter. Peter, this is Adrena, the genius behind the jams and letting me snag juice from her.”
I didn’t extend my hand after meeting his gaze because he was not a man I wanted touching me. I almost used my power to see his aura, but Thora’s teaching echoed in my mind that sometimes that was all it took to out a witch in a group, so I went with a nod and focused on Sarah.
“Hey, you’ve been picking the fruit and helping me out at the farmers market. It’s the least I could do.”
“I’ve been enjoying it. Not much longer as it’s going to be too hot and I melt,” she teased, but I heard her, assuring her some college students would take over soon.
“Sarah says she doesn’t know how you make your jams work so well, but I figured you would tell a friend,” Peter said, his voice off, and I reminded myself not to snap.
“I find real friends don’taskas she didn’t, and I’ve never asked my other friends’ business secrets.”
“Right, but how do you do it and affect emotions? You have to tell people that then.”
