Chapter One
Renee wiped the counter down, smiling as she swayed her ass to ABBA as they told the story of Fernando. The warmth pressing against the windows and outer walls of the building brought a languid fluidity to her muscles. She envied Sam, the fat feline sprawled in his high perch, furry belly flopped to the side. It would have been an excellent day to simply lie in the sun and nap the hours away.
Wisps of light from the high casement windows played through the air, swirling down over her little juice and coffee bar, catching the crystals and other such stuff her stepmother had hung up all over the place. Dust motes danced to the hum of energy in the shop. More despite Susan than because of her.
The shop was a metaphysical bookstore and magick shop. Owned by a woman who did not believe in magic. The irony of that wasn't lost on Renee, but since she did believe in magic, the shop seemed to be fine with the current state of affairs. Each day she entered the shop she felt embraced by it, which made those not so welcome feelings from her stepmother slightly easier to bear.
Renee had chosen the space in a sunny archway inside The Willow Broom when she'd signed the lease. At first she'd decided to set up shop there because it would keep her in her father's life somehow. She'd at least have a regular opportunity to see him. Their relationship hadn't been strained, but it wasn't close either and she craved that.
But from the moment she'd walked in, the space had called to her. That alcove fed her energy each day. It kept her warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The light through the stained glass created colorful dances across the walls and over the floors and shelves. The shop was located on a busy street near the T stop so there'd been a steady stream of customers all day. No one bothered her about what to serve and when. She kept her own hours, loved the space and her customers. Best of all, the bar enabled her to pay her half of the mortgage rent and it kept her in shoes so what did she have to frown over?
She didn't even need to glance toward a clock to know it was time to leave for the day. Time to head home to Galen. She smiled as she pictured him changing out of his suit and into jeans and a threadbare T-shirt. Mmmm. All that gorgeous, lean, hard muscle laying flat against his body. He moved like the predator he was, quiet and purposeful, big brown/black eyes never failing to take in everything around him. But wrapped in a most charming and stylish package. Sexy and totally focused on her. To be cherished and adored by a man like Galen was one of life's greatest gifts. She had no idea how she'd lucked out, but she planned to keep him forever.
"I'm out of here," she called out after she'd put away her cleaning supplies. The pale green scarf Galen had given Renee for her birthday was soft and cool against her neck as she wrapped it a few times before pulling her cardigan on. The air outside wasn't cold yet, but it had a bite and the sun would be going down soon.
She neared the front door and slowed, pausing to look around slowly. It wasn't time to leave yet. Just...wait. The decks of tarot cards on the nearby display beckoned and she fondled them. So pretty and colorful. The shop smelled of rosemary and sage, of amber and magic. Briefly she wished Susan could see just how special the shop was, but at that point, Renee knew it was a lost cause. Ah well, she could enjoy it just as easily.
Her phone rang and she smiled, relaxing as she picked up. "Hello there, handsome. I'm getting ready to leave now."
The sound of his voice was like caramel, thick and sweet. "Evening to you, babe. Just calling to check in. I brought some dinner home from the deli."
"Yum. I'm good, just leaving now. I'll be home in about ten minutes. I love you."
"See you in ten. I love you too."
She was still smiling as she got outside while she fumbled to tuck her phone back into her bag. She hadn't even noticed where she'd been going until she ran straight into someone a few steps up the street.
"I'm sorry." She bent to help him pick up the things he'd dropped, oranges, apples and fresh bread. "These look good. Mrs. Unger has the nicest produce." She finally looked up as they both stood and everything just sort of stopped as pale blue eyes met hers. And saw straight to her bones.
Her knees went a little weak at the energy between them. Wow. So not her usual type, it was as if a Southern California surfer boy simply appeared before her eyes. Olive-toned skin, golden-blond hair, just a tad too long, an open, assessing gaze and from what she could tell with the clothes he had on, an athlete's build too.
A breeze brought it, the scent of forest and loam. She breathed deep, turning the notes of the music the smells made over on her tongue, in her brain. Sometimes Renee experienced things differently than most people and right then, this blond man had flipped every switch in her brain and body. Just looking at him and smelling his skin threatened overload and still she could not get enough. The sharpness of it, the total unexpected edge of desire she felt in her gut alarmed her even as she tasted the rich and heady flavor and craved more.
But at the back of her mind she knew this was not okay. She pulled herself back from that edge and shook her head a bit.
He reached out and touched her arm, just quickly. And yet she felt the echo of it even after he'd moved his hand away.
"Are you all right?"
What a voice. Lazy, redolent with sex, deep.
Hopefully he didn't hear the slight breathy quality of her reply. "I'm fine. Your apples might be bruised."
A puzzled look skirted over his features briefly until he smiled. Big white teeth, pale blue eyes, that hair. Renee took a step back to try and break the connection forming between them, but he took a step forward.
"I'm Jack Meyers." He held out his hand and she took it. Instead of shaking it, he turned her wrist, bending to press a kiss just there, his lips against her pulse.
He straightened slowly and she practically yanked her hand from his grasp, even as his gaze held her still. Those golden threads of connection she'd felt just moments before were back.
"I really need to get home. I'm glad you're okay." Her smile was too bright, she knew. Too false and cheery. But he did something to her insides. Her insides belonged to someone else, thankyouverymuch.
"Wait." He took her hand again and she didn't want him to let go, which startled her into doing just that. This was not okay.
"I need to go. It was nice to meet you."
"Have dinner with me." She tugged and he let her hand go, but she saw his features, knew he didn't want to. "Candlelight, wine, and a few slow dances."
Something inside her liked that, responded to the idea and that scared her. She loved Galen. He was her man and she wasn't supposed to get all tingly and breathless about anyone else. She was being stupid and it was time to simply walk away right then. "Thanks for asking, Jack. I'm flattered, really. But I can't. I'm with someone. Really with someone. I don't have dinner with anyone but him."
That was the truth, or as simple as she could make it anyway.
She took one step, and then another, letting the threads of connection between them pull and snap, feeling her connection to Galen right where it should be. "Night." She raised a hand to wave and turned away from him, toward home where she belonged. Once she'd done that everything felt better and she relaxed.
"Hey!" he called out and she kept walking, but turned her head. "You never said what your name was."
"I guess I didn't. Night, Jack." She grinned and turned away again.
