Nia let out a breathless sigh, rolling her hips again, teasing him until he groaned and gripped her firmly, stilling her movements. The overstimulation made him shudder, and she seemed to relish it, her smile soft and satisfied.
Their gazes met, and for a moment, the world seemed to fade, leaving only the quiet intimacy between them. Soft smiles lingered as the aftershocks ebbed, heat and tension giving way to hazy warmth.
A sharp knock shattered the moment.
Rap-rap-rap.
A harsh flashlight beam cut through the fogged windows, cutting through the moment of intimacy like a blade.
“Park Ranger,” a gruff voice called through the darkness. “You can’t park here.”
Nia’s wide eyes darted to Lochlan’s as her lips curved into a mischievous smile. A laugh bubbled from her as she turned to the fogged glass, drawing a quick rune with her fingertip. She whispered softly, her voice lilting with magic:
“Away you go, nothing to see,
Turn your back and let us be.”
The rune glowed faintly, its light casting soft shadows across the truck’s interior. Outside, the ranger’s silhouette hesitated, his flashlight beam hovering uncertainly. Then he turned, his steps slow but steady as he wandered off into the shadows, the flashlight bobbing until it disappeared completely.
A glint of triumph in her eyes, Nia turned back to Lochlan and kissed him lightly, her lips lingering just long enough to tease. “We should go. Someone else might find us.”
“I need to get you home,” Lochlan said, his voice gentler now. “You haven’t eaten, and you used a lot of magic tonight.”
Her smirk softened, but something flickered across her face—brief but unmistakable. She looked down at her lap, her fingers toying with the hem of her skirt.
“Someone could have been hurt,” she said quietly. “You could have been hurt.”
The contrast between her words and the moment they’d just shared struck Lochlan like a fist to his chest. Her pain was palpable, and he couldn’t let it sit there.
Lochlan reached out, brushing her hair gently away from her face. “It was an accident,” he said softly. “And supernaturals heal fast.”
Her head shot up, eyes wide with worry, a deep crease etched between her brows.
“At least you made the night exciting. They probably would’ve preferred a flower attack over our original plan.”
Nia’s lips twitched, then she rolled her eyes, her worry seeming to ease slightly. “Seeing you naked would have been far better,” she muttered.
“There’s always next time,” he said lightly. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”
Something in her expression softened, the tension in her shoulders ebbing. “Yes, love,” she teased, warmth threading through her voice as she tossed his own endearment back at him. The word settled over him like a spell, quiet and powerful.
Love.
He held on to that possibility all the way home. As he made her chicken Alfredo with pasta and warm bread and tucked her into bed, the memory of her voice wrapped around him like magic, a wicked hope whispering of forever.
CHAPTER 25
Lochlan
“ALL FUTURE MOON CELEBRATIONS CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.” —THE VIDET
Lochlan had been unusually productive that morning. He’d finished restoring another diary, wrapped up a project for New Chapter, and had nearly forgotten to stop for lunch. He credited Nia for that. After her sweet kiss before she left, everything just seemed… easier. The air felt lighter, the world brighter, and the tedious work of mending old bindings oddly satisfying.
Even the diaries and their daunting weight didn’t seem so heavy today. Not while her kiss still lingered on his lips.
The only thing throwing him off was the color green—not ideal, considering his house was practically a forest. She’d been wearing a pale green wrap dress when she’d kissed him, and now he couldn’t stop thinking about how the fabric had brushed against him, light and teasing. Now, without work to keep his mind occupied, his thoughts looped back to her.
He stood at the counter, cookies baking in the oven behind him, as he stared blankly at the lettuce meant for his sandwich. He had no idea how long he’d been standing there, motionless, holding the leafy green in one hand.
