Kinsley finally caught Remy looking at her and put on a fake smile. “I need to get to the bar for my shift,” she said.
Remy hurried to her and hugged her tight. “Thanks again for everything. I love you.”
“Would you stop thanking me? Jeez.” Kinsley hugged her back, then leaned away and grinned. “Love you too, babe.” She gave Peyton and Boone a wave, then strode off toward Whiskey Blues two doors down.
“I’ve got to get into work to finish up some paperwork,” Asher said, drawing Remy’s attention back to him. He glanced at Boone and they had a silent man-talk.
Boone smiled and then glanced at Remy. “We best be on our way too. We’ll be here bright and early to help out all day tomorrow.”
Remy hugged Boone first, then when she hugged Peyton, she said, “You’ve been so awesome through all this. And thanks again for forgiving me for getting paint on that shirt. I’m still not sure I’ll ever forgive myself.”
Peyton laughed. “Oh, it’s fine. It’s just a blouse. We’ll see you in the morning.”
With them on their way, Peyton waved at Boone as she entered her lingerie shop, and he continued on to the police station. Remy turned back to Asher, but he had already gotten close again. Too close. Dangerously close.
“You’ve eaten as much food as I have today, which is barely anything,” he said, staring at her mouth before meeting her eyes again. “Want to grab dinner later?”
“Ah….” She flipped her hair, her scalp prickling.
He laughed softly. “A ‘no’ will suffice if you’re not interested.”
God, sometimes being around cops sucked. They knew body language too damn well. “I just…” Time felt like it slowed down. “I don’t trust myself with you.”
There, she said it.
“Well, we’ll have to change that, won’t we?” Then he leaned in and pressed a light kiss to her cheek, like he belonged there.
But her heart promptly reminded her that Asher had a terrible habit of breaking it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”
She nodded. “See ya.”
He gave that knee-wobbling smile before striding away, looking like a god in his jeans and leather jacket. She sighed and went into the shop. She glanced around at the bookshelves full of all her nana’s creams and bath salts and incense, just everything that Nana had created over the years.
Remy smiled, seeing Nana in all this, and feeling good about everything.
She moved to clean the paintbrushes in the back sink when her front door opened. A good-looking man, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties, entered, dressed in a fine navy-blue tailored suit. His brown eyes held a certain hardness she found unsettling. “I’m sorry, but the grand opening isn’t until tomorrow,” she said. “Store’s closed, I’m afraid.”
“I’m not here for the grand opening,” he said, shutting the door tightly behind him.
Something about his demeanor screamed trouble. He moved slowly, like nothing could get through him. He watched her carefully, almost like he knew her. His gaze scanned the room quickly before returning to her. “You’re a witch? You’ve got magic?”
“I don’t personally have magic,” she explained, annoyed that this guy was so ballsy not to leave when she asked him to. “But I know a thing or two.”
“Interesting.” He moved near the bookshelves that held all the small jars of teas. Each one had her logo matching her sign outside on the circular sticker, along with the type of tea blend. “A protection tea, huh?” He lifted up the jar and examined the contents, giving it a grin.
Not a nice grin. A scary grin that made the hairs on the back of her neck rise. “I really think you should leave now.” She moved toward the door.
He caught her by the arm, his fingers tightening just enough to let her know he could overpower her easily. “We need to talk.”
She jerked her arm away and took a step back. “I don’t even know you. Get out. Now!”
“Ah, but I know your fiancé,” he said. “Damon Lane.”
She felt like ice had been poured over her, all the heat leaving her body. “He’s no longer my fiancé. He’s been arrested.”
“Yeah, I heard that,” the man said, finally letting her go and looking her directly in the eye. “Wanted to come see for myself.”