He shook his head, a tiny movement that I barely noticed. It was the snap of his magic that had me clicking my teeth shut without meaning to, feeling the command of his power, his presence. I couldn’t remember him doing that to me before.
He grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to use my magic just then. I haven’t quite mastered controlling my magic around you when it compels me to assert…” He let the thought drift away.
“Your dominance?” I narrowed my eyes. “Not cool, man. I don’t want to be ruled any more than you do. One day I might accidentally react negatively to that silent command, and you won’t be pleased with the result. Or will you disown me when I have more power than you?”
“You already have more power than me. I can feel it brimming within you, which is why my magic tries to react. It’s muscle memory.”
“I mean, when I know how to use more power than you.”
“My ego isn’t fragile, Jacinta. I don’t give a damn how much power you have.” He paused for a moment, staring at me. I swallowed, not ready for his sudden intensity. “I know that you might accidentally react with magic, which is why I’m trying to train myself. I don’t want to set you off when you’re not sure what you’re doing. I felt that…summons earlier. That’s what Niamh called it, anyway. Not the one from Ivy House, which I also felt, but the one from you. I would’ve texted to see if you were okay, but it didn’t feel like it was meant for me…”
“Yeah, that was more unconscious magic. I was gearing up to fall to my death, apparently with the possibility of being run through by Niamh’s horn and then smooshing Edgar, when I felt that happen. I thought the house had done it. Mr. Tom is annoyed with me for calling in help, did Niamh tell you? His list of grievances is growing. He’s also upset that I’m dating Dicks. The guy is not super pleased about my life choices at the moment, I’ll say that much.”
Austin grinned, and then his humor drained away. “Listen, Jess, I will continue to ignore Ivy House. I did not agree to work for it, so I won’t come at its beck and call. If you need help, though—if you call me—I will be there, okay? All you have to do is ask.”
“I know,” I murmured, warm inside. “I didn’t bother you because I didn’t think you’d be much help with the whole flying thing. Though…you’d certainly be better at catching me than Edgar.”
Austin’s brow quirked. “I thought you were jumping from up high?”
“Yeah. Third floor. Edgar thought he’d be able to save the day if my wings didn’t show.”
“But…” He paused with a semi-open mouth and a confused expression. Whatever question he had, though, dissolved, and he shook his head. I agreed—no words.
“Anyway,” he said, “I’ll try to walk on eggshells until you’ve got your bag of tricks under control.”
“And after?”
“After you have complete control?” A smug grin pulled at his lips and his blue eyes glittered. “I won’t pull any punches. We’ll see who comes out on top.”
Excitement sparked deep within me, coursing through my blood. That was a challenge if ever I’d heard one. He didn’t want to be ruled, I didn’t want to be ruled, but trying to rule each other?
“You’re on,” I said with a grin to match his. “Say goodbye to your king-of-the-mountain status. It’s time for a queen around these parts.”
He huffed out a laugh. “We’ll see. Anyway, we can talk about how I’ll dominate you later…”
A flash of unfettered heat stole my breath. I looked away, not ready for it.
Most of the time, I liked being in the friend zone with Austin. He had his hang-ups, and I had mine. He wanted to live a solitary life, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself with the hot local bar owner that I would see all the time. Both of us needed a good friend—a close friend that we could be open with—and we’d each found that person in each other.
Sometimes, though, his hotness blasted through all my defenses and seared me alive. He would be a wild ride. A wild, scorching-hot, sweaty-sheeted, delicious-bodied ride…
“You okay?” he asked.
I fanned my face. “Yep. Just nervous about my date. Is he here, do you know?”
His glance down the bar said it all. He pushed away, grinning, and moved to help someone.
“Crap,” I muttered, checking my watch again. Now five minutes late. Time to officially show up.
I tapped the bar with my nails and thought about pulling a runner. Mr. Tom was right. Me and this guy would never work—I was now magical and he was not. Our worlds were different, and that would never change.