Magical Midlife Invasion (Leveling Up 3)

“Hysterical?”

“When they’re eaten, yeah. But honestly, he does have a point. Most animals would leave signs.”

“The animals in this area most likely to eat flowers like that are deer and rabbits, and they would absolutely leave prints or droppings. The fact that they haven’t does make me suspicious. This is Ivy House property, though. Because of Edgar’s faux pas, the house has stopped letting anyone hike through or roam around without my say-so.”

“Regardless, humans don’t eat flowers.”

“It might still be the basajaun. That’s the only thing that makes sense.”

I nodded. “I’ll ask Ivy House to wake me up if he comes onto the property. I can’t ask to be alerted when every deer or rabbit shows up, though. They’re all through the woods.”

“I’m sure you know this, but you can have her alert you for anything that’s not a standard animal.”

“I did know that, yes. I can also set a magical snare that won’t razor-punch someone.” I grinned as we reached the back door. “Too soon?”

Something occurred to me, and I stopped and turned toward him, my head much clearer after the brief walk and cool air.

His eyes still smoldered, and looking into them nearly undid my newly level head.

I swallowed, keeping myself in check. “Do you know if my dad saw you shift? Because if so, what the hell, right?”

A small crease worked between his brows. He dug his hands into his pockets and nonchalantly took a step back. “He must’ve. I wasn’t thinking clearly when I came in. I’d forgotten your parents were here. Sorry about that.”

I waved it away. Given the state he was in, that was entirely understandable. “What’s with the lack of reaction? How the hell could he ignore something like that?” I bit my lip. “Maybe he was studying the flowers and didn’t notice…”

“Maybe. It would be hard not to notice the light or feel the heat, though. Maybe he only looked up after I’d finished changing?”

I shrugged. That had to be it. There was no other explanation.

“It’s only day one.” I reached for the door.

He moved around me and got there first, pulling it open, but he didn’t rest his hand on the small of my back like he usually did. “Milady.”

I huffed out a laugh. For some reason, I liked when he called me that. It was stupid and silly, reminding me of the time of knights and ladies-in-waiting, but…well, there it was.

“Also, it’s day one-point-five,” he said, and waited for me to go through before following. “Don’t begrudge yourself that point five. You’ve earned it.”

Instead of turning right and heading into the kitchen, I hung a left, aiming for the closest entrance to the secret passageways.

“I’m going to get changed really quickly. Want to…” I paused, pointing at the door, not sure why I’d asked him up to my room after what had just happened.

He shrugged. “Sure.”

I continued to pause.

He grinned. “I’ll keep my hands to myself if you do.”

The breath gushed out of me and I laughed. He always made everything so easy. He had a talent for deflating or de-escalating situations that might end badly, including what had happened between us outside. I had been very slow in hitting those brakes. If he hadn’t backed off at the end, I wasn’t even sure I would’ve.

“Sounds good.” Within the secret passageway, I said, “Oh, did you want to shower?”

He didn’t answer for a moment, making me look back as I got to the door of my closet.

“Yeah, sure. I don’t have any fresh clothes, though. Or boxers.”

“If you lay your clothes down somewhere, Mr. Tom or my mom will bustle through and knock that out for you.”

“And we already know your dad’s views on going around naked. I wouldn’t even need to wait for them to be dry. I could just free-ball it through dinner.”

“Please don’t encourage him.” A wave of exhaustion hit me when I stepped into my room, and I found myself gravitating to the little table by the window. I sank down into one of the chairs, looking out the window at the dwindling day.

Austin took the other seat and crossed an ankle over a knee, looking out with me. “This is what you do at the end of a day, huh?”

“Yes. Often Mr. Tom will wander in with some snacks or something to drink, and then leave me to just sit here and gaze out. It’s a nice view.”

“It is. Peaceful. I have a view of woods from my bedroom. No hedge maze, though. My view is lacking for it.”

“I’m sure Edgar would build you one if you asked. Maybe plant you a ridiculous amount of flowers, too. I’d loan him out.”

“No, thank you.” The silence lengthened for a moment. Then he said, “One day, when your parents aren’t here and there’s nothing going on, we should come back here and enjoy the view, stress-free. Maybe with a glass of wine.”