Cricket (Cricket Kendall Book 1), page 5
He smirks at me over the cup and drinks it quickly without ever letting his eyes leave mine. When he finishes, he licks his lips ridiculously and grins at me.
I can’t help laughing. “I’m serious.”
He blinks innocently. “I never said you weren’t.” He gives me a wolfish grin and adds, “But, you know, if you ever change your mind...”
I snort, but I really don’t find it all that funny. I bite my lip and avert my eyes from his self-consciously. Maybe I’m just crazy, and he didn’t feel the same connection between my magic and his.
“Hey, I’m sorry. I’m just teasing. I won’t do it again.” Theo moves to stand right in front of me. He bends down slightly and holds his hand close to my face, hesitating to touch me while he tries to get me to look at him.
I slowly raise my head to meet his eyes, but I’m still biting my lip, feeling embarrassed. “I just thought after today, in the woods and everything, I thought we could be friends.”
Theo laughs in surprise. “Are you kidding me? Didn’t you feel it earlier?” He doesn’t wait long enough for me to answer before continuing, “It was like our magic intertwined or something. I’ve never felt anything like that before. We’re not going to be just friends. We’re more than that already. I already consider you one of my best fucking friends in the world, and that’s after only one day!”
He sounds so genuine, and I instinctively trust every word out of his mouth. A huge, cheesy smile forms on my face, and I feel happy tears forming in the corners of my eyes. I’m afraid it might freak Theo out if I suddenly burst into tears, but he just smiles back at me warmly.
I stick my pinky out to hold it up between us and whisper, “Best friends, then?”
He scrunches his nose and grins, and he twines my pinkie with his. “Best friends.”
Chapter Seven
“What are you laughing at?”
I look up from my phone to grin at Luca. “Just talking to the twins.”
Luca shakes his head and smiles in amusement before turning away to continue working on a display for some new releases. Aurora technically took the day off today, so Luca’s the only one working. When Theo texted me earlier letting me know he wouldn’t be able to hang out until later this afternoon, I spent a few hours with Aurora in her workshop this morning. She kept her promise and taught me some healing spells. I’m feeling drained from using so much energy while practicing, but I can’t wait to show Theo what I learned.
My phone vibrates with another text from Killian. How the fuck is he holding Stella?
I snicker and text back a bullshit response. I’d literally just posted a picture of me and Theo on Instagram a few minutes ago, and the twins started blowing up my phone. They’re so nosy.
“How’s Emerson doing, anyway?” Luca asks without looking up from his task.
“He’s in beast mode. I’m sure you know how he gets.” I shrug. Em is crazy about Luca, so I’m not about to tell him that Em’s texting me saying how hot Theo is and calling me an idiot for not sleeping with him yet. “Now that he’s training for hockey season, all he does is work out and talk about working out.”
“Tell me about it.” Luca laughs quietly.
I still haven’t spent much time with Luca, but I can already see why Em likes him so much. Luca is sweet and quiet, and he’s super fucking adorable. He’s shorter than the twins are by quite a few inches, and he has sandy blonde hair, glasses, and a full sleeve of tattoos on his right arm. He’s been working at the shop with Aurora for the past three years, since he graduated high school, and he knows all about us being witches.
If you haven’t slept with him yet, there’s no way he’s straight.
I roll my eyes at Em’s text and shove my phone in my pocket. Normally, I tell the twins everything. For some reason, though, I don’t want them to know about Theo being a werewolf yet. It’s not my secret to tell, and the bond I’ve formed with Theo feels special and sacred. It can’t hurt to keep this to myself for just a little while.
“So, are you hanging out with Theo again today?” Luca asks, his voice carrying a hint of teasing.
“Yeah.” I giggle. Theo and I have spent every day this week together. “He’s picking me up in an hour.”
He originally planned on coming over first thing this morning, like he’s done every day since we first hung out. But Hollis and Cas supposedly bullied him into hanging out with them instead. I told Theo I don’t mind, and I’m still dying to meet his friends. I don’t get why Theo’s still so hesitant to introduce us.
“You guys are cute,” Luca says. He turns his head to face me and opens his mouth like he’s going to say something else, but he furrows his eyebrows and pulls his phone out of his pocket. He sighs and gestures to his phone as he walks toward the back of the shop. “Give me a second, I need to take this.”
While I wait for Luca to return, I lean across the front counter and scratch Stella’s head. She’s been sleeping next to the cash register for the past couple of hours. She purrs and stretches out when I touch her.
“Lazy brat.” I snicker, brushing my fingers through her soft fur. She only purrs louder at my teasing.
Stella’s always been super particular about everything, and she gets annoyed easily. I love her to death, but I was really worried the move to Colorado would be hard on her. I’m so relieved that she feels relaxed and happy here, and I’m still amazed that she likes Theo as much as she does.
“Hey, Cricket?” Luca calls. I look up and raise my eyebrows as he walks into the front area of the shop. I frown at the guilty look on his face, and he asks, “I really hate to ask, but is there any way you could do me a favor?”
“Of course.” Whatever it is, it must be serious. Luca looks so concerned.
“My grandma’s car won’t start, and she’s worried she’s going to be late for her knitting club. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I need to go pick her up and drop her off at her friend’s house really quick.” He sighs and rubs his hand on the back of his neck. “Do you mind watching the store while I’m gone?”
I knew Luca lived with his grandmother, and that he helps her out when he can. It’s absolutely the sweetest thing ever, and I smile genuinely as I nod. “I don’t mind at all! Aurora showed me how to use the register.”
He breathes out a sigh of relief and smiles. “Thank you! I swear I won’t be long.”
The shop has been slow all afternoon anyway, so I’m really not worried. Even if Theo gets here before Luca’s back, I know he won’t mind waiting with me. Besides, Aurora should be back pretty soon too. After she and I finished my lessons this morning, she left to go pick up a few rare plants from a nursery about an hour away.
Luca thanks me again and hastily leaves through the front door of the shop.
As soon as Stella and I are alone in the shop, I lean back against the counter and sigh as I pull my phone out again. I have a couple of unread texts from the twins, and a few new comments on Instagram. I scroll through my feed, but I’m bored after just a few minutes.
I want to text Theo, but I don’t want to bother him while he’s with his friends. I seriously don’t want to come across as needy, and it’s embarrassing how much I miss him already. I’d like to meet more people around here and try to make more friends, just so I’m not constantly hounding Theo to hang out with me. Paisley’s the only other person I’ve met my age, and she doesn’t seem very interested in being friends.
Granted, I haven’t been around much this week to get to know her any better. Maybe I need to make more of an effort.
“I’m bored.” I shove my phone back into the pocket of my dress.
Stella stretches her toes out and yawns. Other than that minimal reaction to my whining, she doesn’t show me any more attention before she curls up to go back to sleep. My gaze wanders around the shop while I look for something to amuse myself with. Everything is clean and organized already, considering we haven’t had many customers today.
My eyes land on the sliding ladder against the long wall of books across from me, and I grin in delight as an idea occurs to me. This is the first time I’ve truly been alone in the shop, if you don’t count Stella, and I’ve been dying to play on the ladder like Belle does in Beauty and the Beast. Stella blinks at me like I’m stupid, clearly unimpressed, but I ignore her and walk across the shop to step up on the ladder.
At first, I kick my foot against the ground to slide the ladder from one end of the wall to the other. It doesn’t move very fast, so I use my magic to help push me back and forth.
I’m sliding back down the bookshelf toward the front end of the store, giggling like an idiot, when the bell above the door chimes. I’d been caught up in playing, and the sound surprises me so much that I startle as I come to a stop.
I look up to find one of the most attractive guys I’ve ever seen in my entire life standing in the bookshop’s doorframe, watching me intently as his eyes scan my body from head to toe.
He’s tall with broad shoulders, and the muscles in his arms and chest are very clearly defined beneath his plain white tee shirt. He has short, light brown hair, beautifully shaped eyebrows, and a short, neatly trimmed beard. He’s absolutely delicious-looking, and my heart beats faster and faster the longer I look at him.
Several moments later, he’s still gawking at me openly while he holds the door to the shop open. I realize I’m still standing a few steps up on the ladder, barefoot, with one of my feet dangling off. I hop down to the floor, and the many necklaces and bracelets I’m wearing make a pretty clinking sound.
My movements seem to jar him, and he lets go of the door so it closes behind him. He continues standing there, staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face. I notice that his eyes are the prettiest, sapphire-blue color, and I offer him a bright, flirty smile.
“Can I help you with something?” I ask in a silky voice.
He blinks and shakes his head, and without a word or another glance, he walks past me further into the bookshop. He disappears into the stacks where I can’t see him anymore. I take a deep breath and quickly walk behind the counter and register. Stella flicks her tail, and I dart a glance at her. Through our bond, I can feel that she’s amused.
“Shut up,” I hiss at her, frantically attempting to flatten my hair. I lean over the counter and peek toward the stacks at the back of the shop, but the guy’s still out of view.
He’s obviously attracted to me. Why else would he stare at me for as long as he did? Clearly, that’s not enough though, as he didn’t even say a freaking word to me!
I adjust my boobs, thanking the gods I wore this dress today. It’s short and white with tiny spaghetti straps, and it has a low neckline so that my boobs look fucking fantastic in it. Even though it’s fruitless, I try to smooth down my hair again, and I open the closest book and attempt to appear nonchalant while I eagerly wait for him to come back up front.
It feels like I’ve been waiting an eternity, but it’s probably only been a few minutes when he makes an appearance again. I watch him hesitate from the corner of my eye, and I pretend to be completely riveted by the book I have propped open.
He approaches the counter, but I don’t look up until he stops right in front of me. I blink like I’m confused, and I smile like I’m surprised to see him. Like I wasn’t totally waiting to get another chance to check him out. His arms look so strong, and I bet it would be so easy for him to lift me up against a wall and—
“Hello,” he says quietly. But even from that one simple word, I can tell his voice is deep and sexy. He sets a book on the counter between us, never breaking eye contact with me.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” I ask in a low, husky voice.
He nods, his eyes darting down to my mouth. A thrill runs through my body, and I wet my lips to entice him even more. Seriously, how can one guy be so hot?
When he doesn’t say anything else, I fight the urge to sigh in frustration. None of my usual moves are working. I tear my eyes away from him and pick up his book to scan it into the computer. I do a double take when I see the title and look back up at him with one of my eyebrows raised.
“Interesting choice,” I say teasingly.
He furrows his eyebrows in confusion, so I hold up the book in question. She Comes First: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Pleasuring a Woman.
“Oh,” he mumbles. He looks positively mortified, and his entire face flushes as he stares at the book in horror.
Seeing such a sexy guy get so embarrassed is honestly one of the funniest things ever. It makes him seem so fucking adorable, on top of already being crazy-hot. I crack a grin at him, preparing to make a joke about the book to put him more at ease. Before I can get a word out, Stella stands up from her spot on the counter and leaps onto the guy’s shoulder.
I stare at her, dumbfounded, as she purrs and rubs her head against his jaw.
“Stella!” I hiss through my teeth, reaching out to grab her. She hops to his other shoulder, and I meet his eyes with an apologetic grimace. “I’m so sorry. She’s not normally like this.”
He stands completely still, looking more horrified with every passing second. Stella finally jumps down to the ground, gives me a smug look, and takes off running toward the back of the shop.
“I, uh,” the guy mutters, taking a step backwards. He refuses to meet my eyes. “I don’t really need that book anymore.”
“What?” I ask stupidly, panicking as he takes another step away from me. “Are you sure? Seriously, I’m so sorry about that. I have no idea what got into her.”
Before I’ve even finished my sentence, the guy walks out the door, leaving me alone in the bookshop.
I inhale sharply and stare at the door, willing him to change his mind and come back. I’m so embarrassed and upset, and all I want more than anything in the world is a chance to talk to him. There’s a good chance I’ll never see him again.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I yelp in surprise. I quickly swallow the lump in my throat and pull my phone out with shaky fingers. Theo’s name flashes on the screen.
“Hello?” I answer, hoping my voice sounds normal and not heartbroken or flustered.
“Hey, little witch. I’m on my way over now. You still wanna hang out, right?”
Butterflies flutter in my stomach, but at the same time, I feel guilty. I didn’t think about Theo once while that guy with the beard was in here. And there’s seriously no logical reason for me to feel as devastated as I do that things turned out the way they did with him.
It’s stupid for me to feel guilty though. It’s not like Theo and I are dating. We’re friends, no matter how hot he is and much I love spending time with him. Catching feelings and thinking of Theo like he’s my boyfriend is the stupidest thing I could do, considering the connection we’ve formed.
“Of course I do! Did you have fun with Hollis and Cas?”
Theo growls over the phone. “Yeah, but I missed you. I’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?”
I grin, both loving and hating the way his words make me feel.
“Okay.”
Chapter Eight
“Do you need to take a break?”
Theo pushes his hair off his forehead and gives me a sexy half-smile. He’s just shifted back into his human form, and he’s slightly sweaty. He looks so damn good, and I let my eyes run over his body for a moment before shaking my head.
“Nah, I’m fine! Unless you need a break?”
We’ve been playing in the forest for hours now, and my magic is still humming through my entire body. It’s such an addicting feeling, and I can’t get enough of it. Granted, I do have a bit of a headache and my legs are starting to feel like jelly after running around so much. I’m sure I’ll be fine after I get a drink of water. I’m having so much fun, and I’m so eager to continue pushing the limits of my gift.
Theo scrunches his nose up and steps closer so he can ruffle my hair. He leans down and sniffs at me until I giggle, and he steps back with a playful grin and shifts into his wolf form faster than I can blink.
He takes off running into the forest. Instead of following, I walk over to the blanket we laid out beside the shore of the lake. Our phones, my jacket, and two bottles of water are there. I take a quick drink, check our phones for any missed calls, and I run in the same direction Theo did.
Using my magic so I’m floating just above the ground as I weave in between pine trees, I laugh as I force myself to move faster and faster while I look for Theo. Without warning, he leaps in front of me and tackles me to the ground. He’s gentle enough that I’m not hurt, even though the wind is knocked out of me.
“Ew! Stop!” I giggle wildly and push him away when he licks my face.
He yips and jumps away, wagging his tail while he waits for me to get up. When I stand, I feel dizzy, but I quickly shake the feeling off and take off running through the forest again. Theo follows behind me at the same swift pace, barking happily all the time.
The dizzy feeling returns, and my vision turns fuzzy. I shake my head and stumble slightly, and I stop to lean against a large pine tree.
“Cricket?” Theo asks, appearing beside me in his human form. “What’s wrong, little witch?”
“I’m okay.” I rub my hand roughly over my forehead, willing the dizziness to go away. I dig my feet into the dirt and leaves beneath me, hoping the gesture will help to ground my magic. “I think I’m just dehydrated or something.”
Theo rubs one of his hands over my messy hair as he tilts my chin up to look into my eyes. He looks concerned, so I give him a warm smile to let him know I’m alright.
Without a word, he picks me up and begins running through the trees. I wrap my arms around his neck and shut my eyes tightly. When he stops, I realize we’re standing beside the lake. Theo picks up one of the bottles of water from our blanket, still holding me securely in his arms.
