Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
“Andskotinn sjálfur!”
“Cuss at me in Viking when you know I can’t fight back. Well, back atcha,” Mercedes replied saucily.
“It means ‘the devil himself’ and it was more aimed at myself than you. Although, it’s fitting.”
Her cheeks were stained with a pink blush and he could swear he saw smoke coming from her ears. He let his gaze travel over her luscious curves. She was adorable all hot and bothered.
Get a hold of yourself. Remember who she is.
“What? Because I’m the devil?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts.
“I didn’t say it.”
Magnus wrapped a towel around his waist. He’d forgotten that he was naked, just like he’d forgotten to grab a clean towel out of the laundry basket.
When he finished his shower, he just floated through the walls and then grabbed a towel, not really paying attention to who was in the room, because he expected it to be his brother.
No one else lived with them or was in the house. He forgot she was starting today.
Then SLAM. Mercedes was pressed up against him and he was so flustered by the fact that she was there, he completely forgot about his lack of attire.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I forgot.”
Mercedes eyes widened. “You forgot? How could you forget something like that? I mean, I would remember if I were naked and wandering about.”
“Well, usually I’m the only one wandering around down here, or my brother Sven, and he’s seen me naked countless times.”
“For the love of Odin. No.”
Magnus turned around from where he was bent over the freezer. His brother was standing there, arms crossed, annoyed. “What?”
“Your nudity. I’ve put up with it for a thousand years. You won’t cook breakfast in our bed-and-breakfast naked.”
“Honestly, you think that?” Magnus asked, pretending to be offended.
Sven rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to look at your ass anymore. Get dressed.”
“I thought you’d call me a heathen, which I am. Proudly.”
Sven shook his head in disdain and walked away, which made Magnus laugh even more.
Sven had also warned him numerous times that he’d have to cover up as they began hiring staff, which he understood, but his previous rage had also caused him to forget that Sven had hired Mercedes as a housekeeper and that she’d be starting today.
And of course, he had to walk right into her while naked as a jaybird.
Although, he didn’t know what a jaybird was.
It also didn’t help that he dreamt about her last night and every night since the graduation party. She was the sea witch, but also not.
It was different.
And sexy.
And hot.
And completely annoying.
“I won’t sue you,” Mercedes teased. “But seriously, I was planning on keeping my distance from you and not…well, this is hardly keeping my distance.”
“And I was planning to do the same.” Magnus crossed his arms. “I don’t like that you’re working here.”
“I got that impression the day I was hired. Actually, I got that impression the day you saw me walk into that restaurant in Tallowfield. You know, before you went off on your tangent.”
Magnus bristled, but then felt some embarrassment over the whole thing. “Besides, you called me a bear’s butthole.”
A smile flickered on Mercedes lush lips. “I know.”
“I was triggered when I saw you.”
“I gathered, but I’m not the one who cursed you. I’m not Yrsa.”
“You are a descendant and a witch all the same.”
“So that means I deserve to be punished?” she countered.
“Yes.” He tried not to smile, because whether he wanted to admit it or not, Mercedes had a fire in her that he was highly attracted to. He’d always been attracted to women like that, but with her it was something else. It fired him up in a way no one had ever done before.
Which was bad.
“Punishment? Seriously?” She crossed her arms, tapping her foot. Her talk of punishments made him suddenly think of all the naughty things he wouldn’t mind doing to her. The things he’d been dreaming about in his sleep.
By Odin, she was adorable when she was angry.
Remember who she descends from.
Maybe he’d been a bit too hasty lumping her in with her ancestor. He ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.”
Mercedes eyes widened and she relaxed. “You’re…sorry?”
He nodded. “I mean, I still want to keep my distance from you, especially now that you work here, but I think if we keep out of each other’s way, we can let bygones be bygones.”
“Okay.” A hint of shock and uncertainly laced her voice. “I appreciate that.”
“You don’t sound so sure.”
“I’m not,” she responded. “I don’t trust you.”
“The feeling is mutual. Even if you’re not her, reincarnation within bloodlines is a powerful thing.”
“I’m aware,” she replied stiffly, neither confirming nor denying anything. Those big dark eyes narrowed and it sent a shiver down his spine, just like when he ran into her ancestor a millennia ago.
Only it wasn’t Yrsa here, that’s what he had to remember.
“Well, I’m going to let you finish your work and I’m going to put some clothes on.” He walked past her, drinking in the clean scent of her hair, ignoring the urge to hold her close and touch her, drink in that smell that he found so intoxicating. It reminded him of home.
Something he hadn’t had in a long time. When you were bound to a place for all eternity, it was impossible to go back and visit the place that you came from. But when she had been in his arms there for a moment, he had a flash of home, and it made his heart ache.
I need to put some distance between us.
Magnus headed straight to his room and got dressed to work in the kitchen.
He plaited his hair back and made sure he was presentable.
Today he’d planned to be in the kitchen and refine the menu for the bed-and-breakfast. He’d been looking forward to it, but now he couldn’t think about the menu at all.
All he could think about was Mercedes working here. How she felt in his arms. Her curvy body hidden under those modern clothes while pressed against him. The richness of her dark-burgundy hair, the dark hooded eyes which drew him in, her full kissable lips.
Stop thinking about her.
Once he was in the kitchen, he went through his notes until Sven came floating in.
“So, I take it you know she started,” Sven said carefully.
“I do,” Magnus replied, not looking up from his notes.
“Are you angry?”
Magnus grunted. “I tried to be, but I did say you were in charge of hiring the cleaning staff. I’ve made peace with it.”
“It’ll be fine you know.”
“I’m sure,” Magnus responded. “Just don’t expect a lot of interaction between me and her.”
“Going to take my advice about clothes?” Sven asked, with a hint of condescension.
“Yes,” Magnus replied through gritted teeth. And he wondered if Sven knew what had happened.
“Look, I know she’s a witch…”
“She’s a witch too?” Magnus asked, stunned. That was something he didn’t know. Descendant sure, but actual volva? What?
“Of course, you know who she’s descended from, but she assures me she’s not the same type of witch.”
“Why am I so bothered by it and you’re not?” Magnus asked. “You were cursed too.”
Sven smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m more mature than you.”
Magnus rolled his eyes and grunted again, trying to focus on his work, but he couldn’t. Instead, he rose from the stool. “I’m going for a walk down by the lake.”
“Sure.”
Magnus floated through the back door and down the steps before becoming solid and walking quickly through all the back trails he knew so well that wound their way through Harmony Glen.
Usually, he liked to take the more direct route down to the water and go through town.
He liked running into friends like Gabe and Maggie or Torin and Lila, but today he just needed to work out his thoughts.
And some of the back trails were covered in fallen leaves as summer was quickly fading and turning into fall.
It was the start of his favorite season.
He always liked the crunching sound of the leaves under his feet.
When he got to the lake, he walked the boardwalk on the beach, passed by The Snack Hut and past Monster Catch Bait and Tackle. Finn was out on the docks, sitting on a bench next to his houseboat with a pile of nets.
As Magnus got closer, he could hear Finn muttering curse words under his breath while untangling said pile of nets.
“What happened?” Magnus asked.
Finn glared up at him. “Margaid.”
“She sabotaged you?”
Finn rolled his eyes. “No. She was helping with one of my last jobs of the summer, and I told her how to store the nets, but she tossed them in a pile in the corner and some are kind of slimy, and all of them are tangled.”
“Where is she now?” Magnus asked.
“She took one of my small boats out to check the population of something. She’s still actively working on her government research. If I had known the nets were this bad, I would’ve…” Finn trailed off and continued his untangling.
“You’d what?” Magnus teased.
“Nothing,” Finn grumbled. “I swear, she has me wrapped around her little finger.”
“I’m happy for you.” And he was. He wished he had that. He was tired of being alone. Everyone he knew was paired up. Except him and Sven.
And Phineas.
Or at least it felt that way.
He needed to change the subject. “Have you heard from Pearl?”
“She called the other night. She’s doing well,” Finn said. “I think she’s homesick even though it’s only been a couple of days.”
“Tell her we miss her.” Which was true. Magnus did miss Pearl, she was like a little sister and he missed teasing her and spoiling her. She was so kind and calming in Harmony Glen.
“What’re you doing out and about? I thought Sven and you would be getting ready for the big grand opening in a couple of weeks.”
“That was my plan for the day.” Magnus took a seat next to Finn and grabbed a couple of tangled nets to help him. “Sven hired a housekeeper.”
“Oh?” Finn asked carefully.
“You know who it is. She’s staying with your mother.” Magnus grunted.
“I know. The supposed revenge date.” Finn chuckled. “What even is that?”
“I don’t even know. I was angry about seeing…well, seeing the spitting image of the witch who cursed me. I just lost my senses.”
“I’ll say.”
Magnus frowned at him. “You’re one to talk. You just said Margaid has you wrapped around her finger. This from the grumpy glashtyn who swore he was never going to fall in love. Ever.”
“Things change. Margaid is going to be my wife one day when I ask her. You just hate Mercedes.”
“I don’t hate her, but I don’t like who she reminds me of.” Magnus finished untangling the next.
“You never did tell me what happened when you were cursed.”
“And I’m not about to now. Geez, I miss the old Finbar who wasn’t this chatty and curious.”
Finn snorted. “So do I.”