Mochas and Minotaurs (Possessive Monsters #8)

Chapter 1

Griselda

“For the last time, I’m not interested. Now get out before I throw you out.”

I telekinetically lifted the chair next to the unwelcomed real estate agent to show her that I did indeed have magic, and she backed away.

I didn’t usually flaunt my magic—preferring to keep my abilities hidden—but Kyla and the people she worked for had already scared away all my customers, and I’d had enough.

“You can’t do that,” she sputtered.

“Try me. This is private property, and I told you to leave. You’re not leaving, and that’s trespassing. Now get out!”

I released the chair and picked her up instead. I hid the strain such a feat was having on my magic reserves, hoping she didn’t call my bluff.

Her eyes went wide, and she shrieked, her arms flailing. “I’m leaving, I’m leaving!”

“Good.” I let her down.

She huffed indignantly and smoothed her hand down her skirt. “I should sue you for that.”

“Go ahead and try.” I flipped the bitch both birds and waved them in the air. I was done being nice yesterday.

Next to me, Nick, my employee, waved his phone in the air. “I have it all on video. She was using reasonable force. And Gigi asked you to leave nicely multiple times. I also have you threatening to make life difficult if she didn’t sign your papers. That doesn’t sound very legal to me.”

“No,” I agreed. “I wonder who would win in court. I doubt Arcane Development will stand up to bat for you.”

We’d been dealing with Kyla for long enough that I’d gone and done my homework. She represented Arcane Development Company, a land development company known for churning out cookie-cutter condos. They’d throw their real estate agent under the bus in a heartbeat. Kyla must know that. But she seemed the type who’d do anything if the pay was good enough, so I’d installed cameras last week to bolster my magical wards.

Realizing that she wasn’t getting anywhere with me, she turned and stomped out of my coffee shop, muttering, “Crazy witch,” not so subtly under her breath.

The chilly winter air blew in as she opened the door and I magically forced the door closed with a resounding bang, locking it behind her. “And stay out, Fuckface!”

Nick gawked at me. “Wow, Gigi! You’re scary when mad. I can’t believe you actually lifted her off the ground.”

“Me neither,” I said. Lifting a whole-ass person was hard work, with or without magic. I was a decent witch despite the sign on the coffee shop wall stating otherwise, but I wasn’t super strong either.

“Well, the attitude fits the new hair,” Nick said.

I’d gone from my signature red hair to raven black a few days ago, a color I hadn’t had since I was much younger. “Is that your thinly veiled way of calling me a bitch?”

Nick laughed. “I’d never dream of it! If I wanted to call you a bitch, I’d say it to your face, bitch.”

I grinned. I loved the easy camaraderie I had with my employees. It was how I liked it.

But my niceness didn’t extend to condo developers trying to buy my place from under me, especially when they’d offered such an insultingly low price. This wasn’t just my place of business; I lived right above the coffee shop as well. I loved my home. It wasn’t very big, but it was mine.

It had all started with that impromptu magical fight that had broken out in my parking lot. The story had been plastered on the front page of every Darlington news site.

The incident had started because my friend Penny drunkenly cast a love spell to find the perfect man. However, instead of the perfect man, the spell had sent every possible suitor at her, including an incubus and even a troll from another dimension.

The incubus had ended up being her mate, and they were now living happily together. So for what it was worth, the spell had done its job. It had also gotten my little coffee shop a hell of a lot of attention since all of her unsuitable suitors had rallied in front of it, eager to fight for her hand.

The suitors were gone, but that was when the real estate agents and land brokers sent by Arcane Development started coming around, who thought our little row of shops and homes would make excellent high-rise condos. It had gotten even worse when the young witch next door who owned Ever After Books found the love of her life and moved in with him. At the same time, the elderly couple who owned the antique shop next to her retired and bought a place with fewer stairs.

That had put two out of the three units up for grabs. But because Kyla had come on so strong and snooty, offending everyone here, both former neighbors had gotten together and agreed to sell to anyone but Arcane Development.

“I kind of feel bad for the guy who bought the units next door,” Nick said. “I saw him trying to move his gym equipment in after lunch, and Kyla was harassing him.”

“Is he moving in already? That’s fast.” I hadn’t met him yet.

“He is. And he’s hot too. Totally the type to own a gym. Heard he’s a minotaur. But I don’t think he swings my way, or I’d go try to convince him not to sell.”

That had me grinning. “I don’t think we need to worry, considering the god-awful offer they gave me at first. Plus, Kyla isn’t exactly endearing.”

“You can say that again. She’s a bitch.” Nick was never one to mince words.

Aside from Kyla, there was now a panhandler parked just outside of my property. He started showing up around the same time Kyla had, and I was pretty sure Arcane had sent him as well. I’d followed him one day, and he’d gotten into a new Lexus a few blocks over.

Faux Hobo harassed anyone who tried to come in. I’d already started to notice fewer customers. It sucked, but if Arcane was trying to starve me out then the joke was on them, because my grandmother had already paid off this place. All I had to do was make enough to pay property taxes and feed myself. And I had a rainy-day fund set up so I could play this game for years.

“Why don’t you take off early today?” I suggested, eyeing the empty shop. “Doesn’t look like anyone else is coming.”

“I did want to check out that new exhibit at the museum.”

“That sounds fun. You go check it out. I’ll close up.”

He helped me clean up, and I packed a few of the leftover baked goods for him to take home—baked goods that usually completely sold out by this time of day if it weren’t for the assholes Arcane had sent.

Then, deciding it was time to suss out the new neighbor, I packed the rest of the goodies in a paper bag, folded the top, and stuck a Witch’s Brew sticker on it before marching out and around to the entrance. The sign that had once read Ever After Books was now one for Bullseye Fitness . The logo showed a red and white target with bull horns sticking out the sides. I tried the door, and to my surprise found it unlocked.

I poked my head in. “Hello?”

“Back here,” yelled a masculine voice that sounded awfully familiar. Where had I heard that voice before? “And you better not have any papers for me to sign, or else I’m tossing you out.”

“Oh no, nothing like that,” I said hurriedly. “You must have met Kyla. I’m not sent by the condo developers. I’m your neighbor from the Witch’s Brew. I come bearing goodies. Cookies and scones.”

There was a movement, and a curtain hiding the back room lifted.

I froze, because right in front of me was the super sexy one-night-stand from two weekends ago. The one who’d rocked my world so hard that I’d worried I’d see the disappointment on his face when he woke, so I snuck out of his bed without saying goodbye.

Marcus.

How could I ever forget that name? I’d screamed it at the top of my lungs for hours.

I could never forget that chiseled face or perfect body either. Dark hair fell in pieces around light brown eyes that were almost inhumanly amber. That must be his glamor spell working, hiding him behind a human guise.

Didn’t Nick say he was a minotaur? Marcus had been in glamor that night as well, but I should have guessed it. I could see the bovine cast of his nose now, even though he still wore the illusion spell. The septum ring too should have given it away, but I’d been kept too distracted with pleasure that night to realize it.

Marcus’s eyes went to the bag of goodies in my hands, then to my face, and I knew the moment recognition dawned.

What I didn’t expect was the bitter tone in his voice when he said, “It’s you!”