Chapter 6 #3
I pushed aside the million and one questions I had for her regarding our future and concentrated on our present.
“But there’s something telling you not to be with me now.
” She nodded, but didn’t say anything. I raised my hands to the base of her head, holding her under her ears.
I held her steady and waited patiently for her to lift her eyes to me again. When she did, I encouraged, “Tell me.”
“It’s hard to explain.” Her eyes danced away from mine for a second before they returned.
I wondered if eye contact in general was hard for her, or if it was me.
The uncertainty on her face made me think she was feeling shame, though I didn’t understand why.
“I’ve known about the concept of you for years.
I picked up on little things along the way, but it was more of the knowledge of what would be than you.
” She shook her head, self-deprecatingly.
“I don’t even know if that makes sense. I feel nuts even saying it.
It was always different with you, stronger.
I never questioned your inevitable presence in my life.
But when I was twenty-two, I got a full vision.
It was us on our first date. I know what restaurant we go to, even know what each of us will order, and I know that I’ll need to bring a spare pen because the one the waitress gives you to sign the check won’t work.
And,” she hesitated, “I know that it’s not supposed to happen for another two years. ”
Two years? What the fuck? There was no fucking way I could wait that long. “Do you know why? Like why then instead of now?”
She shook her head. “I don’t. I just know the date that was on the check. That’s how I knew. That’s why I didn’t say or do anything when you first came to town.”
I was wondering about that. I’d been here for three years. If she knew we were meant to be, why hadn’t she come to find me sooner? But if she believed we weren’t supposed to be yet, then that would make sense.
But she’d still been a part of my life. Keys had said she watched my videos, and I’d seen her around town.
Even if I hadn’t been paying attention to her, I still knew who she was.
This also helped to make sense of why she kept berating herself for bidding on my bachelor auction entry.
She really hadn’t meant for us to meet or to start anything now.
In my mind, though, it didn’t fucking matter. What was supposed to be could kiss my motherfucking ass. I was here and I wasn’t going anywhere.
“I have no idea what happened yesterday. Be it a spell or just you, it makes no difference to me, Winnie. You’re mine.
And nothing, not even the universe itself, will keep me from you now.
I am prepared to fight even you to claim what is mine.
Read my intentions if you doubt me, because I’m not going anywhere.
Today is our day, so is tomorrow and the day after that.
And if all this witchy stuff is real, all the better, because it means even death won’t keep me from you.
” Her lips parted in a startled, gasping giggle.
I leaned down and kissed her nose. “Better believe I’ll come back and haunt your sexy ass, because I have a feeling one lifetime with you won’t be enough. ”
I felt her hands on my hips, linking her fingers through my beltloops.
I liked how she held me as if she didn’t want to let go.
I’d noticed that yesterday too. Her mouth might be saying ‘no’, but her body was screaming ‘yes!’.
And while I was not the sort to go where I was not wanted, I couldn’t stop myself when it came to this woman.
Which made me a fucking bastard. I’d killed men who’d claimed the same thing: “She wanted it!”, “She was just playing hard to get!”, “I couldn’t control myself, look how she was dressed! ”…
And here I was trying to rationalize pushing myself onto her because she was mine. It was not a smart or healthy start to any relationship, let alone one like I wanted to build with Calliope.
But I couldn’t make myself back down. Couldn’t make myself step away. I could claim I only came here today so my cat could visit her dragon, but we would both know it was a lie. I’d come here for her, with every intention of standing right where I was and declaring myself to her, claiming her.
I’d like to say that I would step away if she told me ‘no’.
Whether I believed she meant it or not, the word ‘no’ should always be respected.
Above all, Calliope should feel safe with me.
Friend, boyfriend, ghost haunting her ass to ensure no other man touched what was mine, it didn’t matter.
If she said ‘no’, it should be respected.
I couldn’t make that promise, though. Now when it came to sex, that was an entirely different scenario and I certainly would never force myself onto her.
But physically being with her, standing here as we were, being in the same room as her, watching over her, protecting her…
If she told me to leave right now, I didn’t think I could.
Less than twenty-four hours ago, I was so sure that I would be a bachelor until the day I died. And now?
Now I was more positive than ever that Calliope was mine.
“I need to consult the cards.”
I blinked, having no idea what that meant. “Is that like phoning a friend on that millionaire show?”
A light chuckle escaped her kissable lips. “No, I mean my tarot cards.”
That did not clear things up for me. I knew what tarot cards were, but not how they were used or how they would help Calliope in making her decision.
“If it means letting go of you, I can’t let you do that.”
Calliope looked over her shoulder at the empty space towards the back of the store.
“I don’t have my table set up yet, but I was sorting through my supplies earlier and put several sets over there.
They’re not my good set, but that’s at home.
I won’t bring those in until I’m actually open for business. ”
I made a face. “I’m really going to need a Witch 101 lesson or something because I understood none of that.”
Calliope shook her head, but I saw the smile on her lips.
When she made to step back, though, I dropped my hands from her neck to around her waist, keeping her pressed up against me.
“Quinten, I need my cards,” she insisted again.
I noticed, though, that she didn’t fight my hold on her.
Once again, her words were saying one thing while her body said something completely different.
I lifted her up. Calliope emitted a light squeak of surprise as her arms wrapped themselves around my neck and her legs gripped my hips.
It was a good thing her skirt was so long and flowy or this wouldn’t have worked.
Or it would have, and I would have just ripped her skirt to get her into position.
With that line of thought, maybe her large skirt wasn’t a good thing after all.
I maneuvered us around her maze of boxes, bringing us to the back of the store where she had indicated a minute ago. I saw Oolong and Joe poke their heads out from under the coffee cart in curiosity.
“What do you need?” I asked when we were out of the prison of boxes.
I don’t know how long she’d been here already this morning, but there was a good amount of items on the shelves I’d installed for her yesterday.
She’d been a busy bee while I was breaking federal laws and then losing a fight with my cat to get some much-needed rest.
“I could have walked,” she remarked with no real censure in her voice.
“And yet you didn’t and here we are. Now,” I repeated my question, “what do you need?”
She pointed over my shoulder. “That box.”
Turning, I kicked a white banker’s box with no lid with my right foot like a soccer ball until I moved it next to the wall. Sitting down, I put my back to the wall and settled Calliope between my thighs. She was so small, I could have wrapped my entire body around her.
She reached forward, rummaging around in the banker’s box. I saw a forest green table cloth, some real and fake candles, a mirror, and some other baubles as she moved items around. Finally, she pulled out what looked to be a pack of playing cards from a purple bag with strings.
“Like I said,” she told me, “this isn’t my good set, but it’ll do.”
If she hadn’t said anything, I would have never known the difference. “What exactly are you planning on doing with those?”
Her head was turned towards me just enough that I saw her bite her lip again.
“I’m not usually so out of sync. I’ve always relied on my visions, on my instinct, as truth.
But you’re different. You always have been.
I’ve never been so certain and uncertain about something as I am with you.
And I don’t know what to do. Push you away, or bring you close and never let you go.
I’m so confused, Quinten, and I need guidance. ”
There was so much in that, but two things stood out to me above the rest. “Forget your visions and the cards,” I told her. “What is it that you feel, Calliope? Because it shouldn’t be so difficult to make a decision.”
But she shook her head. “It’s not that simple.”
I leaned to the right as I guided her to look over her shoulder so I could look into her eyes. I’d messed up by putting her back to my front. I couldn’t see her face this way. “Yes, it is,” I argued. “Put aside the cards for a moment. Don’t think, just answer. What do you feel?”
Tears swelled in her eyes, and her breath was shaky as she answered. “I love you. I’ve been in love with you since I was sixteen, Quinten, and you first called me ‘mine’.”
Fuck me in the ass. If that declaration didn’t cement my future, nothing would. I was entirely hers. Utterly and irrevocably hers.