12. Chapter 12
P umpkin Hollow was the only town Zephyr knew that threw parties to celebrate the fact that there was about to be an even bigger party in the future.
The bonfire wasn’t as organized as the Pumpkin Festival would be, but it was just as fun.
As soon as the sun set, witches, shifters, vampires, and more walked to the center of the woods surrounding the Hollow.
The nature witches built a towering stack of logs and twigs, while a flame witch created sparks at the base.
Since Zephyr had arrived uncharacteristically on time, she helped the sparks catch with a gentle flutter of air and watched the kindling catch.
An inferno grew, but thanks to the barrier that hid their supernatural town from the humans, the resulting billowing smoke would go unnoticed.
When Zephyr was young, she had missed so many of these events. All for racing. What else was she going to miss out on? As soon as she asked herself that silent question, one face appeared in her mind. It was a very scruffy face.
A week had passed since she had lain in the grass with Neil, revealing a little of how broken she was.
She had seen him every morning since then, but she kept their conversations short and shallow.
She had thought it would make her feel better.
But all it did was force her to realize she had a big, stupid crush on Neil Finnegan.
Which didn’t make things any clearer. Just messy. But maybe she needed messy?
“Well,” she muttered to herself. “If it goes terribly, you can do what you do best and run.” As depressing as that realization was, it helped her make her decision. And once she knew what she wanted, nothing would get in her way.
Zephyr stalked around the bonfire, a steaming cup of cider her only companion until she found Karah and Levina sitting in a pair of folding chairs. “You two came prepared,” Zephyr said with a hesitant smile.
Levina’s face was half-hidden with a scarf, so Zephyr couldn’t guess if things were still weird between them after the box incident. Unaware of the awkwardness, Karah rapped the armrests of her chair with a grin. She suddenly pointed at Zephyr. “So did you. Look at that jacket. It’s huge.”
Zephyr flushed. After Neil had walked her home, and Dale had chased him off, she had been left with his jacket.
Why she still hadn’t returned it, she couldn’t exactly say.
When she saw him tonight, she could use the jacket to start…
well, she wasn’t sure what she was ready to start, but she hoped he’d help her figure that out.
“Right. I accidentally stole this, actually. It belongs to your brother.”
“I know.” Karah’s smile grew even wider.
Levina said, her scarf muffling the single word, “Gross.”
“Have you seen him?” Zephyr asked with a huff.
“Oh, he’s at the shop.”
That really put a wrench in things. “I thought he went to all the town’s events?”
“He goes to all the boring ones,” Levina corrected. “The town halls, the committees, the park cleanups—”
“Don’t call the cleanups boring,” Karah interrupted.
“He’s not here,” Levina finished.
“Oh.” Zephyr rocked on the balls of her feet. “Well, I guess I should find Tawny or Lyle or—”
“You don’t have to pretend you’re not going directly to Neil,” Karah said.
“You didn’t bring your broom,” Levina added. “You better start walking. His bedtime is nine-thirty. Embarrassing.”
She tried, she really did, but curiosity won out and Zephyr quickly checked the time on her phone. She swore, spinning away from the giggling mother and daughter and running back into town.
“THE ENTIRE TOWN IS HAVING a party, and yet you are here , drinking beer that doesn’t even have a label. It just has a strip of masking tape with a date on it.” Zephyr ducked under the half-open garage door and interrupted Neil’s solitude. She pushed the garage door button, closing it completely.
Neil glanced up from the workbench, an assortment of gears and tools all neatly laid out in rows. The mantle clock he had torn apart shimmered sporadically, its magic sorely in need of repair.
He returned to his work, head tilted down, but she could easily see that he was smirking. “The beer is local, and I might be avoiding a party, but you’re here and looking for me.”
“I was just—”
“Desperate?”
“Oh, look who’s funny now.” She moved further inside, swaying her hips until she realized Neil’s jacket completely hid the desired effect.
She stole his drink instead, snatching away the nearly full bottle and taking a sip.
With an easy bounce, aided by her magic, she jumped up to sit on a clear part of his workbench. “I hope I didn’t take your last beer.”
“That was my first beer, but enjoy it,” he said without looking up.
“I will, and don’t let me interrupt. Working overtime?”
“No, I’m relaxing.”
“This is exactly what you do for work. What’s the difference?”
“This,” Neil answered, lifting the husk of a clock. “This is from my presumed dead collection.”
“Now you sound like a necromancer.”
“People around town bring me things that can’t be fixed. For now.” He glanced at her quickly before refocusing on the clock. “I enjoy trying to prove them wrong.”
Was that why he bothered with her? Zephyr took a long swallow of beer. She added, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, “You do love being right. This is definitely worth missing a bonfire for.”
Neil dropped the clock and sidestepped lazily, ending up in front of her. He leaned forward, placing his hands on the bench on either side of her legs. He trapped her slowly, giving her plenty of time to escape from him but acting as if she wouldn’t dare try.
For once, he was right, but he didn’t have to look so damned smug about it.
Neil smiled at her, not touching her but unable to stop electricity from flowing between them. “Zephyr, if you’re here, why would I leave?”
“Uh, s’mores?”
Neil snapped upright before throwing back his head and laughing. His hair was more auburn in the sunshine, Zephyr noticed. It looked so much darker now, in the harsh artificial light.
“Is that why you’re here? You want me to toast your marshmallow?” Neil asked.
“If that’s a euphemism, I have no idea what it could mean. And my imagination is great.”
He sighed before reaching forward to grab the zipper of her jacket, which was really his jacket. “Are you finally going to return this to me tonight?”
“Oh!” Zephyr nodded, wondering why she was so nervous. She didn’t get nervous around men. Ever. “Yes, that was the plan.”
“Really? You had a plan?”
“Why is that so hard to believe?” she snapped.
“It isn’t. But…” Neil unzipped the jacket halfway, revealing the red and black dress underneath. “Were you going to wear that home? Do you have another coat hidden on your person?”
That last question seemed genuine. She possessed a bag that could hold her entire closet if she wanted, and she hadn’t thought of that, hadn’t brought a backup coat at all. She’d assumed he’d walk her home, and then she could return the jacket. And Neil had guessed her assumption.
Well, he knew. Knew she had planned for them to end up at her house, whether it was for a simple goodnight kiss at her doorway or more . Yes, he knew, so there was no need to act shy now.
When she failed to answer, Neil gave the zipper a playful tug. “This dress isn’t exactly bonfire appropriate.”
“I don’t own any bonfire appropriate clothes, and you’re stalling,” she accused, though she was clearly projecting.
One side of his mouth quirked up. “That isn’t what I’d call it. I’m waiting.”
“For what?”
“To hear Zephyr McAllister admit what she wants. You’ve been pulling away from me.
” He pulled the silver tab down further, unzipping it completely.
Her knee bounced wildly as Neil slowly pushed aside her jacket, freeing her bare shoulder to the elements.
He pressed his lips to the side of her neck and then to her throat. Soft, warm, and almost lazy.
It also tickled.
“You’re smug,” she grumbled.
“I have security cameras,” he returned.
“What does that have to do with your smugness?”
“I watched you run down Main Street to get to me.”
Oh, no , she worried. She lied, “I was walking briskly . Because it’s cold outside.”
“Shall we watch the replay?”
She squirmed. “No.”
“That’s what I thought.” He nipped at her throat now, and the sharp prick of pain mixed with pleasure was addicting. “Your car’s ready,” he murmured into her skin.
“What?” She could hardly think. She didn’t want to think. Didn’t want to wonder if this was going to blow up in their faces, if he would stay for breakfast in the morning, or if he’d be gone before she woke. She wanted—
“Wrap your legs around me,” he said, a hand skimming up her right thigh, “and hold on.”
Not thinking was what she had claimed she wanted, so Zephyr obeyed after setting his beer down. She wrapped her legs around his waist and threw her arms around his neck for good measure as he lifted her off the workbench and carried her over to her car.
His coat protected her skin from the harsh cold of her car hood as he laid her down on top of it. She squirmed, trying to get comfortable as he eased off her knee-high boots.
“Tell me you wore this for me,” Neil whispered, and he sounded a little pleading. He pushed the hem of her dress up over her hips.
She couldn’t stop watching his hands, anticipating where they’d go next. “When I finally decide what I want, why should I wait?”
He asked seriously, “No more running?”
“Not from you,” she promised.
“Good.” He ran his hands up the sides of her legs and yanked her panties down with a few quick motions. But when she sat up to undress him, he pushed her back down. “Not yet. Relax for me.”
An impossible ask. Every nerve felt as if it were on fire. She lay back down, willing her bones to melt into the hood. Every kiss on her thighs sent a jolt through her, but it was all her own doing.
It was also agonizingly slow.