He startled, taking a step back. “Whoa. Whoa. Let’s not try casting spells without instruction. That’s what boot camp is for. You do or say the wrong thing, and I’ll be a toad.”
She laughed, the sound musical and light, and tucked her finger into the waistband of her pajama shorts.
“I take it you’re okay with everything I’ve told you tonight?” The question was rhetorical. It was obvious she was. He couldn’t believe he’d ever been the dumb fuck who’d compared her to his last girlfriend and kept her at arm’s length as a result. The two women were nothing alike. Of course Sophie would be thrilled to learn her boyfriend was a fairy godfather. She was Sophie E. fucking Clark. Believer in book boyfriends coming to life.
“Who wouldn’t be?” Sophie enthused. “This is the best news ever. Like nothing you could say next would trump everything you’ve said so far.”
Well, fuck. He should have started with “I love you.” Saying it now would be the pure definition of anticlimactic. “Thank you for being so perfect for me.”
She gave him a funny look. “Let’s talk about that statement.” Her voice was soft but firm. “Are you, or are you not, still a bachelor for life? And if not, what changed?”
“After you and I had our parting of ways, I was a mess.”
“You’re the one who kicked me to the curb. Why were you a mess?”
“Because I love you.” Admitting it felt like a weight lifting off his chest and crashing down all at once. The vulnerability was terrifying, but it also felt undeniably right. He quickly continued, not giving her time to respond. “And I’d convinced myself that you were better off never knowing that. Not to mention, I’d made promises to my brothers I couldn’t break. Loving you was inevitable, but acting on it would have been selfish.” He stopped talking and waited for her to sayI love you, too.
“Did you think I couldn’t handle the fact you were a fairy godfather?”
He snorted. Yep. He should have led with I love you. Now, it didn’t even garner a nod, a smirk, or a single flutter of her eyelashes. “By then, I knew you could. But as I told you before, I couldn’t handle the idea of your life being in danger because of me.”
“What’s changed? You’re here. You’ve told me you love me. You’ve told me your secret. Why? Are you getting out of security?” she asked in a no-nonsense tone.
There it was. The acknowledgement she’d heard his declaration. But still no sign of excitement. “Not that.”
“Then you’ve decided to treat me like an adult and allow me to determine if I want to be in a relationship with a man who might get me killed? Or worse, break my heart by getting himself killed?”
His heart skipped a beat. Never that. Thank God that wasn’t still an issue. “A way has been discovered where I am free to be in love with you, free to chase you and date you until I’m worthy of you falling in love with me, and keep you safe from danger in the process.”
She grinned, and he breathed a little easier.
“You’re going to chase me?” she asked.
“I am,” he said solemnly. “And I expect you to play hard to get because you will be worth the chase.”
“Damn straight I am, and I will not be easy to catch. Of that, you can be certain,” she spouted without a second of hesitation. “But back to why you were finally able to tell me. What’s this big plan?”
“How would you like to be our Fairytale Coordinator?” he blurted, knowing full well this would get a way bigger reaction than his telling her he loved her had. Of course, he deserved herless-than-ecstatic response. He had meant it when he said he’d be happy to chase her and prove worthy of her love.
As he had predicted, she squealed and threw herself into his arms. “Yes. Yes. Absolutely yes.”
“But you don’t even know what that means yet.” He chuckled and pulled her into his embrace.
“It doesn’t matter. The title is perfection. The only thing better than growing up to be a professional daydreamer would be to grow up to be a Fairytale Coordinator. Oh, my God. So many doubters are going to have to kiss my derriere for sure now! I am going to create a T-shirt saying as much. I’ll wear it to my next class reunion.”
He had no idea what she was talking about, so he let it slide…for now. “You would help us with our fairy godfather assignments. Help us create the perfect experience for every request. You would be in charge of making sure we get all the details right. And in return, you’ll be under the protection of our magic. And, if you are Magical in your own right—which is a possibility—you will be taught how to use it.”
“Holy Book Boyfriend Day. Tell me more about that?” Her grin took up her whole face.
“It is Clarabelle’s strong belief that your mother was a Magical.”
She gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth, shaking her head as if finding this the thing she couldn’t accept as real. Slowly sliding her hands down and away from her lips, she whispered, “Like a fairy godmother?”
“Most likely…which would explain your mom’s message on your nursery wall.”
Sophie pivoted and headed toward the kitchen. “I’m going to need more wine,” she said over her shoulder. “I feel like I’ve won the lottery, hit the jackpot at the casino, and discovered a magic spell to bring my favorite book boyfriend to life.”
“The cinnamon roll one?” he asked, following her into the kitchen, acutely aware she hadn’t yet said how she felt about him.
