“Looks like you had fun,” I grinned. I offered my hand, but he looped his arm through mine instead. He stood just a bit taller than me, but not so much that it made it awkward to walk together. He tilted the business card toward me before putting it in his pocket, letting me see her name emblazoned on the front: Anya Marx. I had to grin.
“She had so many amazing ideas and even offered to come do story hour herself if there weren’t any local performers interested. She seemed really interested in the town, too, when I told her how surprisingly chill it is there.”
“I don’t blame her. I hear a lot of stories about how some small towns can be unwelcoming to anyone not just like them, but the Crossing really is different.”
Alex beamed at me. “Look at you, calling it ‘the Crossing’ just like a true local. I knew we’d trap you one way or another.”
“Well, what can I say? The job is good, cost of living is low, the people are nice… why wouldn’t I want to stay?”
“Those are the only reasons?” Alex poked me in the side and I had to laugh.
“Well, there’s also this bookstore I really love.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” I tugged him out of the flow of traffic and into my arms, so close our breaths mingled in the space between us. “The owner is a pretty intriguing guy.”
“Intriguing?” Alex raised a brow.
“Yep. I’ve never met anyone like him before. Honestly, I’m kind of crazy about him.”
“You only say that because you’ve never met any other psychics. Winning is easy when there’s no competition. For what it’s worth, I’m kind of crazy about you, too.” He gave me a sheepish smile. “Third person just felt awkward.”
“Agreed,” I laughed, resting my head against his. “About the third person, anyway. I fell for you before I knew anything about your ability. I knew right away that you were someone special.”
“I’m not sure ‘special’ is the word I’d use.” Alex glanced over toward the corner, where I assume the ghost was still perusing smut.
“I saw you in Buns ‘n’ Roses and there was no way I was leaving without at least talking to you. I didn’t even know if you were into men or if I was about to completely embarrass myself.”
“Donovan, dear, have you looked in a mirror lately? Even the straightest of straight men would probably give you their number.”
“Doubtful, but my ego appreciates the compliment,” I teased. “Lucky for me, you flirted back. I haven’t been that happy about someone being into men since that pop singer came out.” At his questioning look, I shrugged. “I had a crush in high school. He was my bi-awakening.”
“You are completely ridiculous.” He pressed his lips together, obviously trying to hold in a laugh.
“Maybe, but you’re the one who agreed to date me, so where does that leave us?”
“Acting like idiots in the middle of a convention center.”
I had to kiss him, and not just because I’d burst out laughing otherwise. I’d dated before, men and women, but no one had ever gotten me like Alex. Falling for him had been effortless and inevitable, from the moment he looked up at me with those gorgeous eyes and flustered smile. He still had doubts occasionally, the sometimes-literal ghosts in his past coming back to tear him down, usually on the nights his nightmares kept him awake. On those nights, I held him a little closer, reminding him that he wasn’t alone anymore and I wasn’t going anywhere. No matter how long it took, I’d keep telling him that until he believed me.
“Hey,” I murmured against his lips. The heat in his eyes when he looked at me made me want to drag him back up to our hotel room. “I really love you.”
Alex smiled, warm and soft and happy, and how could I not have fallen in love with him when he looked at me like that? “I really love you, too.” He kissed me once, twice, then broke away before we got too tangled up in each other.
I took his hand in mine, a move as natural as breathing. “Can we go check out the monster romance table? I have so many questions.”
Chapter 2
Alex
Snowswirledoutsidethewindow of A Likely Story and I groaned out loud.
“Oh, come on. It’s nearly April already!” I whined, and Raina laughed.
“You’ve been back here for almost seven years now, Alex. It’s springtime in the mountains; we could still get a blizzard between now and May.”
“You’d better knock on wood. Don’t put that out in the universe,” I warned. “Just because I’m used to it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
