“Is that … Butterbeer?” she asked, intrigued.
He handed her a cup that had a wand and a magical talking hat on the side. “Yes, ma’am.”
Her eyes danced. The five dollars a pop was worth it to see her smile like that. She took a tentative sip and then sank into her seat with a look of pure satisfaction. “It’s even better than I’d hoped.”
He took a drink, letting the flavors mellow over his tongue. “Not bad.”
“You’d like it more if you read the books.” She got up and continued drinking as she looked over the booth to see if anyone needed her attention.
“I fail to see how reading can improve my sense of taste.”
“Then you’ll always be a Muggle.” She held up a finger and made her way over to a couple of gray-haired ladies admiring her table, the big one that would make this whole endeavor worth it—if it would just sell. “Can I help you?”
Judd watched her answer questions. She was so at ease talking to strangers. She had a magnetism that drew them to her, an enthusiasm for what she did that was infectious. At the end of the conversation, one of the ladies bought a set of three crates. They twittered off, admiring their purchases and remarking about the selection this year.
Evenings at the festival were always magical. Dusk settled in, and lights came on, the kind he put up at Christmas with big bulbs and soft glows. The kids were tucked into their beds, leaving adults to wander through the booths hand in hand. Even the smell changed from cotton candy and sweets to flavorful meats and the deep, spicy scent of cinnamon.
“I have another five minutes until I can close up.” She checked her delicate silver watch.
“No problem. I’ll just Muggle through.”
She rolled her eyes at his pun. “How was your day?”
“Not bad. I got the Johannsen job.” He’d bid the job a month ago, not believing he had a shot at it. But the call came through that afternoon, and he’d waited hours so he could tell Wynn in person.
The wait was worth it. Her eyes widened, and her brows rose. She threw her arms around his neck. “Congratulations!”
He hugged her back, drinking in her closeness. “Thanks.”
She stilled in his arms but didn’t let go. The hug morphed from impulsively happy to comfortable, and then his heart started beating loudly in his ears. The sound blocked out the rest of the fair, the people, and the announcement over the loudspeakers. She smelled like pumpkins and chocolate—a strange combination, but one full of layers and layers of yum.
She stepped back, but the feelings inside of him, the pulsing desire, didn’t go away. It was an entity all of its own, pushing him to act. The pounding in his veins urged him to hold her close, to kiss her.
He didn’t want it to leave.
She bit her lip and played with her hair. “I, um, I need to put down the sides of the tent.”
He nodded, not trusting his voice. If he spoke, his deepest desires might pour out of him. Thinking grew more and more difficult as his pulse continued to pound in his ears.
She pulled the white plastic sheet out from under the cash desk, and he moved to take one side and help her unfold it, hoping that focusing on a task would keep him from focusing on her and the way she glanced at him from lowered lashes.
Securing his corner, he worked across the tent, wrapping the Velcro straps around the metal bars. He and Wynn met in the middle—both pausing and swallowing heavily.
Wynn was out of breath, or maybe she was breathless with a need to be closer like he was. He reached for her side, powerless to walk away this time. Maybe it was the fairy lights and the romantic evening atmosphere that cast a spell over him. Or maybe it was the fact that he’d pushed these feelings down for too long and they needed a release. Or maybe she was just plain irresistible.
She stepped closer. Her eyes searched his, and he dropped his gaze to her lips, brushing his thumb across her chin. She didn’t move away but continued to study him as if she were seeing him for the first time. It could be that she was seeing him as a man for the first time. Not as a brother or a best friend, but as a man full of desire for her.
He leaned down and she lifted, and their mouths touched briefly.
Time stopped.
All he could hear was her quick breaths. They played like a soundtrack to the emotions coursing through him. Her bottom lip quivered, and she grabbed on to his arms, holding him close and pulling him closer. Her eyes sparked with a need only he could answer.
He dove into the next kiss, allowing his pent-up feelings to drive him.
“We should stop.” She cupped the back of his head and kept him from pulling away.
“We totally should stop.” He moved to kiss her jawline and then found her mouth again.
