The second kiss was not soft.
It seared.
His lips moved over mine with a hunger that had nothing to do with spells and everything to do with weeks of slow-building tension and fear and near misses. His hands spanned my back, splayed wide, anchoring me as my knees seemed to forget their purpose.
I melted against him, opening when he coaxed, tasting tea and something that was uniquely Torin. Heat flared low in my belly, curling through my veins. The kitchen, the house, the whole of bloody Scotland fell away until there was only theslide of his tongue across mine and the steady thud of his heart against my chest.
He broke away just long enough to murmur against my lips, “Tell me you’re still sure.”
“I’m sure,” I whispered. “I’m so sure.”
Something relieved and fierce flashed across his face. He kissed me again, slower this time, like he had all the time in the world to memorize the shape of my mouth.
A tiny chittering sound interrupted us.
“If you two are going to start making baby humans or whatever it is you lot do,”Bracken announced,“I’m going to need danger pay and some kind of tiny squirrel blindfold.”
I rested my forehead against Torin’s chest, laughing helplessly.
“Bracken,” I said, breathless. “Boundaries.”
“Aye, well, consider them firmly established,”he muttered.“I’m happy for you and all that sentimental nonsense, but there’s only so much tongue wrestling a lad can witness before he has to chuck himself into the birdbath.”
“I’m guessing the back door wasn’t open for him to leave?” I said and Torin laughed against my ear.
“Um, nope.”
Torin’s chest shook under my cheek.
“Your familiar is a menace,” he murmured.
“He’s very emotionally invested in my happiness,” I said primly.
“As am I, darling. As am I.” Torin wrapped his arms around me and gave me one of those sweet hugs where we just rocked back and forth in each other’s arms, happy to just be.
For the first time in a very long time, even with a dragon in the loch and Kelpies at the shore and a whole village’s fate tangled in glowing threads only I could see, my heart felt… steady.
Loved.
Chosen.
Home.
Spell or no spell, disaster magnet or not, I was exactly where I was meant to be.
With my sister safe, a menace of a familiar, and a sexy tree man who loved me of his own free will.
The rest?
We’d weave it as we went.
EPILOGUE
LIORA
“I’m really not sure about this whole marshmallow on tatties thing.” Agnes frowned down at the dish of sweet potatoes she was unwrapping. She darted a worried look over her shoulder at Sophie, who was overseeing the Thanksgiving proceedings with militant efficiency.
“Stuffing goes here. Green bean casserole next. Mashed potatoes. Sweet potato—” Sophie’s head shot up as she looked across the restaurant until her eyes landed on Agnes. “Agnes? Did you make the sweet potato casserole?”
