“I wish that I could,” Devlin explains. “But Blair has the sort of talent that you really can’t buy.”
I frown. “I do?”
“She does?” Dad asks. Way to have faith in me, Dad!
“Of course she does, Phillip,” Mama says in my defense. Go, Mom! “Remember how she was top of her class in potions?”
“Oh, that’s right. I was doing a lot of dragon chasing in those days. It’s hard to remember.”
Devlin’s hand has found its way onto my shoulder like a tarantula trying to stow away into my luggage. I shrug it off as he says to my father, “I’d love to talk to you about those dragons sometime.”
“Anytime,” Dad says with an easy smile. “Stop by whenever you’d like.”
Mama rolls her eyes. “But back to this whole thing with Blair.”
“Yes.” Devlin shifts on his hips. When he does, his body brushes against mine. And I take a small step away. “This particular project that I’m working on requires a full-time, twenty-four-seven helper. It’s just for a few days.”
Now Mama’s eyes are big as plates. They scour my face, then his, then back to mine. “But what about the courting season?”
This is a big deal because this is the first time that my family is pulling out all the stops. They’re not just hosting balls. There are alsoevents. Old-fashioned events where the gents and ladies are chaperoned by the older witches, who all giggle, plot and bet on who’s going to end up with whom.
There’s even correct grammar like the wordwhomthrown around.
“She’ll be at every event,” he tells them.
“With you?” Mama asks.
“No,” I say loudly. Devlin stiffens. “We won’t be together. We’re not together. I’m only helping him on this thing.”
“But you’re spending the night there,” Mama says.
Oh, right. This looks bad, right? Like I’m shacking up with Devlin at night and then flirting with other men during the day.
“It’s the nature of the project,” Devlin insists. “I have no intention of defiling your daughter or laying any claim to her.”
“Thank goodness,” I murmur. Everyone looks at me. I shrug. “What? We’re not together. I’m only helping him. Storm Grayson is here. I’m not going to lose out on the chance to get to know him.”
Devlin nods. His body reminds me of a mountain—a hot, lava-created structure made of flaming coals. Heat wafts off his body and clouds around me like a fog. His presence can’t be ignored because he’s so big and…just…everything about him is too much.
In fact, it feels like the air is being sucked out of the room.
“Well, it’s at a strange time,” Mama murmurs.
“I know, but Devlin needs his own power for the experiment and I have it,” I explain.
“Plus she does have other potion-related talents that I require,” he adds, returning to his original point that I’m some sort of potion savant, which I am not.
I won’t lie. There is a special place in my heart for potion making. A big one. It’s been years since I was dumped in a lab with ingredients and given the chance to have at it. Even though Devlin’s lying so that my parents approve of this arrangement, the urge to start mixing ingredients and seeing what happens makes my fingers ache.
Mom looks at Dad and he nods. Then she glances back at me, and her gaze is searching my face like a spotlight. She’s trying to look into my soul to see if this is really what I want.
Of course it isn’t what I want! But for the sake of this family, I need Storm Grayson to love me. He has to fall for me, and if anyone can seduce a person, it’s Devlin.
So unfortunately, that means I need him, too.
Finally Mama exhales a big sigh. “Well, if this is the only way for you to get what you need, Devlin.”
“I wish it was any other way, Clara. I don’t want to use Blair like this, but she does have my power, and like I said, I can also use her expertise with potion creation. But don’t you fear—I’ll have her at every single event, and on time, too.”
