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“Do I get to tell you now how fucking beautiful you look in that dress?” he asked breathlessly as his hand made its way down her thighs until he met bare skin.

She shook her head.

He raised his eyebrows. “No?” He clicked his tongue. “I don’t like being told no, Winters.”

It took all of her self-control not to arch her body against his. His belt buckle dug into her skin, and she wanted to take it off and remove the other layers of fabric that kept his skin from hers.

But then she heard the click of the door.

“Oh, for spheres’ sake, my eyes.”

She knew that voice and instantly wanted to die of shame. Oliver stood next to Ella in the doorway.

Mira sat up, certain her face glowed bright red as heat rushed up her neck. She pushed Dawson off her and awkwardly adjusted her dress. He was apparently in no hurry to get dressed and stood there without his shirt on.

Perhaps that was another reason why Oliver had taken off his glasses and pressed his palms against his eyes. Ella, on the other hand, smirked at her approvingly.

“Sullivan,” Dawson said, dripping with arrogance as he placed his hands in his pockets. “I thought someone should christen your desk.”

Mira’s eyes widened in shock. “This is Oliver’s office?”

Oliver sighed. “Yes, unfortunately for all of us, it is. I wanted to show Ella. A decision I now thoroughly regret.” He put his glasses back on and looked like he was about to throw up. “Well, carry on.” He waved a hand at Mira and Dawson. “I’m going to have to burn the desk now anyway. Maybe bathe my eyes in acid.” With that he walked out and Ella followed, but not before winking at Mira.

When the door closed, she shoved Dawson. “You did this on purpose.”

He laughed. “I swear I didn’t. It was literally the closest room. But it did work out rather marvelously for me.”

She was so angry and embarrassed, she didn’t know what to do, so she collected the notebooks from the floor. She picked up a gold plaque with Oliver’s name on it and could picture him placing it on his desk with pride.

Dawson observed her closely with a grin, not lifting a finger to help her. “You do carry that flush of embarrassment rather well.”

“Oh, just shut up,” she said, arranging the notebooks. When she was done she turned, only to find Dawson still sans shirt and staring at her with a look of mild amusement. “Just get dressed so we…Hang on, I don’t need to wait for you.”

She stormed out and he followed her, shrugging his shirt back on. “You have to admit, Sullivan’s face was priceless.”

She kept walking down the staircase while Dawson buttoned up his shirt and put his jacket back on. Thankfully, when they entered the main hallway, he was fully dressed again.

“Let’s get back to your estate and read what’s in that stupid scroll,” she said.

He grinned. “Going home with me after our first date? I thought you’d make me work harder for it, Winters.”

In response, she shot a shackling spell at him, which he clearly hadn’t seen coming. It was timed for only two minutes, but it would give her enough time to arrive at the estate before him. Watching his eyes stare at her with genuine surprise warmed her heart.

“Look at that. White spells aren’t so useless after all.” She took the scroll from his pocket and, with a wink, coin traveled away.

18

When she arrived at Dawson’s estate several minutes later, the lab was dark and cold. She pooled enough White Magic in her hand to see and walked up the stairs.

“No lights for me, huh?” she called out to the quiet estate when she stepped into the living room. “And here I thought you were getting used to my presence.”

She opened the scroll and read the list of who had used cleritas last. There was only one name, and while she didn’t recognize it, the dates correlated with the murder victims.

Mira heard the high pitch of his coin flying through the air, and before Dawson had even fully materialized, the whole house illuminated and the fireplace crackled to life. The estate was like an old friend to him, he had said.

Leisurely, he walked toward her. “Making yourself at home, I see.”

“Those were two blissful minutes during which I didn’t have to listen to your snippy comments. And I do not regret it in the least.”