Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
“Have fun.” I wave them off and blow out a breath after the door closes behind them.
I enjoy the tourists and helping them choose the stones that are just right for them and their needs. It’s why I opened the shop. Surprisingly, I do as well with the fine jewelry as I do with the crystals.
It’s a great balance for me.
But there are moments when a customer seems to just suck the energy from me.
So, I pick up my personal selenite wand and walk around the space, cleansing it of any residual energy.
Suddenly, I hear a crash behind me. I spin to find a shelf on the wall has collapsed, the crystals from it falling onto the counter below, and some of the stones broken in two.
“Well, shit.”
Before I can walk over to inspect the damage, one of the geodes levitates and launches right at me.
I dive out of the way, and the stone hits the wall behind me.
“Stop!” I order, my voice strong and loud, and then I go right into a protection spell.
“Shield this body, protect this place, redirect darkness through time and space. What’s been sent will reflect on thee, not just equal but three times three. Love and light surround us all, from coyote’s howl to raven’s call. Guides, ancestors, deities, friends, lend me your strength without end.”
All the activity stops immediately, but something pulls my attention to the large piece of labradorite that’s been handed down through my family, and I narrow my eyes.
If something decides to act up while I’m gone, I don’t need it to damage that piece.
“I’ll take it home,” I mutter to myself and then return to cleansing the area. I sprinkle fresh salt in all four corners and recharge my wards.
Xander’s right. We need to reset all the protection tools we have. And I admit, I’ve not been as vigilant about it here in the shop as I should have been.
That all changes now.
It’s later than I want when I finally walk through the back door of my house, but it took me a long time to make sure the shop was safe.
I muscle the large piece of labradorite onto a table in the living room and then set off in search of my girl.
I find her in her spinning space, hunched over the wheel, threading wool to make yarn.
She’s surrounded by the stuff, bags and bags of it, all separated by color and scattered across the floor. Merlin’s lying atop one of the bags, napping away.
Breena’s blonde hair is disheveled, coming out of the ponytail she secured early this morning. She has shadows under her eyes and little cuts on her fingers. She looks fucking exhausted.
“Hey.”
Her head comes up, and then she winces and rolls her shoulder.
“Honey, you’ve been sitting there all day.”
“I know,” she says and then clears her throat. “I have the cankles to prove it. I never thought I’d have to deal with swollen ankles before I even turn thirty, but I guess that’s what sitting at this thing all day gets me.”
“You need a break.”
“But I’m almost done with this part. I want to start weaving tomorrow, and—”
“Break,” I repeat and move toward her. Taking her hand in mine, I pull her up to her feet. Once she’s untangled herself from the spinner, I cup her face in my hands and kiss the hell out of her.
She still smells like sunshine and feels like heaven, and when I pull back, I can’t help but rest my forehead against hers and just be still with her.
“Needed that all day,” I whisper.
“I guess I did, too.” Her hands are on my sides, loosely hanging on. It’s taken every fiber of willpower over the past couple of weeks to keep the physical affection to just this. To not take it much, much further with her because we have so much hanging over our heads.
There’s a lot at stake.
I’m not a young man. I don’t have to let my dick lead the way every minute of every day.
But damn, I want her every minute of every day. I want to make her mine in every sense of the word.
I’ve always been a patient man, but even I have limits.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” she finally asks.
“Nothing.” I kiss her forehead and then back away.
“Did you have a bad day?”
“No, it was actually a good business day.”
“And the rest?”
I shrug a shoulder. I don’t want to scare her, but I don’t want to keep her in the dark either.
“I had some poltergeist activity in the shop today.”
“What?” She turns from gathering up the yarn she just spun, her eyes wide with concern. “Is that normal?”
“No, definitely not normal.”
She frowns and looks worried, and I shake my head.
“Don’t worry. I cleansed everything really well. That’s why I’m later than usual tonight.”