She hesitated again and then nodded. She obviously hadn’t talked to Aiden as yet, otherwise she would have known he’d taken time off from work.
Maybe it wasn’t just me he left in the dark.
“This way.”
I led her across to the table we kept reserved for whenever Monty, Ashworth, or Eli decided to call in. A soft murmuring trailed behind us, a wave of surprise and expectation. I wasn’t going to give them their show; not here, not now, not ever.
“What can I get you?” I said once she was seated.
She picked up the menu and, after a moment, said, “A long black and the lemon meringue pie, thanks.”
“Won’t be long.”
“Thank you.”
I headed back to the counter. Belle was already making her coffee. You sure you don’t want me to force her ass and too-perfect hair out into the storm?
I smiled, even though all I wanted to do was scream and shout and weep. I can’t talk to her if you force her ass out into the rain.
Belle’s eyebrows rose. Why the hell do you want to talk to her? She’s the opposition.
That doesn’t alter the fact we need to talk. I walked around the counter and pulled the pie from the cake fridge. Gut instinct is telling me all is not as it seems—at least when it comes to her appearance here.
Your gut instinct is crazy.
Could be. I cut a slice of pie, plated it up, and then decorated it with cream and strawberries. I still need to talk to her.
The gossips are going to have a field day.
Which will happen no matter what I do.
True.
I put Mia’s order onto the tray, grabbed a green tea for myself, and then walked over. Once I’d placed everything on the table, I raised a shield to prevent our watchers from hearing anything we said, and then sat down opposite her.
She raised an eyebrow. It was an elegant gesture. “Is there a problem?”
“I suspect there will be.”
Curiosity and perhaps a touch of wariness crossed her pretty features, but her golden eyes showed little in the way of emotion. It just reinforced my suspicion she had no idea who I was.
“And why is that?”
“Because of who I am, and who you are.”
She studied me for a second. “You’re a witch. I’ve been told that much.”
“By Karleen O’Connor, no doubt. Did she also send you here?”
She hesitated and then nodded. “She said Aiden generally drops by for a coffee after an early shift.”
I am so going to rain curses down on that bitch the next time I see her, Belle growled.
She’s hardly worth the karma blowback. To Mia, I added, “Which is extremely interesting, considering she’s well aware he’s taken leave from work and is currently at the hospital by his injured brother’s bedside.”
“I did know about Dillon.” Mia picked up her coffee cup and studied me over its rim. “But why on earth would Karleen lie like that?”
A smile tugged at my lips, though it held little in the way of humor. “For the exact same reason that she invited you back into the reservation.”
“And why is that?”
“Because she wants me out of Aiden’s life and has become so desperate to achieve that aim that she’d invite the woman who broke his heart back into his life without informing him.”
Surprise flitted across her face, but there was very little else in the way of reaction. After a few moments, she put her coffee down, crossed her arms on the table, and leaned forward. “You and Aiden are in a relationship?”
“Have been for a few months now.”
“But you’re a witch. Surely you’re aware it could amount to nothing.”
Anger boiled down the mental lines, a force so fierce I winced. Belle, you need to control it.
Oh, I am. If I wasn’t, she’d be naked and walking barefoot out of the reservation right now.
The whole naked thing is a bit extreme, methinks.
Not given she’s thinking you’re a little too well rounded for Aiden’s tastes.
I snorted and said, “He appreciates the bigger tits, Mia.”
Her gaze widened even as pink flushed through her cheeks. “You heard what I was thinking?”
“I didn’t. My friend and co-owner did. I take it Karleen didn’t warn you about that, either?”
She drew in a breath and placed her hands on the table, obviously intending to leave. Belle’s mental energy surged; a heartbeat later, she was in Mia’s mind and preventing her from moving.
“What the hell …?” Mia said, a mix of anger and fear flickering through her eyes.
“As I said earlier, we need to talk. You’ll be free to go after that.” I motioned to her coffee and pie. “Consider those on the house as a means of compensation.”
She glared at me. I picked up the teapot and poured myself a cup, maintaining appearances for all those watching so avidly.
“Look,” I said. “I mean you no harm. But you need to know what the situation is.”
“I think I can guess what the situation is.” Her mellow tones held a bite. “You’re in a relationship destined to go nowhere, but it’s one you’re very desperate to hold on to. You no doubt intend to warn me off.”
I picked up my cup and took a sip. “Actually, no. I’m well aware that my relationship with Aiden will end. What you and I need to talk about is the means through which that happens.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Meaning what, exactly?”
“That until Aiden tells me himself it’s over, you won’t do anything to undermine us. You will not come on to him or bad-mouth me to him.”
Frost touched her golden eyes. “I have no idea what you’ve heard about me, but I’m not the type to ever willingly sleep with a man in a committed relationship—be it with a wolf, human, or witch.”
“The key word there is ‘willingly.’”
Her gaze widened a fraction. “He told you about that?”
“He did. There are no secrets between us, Mia.” Not now, at any rate.
She digested this for a few moments, then picked up her spoon and scooped up some pie. “I could promise you the world, then walk out of this café and do the exact opposite. You’d never know, because you’re not wolf and will never be party to what happens in the compounds.”
“Except I would. Remember my friend? The telepathic one? The gossip brigade in this town has nothing on her when it comes to information gathering.” I took another sip of tea. “Of course, we could enforce the agreement mentally, but that could lead to bad karma, and I’d really rather make this a friendly arrangement.”
Horror and perhaps a touch of fear flitted through her expression. She hastily scooped up more pie. “What happens to me if he does decide our relationship should renew?”
“Absolutely nothing. You and he would be welcome here anytime you wish.”
She half laughed. “That would be rather awkward, wouldn’t it?”
“No, because I’m also one half of the reservation witch team, so he and I will be working together on a regular basis.”
She frowned. “Why on earth would the reservation need two witches?”
A smile tugged at my lips. This time, it actually did hold some amusement. “Because we have an ongoing demon and spirit infestation problem.”