“I’d better get building,” he said, stroking a hand through his fiancée’s glossy hair. “Hey, how do the twins feel about milkshakes?”
“I like milkshakes,” Aurora said, tugging on his hand. “Ninjas love milkshakes, right, Bucket?”
Beckett grinned at her. “They sure do, shortcake. And I bet if you give Carter that sad face of yours he’d invite you along to the milkshake stand.”
Aurora spun around to face Carter, her sweet face morphing into wide-eyed, lip-trembling devastation.
“What the hell is that?” Carter asked in horror, picking her up.
“Mama, Carter said ‘hell.’” Aurora said in a loud whisper, her faux sadness forgotten in the thrill of a tale to tell.
“Jesus,” Carter said, rubbing his free hand over his heart.
“See what you have to look forward to?” Gia said sweetly.
Beckett grinned.
Summer covered her belly with her hand. “Please don’t be two girls,” she whispered.
“What do you say, Rora? Want to come with Summer and me and get a milkshake?” Carter asked.
Aurora nodded earnestly and stroked her little hands through Carter’s beard. “Yes, please.”
“Mama, is it okay with you?” Summer winked at Gia.
“Sure, just please don’t let her order a large. I’ll catch up with you after the fried cauliflower stand.”
Gia sighed as she watched her little girl dance off between Summer and Carter holding their hands.
“What are they going to do with two of them?” Beckett asked.
“Never sleep again?” She turned to face him. “You know, we probably shouldn’t be seen alone together in front of the entire town,” she reminded him.
“I’m just a mayor having a friendly conversation with a witchy constituent.” His gray gaze was warm on her face. “I like your costume. Very fitting.”
Gia glanced down.
“Thank you. This is my standard Friday night outfit. I’m curious about your costume. What are you, exactly?”
“I’m a man trying to hide his attraction to a very sexy witch.” He reached out and fingered the tassled tie of her cloak. “I don’t understand it,” he murmured.
“Don’t understand what?”
“Why I find you so irresistible.”
“Beckett!” His name crossed her lips on a hiss. “Your logic is the only thing saving us from a mistake right now. I need you to resist.”
“What about your logic? Your resistance?” His voice was low, skirting toward dangerous.
“They both disappeared when you brought me a fairy garden.”
He took a step closer. “Don’t say things like that.”
Gia’s gaze darted around. Was it her imagination or did everyone in line for cotton candy have their cellphones pointed in their direction?
She grabbed his arm and dragged him off the sidewalk and behind one of the giant oaks that stretched toward the twilight heavens.
Out of the lights, away from the prying eyes, she decided to put it all out there. “Beckett, I need to be clear. I’m very, very attracted to you.” Her gaze skimmed down his body and back up again. “Very,” she said again.
“The feeling is mutual,” he said, bringing his warm hands to her hips.
“But I have two kids. I can’t just have a fling any more than I can jump into a relationship.”
“I know that, Gianna. They’re great kids. I don’t want to jeopardize anything for them, or for you. But I can’t get you out of my head.”
“So what are you suggesting?” She let him pull her a little closer, let her hands slide under his jacket.
“I don’t know.” She could hear the frustration in his tone. His fingers dug into her flesh with it. “I guess, curtains for one.”
“Curtains?”
“You need some curtains for your bedroom. I spend way too much time staring out of my windows into yours. It’s creepy. I feel like a stalker. And you don’t have curtains and I can’t look away.”
Gia knew she should be mortified. But the heat that swept through her wasn’t embarrassment.
“You’re so unbelievably beautiful. You just pull me in and I’m powerless to fight it. I don’t want to fight it. I want to know what it’s like to be with you, in you.”
His lips were a breath away and her legs went boneless.
“Tonight.” She whispered it, unsure if he heard it over the pounding of the blood through her veins.
“Tonight what?” His grip tightened on her.
“Be with me tonight,” she breathed. “And then we’ll see ... Maybe once it’s out of our systems, a set of curtains will be the answer.”
“And if curtains aren’t the answer?” He asked the question she was most afraid of, the one she already knew the answer to.
“If they aren’t, then we’ll find the answer. Together.”
His hands moved to her arms, gripped until her skin stung. “What about Evan and Aurora? We can’t just have a sleepover. They’ll be scarred for life if they had to listen to all the things I want to do with you.”