Forever Charmed (The Halloween LaVeau Series, Book 1) by Rose Pressey Read Free Book Online Page B

Liam’s face.
“For two men who don’t know each other, you seem to have quite a few warnings. Let me guess, you have a gut instinct about each other, right?” I asked, exasperated.
This seemed too dangerous. I should have asked both of them to leave, but something made me ignore my logical warning… it was that same strange pull that I couldn’t shake. They remained tight-lipped.
I looked at Nicolas. “I’m supposed to take your word for it that Liam is dangerous?”
Who did Nicolas think he was anyway? He showed up in the middle of the night looking like some kind of movie vampire and was now giving me orders? That took a lot of nerve. But was it a legitimate warning? How would I know?
“This guy doesn’t know me. He’s just spreading rumors. I don’t know what his beef is with me.” Nicolas gave Liam a brutal, unrelenting glare.
Should I mention that I’d overheard their conversation? What was the woman’s name that Nicolas had mentioned? Oh yes, Mara. Who was Mara? And what was the Underworld? Were they involved in something illegal? I decided to see how this scene played out before I mentioned what I’d overheard.
“If anyone shouldn’t be trusted, it’s him.” Liam pointed at Nicolas.
“Is everything all right?” my mother asked. “Do you know these men, Halloween?”
I hesitated, but knew I’d have to tell her the truth. “They are both bed-and-breakfast guests.”
Her expression said it all. “Oh, was the breakfast bad?” she asked the men.
I hardly thought they were fighting because of my burnt pancakes. They were bad, but not that bad.
“The breakfast was good,” Nicolas offered with a smile.
Apparently, my mother wasn’t immune to his good looks because she smiled in return.
Liam, not to be outdone, said, “The food was delicious, ma’am.”
My mother blushed and widened her grin. She was enjoying the attention.
“This is my mother, Annette.” I gestured toward my mother. She’d stopped blushing, but interest in the men hadn’t waned.
“If both of you aren’t happy with each other, I can change your rooms so that you’re farther apart. Other than that, there’s nothing else I can do.” I tried to disguise my annoyance.
Nicolas remained quiet. I supposed he wasn’t going to give me a straight answer, just vague hints about how he didn’t trust the guy.
The same went for Liam. All he could offer was a lame excuse that he thought Nicolas was talking badly about him when he supposedly didn’t even know him. I had to get to the bottom of this. There had to be a way to find out who these men were and why they’d popped into my life.
Without saying another word, Liam stormed out of the store. Would he leave LaVeau Manor after this heated exchange? That would probably be for the best, even if I needed the cash. The men had issues that I didn’t want to deal with.
I looked at Nicolas. “Maybe it’s better if you leave. I can speak with you later. I need to help my mother now.”
Nicolas reached out and touched my hand. I sucked in a quick breath. My body tingled, although I tried to will away the feeling. Why did the simple touch of his hand against mine feel so intimate? Why did his spicy scent send shivers across my body? He smelled of rich woods and sweet musk. Years of working at my mother’s shop had fine-tuned my sense of smell. Every time Nicolas looked at me it was as if he couldn’t take his gaze off me… and as much as I tried to deny it, the feeling was mutual. But maybe I was just imagining things. After all, I hadn’t slept much. And that weird sensation from the book was playing tricks on my mind.
“Please be careful,” Nicolas said.
“I’m always careful,” I said.
“When will you return to the manor?” he asked.
I looked at my mother.
“I’ll need your help all morning,” she said.
It was completely up to her and how much help she needed today. It was like I was sixteen again and asking my mother if I could date boys all over again. Except this was