CHAPTER 10

Mac

WHEN I WOKE UP THE next morning, Aly was already gone. Her alarm made the annoying buzzing noise and it took me a good five minutes to figure out how to shut it off.

After I got the damn contraption off, I started back to the couch but then looked at the larger, more comfortable option, which was now thankfully vacant. Glancing around the dim room, I searched out Aly’s bag and noticed it was gone. The keys to the apartment were gone as well.

Must have gone to work. I shrugged, then wasted no time throwing myself into her bed. Which I immediately regretted.

It smelled like her. I rubbed my face against her pillow and inhaled deeply. Just her scent caused me to harden. I let out a frustrated growl. Why couldn’t I stop thinking about her? She was just one human woman. I’d been with plenty of other women, more attractive women, and I never thought about them afterward. I haven’t even bedded Aly and I couldn’t get her off my mind.

But last night had been something. Kissing her was almost worth the time and effort I was taking in seducing her, although it didn’t seem so much like a chore to just get her to make her wishes. Now, I was actually looking forward to having her beneath me once more. To hear those little sighs of pleasure fall from her lips.

From what she’d told me I assumed the Jared fellow had been her only lover. He didn’t seem like he knew how to pleasure a woman. Or even care about anything but his own release. My lips quirked as I thought about all the things I could teach her.

It wasn’t until the light from the window shone into my eyes that I realized I had fallen asleep once more. I groaned as I rolled over in Aly’s bed. It was far more comfortable than the couch, and even harder to leave.

My stomach rumbled, reminding me that though I was a genie I still had to eat. I inched out of the bed and was thankful Aly wasn’t there to see me that way. As I flipped on the light, I noticed a pile of clothes on the kitchen counter.

I walked over to the pile and picked up the note sitting on top. ‘I had to guess at your size, so hopefully these fit. I’ll be off work at five.’

Smiling at the little heart she had placed next to her name, I sat the note aside. Picking up the first item, a dark blue t-shirt, I pulled it over my head. It was a bit looser than my normal clothing but it would do. Next were the pants. Those fit like a glove, but not so much that I couldn’t button them.

After slipping on the clothing Aly had left for me, I found my shoes. I glanced around the kitchen and contemplated hunting through her cabinets for something to eat. The prospect wasn’t appealing. Yesterday I’d eaten some kind of cereal which had been more akin to cardboard than food. I didn’t care to repeat it.

Then I remembered Aly worked at a coffee shop. They were bound to have some kind of breakfast food.

I searched the table next to the apartment door for the key Aly had given me. I locked the front door and made my way down the stairs. Once I was out on the street I tried to remember where the coffee shop was located.

“Idiot,” I muttered to myself. Only yesterday I had explained how the contract between Aly myself worked, and I had just forgotten it. I closed my eyes and let my magic search out Aly’s presence. It found her a few miles away and promptly transported myself outside of the shop.

Aly’s gaze shot to the window the moment I appeared. Eyes wide, her usual friendly grin faltered. As I opened the door, I heard her tell her customer to have a good day and they turned from the counter not realizing I had just appeared out of thin air.

I walked up to the counter, offering her a scorching grin. She didn’t return it. Instead she glared at me with her hands on her hips. Strangely, it only made her more attractive.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she whispered harshly her eyes darting over to her friend Jade, who gave us a knowing grin.

“Coming to visit you at work of course,” I leaned across the counter and tried to kiss her but she moved away. I frowned, “What’s wrong?”

“You can’t just pop up wherever you like. Someone could have seen you!” Aly gestured at the customers, concern etched on her face.

“Oh,” I said, then waved her off, “Don’t worry about that. My magic has a condition that ensures those who aren’t bound to me won’t notice my arrival unless they are staring right at me. Even then most will just brush it off.”

Aly scoffed, “You couldn’t have told me this the first day? I was freaking out for nothing!”

I gave her an apologetic smile, “I wasn’t planning on liking you then. I wasn’t about to make it easier for you.”

“You what?” Aly’s mouth fell open and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Chucking her under the chin with my knuckle, I repeated, “I like you, Aly. Quite a lot, actually. More than I should.”

She ducked her head the way she did when she was embarrassed, then tucked a hair behind her ear, “I like you too, Mac.”

“Great! We all like each other. Now, can I get my coffee?” I turned around to see a man in his mid-forties standing behind me. He scowled at me, but then swallowed down whatever he was about to say when I stood to my full height.

“I’m sorry,” I crossed my arms over my chest, “Are we bothering you?”

The man shook his head, his mouth open wide, “No, no. It’s fine, take your time.”

“Thank you,” I smirked and clapped him on his shoulder. I tried to resume my mission to seduce Aly but she angled her neck to look around me.

“Sorry sir. I’ll be right with you,” she said to the man. Then to me, she said, “If you are going to stay you have to sit over there,” she pointed at the table I’d sat at the first day.

Giving her a bored look, I shifted away from the counter and sat at the table. Crossing my ankles, I leaned back in my seat to watch Aly work. I hadn’t been sitting there long when her friend, Jade, came by.

Great. Here we go again.

I didn’t have anything against the woman, but the way she had thrown herself at me the first day had been off putting. Even more so when she’d later talked about her beau.

Her multi-toned hair was pulled up in a high pony tail that bounced as she walked. She slid into the chair on the opposite side of the table. Pushing a cup of light-colored liquid and one of the mouthwatering muffins in front of me, she smiled.

“Thought you might be hungry waiting over here,” she explained as I devoured the muffin. My eyes closed briefly as the confection filled my mouth. It were exquisite. It took everything I had not to let out a moan of pleasure. And with Jade’s amused gaze on me, I didn’t dare.

“Good, aren’t they?” Jade nodded to the muffin with a proud grin.

“They’re they best thing I’ve ever tasted,” I replied honestly.

“Aly makes them.”

My eyes widened at the news. My eyes locked onto Aly’s form standing behind the counter as she helped a customer. Not only was she a hard worker but she could bake as well? Was there anything she couldn’t do?

“Why is she working here then?” I turned slightly in my chair to ask Jade, “She could have her own shop selling these masterpieces!”

Jade shrugged a sad shoulder, “I know and so does she, but her last guy really screwed her over.”

“You mean Jared?” I asked, my lips pressing into a thin line.

“Oh, you’ve met the jerk wad huh?” her brows lifted in surprise.

“He came by the apartment while Aly was at class,” I explained my gaze straying back over to my master.

“What were you doing at Aly’s apartment?” Jade asked, amusement in her eyes. Then she shook her head, “Never mind, I don’t need to know. Aly’s a big girl. What happened with the ex?”

Finishing off the final piece of the muffin I searched out the ones sitting on the counter, staring longingly at them. Before I could ask Jade jumped up and fetched another one, then handed it to me with a laugh.

“Here. Aly hasn’t had a guy in a while. She forgets that you need to be fed.” Jade leaned forward, resting her cheek on her hand.

Frowning at her, I took a bite of the muffin and said, “I’m not a pet.”

Jade only laughed at my denial. “Sure you aren’t. So anyways, dish. What happened?”

Swallowing the piece in my mouth, I asked, “Why don’t you just ask Aly? She was there too.”

The humor in her face dropped and she sneaked a look at her friend, “Aly might act like what happened with Jared doesn’t bother her, but it does. She doesn’t like to talk about him. I doubt she would tell me even if I asked.”

“But aren’t you her best friend?”

Jade shrugged, “There are somethings that even best friends shouldn’t know about. She doesn’t want to talk about it, so I don’t push. She’ll open up when she’s ready.”

We fell into a comfortable silence for a few moments before Jade spoke up again, “Well, no matter what happened, I’m glad she has you. I haven’t seen her this happy in a while. Whatever you are doing, keep up the good work.”

She stood from the table and winked before heading back behind the counter to help Aly, who gave her a questioning look before her eyes met mine across the room. I waved and offered her a small smile. Her face flushed and she ducked her head down before greeting the next customer.

There certainly was more to my new master than meets the eye. The ex-boyfriend who, by Jade’s explanation, she didn’t talk about, her ability to put up with her less-than-appealing boss and go to school at the same time, not to mention her wonderful muffins. If I ever got back home, I’d have to commission her to make some for me to share with the others. There certainly wasn’t anything like it there.

Thinking about home made my chest tighten. If Aly completed her other two wishes, I might never see her again. And if she was the last one I needed to break the spell then I, for sure, would go home and that likelihood would be even smaller.

I took a sip of the cup of what I could only assume was coffee, and grimaced. Even with the added sweetness the drink was barely drinkable. I glanced up and down the line of customers and wondered how they could stand it. Then I noticed each one of them were purchasing one of Aly’s muffins with their drink.

Anger filled me. Obviously, the only reason her boss kept her around was to counter his disgusting product. If it hadn’t been for her muffins, I doubt the shop would even still be running. It made me wonder even more why she let him treat her so badly, and why she didn’t just branch out on her own.

Then, what Jade had said came back to me. Was this Jared guy really the source of all her problems? If so, maybe Jade was right. If she wouldn’t talk to her best friend maybe, just maybe, I could get her to talk to me. Then I could get her to use one of her wishes to fix it.