MAGGIE

“Nice.” Emily surveys us both as we reach the lobby. Her expression says everything. “Did you tell him you loved him, or did you just have sex because you felt like it?”

I give her a cheesy smile.

“I didn’t mean you had to tell him now.” She exhales, grumpy. “Anyway, call Luca. I’m ready to go.”

“Don’t tell me you and Luca aren’t talking.” I roll my eyes. “You’re going to a party as a couple. This is going to be awkward.”

“We’re talking,” she says, slowly. “I’m just annoyed.”

“Why?”

She scrunches up her face. “It’s embarrassing. Let’s go.”

“Is this about me and Tyler?” I hold onto her arm. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.” She sighs. “It’s just not fair. I mean, I’m happy for you and Tyler, I really am.”

“But?”

“But I have been sending Luca hints forever! I had to beg him to be my date to the party.” She crosses her arms. “Then there’s Tyler, and he follows you like a puppy dog even after you’ve pushed him away for weeks. I want someone to want me that much.”

“Well, I’ll tell you what.” I link my arm through hers. “If Luca doesn’t get his shit together, someone else will come along and whisk you away. Who knows? Maybe one of Claire’s handsome—and very rich—friends will have his eye on you tonight, and it’ll make Luca snap to attention.”

Emily considers this, then eventually sighs. “I hope not. Claire is old—her friends are probably in retirement homes.”

“We’re her friends, aren’t we?” I point out. “We’re not old.”

“I suppose not, but we’re her business contacts. Isn’t this a professional mingling sort of party?”

I shrug. “Either way, we’re going to be late. I saw Luca head outside.”

Emily gives one more tug on her horns, surveys my costume, and then yanks my zipper the rest of the way to my neck. “There we go,” she says. “Can’t have you popping out. That’d be criminal.”

I roll my eyes again at her joke, and we head out. Julia from the bookstore is covering the front desk—she opted to skip the party and go for the time and a half holiday pay—and she’s standing in the doorway speaking to the boys. With the rumors of the bookstore possibly going out of business, Emily and I have been trying to include her as much as possible in scheduling.

“I’m so glad your girls like the books,” Julia is saying. “I told you to bring the girls to the store, but I’ve yet to see them!”

“We’ll be back soon,” Tyler says, sounding rushed as his eyes land on me. “We should be going.”

I shoot him a strange look. It’s as if he’s gone all jumpy, practically ignoring Julia’s presence at my arrival.

“Okay,” I say, unsure. “Julia, if you have any questions, give us a call. You know how to reach us—otherwise, I’m sure we won’t be out late.”

“Right,” Emily muttered. “Someone’s in a hurry to get to bed.”

For quite possibly the first time ever, Tyler has the courtesy to look down at his feet. I avert my eyes, too, as Luca snorts with amusement.

“Well, we probably should be going.” I make the same lame excuse as Tyler. “See you later!”

“Have fun!” Julia’s either too polite to comment on the pile of awkwardness before her, or she’s completely oblivious. “Don’t rush back; I can stay as long as I’m needed.”

“The girls should call my cell if they need anything,” I add as a last caveat. “But if they call here instead—”

“I know where to find you.” Julia winks. “Really, it’s fine. Have a great time at the party.”

Tyler slides his arm around my shoulders, and we follow Luca—the most handsome vampire I’ve ever seen—and Emily out toward the car.

I begin to relax at once. Tyler’s touch has some magical effect on my body that relaxes my worries and sends me to a calmer place. The weight of his sturdy body, the easiness of his gait, the now-familiar scent of his breath against my cheek as he leans in to kiss my neck—all of it eases some of the tension that I hadn’t realized built up in my shoulders.

“Relax,” he says, nuzzling against me. “It’ll be fun. The inn won’t burn down, and the girls will survive a night away. Your mother though, she might be in trouble...”

I laugh, letting my head rest against his chest as we climb into Luca’s car. I let my body huddle next to Tyler’s warmth in the backseat, finally feeling the rest of my tension ease as he snuggles me close.

For a wistful moment, I want to ask Luca to turn the car around and drop us back off at the inn. I want my mother to bring the girls back, and I want the four of us to pop onto the couch at Tyler’s and fire up a Disney flick. We’d make the group trek down to the newly fixed popcorn machine, grab a basket of lavender towels for the girls, and make a night of it.

“We don’t have to stay long,” Tyler whispers against my forehead, as if reading my mind. “And I’ll watch Cinderella later, if that’s what you’re sighing about.”

I laugh, soft against him, and welcome the kiss he offers with gentle lips. “I miss the girls.”

“Me too,” he says, his hand reaching for mine as he squeezes. “Let’s put on a good face, enjoy the party for an hour, and if you really want, we can swing by your mother’s on the way back.”

“No,” I say with a sigh. “The girls will kill us. I know their secret plan to stay up until all hours of the night.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” Tyler murmurs against my neck, his breath hot as his tongue snakes out and presses there, sending shivers down my spine. “Because I’ve been daydreaming of whipping out those handcuffs later...”

“We’re here,” Emily says pointedly. “Time to stop making out back there. Tyler, you’re supposed to know better.”

Tyler freezes. “Know better?”

Emily’s face crinkles into a smile. “You’re the cop—you’re not supposed to fraternize with the criminal.”

Tyler laughs, a deep belly laugh. Then he gathers me in his arms, plants a huge, wet kiss on my lips, and dips me halfway to the ground once we’re out of the car. His hand snakes through my hair and grabs tight, a dramatic display for everyone watching.

For me, on the receiving end of things, it’s just as sexy. Tyler’s other hand is at my back, and in spite of my orange jumpsuit, he’s making me feel as if I’m the belle of the ball. By the time he rights me, Emily, Luca, and a few other guests nearby give a slow clap of approval.

“I guess you know how to make an entrance,” I say grudgingly. But the warmth on my cheeks gives away my excitement, and despite my prior misgivings, I lean against Tyler as we approach Claire’s house, enjoying myself already.

“So this is where she lives?” Tyler wonders. “I thought you said she spent her time in New York.”

“She does, most of the year,” I say. “But Claire’s from just down the street, and this was the first house she bought. I think she probably considers it home, despite the fact she spends about three weeks a year living in it.”

“It’s gorgeous,” Tyler admires. “Or, spooky, I should say.”

The house is both gorgeous and spooky. It’s an old Victorian, quirky in its design with lots of pointy peaks and bright colors around the outside, but quite stately and grand at the same time. Claire has been known to go all out on her decorations—she once had real reindeer in her yard for Christmas—and this time around is no different.

The front yard has been converted into a cemetery, and as we wander through, I clutch Tyler’s arm time and time again as ghosts materialize from nowhere. Frankenstein figures pop out of their graves and live persons in costume jump out from behind trees and offer us glasses of orange-tinted smoking champagne.

“I’m going to have a heart attack,” I whisper to Tyler as we climb the front steps. “Claire’s double my age; I don’t know how she does it.”

Another round of drinks is provided as we step through the front door, but I wave it off, still holding my untouched glass of smoking champagne. A man dressed as a skeleton instructs us to find our name tags on the table.

“Sorry, I didn’t RSVP you—” I turn to Tyler, but he’s already located his name tag and is fastening it to his cop uniform.

“You can call me Detective Daniels,” he says with a wry grin.

I find my own nametag, left to ponder how Claire had managed to get every detail of the party perfect—including a nametag for a guest I hadn’t even RSVP’d—while I could barely manage to pull a comb through my hair and get Mila out the door with her lunch packed every morning.

“Shall we?” Tyler swoops an arm around my back, and in the thick of the entryway, we temporarily lose sight of Emily and Luca. “Fancy a quick, private tour of the place?”

“That sounds nice.”

Mostly, I want to keep Tyler’s arm around me and that low purr happening in my ear. The warmth of the house, each sip of champagne, the bustle of other adults having conversations that don’t center around homework and loose teeth—all of it is finally making me feel like someone I haven’t been in years. The carefree woman who dresses up for parties and laughs at crude jokes and drinks the second or third glass of champagne without worrying about a hangover in the morning.

“Thank you for coming with me,” I murmur as we sneak up a back staircase. I’m guessing this isn’t on the formal tour of the house, but I’m too caught up in the moment to concern myself with such things. “It’s nice to get out and about.”

“Next time, I’ll take you somewhere you can wear a pretty dress,” he says, his hand creeping lower and lower on my back until it reaches my bottom. He squeezes, pulling me tight against him in the upstairs hallway. “Not that I don’t think you look sexy as hell in that jumpsuit.”

“Oh yeah?” I press against him, relieved Tyler’s managed to find the one dark, unoccupied hallway in this entire place. He presses against me, and I can feel his arousal through those police pants. “How sexy?”

“I’m ready to leave when you are,” he murmurs, pulling my hips tight against him. “I thought I’d be fine for a few hours after you visited my room earlier, but...”

“I know what you mean.” My breath sounds ragged. “I can’t get enough of you.”

“Let’s keep things that way.” Tyler leans in, his lips hot, sweet, tasting of champagne and mint, smelling of his familiar shower soap and expensive cologne. “God, I want you so badly. What do you think this is in here?”

Tyler reaches for the knob behind me, twists, and the door opens into a bathroom. We stumble through, and before I know it, he’s lifted me onto the sink, not bothering to close the door, and spreads my legs. He pushes between them, taking my hands in his palms and stealing kisses from me, my breath barely surviving in the aftermath.

My jumpsuit feels like paper between us, and I’m so tempted to tell him to unzip me and finish what he’s started. I can practically feel him debating the pros and cons of the exact same thing as he presses against me hard, the friction sending fissures of electricity over my skin.

“I love you,” Tyler says, demanding. “I need to have you. Again.”

“We shouldn’t,” I gasp as his hand reaches between my thighs and strokes. “Tyler, we’re in public.”

“I don’t care,” he nearly growls. “If I lock the door—”

At that moment, there’s a shrieking in the hallway followed by the mechanical tone of a cackling witch. Strobe lights flicker on, brightening our near-union on the bathroom counter for the entire hallway to see. Tyler’s hand retracts at once, but he doesn’t bother to separate. If anything, he pulls me to his chest in an instinctive protective gesture and, startled, I have no problem burying my face in his chest.

“Dammit!” a female voice shrieks. “They need a fucking warning on this house. I spilled my drink all over myself. That witch thing is stupid.”

Tyler stiffens at the sound, though I can’t imagine why.

“Stay still,” I murmur in his ear. “They won’t find us here.”

This knowledge doesn’t seem to relax him. It only takes another second until I find out why.

“Stand still, Anastasia—” This time, it’s the male voice that sends shivers down my spine. “I can’t help you if you’re flailing all over the place.”

I turn, my eyes locking on Tyler’s as understanding clicks into place. Anastasia—that Anastasia. My eyes hold a question in them, but I’m too surprised to speak. Plus, I’d prefer not to be found dry humping on a counter with Tyler...by his ex. At my boss’s house.

There’s a flash of fury in Tyler’s eyes, offset by a burst of apology, but there’s no time for me to decipher either before Anastasia’s voice sounds again, and this time, it’s too close for comfort. She’s found us.

“Tyler?” she says, this time in a measured, husky tone. “Is that you? Is that...her?”

It’s a good thing I’m wearing a zip up one piece because my knees are still apart and my legs are wrapped around Tyler’s waist, my hands on his chest. It’s too late for me to take back the pose, so I proceed to freeze in place.

“What are you doing here?” Tyler slips out from between my legs, moving to a more appropriate spot next to me. His arm never leaves my waist.

“I got invited to a party,” she says. “So I showed up.”

“I didn’t know you’d be coming,” Tyler says, and I can feel him trying to keep his cool. “How do you know Claire? And if you were coming to town, why the hell didn’t you ask to see your daughter?”

To my surprise, Anastasia gives a tinkling laugh, though it doesn’t meet her eyes. “It’s always about Jess, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he snaps. “She’s our daughter. She wants to see you. Don’t tell me you’ve come all the way here and plan to head back without spending time with her?”

“I have to get back tomorrow,” Anastasia says, just as snappy on her response. “Jesus, Tyler. I didn’t come here for a lesson on parenting. Loosen up, will you? Introduce me to your girlfriend.”

I wince slightly at the term, but when Tyler doesn’t deny it, my brain begins to turn it over. I suppose we’ve both told one another that we’re in love—doesn’t that make me his girlfriend? If nothing else, it makes us a couple, I think. Even so, we’re both adults—parents—and it feels odd to call him my boyfriend. He’d have been my boyfriend in college—now, the term seems inappropriate.

“This is Maggie, my date,” Tyler says smoothly. “Maggie, this is Jessica’s mother, Anastasia. I believe the two of you met in high school.”

“Of course we did.” Anastasia extends her hand across Tyler and offers me a shake. “I like your costume. Very fitting.”

“Anastasia...” Tyler warns, but I wave him off.

“You look nice,” I say, for lack of anything else to say.

“Thanks,” she says, looking down at the itty bits of feathers that cover her privates, along with the glowing halo and the massive wings attached to her back. Apparently, she’s an angel. “I just threw this together.”

I can barely suppress an eyeroll. She looks as if she’s stumbled off the Victoria’s Secret catalogue. There’s no way her outfit hadn’t cost a pretty penny and required some intense gluing and taping to make sure nothing inappropriate pops out when she moves.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Anastasia says, her eyes flicking toward Tyler before landing on me. “I thought this was Claire’s party. A work event.”

“I’m Margaret’s date,” Tyler says through gritted teeth. “She invited me here.”

“I wasn’t asking you—I know why you’re here, Fletcher told me everything. That’s who I came with. Fletch, where the hell are you hiding? Get your ass over here. They’re done humping each other.”

“Tyler,” the man standing behind Anastasia says. He’s dressed in a suit and flimsy little vampire fangs, and is obviously trying to sound confident. However, even I can hear the fear underneath. “I didn’t expect to see you here. You’re not usually one for parties.”

“I see you’ve met Anastasia,” Tyler responds smoothly. “Are you two just screwing for fun, or does one of you need something from the other?”

I suck in a breath, but from the brief look between Fletcher and Anastasia, Tyler’s hit closer to the truth than I’d expected.

“I needed a lawyer,” Anastasia says, “and he volunteered to help. Things...escalated from there.”

Tyler raises his eyebrows. “And somehow, you wormed out private information about my business from my lawyer. Pillow talk?”

Neither Anastasia nor Fletcher denied it, though Fletcher did cast a curious glance toward me. “So that’s her?”

“Margaret,” Tyler corrects. “She is Claire’s right-hand woman.”

“Me and Emily,” I correct, feeling stupid and pointless in this conversation. “We run the inn together. Claire’s essentially my boss.”

Anastasia tilts her chin upward, surveying me carefully. “Ah. Not for long, I suppose?”

“That’s enough,” Tyler snaps. “Enjoy your time here. We were just about to take off.”

Tyler swoops me away from the situation before I can say goodbye.

“Sorry about that,” he grumbles. “I’m ready to leave. Are you?”

“Let me say hello to Claire, first,” I say, a bit alarmed. I tug on Tyler’s sleeve and pull him off to the side. “If this is about the way she acted toward me—I don’t care. I understand. Relationships with exes are...complicated.”

“The hell they are,” he growls, his eyes scanning behind me as if he’s on the lookout. “Mutual respect—what’s not to understand?”

“You know that’s not how it goes,” I plead with him. “There are emotions, and baggage, and—you have a child with her, Tyler. Listen to me.”

He’s still looking savagely around the room, like a bull about to charge. Finally, my hands find his face, and the coolness of my palms eventually calms him a few notches.

“Earlier tonight,” I whisper, our foreheads pressed together. “I told you I loved you. I meant it, Tyler—I meant it with everything in me.”

“I love you,” he says, gruff. “I’m just upset. I’m sorry.”

“You can be upset. But don’t interrupt me, please.” I give him a quick smile before continuing with the more difficult piece. “When I told you I loved you, I meant every part of you. I love the part of you that sneaks into abandoned bathrooms to turn me on, even when we should be mingling with colleagues.”

This earns the slightest of smiles from him, bolstering my confidence to continue.

“I love the part of you that’s protective of me and the girls, even when there’s nothing to protect us from. I love that you’re an amazing father, and I love everything that comes with that—I might not love Anastasia, but I’ll deal with her because I understand.”

“Margaret...”

“You don’t have to apologize for her, or protect me from her. Just be honest with me, and talk to me. Don’t hide things from me, okay? I’m here for the long haul. The good and the bad and the ugly. And the fallen angels,” I add as a joke. “Please, tell me you understand.”

He roughly takes me in his arms, pressing a kiss to my mouth with alarming ferocity. As if he’s claiming me, in public, for the world to see—and though I first try to keep him at arm’s length, eventually I melt to him, not caring who in the world sees.

When we part, his voice is gruff, demanding. “Say hello to Claire,” he says. “And then we’re leaving. I’m taking you home—we can grab a cab.”

I squeeze his hand. “Thank you.”

I find Claire over near a table with silent auction prizes—everything from free stays at the inn to a week of pampered vacation spent in this very house—and I feign interest in the prizes as Claire finishes up a conversation with an older gentleman I’ve never seen before.

She catches my eye a minute later, excusing herself from him before making her way over to me. Claire catches me in a hug, her eyes twinkling as she surveys my attire.

“I saw the two of you walk in here together,” Claire says. “And I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

“Our costumes?” I ask, curious. “I didn’t think they were that special. I bought them off Amazon for twenty bucks.”

“You and Tyler—a match made in heaven.”

“You know Tyler?”

“Of course I do!” She gives a laugh. “We don’t have to pretend. I was going to ask him if I can make the announcement tonight—it’s sooner than I wanted, but I don’t see why I should wait. It’s excellent news, if I might say so myself.”

“What news?”

Her eyes cloud for a second. “Dear, I sold the inn.”

“What?!” My heart sinks like a stone. “Claire, I thought—I thought the bookstore was getting sold off, not the inn. I thought...” I press a hand to my chest. “There’s no warning. I’m sorry, I can’t breathe. I know it’s your choice, but...”

“I thought—I thought you knew. I’m so sorry...please, sit down.” Claire guides me to a chair. “I thought he must have told you. He requested I not say anything so he could break the news himself, and oh...damn. I’ve really screwed this one up, haven’t I?”

“Who? What is happening with the inn?”

“That’s the great news,” Claire says, now looking extremely confused. “Nothing is happening with it—I thought you’d be pleased. If anything, you’ll have more freedom and more financing than ever before.”

“But...why? Who bought it?”

“Why, him, dear...” Claire raises a hand and points across the room to a man making his way toward us. “Tyler Daniels.”