Free To Have & to Hold by Mackenzie Lucas Page A

to love him. Even w he n she didn ’ t want to love him.
    The sound of two glasses clinking behind her made her freeze. She sucked in a shaky breath. He was here. Grayson?
    She turned around slowly. Shock and a jitter of fear skittered up her spine.
    “Michael? What the hell are you doing here?”

 
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    “How did you find me?” Why was he here , inside her house? 
    “I have my ways.” Michael smiled, the warmth touched his amazing blue eyes and fanned tiny laugh lines at the corners. “Hello, Cate . I ’ ve missed you. You look gorgeous . The mountain air agrees with you.”
    “What are you doing here? And how did you get in?” Did he not under stand he looked like a stalker? Creepy. And how had he gotten by Anu and Declan? Or Hattie, for that matter. Something wasn ’ t right. A tingle of magic k al awareness hovered in the room. Michael? Magic k al ? No. She would have sensed it before now. She ’ d spent the better part of the past year with him. She ’ d know if he was magickal .
    Cate muttered the same words she ’ d used outside The Tea Cozy, her voice barely above a whisper. The powerful words wrapped around her and spread out, a wispy trail of sparks dispersing in their wake. Reveal your source of magic.
    He cocked his head, the corner of his mouth lifted. He didn ’ t seem to notice the spell . “I wanted to surprise you.”
    “You did that, all right.”
    The magic k swirling around Michael became visible to Cate . Dark golden swirls in an intricate pattern. An old language she recognized from her time with Grayson. Dragon magic k . But different. Weaker. Not coming from inside Michael, but maybe from something he wore or carried.
    He walked toward her holding the glasses in one hand and pulled Cate close with his free hand. He kissed her temple, then brushed past her to set the champagne flutes on the nightstand. He picked up the bottle and removed the wire cage from the cork.
    The dragon tattoo on Cate ’ s neck prickled, like a premonition of something bad. But what? This was Micha el, her friend and Grayson ’ s best friend. He couldn ’ t be a murderer. But she ’ d heard otherwise from Hattie, and now he wielded dragon magic k .
    He popped the cork on the bottle. Vapor swirled from the lip like the smoke from a witches brew.
    “What are we celebrating?” Cate knew what his note had said. She wanted a better explanation.
    “New beginnings.” He handed her a flute filled with golden pale champagne.
    “Michael, it ’ s too early to drink.” She needed to come up with a plausible excuse for not drinking. She didn ’ t plan to tell him she was pregnant. She wasn ’ t sure why. Just that she wasn ’ t interested in sharing that bit of news with him. Maybe self-preservation?
    “Nonsense. Just a sip or two won ’ t hurt you or the baby.”
    She stilled. How did he know? Surely Grayson wouldn ’ t talk about his baby or how he ’ d abandoned them both, not even to Michael. Would he? God, she hoped not.
    “What? I know you ’ re pregnant.”
    Suspicions confirmed. Damn it, Grayson. How could you?
    Not from me. The sound of Grayson ’ s sexy-as-hell voice caressed her ear. She glanc ed over her shoulder to see if he also stood right behind her. Nope. The man wasn ’ t even here and he was fucking with her head.
    I hate you. Anger surged in her chest. She did hate him at the moment. For everything he ’ d done to her, every disappointment he ’d foisted on her, for making her love him so she couldn ’ t walk away. Ever.
    No , you don ’ t. You love me. Don ’ t drink the champagne.
    Now she had certifiably gone over the edge. She lifted the glass to her lips, tilt ed it to prove a point. He couldn ’ t control her. Not from a continent away. Not standing in the same room.
    I don ’ t want to control you. I want to take care of you and the baby.
    She stopped, drink half-way to her mouth. That ’ s not what the letter said.
    Not me. Never