Free Flirting With Magick by Leigh Bennett Page A

skin, every hair on his chest, and I loved tracing the outlines of his Scorpio star sign and RC (for Reckless Choice ) tattoos on his arms as we lay quietly together. I could predict where his hands were going to go next and was familiar with the way his lips felt on every part of my body. I knew exactly where to place my head when lying on his chest so we were both comfortable, and the area on his back that made him shiv er when I touched it.
    “Can I cook you dinner next week?” Scott stroked my hair tenderly as we lay naked under the covers.
    “Are you trying to show me up after I only got takeaway tonight?”
    He chuckled. “That wasn’t the intention, but yeah, okay then."
    “That would be great. You can sample my culinary skills when we go away. I’m saving them up.” I wasn’t a bad cook, but I couldn't present a cooking show, either.
    And no, I wasn’t going to read too much into the fact that he wanted to cook for me. I wasn’t going to think anything of it at all.
     
     

C HAPTER N INE
    BRONWYN WAS BACK to her normal self at work. She explained a bad cold was the reason for her absence the week before, leading me to wonder how much of it was true. She'd appeared pretty upset when she rushed out. Sean was hardly in the office, but occasionally winked at me on the rare times he walked past my desk, causing a gasp and a giggle from Rachel every time she noticed. I'd warned her to not be too loud or obvious, mortified that should Sean hear; he may think it juvenile and that I was in on it, even though I was still not sure if I was attracted to him.
    ***
    I knocked on Scott and Luke’s front door at what we had decid ed would be our usual time, overnight bag in hand, and entered when I heard someone say “Come in.” To my surprise, Luke was sitting on a stool in the kitchen while a woman my mother's age combed down and cut the back of his hair. The short, golden blonde locks floated down to the laminate floor.
    “Abby!” Luke called out. “How are you?” He didn’t give me a chance to answer. “Abby, this is Julie, Scott’s mum and, as you can see, our hairdresser. This is my cousin, Abby.”
    The woman put down her scissors and extended her hand to me. “ Pleased to meet you, Abby.” I noticed she had a pleasant English accen t and felt a sliver of disappointment that she didn’t recognise my name . I quickly pulled myself together. Why on Earth would she? It’s not as if Scott would have confided in her about a girl he just happened to be shagging. I certainly hadn’t mentioned Scott to my mother.
    I discreetly dropped the overnight bag at my feet, hoping she wou ld just think it a large handbag. “You, too,” I said politely, shaking her hand .
    “Scott’s gone to get some milk,” Luke answered what was to be my next question. “And some groceries for the weekend away.” He caught my eye and smirked.
    “Oh, okay.” I glared at him, sending him telepathic signals that if he was to say anything more in front of Scott’s mother about the we ekend coming, I would kill him.
    “Is Scott going away this weekend?” Julie piped up, brushing the stray bits of hair from Luke’s neck and taking off the plastic gown.
    “Yeah, just with some friends,” Luke told her, standing up to get the broom from the corner of the kitchen. My glare had obviously worked on him.
    “And you’re not going?” she asked him
    “Uh, no. Stuff to do around here.”
    She seemed pretty happy with his response and didn’t press further before turning to me. “So, Abby. What do you do?”
    “I’m the front office manager at Avalon IT. They distribute software .” I gave her my memorised job explanation.
    “ Do you like it?” She put the scissors into her bag and leaned forward on her elbows on the kitchen bench.
    “Yeah, it’s pretty good.”
    “And are you Marie or David’s niece?”
    “Marie and my mum are sisters.”
    Our small talk was interrupted by the front door opening. Scott looked surprised