Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 45319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 227(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
I snuggled against his chest, breathing in his smoke and spice scent and feeling a new warmth and joy flooding through me. Malik wasn’t going to go back to Hell’s Waiting Room—he was going to stay right here with me. We could have the life that I’d been dreaming of and I would never have another lonely night.
And all because not long ago, I had started…Dreaming of the Demon.
EPILOGUE
“Well, don’t you look like the cat that got the cream.” Goldie gave me a grin as she sauntered into my shop. “You’re practically glowing!”
“I’m happy,” I admitted. “But I’ve been so worried about you! Sarah told me that the diner was closed all day yesterday and nobody knew where you had gone.”
Sarah, bless her, had manned the bakery all day while I was on trial in the magical court and then later while Malik was saving me from the Ogre and then he and I were becoming Heartmates.
After all that, I had eventually thought to call her and explain why I had left the bakery and never returned. She’d been relieved that I was all right and let me know that even more people had come in asking for more of the magical “Horny pear tarts” as the customers had begun calling them.
It made me happy to know that people wanted more of the tarts because now I had a way to make them. With Malik’s help, I could infuse any of my baked goods with the spirit of lust if I wanted to and I was already thinking that it might be a very lucrative side business.
But now I was back at The Lost Lamb and glad to see my friend was okay as well.
“Seriously, where have you been?” I asked Goldie. “And did you ever get the message about the tarts?”
“Oh well, I had a little business to attend to. And yes, I got the message—only it was too late. I had already eaten two of them myself.”
“Oh, no!” I put a hand to the side of my face. “Goldie, I am so sorry!”
“You should be!” She wagged a finger at me, only half joking. “Do you know that I had locked up early because I wanted to take a walk? When the lust spell or whatever it was hit me, I was nowhere near home!”
“Oh my God—so what did you do?” I asked blankly.
“Well, there was this hunting lodge in the woods. I knocked but there was no one home. The door was open though.” She shrugged. “So I went in.”
“You went into a strange house?” I asked.
“Uh-huh, but I was getting desperate! Being overcome by lust in the middle of the forest at night isn’t safe—the scent draws the wrong kind of Creatures. Luckily there were some beds upstairs so I was able to get comfortable and, er, take care of business.”
“Really?” I still couldn’t believe it, but she nodded coolly, as though breaking into a strange house to masturbate was no big deal.
“I stayed there in the cottage until the tarts wore off and then I was finally able to go home,” she added.
“And nobody ever came home and caught you?” I asked.
“Nope.” She shook her head. “I was really lucky. How can you explain that kind of thing if someone walks in on you? ‘Oh sorry, I just broke into your house to touch myself because I didn’t want to take my underwear off in the forest?’”
I couldn’t help laughing at her words.
“Goldie, you’re too much! Do you even know who lives there?”
She shook her head.
“Nope. But there were several beds and the place looked like it could use a woman’s touch. It’s probably owned by a couple of guys who just use it when they want to hunt.”
“Well, I’m sorry again that you wound up in that situation because of my tarts,” I apologized.
“Don’t be.” Goldie grinned and then sighed. “It was honestly the best sex I’ve had in ages—too bad it was all by myself.”
“You should have taken a walk through town instead of the forest and tried to find a friendly Minotaur or Kraken,” I said. “Almost everyone in Hidden Hollow ate one of my ‘horny pear tarts’ I’m sure you could have found a willing partner.”
“Yeah, I wish I would have.” Goldie shook her head. “Guess I’m just going to be single for life.”
“No, you’re not. If I can find someone, anyone can,” I told her.
Her eyebrows shot up.
“You found someone? You mean it?”
“Yes—the Incubus that came out of the picture my Great Aunt left me. His name is Malik and it turns out we’re Heartmates.” I beamed at her. “It was my deepest fantasy to have someone to love forever and he fulfilled it.”
“Aww, honey! I’m so happy for you.” Goldie stood on tiptoes and reached across the counter to hug me. I hugged her back and smiled as we parted.