Page 63 of Rituals & Rivalry

He shakes his head. “No, I mean—forget it. Congratulations.”

I open my mouth to say something else, but he turns his back on me and stalks to the water cooler. I stare at his fingers as he presses the button, pouring water into a little white cup… and lifting it to his lips.

Why can’t I look away?

Damn it. What was I thinking? I should have found a different job.

Chapter 18

Sterling

It’s been a week since the harvest festival. Aurora has barely said a word to me, and it probably has to do with the kiss. What will make this worse? Bringing the kiss up or ignoring it?

I don’t know, and now, too much time has passed. Out of all my most awkward experiences—and there have been many—this has to be the worst.

As days pass, Starbrook grows cooler, and the veil between our world and the spirit world is thinning more each day. Which means I’m exhausted. Usually, it’s easy to ignore my pull to the Underworld, but it’s harder this time of year, and it will be until spring.

I’m an hour late to work today, dragging my feet, and Aurora is already here—of course. Her long, dark hair swishes around her back as she carries papers to the printer, and I watch her from the doorway, holding back a sigh. It was never appropriate to look at her like I do, but that’s especially true now that we’re co-workers.

My gaze travels lower, to her tight-clad thighs just below her too-short skirt.

She turns around swiftly, as though she knew I was watching all along. “Good morning to you, too, Sterling. Enjoying the view?” She lifts one of her dark eyebrows.

It’s too early for this.

“Morning,” I mumble, ducking my head low and walking to my desk. My new desk is bigger than the rest and has a little more room than before. Not sure why Jewel—or someone higher—suddenly got the idea to give me an upgrade, but I’m not complaining.

Antoni seems happy with the change, too. He has a set of dumbbells near his desk and added a few photos of his wolf pack, making himself right at home.

To my surprise, Aurora leans on my desk—practically sitting on it, really, her thigh close to my hand. I never should have suggested she ask for this job, but we were on good terms then. Are we on bad terms now? Gods, I don’t know. I have no clue what we are.

We kissed. We shouldn’t have. She clearly regrets it, and I knew she would. That’s why I stopped it before it really started.

“You’re late,” she whispers. “Why is that?”

I narrow my eyes. “I didn’t realize you were my boss now.”

She isn’t. Which means I don’t have to answer her question—not that I have a good excuse. I slept in a little later than usual. That’s all.

“Not yet.” She lifts a shoulder and stands upright. “But the early bird gets the worm, so don’t be surprised when I’m running this place.”

When Aurora came to Starbrook, I thought she wouldn’t last a month. Now, I’m not so sure. She feels woven into this place, even though she hasn’t been here for long at all.

I can’t imagine her leaving.

There’s a slight sparkle in her eye, and it’s not until she steps away that I can breathe without soaking in her sweetness. Still, there’s something different about her today, and I can’t put my finger on what it is. She’s lively in a way she hasn’t been since the harvest festival, her lifeline shining strong and golden.

Before I can decipher what the change could be, she’s walking away.

“It’s a relief to see you’re as much of a terror as always,” I mutter.

She stops. Apparently, she heard me—not my intention—but she doesn’t say anything, continuing to her desk on the other side of the room. Still too close.

Now that the fall event has passed, it’s on to brainstorming for the next one, and I find myself missing having her around to bounce ideas off of. Of course, there are my daily tasks as well. Walking through the parks. Meeting up with the people who run the youth basketball league, and a few others who want to rent the park for an event.

Before I know it, it’s lunch. I look down at my phone to find a text from Farrah.

Farrah