Page 23 of The Tea Witch's Promise

He nodded. "Sure, lead the way."

We made our way past the brewer's stand so we could drop our tankards into the empties bin he provided. He'd take them home to wash before the next even, but only if everyone returned them like they were supposed to.

I gestured in the vague direction of the farm, not that it really mattered to me where we were walking. This wasn't about going anywhere specific, I just needed to get away from everyone we knew and the chance that someone was going to start asking us questions about what we were to one another before we got a chance to work it out ourselves.

And that was especially true considering that our families wouldn't be best pleased. They were always telling us about the careful balance between the four families who kept Purple Oak running, and how we couldn't do anything to upset that balance. But then again, if they didn't want us to develop feelings for one another, then they shouldn't expect us to spend so much time together. It wasn't even like Brew and I would be the first. Reese and Taz had a brief courtship a few years back that never went anywhere.

We strolled into the night, leaving the chatter and crowd behind us. I instantly felt the chill of the night without the bonfire's heat and Brew wrapped his scarf around me without saying anything.

"You're going to get cold," I said.

"Worth it," he returned, looking at me with that longing glint in his eyes again.

My stomach flip-flopped and I slipped my arm through his, bringing us closer together. "There. I'll share some of my warmth."

It was such a lame excuse but Brew looked pleased in a way I'd never seen before. I never doubted that he was genuine about his feelings but it was different experiencing it first-hand. And realising that this was nothing like the way he was when he was charming the other residents.

I breathed out. I was going to have to face this head-on if I was going to untangle the complicated web of feelings within me. "Brew? Why do you like me?"

He let out a soft hum. "I like everything about you. I admire how you worked through your parents' deaths, and how close you are with your brother. I like how much you love Banjo, and how you deal with the problems of the occupants of your land. You're responsible, but you always have time for a bit of mischief. And you're confident. You'd never let anyone stand in the way of what you thought was right."

That was a much deeper answer than I expected. I thought he would say something lame about liking my eyes or my smile, something typical for a man trying to charm a woman.

Brew pulled me a little closer to him. "And I like your smile."

I snorted. "Of course, you do. I have a great smile."

He stopped in his tracks, his face illuminated by the silver moonlight. "You do. You're beautiful, Katie. Inside and out."

My heartbeat quickened and I wasn't even upset about it. The charm of Rooibos Brewster was too much even for me, and there was no reason to resist. Not when he was looking at me with such devotion.

I took a step closer to him and touched his chest. "If you're going to keep saying such sweet things, I might kiss you."

His lopsided grin brought a sparkle to his eyes and he bridged the gap with that signature confidence of his, not once wavering or hesitating.

But I supposed there was nothingtowaver about. I was giving him signals loud and clear that I wanted this.

My eyes fluttered closed as his lips met mine. Everything around me became about Brew. His warmth and smell enveloped me, all grassy and sweet, and it made my head spin in the best way.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. His hand landed on the small of my back, pulling me tighter against him so that warmth spread through me that was nothing to do with the temperature outside.

I broke the kiss and looked into his eyes, seeing a lot of the same things I was feeling reflected back at me. I didn't say anything, I merely leaned in and kissed him again, eager for more.

This was better than I could ever have imagined, and I was going to savour every moment.

Chapter13

Katie

Banjo raced aheadof me excitedly as we arrived at Brewster Hall. I had no idea if he knew that we were specifically coming to see Brew, or if he was just excited at the prospect of being around any of the Brewsters.

I shifted the basket of eggs on my arm so that it carried easier, and checked that Brew's scarf wasn't going to fall out. This had to be the lamest excuse in the world to see Brew again. Still, I needed some explanation for visiting unannounced that wouldn't raise any suspicion in case any of the others were around and asked questions.

I let myself in through a side entrance like I always did and rang the old cowbell to announce my presence. If I was lucky, Brew would be the one to greet me first. If I was unlucky, it would be Mrs Brewster. As much as I admired her, I did not want to run into her while I was trying to have a secret dalliance with her son. That would be too awkward.

The door opened and to my relief, it was Brew who stepped into the room. His face lit up right away and made his eyes crinkle. "Katie. Hi."

Banjo raced up to him and said hello with all of his paws.