-14-

The cab ride back to Tomes was quick as the late hour meant that there was barely any traffic in the streets.

I kept thinking back to Arthur and how my hand felt in his. It was almost, well, magical how perfect it felt. And thinking about how that kiss could have been was making me swoon.

The cab soon had me at Tomes and as soon as I walked through the door, a blonde comet attacked me and enveloped me in a bear hug.

"Oh, Gwen!" Ella said. "I'm so glad you're here. I couldn't leave because I couldn't set the alarm and I know you and Elyan don't give out the code over the phone but I really need to go home because I'm starving and it's cold and..."

"Calm down Ella," I said. I disentangled myself from her embrace and walked to where the alarm was. A few taps on the electronic keypad and the small digital screen started flashing the "armed" warning.

"There," I made a show of dusting off my hands. "All set. You can go home now."

"I'm really sorry about ruining your evening," Ella said and I actually thought she was going to cry. "And you were so excited, too. Oh, and your dress...you look so beautiful."

"Don't worry about it," I reassured Ella whose lower lip was beginning to tremble. "Why are you so emotional, anyway?"

She held up a paperback.

"Johanna Lindsey," a few tears leaked out from Ella's eyes. "Oh, Gwen it's so...tragically romantic. You see there's this girl who's running a tavern by herself, but she turns out to be a secret princess, and there's this prince who comes and wants to marry her..."

Ella's voice faded away as she, once again, got carried away by her emotions.

I was starting to get worried.

"Ella," I smoothed the young girl's hair back from her face. "Are you okay?"

"No," Ella whimpered and looked at me with teary eyes.

I made her sit on one of the stools behind the counter and held her hand as she tried to put her feelings under control.

"Ella?" Elyan's voice suddenly boomed from somewhere in the store. I could hear him running to where we were.

"Elyan?" I said as my brother rounded the corner and made his way to where Ella and I were talking.

What the heck was going on here?

"Gwen," Elyan said as he enveloped me in a hug so tight I could barely breathe. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm goo-" I stopped talking when I saw Elyan walk over to where Ella was seated. "What's going on here?"

I looked on as Elyan spoke to Ella in a voice that was too soft for me to hear. I saw him envelop her in a hug which she practically melted into. Whaaaaaat?

Finally, Elyan turned to me (while his arm was still around Ella's shoulders).

"A couple of teenage boys were here this afternoon," Elyan began. "They were giving Ella a hard time and I had to throw them out."

"They came back just as I was closing," Ella was getting tearful again. "Said all sorts of horrible things so I forced them out and tried to set the alarm, but I couldn't and I was scared."

"Is that why you were in the back office?" I asked Ella.

She nodded and scooted closer to Elyan.

"Ella," I asked cautiously. "Did they hurt you?"

She shook her head.

"It's so silly," she said, a watery laugh bubbling out of her. "They're kids-all younger than me, but I'm the one running for cover."

Elyan and I sat with Ella until she calmed down, and just as we were getting ready to leave ("So gallant," I teased him Elyan after he said that he wasn't letting Ella or I go home alone.), we heard a knock on the door.

We all turned at the sound and saw a shadowy figure at the door.

"Is he...waving?" Ella squinted.

"I don't know," I said as I tried to see just who was outside.

"Stay here," Elyan said to the both of us as he went to the door to check who this person was. "Keep your hand on the phone just in case.

"He's crazy, whoever he is," Ella muttered, her fear now mostly gone. "It's almost midnight."

"Gwen," Elyan walked back into the store and right behind him was...

"Arthur bloody Pendragon!" Ella blurted, her eyes goggling at our late night visitor.

"Uh, yes. He's here to see Gwen," Elyan looked slightly embarrassed and took Ella by the hand. "Come on, Ella. Let's have some tea in Gwen's office."

"Okay," Ella replied, but her neck craned to look at us as Elyan led her to the other room.

"Hi," I said to the gorgeous vision that was now standing in front of me.

"Hi," Arthur said. He started to give a wave, seemed to think better of it and ran his hand through his hair.

"Make him do it again," said a voice in my head. "It's sexy."

Yes it was.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him. "How did you know about the store?"

Arthur ducked his head, his ears a little red from...embarrassment? Then he rubbed his jaw and peered at me from under his lashes. Such simple actions but each one made my heart flutter uncontrollably.

"Did a little Internet research after you left," he sounded a little shy as he said this.

Was he scuffing the toe of his shoe on the floor? Why did that seem adorable to me?

"Why?" I asked.

This time, he looked me straight in the eye.

"Because you're LadyInLavender," he said simply.

My heart flew to my throat just as I started praying for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

"And I'm A.P.," he moved closer as he said this.

I sat on a stool and put my hands to my cheeks. I was sure they were red because they felt warm under my fingers.

Arthur took one of my hands and linked his fingers with mine.

"I think it's time we met," his voice had once again dropped to that sexy rumble and I found myself being unable to do anything but stare at him.

Arthur pulled me up from my seat, wrapped his other arm around my waist, and led me to a dance where we were the only ones who could hear the music.