by Weil, J. L.
Stuffed with an armful of orange mums, yellow sunflowers, and deep red carnations, Chad peeked over the bouquet. How original. Flowers for a florist. Couldn’t he have been a little creative? This was my aunt after all, and she was pretty darn awesome. She deserved some awe-inspiring awesomeness.
“Wow these are lovely. I am sure Aunt Clara will love them,” I said smiling and lying through my teeth.
“I really hope so. You don’t think it’s too cheesy?” Chad asked, looking ready to abandon ship.
God I hoped I’d gotten better at lying. “No. Definitely not,” I assured brightening my already fake smile. I’ll give him credit for trying at least.
“Thank goodness.” There were little beads of sweat at his brow. He was really nervous, and I couldn’t help feeling sympathy for the guy.
I closed the door behind him.
“This must be Lunar,” he said scratching the kitten’s black furring head. Lunar, loving any and all attention purred a mile a minute. He noticed my surprise. “Your aunt has told me a lot about you.”
“And you still came to dinner?” I teased.
“I don’t scare off that easily,” he assured lightheartedly. He had a nice smile, I’ll give him that.
How about a witch, I silently thought. Tonight he was getting two from the price of one. Oh goody.
Lukas arrived right behind the semi-dorky Chad. Lunar took one beady glance at him and made a mad dash upstairs. I rolled my eyes and ushered Lukas inside. Before we got to the kitchen, I cornered him in the hallway. “No funny business tonight,” I warned in hushed whisper, poking him in the chest. For some reason I felt the need to lay down the ground rules.
He held up both hands claiming innocent and grinned devilishly. “I’ll keep my hands to myself. Both of them, I promise,” he added when I didn’t look immediately swayed.
Somehow that smile didn’t look reassuring. I probably should have added that he keep his lips to himself also. Technicalities.
Dinner was surprisingly normal considering. The conversation was light, funny, and entertaining. Lukas just had a way about him. Charismatic. Likable. Electrifying. I couldn’t help think he used some kind of spell that people just couldn’t help but fall in love with him. One flaw with that assumption, it didn’t work on me.
I must be immune.
“Who wants dessert?” my aunt asked, standing up to go into the kitchen.
I slumped in my seat feeling like a beached whale. Overstuffing myself on turkey, mashed potatoes, and broccoli cheese casserole, I’d left very little room for dessert, which really was my favorite part of the meal. Somehow I was going to have to make room.
I knew I should have probably gotten up and helped my aunt bring out dessert, but I just couldn’t move. Lukas sat across from me smirking and chuckling at me. I was this close to kicking him under the table or unsnapping the top button on my jeans. I couldn’t decide. “Stop laughing at me,” I grumbled, trying to keep a straight face.
He leaned forward, elbows on the table. “You make it so easy.”
I gave him a snarky glare.
Leave it to dessert to spice things up. With a bite of pumpkin pie toppled with cool whip halfway to mouth, I was interrupted by a startling sound. It was like being woken from a dead sleep. One of the windows blew open at crashing speeds, the shutters smacking the edge of the house. Everyone at the table nearly jumped out of their skin, it gave us such a fright. The wind outside howled painfully and the curtains flew around the room in crazy disarray of silk.
Meeting Lukas’s quizzical gaze across the table, he arched a brow in my direction. I shook my head. Storms and I sort of go hand-in-hand lately so I could see why he would think it was me. I’d gotten pretty good the last few weeks at feeling my energy rise. This was most definitely not my doing and if it wasn’t Lukas…
Swiftly getting to my feet, I power walked to the window, slamming it shut. There was an eerie ambiance in the room. I shivered.
“Well that was weird,” Aunt Clara commented folding her hands in her lap. “The weather has really been on the fritz lately.”
Chad grumbled some response, but I had checked out of the conversation. My entire body knew that it hadn’t been accident. It had been magic. I could feel the source pulsing through the air near the window.
I took my seat again and gulped. If anyone noticed my lack of participation, it wasn’t brought to light.
Designing swirls with my uneaten pumpkin pie, it no longer sat well with the large lump in my stomach. I twirled the mushy goo around on my plate trying to figure out some answers. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were no longer alone.
Of course it didn’t end with the whole window antic. No. I couldn’t be that lucky. Stuff like this wasn’t just coincidence, and it was past time I started accepting the cold truth.
Things were never going to be normal in my life again.
My aunt gasped beside me, and I turned to see what had her attention. Coughing, I choked on my water. What the hell. The flowers sitting at the center of the table, Chad’s contribution, were now shriveled, dried, and black as spades.
Dead.
No longer were the colors vibrant, their petals sheen, or sweetening the air with their aroma. Even the water had turned a nasty shade of darkness, like poison.
“Wow what as in that vase?” my aunt asked to no one in particular. I was grateful that she had deduced some kind of explanation, because the one I had was nowhere near as believable.
This time I gave into my earlier urge and kicked Lukas under the table. He narrowed his eyes at me. Nodding in the direction of the sad flower display I seared him with daggers.
He shrugged his shoulders, gone was the lightheartedness from his bold green eyes. Apparently he was just as innocent as I was in this fiscal.
The very second the dishes were cleared I grabbed Lukas by the arm and dragged him into the hallway. I could hear the banter between my aunt and Chad in the kitchen. He had volunteered for kitchen duty, totally fine and dandy by me. I had more pressing problems.
“What the hell was all that?” I asked when I was sure the coast was clear. Even as the accusations left my lips, I knew that Lukas wasn’t responsible.
Lukas wasn’t listening. And damn if that didn’t boil my blood. His attention was scooping out the room.
“Lukas!” I yelled much too loud.
“Hmm,” he responded mindlessly.
I huffed. Then of course I didn’t the most mature thing I could think of. I pinched him.
“Ouch,” he cried. “What was that for?”
“It wasn’t that hard you baby. Focus.”
“What do you think I have been doing? There is someone else here,” he stated.
I rolled my eyes. Well duh. “I kind of figured that out already Watson.” Admitting it out loud still didn’t stop the spine chilling tingle from coursing through me. “Who is it?”
His emerald eyes begin to shine. “I’m not sure it’s a who. Maybe more like a viable source.”
I blinked. “English.”
He grinned and leaned his back against the wall, folding his arms. “I think you have a spirit.”
I wiped my sweating palms on the legs of my jeans. “You mean a ghost?” This was worse. Way worse. It was a stupid question, but I couldn’t fathom the idea of being haunted in my own house for God’s sake. And it screwed up Thanksgiving dinner nonetheless.
I could only hope that my aunt wasn’t suspicious. The last thing I needed was her calling the Ghost Busters.
Joke was on me. Lukas and I never got any more solid information or answers that night. It remained another mystery.
Chapter 16
THE DAY AFTER THE STRANGEST Thanksgiving ever, I got a text from Sophie inviting me to hang out. Of course my first thought was it would be a great way to possibly run into Gavin. He had kept his promise and returned to school on Monday, but it was hardly like it used to be. In fact, I think he still went to great pains to avoid me. Sure chem wa
sn’t so easy, but all the other classes and in the passing periods – zlitch.
So I jumped all over the chance to see him.
Standing on the porch of the Mason’s house, I shifted on my feet. There was a gazillion emotions plummeting through me. Excitement. Fear. Hope. Nervousness. A roar of crashing waves could be heard over my bubbling feelings. It was a heartening sound.
The door opened, and my heart pitter pattered right into overdrive. I didn’t have to look up to know who had answered the door. Every bone. Every muscle. Every fiber in my being knew it was Gavin.
My chest jumped for joy. Fireflies like the beacon of the night zoomed in my belly. I missed those pesky fireflies. When I raised my head, I was slammed into a pair of sapphire eyes, the same eyes that burned my steamy dreams night after countless night. I couldn’t stop staring at him. My tongue was stuck. My legs started to shake. My world hadn’t felt complete without him.
A tendril of something inside me reached out to him, willing itself to attach to this one guy for all of eternity. The intensity startled me. I knew I loved him, but forever…
He stood in the doorway in a pair of ripped denim, a t-shirt and a lopsided grin. God I missed that mouth. My eyes fastened onto his lips, and I had to swallow a moan. His knock-your-sock-off lips were tempting. Once you have drunk from the fountain of ecstasy, one drink was never enough.
Those dark sapphire eyes roamed over me slowly, and suddenly I was scorching hot. It didn’t matter that it was November, my body was on fire. I could have thrown myself all over him in a matter of seconds.
It was that bad.
When I referred to jumping at the chance to see him, I hadn’t meant literally. But geez at this rate it was a good possibility that I wouldn’t make it off this porch without embarrassing myself greatly. His grin only grew the longer I stood there with my mouth hanging open, drooling at his feet.
It was his smirk that finally snapped me out of my trance before I made an even bigger doofus of myself. He stepped aside waiting for me to come inside. Brushing past him, I cleared my throat uncomfortably. “Is Sophie here?”
He waggled that studded brow. “No she is gone for the day with my parents.”
I groaned. Sophie.
I was going to kill her, then hug her.
She could be conniving when she wanted to be. And I utterly fell for it. I had been smartly maneuvered. Sophie was in deep shit. I was going to strangle her when I saw her next. Not that a part of me wasn’t thrilled but I would have preferred it on his own terms.
Understanding lit in his sultry eyes. “Well she does have style, and this has her signature written all over it.”
Glancing around the room, I noticed how quiet it was. Not a peep. “Are you home alone?” I asked.
“Yep.” He tucked his hand into his pockets.
“Oh. Well I guess I should go–”
“You can stay if you want,” he said cutting me off. “We could hang out.”
I held my breath. “Sure.” I expelled. “I’d like that.”
We ended up watching Zombieland. Deciding on a movie with Gavin was nowhere near as problematic as it was with Tori and Austin. Side-by-side on the couch everything clicked into place, just like that. There was no longer a brick wall between us. No Lukas. It was just Gavin and I talking, poking fun at the movie, and just being normal. I couldn’t remember the last time my heart felt so weightless.
I wiggled my nose at a gruesome, but funny part of the movie. Woody Harrelson was a boss in this film. Peeking at the hot guy next to me, I found him staring at me.
“I adore your freckles. They’re cute,” he commented and flicked the end of my nose.
I made a horrible face. “Cute! I don’t want to be cute.”
His lips twitched. “They’re sexy, okay? How’s that?”
A small smile appeared on my lips. “Better.”
“So how’s the magic coming?” he asked. His leg was pressed up against mine on the couch. Just the little contact did funny things to my belly.
My violet eyes twinkled. “I’ll show you.”
The whole moving object was easy as pie now, but I hadn’t factored in Gavin as a distraction. It took more concentration and focus to get a simple glass of water from the coffee table to move. Once I had it in the air it was smooth sailing, well more or less.
Just a small hiccup.
I had the glass balanced mid-air in front of him, right within his grasp. What I hadn’t been prepared for was his whispered breath near my ear. His lips grazed my neck and that did it. My concentration was shot. I didn’t even have a clue what he had whispered. And of course the glass tumbled into his lap splashing water all over him. It soaked his shirt, and sprayed bits of water on my face and hair.
Stunned. No one moved.
Then like a dam had been broken, I busted into a fit of hysterics. I don’t why I thought it was so funny, but I couldn’t stop the laughter. Falling back into the couch cushion, water gathered at my eyes. I hadn’t laughed so hard in a long time. It felt freeing. My stomach even started to cramp.
“I swear you did that on purpose.” He smirked, shaking the water from his hair.
He stood up, and I slid to the floor clutching my middle. “You. Broke. My. Concentration.” I blamed it on him between giggles.
His eyes said he was secretly pleased. I just bet he was.
I was holding my stomach rolling on the floor. He just looked so darn adorably rumpled. With a quick flick of his wrist, he pulled his soaking wet shirt over his head, and my laughter immediately died.
I gulped.
Holy hotness. Stop the broomsticks.
Sexy didn’t even come close to describing Gavin shirtless.
I clamped my mouth shut to keep from embarrassing myself.
That was unexpected. Very nice, but I was completely unprepared for a half-naked Gavin. My eyes roamed over every glorious golden inch. I’ve seen him without a shirt before but we had been too busy for me to really appreciate. Now that I had the chance, I wasn’t wasting it. My eye googling was stopped short by a mark unlike anything I’d ever seen.
It was a tattoo, but it wasn’t. I mean tattoos don’t glimmer. The ink looked like a metallic rainbow, changing color with the light. It was more than just the unusual ink. I had to be seeing shit. How could it flicker like that?
“You have a tattoo?” I exclaimed astonished, pushing to my feet. How did I not know this? Not that I really should have been that surprised, this was Gavin. The embodiment of a bad boy, he really could be one with a few scars and tattoos.
He twirled the hoop at the center of his lip, his contemplation habit. I wasn’t going to let him get out of explaining this.
A tattoo that seemed to live… no way. “It is a tattoo right?” I asked hesitantly not wanting to sound like an utter newb.
He watched me. “Of sorts. It’s more than a tattoo. It’s protection. The ink is spelled and bound to the witch.”
I was entranced.
On their own accord, my feet moved until I could feel the heat radiating from his superb body. Later I might have been mortified by my behavior, but right now I wasn’t thinking at all. My fingers lightly traced the lines of the shimmering tattoo situation on the left side of his chest. I mean it literally shimmered, like it was alive, moving. Enthralled, I let my nails outline his hot skin. His muscles trembled on contact. Right. He wasn’t wearing a shirt and I was touching him. Well more like caressing him. His abs were freaking edible. I wanted just one nibble, and I stepped forward, brushing against him. Forgetting about his tattoo, I peaked up from under my lashes. His eyes gleamed. Dark. Sinful. Scrumptious.
He placed his hands on either side of my hips, and my entire being went up in flames. Leaning down he whispered my name against my partial parted lips. Nibbling, he tugged on my bottom lip, and I fought the need to sink my teeth into him. He had a way of bringing out this crazy-girl side of me.
Unable to move, I stood immobile, afraid to break the mood. I didn
’t want to do or say anything that would ruin this moment. His mouth outlined along my jaw leaving tiny, fiery embers behind. He made me sparkle from inside and out. With him I felt like a better person, a better witch. He made everything seem brighter.
Our bodies fused together. My hands flatted on his bare chest, and I tilted my head giving him more access. His lips grazed my neck, my cheek, my chin. So lost was I on the crazy intensity of his kisses, I couldn’t keep track where his lips roamed. They were everywhere and at the same time it was not enough.
My fingers dug into his dark locks, and he finally gave me what I craved. Our lips met in one fluid motion. And his lips were to die for.
Sweet Jesus he could kiss.
I didn’t know how I could go another day without one of his kisses, though one was never enough. Never.
His tongue swept over mine, tasting of the richest flavors. Sliding my hand down his back, I kissed him ardently back. Sparks flowed, cascading off our bodies. It was purely cosmic. Moonbeams. Shooting stars. Our hearts beat in time. Our magic purred together.
Sliding down the curve of my back, he cupped my backside. His fingers tightened, searing through my jeans, and pulled me closer, surging our bodies. Behind my eyes I saw flashes of silver and white light. We were seriously electrifying. I opened myself up deeper as Gavin pressed his lips more firmly against mine. I was lost to the world, lost to only him.
I couldn’t catch my breath. It was amazing.
Need spread through me like wildfire. At this rate we were going to devour each other.
And I was going to enjoy each second.
We were both breathing hard as we surfaced for air. A huge part of me wanted to dive in for round two. I was pretty sure round two would end up with fewer clothes and farther than we had gone before. Right then it sounded divine. But a small fraction of me was still absorbed by the tattoo.
It won.
“I want one,” I proclaimed breathless. The idea was just suddenly there, and I knew to the bottom of my curled toes that I truly wanted one.
“No.” He stepped out of our embrace, and I mourned his warmth.
I wrapped my arms around myself. “What do you mean no?”