Chick with a Charm

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  You’re lying. Her own recent attempts to hide the truth had probably made her more sensitive to Griffin when he tried to do the same thing. Besides, she’d already established that he was a terrible liar.

  That meant that Kevin hadn’t come back to question Griffin about the Cubs game. She’d bet money he’d come back with instructions about how to deal with Lily, how to put the brakes on the relationship. Yet here they were in her apartment, and Griffin wanted to have sex by candlelight.

  That wasn’t putting the brakes on. That was stepping on the gas. She decided to think about it while she took Daisy out.

  “I won’t be long.” She opened the apartment door as Daisy danced around in excitement. “I won’t go all the way to the dog park tonight, just down the block.”

  “To Harvey’s Hangout?” Griffin’s expression darkened.

  “No, not that far, either.” She could tell her friendship with Brad Harvey bothered him. She hadn’t planned for possessiveness to be part of the spell, but it made sense. Dogs guarded the person they loved. Griffin wouldn’t want anyone encroaching on his territory.

  Her short walk with Daisy wasn’t enough time to sort out all the reasons Griffin might have lied about why Kevin had shown up at the Bubbling Cauldron. She thought maybe Kevin was operating in the same capacity Anica had when Lily had first set her sights on Griffin. Anica had come into the bar to talk Lily out of having sex with him.

  Maybe Kevin’s objectives were the same, to convince Griffin that he should spend the night in his own bed instead of going home with Lily. If that had been Kevin’s objective, he’d failed. But then, he didn’t know what he was up against. The magic grew more powerful with every sexual encounter.

  The thought was a little intimidating. If Griffin was this attached now, what would he be like after they had sex a few more times? Lily had never checked to see if the power of the elixir had any limits. That might have been a good idea before she’d administered it to an actual man.

  Sad to say, checking out all the angles wasn’t her strong suit. When she was feeling positive about herself, she said that’s why her life was so exciting. When she was feeling more negative, she said that’s why her life was a disaster in the making.

  Tonight was a toss-up between the thrill ride aspect and the impending disaster aspect. But she wasn’t about to throw Griffin out of her bed or out of her apartment, so she might as well enjoy what he had in mind.

  She waited until Daisy took care of business, and then they started back toward the apartment building.

  Griffin dropped the candles on the carpet and took the plastic bag of salt out of his pants pocket the minute Lily went out the door. Sprinkling salt around the bed seemed like a dopey thing to do, but Kevin had insisted and he meant to prove his friend wrong.

  Having never done such a thing before, Griffin felt no level of competence. He dumped too much of the salt on one side of the bed and ran out before he got around to the other side. That also meant that on the one side, which happened to be the side where Lily slept when they were together, a person could easily see the salt on the carpet.

  A person, namely Lily, would probably notice the salt if she happened to step on it, especially in her bare feet. Griffin went in search of a dustpan and whisk broom, which he found in the kitchen pantry. In the process he noticed the pantry was loaded with all sizes of glass jars with labels like MUGWORT, VERVAIN and MANDRAKE.

  Maybe they were herbs for cooking. And maybe not. He was also positive that the glow he’d seen coming from the crystal ball had not been a trick of the light. The moment she’d picked up the ball it had started giving off funky flashes and twinkles.

  He hated to admit it, but the evidence was mounting that Lily was a practicing witch. And she was practicing on him. Returning to the bedroom, he set about brushing some of the salt into the pan so he could sprinkle it more evenly.

  As he worked he cursed softly under his breath. That probably wasn’t the magical chant that Kevin had in mind, but it worked for him. Most guys ended up with normal women, and it seemed that he’d become entangled with a certified witch. What were the odds?

  In some ways he couldn’t complain. Lily was great to look at and great in bed. But if she’d taken away his right to choose, if she’d slipped him some kind of magic drug that made him want her no matter what, that wasn’t good.

  He swept faster and soon had a dustpan full of coarse salt. Moving his hand over the carpet, he decided that it wasn’t quite as gritty and maybe she wouldn’t notice. If she did notice, he had no idea what to tell her. None of Kevin’s suggestions had sounded worth anything.

  Besides, what sort of reaction could he expect from an actual witch? Would she take out her magic wand and turn him into a toad? All the stories from his childhood came rushing back. He should just leave, but he . . . couldn’t. That was the most telling evidence of all.

  About the time he’d emptied the dustpan along the other side of the bed, the key turned in the lock. He shoved the dustpan and the whisk broom under the bed and walked back into the living room, where the candles he’d dropped still lay on the floor.

  She unhooked Daisy’s leash and glanced at the candles. “Problems?”

  “You know what? I love the effect of candles, but when you get right down to it, they’re a fire hazard.”

  She lifted her eyebrows. “If you say so.”

  “Let’s just forget the candles.” Now that she was back, now that she was within range, an ache of extreme longing took over. She was steps away, this woman who could satisfy that ache. Was that so bad, to want someone this much and have the prospect of amazing sex close at hand?

  Maybe he shouldn’t have sprinkled the salt around the bed. This kind of sexual excitement had never happened to him before. Kevin couldn’t possibly know how Griffin felt, so of course he wanted to interfere and remove the spell. He might even have acted out of jealousy, come to think of it.

  When Griffin listened to Kevin, he agreed the spell had to go, but now, gazing at Lily, he was enjoying the hell out of being magically transformed. It was flattering that she’d chosen him, and he wished he hadn’t sprinkled the salt around the bed.

  But he couldn’t very well take it back now. Lily might get suspicious if he had a sudden inclination to vacuum.

  So they’d make love in that bed with the salt around it, and maybe he’d feel differently about the experience. And maybe he wouldn’t, which might mean that Kevin and Miles were wrong. Lily might be an amateur magician and nothing more.

  Yes, he was ignoring the strange items in the pantry and the glowing crystal ball. Big deal. Now seemed like a good time to forget about those things and concentrate on taking Lily to bed.

  Lily put Daisy’s leash on the small table by the door. “I picked up another soup bone for her yesterday and forgot to give it to her last night. Let me set her up with that. I’ll be right back. Come on, Daisy. Soup bone time.”

  Daisy pranced happily after her into the kitchen.

  Griffin looked down at the candles, which lay scattered, some on their sides, some even upside down. That wasn’t very considerate of him, to leave them like that. Dropping to his knees, he began to gather them up.

  Lily walked back into the room. “Here, let me help get those.” She got down on her hands and knees next to him.

  The moment she did he became intensely aware of her. Her scent drifted toward him, beckoning him to touch her. Sitting back on his heels, he reached over and cupped his hand over the back of her neck, massaging gently.

  She glanced at him over her shoulder and smiled.

  That smile tripped some sort of switch, and the urge to have her swamped every logical thought. With a low, primitive growl, he slid his hand down her spine and wrapped it around her waist.

  “Griffin?” She looked back over her shoulder again.

  “I want you.” He tugged her back against his thighs, and the candles she’d been holding tumbled back onto the carpet as she braced her hand
s on the floor. He settled her against his erect penis.

  “I can tell you want me.” Her laughter was breathless. “Does that mean you’re no longer on candle detail?”

  “That’s right.” Leaning over, keeping her sweet backside in contact with his cock, he scraped his teeth against her neck. “I want you right here. Like this.”

  She shuddered. “That’s a long way from candlelight.”

  “I don’t need candlelight. I need you.” Pulling her blouse from the waistband of her slacks, he reached under the stretchy material to release the front catch of her bra. Her breasts spilled into his hand, silky and full.

  She moaned softly as he caressed her.

  “I can’t seem to get enough of you,” he murmured against her neck. He loved touching her, stroking her nipples until they became tight with desire, but he had other needs that drove him to release his hold and unfasten her slacks.

  Sliding his hand inside her panties, he discovered she was wet and ready. He stroked her, wringing a whimper from her as she arched against him. Heavy with need, he pushed back, wanting more, so much more.

  He nipped the soft skin of her neck as he plunged his fingers in deeper. She moaned and pleaded for release. Something snapped within him. In an instant he’d wrenched down her slacks and panties, ripping the seams.

  She gasped and looked over her shoulder. “What . . .” Her gaze took in his open fly. “Griffin, we can’t—”

  Oh yes, they could. Seizing her around the waist once more, he plunged deep, crying out at the intense pleasure of entering her without any barriers between his heat and hers.

  “Griffin, no . . .” Her protest was weak, and even as she made it, she surrendered to the moment and lifted her hips to give him greater access. Then she was moving with him, meeting each thrust with a backward push that had them coming together with a force that sent his blood surging through his veins in triumph.

  Glorious. She tightened around him as the pace quickened. Her soft cries kept time with the rhythm of his strokes. He drove deep and she seemed to flower, as if she was one of the budding roses he’d sent her that had been bathed in sunlight and opened its petals to the light.

  This was what he’d craved every time he’d been with a woman, and this was what he’d been denied, this ultimate connection, this complete joining of two bodies and two souls. Her climax propelled him into his, and he poured himself into her with a shout of exultation.

  He clung to her, panting and spent. Gradually he became aware of his surroundings, which had faded with the first blossoming of passion. Now the setting clicked into place. He’d never found himself in this position in the middle of a woman’s living room. He’d never destroyed her outfit to get to her.

  And he’d never, in the entire course of his sexual life, failed to use a condom. Yet he didn’t regret anything. He should be filled with remorse, but he wasn’t. She was his love, his mate, and this was the way it was supposed to be between them.

  Holding her fast, he eased them both down to the carpet and held her, spoon fashion. “I should apologize,” he said. “But I can’t make myself do that.”

  “Aren’t you . . .” She paused to catch her breath. “Aren’t you worried about . . . getting me pregnant?”

  “No.” He nuzzled behind her ear. “I’d love to get you pregnant.”

  She sighed. “No, you wouldn’t. Right now it might sound like a great idea, but eventually you’d come to your senses.”

  “I feel as if I’ve come to my senses for the first time in my life. Marry me, Lily. We could fly to Vegas tomorrow, get married and fly home Sunday morning in plenty of time for the engagement party.”

  “That’s a tempting offer.”

  “Then let’s do it.” His heart raced as he anticipated the thrill of eloping with her and coming back to Chicago on Sunday as a married couple, deed done.

  “I can’t.”

  He snuggled her closer. “As they say in the movies, you might be carrying my child.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  He was devastated. He’d had no idea how much he’d counted on that as a deal maker until she’d shot it down. “You’re taking birth control?”

  “Um . . . yes.”

  “Well, we could still fly to Vegas and get married. It just wouldn’t require a shotgun.”

  Her body quivered as she chuckled. “No, it would require a lobotomy.”

  “On who?”

  “Me. I can’t marry you, Griffin. I don’t know you well enough. And you sure don’t know me well enough. But thanks for the offer.”

  “The offer stands. Let me know if you change your mind.”

  “I will. Now let’s get off the living room floor and into a real bed.” She disentangled herself and sat up. “This has been fun, but an innerspring’s a little cushier, don’t you think?”

  That’s when he remembered the salt he’d scattered around her bed. He’d forgotten it when she crouched down next to him on the floor, which had led to the most excellent episode they’d just enjoyed, which had led to his proposal.

  He wondered if having sex without a condom and suggesting an elopement to Vegas were more signs that she’d bewitched him. Probably. As mellow as he felt right now, he’d didn’t give a damn if she was a witch or not.

  But he was a little curious as to whether the salt would make any difference for the next round. As he stood and followed her into the bedroom, the only thing he knew for sure was that there would be a next round.

  Chapter 20

  Lily kept an antipregnancy potion in her medicine cabinet. The potion also protected against STDs, although she doubted Griffin had any issues in that department. Many witches kept the potion on hand. It made sense to do that, because it was the simple and easy solution should an unexpected event occur. As it had tonight.

  She’d never had to take the potion because she’d always insisted that a man wear a condom. She could ingest the liquid at any time within twelve hours of having unprotected sex and there would be no baby. The potion was an insurance policy against unwanted pregnancies.

  As she walked into the bedroom, her slacks and panties in tatters, she realized she could easily excuse herself and take the potion. Griffin had obviously assumed from her comment that she was taking some kind of traditional birth control pill, but a practicing witch never bothered with prescriptions. Because she wasn’t ready to admit her magical status, she’d let him assume she was using something more conventional.

  They’d entered dangerous emotional territory, and she knew it even if he was too besotted by the spell to understand the problems he faced. She could surely see how the elixir was having a more powerful effect with every sexual encounter. This afternoon’s hotel experience had fostered this latest session on the floor of her apartment.

  He’d abandoned the idea of condoms and even seemed to relish the idea that she could get pregnant. That moved them to another whole level of involvement. And now, after a session on the floor of her apartment with her unlit spell candles strewn around, he’d suggested eloping to Vegas.

  If Lily were more of a scientist, she would be keeping notes as the elixir experiment unfolded. But she wasn’t a scientist and she’d rather keep these developments to herself. At some point she might confide in Anica, but even that was risky.

  She should, however, take the antipregnancy potion. And she would. But her comfy bed called to her, and Griffin was shucking his clothes in preparation for climbing under the covers. She wanted to cuddle with him, and once they were recovered, she wanted to make love some more.

  Actually, it made sense to wait to take the potion. Having sex with Griffin without a condom ranked right up there in her list of peak experiences. She’d like to do it again, which meant she’d have to spend the morning making another batch of the potion. That was just inefficient.

  Instead she took off her boots, which had remained on during the living room interlude, and started peeling off what was left of her panties and slacks.

>   “I shouldn’t have wrecked your clothes,” Griffin said as he climbed under the covers. “I know what. We could go shopping together tomorrow and I could buy you new clothes. And as long as we’re out, we could look at rings.” He propped himself on one arm and gazed at her adoringly.

  Well, of course he looked at her adoringly. She’d given him an adoration elixir. That reminder depressed her so she decided not to think about it anymore. She would also ignore his suggestion about buying a ring. No matter how much part of her might want to, they were so not doing that.

  “Unfortunately I don’t have the day free,” she said, “or I’d take you up on the clothes-shopping idea. I love looking at clothes. But I’m supposed to spend some time over at my folks’ condo tomorrow. They’ve got it in their heads that Anica and I should come over and help them decide who inherits what. I think it’s ridiculous when they’ll be around for a long, long time, but they’re determined to do it.”

  “So I won’t get to see you tomorrow?”

  “You’ll see me when you wake up in the morning, and you’re welcome to come by work tomorrow night.”

  He sighed. “I guess that’ll be okay.” He sounded extremely disappointed, as if she’d wrecked his whole day.

  Much as she liked having his adoration, that kind of neediness didn’t work for her. “I’m sure you have things you usually do on the weekend.”

  “Well, yeah, but that was before we got together.”

  And his neediness was all her fault, she reminded herself. No point in blaming him for something he couldn’t control.

  Right before she climbed into bed, she noticed that the carpet beside her bed felt gritty under her feet, as if someone had been tracking in sand. “Griffin, have you been down to the beach today?”

  “No. Why would I go down to the beach on such a cold day?”

  “I don’t know, but there’s sand or something on the rug.” She crouched down and ran her fingers over the carpet. “This isn’t sand, it’s . . .” Her hand stilled. Salt.