Spellbound: A Second Chance Paranormal Romance

by Laura Greenwood

  “I don’t think Stacey’s going to last,” he said with a smirk. She caught him giving her a sideways glance and gently swatted his shoulder.

  “And you questioned me watching it.”

  “I couldn’t very well admit it, could I?” This time, he turned to her, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes.

  “You’re right though, she won’t,” she said. The magician in question had a habit of fumbling tricks. At the moment, the public vote was keeping her in, but there was always a stage in the competition when the voters seemed to start taking it more seriously. That’s when Stacey would go. “Now Brad…” Ethan laughed, cutting her off.

  “You’re just saying that cause he’s hot.”

  “Am not!” She only realised after she said it, that she’d responded too quickly. Blood rushed to her cheeks and she looked away, slightly ashamed to have been caught being so shallow. Ethan smirked, proving he didn’t believe her, but not saying anything.

  Despite the earlier awkwardness, they watched the rest of the show in relative comfort. Just like they had when they were younger and the show had first come out. If she remembered right, and she was sure that she did, it had first started showing when they were fifteen. It had been while they were watching the show that they’d shared their first kiss; a clumsy and innocent one looking back, but at the time it had almost set her world aflame.

  Eliza’s blood began to heat up again, or at least it felt like it did, and she tried her best to ignore how close Ethan was to her. And how good he smelled. To make matters worse, the urge to do magic was building up within her. She frowned, unsure about what was going on. It’d been years since she’d gained full control of her powers, and she shouldn’t be experiencing a build-up like she was.

  The lights flickered, and she jumped slightly, causing Ethan to chuckle. “Scared of the dark Liza?” Excitement flooded through her as his use of her old nickname registered, but she pushed it away.

  “No.”

  Ethan quirked an eyebrow in amused disbelief and she burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. It took mere moments for Ethan to join her. Their laughter ran its course, leaving both of them panting for breath. The muscles on Eliza’s face were sore from smiling too much. She caught the look in Ethan’s eyes, and shivered. It was almost enough to make her forget that they had any history together.

  The tension mounted, and without even realising what she was doing, Eliza leaned towards him, barely aware that he was doing the same himself. The moment their lips touched, something long dormant exploded inside her. No wonder the other men she’d dated hadn’t lasted; not one of them had made her feel like this with a simple kiss. Ethan’s hand moved to the back of her head, cradling it at the same time as pulling her towards him. Meanwhile, Eliza’s hand tightened on his shirt, desperately trying to hold on. She didn’t want the moment to end.

  She wasn’t sure which of them initiated it, but she somehow ended up lying back on the sofa, with Ethan above her, and their kiss still unbroken. Without really meaning to, she pushed her hips up towards him, craving more and not caring if he knew it. From the feel of things, she wasn’t the only one.

  They broke apart briefly. They stared into each other’s eyes, neither wanting to break the connection.

  “Ethan,” Eliza whispered hoarsely. He smirked slightly, but didn’t lose the glazed look of lust in his dark brown eyes. He dipped down, crushing his lips to hers, searing her skin and causing the crackling electric sensation again. The lights flickered around them, but Eliza didn’t notice; she was too consumed in what was going on between them.

  Ethan’s hand tugged urgently at where her shirt was tucked into her skirt, and she lifted her hips again in an attempt to help him. Before she quite knew it had happened, her shirt was on the floor, and Ethan was peppering kisses down her neck. Eliza moaned low in her throat, unable to stop herself.

  Power crackled around Eliza’s fingertips, and it took her a moment to realise what was happening. Quickly she pushed Ethan away, causing him to fall onto the floor with a loud thud. She glanced down at her hands, shocked and worried to discover that blue sparks were still circling round them. She glanced quickly at Ethan, who’d stopped rubbing his head and turned to look at her, a strange look in his eyes.

  “I can explain,” she started.

  “You’re a witch,” he spoke over her. She stared at him, not sure how to respond. He shouldn’t even know what a witch was, never mind that she was one. Even more worryingly, he should be freaking out right now, but instead, a wide smile spread over his face. “You’re a witch!”

  Ethan jumped to his feet and pulled her up from the sofa, enveloping her in a tight hug.

  “Ethan?” She asked cautiously. She wasn’t too sure what was going on. He set her down slowly, the large grin still in place. Instead of saying anything, he held out his hands towards her, red sparks that matched her own dancing around them. Eliza’s eyes widened as what he was showing her sunk in. “How didn’t we know?” She whispered.

  “When did you develop your powers?” He sat down on the sofa, pulling her with him and scooping up her shirt from the floor. He handed it back to her, which was when she noticed that it was still fastened down the front. Unbuttoning it, she realised that he must have used his powers to take it off, only she’d been too distracted to notice. She closed her shirt, glad to be covered for the conversation to come.

  “Eighteen,” she murmured.

  “Maybe that’s why.” He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his hand lingering, and a compassionate look in his eyes.

  “About what happened…”

  “It was always going to happen.”

  She smiled at that. Even since before she’d seen him again, Ethan had been the man she thought about, and that included when she’d been in bed with other men. Which meant that she’d had very little doubt in her mind that something more would happen between them. But he’d been so adamant earlier that he needed time, she thought it would take a while to wear him down.

  “I know what I said earlier, but there’s something about you, Liza.”

  “But why didn’t we know about each other?” Ethan shrugged.

  “Secretive families, I guess.”

  “And when we slept together, I hadn’t actually developed my powers. So, no light show.” She gestured to her hands. Ethan chuckled.

  “No, no light show.”

  “It didn’t hurt, did it?” She worried her lip between her teeth, concerned about the affect her powers may have had on him. While he was a witch too, and was likely just as accustomed to magical accidents as she was, she still couldn’t shake the fear that her powers had hurt him.

  “No, it was actually rather pleasant. Once I realised what was happening.”

  Eliza cocked an eyebrow at him, and he turned so her was facing her properly. A smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as the red sparks surrounded his fingers again. He reached out, and gently trailed his fingers down her arm. Almost instantly, Eliza felt a tingling sensation, unlike anything she’d ever felt before.

  “Ethan,” she almost whimpered. He leaned in, not moving his fingers from her bare skin. Eliza’s phone rang, making both of the jump and fall about laughing.

  Chapter 6

  Ethan listened as Eliza took the call from their landlord, silently glad that it sounded like the man wouldn’t be coming any time soon. He didn’t think Eliza would leave after what they’d just shared, but he’d never been able to second guess her. There was a little part of her that was too free spirited for that, even if she hid it well. She’d looked drop dead gorgeous in her business suit earlier, but now, with mussed up hair and her clothing in disarray, she was sex personified. At least, she was to Ethan.

  On a whim, he slipped his arms around her waist, stopping her from pacing the room. He pulled her back to his chest and her breathing hitched. Ethan chuckled, careful to be quiet so that the landlord on the other end of the phone couldn’t hear him. Dipping his head, he bega
n to trail kisses down her neck, and felt her pulse begin to race in response.

  “I’m sorry, I’m going to have to go,” she squeaked as she finished speaking, making Ethan smile against her skin. She hung up the phone and threw it onto the sofa, turning around in his arms. “That was mean.”

  “Was it?” He teased. “Tell me he can’t come tonight.”

  “Nope, he can’t come until tomorrow.” She smiled back at him and Ethan’s world stood still. No matter what he told himself about making her work to win him back, he loved her, and had for years. There was no way that he was letting her go now.

  Eliza’s hands flew to the top of his shirt. He hadn’t long been in from work when she’d arrived, and hadn’t changed out of his work clothes yet. Deftly, she unbuttoned his shirt, pushing it down his shoulders and into a puddle on the floor.

  “Would this not be easier?” He asked and summoned his magic, picturing their clothes on the floor with his shirt. It took more concentration than he really had, but he managed to leave the two of them standing there, just in their underwear. Ethan breathed in sharply. At seventeen, mostly naked Eliza had been beautiful, especially to a seventeen-year-old guy who’d never had sex before. Now, she was so much more. Her breasts weren’t the biggest, but they were perfectly in proportion to the rest of her, or at least, they were if Ethan’s ideals were anything to go by. Then again, he’d judged every woman he’d ever been with by Eliza, so it wasn’t surprising that she was perfect.

  He could feel her eyes on him too, and subconsciously puffed out his chest. He’d filled out since the last time she’d seen him naked; a combination of getting older, and spending more time at the gym to work off some of the frustration he felt. Not for the first time, he was grateful that he wasn’t a shifter. He’d heard that they had to work out a hell of a lot more just to keep on top of pent-up energy.

  Eliza raised her hand and drew it down his chest, a thoughtful look crossing her face. Her hands lit up with pale blue sparks, and she continued her exploration, sending shivers down Ethan’s spine. While her use of magic earlier hadn’t been unpleasant, the unexpectedness of it had meant that Ethan hadn’t had a chance to really enjoy it. Now that she was using magic on purpose, Ethan could appreciate that it was like nothing he’d ever experienced before. It made him wonder why witches never spoke about using magic like this, but he pushed the thought away. There was a chance that what was making it feel so good was because he was with Eliza for the first time in years. He didn’t care either way.

  Her hand trailed lower, pushing beneath his boxers and taking him in her hand. Ethan tipped his head back, trying to bite back a groan. The combination of her hand, and the magic surrounding it, was almost more than he could take.

  “Liza, you’re going to have to stop.”

  “Am I?” She asked in a teasing tone. He looked back at her to see a twinkle in her eye and a mischievous smile on her face. But despite her words, she let him go, causing both relief and disappointment to flow through Ethan. “Sit,” she pointed to the sofa, and he followed orders immediately. He didn’t know what she had planned, but from the look on her face, he was bound to enjoy it.

  She waved her hand in his direction, this time removing the last remaining clothing from their bodies. She didn’t give him long to admire him, as she slinked forward and straddled him. She pressed her lips to his in a searing kiss, which he couldn’t help but compare it to the first, and last, time they were together. Last time, there’d been a lot of fumbling and trying to work out what went where, the lack of which almost made Ethan sad for the years that they’d lost.

  “Stop thinking,” she murmured into his ear, giving it a sharp nip. Ethan groaned low in his throat, not wanting her to stop. She took him into her hand again, and stroked slowly, this time without the sparks. It probably took too much concentration for her to be casting magic right now. He knew that he probably wouldn’t be able to do any himself right now. Though later, once they could take their time, he was eager to see what they could do with it.

  Slowly, she slid down onto him, making both of them stop breathing for a moment. There was something so right about the feeling of being in her, like nothing else could make him feel so complete. Ethan locked his arm around Eliza’s back, drawing her to him as she began to move, sending a bolt of desire through him. If this was anything to go by, he wasn’t going to last long.

  They moved in unison. Neither of them saying anything, or able to do anything other than whimper and grown. Ethan could hear that Eliza’s breathing was as heavy as his, but was unable to focus on anything more than the feel of her skin against his. Each moment between the two of them was electrifying and ground breaking.

  A familiar tightening sensation came over Ethan, and he knew that he wasn’t going to last much longer. Thankfully, Eliza didn’t seem able to hold on either, as she tightened around him, her whimpers gaining in volume and making it increasingly difficult for him to hold back. He thrust into her faster, and cried out the moment she did. Blue and red sparks erupted from their bodies and entwined together around them, but neither of them were paying much attention. At least they weren’t until the lights flickered, and the room was plunged into darkness.

  The two of them collapsed onto the sofa, still locked in each other’s arms. After a moment to catch their breaths, they burst out laughing. Ethan almost couldn’t believe that they’d managed to cause a power cut.

  Chapter 7

  Eliza stretched out, and was disappointed to find that she was alone in the bed. It seemed like they’d only tripped the fuse the night before, as the lights had come back on after a few minutes. It was only then that they’d been able move, and made the short trip into Ethan’s bed. Which was where they’d spent the rest of the night, exploring each other in ways they’d never had a chance to when they were younger.

  No matter what, Eliza would always cherish the memory of their first night together. They’d both snuck out of their houses, and met each other in the woods. It’d been summer, so still warm, and Ethan had brought a blanket and picnic with him. They’d both drunk a little bit of champagne, snatched from Eliza’s family stash, and then they’d plucked up the courage to do what they’d wanted to for months. It had hurt a bit, but Ethan had gone slowly, as unsure about what he was doing as Eliza had been. The next day, she’d had to leave, and it had broken her heart almost as much as it’d broken Ethan’s.

  A chirping sound brought her back from her bittersweet memories, and she looked up to notice Bluebird whizzing around, desperate to get her attention. Eliza held out her hand, and her familiar landed on it, much smoother than a normal bird would have done.

  “What are you doing here?” She stage whispered, even though she knew that the bird would only respond to her in chirps and whistles. One thing that had always baffled her about familiars, other than their secretiveness, was that they didn’t actually seem to do anything. Not that she didn’t appreciate Bluebird, because she did. She liked knowing that there was always someone around for her. But she wasn’t sure exactly what they did. The only viable theory she’d ever come up with was that the familiars were linked to their magic in some way. “Bluebird, you can’t be here,” she repeated.

  Ethan’s footsteps sounded outside the room, and Bluebird vanished the moment he stepped through the door, laden down with what appeared to be a breakfast tray. Regret filled Eliza as she realised all that she’d missed out on when she’d left Ethan behind. She could have had years of mornings like this, instead all she’d had was lonely alarm clock calls and awkward mornings after.

  “Yours giving you a hard time too?”

  “What?” She responded instantly, confused by what he meant.

  “I heard you talking, and guessed it was to your familiar.” He shrugged, and sat down on the bed, resting the tray between them. Eliza immediately picked up the mug closest to her and took a drink, enjoying the perfect cup of coffee. Now that she knew Ethan was a witch too, she had little doubt that magic wa
s one of the reasons he could make such good coffee, especially if he’d been able to use it since he was a child. She briefly felt a spike of jealousy about having to wait until she was eighteen to develop powers, but squashed it down quickly. It was hard to have negative thoughts about a man who brought breakfast in bed.

  “Yes, she’s getting bold. She normally doesn’t appear outside my flat.” She picked up a slice of toast, being careful to eat it over the tray and not get any on the dove grey bed sheets. They weren’t what she’d have imagined Ethan’s bedding to look like, but the neutral colours suited him. Or they suited the Ethan that she used to know.

  “Flame is too. I wonder what’s up with them.”

  “I’m not sure, it’s almost like she wants to be spotted by you,” she said.

  Ethan didn’t say anything either, probably because he was thinking the same as she was. There was an often-dismissed rumour that familiars could only ever be seen by two people; their witch, and the witch’s partner. Or mate, or true love. Eliza wasn’t actually sure what it was even called for witches.

  “Bluebird,” she said softly, wondering if summoning would work. Crackles sounded and the two of them watched in awe as the bird sparked into life.

  “She’s a bird,” he said softly. Eliza couldn’t read the expression that accompanied the words.

  Ethan held out his hand, and Bluebird hopped along and onto his palm. Slowly, he stroked the bird’s head, and it chirped happily. He looked up, and opened his mouth as if to call his own familiar, when something whooshed past Eliza’s face and came to rest on the bed near Ethan’s hand. And that was when she understood the look on Ethan’s face, and was sure that it was now mirrored on her own.

  His familiar was almost identical to hers. Except that his was made up of red sparks, like his magic, and ever so slightly bigger.

  “This is Flame,” he introduced, in what was a slightly surreal situation, even for a witch. Introducing someone to a familiar just wasn’t done.