Bespelled

by Dani Kristoff

  Gently, his teeth nipped her earlobe and she shuddered, unable to dampen her reaction. She turned her head and he captured her mouth. One more kiss couldn’t hurt, could it? His lips were silken. She opened to him, his tongue entering her mouth to duel with hers.

  It was some hot kiss, Hotter than the one when they’d first got home. She wasn’t fighting it, couldn’t fight her reaction. He drew her closer. She clung to him, heart thumping in the back of her throat, making it hard to breathe.

  He lessened the kiss, backing it off slowly. Without disengaging, he licked her bottom lip, sucking on it, caressing her face at the same time. It was more of a dance than a single act of kissing. He held her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. ‘That was amazing…delicious.’ He gave her a quick peck on the mouth.

  She gaped at him stupidly. ‘Yes…’

  His arms surrounded her. She was leaning into him, her leg draped over one of his. How did she get like that? She was the one meant to be showing restraint. Leaning back, she lifted her leg, but he put his hand on her knee. ‘Don’t. Please leave it there. You feel good.’

  ‘But we shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t let you…’

  His gaze flicked to hers, and there was desire there and something else — determination. ‘You have no one else; I have no one else. There is nothing to stop us getting to know one another.’ He ran his hand down the side of her face, from cheek to chin. ‘You are very beautiful.’

  ‘I am?’

  ‘Yes,’ he replied, dropping his voice so that it caressed her senses. ‘I was pretty turned on, meeting you. I love how you look, how you move.’

  Could that be the truth? That he thought she was hot before the hex? Elena narrowed her eyes as she examined his face, looking for a sign of insincerity. When she noticed he was studying her in return, it became difficult to breathe.

  ‘So…tell me about you,’ Elena said, needing a distraction despite enjoying sitting so near his heat.

  Jake kept a close hold of her but leant his head back against the sofa and started to tell her about his life, boarding school, his parents’ broken marriages and his focus on study and a career. He tried to keep his story matter-of-fact, but something on the edges, a quaver in his voice, hinted at more depth there. She discerned the lonely child, the betrayal of the parents, something she understood and that resonated within her. His focus she could understand. He was good at what he did, and had a successful career.

  ‘You?’ he asked, those intense blue eyes zeroed in on her.

  Elena didn’t talk about her history much. It wasn’t like she could confess about her being a witch, or one of the folk. She talked about the things she liked, and her house and garden.

  ‘There is something about you that makes me feel good.’ He shook his head. ‘Yes, that’s it. You have a special quality, making others comfortable, warm, welcome.’

  She turned to smile at him. His lips descended. She lifted her chin so their mouths joined. It was a light, playful kiss, and ended way too quickly. Still it was enough to get her blood racing. Oh boy, I’m in serious trouble. Why does he have to be so kissable?

  ‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘Now, it’s getting late. I think you should stay over.’

  His eyes lit up, like lights on a Christmas tree. ‘I’d love to.’

  She climbed to her feet and he followed her. ‘I have a spare room you can use.’

  He stood stock-still. ‘Spare room? But I want to be with you. I want to be in you.’

  Elena looked up. A puppy love look was on his face. He was big and broad, and setting off all kinds of alarms in her system. ‘I’m sorry, but we’ve just met. I wouldn’t feel right taking it further so soon.’

  Stepping clear, his hand rested on the small of her back. ‘I hear what you’re saying,’ he said into her ear, brushing his lips against her neck. She shivered. This man had sex appeal. ‘Just one more kiss to fuel my dreams?’

  She ran her gaze over his face and centred on those luscious lips. Nothing harmful could come from kissing, could it? When he returned to his right mind he could forgive that, surely.

  The puppy love look was melting her on the inside. He took her hesitation for a yes and seized her to him. She let out a squeak before his lips captured hers. The other kisses were hot: but this one consumed. He was no longer polite or restrained. This was a kiss to melt her, to set her on fire, to make her beg to be taken.

  His hands travelled down and grasped her butt, lifting her up and pressing her against him. Oh God, what was that? His hard-on pressed against her. She prayed for mercy. Tonight was definitely going to be difficult. How was she going to resist all this man, when he wanted her so badly? Damn it all to hell, she wanted him too.

  A kiss was all she could allow. Their mouths duelled and then broke apart. Jake nuzzled her neck, biting at the juncture, sending all kinds of pleasure spiking where it shouldn’t. How was she going to stop this when all she wanted to do was surrender to it? She had to try to spell him; anything that would put an end to it.

  She struggled out of his grasp. He lifted his eyebrow.

  ‘I’m sorry. I can’t do this,’ she whispered desperately. ‘You need to sleep now.’

  She released the spell, and held him in it as he walked backward through the door. Gently, she pushed him onto the spare bed and let the sleeping spell keep him under. Tenderly, she brushed her fingers across his strong forehead and then slid her forefinger along his proud, straight nose. He looked peaceful in sleep, yet the strength still showed in the shape of his lips and the arrogant thrust of his chin.

  She knelt down to undress him so he could sleep comfortably, hoping he wore underwear. His jacket came off easily, and so did his shirt. She hung these up in the closet. Turning back, she took in his sleeping form and the slow rise and fall of his chest, which had a smattering of dark hair in the centre. He obviously worked out because he had impressively firm pecs, and he was rather stacked in his arms. Her gaze lingered for a bit, until she shook herself.

  Next, she took off his shoes and socks, and considered the belt. His suit was Armani and she couldn’t condone letting him sleep in his trousers. A spell was the best way to remove the belt. It was wrong for her to be groping around his midriff with her hands. Some would call it tempting fate. Still, she had to tug his trousers off, and that involved peeling the fabric from his hips and sliding it under his buttocks.

  To her relief, he wore elegant-looking boxer shorts. His erection was still prominent. Her gaze centred on it. I could have had that in me, she lamented.

  Hoping the sleep spell would merge with his natural sleep till morning, she put away the rest of his clothes. After draping a sheet over Jake, she turned out the light. Damn that spell. They might have actually liked each other without its interference. Once he came out of the spell he was going to be angry and vicious. With that chin of his, she could tell. He wasn’t a top-notch lawyer for nothing.

  Chapter 5

  A sudden yell pierced Elena’s pleasant dream. She bolted up in bed, panting. In the dark, she could see the digital clock displaying two a.m. A thump from the guest room told her Jake was awake. Luckily, she had planned for this contingency by wearing the ugliest nightgown she owned. It was made from scraps of old men’s pyjamas, haphazardly patched together. It was brown, cream and black, and very raggy.

  ‘Rats,’ she growled out as she threw off the covers. Darn her terrible spell casting. Being only half a witch had disadvantages. She had hoped he’d stay under till morning, but obviously her talent was too weak. She opened the door to the spare room and heard a cat screech as it ran out of the room. ‘Fel, you rotten cat.’

  The light was on. The cat bolted into the darkness. Jake stood there in his boxers, his hair up in spikes. ‘It’s a cat,’ he said rather sheepishly. ‘I’m sorry it startled me.’

  Elena frowned. Fel had become a real, live cat, and she had no time to wonder at the how of it. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realise I’d locked her in with you. I�
��ll go and put her out.’

  She went to leave and his firm fingers tightened on her hand. ‘Wait. The poor thing has had a bit of fright. Let it be for a while.’ He looked down at himself. ‘Did you undress me? I don’t remember…’ He shook his head, his pink cheeks betraying his embarrassment.

  She grabbed the opportunity. ‘Yes. You passed out. Sorry, I thought it best to put you to bed. Now the cat is out of the room maybe we can go back to sleep.’ She yawned for effect.

  ‘I’m not sleepy right now. Do you mind talking for a few minutes?’ Her skin heated as his gaze passed over her body. Obviously, the ugly nightie was not as off-putting as she’d hoped.

  ‘Sure,’ she said, feeling quite the opposite as she stepped further into the room. This close to his naked upper torso, all her nerve endings tingled. He certainly exuded confidence, energy and sex appeal. Clenching her hands by her sides helped her to avoid reaching out to touch the smooth skin of his shoulders. Her gaze lingered on him; he was made so beautifully.

  He smiled at her. Had he noticed that she couldn’t keep her eyes off him? She hoped not. He pointed at the chin-up bar. ‘So what’s with the equipment? You work out?’

  She gave a little laugh. ‘No, I use it for my craft. I make items to sell at the market. I hang them from there while I work.’

  His eyes lowered, lessening the heat. ‘Can you do chin-ups?’

  She drew her head back, surprised by the question. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever tried.’

  ‘I’ll show you. Come on.’ He moved over to the chin-up bar, looking up at it.

  ‘What? It’s two in the morning.’ Oh lord. He’s wearing boxers and he’s so buff. She tried looking away from all that flesh, not quite believing the predicament she was in.

  ‘Come on, it won’t hurt. I’ll show you. Then you try.’

  Elena ran her hands through her hair, straightening out some tangles. She supposed it was reasonable — bizarre, but reasonable. If he was doing chin-ups, he wouldn’t be seducing her, would he? Perhaps the exercise would tire him out.

  ‘Go ahead.’

  She sat on the bed and watched him leap up to grab the bar. He managed it smoothly and then lifted himself up and put his chin above the bar, and then lowered. Elena’s eyes bugged out. He had a six-pack, and all of the muscles on his chest and arms bunched under his skin, giving her an impressive display. She coughed when she thought about his body on hers. It was hard to not to begin fanning herself.

  He did about twenty repetitions and then let himself drop. ‘Your turn.’

  ‘Me? I don’t think I could do what you did.’

  ‘Try it. Come on, I’ll lift you up.’

  Reluctantly, she walked over to the bar. She usually used a ladder or magic to tie her charms to the top. It looked far away. His hands gathered around her small waist and lifted. She reached up to grasp the bar and, when she had a grip, he let go.

  ‘Now pull yourself up.’

  He stood there casually with his arms folded, but there was calculation in his gaze. With complete concentration, she tried to pull herself up, but lacked the upper body strength to do so. After a few lacklustre tries, she dangled there, her arm muscles burning. ‘I can’t. Can you help me down?’

  ‘Certainly,’ Jake replied, enthusiastically.

  He stood in front of her and slid his hands up her legs, underneath her nightie.

  ‘What are you doing? Get me down.’

  He hooked his fingers into the elastic of her underpants, drew them down her legs and flung them on the floor. ‘I will. But I’m doing it my way.’

  While Elena dangled from the chin-up bar, Jake ran his hands up her legs and grabbed her buttocks in both hands, supporting her so she wouldn’t fall. He put his head under her ugly nightie and his hot breath scorched the flesh of her inner thighs.

  ‘You mustn’t do this, Jake.’

  She was shaking, from excitement, and from holding onto the bar. Her muscles protested. She would have to let go soon. Then she realised where his head was. He wasn’t going to do that, was he?

  His tongue ran up the skin of her left inner thigh. Her eyes rolled up. He was going to do that. He ran his firm, hot tongue up her right thigh. She nearly lost her grip.

  She dropped a little lower and his tongue delved between her labia. Holding her by her butt, he delved deeper, seeking her clitoris. He was an expert with his tongue and teased her, making her open to him, seeking the core of her pleasure.

  Elena stared to groan as tendrils of heat snaked through her, over and over again. He used his shoulders to wedge her legs open, exposing her vulnerability and taking her weight. He concentrated on her clitoris, gently sucking and then expertly flicking it with his tongue. The orgasm was building. She couldn’t fight it. It was all she could do to hang on as she started to scream and buck against his hold.

  Not able to hold on any longer, she let go. He lowered her down, easing her legs off his shoulders so that she slid down his body. He stripped the nightie from her so that their naked flesh could glide together. With her heightened sense of touch after her orgasm, the heat of his skin was intense. As her sex neared his, she realised he was naked and ready. Distracted by hanging onto the bar, she hadn’t noticed him slipping off his boxer shorts. Just when had he put that condom on? Cunning, he was. Downright cunning.

  She tried to stop her glide by pushing her hands against his shoulders, but his strength won out. His lips snagged hers in a potent kiss. It served to distract her as he continued to lower her down onto his erection. The tip nudged between her moist labia.

  Breaking the kiss, she tried to reason with him. ‘Jake, please. Don’t do something you’ll regret.’

  ‘I won’t regret this. I’ve been dying to have you since I first laid eyes on you.’ And then he entered her with a swift thrust of his hips. He filled her up.

  ‘You’re so wet. Succulent,’ he groaned into her ear. She clung to him, not believing how hard he was and how great it was to have him inside her. It had been so long since she’d had any action.

  He shifted her in his grip, urging her legs around him. He held her by the hips and began to move.

  The pressure built as he thrust inside her — he had so much control and experience. Jake knew how to pleasure a woman. She was in serious trouble. This was a lover who could make a woman weep, and break her heart as easily as he’d seduced her. Didn’t Grace say he always had some woman hanging off him? No wonder. She couldn’t be one of them. When this spell ended, he wouldn’t be interested. She had to remember that.

  ‘Kiss me,’ he demanded, and she responded. There was no fighting him, his appeal, his downright sexual dominance.

  Their lips met. His hunger for her made him wild as his lips sought hers. She held on as his pace increased. He took a few careful steps with her in his arms and rested her back against the wall. This gave him more leverage to delve deeper into her. Elena held on, his shoulder muscles bunched, his skin smooth under her fingers. She let herself go. She could fight the building orgasm no longer.

  ‘Come,’ she said. ‘Please.’

  ‘Not yet.’ His words were harsh in her ear. Still her body reacted, pieces of her starting to float away. He was working her, knowing how to ride her for maximum effect. She tried stifling her moans of pleasure, but then he’d thrust and hold and then thrust again, breaking down all her defences.

  The noise she made sounded almost inhuman. An incoherent expression of lust bubbled out of her mouth.

  Suddenly, he changed positions again. This time he placed her on the bed while she clung exhausted to his shoulders. Kneeling down, he grabbed her to him by sliding her along the mattress. It was an amazing feeling — vulnerable, possessed and dominated, and yet exhilarated.

  He lunged inside her. Her vaginal muscles contracted, sending her already heightened pleasure centre into a spin. She couldn’t believe he’d upped the pace again. She was so wet, his cock sliding into her created an amazing friction. He fit so well inside of her. Ra
tional thoughts about how this wasn’t real, and wasn’t meant to be, skittered away. She was in the moment, meeting his thrusts, angling her hips even when he rotated his to excite every part of her.

  The sound of her pleasure filled her ears. She wasn’t even embarrassed by the noise she was making. He grunted and growled, and the sounds he made sent her higher. He was undoing her, sending parts of her in different directions.

  He began to tremble. She sensed he was close, that his control was crumbling. She let herself go with him. Three more thrusts and he shuddered, letting out a roar. His orgasm came over him. He was vulnerable at that moment. She cherished the transformation in his expression. Then he lowered himself, face between her breasts, arms by her side.

  For a few moments, they lay there and breathed together.

  With his chin resting between her breasts, he gazed at her. ‘You see? Now we know each other better.’

  Elena had to laugh and let a chuckle rise from her gut. He levered himself up and lay down beside her. ‘You didn’t enjoy it?’ he asked, dark brows furrowed together. A gentle finger on her chin urged her face in his direction.

  Her chuckle became a full belly laugh. His mouth drew into a thin line. Calming, she reached up and stroked his face. ‘That was amazing.’

  He relaxed his expression and smiled, a satisfied ‘I’m full of prowess’ smile. ‘Good.’

  Next he was sliding his arms under her.

  ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Putting you to bed.’

  After kicking the door open, he carried her into her room. She caught sight of the cat, perched in the middle of the living room, illuminated by a shaft of light.

  Satisfied? she thought at her.

  Fel lifted a paw and licked it diligently. The paw was white, furry and real. How had the cat done it? Clever tom, Fel thought. Then the cat settled on the carpet with what appeared to be a smirk.

  Jake moving her to the bed cut off her line of sight, and then he kicked the door shut and everything went dark.