I sat up, looking at him. He expected rejection, I realized. He thought that he had committed a heinous act.
“Look at me,” I said, and he did, raising his eyes hesitantly. I saw sadness there, and guilt. “I feel stronger than I ever have. You didn’t ruin my life; you saved it.” He sat up, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him close to me. I could feel the strength of our bond.
“I want that future with you,” I told him. I brought him to me, kissing him passionately. He rolled on top of me, supporting himself with his hands. He gingerly avoided making contact with me. “I’m fine,” I assured him, pulling him so that he dropped down, putting his weight on me.
“I forgot that you weren’t human for a second,” he muttered into my hair. I growled as I pulled him to me; it came out as a rumbling purr, an animal vibrato against my sternum. His mouth met mine, and I ran my hands over his smooth skin. He no longer felt hot, as my internal temperature was the same as his now.
I looked him in the eyes; they were glowing, an iridescent green, like the dragon from the night before. It was definitely going to take some getting used to, remembering that the dragon and the person were one and the same.
I rolled, causing us to tumble within the sheets. Straddling his hips, I sat astride him. He reached up, cupping my breasts. I mounted him and began gyrating my hips sensually. It was a position of strength. I felt strong and sexy as I slowly moved myself up and down. I threw my head back, arching my spine. I could feel the heat generated by our bodies. It was just like the first time—we were on fire. It felt as though the house around us was beginning to catch—that we were setting the rest of the world ablaze, leaving nothing behind but ash.
~*~
THE END
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Don’t Hurt Me
~ Bonus Story ~
A Werewolf - Witch Romance
Penelope Harris is cursed. When she was twelve, she placed a spell on herself so that she would only marry her one true love. Now, she runs a matchmaking service that is highly suspect in the public eye due to Penny’s string of explosively ended engagements; the tabloids have dubbed her “Unlucky Penny.”
Davey Allred is a popular actor. He’s enlisted Penny’s help to find him “the One.” The problem is, Penny’s love magic isn’t working because her instant attraction to Davey is blinding her to any other potential matches for him.
Can she find someone for him before he falls for her and is injured or worse by the curse? Can she keep her own heart from breaking over this notorious playboy? And why does he even want to settle down in the first place?
* * *
Prologue
I could hear Mom and Jack, yelling at each other in the other room. I was twelve, and just coming into my powers. My mint-green walls were scribbled on with Sharpie marker—my second favorite past time. Jack was yet another in a string of bad relationships that my mother had been in, the first being my father. Evidently, Jack had cheated on my mother, who had found out when Jack arrived at our house to pick my mother up with a bright, cherry red lipstick stain on the collar of his white oxford dress shirt.
I shut my eyes. How could I make it so that this would never happen to me? I began to picture a thread—a green one, one that represented me and the span of my life. Fate, according to my grandmother. I began to wrap a golden thread around the green one in my mind.
As the door slammed shut in punctuation to the fight in the other room, I worked my first major spell—I would only be able to marry my one true love. I could feel the spell as it covered the surface of my skin—a tingling feeling that shot through my fingertips. As the spell finished, the door to my bedroom opened.
“Penny?” my grandmother asked me. “What are you—” She gasped, a deep intake of breath.
“I fixed it,” I said ecstatically. “I can only marry my one true love, Grandma!”
“Penny! I told you not to cast anything that would affect the Fates!”
“But—” My Grandmother knelt down in front of me, taking my hands. She closed her eyes and began to mutter under her breath. She went on in this manner for several minutes before dropping my hands.
“You worked a strong spell…I can’t change it.” She looked at me. “You may live to regret this, my dear.” I nodded, keeping my face calm, but inside, I felt proud and triumphant. It was my first major working—and it had been successful.
Chapter One
“So?” she asked me, shrugging her shoulders and widening her eyes in excited expectation. We were wrapped in the soft sheets on my bed. She had this gorgeous copper colored hair and deep brown eyes. I caressed her through the sheets.
“You’re fun,” I said. She smiled and laughed. She had a great laugh. I tried to think back again to where, exactly I had met her. It had been a long night of drinking and partying. It was typical of my life. I was a movie star, after all. I had met her in that nightclub…the one with the 1970’s theme…yeah. What was her name?
I thought about taking her to Starbuck’s. That way, I could get her name surreptitiously. That would work…instead of breakfast, just a coffee. Get her name and number for later possible reference, and then send her on her way. I lay back in the bed, feeling my heart rate begin to slow.
Whatever her name was, she was caressing my sideburn, looking at me seriously. I hoped that she wasn’t about to start some type of bedroom confessions session. I was too tired, and I could feel my hangover beginning. Luckily, or not, my cellphone rang. That meant one person. My grand-aunt Annalise. I answered immediately. I never failed to answer her calls. Never.
“Aunt Anna?” I asked.
“Davey?” she said. She sounded strange.
“What’s wrong?”
“They’re taking me to the hospital,” she said, sounding confused, scared. My heart began to pound. I shot up in bed, already looking for my clothes.
“What happened?”
“I’m fine,” she replied automatically, which made me believe otherwise.
“You can’t be fine if you’re being taken to the hospital,” I replied, pausing for a moment. “Who is taking you?”
“Lula,” she said. “We were watching our stories, when suddenly, I just felt so funny. I told her that I’d be just fine, I just needed a glass of water and a moment…but she took me to the ER, and now they say that I have to stay.” She sounded miserable.
“What did the doctors say is wrong?” I asked her.
“They say it’s something or other with my heart.”
“Auntie, that’s pretty serious,” I said. “I’m on my way.”
“Take your time,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.” We ended the call. I was in the process of pulling my pants on.
“Hey Aunt Anna,” I said.
“Hey what?” she replied.
“I’ve met someone I wanna marry,” I lied. “I’ll bring her around to meet you soon.”
“Oh, Davey, that’s wonderful! Really?”
“Really. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
“I’m feeling better already.” We ended our call.
“What happened?” Miss Thing wanted to know what was going on. For someone who I had just met, she seemed very concerned.
“My aunt is in the hospital. I have to go.” I zipped up my fly.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
“Uh, no. You get some rest sweetheart, and I’ll give you a call.” I kissed her on the forehead, turned and pulled my t-shirt on. She looked pretty with her mussed sex hair and her kiss-swollen lips. Anything else could have waited, and I would have gladly stayed with her. But Aunt Anna was seriously ill. She was looking at me like she wanted to say something. I arched an eyebrow questioningly.
“So…do you want me to leave my husband?” she asked me. I suddenly remembered when I met her…she had been with a bunch of her girlfriends…all married women. They had
looked at her like she was crazy.
“Huh? Of course not.” I said. She shot out of bed, launching herself at me, and slapping me across the face.
“That’s cold, ice cold.” I had nothing to say to that. I turned and left quickly, texting the apartment building’s security guard in order to make sure that she left.
Chapter Two
Marielle, my admin ran into the office, breathlessly. She was dressed in her typical preppy outfit—J. Crew fuchsia blazer, navy pencil skirt. She had a silk scarf tied around her neck. Her hair was pulled into a neat topknot.
She waggled the fingers of her left hand at me excitedly. On her left ring finger, sure as sugar, a massive diamond ring glittered. I had seen this, of course. The thread of Mari’s Fate had shown it—it wrapped with that of David, her now fiancé. I squealed excitedly, standing up and taking her hand to inspect the ring.
“I knew it!” I said.
“David and I are just dying to take you out to dinner to thank you for your assistance in getting us together.”
“Oh, no. I couldn’t.” I replied, waving a hand.
“We’ve made a reservation at Mariano’s,” she raised her eyebrows. Mariano’s was the most exclusive restaurant in the city. It took quite a lot to get a reservation… and it was worth every penny (no pun intended).
“Well, when you put it that way,” I said, and we giggled. “So, have you picked a date?”
“Sometime in the spring,” she said, “Probably May.” I did the calculations. In nine months, I would need a new administrator. This always happened. I had, so far, set up exactly six admins, all of them were currently happily married. Exactly four had kids, and one had a little bundle of joy on the way.
I turned and began plumping one of the cushions on the waiting room sofa. Mari turned the computer on, and began to compile the day’s schedule.
“Oh, we have a new client coming in today,” she said. “Super premium.”
Before she got a chance to tell me who this super premium client was a man walked in. I was immediately attracted to him, which was a red flag. I felt the prickle of the spell that I had cast when I was twelve. The last thing that I needed was another romantic entanglement. My most recent fiancé had only recently contacted me to let me know that he had finally gotten out of his full-body cast after the horrible accident that had happened during his bachelor party—he had been hit by an oncoming car as he left a bar the night before our wedding. To top off my nice string of horribly injured or disfigured fiancés, business was a tad slow after a certain news article about the aforementioned string of fiancés. It had been titled “Un-Lucky Penny.” So this guy was to be the next, I supposed. The spell always knew. I couldn’t place my finger on where I knew him from. Mari recognized him immediately.
“Davey Allred!” she squealed. He looked shocked for a second, and then his face smoothed out into a self-confident grin. My stomach dropped. Davey Allred, mega-superstar actor, had walked into my matchmaking service, Lucky Penny Matches. If I nailed this match, then it could, potentially, get me back on top of my game.
I stepped forward, holding my hand out to him, and glad that I had chosen to wear my low-cut black Balmain mini to work today. I shook his hand confidently.
“Welcome, Mr. Allred,” I said.
“Davey, please,” he replied.
“Penny,” I said, giving him a wink. “Step in to my office.” I looked at Mari as I ushered the actor into the office. She gave me a double thumbs up.
“Please, have a seat,” I said, gesturing toward a pink wingback chair that I have for clients to sit in. He sat down, then gestured toward the door.
“So, another success story?” He smiled. He was talking about Mari. I sighed, forcing a smile.
“Exactly.” In my mind, I was actually going through my index of “safe” men to bring as a date to Mari’s wedding. The unfortunate thing was, my last single gay friend was now happily married. He had been my admin before Mari. I had matched him to the love of his life last year. They had adopted a little girl several months ago, and he had no time to fake date me anymore.
“You look distracted,” Davey said. “Did you want me to come back later? With an appointment?”
“I thought you were the appointment,” I said, confused. I looked at my computer, seeing that I had two cancellations, one which had just been sent through from Mari at the front desk. I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I was mistaken. That is later today.”
I looked at him, sitting across from me. He looked perfect—like, model perfect. He had a handsome face with artful stubble and piercing blue eyes. His cheekbones, jaw, and nose were perfectly sculpted. I had to swallow. I was so attracted, I was beginning to sweat. I had never been so nervous around someone before. He wore a tight-fitting black t-shirt, his arm and chest muscles were built. I wondered how this guy was having trouble finding a woman. The fact that he was gay flickered through my mind. Shouldn’t be a problem—this is the 21st Century, after all.
“I must admit. I am surprised that you of all people need assistance from a matchmaking service. So, Davey,” I said, gesturing toward him. “How can I help you?” He smiled at me, a little flustered, it seemed.
“I want to find someone that I can grow old with,” he said. “I’m at the point in my life where everything’s…you know, good. My career is on track. I own a home. It’s time.”
I nodded. It was the usual spiel. He went on.
“I just want to find the right woman, and soon, you know, like this month. I feel like that would be good.”
“Well, these things sometimes take time,” I explained, wondering what the rush was. I could feel myself getting flustered.
“I’m sure it does,” he replied seriously.
“Um, why don’t you tell me more about yourself, and, like, your interests,” I said, taking out my clipboard and reminding myself to stick to business.
“I’m your usual guy,” he said. “I like sports and stuff.”
“You want to be more specific?”
“I like nice things, like nice dinners,” he said. He rubbed his chin, and I felt my mouth almost drop open at how attractive that mannerism was. “I like to go to the beach. I like to hike. Sometimes I go to the mountains and snowboard for a couple of days.”
“Do you go out a lot?”
“Sometimes,” the evasive way that he said it made me think that he went out often. I knew that he had the reputation for being a playboy. I let it slide. I was trying to magically assess of my clients, what threads he was connected to. It was like he was in a haze, and that was seriously concerning, since that only happens with men that I myself get serious about. And then, because of a spell that I cast when I was twelve, those men end up brutally injured…or worse.
I was too attracted to him to see him in a rational light. I would need to force myself to get over it. I needed to see the women who were in his life at present before bringing someone new in. Maybe there was someone that he himself was overlooking—see whose threads moved to him. I placed my pen down on top of my clipboard and bit my lip. Davey leaned forward, placing his chin in the palm of his hand. The way he was looking at me made me flush red.
“I’ll need to shadow you for a couple of days—get to know who you associate with and what you’re like,” I said, looking him in the eye. He cocked an eyebrow. I had done this many times—it always worked like a charm.
“I would have to spend more time with you, but I’ll get over it,” I said. He looked taken aback.
“That’s a rather weak pickup line,” he replied. “The money that I’ll pay you isn’t enough to find someone?”
“Look at my last string of engagements,” I snapped. “Including the guy who got hit by a car the night before our wedding. He was in a full body cast for the past five months. As a public service, I have officially taken myself off of the market.” I stood, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Additionally, even if I was on the market, a man as full of himself as
you are wouldn’t have a chance with me.” He leaned back in his chair, looking at me.
“Full of myself?” he hissed, “I am one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. Women throw themselves at me. The wrong ones. How the hell am I supposed to find the right ones?” I leaned forward, placing my hands on my desk.
“I will give you back every last penny,” I snarled, “If you don’t find true love.” He nodded.
“That’s all I wanted,” he replied shortly, standing up and leaving the room. The door to my office slammed shut behind him. I slammed my hands down onto my desk in frustration. I had totally let him get under my skin. I knew full well that my magic only worked if the person for whom the matchmaking was being done was ready for love, and if the person for whom they were meant was ready for love, as well. It wasn’t an exact science; it had a lot to do with luck and timing. Often, it would take several months to find the right person. In a very few cases, it had been years…those were definitely clients that I had lost. My business had been so successful because by the time that clients showed up at my door, they were at a place where they were ready to find love.
Davey, on the other hand, despite what he said to the contrary, was not, in fact, ready to find love. He still wanted to play the field—I could sense it. He was still unsettled—which was why his threads were so obscured, I reasoned. I wondered why he was so insistent upon finding “the one,” and in such a short time. I sighed. I would have to do my best. If I settled business with this type of high profile client with success, then business would be booming again. Since I clearly had nothing but my work to look forward to anymore, that was going to have to be enough.
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