by London Casey
Too late. Magic was everywhere. Dear god, he was bathing in the stuff, now. You would think that the amount of water in the tub would dilute the wine, but no such luck. And it was all over her. She could smell the latent sex magic under the aroma of roses. And really, she didn’t care. Hadn’t she yearned for some really good sex? He’d given her exactly what she wanted earlier, total release. Why not enjoy it again?
She couldn’t taste anything in the wine that could be dangerous. Just damn erotic. She let the robe slither down her skin to hit the floor. She stepped out of her duckies and climbed the short stair up the side of the hot tub. When she reached the top he gathered her in his arms and lifted her down into the water. She sucked in a breath as the force of the magic hit her. Strong, it encouraged the growing need in her like sunlight to roses.
Her hands touched his and the temperature of the water felt tepid compared to the warmth of his skin and the look in his eyes. This might only be a spell but it was one he clearly welcomed. He embraced her, pulling her against his chest as he sank into the water. It couldn’t feel more perfect, he couldn’t look or act more like the fantasy lover she’d imagined. Every element of the night—the scent of roses and of his skin, the taste of the wine—seemed to touch her as the magic caressed her body.
Only one element bothered her. With a wave she shut off the porch light and with a flick of her fingers she set a flame to dance in the air in the opposite corner of the deck. Only when she looked back at Barrett did she realize that she’d performed magic in front of him. But his eyes were focused on hers, not on the flame. She could melt into that hazel color.
“Barrett…” She tested the name, and liked it. A lot. Too bad this was all just a little magical mix up. It would probably wear off by tomorrow. Tonight though…
“Mmmm.” He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her like there would never be a tomorrow. After a moment he came up for air. “So you live near here?”
Sarah tingled everywhere and it was hard to concentrate on what he was saying. How could he talk when the cap was off the metaphorical bottle of sin and they were chest deep in it? “What?” His hands were wandering and it was a lot easier to pay attention to their direction than to what he was saying.
“Do you live near here?”
“Yes,” she gasped as he cupped her breasts with both hands. “The house at the end of the street.”
“With all the decorations.”
“Yes.” He pulled at her nipples and she fought the urge to cry out.
“What do you do?”
“Oh, dear goddess,” she hissed. He’d pinched one nipple hard, and a line of pleasure and pain drew straight from her nipple down to her clit. “I’m a witch.”
“Yeah, you make a great one. Loved the pointy hat.” He pulled her onto his lap to face him and his erection, thick and hard, poked her in the belly.
“No I’m a real one. Not a good one but still. The hat’s only for Halloween.” But he’d lost his train of thought and was busy fingering her sex. She groaned.
“Just a minute and I’ll get a condom.” He reached over the side of the tub and snagged his jeans. She slid off him and he stood, his cock once again popping above the surface of the water. She couldn’t resist. She took him in her mouth and sucked. The rose wine continued to work its magic in the water, she could taste it clinging to his skin. It was everywhere now, on them, in them. Power zipped all around her, its energy intoxicating, more so than the potent wine.
She licked, sucked and nibbled. The more wine she tasted the more she wanted. Soon he gripped her hair and guided her head, encouraging her to take him deeper into her throat. Condom forgotten, he rocked slowly back and forth into her mouth. With a sudden, guttural groan he pumped just a little harder and cum spurted into her throat. She had to gulp to swallow it quickly; it tasted even more strongly of the wine than the water.
She pulled away, and opened her eyes to look at him standing above her. His cock remained hard and she wanted it. But this was beyond stupid. Magic aside, they could bloody drown in the tub for all the brainpower they had left. The hot tub had turned into a giant potion and they were now part of the spell’s ingredients. Yet leaving was out of the question. Unless he came with her.
“I want to take you to bed.” The words tumbled out of her mouth.
He grinned. “I love hearing what you want.” Then he frowned. “I’d take you to bed but I haven’t got one yet. My furniture’s been delayed.”
“Come to my bed.”
This was getting serious. He’d had this woman three times tonight already and he could barely get out of the hot tub, his erection was so hard. He helped Sarah out of the tub and had to control himself before he took her standing up against the deck fence. A bed would be better. He repeated that to himself several times as he watched her pull on her robe. In a haze he yanked on his pants.
“Just a minute, let me blow out the candles,” he told her. He turned back to the candle flames and found the light gone. A nagging thought passed through his mind. Did he have any candles? He couldn’t remember packing any, not even with his camping gear. He looked around but couldn’t spot any tapers.
Sarah touched his shoulder. The contact sent a jolt through him, as pleasurable as if she’d laid her hand against his still semi-erect cock. God, would he ever get enough of her? He sure as hell hoped not.
He led her through the house, cutting through the empty rooms to get to the street, wishing his furniture had arrived with him, then followed her down the empty street to her house. She didn’t seem to care that she was walking along their street in only her robe, and in truth, their homes were double lots with plenty of space between them and any other house on the street. He doubted anyone would spot them, and certainly wouldn’t see them clearly enough to note what they were wearing.
In minutes she opened her gate and he had a chance to admire her Halloween décor up close. It looked awesome. He grinned at the pumpkins large and small and at the still smoking cauldron. She must work with a lab or something to get even a small quantity of dry ice. Nothing else that he knew of would make that fireless smoke, although hers smelled oddly of cinnamon. He glanced at the black cat sitting near the door and the giant fake spider webs. She took being a witch seriously.
She opened the door and he stepped through behind her. He took in the color of the entry and living room, the rich wood and the yellow and orange tones in the aged plaster. Nothing Halloween here, but lots of warmth and good taste. Instantly he felt comfortable, like he’d just come home. Except, of course, for the fact that a beautiful woman walked ahead of him, wearing nothing but a silk robe. A robe that stuck to her still damp skin.
He couldn’t wait for the bedroom. He reached out to her, laid his hand on her shoulder and when she paused he stepped closer. He leaned in and smelled her hair, and trailed his hand down the smooth surface of her robe until he could slip his fingers inside to knead her breast. She moaned a little and leaned back into him. Her nipple hardened under his fingers. Her responses pooled the desire low in his balls.
He pressed against her from behind and wrapped his other arm around her waist. They swayed together to a music he could barely hear—something soft that floated out from another room, full of the low sexy rumble of a bass guitar. Exactly the kind of music he loved.
“I like your home. And the music,” he whispered in her ear.
“Thanks. I…I don’t usually bring anyone here. I’m not sure why I did this time.” She stepped away and turned to face him.
“Because you didn’t want to make love on my sleeping bag on the floor.” He stated it baldly, got it right out in the open. “I know I don’t know you. But I feel like I do. I want you again. I’ve been hard since the minute I laid eyes on you, Sarah.”
“It’s just a spell. Halloween magic,” she whispered. “It’ll be gone tomorrow. I think.” She wrung her hands a little and he smiled. Adorable. But if she thought he wouldn’t want to take her in the morning light after
having her in firelight, moonlight and candlelight, she was wrong.
“You might want to empty out your hot tub, though.” She was still chattering. Nervous now, perhaps, that they were in her house.
He took her fingers and kissed the tips. “Show me your bed.”
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
She led him to her room. Like the living room he admired her sense of color and style. Here the tones shifted to reds, and he loved the four poster bed. He could easily see her tied to its thick wooden posts, and wondered if she thought they were as phallic as he thought they were.
But only one cock ruled his mind for more than a moment. His was already at full staff, and visualizing playing sex games with her that he’d never had the guts to try with his New York girlfriends brought an ache that surprised him, considering how often he’d come already tonight.
“I don’t know if this is such a good idea.” She’d stopped just inside the bedroom door. Her black cat wound around her feet and she looked down at it. “Stop it, Miska. Don’t you think this has gone far enough?”
“Not really.” Barrett knew she’d addressed the cat but she’d given him an opportunity his inner author couldn’t resist. “I want to take it all the way.”
He pulled her in for a kiss and she relaxed in his arms, responding as he deepened it and took in her taste. The wine had faded and he was left with Sarah’s unique scent and flavor. He savored it, and he ran his hands down her sides over her robe and cupped the sweet curves of her ass. Slowly he walked them close to the bed, never breaking the kiss until he reached the edge of the mattress.
“So where’s your magic wand?”
“What?” She looked confused.
“Every witch needs a magic wand. Something to give them a little buzz.” He wiggled his eyebrows, trying to get a giggle out of her. Instead she frowned at him.
“There’s no magic allowed in here.”
“Oh, I beg to differ.” He leaned in and kissed her again, sucking her bottom lip and stroking her tongue with his until she sagged against him, her hands running over his chest. When he finally let her go, her robe had slipped from her shoulders. With her hair mussed and her lips swollen from his kisses he didn’t think he’d ever seen a more fascinating woman. “I’m an author. I’ve written six best selling fantasy novels. Trust me, I know magic when I see it. You’re it.”
She looked animated, and a wicked smile stole over her lips. “No, no, that’s just it. There’s absolutely no magic able to enter this room. It’s perfect.” She began to giggle.
He had no idea what she was happy about but laughing, half unrobed, she drew him like a magnet.
Sarah laughed aloud again at Barrett’s bemused expression. Her mother, Bernice, had spent nearly two days making Sarah’s bedroom magic proof so no little accidents could happen in here, either when she was asleep or had company. As if she ever had company. Still, her mother had hoped, but also worried that Sarah’s magic might do something else odd in the heat of passion.
A suspicious meow sounded from the hallway. Sarah walked to the door and bumped it shut with her elbow. Magic and magical kitties could stay out. If there was no magic, then the desire she saw in Barrett’s eyes, and felt in his body weren’t from the souped up hot tub water any more. They were for her, pure and simple. Of course, that meant she could make a complete fool of herself, but she’d already told him in detail one of her fantasies. What would it hurt to enjoy herself with a little more with him tonight? And maybe, just maybe, there would be a tomorrow as well.
“I think we can save the magic wand for another night. I only want one thing tonight.”
“What’s that?”
“You.” She ran her hands up his chest to circle around his neck. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, reveling in the way her body reacted to his. His desire seemed sincere. The hard shape in his pants and the passion in his kiss confirmed it. He wanted her without the magic. Maybe things hadn’t gone as wrong with her spell as she’d thought.
She walked back to the bed and Barrett’s arms.
Behind her the door slammed open, hitting the wall with a bang.
Chapter Five
Sarah whipped around. A wave of dismay mixed with horror washed through her. Standing at the door, looking seriously annoyed in her blue pinstripe suit, was her mother. Her hair was coming loose from the bun she detested but like the suit, wore for coven business. If she came here straight from the corporate end of a coven meeting, something had to be seriously wrong.
“Sarah Marie Pickman. Is it not enough that I have to deal with your sister tonight? Now you’re going to behave like some sex crazed hedge-witch, messing with things beyond your control?”
Sarah gasped and dragged her robe on tighter. Behind her she felt Barrett come closer and lay his hand on her shoulder. Nice, but if he thought he could interfere with anything her mother had to say, Bernice would likely turn him into a toad. No way was she letting that happen, not this time, and not to a man she thought she might finally have a few things in common with. He was an author, filled with imagination, they were attracted to each other, he obviously liked the area or he wouldn’t have moved here. She was just getting to know him; there would be no flippers or warts applied tonight.
“What do you want, mother?”
“What I want are two respectful daughters. But we both know Bella isn’t going there and you, well I’m glad to see you’re finally coming into your powers, but how could you leave a cauldron full of sex magic bubbling away?”
“What are you talking about? I emptied the cauldron in my circle. The fire was dying when I left.”
Energy crackled off her mother’s aura. “I’m talking about the mess you left in his hot tub. Gallons and gallons of sexually charged potion bubbling away, with no focus once you two left and no circle to contain it. What do you think happened with it after you two walked away and moved your little party here?”
“Oh crap.”
“Crap is right. The spell spread in the last half an hour. Half your neighbors are probably having wild sex orgies. As for his tub, it literally melted seconds after I arrived to clean up this calamity.” Her mother waved her arms in the air and Sarah flinched, waiting for Bernice to sum up the damage and probably turn them both into frogs. “If I had been one more minute at the coven, the magic would have seeped into the ground water. And then I come over here and find out you’ve been playing with a…a mortal?”
Sarah pictured the probable results of sex magic loose in the water table and cringed. This was worse than hearing her mother’s opinions of human and witch mixed couples.
A deep voice brought her back to the present. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with my hot tub?”
Barrett tried to follow the conversation between Sara and the woman who was obviously her mother. She appeared to be more than a little angry. She snapped her fingers at him and he had the strangest inclination that he should duck, but shook it off.
“Did you say my hot tub…melted?”
“What? Why…? Oh, I forgot, we made the bedroom a magic free zone.” Sarah’s mother seemed peeved about that, but he still wasn’t following. He looked to Sarah for some clue.
“Barrett, this is my mother, Bernice Pickman. And as for your tub—”
“Yes, as for your tub, it melted. Burned down half the deck, too, I’m afraid.” Bernice interrupted. “Sarah, we have been over this a dozen times. You have to get yourself under control or we are going to have to shut you down. You know that.”
Barrett glanced from Bernice to Sarah, who hung her head like an errant child. For a moment he felt like he should protect her, shield her from her mother’s criticism or hug her, something. But the whole thing confused the hell out of him. Sex with a stranger, being caught like a teenager by her mother and now part of his new house had burned?
“Maybe I had better go home.”
“Yes, I imagine you should. I’m sure Sarah will pay for the d
amage to your deck. Better yet, we’ll have repairmen come and take care of it right away. No need for you two to discuss it at all.” Bernice said coldly and stood aside from the doorway.
He hesitated. “Sarah…”
“It’s okay, Barrett. It was…nice…meeting you.” Sarah walked to the door and he followed as she led the way out of the house. Leaving her felt wrong, but nothing had been quite normal since he stepped onto the path to the woods hours earlier.
In the night air he could smell the odor of woodsmoke. He turned back to tell Sarah goodnight but she was already shutting the door and it clicked quietly shut in front of him. The night air felt cooler that it had earlier, and he imagined his chance to go for a swim in the cove behind the woods was gone for the year. He’d have to wait for the summer to bring the warm breeze again.
It took only a few minutes for him to reach his house and to grab the flashlight to have a look at the disaster of his back deck. The corner that had housed the hot tub had been reduced to cinders and the tub itself—he’d never seen anything like the twisted puddle of plastic and metal. How did you burn something that was filled with water?
Exhaustion waved over him. He shut the door on the mess, deciding to have a closer look in the morning when he could see better. He’d deal with Sarah then, too. He smiled to himself. Fire or no, she was the most interesting, beautiful, sexy woman he’d ever met. No way would he let a little property damage come between them. He walked into what would soon be the master bedroom and sighed. For a little while he’d forgotten that he’d be bunking out in his sleeping bag on the hardwood floor until his furniture arrived. He’d hoped to spend the night with a certain Halloween witch.
Morning came too soon. The floor had been anything but forgiving. Barrett stifled a groan and rolled over onto one side. He could smell an old campfire. A second later he corrected himself. He could smell his burned back porch. This time he did groan out loud, and he covered his face with his arm, willing the sun to go away and the dream of last night’s intense sex to come back so he could deal with his morning hard on the way nature intended.