“I thought I was dreaming, but it was so real. I could see his wound from Damien closing itself up, as if the blood was making it heal faster than normal. I mean, a werewolf bite takes them forever to heal, even a shallow one, right?” I felt his nod his head as he rocked me slowly, trying to calm my nerves. It was so nice to have someone comfort me, even if it was Noah. I drew strength from him, from his warmth, and before I knew it, I was calm again. He kept holding me, but he had stopped rocking me.
“Um, Noah, I’m okay now. You can let go.” I pulled back, but he moved his hands back to frame my face, his eyes searching mine. If he kept staring at me like that, I would quickly put an end to this temporary truce. He had my heart racing with something other than the fear that had gripped me, and my blood was fast reaching boiling point.
“Teagan.” His voice was a whisper and I shook my head mutely, willing him to back away before he ruined everything. If he had just left it at calming me, I could have maybe revised my opinion of him.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered before his mouth came down on mine. I held myself rigid, refusing to give in to the crazy heat that flooded through me, that threatened to pull me down. This was Noah, I kept repeating over and over, the sorcerer jerk who picks on you all the time, makes fun of you, threatens bodily harm, but as he slanted his mouth over mine, his tongue tracing my lips, my will to resist drained away and I reached up to bracket my hands on the side of his face. My lips opened of their own accord and the kiss went supernova. We couldn’t get enough of each other, as if these past couple of months we had been dancing a dangerous tango that led us to this place. His hands pulled my night shirt down, baring my shoulders, and he placed his mouth on the sensitized skin of one, nipping and kissing.
“Oh my, I’m so sorry.”
Harley’s voice was like cold water being thrown over me. I made a sound, something between a gasp and a gurgle, and pushed Noah away, using hands and feet. He looked like a man coming out of a daze, but when he saw Harley he rolled off the bed in one fluid movement and came up on the opposite side away from her.
She looked from me to Noah, her eyes speculative.
“Don’t mind me. I just heard screaming and thought I would see what was wrong.” She could barely contain the laughter she was suppressing.
“Teagan had a nightmare. I came to check on her. She’s fine now.” Noah tried for that smooth, nonchalant voice that usually came natural to him, but I could hear the crack in the façade.
“Mmhhmmm.” Harley drawled, an eyebrow cocked with sarcasm, her mouth tipping up at the corners. “I’ll leave you to your…checking.”
“No, Harley…”
“I was just leaving…”
Our voices fell on empty air. She was already gone and we were left alone with each other. Neither one of us could look at the other and I just wanted him out of the room. My emotions were a ragged mess; half of me wanted to yank him back down on the bed with me, the other half was disgusted with myself. How could I have let this happen? Sure I was scared and caught up in the moment, but Noah?
“Teagan…?” his voice was soft, almost pleading and it was disconcerting to hear the indecision in his voice. He was such a self-assured person that it sounded all wrong. I shook my head, drawing my knees up and resting my cheek on them.
“Noah, just go. Thank you for waking me up, but I think it’s just best if you leave.” I whispered, my head turned away from him.
“Teagan, we have to talk about this…”
I lifted my head to glare at him, and it disappointed me that he didn’t return the glare. Was he going weak on me?
“We have nothing to talk about, Noah. Please leave.” I said through gritted teeth. I still wanted to pull him down to me, and it was making me angrier by the minute that I wanted him so much. If he didn’t leave soon, I was going to start throwing things.
“It’s not just about this,” he made a gesture with his hand, pointing first to me and then to him, “but about your dream, too. What if you weren’t dreaming? What if you were there?”
“We can talk in the morning, when you and I aren’t in a dark bedroom, and when we have witnesses.” I grumbled and he grinned.
“Did I make that much of an impression?” The smugness had quickly returned to him.
“No, you didn’t. I’ve kissed plenty of men that have made me hotter than you ever could.” Boy that was a lie. Hopefully he couldn’t tell, but that’s the thing about sorcerers; they are wonderful lie detectors.
“Shall I try again?” He took a step towards the bed and I uncoiled from my position, coming up on my knees and squaring my shoulders.
“Come near me again, and I will rip off…something.” I growled, bringing my fists up defensively.
He threw his head back and laughed, then stalked toward me.
“Noah…” I said, warning evident in my voice. He leaned in, and I would have swung, but his eyes caught mine and I froze. He rested his lips on my forehead, in a feather light caress and I closed my eyes, wishing that things could be different between us.
“I think that you had better leave. Honestly, Noah, I have a lot of things to work over and I’m not sure how much sleep I’m going to get.” I whispered as I leaned away from him. He stared at me, scrutinizing my level stare, and then he straightened and stepped away from the bed. He shoved a hand through his shaggy blonde mane, massaged the back of his neck, but still watched me, as if he thought I would change my mind.
“In the morning, the three of us will go over what happened tonight.” At my glare, he back tracked. “What I meant was the three of us will go over your dream. You and I will revisit this another time.” He pointed at him and me again.
I was shaking my head negatively and he infuriated me even more by nodding his positively. He slowly backed out the door, ducking at the last minute as a feather pillow slammed into the door right where his head would have been. Stupid, gorgeous sorcerer. I flopped back down on the bed, sure that I wouldn’t fall asleep again, scared that I would. I tried to push Noah out of my mind and concentrate on what I had dreamt, what I had seen. Had it been seeing? I couldn’t be sure, and that made me scared as well as frustrated.
Chapter Three
I woke in the morning with only a slight hangover, thanks to a little bit of milk thistle and a lot of water consumed between drinks. The night before, meaning Noah and the dream, seemed like it had happened to someone else, and I rolled out of bed half convinced I had dreamed all of it.
It didn’t take Noah long to remind me it had really happened.
I trudged into the big kitchen, eyes still half shut, hair straggling down the sides of my face and back. I was not looking my best, nor feeling it.
“Good morning gorgeous.”
I could hear the smirk in his voice; it grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I grumbled as I walked past him to the refrigerator, self-consciously pushing hair out of my face. Why it bothered me to look my worst in front of him was something that I had no desire to ponder on. It was not fair that he looked like he had just walked off of a Ralph Lauren shoot for the summer collection.
His brown hair was perfectly tousled and lightened almost blonde from all the time he spent outside, his skin already turning brown by the sun. His bright blue eyes were lit with mischief and made him all the more attractive to me; I was a sucker for mischievous men.
“I stayed over last night, just in case you went traveling again. Didn’t want you to bring back any undesirables. He still doesn’t know where the house is, you know.” He said it in such a condescending way that without thinking I reached out and smacked him hard across the back of his head, but it didn’t even faze him; he just grinned at me.
“Why are you such an asshole?” I muttered and turned to the refrigerator, opened the big stainless steel door and gazed unseeing at the contents. He moved, coming to stand behind me, and I shivered more from his touch on my neck than the cold a
ir pouring from the fridge.
“I’m an asshole because it bothers you so much, and that’s the only way I can get you to react to me.” He murmured in my ear, which caused even more shivering. I couldn’t say anything, even when he placed his lips against the skin where shoulder and neck join together. My head tipped back of its own accord, as if I had no control over my body at this point. I found my voice at last, and instead of a poisonous remark that I normally would have made, I spoke in a broken whisper.
“This is a much better way of getting me to react to you.”
With a groan, he spun me around and framed my face with his large hands. He stared down into my eyes, waiting for a signal from me; I realized then that our relationship had changed. The old Noah, the asshole Noah, would have just kissed me, just laid one on me, but this Noah, the real Noah, was waiting for me to say it was okay. With a barely perceptible nod, I assented. And he took me to Heaven.
Instead of the crushing, delirious kiss that I expected, his mouth covered mine gently, almost reverently. With a sigh, I leaned into him, twinning my arms around his neck, giving myself up to him. Every breath he took, every movement he made, every nuance of his mouth electrified me. The rough slide of his tongue against mine, the light nip of his teeth on my bottom lip sent thousands of sparks racing along my nerve endings.
When he pulled away, I whimpered, wanting more. I leaned toward him, needing to feel him again. He placed a finger under my chin and nudged my face up, stared down at me again with those mesmerizing eyes.
“Hi, my name is Noah Jacobs. Pleased to meet you.”
I grinned up at him as he fingered a strand of pink hair.
“Teagan Callahan. It’s always nice to meet a fellow witch.”
“Can we do this? Can we start over?” he asked as he threaded his fingers through my hair, tugging my head back gently.
“I’d like to think that we’re adult enough to try. Granted, sometimes it was a lot of fun fighting with you.” I gave a breathless laugh. His lips had pressed against the column of my neck.
“This might be the only thing we’re good at together.” He murmured against my skin, his warm breath raising goosebumps.
“I’m willing to investigate.”
“Ahem. I’m wondering if you two thought that obnoxious beeping noise was your hormones racing or if it was the door open alarm on the refrigerator.” At the sound of Harley’s voice we sprung apart, almost guiltily, as if we had done something wrong. I turned and closed the fridge door, briefly resting my forehead on the cold stainless steel, trying to bring myself back to earth. I was still wrapped in the spell that Noah had weaved.
“Good morning sunshine.” Noah obviously had a quick recovery time.
Harley was smiling slyly at him when I turned around, and I rolled my eyes. They both looked fresh as daisies, Harley dressed in a light-weight summer dress in bright neon colors that swirled in different patterns and Noah in jeans and polo shirt. I was still in my nightshirt. And still in a heightened state.
“Have you two finally ended your war?”
Her words sent a jolt through me. In the months that I had known him, all Noah and I had done was be at each other’s throats, snipping and picking at each other like little kids. It was all that I knew of him, all that I knew how to act around him. I was in uncharted territory when it came to Noah now.
“I’d like to think so.” Noah replied with a confidant tone, but I could hear some uncertainty in his voice, although I wasn’t sure that Harley caught it. He slid his eyes to me, quickly, then looked away, as if he was gauging my reaction. Now that he wasn’t intoxicating me, I didn’t know what to think. I was kind of used to our bickering, but I couldn’t deny that from the beginning he had been always in my mind, and we weren’t doing any arguing in my thoughts. I had only hated him on principle, me not being very fond of sorcerers, but he had proven long ago to be a stand-up guy. I could find no fault in him other than he was a little cocky. I happened to like a little cockiness in man.
“I think that we have come to a tenuous truce.” I supplied, nodding in his direction.
“Tenuous. Sure, if that’s what you want to call it.” Harley snorted and threw her hands up in the air. “You always were stubborn Teagan.”
For an awkward moment we stood, Noah leaning against the counter not a foot away from me, me pressed up against the fridge, and Harley transferring her gaze back and forth between the two of us. I wasn’t certain what I was supposed to do. Should I go to Noah? Should I excuse myself and go change? What was expected of me?
“Breakfast?” Harley asked the same time I said, “I’m going to change.”
Noah frowned, deep enough that a crease marred his forehead.
“Breakfast sounds good.” I mumbled as I walked away, my thoughts jumbled and confused.
Don’t mess this up. You two would be good together.
Harley’s thoughts in my head just added to my confusion. I didn’t bother to answer, just ran up the stairs two at a time. I shut my door and leaned against it, grateful for its solidness. I was unsure of something for possibly the first time in my life. I was usually very confident, sure of myself and my actions, but Noah tilted me off my axis. I had no idea how to act around him now, and wasn’t sure if this was something I even wanted to pursue. I was happily single, with no encumbrances, no one to answer to. I didn’t have to keep tabs with anyone, took care of only myself.
Not entirely true, the logical side of my brain put in. You have friends that you keep tabs with, and a family that you have to answer to.
But a man, that was different. They wanted to know where you were at all times, to dress the way they thought their woman should dress, cook, clean…my thoughts trailed off. What the hell was I thinking? It’s not like he had asked me to marry him! We weren’t moving in together. This could be a mutually satisfying arrangement involving two adults who were attracted to one another. Friends with benefits.
I moved away from the door and grabbed my overnight bag. If I changed, I might be more able to deal with the situation.
When I came out of the bathroom, my head was more squarely set and I could think logically. I put my hair up in an untidy ponytail and went to the door just as I heard a light tapping on it. I opened it, expecting Noah, but instead found Harley.
“I was just coming down.”
“Good, because I was just coming to fetch you. Noah is pacing a hole in the floor, waiting for you.”
I fought the surge of pleasure at her words and tried to remain hormone-free.
“Time to talk about my dream?” I asked, hoping that was what she was coming to fetch me for. Strange that I would want to relive that rather than to confront Noah with what we really were to each other now.
“Well, yes, but I had to ask you alone and since you wouldn’t communicate with me any other way…” her words trailed off as she looked at me expectantly, her jade eyes shrewd.
“Ask me what?” I replied as if I didn’t have a clue what she wanted to ask about. She gave an exasperated sigh and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Oh come on. Cut me some slack. I don’t want to get into this right now.” I gave my own sigh and shook my head.
“T, this is serious. I have to be the adult here, since our resident vampires are off on their honeymoon. Is this serious, what’s going on between you two?”
I squirmed; there was no other way to put it. Serious? Noah and I? Hadn’t I just been thinking this was a great friends with benefits situation? No one got hurt and we got to enjoy each other with no strings attached.
“Harley, it’s a new development and I don’t know if it’s serious or not. I’m just going to enjoy it. It’ll be nice to not fight with him every minute of the day.” I gave her my sunniest grin, thinking that was what she was looking for and I had handed it to her on a silver platter.
“Well, that’s sort of the problem. I’m not sure that Noah feels the same way about it that you say you do.” She put emphasis on the
word say, as if she doubted me.
“I’m sure he does. I mean, we’re just looking for a little release. It’s a stressful situation that we’re in. And you know me, I don’t seriously date anyone. I’m happy being single.” Did that still apply to me?
“I really don’t think he does, T. I’ve spent the past few months watching him watch you, and when he wasn’t picking on you, or fighting with you, he stared at you like you were something he would give his life for.”
I shrugged my shoulders defensively.
“He would give his life for any of us.”
“True, and that makes him pretty special in my eyes. Teagan, I think you’re deeper in this than your letting yourself believe. And we do have a very stressful situation that we are dealing with, and the last thing we need is for two of us to make things even more complicated.”
I glared at her. “Harley, you’re trying to make a speech here, but you’re muddling it. Do you want us to get married or never speak to one another again? Or would you rather us go back to fighting, driving the rest of you crazy?” My words came out in a biting tone, and she looked a little taken aback. We never fought, had never had one argument, not even when we were opening the bookstore and had to agree on so many things to make Written the success it was today.
“No Teagan, and you’re deliberately misunderstanding me. I want you both to be happy, and frankly, I think that you two would be as happy as Gareth and Anna if you were together. I just want you not to get hurt, and not to hurt him in the process because you can’t commit to a relationship. Think about that, will you?” With that she turned and went down the stairs, her bearing aloof.
“That’s not true. I commit to relationships every day.” I muttered as I stalked down the stairs. “I’m still friends with you, and that is no joyride.”
I came back into the kitchen to find Harley relaxing at the island, a cup of tea in hand and Noah pacing back and forth in front of her, hands tucked in his back pockets. Someone had toasted some bagels and set out butter and cream cheese, and my money was on Harley. I took my time making my bagel, feeling two sets of eyes on me. I could gauge Harley; she and I were so in tune with one another we might as well have been married. Noah I was not so in tune with and we hadn’t opened ourselves up to each other. I could have tried to dig a little, but I left it alone.
Magick (Immortals and Magick Book 2) Page 3