Totally Spellbound

by Kristine Grayson

  She resisted the urge to look around him to see if the attendant was listening.

  “Everything is moving too fast for me,” she said. “I’m not good at surprises.”

  “It seems to me you are,” he said. “You were able to handle the Interim Fates better than I could have.”

  She shrugged. “I work with teenagers.”

  “Not teenagers with enough magic to destroy the planet.”

  “Oh,” she said softly, “some of them think they do.”

  “I mean literally.”

  She nodded. “I know that. But there’s not a lot of difference between thinking you have that power and actually having that power.”

  “Unless you use it,” he said.

  “With their father around, do you think they would?” she asked.

  He grinned. “You see, you do really well with surprises. You have a lot of this figured.”

  “And a lot of it is just me swimming upstream.” She was used to swimming upstream. When her parents had adopted her, they’d already had Travers and Vivian. Megan had felt like she was behind the curve from the moment she had arrived in that house.

  The world had always been an inexplicable place, and she worked hard at not being noticed.

  And here was a gorgeous man—a gorgeous, accomplished man—a gorgeous accomplished man in many countries and many lifetimes—noticing her.

  More than noticing her.

  Wanting her.

  For whatever reason.

  “So,” he said. “I was right. I scare you.”

  Megan nodded. It was difficult to be honest with him, but it felt good at the same time. Still, she wanted out of the conversation.

  “I scare you,” he said, “because of who I was.”

  She shook her head. “Because of who you are.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Rob Chapeau, Billionaire Playboy? I already told you that’s made up for the press.”

  “Magical, good-looking, a little—” (a lotta, but she wasn’t ready to say that) “—old-fashioned, smart, and strong.”

  He smiled, clearly flattered and a bit bemused. “Why would that frighten you?”

  Honesty time. She had promised herself. “Because you’re interested in me.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? You’re beautiful—”

  She snorted.

  “—smart, strong, and intuitive. I like all of that.”

  “I’m sure there were countless women in your past with all of those traits.”

  He nodded. “But none of them with the ability to see me, and see me clearly.”

  Her gaze met his. “I don’t know if I see you clearly.”

  “You walked into my magic circle last night,” he said.

  “Drove in,” she said.

  “And your questions this afternoon kicked my magic enough out of control that I showed you parts of my past no one has seen. Then you were able to talk with the Interim Fates. That’s amazing. I’ve never met anyone like you.”

  “So,” she said, trying not to let disappointment into her voice. “It’s all about that empathic ability you were talking about. That rarity.”

  He shook his head. “It’s about you. I find you fascinating, and I want to protect you, and I want to hold you—”

  “I don’t need protection,” she snapped. She hated it when he brought this up. If he persisted in this attitude, there would be nothing between them.

  “Ah,” he said, leaning his chin on the backs of his hands. It almost seemed like he was part of the car this way. “But you do need protection, Megan. You—”

  “I can take care of myself. I have for twenty-five years. I’m a very strong woman, you said so yourself, and I can—”

  “I know you’re strong,” he said. “I know you can take care of yourself. But no one has looked out for you, have they? Not once. No one told you that you have a special ability. No one showed you your magic, like they showed your brother his.”

  “My brother had no idea until this week.” She was glad the car was between her and Rob. She needed the shield. She was getting more and more unsettled.

  “But you’re so sensitive about how you look and your own abilities,” Rob said gently. “That comes when someone has to take care of herself, when she has no one to defend her.”

  “My family’s great,” she said. “It’s just weird. I have a pretty, petite sister, and a brother who looks like a 1950s version of an All-American basketball player, and then there’s tubby little old me.”

  Tubby. She winced when she said that word. It just came out.

  “Was that what your parents called it?” Rob asked gently.

  She shook her head. “They said it was baby fat. They said I’d grow out of it.”

  “You’re voluptuous. Bottitcelli’s Venus,” he said. “So incredibly beautiful. Women need to celebrate their looks, their femaleness. You do.”

  “I don’t,” she said. “I’d give anything to be a size six. But I could starve and never fit into anything smaller than a ten. I’m big-boned and big-hipped and big, big, big.”

  He could probably hear the self-loathing in her voice. Her counselor had told her to work on body image, and she tried. But that meant accepting she would never be small, she would always be short and round, and nothing she could do would ever change that.

  “Womanly,” he said.

  “Fat,” she said.

  “In today’s culture,” he said, “I can see how you feel that way. But women like you were rich in most of the years I lived through. Rich and strong because you had to be lush to bear children, to live through the hardships. Women like you represented the ideal female beauty, warm and soft and curvy.”

  She stared at him but continued to lean against the car so that he couldn’t see her body.

  He actually seemed to mean those words. He said each one as if it were a sensual detail, as if he were describing the best meal he’d ever had or the tastiest bottle of wine.

  “You believe that, don’t you?” she said.

  He nodded. “My Marian was built like you, not like the thin things that portray her in the movies. She was a great beauty. Like you.”

  Megan shook her head slightly. “I’m not beautiful.”

  “Half the cultures in this world would think you are. And most of the cultures in the past. America has a sickness. It has infected you, so that you believe you have no beauty at all. You are stunning.” Then he smiled. “This is what I mean by protecting you.”

  She frowned. “I’m not following.”

  “I mean that like all of us, you have damaged places, hurt places, and those places need a champion, someone to help them heal. I don’t want to take over your life and diminish you. I would like to be beside you, and keep those harmful attitudes from hurting you worse. There is nothing wrong with having someone strong beside you, to give you added strength.”

  She tilted her head slightly. She’d never heard anything like this, and she wasn’t sure if it was true. It certainly wasn’t anything she’d been taught in her courses, although it had a certain validity for her practice.

  If she had been able to go home with some of her patients, defend them — protect them — against the verbal battering they received from their parents, or point out the neglect, the lack of love, then she would have been those children’s champions. And she would have been able to help them strengthen. Maybe their parents wouldn’t have changed, but the kids might have seen where their parents were deficient, where their home life was deficient.

  “Everyone needs a protector,” Rob said. “Even me.”

  “I couldn’t protect you,” Megan said softly. “You’re a bona fide hero. There are books dedicated to all you’ve done.”

  “And yet,” he said just as softly, “in order to do those things, I’ve had to separate myself from my heart. I thought that heart was gone. But you found it.”

  Her gaze met his. His eyes were warm, sincere.

  “We can protect each other,” he said, “i
f we but try.”

  He was winning her over, and so quickly. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be won.

  She needed a little time, time to reflect, time to see if this was real or as ephemeral as that trip to the Interim Fates had been.

  He stood, obviously feeling her change of mood.

  “First,” she said quietly, “I need to see if Kyle’s all right.”

  “Then we have to save the world for true love.” Rob’s words were mocking.

  “We did promise to help the Interim Fates,” Megan said.

  “You promised,” he said. “I just agreed to help you.”

  “You don’t think they’re worth helping?”

  “I think Zeus will destroy us for trying.” Then Rob grinned.

  Megan felt even more confused. “What’s the smile for?”

  “You truly are an empath,” he said. “You know how to manipulate me.”

  She shook her head slightly. She didn’t like this empath talk. “I didn’t mean to manipulate you.”

  “Maybe not consciously,” he said. “But you did.”

  He was right; she hadn’t been aware of what she had done. “How?”

  His smile widened. “The best way to get me to join any cause is to ask me to defend the powerless against the powerful.”

  “Zeus’ daughters,” Megan said.

  He shrugged eloquently. “How much more powerless can you get?”

  Twenty-two

  Megan was good at distraction—or at least at distracting Rob. Not only had she taken the conversation off her own insecurities, but she had also gotten him out of the parking garage, up the elevator, and to the door of a suite.

  It was almost as if she had magical powers as well as the powers of empathy.

  She rang the bell, biting her lower lip as she did so. He thought it odd that she wouldn’t have a key to her own suite, but he didn’t say anything.

  He’d been saying enough.

  The hallway was wide and empty. Rows of suites ran along the side. This wasn’t as upscale as he was used to—John insisted that Rob always stay in five-star hotels to impress the marks.

  This place felt cheap. The floorboard echoed as he walked on it, the door seemed thin, even the doorbell that Megan rang sounded like a duller version of what he was used to.

  Obviously, he’d been spending too much time with the wealthy again.

  A chain rattled inside, followed by the click of a deadbolt and the snick of a smaller door lock. Then the door opened, and Kyle peered out.

  “Haven’t I told you to leave the chain on when you open doors?” Megan asked, sounding irritated.

  “Why?” Kyle asked. “I heard you coming a mile away.”

  Rob hoped not. He had to put some shields back up if he was going to be around the psychic kid.

  Kyle gave him a cool glance — as if he’d heard that thought (and he might have) — then pulled the door the rest of the way open. Megan walked in, wrinkled her nose, and stopped in the entry.

  Rob followed.

  The entire suite smelled of garlic, potato chips, and diet soda. Beneath those smells was the faint odor of pee.

  Was everywhere he went today destined to smell of pee?

  The place was large, with a living room off one side, a full kitchen, and a full dining room. At least two bedrooms were off the hallway.

  An obese dachshund came up to Megan, its tail wagging. It raised itself on its hind legs, put its front paws on her calves, and gave her a doggy grin.

  She stiffened. Rob came up behind her and put a hand protectively on her shoulder. For once, she didn’t back away.

  “That’s Fang,” Kyle said to Rob. “He doesn’t hurt anyone, but Aunt Megan was badly bit by a dog so she tends to forget that they can be nice.”

  Rob squeezed her shoulder slightly in support.

  “Are you here alone?” Megan asked.

  “Mr. Little went to get some food,” Kyle said. “The Fates are in the bathroom helping each other with makeup. I’m having lunch.”

  Hence the garlic-potato-chip-diet-soda smell. Megan walked into the main room. Light from the television set reflected onto her shirt. She picked a container off the coffee table.

  “You’re having chips and dip for lunch?”

  Kyle shrugged. “I got hungry.”

  Megan shook her head. “Your dad’s not home, yet, right?”

  “How’d you guess?”

  “Just lucky,” she said.

  Rob glanced at her. The dog had followed her into the living room like she was its answer to everything.

  “How come it smells like pee in here?” she asked.

  Kyle chewed on his lower lip. That had to be a family habit. On him, it looked painful. Parts of his lip looked chewed through.

  “Dunno,” he lied. He wouldn’t look up at Rob.

  Megan still had her back to him. She was picking up potato chips and wiping up dip. She certainly had managed to distract herself—and Rob—from the conversation they’d been having earlier.

  “We didn’t get you here in time to solve the pee emergency, huh?” Rob asked as quietly as he could. He was almost subvocalizing, knowing Megan couldn’t hear that, but Kyle could if his psychic radar was on.

  “Is it that bad?” Kyle whispered.

  Rob nodded. “Didn’t John notice?”

  “He was fighting with the Fates. They were mad you took Aunt Megan.”

  “What’re you talking about?” Megan came into the hallway, carrying the potato chip bag and the empty dip container.

  “Nothing,” Kyle said.

  “How amazing you are,” Rob said.

  “Liars,” Megan said, and went all the way into the kitchen itself.

  “Why were they mad?” Rob asked in that quiet way.

  “They thought you took her to Faerie. You didn’t, did you?”

  Not yet, he thought. But he might, considering what he had to do there. Empaths could distract most Faeries, which was why empaths were so rare. In the long ago Mage-Faerie wars, the Faeries, for self-protection, had wiped out entire lines of empaths.

  Kyle was staring at him, alarmed. “You wouldn’t do that to Aunt Meg, would you?”

  Kyle had misunderstood him.

  “Do what?” Megan came out of the kitchen, brushing her hands together. Her gaze met Rob’s. She was looking even more tired than she had in his office.

  “Put you in danger,” Kyle said before Rob could speak up.

  Megan smiled. “Apparently I did a good job of that myself today.”

  Kyle looked even more panicked. The boy reached for Megan as the front door opened. John came in, carrying six grocery bags. He staggered past the group and set all of the bags on the kitchen counters.

  Rob caught the scent of ripe tomatoes and fresh peppers. “I thought chili wasn’t on the Atkins Diet,” he said.

  “Ah,” John said. “You have to make exceptions for special occasions.”

  He’d learned to make chili two hundred years ago, and he had never given out the recipe. The meal was spectacular. Rob had been missing it, though, since John had ruled out chili as a viable Atkins food about six months ago.

  “Why is this a special occasion?” Megan asked.

  John grinned at her. “Because I declared it one.”

  But his expression said enough to Rob. It was a special occasion because of her. Because she was the “best thing” for him.

  If she would let him talk to her.

  If she would let him convince her that he really did think she was the most special woman he’d met in generations.

  “Dad’s gonna be really mad,” Kyle said to Rob in a conspiratorial tone.

  Rob jumped. The boy hadn’t heard that last thought, which was good. Rob was blocking his thoughts better than he’d hoped.

  “About Megan?”

  Kyle shrugged. “I was talking about the pee emergency.”

  Rob smiled. “I can make it go away if you want.”

  “Isn’t that dishones
t?” Kyle asked. “I heard Zoe telling Dad that magic was only for the right uses. We were late getting back.”

  “So it’s okay to use magic to return here, but not okay to use it to clean up the mess?” Rob asked.

  Megan looked his way and frowned slightly. Had he spoken too loudly? He didn’t want to get Kyle in trouble with her or his dad.

  “I dunno,” Kyle said. “I’m really confused by all the rules.”

  Like the Interim Fates. Like Megan. Like everyone, it seemed, except the Fates themselves.

  “Let’s take care of it,” Rob said. “It was my fault you were late. If you get in trouble, blame me.”

  Megan walked to the doorway of the kitchen. She leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms. “Are you bribing my nephew to make points with me?”

  She had, apparently, heard everything.

  Rob felt vaguely guilty. Had he been doing that? He hadn’t been aware of it. But he wouldn’t normally use his magic to clean up dog pee.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Would it impress you?”

  She smiled. “I’m sure it would make my brother angry. Anything that annoys Travers pleases me.”

  Rob frowned. “Is that true?” he asked Kyle.

  “Dad says it’s a typical brother-sister relationship, but his relationship with my Aunt Viv isn’t like that, so I don’t know.” Kyle was very serious as he answered.

  Poor kid. Didn’t he have a childhood?

  “And yes, I did. I do lots of kid stuff.”

  Rob felt a real heat in his cheeks. He was blushing almost as much as Megan had.

  “I didn’t mean to insult you,” Rob said.

  “You didn’t. But Dad’s on his way, so if you’re gonna do something, do it soon.”

  Apparently, the kid was really tuned into his father to know that he was on his way home.

  Rob glanced at Megan, silently asking her approval.

  She shrugged, then grinned, and said, “I’m sick of places that smell like dog pee.”

  “You were somewhere else that smelled of dog pee?” Kyle asked.

  “We saw the Interim Fates,” Megan said.

  “Oh.” Kyle smiled. “If it still smells like pee there, that’s because of Fang, too. That’s where Zoe rescued him from.”

  “Fang was their dog?” Rob asked, feeling a little frisson of worry. More things for Zeus to be angry at.