Krista raised her eyebrows. No one had ever felt her magic. It was passive. Unnoticeable.
“I don’t really know, Chase. You’re the only person in this world who’s ever felt my magic.”
He chuckled. “The moment you walked into the studio kitchen today, sweetheart, it was like a beacon.”
Sincerity and humor gazed back at her from a disheveled Chase Hamilton. Sex looked good on him. “I’ve never tripped anyone’s magic radar before. Your magic is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“Is this the part where you try to convince me to join your program?”
“Sex has nothing to do with recruiting. We can wait until later.”
“I’d rather talk about it now so that there are no secrets between us.”
Her heart pounded in her chest. The strangeness of his magic. Did she want to know the secrets? She searched his gaze, hoping for answers, but finding nothing but patience and a little fear of his own staring back at her.
“To tell you the truth, I think you’re amazing. I really want you in the winter programming line-up. The basic classes for public witchcraft are easy to get through. Honing your magic wouldn’t take long at all.”
Something like regret flashed across his face. His stomach muscles tightened under her palm. “I can’t.”
Krista stamped down her disappointment. His magic fascinated her, but the man, himself, was amazing. “Why not?”
He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m a purely seasonal cook. I can’t cook worth a damn two days after Christmas.”
Krista gaped at him. Was he serious? “What do you mean you can’t cook?”
He ran his fingers along her shoulder and down her back in slow soothing caresses. “When my grandmother passed, she took her legacy with her. I had her recipes but none of the magic.” He absently pressed a kiss against her forehead. Krista smiled and tucked her face against his throat at his sweet touches.
“You have magic, though. I’ve felt it.” She shivered delicately at the ghost tingles of her last orgasm. His magic had set her off like nothing else had in years.
“Yeah.” He pulled the sheet up until it covered her. “That’s kind of a blessing. Well, more like a curse in some ways. A faerie that my grandmother had befriended showed up a few years after she’d passed on. She was pretty upset that my grandmother had gone, and we were both reminiscing about her cooking.”
A faerie? Well, she’d definitely heard stranger stories in recruitment.
A Christmas faerie? Powerful creatures who rarely came to our world anymore. For Chase to mention one now was—Suddenly it all made sense. “What did she do?”
“She cast a spell or whatever it is that they do. For Christmas, I can cook like my grandmother. I just have to make her a box of tea cookies and some other confections.”
“Do you leave it out with a glass of milk on Christmas Eve too?”
“Actually, yeah. She likes strawberry milk. I make strawberry syrup from scratch every year and use it just for this occasion.” He sounded embarrassed.
Homemade syrup for strawberry milk? That sounded amazing. Two days after Christmas would be soon enough to prove his story. She was, however, a practical witch. “Then you’ll be a seasonal sensation. Easy enough.”
He laughed. “That simple, huh? You guys don’t care where I get the juice from?”
That brought a frown to her face. “Juice?”
“Yeah, magic. Or whatever you guys call it.”
She laughed. “I like that. Juice.” She would think of that every time she had to search for a new candidate. Sadness clenched her heart and squeezed. She swallowed against the sudden lump in her throat. They barely knew each other, but she wanted to get to know him. In every way.
A familiar cat cry jerked her out of her thoughts.
“What was that?”
Krista put a palm over her eyes and groaned. “That’s Sebastian.”
“Your familiar?” He sounded too amused for his own good. “He really is a cat? It’s good to see we’re encouraging stereotypes here.”
Actually, I have the witch. You humans get it so wrong every time.
Chase jerked as though struck. “Am I hearing things?”
Krista lowered her hand and looked up at Chase. “You heard him?”
Of course he heard me. You two bonded. Now I own both of you. Only Bastian could come off so high-handed. He was probably grooming himself while he made his regal pronunciation.
I happen to need a bath after the lengths I had to travel to find you.
“What does he mean by bonded? And where is he?”
On your snow covered balcony. I would love to enter, if you don’t mind.
“Right.” Chase got up, and Krista immediately missed his warmth. She wrapped the sheet tighter around her chest and watched him stride across the bedroom. The man had a very nice ass.
Bastian needed to answer a question though. What is this bonding thing you’re going on about? Krista knew her magic had changed, but she didn’t know why. She’d heard of magic exchanges before, but that usually meant a perfect match.
Ask the faerie. I just know you’re both mine now.
The sound of the door opening and closing sent a chilled breeze through the room. “How did you get out here?” Bastian made a rowl of approval and stalked off to search the house.
Chase walked back into the bedroom with a look of complete shock on his face. “Seriously, how did he get out there?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “You never ask cats for their secrets. They’re very territorial about those things.”
“The cat talks to me, and you laugh? He went up three floors to my balcony somehow, and you’re so used to it you don’t even notice the strangeness of it?”
Krista’s laugh dropped to a chuckle, and she drew in a breath. “You talk to Christmas faeries. I don’t think this is all that strange.”
“Still.” He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it just enough to make him sexier than ever.
“You should have seen the way I acted the first time he talked to me.”
She screamed and threw a dictionary at me. A dictionary. And not one of those small paper ones. A giant tome. Bastian’s exasperation was loud as ever.
“A tome, huh?” Chase smiled.
She held out her arms and let the sheet fall to her waist. Chase’s eyes lit up, and she could see arousal stirring his dick. “Come here, let’s get you warm.”
“What does bonded mean?” He was gorgeous and oddly enough, not distressed by Bastian’s arrogant assumptions. “And can we try it again?” His arousal was hard to miss.
She held up the sheet and he climbed in, lying against her. His body was chilled. Krista wondered if that was a side effect of their bonding. Guilt ate at her. Had she altered his magic?
“I’m freezing.” He grinned at her and cuddled close. “Finally.”
Finally? “You were so hot earlier, it was like you had a fever.”
He touched brushed the hair back from her face. “During the holidays, the heat burns inside me and it’s like I live in a sauna. This is nice. Cuddling for warmth has its advantages, doesn’t it?”
She curled up against his length and caressed his shaft with light fingers. He wrapped his arm around her and tucked her against his body.
She hesitated to explain, unsure where to begin. “My magic changed when we had sex.”
“How so?” His hand traced the line of her back. A shiver echoed his touch. She caressed the head of his dick and felt it grow harder under her fingers.
“Well, normally when I orgasm, my magic releases and I’m exhausted. One will do me in, usually.” She felt her cheeks burn.
Lips brushed her forehead. “And now?”
“This time, with you, it flowed out of me like always but seemed to fall into you and then back into me again. It was like a recharge. I had three orgasms and never felt the slightest drain of my magic.”
His dick twitched under h
er hand, and she slid her palm down to cup his balls, massaging them lightly. The catch and quick release of his breath told her he liked it. Her body was coming out of its languor.
“Is my magic the same?”
Krista bit her lip and stopped her caresses. Now would be a good time to tell him how she worked. Hopefully he wouldn’t treat her like she was crazy. “My magic is tied to my sex drive. If I use it again so soon after the last time, I’m not going to be able to control myself, Chase. I usually give my magic, or juice as you call it, overnight to return to normal.”
He rolled them over so that she was underneath him. His thigh slid between hers, and she moaned when he pressed against her sensitive pussy. “Is this how you always capture your recruits?”
She shook her head. “No. I usually snag a charge from being around powerful witches and then orgasm on my own.”
“On your own? We can’t have that.” He captured her wrists above her head. “By the way, out of control is not a problem for me.” He nuzzled her neck and scraped his teeth against her skin.
She arched her neck to give him better access and moaned in appreciation when his mouth worked its own kind of magic. Damn he had some serious talent.
Krista opened up her magic radar. It instantly surrounded Chase. It was different. It tasted like… like hers.
He gasped and she felt his dick twitch against her stomach. “That feels like it has a hold of my dick.”
The questing tapped into her core, and her body woke with a voracious hunger. She spread her legs and slid against his thigh. His fingers slipped between them. Two fingers slid into her and he stroked deep.
Krista arched against him, but it wasn’t enough. She needed. His lips latched onto one of her nipples and sucked it to a hard point before moving to the other one. She couldn’t stop the magic from pouring into him any more than she could stop time or her body’s hunger.
“It’s too much.” She heard the frustration in his voice. Knew what he meant.
“Sex.” She was panting between the delicious flicks of his talented fingers. “Your magic is tied to sex. It tastes like mine.”
“Really?” A grin split his face and the fire in his eyes burned with heat. His thumb pressed against her clit, and she writhed under his touch. Orgasm stayed just out of reach. “How do I ease this pressure?”
“Orgasm releases the magic.” She trembled under his touch. If he didn’t do something soon, she was going to lose her mind. “Please, Chase. I can’t…” She dug her nails into his back and took his mouth in a ravenous kiss that washed away any thoughts she might have had for control.
She was barely aware of him opening another foil packet. Her body burned for release.
He put his forearms under her thighs and pushed her back, trapping her while he pounded into her moist depths. Raw, powerful. Every thrust hit a sweet spot within that had her toes curling and her muscles tensing.
Her magic unleashed, wrapping them both in another whirlwind of ecstasy. She couldn’t hold back the fury, and it swept them over the edge into oblivion.
In that moment, his heart was an open book to hers. Part of his soul touched hers. Their magic mixed to form something completely new and beautiful.
He brushed a thumb across her cheek, and Krista was surprised to feel tears. The deep emotion in his eyes reflected in her heart. This bond thing was amazing. His lips touched hers tenderly, a light brush of skin. That sexy dimple appeared with a grin.
“What?”
“I guess you’re stuck with me now.”
She brushed a stray lock of hair away from his forehead and smiled back. “Why is that?”
“Well, if I need sex for my magic to work, then you’ve got to give me a ready supply of it in order to keep up the Kitchen Witch Society’s public relations position.”
Krista’s heart tightened, and she ran her fingers down his cheek. “When you put it that way…” She trailed the finger down his arm.
He grabbed her hand and pulled it in for a soft kiss on each knuckle and then her wrist. “I can’t wait to get started.”
Krista laughed. He was going to be quite a handful. “Don’t forget that you owe me a steak sandwich.”
“Oh yeah.” His tongue touched her skin in a soft flick. “Let’s work up an appetite first.”
Chapter 5
December 25, Magic Hour
A small spark of light flickered on the ledge of Chase’s balcony then formed into the ethereal faerie who’d visited this same home for decades.
An ache of sadness welled up in her as the faerie touched the French doors. They fell open without a whisper, and she stepped in to the welcoming warmth of Analise’s — the faerie caught herself—Chase’s home. Analise was no longer of this world.
Her four hundred fifty-seventh birthday was fast approaching and time was starting to catch up to her. Magic didn’t come quite as strong as it used to. It would soon be time to leave this realm. Her only worry was Chase. The last time they’d sat beside the fire, Analise had made her promise to keep and protect her only grandson. Cookies were set out on the coffee table with a note. She couldn’t bring herself to read it just yet.
This binding yourself to a human thing just drained the life right out of you.
A questing magic presence touched her magical aura, and the faerie smiled. “I can feel you, little human. I won’t bite.”
The questing continued, but noninvasively. It was like it touched her power and surrounded it. Protected it. The faerie turned to the newcomer.
Dark copper hair tumbled down away from a lovely face. The eyes, however, were her most arresting feature. They held love. Deep love. This was interesting.
“I wanted to see you before you left. I know it’s not my place, but I have some questions about your magic and Chase.”
The faerie fluttered her wings lightly — creating a small breeze that wafted the curtains in the air. “I will give you no magic.”
The girl’s face lit with surprise then irritation. “I’m not interested in your magic. It’s Chase. His magic has… changed.” The pause was difficult for the girl. And by the burn of her cheeks, the faerie thought it might be a bit embarrassing as well.
She flicked a wrist and her wings disappeared. With a small flourish, she sat on the couch and delicately took a tea cookie in hand. “I’m guessing his change has something to do with you?”
“Yes. When we first had sex”—she cleared her throat and the pink of her embarrassment spread to her ears— “we somehow exchanged magic, and his magic tastes different. It feels different.”
All she needed to do was try the food to verify the girl’s statement. She bit a small chunk of the delicate cookie and chewed thoughtfully. Blissful deliciousness exploded on her tongue. The faerie felt a strange weight lifting off her shoulders. She swallowed the wonderful confection. “You’re right. It is different.”
“You’re smiling. Does that mean I didn’t mess up his juice?”
The faerie genuinely smiled at that. She could remember the first time the boy had called magic ‘juice’. It was a blink in time. “No, you didn’t. Actually, you seem to have enhanced it. I gave him his grandmother’s magic essence, what bit she left in her handwritten recipe cards. It was a transfer and was always meant to be temporary. Whatever it is that you’ve done seems to have taken that magic and allowed it to become his own.” She took another bite and sighed in bliss.
“What does this mean for his Christmas magic?”
“It could mean anything. If you’re feeding him magic, then he’ll likely continue to cook well throughout the year.”
“That’s why you come here every year, isn’t it?”
The faerie was impressed with the lady’s perception. “Yes. I recharge him for the next year. I give him a tiny kernel of magic, and it grows throughout the year. I can’t give much, you know. Even that little bit could get me into trouble.” She finished the tea cookie and smiled. “I just missed his grandmother’s cooking so much. He
was so sad, and it broke my heart. I missed his laughter.”
“Do you ever watch him?”
“All the time. I stream his episodes the moment they’re available.” She laughed at the surprise on the lady’s face. “I’m a faerie, not a cave-dweller. It gives me a time reference when I return to the world.”
“Huh. I guess that makes sense.”
“Go back to him. He deserves all the happiness in the world.” The faerie closed the cookie tin and clutched it to her chest. A strange lump lodged in her throat. “It may be a while before I return. Now that he has you, I can go rest awhile, and recharge my own batteries.”
“We’ll keep cookies out for you.”
The faerie smiled. “I would like that. I lose track of time in my realm, though. It may be a very long time before I come back.”
“Then our children will do the same.”
Her wings released and the faerie glided to the lady. She placed one hand on the lady’s abdomen and felt the true love in her soul. The future opened up before her, and she saw the love and happiness among a family. A beautiful future. She truly could go rest. Finally. “Blessings on you, Krista Carpenter. I look forward to seeing what you both bring to the world when I return.”
With that, she disappeared.
Krista placed her palm over the warmth still radiating from the faerie’s touch.
“Hey, you.” Warm arms surrounded her from behind, wrapping around her in a tight embrace.
She smiled and turned in his arms. The faerie’s touch seemed to spread over her body. Chase looked adorable in all his sleep-tousled glory. Her heart kicked up a notch when she realized how much he’d come to mean to her in such a short time. His hands slid up her back and cupped her face. Two weeks had rushed by. Soon she would be back at work. Now that she knew his power wouldn’t disappear, he could be whatever he wanted.
“You’re standing under the mistletoe, honey.”
Maybe she’d tell him later. She met his lips in a soft and tender kiss. His tongue teased her lips and teeth gently nipped at the sensitive flesh. Arousal slowly stirred in her body, lazy after their exchange of magic earlier. He gently cupped her face and ended the kiss. “How was I lucky enough to have you in my life?” Heat simmered in his gaze, but she could feel the sincerity of his question.
Alphas for the Holidays Page 170