by T. A. Foster
Helen’s henchmen ran into the room, alerted to danger by the wrenching sobs of their employer. Jack drew back and threw a hard punch, landing on the jaw of the taller man. He rocked back on his heels and hit the tiled floor with a thud. The shorter, pudgy opponent grabbed a candlestick from the floor and branded it like a sword, swinging at Jack’s head. Jack ducked and punched the man in the stomach. The man doubled over, grabbing his protruding belly, and then reached behind him. His hand fiddled with his belt.
“Jack!” I screamed when I saw the man was trying to wrestle a gun from the belt holster secured to his back.
Jack leaned to his left side, raised his right foot, and delivered a powerful kick to the man’s face. The man crashed to the floor and the gun slid across the room.
We faced Helen. She was still crumpled on the floor, desperately shredding the letters into tinier pieces. Now was my chance.
I took a deep breath, zeroed my eyes on the contemptible figure in front of me, and brought my palms within inches of her.
“Extinguish!” I held my hands as close to her as I could without touching her. “Extinguish!” I called the spell again.
Helen jerked her head around and peered at me. “What? You can’t, there’s nothing you can do to stop…” Abruptly, she stopped speaking and started twitching. First her hands, then shoulders. “What is happening? What have you done, Ivy?”
Her eyes were wide with fear. Terror coursed through my body when she clutched my shoulders and screamed. I waited for the sharp sting to zip through my mind and separate the witchy essence from the rest of my body. I squeezed my eyes tightly, anticipating the blistering pain. Helen screamed again. I opened my eyes.
“Ivy? Ivy, are you ok?” Jack shoved the old woman from my shoulders and I heard her hit the floor. His hands gripped my shoulders and held me in front of him.
My eyes traveled around the room before I registered what had happened.
“Yes, yes, I’m great!” I laughed and looked down at my hands. I flipped my palms over to examine them. “She can’t…she didn’t…it worked. The Extinguish Spell worked.”
He pulled me into his arms, almost crushing me. I hugged him and rested my cheek against the coolness of his shirt. My eyes were heavy, and my body was exhausted from the magic I had used and what had been used on me. I wanted to stay there in the safe circle of Jack’s arms and sleep.
“Can I sleep now?”
He laughed at me and squeezed me tighter. “Wait, where’s Helen?” He held me in front of him, and we looked around the room. The knucklehead guards were knocked out, the bag of diamonds was next to the chair, and like bread crumbs, a tattered paper trail led through the front doors. “We should go after her.”
I pulled on his arm. “No, let her go. She doesn’t have anything. And she can’t steal magic now.” I was influenced by both the pity I had for Helen and the overwhelming fatigue settling into my muscles. I couldn’t imagine a chase, and there was no way I could fly.
“Are you sure? She would have killed you.” His eyes searched mine for confirmation of my decision.
“But she didn’t kill me. I feel sorry for her.” And I did. Watching Helen realize the man she had pined for all these years was in love with Simone until her death stirred a sense of compassion in me. Heartbreak was a bitch.
“And these guys?” He nodded to the two sleeping beasts.
“Oh, 9-1-1 of course.”
“Ok, got it.” He smiled.
He pulled out his phone and made the anonymous call to the Las Vegas PD. We had to hurry out before the noisy, squad cars arrived. I looked back at the bag of diamonds on the floor and walked out the door with Jack’s arm around me. We had won.
“CAN I get anything for you?” Jack paced around the suite, anxiously watching me.
My feet were propped on pillows. I had barely made it through the double doors of the penthouse. Jack had carried me the rest of the way and deposited me on the couch. He fetched the pillows, a glass of water, and the television remote.
“No, stop fussing. You can sit down with me or something.” I patted the open space next to me on the couch.
“I don’t know what to do. Should you see a doctor or something? Can you do that?” His forehead was creased again.
“No.” I laughed. “I don’t need a doctor. I’m just tired. Water is perfect.”
I raised my glass to him and took a few sips. My body pulsed with a weird mix of adrenaline and weariness. I had actually defeated a Proxy. Me, Ivy Grace, writer, wannabe-normal girl. I had extinguished her current, the only tie she had to magic. I didn’t know my power was strong enough to snuff out another force. I definitely didn’t know I could wipe her out when I wasn’t at 100 percent. This was big, gigantic, enormous. My head hurt thinking about magic. Now that the coast was clear, I could talk to Holly, maybe even Ian about what happened. They could help me figure out what it meant.
“What about you? How’s your fist? And foot?” I laughed at the last question.
Jack didn’t need magic to kick ass. He was unbelievable.
“Nah, that was nothing.” He looked at his swollen hand. “You were amazing, Ivy. I’ve never seen anything like that in my life. You were in such control. You were fearless.”
“I’m glad it looked like that on the outside. I was scared, but once I started the Extinguish Spell, it was as if something else took over. I don’t know how to describe it.” I sipped on the water. “Why are we talking about me? You, you were the one who had Helen so distracted. If she had even looked at me during that spell, it would have been over. I would have been over.” My body shivered. “You handled the cat, I mean the Proxy, perfectly.”
He sat next to me on the couch. “I trusted you, and you were right. Playing it completely cool was the best way. She took the bait. You’ve probably noticed that’s not my usual approach to things.” I thought I saw a touch of crimson touch his cheeks.
“You? Hadn’t noticed.” I giggled.
It felt good to laugh with Jack. No more looming danger, no more insane Proxies, no more danger for our families, and no more secrets. We were safe and alone.
“Are there any more of them out there, the Proxies?”
I hesitated. “Yes, but Helen’s the first one I’ve met. What are you really asking me?”
“I want to know if you’re in danger. When we walk out of this suite tomorrow, should I be worried?”
I sighed. He was more than hot and sexy and ridiculously smart. He was sweet, thoughtful, and oh-so protective too. “No, I’m not in any more danger than any other girl out there.”
His palms rested on my shoulders. “What about a back rub? Would that help?”
I didn’t answer, but gave him a come-hither smile. He nudged me forward on the couch and positioned himself behind me. As soon as his hand touched the skin on my neck, the warmth radiated through my shoulder, and my fingertips tingled with the sensation. His thumbs rubbed across my shoulders, pressing a little deeper each time.
I rolled my head to one side, stretching out my neck. He leaned down, nuzzling his face into my hair. He kissed my neck, the back of my ear, and covered every part of my skin, down my shoulder with his lips. I didn’t care that I had just dominated one of the most evil magical forces in the world. If this was the reward, it was well worth it. He slid the black sweater I was wearing off each arm and ran his palms down my arms to my fingertips, locking his fingers in place with mine.
“I want to talk about this. All of this,” he mumbled and kissed the space where my shoulder met my neck. “But right now, more than anything, I want to be with you. To hold you tonight, to keep you safe.”
I untangled my arms and turned around to face him. I couldn’t think of sweeter words that had ever been spoken. I pulled his face closer to mine and kissed him. My hands wrapped around his neck and my legs around his waist. He kissed me harder and with an unexpected roughness. Damn, he was hot.
I moaned in his ear as his hands slid along my back. I di
dn’t want to be interrupted tonight. I didn’t care if the Starlight was on fire; I was going to get lost in Jack’s hands and kisses.
I tugged on the hem of his shirt and started working it up over his sculpted stomach. I threw it on the floor before I pushed him back on the couch and pulled the clip holding the rest of my hair in place. I let it cascade around him and create a veil for our faces. We were enfolded in a sphere of heat.
My heart raced as he pulled my shirt over my head.
He groaned, “You are so beautiful,” before sliding the straps off my shoulders.
Each time he touched me, I felt my pulse quicken and my heart leap out of my chest. He couldn’t touch me enough. I had waited for this for so long that I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. I sighed as he squeezed my breast with his palm. I wanted him to take everything else off, but I didn’t want to rush it either. Some things were worth waiting for.
Jack rolled me under him. I arched my back, urging him on. He lowered the face against my breast and his mouth descended on the delicate skin.
“Oh, Jack.” I whispered as his tongue toyed with me.
He cupped my other breast, and pinched and stroked my nipple between his fingers while he continued to suck and kiss the other side. I felt the heat building between my legs and I wanted to feel more. I wanted to feel Jack and everything he had to give.
He had done so much for me over the past few days. He accepted who I was, magic and all. I rocked my hips against him, groaning at the impact between his legs.
He pressed against me, and I thought I might come undone right then. Waiting for him was like a drug I couldn’t get enough of. Sure, we had worked side by side for two years, and I could tell you what pizza toppings he ordered and how he drank his coffee, but I didn’t know what turned him on. I didn’t know how he liked to be touched. I didn’t know what he sounded like when he surrendered in the dark. I wanted to know all those things and I wanted to be the one to make it happen.
I ran my fingers along his torso until they landed on his jeans button. I tugged until it popped open. Everything I had wanted was right here on this couch. It may have taken two years to get here and a battle I never wanted to face again, but we were here, kissing and touching, getting ready to share everything. I closed my eyes and reveled in the heat we were making. I wanted to give myself to him in every way possible.
“Wait, wait.” Jack drew back from me and sat on his heels.
His chest heaved and I could feel his pulse racing. “I want to be with you tonight, but we need to do this the right way. I’m kind of old-fashioned.” He ran his fingers through his hair.
I couldn’t believe it. I tried to catch my breath and quiet the burning in my core. I smirked at him, keeping my legs wound around him, pulling him against my center. We were so hot together. Didn’t he want me as much as I wanted him? I was completely on fire.
“I’d like to take you out on a date. A real date. Not room service dinner, but a real dinner in Sullen’s Grove. And then we can do this.” He kissed me, his tongue dipping into my mouth. “And do this.” He bit on my nipple and I moaned. He was torturing me.
I fisted my hands through his hair and pulled him back to my mouth. I didn’t know if I had enough restraint to wait for dinner in Sullen’s Grove. Wasn’t dessert first a new trend?
“What do you think? Will you let me take you to dinner?” He sat up and pushed the lace over my breasts, a sign he was truly serious.
The laughter escaped before I had a chance to stop it. I put a hand over my mouth. I had waited two years for Jack to ask me out. Two years of dreaming about being together. Two years of wearing perfectly planned outfits to our meetings. Two years of dropping flirty innuendos all around him. Two years of whining to Holly about how he wouldn’t even look at me. Two years of a string of bad first dates with Sullen’s Grove’s most eligible bachelors.
“Hmm, I don’t know. It might put a strain on our ‘professional’ relationship.” I formed air quotes with my hands and giggled when I saw his eyes crinkle on the side.
He didn’t banter back, just pulled me into his strong embrace and kissed me.
It was after midnight before I wandered into my room searching for sleep. Jack wasn’t kidding about his old-fashioned status. As hot and amazing as the make-out session was, he was able to put the brakes on. We talked about our flight home, our upcoming date, and how we defeated Helen and left the bozos with a bag of forty-five-year-old stolen diamonds. But mostly, he kept his arms around me. If I had waited two years for Jack, I could wait another day for our first date. This felt like heaven, pure and blissful.
I scrubbed my face, brushed my teeth, and slipped into another T-shirt. I pulled the sheet up around my shoulders and snuggled into the pillow. I couldn’t believe this was finally happening. Jack. Me. We were finally happening. I fell asleep with a smile on my face.
The mixture of cool rain and warm blood steadily washed down my cheekbone. I pointlessly wiped the stream away from my eyes and massaged my throbbing temple. Keep going, Ivy; keep going.
As I hurdled each expanding step in front of me, the quick pace of the footsteps tracking me seemed to cut the distance between us. My chest hurt as I tried to catch each breath and push myself into a faster pace. He was close, and I didn’t know if I could make it to the seam before he stopped me. A quick diversion might help, but that was how I got into this mess. I had to do something. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t make it back, and this was not a place I wanted to get stuck.
The blur of the sidewalks and brownstone steps rapidly peeled past as I turned to find a place to hide. I felt my body lunge forward and shudder with a thud. I hit the pavement, and my already scraped face smacked into the stones. In that moment, I realized I could be caught. How could I have been so careless to jeopardize it all?
I felt the clawlike hand grasp my ankle and tightly latch on to both of my legs. I dug my fingers into the stones, trying to stop the sliding. He was pulling me back. I clung to each rock, stick, weed sliding under my stomach, but he was too strong. Nothing provided traction against my captor.
He pulled me through muddy potholes and cracked pavement for what seemed like a mile. The dragging stopped and he released my ankles. I heard a muffled voice whisper, “I got her. Coleman’s next.”
“No, no, not Jack. Leave him alone,” I screamed at the shadowed figure.
“Gladly, but you interfered, witch. He knows too much.” The figure shook his head and finger at me. “You shared too much.”
I scrambled to my feet and rushed at him. I swatted to part the mist swirling around my head. Where was he? I heard the dark, cold laughter, and then he was standing behind me. A mask covered his face. I clawed and scratched to yank the cover from his head.
“No! Not Jack!” I screamed.
“It’s too late.”
“Ivy, it’s a dream. Ivy, you’re dreaming.” I felt warm hands rubbing my shoulders but I was pushing them off, forcing myself out of their hold. “Ivy, it’s me, Jack. You’re ok. Everything’s ok.” I opened my eyes in the dimly lit room. A half-naked Jack sat on the edge of the bed, wrestling me into a still position.
“Oh. Um…yeah…sorry. Bad dream, really bad dream.” I sat up and stared at the sculpted abs and chest sitting inches from me. He had on pajama pants, but had left his shirt in the other room—probably in a hurry to scramble to my embarrassing nightmare. “I’m good. So sorry. You can go back to bed.” I blinked hard and pressed my palms into my forehead.
“How about I just take the other side of the bed tonight? Just to sleep of course.” He didn’t wait for my answer, strolled around to the other side of the bed, and climbed in. “Whoa. Did you do that?” He pointed at the twinkling lights on the ceiling.
“Yes.” My stomach dropped. Too much, I was telling him too much.
“What was the dream about? Want to talk about it?” He pulled the sheet over his chest.
My mind was still sluggish, but I knew I needed to share very
little. “Oh, it was just one of those falling elevator dreams. I couldn’t get out.” I forced a fake laugh. “Silly stuff. I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing. You were screaming my name. Was I there?” He turned on his side to look at me.
“You? No. No, I don’t remember you in the elevator. I just need to sleep.” I wanted to stare into his eyes until he lulled me into that calm place, but I couldn’t shake what happened. This was bad.
“Of course. Good night, Ivy.”
He shifted on his back, and within a few minutes, had settled into a low rhythm of deep breathing. Amazing. Men could fall asleep at any time. Although, I couldn’t be upset with him; he had no idea what had happened.
I grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed and wrapped it around my shoulders as I padded into the living room. I couldn’t lie there next to him, not now. No matter how tightly I pulled the fuzzy cover around me, it didn’t ease the chill that had invaded my body. I plopped down in the chair closest to the windows and watched the city buzz below me. I pushed play on the scenes from the nightmare. Where was I? Who was the man with the mask? Why Jack?
I buried my head in my hands and let the sobs fill my palms. I didn’t know the why and I might never know. However, what I did know was that it wasn’t a nightmare; it was a Foresight. I had only had one other in my life and it had come true. I couldn’t take that chance again. If this Foresight was telling me that sharing my secrets with Jack endangered his life and mine, there was only one way out.
I pulled out my phone and tapped Holly’s name. “Hey, girl, I need a favor.”
“OK, SO I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock?” Jack dropped my suitcase next to my feet on the front porch overlooking Southern Avenue. He looked kind of nervous and shuffled back and forth on his heels.