by Harper Wylde
“Well hello there.” A deep, masculine voice washed over me, freezing me in my tracks. I whipped around, which I realized too late was a terrible, terrible idea. The dark, handsome stranger let out a low whistle, openly appreciating the curves I was flashing him. Quickly crossing my arms over my chest, I darted behind a tree and used the trunk for cover.
Peeking around the bark, I let myself study the guy. He was tall, tanned, and sexy, and my cheeks, which were already heated with embarrassment, blazed as I realized just how good looking he was.
Holy bad luck batman! Humiliation burned through me and I decided the earth could officially open up and swallow me whole. I’d never seen such a handsome man before and, of course, out of everyone in the entire world fate dictated that he was the one to stumble across me while I was in such a state. Such a bare naked state. Karma was definitely a bitch, I just had no idea what I’d done to deserve her wrath for all these years. It seemed to be cruel and unusual punishment.
The mysterious stranger took me in equally while I regarded him. His posture was casual—in complete contrast to mine—and nothing about him immediately screamed “danger Will Robinson,” but I wasn’t about to let my guard down. If there was one thing I’d learned as a witch, it was that looks could be deceiving.
The man smiled at me and the crooked slant of his lips and the sparkle in his eyes were enough to have me squirming in place, but I willed myself to hold still and stand up straight. My mother’s words ricocheted through my head ‘appearance is everything.’ The non-loving lecture had come after a particularly bad day of teasing when I was in middle school, and the lesson stuck with me through all these years. It was probably the only one that had ever actually been helpful rather than degrading or mean mannered.
Narrowing my gaze slightly, I tried to appear in charge. He didn’t need to know that inside I was a quaking mess. “Who are you and what are you doing on our property?”
The stranger glanced away, rubbing a thumb under his lower lip before his gaze found mine again. The motion almost seemed like a nervous tick, but then he responded.
“I’m working here today.” It was all he offered, but I closed my eyes and pressed my forehead to the rough texture of the tree. Of course, he was. It was a valid excuse. The grounds of the Kentwell estate would be crawling with extra help today in preparation for the Summer Solstice event this evening.
I sighed.
Now what? This guy was well within his right to be here and my leverage was exactly zero. How was I going to get out of this situation relatively unscathed? I’d long given up giving people the benefit of the doubt and I prepared for the worst as I opened my eyes. I wasn’t sure what I expected to see, but his mischievous smirk and the intense glimmer of interest reflecting in his gaze caught me off guard.
The man couldn’t have been much older than me, but he was quite a bit taller. Dark hair hung across his forehead, making him flick his head to swish the locks back. His eyes gleamed in the sunlight, and while there were a few feet of distance between us, I could see the varying shades of brown that made up their depths. They reminded me of roasted coffee beans, the color dark yet warm. His tanned arms were perfectly muscled, just enough not to be overwhelming but plenty to make a woman swoon. He looked strong. The black tee-shirt he wore stretched across a broad chest and covered a set of rippling abs that I could barely make out under the fabric. Dark jeans hung off of his hips and I knew if he turned around, he’d have a perfect ass to accompany his toned physique.
Holy shit. He is beautiful. Something about him had me swaying closer. His warm gaze was glued to mine, and I could have sworn I saw a flash of heat flare to life within making the breath catch in my lungs. The strength of his magick was like a magnet, the pull of it drawing me in, the tingling power mingling with my own in the space between us.
I’d never reacted to a guy so strongly before and I mentally filed the interaction away for later inspection as a slight breeze tickled across my skin, reminding me of the precarious situation I was still in. I redirected my attention elsewhere before I started drooling, stammering, or blushing. I wasn’t known for my prowess around the male species, and I was sure I’d make an idiot out of myself if I continued to ogle him. Besides, I was pretty sure I looked like some crazy swamp thing right now. I quickly reached up and plucked a leaf from my hair. Definitely not the best first impression.
“The question is,” he continued in a low, sexy drawl, “what are you doing outside sans clothing… not that I’m complaining.”
“That is…” I floundered for what to say. “ … none of your business,” I stammered, realizing that I probably sounded rude. It had been ingrained in my upbringing to be respectful, but everything about this day was turning out utterly wrong. Trying to save myself, I pushed through the awkwardness and pretended like I wasn’t naked… outside… hiding behind a tree. This wasn’t my life. Or maybe this was exactly my life. My luck had always been non-existent. If I could have dropped my face into my palm, I would have. Instead, I responded to the magick I could feel thrumming through the air. “Which coven are you from?”
He chuckled. “So you can dish out the questions, but you can’t take them, huh?”
I arched an eyebrow at him with a small smile curving my lips. “It’s a simple question.”
He crossed his arms casually over his chest, appearing relaxed as we bantered. Humor sparked in his brown eyes and he lifted his chin up just slightly in a nod. “So was mine.” His head tilted to the side, studying me like I was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out. If only I was actually that interesting.
Shaking my head with a small laugh, I took a deep breath. I glanced over my shoulder and eyed the distance I needed to travel to get back home. I wasn’t far, but I wasn’t fully out of sight from the house either. The grey Victorian house I called home peeked through the trees. I was too close for comfort to be caught au natural, yet not close enough to seek refuge within its walls so I could put this entire morning behind me and focus on what today was really supposed to be about.
You know, today… the day I would be assigned a witching specialty and a fiancé during the Summer Solstice event. The day every good emerging witch looked forward to her entire life. It was only held once a year and it was finally my turn to be presented, which was enough to give me anxiety all on its own. As much as I’d have liked to spend some time getting to know this mysterious guy and figure out why I was so drawn to him, I didn’t need any extra complications or distractions right now.
Pull yourself together, Lorn, I chastised myself. Focus. In a handful of hours, I’d be as good as engaged to some random guy I probably didn’t know. It was a sobering thought.
My eyes trained back on the mystery man’s face, and I took a brief moment to soak up the attraction I felt. If the guy was truly a powerful as the magick I sensed in him indicated, then there was little doubt that we would ever be matched together—if he was even available. I’d be lucky if I received a decent placement tonight. Sending a plea to the stars that I’d be as drawn to my future match as I was to this stranger, I forced words to come out of my mouth, ending what had to have been the weirdest conversation of my life thus far.
“Well, I should get going. The longer I stand here… the worse this gets… so…” I fumbled as it dawned on me that my dignity was about to become non-existent.
Squeezing my arm over my breasts more tightly, I tried to cover the rest of myself as best I could with my free hand. I realized no matter how I maneuvered, I would be flashing the stranger more of my body the moment I moved away from the tree. A stranger who apparently had not one polite or chivalrous bone in his body. I mean, couldn’t the guy at least turn around?
With a look somewhere between smoldering and mischievous, Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome swiftly reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head, flashing the defined ridges of his abs at me.
“What? Are you trying to level the playing field?” I arched an eyebrow, but I was sure the effe
ct was lost due to the fact that my attention was glued to the hard planes of his body.
Holding the black fabric in his hand, the man’s fingers found the button of his jeans and my face flamed again.
“I… I was kidding,” I stammered, but despite my blush and the rapid beat of my heart, I almost wished he would continue.
He chuckled as though he could read my mind. “Nice to see the interest on your face, but no… I wasn’t planning to strip for you. Although, I’m a willing negotiator.” My gaze flitted to his face and the sinful smirk I found curving his lips. Everything about his demeanor radiated confidence from the way his arms flexed to the way he unabashedly looked at me.
“You’re evil.” I refused to let my attention slide back down his body. He may be hot, but he seemed to have an ego the size of Mars.
“So I’ve been told.” Holding out a hand, he offered the shirt to me, making me eat my words.
“You’re giving me your shirt?” I questioned hesitantly. It was rare that anyone ever went out of their way to help me.
I must have appeared shocked because his features softened.
“I am, but I require a favor in return.” His voice was gentle and he dipped his head, catching my full attention.
“This shirt comes with strings, then?” I was sure my face looked as confused as I felt.
“Only one.” The quality of his smile was irresistible, and his muscles rippled as he leaned closer as if he was going to confide a secret. His eyes were bright and he drew a deep inhale into his lungs before sating my curiosity with his answer. “I want to know your name.”
A sigh of relief left my lips. The request was easy enough to fulfill. “Oh, uh… I’m Lorn.” I went to reach out a hand only to quickly put it back in its place, keeping the essentials blocked from view. I ended up doing a weird shrug that I was sure made me look spastic, adding to the awkward allure I was expertly spinning. Not.
The smile on his face was genuine as he laughed at my distress and I couldn’t help but smirk at him and the whole weird situation.
“I like that.” He took a tentative step closer, extending his arm as far as he could to hand me the shirt while still keeping a respectable distance. It was a move I appreciated.
With a rueful smile, I stepped from my hiding spot and took the offering. Just as my hand closed around the soft fabric, his smile faltered and his eyes widened just enough that I noticed. He inhaled deeply and then released the shirt. Brows furrowed in confusion, I ducked quickly back behind the blessedly wide tree trunk. His reaction to me had me lifting an arm to smell myself. Seriously? I didn’t smell shower fresh after waking up in a freaking forest, but I certainly didn’t smell terrible enough to warrant that kind of response. Frowning, I pulled the fabric over my head fully encasing myself in the shirt. The spicy outdoor scent of the still nameless man assaulted me in the best way. The fabric smelled good. Incredibly good. The mixture of spice, woods, and something sweet washed over me, and an involuntary shudder raced down my body.
Stars, get ahold of yourself! I smoothed my hands down the shirt, making sure it covered everything while I tried to shake off my reaction. The black tee-shirt hit mid thigh, and for the first time since I awoke that morning, I finally relaxed.
I stepped from around the tree. “Thank you—” I held the note, waiting for him to fill in the blank.
“Axel.”
Nodding, I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Nice name.” Smooth, Lorn. Real smooth. I internally rolled my eyes at myself and hurriedly covered my artlessness with another question. “You sure you can survive without your shirt?”
More like was he sure he could avoid being jumped now that all his gorgeous, golden skin was out on display, but I didn’t think that would be appropriate to voice out loud. Besides, he looked more than capable of handling himself if he needed too.
“I’ll survive, and I think you needed it more than I did.” He winked at me, but I didn’t miss how his eyes scanned down my body, taking in the bare skin of my legs before his focus returned to my face. “Besides,” he held up his hands and wiggled his fingers, “I’ll survive. I can just magick another one.”
“Right. Thanks then.” I gave him a tiny wave as I started walking backward, nearly tripping in my hasty escape. The last thing I needed was him questioning why I didn’t magick myself any clothing. The truth was, magick and I had a love-hate relationship. I loved to try and use it, and it hated to work correctly. I was safer walking around in the buff than I was trying to summon and use my wand. Every spell I tried to cast ended in disastrous chaos. I gave him one last cursory glance and then turned and high tailed it toward my destination.
“Just as beautiful going as you were coming!” he teased, the scintillating notes of his lowered voice clearly relaying the dirty innuendo of his words. I pursed my lips trying not to smile. The pervert. Anyone could be listening, and I knew that had been the point. From knight in shining armor right back down to hellion.
“You just had to make that sound dirty didn’t you?” I called over my shoulder, just loud enough to reach him as I retreated.
Axel’s hands were tucked into the pockets of his low hanging jeans as he watched me go, every defined ridge on display. “It wouldn’t be fun if I didn’t, sweet cheeks.” The grin on his face was also present in his tone.
I shook my head, but my lips were permanently tipped upward. Axel was by far the most interesting guy I had ever spoken to, and I didn’t even know him.
“Will I see you again?” he asked when I didn’t dignify his vexatious flirting with a response.
I stopped and turned around. Such a large part of me wanted to stay outside and spend time getting to know him. I longed to hide away from the world and forget that today existed, and the allure he presented was hard to pass up. But I needed to get back inside. Every minute I wasted outdoors was just an increased risk in being found out, and I had no idea what the repercussions of bailing on the Solstice would be. Nothing good.
With a sigh, I resigned myself to my fate. “I’ll be at the Solstice tonight.” Biting my lip, I didn’t wait for his reply. I turned and hightailed it through the forest.
Moving from tree to tree, I tried to stay out of view of the house as I made my way to the gnarly old oak with a hollowed out trunk I’d used since I was a child. It was my perfect hiding place, but lately all it held was an extra pair of clothing.
A sense of nostalgia flared in my chest as I reached into the familiar knot of the tree and retrieved my clothes. I'd spent my childhood in this yard, playing in this forest, and I ached for just one more day of carefree living before my life changed permanently. A lazy afternoon spent outdoors with a favorite book sounded like heaven, and I let myself dream for a second more before I shut down my delusional musings to get back to the task at hand. Adulting sucked.
Slipping into a pair of cotton shorts, I stripped out of the good smelling shirt and donned a sports bra and my own loose, oversized tee-shirt. If I walked back indoors wearing clothing that clearly smelled like the handsome man I’d left behind, my parents would be sure to notice and draw their own conclusions. It wouldn’t matter that those conclusions would be inaccurate, the evidence would be implicating. I threw on my old pair of tennis shoes, combed my hair with my fingers, and called it as good as it was going to get.
Quickly coming up with a plan, I tucked the guy’s shirt under my arm, started jogging, and left the tree line. The property was crawling with maids and ground staff, and they glanced up from their work as I made my way toward the house. Ducking my head, my footsteps thudded against the wooden decking as I made my way up and inside.
Cool air greeted me as I slid the back door shut, enjoying how refreshing it felt against my overheated skin. The back entrance led into the kitchen area, and I glanced longingly at the fridge, desperate for a cold drink—maybe some much needed iced coffee—but the sound of my mother’s voice from deep within the house had my feet moving past the appliance as I scrambled for the st
airs. It was best to try and avoid her at all costs.
My perfectly coiffed adopted mother walked into the entryway, dictating to the floating notebook next to her. The pen scribbled furiously to keep up with her notes, undoubtedly about the Summer Solstice event. Since my father was on the High Coven—a council of powerful witches and warlocks formed from the various covens around the United States—it was my parents’ turn to host the event for our region of magick users. As much as I was dreading having to attend, I was happy that it had brought my father home. His position so often kept him out of the house, leaving me alone with my mother.
Avalon Castalia came from powerful witching bloodlines. Her family was considered royalty among the covens, and it was no surprise that she had married a man just as powerful—merging her family line with the Kentwells. She ran her household with an iron fist, and I’d never felt like I measured up to her high expectations. My adopted father, on the other hand, I adored. Cardoc Kentwell was a religious rule follower and believed in the old ways of the witches and warlocks, but when it came to me, he was just a big softy.
Our vastly different appearances was a constant reminder that I wasn’t blood related—a fact that Avalon liked to make sure I never forgot. Both of my parents had golden blonde hair—my father’s a bit darker than my mother’s—and their skin was creamy white. I, on the other hand, was their complete opposite with a head full of dark brown hair, and golden skin. The only thing I had in common with either of them was the cornflower blue color of my eyes.
“Lorn, there you are!” My mother’s call floated toward me, making me pause right as my foot hit the first stair. So close and yet so fucking far.
Turning slowly, I hid the black shirt I was holding behind my back.
When her blue eyes locked with mine, I offered her a tentative smile. Confusion crossed her face as she evaluated my appearance. With a wave of her wand, the notebook snapped closed, and it and the pen promptly vanished into thin air.