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She pushed aside the boxes and packages to find what she was looking for.
Whomping Willy—8 Inches of the Best Sex Toy Ever sat at the back of the shelf. That was where all the power was coming from.
“Seriously?” Tamiel chuckled.
“I’m afraid so.” She reached out, and even before she grabbed it, the magic embraced her. “Hello, Willy,” she said.
The image—no, just the idea—of a hug popped into her mind. Willy was communicating! She tingled all over. This is what magic should feel like. Not like the filtered kind the FGC gave them “for their own protection.”
She broke into the packaging, praying the wand was inside and not the toy itself. She would feel absolutely ridiculous pulling out Whomping Willy every time she helped someone. But she would if she had to. The magic was just that good.
“Um.” The shop woman darted over. “You’re going to have to buy that first.”
Tamiel immediately slid over to her and ran a hand down her arm. “In a minute.”
The woman headed back to the counter without comment.
“Holy Harpy,” Claire said. “Why do they have to make this so hard to open?”
Willy pushed from the inside, impatient.
“Here, let me.” Tamiel waved a hand and the packaging fell to the floor, leaving all eight inches of Willy in Claire’s hand. The idea of happiness flooded her mind. Willy was free. It was speaking to her, not in feelings or language, but something much more primitive than that. Something that didn’t need to be interpreted or felt. It just was.
Claire ran the fingers of her free hand up and down the toy.
Tamiel snorted softly.
“Don’t go there.” But Claire was chuckling herself.
“How can I not?”
“I’m looking for the wand. I can’t find it. Holy Succubus, I think this is the wand.” She flicked the dildo, and a golden stream came out of its tip. “That’s just so wrong.”
How on earth was she supposed to pull this out in the middle of a birth blessing? The parents would think she was a pervert.
“What’s that thing down there?” Tamiel pointed to the ridge in the base of the toy.
“Oooh, thank goodness.” Claire pushed, and a thin bamboo wand popped out of the flat bottom. The sex toy, not a velvet-lined box, was the wand’s refuge. Welcome to the twenty-first century.
The wand was lovely. Light, strong, and aesthetically pleasing, with concentric rings of growth running up its stem. Not surprisingly, the wand fit her hand perfectly. Already, she felt as if she had known it for ages.
She flicked and a golden shower of magic flooded out of its tip. No filter, no barriers, no FGC. This was magic straight from the source. They would have to get used to each other, but they had centuries to do that. And she could design a new job, without Upper Administration or forms or deadlines. She could take her time and uncover what was truly right for her clients. She could work for herself…or even get a partner.
She spun to face Tamiel. The desire to share the moment with her told Claire all she needed to know about their relationship—or whatever it was. Tamiel grinned back, the smile softening the contours of her face. The fire in her eyes blossomed with happiness and if Claire wasn’t crazy…love.
Joyous singing filled her head, but for the life of her, she couldn’t tell if it was coming from the angel or the wand.
Did it even matter?
Willy snuggled into her hand at the same moment she stepped into Tamiel’s embrace. Who knew what the future would bring. A new job, a mysterious new wand, her taboo relationship with an angel—it certainly wasn’t going to be smooth sailing. But she didn’t care about any of that now.
All she knew was that she was back.
And now she was a total badass!
About Catherine Lane
Catherine Lane started to write fiction on a dare from her wife. She’s thrilled to be a published author, even though she had to admit her wife was right. They live happily in Southern California with their son and a very mischievous pound puppy.
Catherine spends most of her time these days working, mothering, or writing. But when she finds herself at loose ends, she enjoys experimenting with recipes in the kitchen, paddling on long stretches of flat water, and browsing the stacks at libraries and bookstores. Oh, and trying unsuccessfully to outwit her dog.
She has published several short stories and is currently working on a third novel.
CONNECT WITH CATHERINE:
Website: www.catherinelanefiction.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CatherineLaneAuthor
E-Mail: claneauthor01@gmail.com
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Tread Lightly
© 2017 by Catherine Lane
ISBN (mobi): 978-3-95533-771-1
ISBN (epub): 978-3-95533-772-8
Also available as paperback.
Published by Ylva Publishing, legal entity of Ylva Verlag, e.Kfr.
Ylva Verlag, e.Kfr.
Owner: Astrid Ohletz
Am Kirschgarten 2
65830 Kriftel
Germany
www.ylva-publishing.com
First edition: 2017
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Credits
Edited by JoSelle Vanderhooft, Sandra Gerth, and Alissa McGowan
Proofread by Michelle Aguilar
Cover Design & Print Layout by Streetlight Graphics