The Most Wanted Witch: Tales of Xest

by Donna Augustine

  “Trust me, it was completely intentional. Don’t let him twist you up, Tippi. I know him. I know how he operates.”

  He was standing as close as Xazier had, but when Hawk was near me like this, I had a hard time keeping my heartbeat steady, my breathing regular—thinking at all became a problem.

  He dipped his head lower, toward my bare shoulder, his lips a hair away from grazing my skin. He brought his hand up, his touch hotter than normal as it moved along the skin that Xazier had brushed. I wasn’t sure what Hawk was doing, but the chill of Xazier was slowly melting away, and for that reason I couldn’t bring myself to stop him.

  He feathered his hand down over my arm before moving it back. I’d never thought of the arm or shoulder as an erogenous zone until now, as his fingers moved over me, working its way back along the crook of my neck.

  My head dropped back. “He didn’t touch there,” I said, in case there was a purpose to this I didn’t know.

  “I like to be thorough,” he said as his hand continued until it was at the back of my neck, and then at the base of my skull, threading into my hair, tugging at it until it fell from its loose ponytail, slipping down about my shoulders.

  I couldn’t get control of my breathing or the thudding in my chest. It didn’t matter if we were barely talking or if I thought I hated him. I wanted him to touch me, kiss me. I couldn’t bring myself to make the first move toward him, but all I wanted was to feel his hands on me. If Xazier had made me feel even a touch of this, I shuddered at what I might’ve already given away. I’d probably be setting up shop in hell right now.

  He was close enough that his shirt brushed against the front of my dress as he lifted me by the waist to sit on the desk in front of him. He leaned his hands on either side, forcing me to bend back as he hovered over me.

  “Did you let him kiss you?” His voice was low and gruff—raw.

  We’d barely spoken to each other lately, and when we did communicate, there was nothing civil about it. I should tell him no. Stop this thing we were doing. But then he might step away…

  Tell him no. Tell him.

  He probably only wanted me because he was territorial. Maybe I only wanted him because I was too. Every time I saw Gillian near him, I wanted to jump in between them.

  Still I said nothing, as my back arched in his direction and my lips parted, nearly beckoning him to act on the invitation.

  He moved until we were flush against each other, and then his lips were covering mine and I was opening to him in a way I’d never done before, with anyone. His flesh was on fire as his tongue dueled with mine.

  The stairs creaked as someone stomped down the stairs. I pulled back right before the door opened.

  He countered by stepping away, our gazes locked.

  Gilli walked in the room. “Oh, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt something?” She took a tentative step forward.

  Hawk didn’t answer but continued to look at me, waiting. What did he expect? Was I supposed to tell his favorite that he was busy with me and that he’d get to her later? If she was interrupting, he should be the one to step up and say it. I wasn’t the reason she was sneaking down here at the first sound of anyone. He was.

  But he didn’t. He stood there, waiting for me to say something.

  “You’re not interrupting anything.” I straightened my dress almost aggressively as I stepped around him, in a fouler mood now than after I’d left the demon. It hadn’t seemed possible.

  Hawk glared, as if I’d done something wrong. I walked to the door.

  “I was just coming down to get a late-night cocoa. Couldn’t sleep. Care to join me?” Gillian asked.

  I headed upstairs, refusing to linger even a second. If he started up with her next, I didn’t want to hear it.

  22

  Gillian walked into the office, with no sign of Hawk, and headed over to my desk. She had two cocoas in her hands. I refrained from asking how she’d managed to cross the street alone.

  Instead, I focused on the cocoa she placed on the desk in front of me and noticed the lack of extras. I took it for what it was, which wasn’t that I held a special place in her heart. She was keeping her enemies close. She didn’t need to bother. If she wanted to chase Hawk, I wasn’t going to stop her.

  “Thought a hot cocoa might hit the spot today.” Gillian’s simpering sweetness was stomachache-worthy.

  Zab was staring at the cocoa in front of me, trying to figure out why I was getting special treatment. He hadn’t been in the office last night when Gillian interrupted. Bibbi was narrowing her eyes as if the cup held poison. Her interpretation, although severe, was closer to the truth. If I could meld the two of them together, they’d make the perfect confidant instead of Zab being clueless and Bibbi wanting to kill everyone.

  “Thanks.” I tried to remain civil. It wasn’t Gillian’s fault I’d left when she came in. She had asked if she was interrupting. Whatever happened or didn’t last night, it was on me. Or Hawk. If he wasn’t holding her hand and walking her to her shop every day, maybe she wouldn’t have feelings of ownership, which she seemed to be developing. If you lead someone on, you can’t expect them to not think they’re going right where you’re bringing them.

  “You know…” Her words died off as she glanced around the room.

  Zab dropped his gaze back to his papers. Musso hadn’t cared what we’d been discussing before and still didn’t. Bibbi’s lids lowered into more of a glare.

  “I was going to step in the back for a second. Would you come with me? Had something I wanted to ask you.”

  There was a sigh building in my chest that would’ve taken an hour to let out. But again, as annoying as she could be, her cocoa was so good.

  “Sure.” I got out of my seat as quick as my lack of enthusiasm would let me and followed her into the back.

  The room was empty, but Bertha had been hiding out upstairs lately. From the smells that occasionally wafted down from the third floor, I suspected they’d installed a kitchen up there.

  Gillian glanced around, making sure she was alone before switching her attention fully back to me.

  “I know you said that nothing was going on with you and Hawk, but I thought I picked up on something last night.” Any sugar that had been in her tone had turned into something blackened on the bottom of a pot.

  Now I understood exactly what this was, and it wasn’t a peace mission. It was a fact-finding mission disguised by a cocoa offering. Had she realized exactly what had been about to happen on that desk last night? And still she stayed, interjecting herself where she wasn’t wanted. Well, she wasn’t as dim as I’d feared. Delusional, though, if she thought her cocoa was good enough to pry private details out of me.

  “You did?” I asked, playing as stupid as she occasionally did.

  “It was a vibe I picked up on. I know I asked you this before, but you’re sure there’s nothing between you two?” She sipped on her cocoa as if she wasn’t white-knuckling her cup.

  “Don’t worry about my situation. You need to do whatever you feel you should.” That was as good as it was going to get, in spite of what I thought she might want, and that was a guarantee nothing was going to happen. Even if there wasn’t, it was my business.

  Hawk walked in the back door, startling us both.

  His glare made the gust of wind at the door opening feel downright warm. Great. He was probably mad about last night, like I’d swindled him into kissing me again.

  I turned, going back to my conversation with Gillian, or the new one I was going to pretend we were having.

  “So you’re back to work full-time again?” I asked.

  She was smiling in his direction. “Yes. I hate to leave the shop for too long. With everything so slow, I’ve been tinkering with recipes. I made this amazing white chocolate caramel swirl this morning that is going to drive everyone crazy. I’ll bring some home tonight.” And the sweetness was back.

  It was a good thing I wasn’t drinking, or I would’ve choked. Home?
She was calling this place home? That was wrong on so many levels.

  Hawk walked past us and into the office, and her attention went with him.

  “I’m sorry, but do you mind? There were a couple of things I needed to talk to Hawk about. He’s been such a help to me.”

  Before I could answer, she was gone, shrugging off her coat on the way.

  Maybe Bibbi was righter than I wanted to give her credit for. I looked at my cocoa and then tossed it in the fireplace just in case it was laced.

  I let out a long sigh, reminding myself that I couldn’t keep telling Gillian it was okay to go after him and then be annoyed by it. That would make me crazy, and in a different way than I normally was. Hawk and I could barely tolerate each other. What did I care if she chased him like a puppy dog?

  “What’s with the long sigh?” Oscar asked, walking in the back door.

  “Nothing. Just tired today.”

  “How’d the date go? Late-night partying with demons can make you really tired.”

  “It wasn’t a date,” I said, walking back toward the office. I stopped right at the doorway, teetering between wanting to watch or just run out of the building, as was my fallback position. It made me wonder why I’d given up on running. It was such an easy way to be. There were none of these issues if you stayed on the surface with everyone and everything and took off when things got too deep.

  Oscar walked over and leaned near the door beside me. He paused, his eyes narrowing on the same scene I was watching. The sight seemed to have frozen him.

  “What’s going on over there with them? Is this actually becoming a thing?” Oscar whispered, staring at Gilli and the way she leaned just so, making it appear like her breasts might tumble out of her shirt at any moment. Hawk laughed at something she said.

  “I think it’s fairly clear what’s going on. He doesn’t look as if he’s swatting her away either, so it must be mutual.” I never should’ve had a sip of her cocoa. My chest was burning like it had been laced. Was I going to drop dead? Maybe she was going to try to poison me.

  “No.”

  Oscar’s tone drove my attention away from dying. His eyes were hard, the lines of his face stark enough that I wondered if he was afraid of some bad cocoa too.

  Oscar pointed toward Hawk and Gillian. “That is not happening. I’m going to have to step in again, because you’re blowing things up. The work I’m putting into this, and you keep on wrecking it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Oscar’s attention was fixed on the duo with an alarming intensity. “Hawk’s as close to a brother as I’ve ever had. He’s saved my ass many a time, and he’s going to be in my life until I drop dead, which means I better damned well like whoever he ends up with.” He pointed in Gillian’s direction. “That one annoys me.”

  I shrugged. “She annoys everyone, but that doesn’t make her the worst person ever.”

  Even the way she was flipping her hair right now was annoying. What was wrong with her? She looked like she had a crick in her neck. I wanted to walk over and give her a not-so-gentle adjustment.

  Oscar shook his head. “She’s too nice, but she’s not nice at all. She never says anything explicitly bad, but nothing very nice either. She never gives anyone dirty looks. She’s like a plain scoop of vanilla with something rotten on the inside. I would rather have Belinda back.” He broke his gaze from them to give me a sly nod in their direction. “You killed the last one. Any chance?”

  “I didn’t mean to kill Belinda. It just happened.” I glanced at Gillian. “She makes the best chocolate in town.”

  “I’m telling you, a week with her and you’ll be looking to drown yourself in her cocoa. No. This won’t do at all.” Oscar shook his head and groaned. “He can’t be interested. That woman couldn’t get a sail up in a tornado.”

  “Are you saying she can’t get a man hard?” I asked.

  “Yes, Tippi, that is what I’m saying. It’s your fault if he ends up in a relationship with her. Then we’ll all get stuck with her. And don’t act like you’re okay with this either. I can nearly feel the anger rolling off you.”

  “I am fine.” Hawk could do what he wanted. I’d come to terms with that, and Oscar would as well. But if this continued, I’d have to find a new place to live. No way could I stay here.

  Oscar was still shaking his head. “It’ll be Belinda 2.0. Instead of a raving bitch, we’ll be bludgeoned to death by boredom and bravado. I’m telling you right now, I’m not having it.”

  “There’s nothing you can do. If they have something, that’s between them.”

  “You really think that those two fit?” He was smiling now, in spite of how annoyed he was a second ago. “I don’t think so, and there’s plenty to be done about it.” He pushed off his side of the doorframe to lean on mine, resting a hand over my shoulder and then dipping his head, his cheek grazing mine. “I’m telling you now, I’m not giving up easily, and I can fight dirty.”

  “What are you going to do, Oscar?” There was a gleam in his eye that made me think of masked men sneaking about at night.

  Hawk’s attention shifted in our direction, his gaze lingering on Oscar, almost as if he could smell something afoot. Oscar’s gaze was still on me as he leaned in closer, his broad shoulders blocking my view.

  “I think we’re going to have to take some drastic steps.” He smiled, his tone flirty.

  “What are you doing?” He was cranking out sex appeal the way Gillian cranked out cocoa. It was enough to make my body waver over whether this was real or not.

  “You know what I’m doing,” he said.

  “Do I?”

  There was a flicker in his eyes. “I think so, but I might be open to diversions from the plan.”

  “Hawk, are you walking me?” Gillian called out across the office.

  There was no response.

  Oscar’s smile grew as his shirt brushed mine.

  “Hawk?” Gillian called again.

  The door shut loudly a few moments later.

  I glanced over in time to see Gillian and Hawk crossing the street, my heartburn making a return.

  I turned my attention to Oscar, who was still standing a hair away from me.

  Oscar’s gaze lingered on my lips. “If I wasn’t so sure I’d be runner-up, the things I would do…”

  He broke away before I had a chance to argue that he was wrong about my feelings for Hawk.

  23

  The door to the office opened. Zab, Bibbi, Musso, and I all turned to see who was walking in. We had so few people coming in these days that any activity had everyone’s attention. I immediately dropped my gaze again. This wasn’t a visitor I was interested in seeing. The visits from Xazier were enough of an issue. Someone else could handle the high ground.

  Lou continued into the office and no one said a word in greeting. If I had the nerve to glance up, I’d imagine all their heads were down as well.

  The footsteps continued until he was standing in front of my desk. I ignored him for another few seconds, because the bottom line was that a representative from “up there” was as scary as one from below.

  Not able to take the tension a second longer, I broke and looked up slowly.

  He was grinning. “So glad I caught you here. I wasn’t sure if this would be a good time.”

  “For me?” I couldn’t stop the urge to glance around. There had to be someone else here he’d be more interested in talking to.

  He followed suit, looking about the office before looking back at me.

  I reshuffled some papers on my desk, acting as if I were so busy. “Maybe you’d want to talk to…”

  His perpetual grin and shaking head made it clear. He was here for me, for better or worse.

  “Do you have somewhere we could talk alone? I have an issue that I’m hoping we could come to an agreement on,” Lou said.

  Oh God, the scary-ass angel wanted to talk to me alone. Musso, who wasn’t scared of anyone, was getting out of his sea
t in case he had to run for help. Bibbi and Zab were shoulder to shoulder, and people in Xest didn’t like to touch, even through clothing.

  “I’m really not in charge around here. I’m not sure I can help you,” I said, trying to pass the buck.

  “Oh, no, you are the exact person I need to talk to.” His smile was practically a spotlight on me.

  Could you say no to an angel? Well, I shouldn’t be presumptive. Maybe he was from there but not an angel at all. Every organization needed a bad guy. Although wasn’t that hell’s purpose?

  He took a step backward, waving his hand for me to follow. “This will only take a few moments.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  Why had I wanted to stay in Xest? Salem had been such a simpler life. Now I was selling my soul to one demon while an angel wanted to have a private chat with me. Nothing would ever be fine again.

  As Lou continued to wait, I got out of my seat and motioned to the corner. “I’m going to grab my jacket.” Didn’t want him to think I was making a run for it and have him hit me with a bolt of lightning. Word was it was their preferred weapon.

  I grabbed my coat and tried to wipe moist palms on my pants as Lou headed toward the front door, never losing sight of me.

  Zab had his hand on a pile of newsflash papers, waiting for the sign to call in the cavalry. I shook my head slightly. The last thing I needed was Hawk making this into an even bigger to do. I’d held my own with a demon. Would the angel be that much worse?

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” I told the rest of the room, waiting to see if Lou would disagree. He stood silently by the front door.

  “Shall we have a bit of a walk?” he asked, as if I had a choice in the matter.

  “Sure.” I pretended that I did as well. Pretense was better than finding out that there were no other options.

  The second we started walking, it was clear that something was off. People were crossing the street and moving out of our way, but no one was looking at me, not the people who hated me or liked me. It was as if I wasn’t there at all. As if something drove them away from us without them being aware of why. If things took a dire turn, would anyone hear my screams? This was getting freakier by the second.