Charmed & Ready (25 page)

Please, God, don't let me make an idiot out of myself tonight.

Saturday, 1 A. M.

I'm in the kitchen, can't sleep and I don't want to ever forget this night.

I threw up twice before I drove to Sam's. God bless cinnamon Altoids. Thankfully, his door wasn't locked. One of the graces of living in a small town. I got everything set up, and then it was a matter of waiting.

I tried to send my mind out to his, just wanted to make sure that he wasn't already on a date with the other woman. The idea of it made me ill.

But his mind was slammed tight against mine.

I lit the candles and took a deep calming breath. I'd been in his house before, but I walked around like it was the first time. There were pictures of his parents on the side table. The art he adored, mostly modern abstracts, sat on the floor against the white walls.

The furniture was low and kind of a dark teal with red accents. He had the taste of a Manhattan designer. I swear. His mother, who is one of those ladies who lunch and never has a hair out of place, had definitely influenced him.

It was a small cottage house on the outside but looked like a Manhattan loft on the inside. He'd redone the kitchen with black granite, and stainless steel appliances. Very streamlined and beautiful.

When I heard the doorknob turn I closed my eyes.

"Here we go," I whispered.

He stopped just inside the door.

"Who's here?" His voice held a warning.

I came around the corner. "Don't shoot. It's me." I laughed.

He frowned. "What are you doing here?" The angry words were spat out.

I had to scrape my soul off the floor and put it back in my chest. I smiled. "I wanted to talk, and you've been so busy lately. I thought maybe we could just have dinner."

I pointed to the table. "I brought some food from Lulu's and thought we could, you know, act like grown-ups and discuss what's been going on."

He shook his head. "I told you I didn't want to talk." He turned to leave.

I didn't want to do it, but I had no choice.

Using my powers I pushed him up against the wall and held him there.

"I shouldn't do it this way, but you won't listen, so here it goes. I love you, Sam. I love you more than any one person I've ever known. I gave you my heart and soul. And I don't honestly know what more I can do to prove it to you."

I held up a hand. "I know what happened in London and L.A. didn't look good. I understand why you would be pissed off. But I haven't slept with another man since I met you. Do you know why? Because I love you. I don't want anyone else. Zane is my friend and he will always be my friend. There are times when I'm going to work with him again. The same with Azir. But they are my friends. Nothing more. You, Sam. You are the man I love."

He stared, his face blank of emotion.

Fine, at least he'd have to listen to the rest.

"As for my job. I refuse to quit for you or anyone else. I don't like the fact that people keep trying to kill me any more than you do. In fact I hate it. But it's important to me. It's my way of sharing my gifts."

I put my hands on my hips. "Now, I don't know if you've been fucking around with that chick at Lulu's, but I'm willing to forgive you. I was willing to let you have the benefit of the doubt when some strange woman answered your cell phone last week. All I want to know from you is why the hell you can't do the same for me. You know me, Sam. I'm honest. I suck at relationships but I don't cheat. I don't lie, and I don't—except for trying to find sexy outfits that will drive you mad—play head games. I want to know how you can stop loving me because of what you think might have happened." I let go of the power.

It drained me more than I'd imagined. I obviously still needed to heal, but I refused to pass out. It was a matter of honor. I took a deep breath and waited for him to say something.

He didn't say a word.

Great. Fucking great.

I walked to the coffee table and picked up my purse. I didn't say a word, just walked to the door. I reached for the knob and he grabbed my hand. The energy from his touch sizzled up my arm.

I couldn't breathe.

He pulled me to him and just held me. Didn't talk. Just held tight. The heat from his body poured into mine. I sighed.

Kissing me, he ran his hands up and down my back. I ran mine through that gorgeous hair. Our tongues danced and I could feel him harden against my leg.

He moved us to the couch and I lay underneath him. Our bodies pressed hard into one another as if we were trying to become one.

Then something weird happened. My energy lagged. "Sam," I whispered. I thought I saw his eyes glow weird.

The next thing I knew I was in my own bed and he was lying next to me.

"What happened?"

"You passed out. My guess is you weren't ready to use your powers again. Did you drink your blue juice today, and take the herbals Garnout gave you?"

I'd been so busy planning his seduction that I'd forgotten. Great seduction. I'd passed out before we got to the good stuff. Still, he was in my bed. Fully clothed but in my bed.

He pushed my hair away from my face.

"You know, this isn't what I planned." I pushed myself up in the bed. "I was going to ravage your body so that you'd never forget me. Hey, how did you know about the herbals?"

"I called Garnout. He said to tell you the concert has gone off without a hitch and all is well. And I could never forget you, Bron. I've been trying but I just can't."

I wasn't really feeling up to this conversation, but we had to have it if we were going to move forward.

"I love you, Bron, more than I've ever loved anyone. You know my insecurities and my problems with trust. That isn't an excuse for the way I've acted, but dammit, you make trusting so hard sometimes. Every time you leave I honestly wonder if you are coming back. I guess more than trusting you with other men, it's trusting you to have the sense to survive."

I frowned. I didn't know what to say, because I really did understand how he felt.

Grabbing his hand, I squeezed. "So, tell me what it means, Sam. You were with that woman. Does that mean you want to move on, that this relationship is too much trouble?"

He sighed and pulled me into his arms. "No, you are a handful, but this relationship means more to me—I love you. I meant that when I said it. And as much as I tried I can't stop.

"As for the woman. She's an old friend. Not an old lover, just a friend. She was doing some research on small town medicine and the quality of care. I invited her here as a distraction. I needed someone to help me get over you, and she was convenient."

My heart skipped a beat and I wanted to ask if he slept with her, friend or not, but I couldn't do it. Whatever happened between them needed to stay in the past. Knowing wouldn't help what we were trying to build.

I rubbed his back with the tips of my fingers. "Are you feeling better? You've been acting strange for weeks. Not your normally happy self. And you can blame me if you want, but it started before I even left for New York."

He shrugged. "I don't know. I've been tired since the attack. I get headaches and sudden fevers. I've been doing tests on myself, but so far, nothing. My surgeons think it's a natural part of the body trying to heal itself. There was so much trauma—God, I've been looking through your magic books at various healing spells trying to see if I could find something to help."

A truck that Blackstock had thrown on him had crushed his body. If it hadn't been for the healing powers of the local coven, I don't think he would have survived.

I moved in his arms so I could see his face. I touched his cheek and moved my fingers across his lips. He kissed the tips. "Maybe we could recuperate together." I smiled. "We've both pushed ourselves too hard, too soon. We should take a vacation. Hey, how did you get me back here to the house?"

"I picked you up, threw you over my shoulder and brought you here. With that skirt, I'm sure we gave the neighbors an eyeful." He laughed. "But I know you heal better here. You were drained, and this house seems to work amazingly well at getting you back in your groove."

"It must. I'm feeling very much like grooving right now." I stretched out on top of him. He'd undressed me before he put me in bed, and had only left the pink panties.

"Are we going to make this work, Sam?" I whispered, still afraid he might say no.

"Yes, baby. We're going to make it work." He bent down and kissed me. His lips were tender, and then he nibbled on my bottom lip.

Rolling me over, he pressed himself between my legs. His jeans were rough on my skin, but I loved the feel of him.

Trailing kisses up my neck, he growled, "It was all I could do not to attack you while you slept. You know how much I love those panties."

I took his head in my hands and brought his lips to mine. "Yes, I do."

He slid his hand down inside the panties and touched my heat. I was wet and ready. I didn't want foreplay. I wanted him inside of me.

Shaking his head, he smiled. He knew what I wanted but he was going to torture me in the most exquisite way.

I resigned myself and accepted his pleasure as his fingers danced up and down and in and out.

"Baby, please," I begged.

The room swirled around us in a haze of color. Purple, blue. Our magic mixed and I moaned again.

There was a strange energy in the room but I was so filled with pleasure, I couldn't think. Except to know that it was different.

I pushed against him enough so that he moved, and I could slide a hand to the outside of his jeans. His cock stretched the material tight. I carefully maneuvered my fingers so I could slide down his zipper. His shaft was in my hands and, this time, he moaned against my mouth.

He pulled the panties down and then shifted so I had to let him go.

Shoving his pants to the floor, he stood on the side of the bed. He grabbed my legs and wrapped them around his waist.

I shimmied my hips to get nearer to him. "Come on, baby. Please."

"Do you love me, Bronwyn?"

"Yes, more than anything."

He plunged into me and then moved within me at a mad pace. Without missing a thrust, he moved up to the bed on his knees, lifting my hips. I could take almost all of him this way and he knew I loved it.

I met his pace and watched his face. We couldn't get enough of each other.

"Sam." His name was said on a whisper of sheer pleasure. My body shook with orgasm.

"Stay with me." He thrust harder and faster. Shifting, he was over me now. My legs were still wrapped around his waist.

I opened my eyes and, as we came, I could have sworn his eyes flashed a strange color. But it could have been my own haze of lust. And our auras were off. When we mix our magic it's usually gold, but this was different. More of an orangey amber color. Weird.

I didn't think about it much then. I was spent and strangely energized at the same time, as if making love with him had healed something inside of me. Something the herbal remedies and blue juice couldn't.

He completes me. It's so corny it's funny, but it's true. I love him so much. I never want to forget this feeling. Never. He loves me just as much. I could feel it. When he came inside me that love filled me to overflowing.

I need to get back. I don't want him to wake up without me.

Sunday, 5 P.M.

Sweet, Texas

Spells: 4

Potions: 5

Bad guys: 1

Powerful witches: 1

Love can kill. I'm living proof of it. I'd laugh if it weren't so messed up.

I'd been back in bed about two hours when I woke up. Heard something weird. I reached out to touch Sam, but Casper was curled up where he'd been.

Sat up and my eyes tried to adjust to the darkness.

Then I saw him.

Sam stood at the end of the bed.

"You okay, baby?"

I saw something flash in his eyes and then they burned orange.

Fuck.

"Sam?" I edged myself back against the headboard.

"You thought you could defeat me, bitch. But you can't. I will kill you, and all of your powers will be mine." It wasn't Sam's voice, it was Blackstock's. I knew that stereo sound from before when the warlock had possessed Cole.

"We played this game last time, asshole, and I won."

"I'm much more powerful than before. You cannot win this game, witch." The knife flashed in his hand.

"The Blood Goddess took you, how could you have escaped her hell?"

His laugh was an evil sound that sent chills across my body.

"She sold my soul to Blaseus. The idiot demon was no match for someone like me. I slayed him in the pit, and his minions were forced to follow me. I will be even more powerful when I take your powers for my own."

Here's the thing: I could have thrown a fireball, but since he was born of fire, it wouldn't have done much good. He hadn't bound my powers. Probably didn't think he needed to. But I had a secret. He might be possessing Sam, but even Sam didn't know all of my powers.