Hex and the Single Witch (Vehicle City Vampires) (10 page)

My body wanted
in his arms while my brain fought to stay in control. “Malone something’s not
right. I think we’re under some kind of spell. You have never acted like this
before and I never would…”

“Never what? Think
about fucking a mere mortal like me?” The pain in his eyes no longer remained
hidden while anger threatened the rest of his features. Goddess help me. I
liked him much better in sexy mode. Less dangerous that way, well mostly less
dangerous if you didn’t count the danger he posed to my…ah…virtue and pride.

I spoke quietly
and softly to him trying to calm him down. I held onto his arms to keep him
from touching me in more intimate places but the feel of his skin underneath
mine was a distraction itself. I fought my own desires to keep my hands from
roaming his well-muscled body.

“Malone…Mike.
Stop and think. This isn’t you. You are a clear thinking, level headed cop. A
cop! Come on Mike, you’re part of the P.I.T crew. You’re the lead detective.
This behavior is completely unlike you. Something is wonky here. I think
someone, or something might have spelled us.”

In that way I
had, I suddenly knew what had happened. A release of inhibition spell had been
cast on us, meant to make us shed all of our inhibitions and to let buried
feelings surface. It also had a way of magnetizing minor thoughts and feelings
people had a tendency to keep hidden, even from themselves.

This spell
seemed to let loose whatever minor attraction Malone and I felt for each other
and played upon it. It also shed light on Malone’s uneasiness about vamps and
Others. Now the spell had been realized it would dissipate.

His eyes cleared
and his anger vanished. He let go of my arms and I let go of his.

“Fuck, Anwyn.
I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. After I saw that vampire touch you,
I just lost it.”

He moved toward
me and this time I didn’t step away, I wasn’t afraid of him. In fact, I seemed
more aware of him as a man than I had ever before. He was so good looking, a
fact I had tried to ignore ever since being paired with him. Now it was clear
there was something between us, something out in the open had been under wraps
before.

My breathing was
ragged as I struggled with words, “It’s alright, not your fault. Spells do
weird things. I just wonder who cast the spell and why? Why now and on us?”

“Well, Annie
girl. That’s your department, darling,” he smiled. The old Malone was back. “You
better figure it out.” He turned to get into his car. I almost didn’t want him
to leave.

“Hey, you want
your sweatshirt back?” I asked as he went to close his door.

“Nah, you better
keep it. The sight of those luscious tits of yours may make me crazy again,
especially now I know what they feel like in my hands.” He winked and his smile
was completely lascivious.

I stood there
turning ten shades of red as he started his car and drove away.

I moved to get
into my car and thought I saw Galen ducking around the side of a building.
Please, Goddess, tell me he did not witness what happened between Malone and me.
I wasn’t interested in Malone; was I? Everything had happened was because of a
spell. It was just a spell, I tried to convince myself.

I kept telling
myself that all the way home, even once curled up in my bed, wearing Malone’s
sweatshirt. I was still trying to convince myself as I fell asleep surrounded
by Malone’s sensual scent.

Chapter 11

I had just
grabbed my bag and my must-have-with-me-at-all-times refillable coffee mug when
someone knocked on my front door. I wasn’t expecting anyone and my friends
normally don’t drop by unannounced.

Could be the UPS
guy with the shoes I had ordered online.

I put my bag and
mug down and opened the door hoping to find a hot guy in brown shorts with a
box of shoes for me (hello, fantasy anyone?) and instead found something way
better…Galen stood there like a naughty dream come true leaning against my
porch rail with his long, dark hair looking windblown and finger combed,
holding a cup of something that smelled deliciously like a mochaccino. Too bad
he wasn’t wearing a smile. Then it would have been perfect.

“Uhm, hi,” I
stammered as he pushed past me and came inside handing me the coffee. “Hey,
don’t vamps like need an invitation or something to come inside someone’s
house?”

“Nope, all a
myth,”

“Problems with
sunlight must be a myth too huh?”

“For most of us,”
he muttered then turned to look at me with those intense green eyes. “Look, I’m
sorry just to drop by like this, but we need to talk. I haven’t been able to
think straight since I kicked you out of VAMP yesterday, then after last night…”

His eyes looked
down at the floor as he shifted uncomfortably, and flaming heat crept into my
cheeks. I didn’t think he was talking about the scene with Devlin. I knew it;
it had been him ducking behind the building as I was driving away. But, I
wasn’t going to be forthcoming about this whole mess. Plus, I still had no idea
who placed the spell on Malone and I or why.

He looked back
at me, his green eyes glittering with a touch of anger. “You aren’t going to
say anything?” He looked more than a little angry and slightly pained. Damn he
had the whole broody and tortured vampire thing going strong this morning.

“About what?
Kicking me out of the club yesterday, or you and Devlin going at it last night?
You know I put a spell on him to keep his damn mouth shut about you so the cops
couldn’t connect you to the murders, or did you think he just suddenly decided
to be quiet? What is his deal anyway, why does he want to see you dead?”

“That’s a long
story and not what I was talking about. Why didn’t you tell me you and the cop
have something going on?”

Holy witches
watches! Each guy thought I had something going on with the other. What the
hell was going on in my life?

“Why are you
skulking about in the shadows spying on me? I think you’re taking the vamp
thing a little too seriously, really, hiding in the shadows watching me?
There’s nothing going on between Malone and me. Some smart ass spelled us last
night. I don’t know who or why, but it had to be someone at VAMP. Maybe they
were trying to keep us away from you and your connection to the murders?”

“Spelled you? A
spell made the two of you paw at each other like horny teenagers in heat?” he
growled at me, disbelief etched all over his face. His anger seemed
uncharacteristic, but jealousy can make a man…or vampire crazy.

Not that I’d
ever experienced it firsthand and definitely not from a gorgeous vampire.

“Yes, someone
placed a release of inhibition spell on us. As soon as I realized what was
going on the spell dissipated and we immediately stopped…pawing at each other.
We are co-workers, that’s all. I wouldn’t even say we are friends and most
definitely not lovers.” Goddess, my face had to be as red as a tomato. I really
hated having to explain this to Galen. I had hoped to keep it strictly between
me and Malone.

He looked at me
thoughtfully then his eyes narrowed again. “A release of inhibition spell
amplifies what a person is feeling…or hiding. So obviously there must be
something between you two for the outcome to have been what it was.”

Shit, I hoped he
didn’t know jack about spells, but since he was a vampire who had been alive
for around two hundred years and happened to be one of Satinka Tala’s inner
circle, I guess he was well schooled in magick. Very well-schooled to come to
that conclusion so quickly.

“There’s
probably an underlying attraction between the two of us, we are close in age,
both single and are relatively good looking members of the opposite sex…but
normally nothing would ever come of it because we are co-workers…and he annoys
me,” I added as a second thought.

“Uh huh.” He
didn’t look convinced. “So you consider yourself to be single?”

“What else would
I be, or is this your attempt at staking a claim? If so you really suck at it
and jealousy never looks good on anyone, especially not on an immortal vampire.”

He pulled me
close to him. His long, strong arms wrapped around me, his hard body pressed
against mine.

He whispered
into my hair, “I’m sorry, luv, I’m a little out of practice and you seem to
have a strange effect on my manners. I have never had a relationship, not a
real one; I have always thought that was something out of reach for a monster
like me. Yet, I want you so bad. I have tried to keep you at a distance, tried
to keep you out of my troubles. Too bad you keep finding your way into them.
Last night, seeing you with that cop…” His voice trailed off and his mouth
moved closer to mine, his warm sweet breath tickled my cheek.

Those damn
butterflies started fluttering in my belly.

If I let him
kiss me things would all go south quickly and I wasn’t talking south as in bad,
I was talking south as in south of the belt, which didn’t leave the brain in
the north thinking clearly.

I pulled away
from him.

“Galen, I’m not
sure what to make of our relationship. The first night we met the sparks flew,
then you never called me. Whenever we bump into each other you’ve been polite
and hang with me casually, but you always keep me at arm’s length. Then all the
sudden yesterday you open up to me, you’re all over me, then you push me away
and practically order me out of the club, only to call for me last night when
you needed help. Now this? You show up on my doorstep today, acting like a
jealous boyfriend. Mixed signals much?”

“I know it’s all
odd. We met at Mel’s party and I was so into you…but I have never done
relationships…just sex and blood. I have lived the life of a monster, yet
something about you makes me feel like a man again. I wanted to call you, but
the night after we met the first murder victim was found and it…well…she was
someone who was once close to me. Then a week later another victim was found,
then a couple weeks later another woman drained of blood. And all of them, at
one time or another had meant something to me. I could not put you in harm’s
way; I could not add you to the list.”

“Oh,” was all I
could say as I stared at him. I had to process.