The Silver Rose (14 page)

And how could Rosa argue with logic like that?

Rosa braved a quick visit to the grocery store early the next morning only to discover raffle leaflets next to the cashier. People she had known all her life stood in line behind and in front of her. They winked and nodded, freely offering often-bawdy advice on men and marriage. Her cheeks hurt from the false smile she wore as she laughed and nodded with them, pretending to enjoy the joke. The situation wasn't their fault so she curbed her tongue, bought her purchases, and shot out of the store as fast as she could.

Waiting at a pedestrian crossing on the way home, she spotted Aden meandering down the opposite side of the road. What she witnessed left her speechless. Every now and then he paused to chat to a local then hand them a leaflet. What in the name of the Goddess did he think he was doing?

Rosa couldn't complain at the success the raffle was proving to be, but she didn't like being the main attraction. She felt as if her soul was being sold to the highest bidder. Alanna had sold her off and, worse, Aden apparently was keen to do the same.

The pedestrian light flashed and buzzed, startling her out of her astonishment. She shot across the road quick smart, ignoring the friendly honks of greeting from the waiting cars, and took the shortest route home before anyone else accosted her with another sly wink or smart remark.

• • •

An hour later, Aden turned up at her back gate which she had just painted, his flyers gone and a smug smile on his all-too-perfect mouth.

Aden's hand hovered over the latch of the gate. “Just the latch to open it. I'll touch nothing else.”

“If you lay a shadow of a finger on it, I'll bring out my witchy powers and turn you into a garden gnome without a moment's remorse.”

Rosa was feeling antsy. Learning he was distributing Alanna's flyers only compounded her irritation with him. After their near-miss-kiss nearly a week ago, she had not seen him again until today. Since that day in her living room, she'd been harboring a notion that had grown with each passing day. Aden Dragunis held the key to her future, and she needed to face that future head on.

But he'd apparently been in cahoots with Alanna, and she was pissed. She was not a side of beef to be sold off to the highest bidder. She was prime witch. It was time she used her talents to wheedle the truth out of Aden any way she could.

The paint brush in her hand dipped into the pot, and she actually considered flicking it at him to get rid of that knowing and highly irritating smugness on his face. A hint of
I dare you
frolicked in his inky eyes but nonetheless he took an evasive step backwards.

“Wise move,” she told him.

“So I can't come in?”

“That depends.”

“On what?”

“On whether you fess up as to why you're helping Alanna sell me off to the world at large.”

“Beth asked me. She's swamped with work so she asked if I could help.”

A perfectly reasonable explanation, although Rosa was shocked to learn Beth too had joined the fray. “I'm surprised Beth asked you. You're our guest, and I thought you were working on a commission.”

“Everyone needs a break sometimes.” He pulled out a tattered leaflet from his back pocket and, stepping forward, he waved it under her nose. “So what possessed you?”

“Possessed me?”

“To offer yourself as first prize in a raffle?”

“Ask Alanna. She's the possessed one in the family.”

“I did. She said to ask you.”

“I had no say in the matter. My sisters are conspiring against me to find me a man!”
A man with potential. Someone like you.

Aden rocked back on his heels. He laughed heartily until her next question shut him up and wiped the smile off his face. “So why have you bought thirty tickets?”

He rocked on the balls of his feet, and she thought he looked both disconcerted and pissed with himself at the same time. Now it was she who was laughing when he responded, “Don't tell me. Let me guess. Super Sleuth Ruth. Right?”

“You're catching on.” But she'd also garnered another snippet of gossip while waiting in the line to pay for her grocery items this morning. There was a betting pool underway as to who was going to win the raffle. “Are you aware that old Jack Talbot from Clip 'n Snip is collecting bets on who will win, and that the odds are currently in your favor?”

“No. I didn't know.” He recovered swiftly. “It's for a good cause, right?”

“So do you mean I'm a good cause, or the children's playground is?”

“Both, of course,” he responded, to her gratification. “If you're crazy enough to agree to being first prize then I don't see why I can't purchase a few tickets.”

“You think I'm crazy?”

Aden chuckled. “You know that's not what I meant.”

“I don't know why you came to see me if you think I'm such a fruit-loop.” She was enjoying their banter. His immense potential radiated strongly. The aura surrounding him brushed against the wards encompassing her entire fenceline. She released the spells and Aden's potential spilled over the fence until it literally embraced her.
Wow
!

“A very attractive fruit-loop.”

“Come on in, then. I've something sweet you're going to find impossible to resist.”

The latch was open and Aden was on her property before she could say lickety-split!

• • •

An agitated pitter-patter pirouetted its way through Rosa's stomach as she prepared strawberries she'd picked just as the sun had begun to warm them through earlier that morning. Aden sat outside on a wooden bench seat, long legs stretched out front, his ankles crossed, his back to her, and his arms extended along the back edge. Although he gave a very good impression of being relaxed, Rosa was aware of a tension in him at odds with his outward appearance.

Spooning an extra scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream into his sundae glass, she placed several thinly sliced strawberries on top and added a dusting of icing sugar. She reckoned she needed to sweeten him up as much as possible. There was an awareness zinging between them Rosa wanted to explore despite — or maybe it was because of — her suspicions. Either way, she had decided to confront her issues rather than bury her head as Alanna had accused her of.

With one last, unguarded inspection of him through the window, she picked up the desserts, carried them out, and handed him the larger serving. “Homemade and homegrown.”

He looked up at her, squinting against the sunlight. “So this is your promise of something sweet?”

“Of course. Why, what were you thinking?”

Aden hooted his mirth, the tone warm and infectious. “I had no idea, but the offer was irresistible.”

Rosa grinned and spooned some of the ice cream into her mouth. The look he gave her was so intense she was surprised the ice cream didn't pool into a melted puddle in the bowl. The awareness between them bordered on scary and exciting all at once. That zing she'd wanted in all those men who'd been knocking on her door in the past week had nothing on the man sitting next to her right now.

She moistened her suddenly dry lips with another spoon of ice cream. “There's nothing more wonderful than the season's first pick.”

It seemed Aden agreed with her. He devoured everything in his bowl in ten seconds short of a minute and then balanced his spoon on his knee, stuck an index finger deep into the dish, and ran it around the base to collect any last traces of melted ice cream before plunging his finger into his mouth and sucking it clean.

“I don't know whether to reprimand you for your manners or be fully appreciative of your obvious delight in my culinary prowess.”

She was rewarded by a wolfish grin. “I couldn't help myself?”

Neither could she when she looked into his eyes. “Do you want more?” Rosa's heart fluttered madly in her chest, and she asked herself if it was possible to fall for someone over a bowl of strawberries.

Aden reached out and swiped at the drips sliding down the sides of her bowl with his finger and then sucked it clean.
Sweet Goddess, he's driving me crazy after all.
Was she reading the signs right? Was he coming on to her? Oh, she certainly hoped so.

“Hey.” She whipped her dish away so he couldn't pinch anything else. “That's mine!”

“Come on!” Aden pleaded with the ease of a man used to getting what he wanted. “That itty-bitty bowl was nothing. I need more.”

Her stomach in knots and her hunger for anything other than kisses gone, she handed her bowl over. “Go on then. I've more inside.”

The bowl was gone from her fingers so fast, it nearly made Rosa dizzy. He placed Rosa's spoon into the empty dish on the seat between them and dived in. Oh how cruel. How wonderfully, decadently cruel. Rosa found herself licking her top lip as she fantasized he was plundering her lips as eagerly as he was the food.

Aden's eyelashes flicked upwards, and he caught her unguarded stare of absolute fascination as he licked the spoon clean. “Heaven! Absolute heaven.”

Rosa forced herself to breath and tore her gaze away from eyes that mesmerized. She needed to gather her wits and add caution to the mix. She wasn't about to be bespelled again. She'd already placed a protection spell about her against such an eventuality. If he was magical, he would see it. If he wasn't, then it was likely it would escape his notice.

“Want more?” She wondered if he could hear the rapid beat of her heart knocking against her ribcage.

“If you have enough,” he said and held out the two empty dishes. “Whenever you're ready.”

The bells had tolled for her. He had arrived the night they had rung. He had potential and she fancied him like no one else. Ever! Would she forgive herself if she did not step up and take the opportunity when it presented itself? The answer was categorically no.

“I'll be back in two minutes. Stay put and enjoy the sun.”

With a renewed purpose that scared her witless, she shared out the remaining strawberries. This time, she forced herself to eat but tasted nothing. A wave of longing washed over her as his aura bumped against hers. She found herself wanting him to taste her with the same delicious abandon.

And that was when it dawned she wanted him no matter what the future held. She wanted to taste life, and if her life was to be long without magic, or shortened by the Fates, she wanted to enjoy it to the fullest.

Aden's voice startled Rosa back to the present. “You have no idea how much I enjoyed that.”

Rosa laughed. Astonished at the freedom she felt from letting go of her fear and of having made a decision, she said, “Oh, I think I do. It's essential to take advantage of what the four seasons offer just as it is to take what life offers when it presents itself.”

Aden's eyes narrowed as they focused intently on hers. He was so close she could smell the faint tang of aftershave and the mercurial element of silver that was always with him. His reply held caution, and some of the pleasure melted from his eyes. “A philosophical view, but yes, life is mercurial. We have no control over outside influences.”

“But we can control our own reactions. If you see or feel something you know in your heart is right, then you should jump right in.” Her heart was beating fast; she was feeling breathless and light-headed.
Please Goddess, let me not be wrong.

“You should think everything through before acting.” He frowned, and she felt he was cautioning her. “What happened to the suspicious woman I met at the beginning of last week?”

“That was before I saw your body of work.” Rosa placed the emphasis on the word “body.”

His finger was playing idly with her hair again, just like the other day. Anticipation made her hyper aware of every movement he made. A spiral of awareness coiled its way to her womb. “Maybe you'll love it here so much you'll never want to leave.” Rosa caught her bottom lip with her teeth. There could be no mistaking her interest now.

Aden moved a fraction closer, his knee nudging hers. His breath lifted her fringe soft as a whisper. Tension rendered his voice husky. “So, my greedy Rosa. You want me to stay longer?”

She stared into deep black eyes and lost her train of thought as his words ensnared her. She ignored the hammering of her heart against her breastbone and uttered her words of truth. “You. I want you.”

• • •

Dragon's Blood! She was offering herself to him. A warlock's dream and his ultimate fantasy.

Momentarily speechless, he stared into the emerald eyes of the most delectable witch he had ever been fortunate enough to encounter. So, Rosa preferred him to the entire gamut of testosterone-laden Raven's Creek male residents begging for a date. Aden wanted to strut like an adolescent peacock, preen his feathers, and chorus to all her suitors, “It's me she wants, so get lost!”

One kiss to satisfy his curiosity. Was he fooling himself? Would one kiss be enough? Not likely. With Rosa, he would want more. He had known that from the first moment he had seen her through the gallery window.

So how could he ignore what she was offering? Here she was, looking at him with candid openness. She breathed in, and her breasts rose. She breathed out, and an unbidden sound rumbled in his throat. He was a man first, and not even the powers of a warlock could prevent him taking what she so willingly offered.

It was as if she had spun a web and he was trapped in the strands. And what a web she could weave. He had been lost when she'd tantalized him with the promise of something sweet. No! If he were honest with himself, it was before then. The raffle tickets on the coffee table at the cottage bore tangible witness to that fact.

His hand snaked out and cupped her neck. Her raven hair slid like silk against the back of his hand. He issued a warning. “You're playing with fire.” Her strawberry-moistened lips were made for kissing.