Wickedest Witch (5 page)

She smi
rked in reply before grabbing the large ring hanging off the knocker and rapped it sharply off its face. The portal silently swung open and the butler, a rather stately fellow dressed in a suit with the obligatory white, thinning hair and unsmiling countenance, ushered her in.

“
Hello, I’m Evangeline Rasputin of Wicked Incorporated. I’m here for my appointment with your master,” she stated.

“You are expected. Please follow me.”

His back ramrod straight, the servant turned on his heel and led her past vast archways down a marble-floored hall until they arrived at a pair of steel-studded doors. Having been here before, she barely glanced at the magic sigils carved into the metal. Beyond those portals was the owner of the mansion, and a library the likes scholars would kill for.

Not even bothering to
knock, the butler let her into the massive home office, currently empty. “The master will be with you shortly.” With those words, the servant left, leaving her alone with a priceless collection of books and artifacts. But Evangeline wasn’t tempted. She knew better than to peruse, or even touch, without invitation. Evil at heart didn’t mean ill mannered. Evangeline respected the privacy of other
s—
unless paid to do otherwise. Besides, curiosity wasn’t worth pissing off a client.

W
hile the tomes on display were interesting—
The True Diary of Merlin the Debaucher, One Hundred and Three Undetectable Poisons, How to Satisfy Your Dual-Pronged Demon Love
r
—
she well knew the really drool worthy items were hidden. A man of prestige and wealth, her client might like to show off, but he also wasn’t stupid.

W
ith nothing better to do, Evangeline sat down in one of the leather stitched—by the feel of it, lamia ski
n—
chairs facing the massive desk to wait. The rich and powerful seemed to believe that appointments were something only the lower classes needed to respect. An eccentricity that made her gnash her teeth in exasperation, but which she’d become used to, of a sorts. She passed the time looking around, reacquainting herself with the opulent display of wealth.

Even by her standards, i
t was obscene from the teak bookshelves—made from only the finest dryad trunk
s—
to the marble desk with its gleaming, polished surface. Her client eschewed modernity, or at least in plain view so there was no computer or laptop marring the slab big enough to use as a sacrificial altar. She should know, she’d attended more than one bloody Sabbath. Her gaze skipped over the familiar array of knick-knacks—all quite rare—that lay scattered around the room. Nothing new popped out. Nothing magical called to her, begging her to take possession, claim its power for her own and go on a maniacal rampage to take over the world.

Oh what a shame. He’d either gotten rid of or locked up the scepter he used to have leaning in the corner.
And here she so enjoyed honing her mental skills against the dark, pervasive subliminal message that exuded from its shaft.

Hearing a sound behind her, she quickly stood up and turned to greet her prospective employer, only to exclaim instead, “You!”

Instant irritation suffused her, mixed to her annoyance with a heavy dose of arousal as she regarded the man whose face and body she’d imagined while touching herself the previous eve. Evangeline’s lips tightened even as her sex grew damp.

Who the hell let
that
dirty beast into the house?
Mind you, the vagrant had cleaned up since she’d met him. No longer did the beast sport a bristly jaw, wild ruffled hair, and bloodshot eyes. Actually, he was downright gorgeous, something she noticed begrudgingly.
I never noticed last night just how startling blue his eyes were, and thick, ebony hair, made for yanking.

He looked like a bad boy poster come to life in hip
-hugging blue jeans, an open neck black button-down shirt and black boots. In other words, superhot ... except for the sneer on his face. Funny how that expression seemed to follow her wherever she went.

His lip curled back and he drawled, “Well, if it isn’t the bitch. Oops, did I slip, I meant to say witch.”

Hmm, it seemed his flirtation of the night before no longer applied. Now sober and fully cognizant of the events leading up to his ignoble besting by a mere woman, he didn’t seem so attracted. For some reason, this irritated her. “Oh look, a talking animal. Has hell frozen over? I’ll have to get my skates sharpened.”

“
I’d invest instead in a few cases of WD-40 or a blowtorch because you’re going to need lots of help prying those thighs apart when you get there, that is if you can find a demon stupid enough to risk your sharp tongue.”

Evang
eline’s nails dug into her palms as she struggled to hold on to her boiling temper.
He might be good-looking, but he’s an asshole even sober. If he weren’t a shifter, he’d be so dead right now.
She really should start carrying around her ritual dagger for moments like these when only an actual stabbing would do. Then again, she was wearing stilettos…

She took a step toward him, but he backed away with a shake of his head.
“Fool me once,” he said with a tsking sound and shake of his finger, “shame on me. But it won’t happen twice. You might have caught me by surprise last night at the bar, but I’m completely sober now and wise to your tricks. Unless you just can’t keep your hands to yourself because we both know I’m irresistible, in which case have at it,” he said, spreading his arms wide and inviting her to touch.

A surge of lust almost took her breath away even as her vision turned red. Evangeline rarely lost control of her temper, but something about
the shifter drove her absolutely nuts. As if possessed, she found herself stepping forward, her hand swinging to slap the smug grin off his face.

A calloused hand moved lightning quick and caught hers before she made contact, the touch of his bare skin sending an electrical tingle throughout her body. It also made her magical glamor waver
as his nullifying effect on magic made its presence known. She saw his face register shock as her actual petite, curvy form became visible.
Stupid shifter disrupting my spell.

“You,”
he whispered disbelievingly.

Evangeline didn’t understand the look he gave her, one that registered recognition.
No one but close family knew her true face.

“Yes me. Who else would I be?”
She tugged at the wrist he held manacled in one big hand, but he refused to release her.

“
You wear a disguise?”

“I prefer to think of it as business attire,” she replied with a toss of her hair. It probably didn’t have the desired effect given it sprang from her head in a wild mane of unruly curls.

“I can see why. This is much too tempting.”

Tempting? Did he speak of her short and curvy frame? Had his mother dropped him on his head one too many times as a child?

Her confusion over his reaction made her miss his free hand coming to rest on her waist, but she felt it even through her clothes. Like a molten hot brand, the touch of his hand made her knees go weak, and he pulled her unresistingly up against the hardness of his body. And she meant hard.

Evang
eline’s eyes widened at the evidence of his arousal pressing against her.
This doesn’t make sense. Men do not become aroused at the sight of my plump and freckled self.
As she puzzled over this surprise, he threw her another as he pulled her up to meet his lips and for once, she didn’t protest, too caught up in the erotic spell he’d cast over her.

Their lips touched and a disturbing sense of rightness clamored through her, one that screamed
,
“Mine!”
A foolish thought that she quickly forgot as she lost herself in the sensation of his lips. They rubbed firmly against hers and stoked the fire that burned between her legs. He drew her closer into him, his strong grasp lifting her so she didn’t need to crane to taste the sweetness of his mouth. Her body molded against his, the stiffness of his erection pressed against her, and she mewled, frustrated at the layers that separated their skin.

A high-pitched voice startled her from the embrace. “Excellent
. I see you already know each other,” said Mr. Rumpelstiltskin as he entered his office.

E
vangeline pushed away from man who’d bespelled her and rubbed her lips even as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. What came over her? How could she let him manhandle her like that?
And why did I enjoy it?
Angry at her loss of control, she couldn’t stop her hand, which rose lightning quick and cracked across the shifter’s face. “Pig!”

The
well-placed blow didn’t budge his thick head, a testament to his solidity. “Funny, a second ago you weren’t complaining about my heritage, and it’s feline by the way, not porcine.”

“Cat, pig
, or dog, you’re still an animal.”

“An animal you obviously want to fuck.
Or are you going to tell me you tongue all the beasts you kiss?”

“
I did not slip you the tongue.”

“No, I did that, but again, I didn’t see you arguing.”

“Because you were gagging me.”

“
That’s not gagging. If you were, we’d both be wearing less clothes and you’d be on your knees.”

Oh my. She couldn’t help flushing red at his innuendo.
“You’re impossible.”

“
I prefer the term doable. But then again, you wouldn’t recognize that seeing as how you’re sexually repressed. Lucky for you I’ve got the cure for that,” he taunted, grabbing his crotch and thrusting his hips.

Crude and disgusting—but unfortunately
still hot for some sickening reason. Even as she hated him, she couldn’t help desiring him. And by all the fires of hell, it pissed her off.

All control o
ver her temper snapped and her hair rose in a threatening swirl around her head as her power snapped and crackled, begging for her to use it.

“Ooh, is
the itty bitty witch getting angry?” he cooed while egging her with beckoning fingers. “Come and give it to me, baby. We both know you can’t hurt me with magic.”

Maybe not, but she’d not taken ten years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for nothing.
Evangeline might have launched herself at him and pulled a chicken wing on him if Mr. Rumpelstiltskin hadn’t laughed and clapped his hands, reminding her they had an audience. “Marvelous as this show is, we do have business to tend to, children. But please feel free to resume this once we’re done here. Preferably in front of a security camera so I can replay it at my leisure.”

Her patron’s humor tempered the simmering rage inside her
—or at least allowed her to bottle it for later. Taking a calming breath—like her anger management coach taught her before she turned him into a toa
d—
Evangeline forced her face back into placid lines. Now that the shifter no longer touched her, she put her glamor back in place, using it as a shield to hide her emotions. She had business to attend to.
I’ll make him pay later. See if I don’t.

The jerk
didn’t look in the least bit ruffled, although she thought she detected a hint of amusement glinting in his blue eyes. She almost growled and wondered if some of his beastly nature had rubbed off during their brief embrace. To prevent herself from retorting, she bit her inner cheek. Seating herself once more, she folded her hands primly in her lap. The annoying cat took a position leaning against a bookcase, a smug smirk on his face.

Mr. Rumpelstiltskin seemed disappointed at their cool poses. “
Giving up so easily? Pity. I’ve not been so entertained in ages. Well then, since you’ve decided to not engage in an all-out brawl, I guess we should get down to business. I’ve obviously called the pair of you here for a job. It requires both of your skills and will be quite lucrative if you succeed.”

Work with the
filthy cat?
Evangeline’s brows drew together and she bit her tongue to stop herself from blurting out the first words that came to mind.

However, he broke the silence first. “I am not working with a witch.
I don’t work with anyone.”

“
Probably because you have no friends,” she snapped back. “But in this case, I agree. I don’t require help, and if I did, it wouldn’t be from
you
. And my name is Ms. Rasputin, you filthy feline, owner and sole operator of Wicked Incorporated.”

For a moment, his eyes changed color and glinted golden as he let his beast rise for a moment. His whole body took on a hulking, menacing look, one that, instead of inspiring fear
as he intended, made her shiver in delight. Oh to have that much muscled power and ferocity between her naked thighs. Why did all her thoughts about him have to end up being about sex?

His lip curled in disdain. “
Yes, I heard about your unfortunate relation to that bloody Russian wizard. It isn’t something I’d boast about.”

That’s where he was mistaken.
Evangeline lifted her chin up. “My grandfather is one of the greatest wizards alive.”