Coven (15 page)

Ha! Yeah, but I keep thinking about this
girl . . .

Oh? Did u meet someone 2day on your
trip?
I was kidding, but the thought still made me feel
slightly ill.

U know I’m talking about u.

LOL! Just checking.

I wish u were here.

I will B 2night 4 dinner.
My thoughts
drifted easily back to the make out we’d shared in the attic and
heat flooded my body, drifting to wholly unfamiliar places for me.
Everything felt so tingly and suddenly I wanted nothing more than
to be in his arms.

That’s 2 far away.

I agree.

Can I come over?

Right now?
I wasn’t sure what to say.
Did he really want to come here to visit in the middle of the
night?

Yeah. Can u sneak out?

I’d never attempted any such thing
before—never even had the desire to do it; but a desire of a
different sort seemed to be controlling me, now.
I can try. I
know where the wards my dad set up are and how 2 not trip
them.

We can stay on your property if u want—maybe
the backyard?

Okay, but don’t try 2 cross the wards w/o
my help.
My heart was racing, both with excitement and more
than a tiny bit of fear. It was imperative that we not get
caught.

Got it. C u in a few. Wait outside 4 me.

Ok.
Quickly getting up, I went to one
of the windows and opened the drapes a bit so I could see better
without turning on the lights. Calling my magic with ease, a small
flame appeared on the end of my finger and I lit the pillar candle
on my desk before sitting down and running a brush through my hair.
My face was clear of any makeup since I’d washed it before bed, so
I dabbed on a bit of mascara, some Chapstick, and a slight spritz
of perfume. Standing, I wondered if I should change out of my white
tank top and bootie shorts that said “Dance” on the back. I decided
against it, but did opt to slip my bra back on and apply some
deodorant, too—just to be on the safe side—before popping a couple
breath mints in my mouth.

Facing my bed, I stared at it for a moment
before hurrying over to arrange the pillows and blankets to look
like I was still in it. There was no point in deluding myself. I
wasn’t stupid. Kids didn’t sneak out so they could be on the up and
up, they snuck out so they could do things without their parents’
knowing about it. I’d obviously been corrupted, somehow, because I
was greatly looking forward to spending forbidden time with
Seth.

Glancing toward the window, I considered
exiting that way; but knowing my dad, and his history of sneaking
into my mom’s bedroom window before they were married, I was wary.
I was pretty sure that would be the first place he would set an
alarm, trying to catch any would-be visitors from climbing into my
room. Guess it was time for some magic. Snapping my fingers, I
extinguished the candle.

Concentrating, I slowed my heart rate down,
taking deep breaths as I tried to calm my senses. It wouldn’t do me
any good to walk past my parents’ bedroom and have my dad hear my
blood racing like a wild woman. As soon as I felt calm enough, I
centered my thoughts and called my powers of levitation.

While most witches had a power similar to
this, I was slightly different from those I’d heard about.
Normally, levitation magic was still bound by the laws of gravity.
A witch could rise into the air, but every step or movement would
take them back toward the earth until they hit the ground and
pushed off again.

Mine wasn’t like that. True, I was still
bound by gravity, but my magic allowed me to walk a couple inches
above the ground without sinking to the earth beneath. It was
almost like a force field under my feet, a new substance for me to
walk on. By doing this, I alleviated the chances of anyone hearing
my footfalls as I moved. It had been a great trick for me as a
child, one I’d used on many occasions to sneak up on my parents and
scare them to death—or try to at least.

Moving silently, I slipped from my room and
boldly headed downstairs to the front door.

Waving my hand through the air, I saw the
red shimmer reveal itself around the doorway, a signature of my
dad’s magic. Since I lived here, the magic wasn’t made to keep me
in, but to keep others, who weren’t part of our household, out.
However, I wouldn’t put it past my dad to create something that
would trigger an alarm if I left, so I inspected the ward closer,
surprised to find nothing that would suggest that.

Taking a deep breath, I placed my hand in
the magic signature. “Release,” I whispered. The red magic swirled
around, obviously recognizing my command, and disappeared
completely. Opening the door, I slipped through as small a crack as
I could before shutting it softly behind me. Placing my hand back
on the door, I spoke again. “Reinstate.” Instantly, the red barrier
of magic appeared. Smiling, I stepped away and it faded back into
invisibility.

Turning, I didn’t even take a step before
waving my arm and searching for more protection wards. Most of them
appeared to be around the fence surrounding the house and the gate,
in front. I approached the gate, searching for Seth. I didn’t want
to remove the barriers for too long.

Car lights appeared down the street,
disappearing when the engine turned off. I waited, watching as he
climbed out and walked the remaining distance in the moonlight
toward my house.

Damn, he was good looking. I swear he got
more attractive every time I saw him. It was a crime—or it should
have been. I felt frumpy by comparison; but it didn’t matter,
because he obviously liked me. Still, it should be illegal for a
guy to look so good in a pair of jeans and t-shirt in the middle of
the night.

Moving like he was an apparition himself, it
made me recall my moments tonight in the attic. I wondered if I
should tell him about it; but seeing how it was so bizarre, I
decided to keep it to myself until I found out more about Dee
Dee.

“Hey,” he whispered as he approached, and I
dissolved the wards, holding the gate open as he stepped inside. I
quickly reinstated them and then turned, popping up on my tiptoes
to hug him. Burying his face into my hair, he wrapped his arms
around me tightly. “Mmm, you smell so good.”

“So do you.” I let him hug me for several
more moments, before pulling away and slipping my hand into his.
“Come on.”

Leading him around to the side of the house,
we had to clear one more gate before we were safely in the
backyard. Since my dad had yet to appear and drag me off, I was
thinking this had been a success.

“Now where we going?”

“To the gazebo at the far end of the yard.”
Thankfully, the house sat on a pretty spacious piece of property
that would allow us to get some good distance between it and us—and
hopefully no one would see or hear us.

When we reached the round, glassed-in
structure, I quickly checked the door and found it unshielded. I
led him inside. “Will this do?” I asked, drawing the door closed
behind us and gesturing around to the soft padded benches with
throw pillows that hugged the exterior walls.

“It’s perfect.” In the next second, Seth
grabbed me, sweeping me off my feet and carrying me to one of the
long benches. Laying me gently on it, he stared at me briefly,
pushing my hair away from my face. “You are so effin gorgeous,” he
said, his voice sounding low and hot. “I missed you so much,
today.”

Smiling softly, I didn’t say anything as I
simply grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer so his mouth could
capture mine.

Chapter Thirteen

Sparks exploded between us as soon as our
lips touched. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced
before—somehow even more intense, though I wasn’t sure why.
Something inside me awakened—something strong and feral—and all I
wanted was to consume him, to be part of him and him a part of
me.

Feelings of desire flooded me, drowning my
senses in everything that was Seth. Running my hands down his arms,
my fingers traced out the sinewy muscles that flexed as he held
himself above me.

Every place his body was in contact with
mine felt as if it were on fire, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to
feel him everywhere. Lifting my hands to his back, I ran them over
his t-shirt, down to his waist and, grabbing the hem, I pulled
up.

Pushing away from me, he stared down, heat
and desire written plainly in his eyes; but there was question
there, as well. “Are you—?”

“Shh,” I commanded and he shifted, sitting
up and removing his shirt.

My breath left me in a giant whoosh as I
stared at the incredible physique he’d just revealed. I’d known he
was fit by the way his clothes looked on him, but I never imagined
this hidden under all those clothes.

His pecs were well defined, thick and
strong, above a set of very defined abdominal muscles. His jeans
were slung low, highlighting the sexy v-cut that drifted into the
waistband and the huge biceps on his killer arms drove me wild.
Apparently football did a body good, and I briefly wondered if
everyone who played looked this way. Unbidden, an image of a
shirtless Jett popped into my mind and I immediately swiped it
away, focusing only on Seth.

Grinning wickedly, he didn’t move, staring
down at me, instead. “Like what you see?”

“As if you can’t tell.” Sighing, I let my
hand drift over his bare skin and his muscles twitched beneath my
touch, a slight groan escaping him.

“So, how do you feel about fair trade?” he
asked.

“Fair trade?” I had no idea what he was
talking about.

Still grinning, his eyes drifted to my shirt
and he gave a slight gesture with his head.

“You want me to take off my shirt?” My pulse
rate picked up about a thousand percent.

“Actually, I’d like to be the one who takes
it off. Fair is fair, after all.”

Unmoving, until I gave what was surely a
barely perceptible nod, he grabbed my hand and guided me into a
sitting position. Staring at me, his hands went to the bottom of my
tank top and he slowly bunched it in his fingers as he gently slid
it upward.

Suddenly I was very happy I’d thought to put
my bra back on, because I felt extremely exposed. I’d never been
this . . . naked . . . in front of a guy
before. At least I wasn’t self-conscious about my body, though. I’d
inherited the perfect genes of both my gorgeous parents.

Seth clenched my shirt in his hands, gazing
briefly at my chest, before returning to my eyes. “You’re
beautiful,” he said, awe in his voice.

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” I
demurred; embarrassed, even though I didn’t want to be.

“No. I don’t believe I’ve ever said that to
anyone.” Leaning forward, he kissed my forehead and slid an arm
around behind me, pressing me backward to the cushion once more.
His lips moved, slipping to my cheek and then near my ear. “I want
to keep your shirt,” he whispered.

“Why?” I replied breathlessly. Was he like
some card-carrying trophy collector who gathered pieces from all
his conquests? Because if he was . . . who am I kidding?
He was hot and I’d probably still give him my shirt—just because it
was damn sexy when he said that and I was swooning hardcore at the
moment.

“Because it will remind me of this—of
you—every time I look at it. And, well, it smells like you—all
fresh and sweet.” He placed a kiss against my neck causing an
explosion of tingles across my skin.

“Body spray,” I said in a short quick
breath. “Caramel apple.”

“Keep wearing it—it makes me want to
. . .” he dwindled off.

“Eat me?” I supplied with a laugh that
obviously caught him off guard because he snorted and pushed up on
his elbow to look at me.

“I didn’t think you’d go there.” He laughed,
brushing the back of his hand over my cheek.

“It’s a good thing you aren’t a demon or I’d
be in a whole lot of trouble right now.”

He looked perplexed for a minute and then
burst out laughing hard.

“What?” I was completely confused.

He shook his head. “Nothing. I get what you
mean now. My mind, uh, went somewhere else entirely.”

“Oh,” I said, my brow furrowing as I tried
to figure out what the heck he was talking about. Then it dawned on
me. “Oh!” Heat flooded me and I knew I was blushing furiously. “Is
that what . . . I . . . wait . . . is
that what you want to do to me?”

Holy Hell! I sounded like a damn idiot.

Seth grinned even wider and nodded his head.
“When and if you’re ever ready.”

Biting my lip, my heart raced even more. “I
. . . I’m pretty sure I want to . . . try new
things, but I’m still . . . well, I wouldn’t want my dad
to freak out and kill you or something equally bad.”

This gave Seth pause and he stared through
the glass toward the large dark house. “I understand, but your dad
really doesn’t have to know, does he? I mean, I’m pretty sure it
isn’t going to come up in casual conversation.”

I groaned. “You don’t know my dad. He’s
fearless. Uh, can we not talk about him and resume whatever it was
we were doing?”

“You mean this?” Seth asked, trailing lower
and placing a kiss against my collarbone.

“Yes, please.” Hands sliding behind his
neck, I moaned when I felt his hot breath pass through the fabric
of my bra, causing everything inside me to tighten.

Placing a light kiss against the material,
he moved even lower, and I was slightly disappointed, until I felt
his lips brush my bare stomach. His tongue darted out, leaving a
thin wet trail as he moved toward the waistband of my shorts. “You
taste good everywhere.”

Finger dipping slightly, he rubbed the flat
skin of my low belly, just on the inside of the waistband of my
dance shorts. Glancing up at me, I could see the question in his
eyes, but my whole body was trembling in anticipation of what he
might do and I couldn’t answer.