Irresistible Magic (40 page)

I had to fight to not let my disappointment take over, because I really wanted to feel his arms around me again. To have him press me against his chest. To feel his lips against…

Shit. Stop it, Willow.

He hadn’t tried to carry me since that first night of testing when I’d been too weak to walk. After that, I’d been armed with Mocha in Motion and the ointment my mom had brought me. The combination was enough to keep me moving under my own steam. And when I’d said as much to David, he’d backed off, probably realizing I
needed
to take care of myself to maintain some modicum of self-respect.

“Ready?” David asked.

I pushed away from the car. “Yeah, sure.”

We walked slowly up the path, David patiently matching my turtle pace. I didn’t even ask if he wanted to come in. He would anyway. He’d insisted every other night and tonight would be no different. He had to see for himself that my house was clear of any intruders and that I’d made it safely to my oak tree.

My feminist side thought I should be annoyed at his overprotectiveness, but really, I was grateful. It was nice to be looked after.

“Phoebs,” I called as I walked through the front door.

Link, finally free of his cone, ran forward in excitement, wagging his stubbed tail.

“Hey, buddy.” I leaned down and scratched him behind his ears.

David stopped behind me. Link glanced up at him, then acted as if he wasn’t even there. Ever since the night David had freed him from the window-covering cords, Link had ceased to growl at him. They weren’t best buddies, but the pair had come to some sort of unspoken agreement to get along.

Phoebe poked her head out of her office and pointed to the phone pressed to her ear. I waved and pointed up, indicating we’d be upstairs. She nodded and gestured to David. Her hand froze mid-wave. Her eyes widened as she pulled the phone away from her ear and pointed at me. “Dude, what the fuck is that?”

I clamped my hand over my neck. “More testing.”

She narrowed her eyes at David. “You let this happen?”

“Phoebe,” I said, exasperated. “He didn’t let anything happen and you know it. This is the work of the Void’s hired vamp.”

She pursed her lips together and then uttered, “Fuck me.”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Sorry. It’s hard to watch this and not be able to do anything about it.” She stared at me, her brow crinkled in frustration.

“It’ll be over soon.”

“She has a reprieve until Monday,” David said

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. “How’d that happen?”

I waved at David and started climbing the stairs. “He insisted.”

“Well. Looks like you’re good for more than standing around brooding.” She smirked at him and ducked back into her office.

I chuckled and kept climbing. David followed, just as he had for the past two weeks.

Once inside my room, I fluttered my wings and perched on the edge of my bed, staring down at David. “I made it.”

“I see that.” He moved closer and placed both hands on either side of me on the bed.

Warmth spread in my belly. In a soft voice, I asked, “What are you doing?”

His eyes flickered to my neck. “I can’t leave until I heal those marks for you.”

“Oh,” I breathed. He’d healed vampire marks on my neck once before. It had been tender and sensual at the same time and had made me feel things I’d never felt with anyone before.

His hands moved to my waist and ever so gently, he lifted me off the bed and set me down in front of him. I clutched his shoulders and stared up into his deep, midnight-blue eyes.

He met my gaze. A flicker of emotion flashed over his features.

My breath caught with anticipation. Goddess help me, I wanted his lips on me. Wanted to be wrapped in his embrace. Wanted him.

His gaze dropped to my mouth and I couldn’t help licking my lips in preparation. His eyes closed as if he were praying for control. Then he leaned in and pressed those cool lips to my neck. He trailed a circle of kisses around the punctured area, soothing with each soft flick of his tongue.

My knees went weak and I clutched at him to keep from falling. His arms wrapped around me, pulling me tight to his statuesque physique.

Holy hell. There was a fire burning from my neck straight to my center that had nothing to do with the vamp bites. And it only intensified when his tongue flicked over the wounds, sending a rush of pleasure straight to my toes. I gasped.

David lapped at my neck until I was almost vibrating, and when he pulled away, the loss was almost too great to bear. I twisted my fist into the front of his shirt and stood on my tiptoes until our lips were inches apart.

“Willow,” David said, his voice husky.

“Yeah?”

“Your neck is healed.”

“Good.” My brain had stopped functioning. All I could think about was kissing him. And the way he was staring back at me said he was consumed with the same thoughts. I closed my eyes and moved in. Our lips touched, slow and gentle at first. Then my lips parted and he tasted me, igniting an inferno between us. We kissed hungrily, deeply, hands everywhere, our bodies molded together. I was lost in his embrace, one that was both familiar and foreign at the same time.

I buried my hands in his thick dark hair and moaned as his lips moved to that sensitive spot right below my ear.

David’s arms tightened around me once more, and then he pulled back, running his thumb lightly over my bottom lip.

I was frozen, horrified by what I’d just done. It scared me. But I didn’t step back.

David did, instead. “I think now is probably not the time for this.”

“You’re probably right.” Once he wasn’t touching me, I could think more clearly. And the thing was, I realized I didn’t want him to leave. And not only because my body was humming with desire, but because I liked having him around.

“I should go,” he said.

“Okay.” Because there was no way I was going to ask him to stay. Not tonight. He was right. This was not the time. I wasn’t over Talisen. Not even close. Plus I’d spent two weeks getting battered and then bit by another vamp. I needed time to heal, to mentally put myself together, and he knew that.

He pulled me into one more hug and quickly let me go. “Get some rest, Wil.”

“You, too,” I called after him, knowing that was going to be next to impossible thanks to the minor make-out session we’d just had.

Twenty minutes later my phone buzzed. David.
We’ll talk tomorrow.

***

I spent the entire next day whipping up batches of Kiss Me chocolates and Truth Clusters, all the while worrying about what I’d say to David when he called.

By two forty-five, my phone hadn’t so much as buzzed once. And mostly I was happy about that. I wasn’t sure how I felt about what had happened between us. But one thing was for sure, Tal had been right. I wasn’t over David. Now I had a choice to make. Fight for Tal or see what happened with David?

I tossed my phone on the desk and headed to the front of the store. As I walked through the door to the retail area, I came face to face with Tami.

“There you are,” she said. “I was just coming to get you. You have a visitor.”

“A visitor? Who?”

She shrugged. “No idea. I’ve never seen him before.”

“Did you get a name?” Panic had started to wind its way into my chest. After being followed and subjected to Asher, my tolerance for strangers was nonexistent.

“No, sorry. I was busy with a customer. He’s sitting out front, though,” She pointed to a tall, tan man, lounging in a metal chair at one of the small tables out front.

I squinted. He wore khaki knee-length shorts, a T-shirt advertising a local pub, and dark sunglasses. A Saints ball cap covered most of his dark hair.

Shrugging, I headed to the front door. I had a store full of witnesses. What could go wrong? I chuckled to myself. Famous last words. However, it was the middle of the day, so at least I didn’t have to worry about vampires.

Or did I? The posture of the man waiting for me was entirely too familiar. What was he doing out during the middle of the day? Crap.

I pushed the front door open and strode over to my visitor. “David, what are you doing here?”

He tugged his sunglasses down just far enough to make eye contact and smiled at me from across the table. “Waiting for you. I figured I’d surprise you.”

“But it’s the middle of the day. What if someone recognizes you?”

He gave a noncommittal shrug and waved a hand at himself. “You really think anyone’s going to make the connection?”

Honestly…no. He was tan from his sun experiments and he was dressed like every other student in the city. Heck, Tami hadn’t even recognized him and I’d dated him for a year. He’d been in the shop more times that I could count. “Probably not.”

He reached into a backpack and pulled out a thick manila envelope. “This is for you.”

“What is it?”

“Open it.”

More than curious, I pulled the tabs up and peeked inside. I let out a tiny gasp as I recognized the first of many images. They were all the pictures I’d thought I’d lost on my phone, plus a USB drive. “How…”

“I told you I’d get someone to try to recover them. It was stupid to smash your phone without saying anything first.”

I wanted to throw my arms around him and hang on until the pressure in my chest disappeared, but since he was sitting down, I hugged the packet instead and smiled down at him. “That was thoughtful.”

He shrugged. “It was my fault.” Then he grinned and held out his hand. “Hello. My name’s David. It’s nice to meet you.”

Laughing, I let him shake my hand. “What are you doing?”

“Introducing myself.”

“I caught that part,” I said dryly.

He sat back and regarded me for a moment. “I was hoping we could start over. Maybe put the last few months behind us and get to know each other as the people we are today.”

“You already know me. And I know you,” I said.

“Sure. But wouldn’t it be nice to just start over? This time with complete honesty.”

That got me. “Yes, it would. Give me a minute.” I ran back into the shop and grabbed two Happy Cookies and a Kiss Me chocolate.

Smiling to myself, I headed back outside and sat across from David. “Here.” I handed him one of the cookies and set the Kiss Me chocolate in the middle of the table.

“Is that what I think it is?” he asked, eyeing the bag.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

I grinned. “We’re starting over.”

About the Author

Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana. When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two Shih Tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country. For more information visit her website at
www.deannachase.com
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Other Books by Deanna

Haunted on Bourbon Street

Witches of Bourbon Street

Demons of Bourbon Street

Angels of Bourbon Street

Irresistible Magic

Defining Destiny
(Dec 2013)

Shadows of Bourbon Street
(March 2014)

Book Three in the
Crescent City Fae
series
(June 2014)

Magick Marked Excerpt

by Chauntelle Baughman

Prologue

Mohan watched the single drop of blood trickle from the blade in his hand, hitting the mirror lying on the ground. With a steady finger, he traced a pentagram in his blood. Candles flickered, casting light along the dim walls of his cell, flaring as he closed the circle around the star.
Finally.