Authors: Rachel Carrington
The thought made him inch away from her. “Well, then, you really do have plenty of time."
She watched him. “Why are you backing away from me like I'm tainted meat now?"
Jacob scratched his upper lip. The witch did have a way with words. “It's just that ... well ... my uncle was sixty-eight and—"
Noelle came to her feet, looming over him like some kind of dark, avenging angel, and his cock sprang to life once more. “You think my age would make me sleep with your uncle. Do I look seventy-two to you, Jacob?"
His gaze travelled from her glossy hair to the tips of her painted pink toenails, and he swallowed hard. “No.” The one word came out on a croak.
"And in another two hundred years, I'll look just like this."
"Then there are going to be some lucky guys in the next few centuries."
A smile spread across her face. “That was a nice thing to say."
Heat crept up the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, don't get used to it. Remember, I'm perpetually nasty."
Noelle plopped back down beside him, so close that her hip bumped against his. “I'm starting not to believe that."
Who'd fucked with the thermostat? It was like a hundred degrees in the room all of a sudden. “Noelle, I think I'm going to...” He broke off at the touch of her hand against his thigh. What was it he was going to do, exactly?
"Jacob, I think you should know that I'm extremely attracted to you."
The blood left his head and went straight to his dick in a swift rush. He coughed, tried to clear his throat, to think of a response, anything which wouldn't make him sound like some randy punk. “Why...” Another cough. “Why was it necessary for you to tell me that?"
"Because I'm not very good with relationships. Maybe it's because I haven't had a lot of practice. Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not a virgin, but the men I've been with don't seem to ... well ... understand me. In fact, none of the male witches in Betony can tolerate me for very long."
That, he could believe. “Why's that?"
Noelle shifted on the sofa and clasped her hands together in her lap. “They say I'm too—” She stopped talking and shook her head. “Never mind. I shouldn't even be talking to you, but I guess I was just trying to warn you. But you have a lot on your mind with your uncle's death and helping your aunts and—"
"Noelle,” Jacob interrupted her. He had to know what she'd been trying to tell him. “What warning?"
Her small pink tongue licked her lower lip, and Jacob figured he couldn't get any harder. “As a witch, I can be ... um ... more active in the ... um ... bedroom."
Active? Jacob was all ears. “I'm not following you.” But his cock would follow her anywhere.
"Let's just say I have a lot of energy."
Holy hell. Jacob knew at that exact moment that fucking her was at the top of his agenda, right after burying his uncle, as gruesome as that sounded.
"You aren't saying anything.” Noelle's hand slid up and down his thigh.
He quickly stilled the motion. “That's because I don't really have any blood left in my brain.” Before she could respond, he turned towards her and took hold of her shoulders.
The need to taste her was so strong, it was almost palpable. And the kiss almost crippled him. Her lips were so soft, so sweet, like fresh-picked cherries. He angled his body even closer towards hers, pressing her back against the sofa.
Noelle moaned and slid one hand along his jaw line, her thumb caressing his cheek while the other hand grew bolder, moving ever so lightly against the bulge between his thighs.
Jacob jerked as if struck by lightning, and at that precise moment, his cell phone trilled. Leaping to his feet like he'd been caught kissing behind the school, he whipped his head around, searching for a way to silence the sound.
"Jacob, it's in your pocket,” Noelle patted the pocket dangerously close to his hard shaft.
"Yeah. Yeah.” Breathing deeply, he tugged the cell phone out and answered with more of a bark than a greeting. “What?"
The second he heard his aunt's voice, he lost his erection and the moment with Noelle. Damn his luck. One hand scrubbed the back of his neck. “Yes, Aunt Rita. I'll be right there. No, tell the director I'm covering the expenses, so choose whatever you want. Okay. Okay. Just calm down. I'm on my way."
Noelle stood and touched his arm. “I'm sorry. Here I was talking about sex, and you're still in mourning."
Jacob closed his eyes momentarily and asked Uncle Ed for forgiveness. Somehow, he knew the old guy would understand. “That was my aunt. She needs me to come down to the funeral home and help her with the arrangements. Ed was her brother, and she's—"
Noelle touched a finger to his lips. “Don't. You don't have to explain. I shouldn't have kept you."
Giving a brief nod, Jacob stuffed the cell phone back into his pocket and spun around. Halfway to the front door, he paused. “Noelle?"
"Yes?"
"For what it's worth, I think you'll make one helluva witch."
Her eyes lightened. “Thank you."
It wasn't so difficult to believe. She'd bewitched him easily enough.
Laughter trickled into the room, floating down to smack Noelle full in the face. She barely had time to say her cousin's name before Ella floated down from the ceiling, her porcelain face alight with amusement.
"Oh, Noelle, Noelle, Noelle. Have I taught you nothing? You don't let a man of such perfect beauty walk away when you have him ensnared in your web.” She kissed her fingertips. “He's absolutely exquisite.” Her long brown hair licked at her waist, and she'd painted her face with an artist's perfection, adding to the drama of her beauty. And now, with the gleam of mischief in her eyes, Ella looked particularly wicked, to boot.
Noelle shot forward and snagged hold of the sleeve of Ella's kimono, a splashy number with vivid crimson lightning bolts and bright yellow sunbursts. “How could you do this to me? I mean, putting me in bed with a dead man was terrible enough, but to make me a wanted person? A criminal?” She gave the woman a slight shake. “The aunts will have your hide for this."
Ella peeled Noelle's fingers away from the silk and brushed her hand down the sleeve to erase the wrinkle. “Don't get so worked up. I thought it was about time you got out and saw more of the world. You were getting a little prudish up there.” The corners of her almond-shaped brown eyes crinkled with laughter.
Noelle wanted to grab her throat. “Prudish? I've been busy!"
"Yes, I would imagine sucking up to the coven takes a lot out of a person."
Spluttering her indignation, Noelle reached for anything she could get her hands on that would do damage. Ella only laughed again and moved out of the way.
"Oh, come on, Noelle. Even you have to admit that you are stuffy sometimes. When's the last time you had some rocking fun?” A witch well-versed in wild exploits, Ella flung her arms wide and twirled around the room. “You're wasting so much of your time and energy trying to be what the aunts and the coven want you to be.” She came to a sudden stop. “What about what you want to be?” Tapping one foot against the carpet, she fixed her cousin with a knowing smirk. “Surely you have thought about breaking the rules just once in your life.” Her shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. “I just gave you a little prodding."
Still simmering, Noelle glared at her cousin. “Is this your asinine way of saying you did this for my own good?"
The kimono slipped off one shoulder. “Part of it, I did, but don't try to pin the old guy's death on me. He was alive and snoring when I left you there."
"You're telling me he died in his sleep?"
Ella shrugged with a careless attitude. “He was old, Noelle. It's entirely possible, and if I were you, I'd be more focused on how you're going to get out of this mess, rather than poor old Ed's departure from the mortal realm."
"You're telling me you're not going to reverse the spell?” Noelle's hands clenched at her sides. “You can't just leave me here."
Lips pursed, Ella nodded. “Actually, I can. You're doing quite well. I mean, you did manage to find solace in the apartment of the dead guy's nephew. From what I saw, a guy who could make any woman's twat twitch. Not bad for a novice witch."
"I think he still believes I had something to do with his uncle's death!"
"Do you really think so?” Ella sniffed the air. “Is that coffee I smell? I can't remember the last bit of caffeine I had.” She wandered towards the kitchen, with Noelle right behind her.
"You're not getting coffee. What you will get are my hands around your throat unless you give me the words to reverse this damnable spell."
Ella angled a look over her shoulder. “When did you get so temperamental?"
"Since my bitchy cousin left me alone in a strange place to fend for myself ... without the proper knowledge to return to Betony!” The last words ended on a shout.
"Temper, temper. And here I thought you paid better attention in Spells and Potions class. Well, my mistake. Gotta run. Just keep doing what you're doing.” She snickered. “From the way Jacob Sanders was walking when he left here, I'd say you're doing a helluva job.” She smacked Noelle on the shoulder. “By this time tomorrow, you'll have him eating...” She paused for effect. “...out of your hand."
Noelle opened her mouth to retort, but the air separated in a shower of sparks, signalling Ella's rapid departure.
"Hell's bells,” Noelle groused, stomping back into the living room. Of all the harebrained schemes her cousin had ever concocted, this one certainly took the cake. With no reversal spell and doubting her aunts’ abilities to reach her, Noelle knew she was well and truly alone.
Except for Jacob. She didn't quite know what she was going to do with him, though plenty of naughty ideas came to mind. In fact, an overabundance of those particular thoughts whipped through her brain, and she swore she heard Ella's gleeful chuckle.
"Bitch,” Noelle snarled.
"Coward,” came the glib reply.
Noelle glowered at the ceiling. She was in hell.
But it was nothing that a hot bath and a glass of wine couldn't cure.
Since sex wasn't on the table ... yet.
"I've got it.” Emmie waved her hands in the air and bounced to her feet, immediately regretting the action. Her throbbing head reminded her she was still suffering from the effects of last night's libations.
She groaned and massaged her temples.
"What did you get?” Heart scooted to the edge of the rocking chair and nudged Jazz with her foot. “Wake up, dear. I do believe Emmie's found something."
Jazz sat up and blinked, her hair sticking out in various tufts. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. “What is it?"
Emmie rushed forward and shoved the Book of Spells in front of Heart's face. “The spell.” She waited for her accolades.
Heart scratched her head for a moment before her face cleared. Then, with a squeal, she launched herself to her feet and threw her arms around Emmie's waist. “You found it! That's wonderful."
Jazz tapped Heart's shoulder. “What exactly did she find?” She continued the rapid pats until Heart finally answered.
"Emmie found the spell to take us to Earth."
Emmie beamed. “Pack your bags, sisters. We're going on a road trip."
Jacob stayed at his uncle's house where everyone had gathered long enough to convince his aunts that Uncle Ed would receive the most lavish funeral possible, and then he quickly said his goodbyes. He convinced himself he was in such a hurry to get home because he still wasn't quite sure he could trust Noelle, but his cock told him otherwise. He'd had a perpetual hard-on since he'd left and had been forced to stand behind tables and stuffed chairs for most of the evening to hide the condition.
He growled in tune with the powerful engine of the sports car and stomped the accelerator. Whoever or whatever Noelle Bridges was, she'd hexed him somehow. He couldn't stop thinking about her, and it hadn't helped that he'd given the police an almost picture-perfect description of her. Now, with an artist's nearly identical depiction of her image scrolling across every news station in town, he was effectively harbouring a fugitive. Perfect. Where once he'd been an upstanding citizen, he could now be considered an accessory if the police discovered Noelle was the woman they were looking for. So why didn't that bother him as much as he thought it should?
Lights glowed from the windows as he approached his beachfront condo. He heard the soft hum of music coming from the end of the hallway as he tossed his keys on the Queen Anne table in the foyer. He toed off his shoes and followed the sound.
Steam billowed out from under the bathroom door. He froze, swallowing hard. She was taking a bath. Vivid, erotic images played in front of his eyes. Creamy, smooth skin. Pink-tipped breasts and a flat, silky stomach. A lump lodged in his throat, and his hand settled on the doorknob. He shouldn't go in, but then, he shouldn't be hiding her from the police, either.
Silent hinges allowed him to step inside the bathroom unnoticed. All guilty thoughts fled, dissipating to mingle with the steam fogging the mirror above the pedestal sink.
Noelle, her hair piled atop her head in a haphazard bun, reclined against the back of the tub, eyes closed and lips pursed as she sang softly. She'd filled the tub with frothy bubbles, but her puckered nipples peeked out of the white foam. Water glistened on the smooth column of her throat, and a thin trickle of moisture slid down between her breasts.
The images pummelled him, and as much as he knew he should turn away, he couldn't move, couldn't breathe. His cock took over, propelling him forward until he knelt by the edge of the tub.
Noelle's eyes opened, and instead of gasping as he expected, she smiled, long lashes blinking. “Hi, again."
Jacob dipped two fingers in the water, testing the warmth. “I didn't expect to find you here."
Her brows rose. “You told me to stay here."
"I meant in the tub.” He heard the hoarseness in his own voice.
"I didn't think you would mind."
His fingers edged closer to one nipple. “I don't."