Tethered 02 - Conjure (14 page)

Kace chuckled. It was loud and deep and it vibrated straight to the core of me. “Did you forget…magick?”

“You can’t be serious,” I said, stopping mid-stride and glaring at him.

“Oh, but I am.” He smirked, taking both of my hands in his.

I shook my head and glanced down the beach. This lifestyle they lived was crazy. “What’s the point in even having a job if all you’re going to do is use a Hoodoo spell to make money?”

He swayed my hands in his. “You don’t make money with a Hoodoo spell…you draw money to you. There’s a difference. Plus, my parents still believe in all the character-building aspects of having a job.” He shrugged.

“Right, character building,” I said as we continued walking again, heading to my house.

A warm breeze blew, bringing with it the scent of salt and smoke. I looked further down the beach and caught sight of a bonfire someone had built. Its flames danced in the barrel it was trapped in, mimicking the sway of the ocean waves. The thumping of bass reverberated through me the closer we got.

“Must be a tourist party going on tonight,” Kace said. “We should go.”

We’d reached the bridge that led across the sand dunes and tall grass to the road I lived on. I paused and brushed off the bottoms of my feet as I shook the sand out of my sandals.

“That might be fun,” I said.

“First, let’s order some food.” He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. He pressed a few buttons and then held the phone to his ear.

“It’s my treat this time, though,” I insisted.

Kace held a finger out to me, like he was telling me to wait a minute. “Hey, how’s it going? I’d like to place a delivery order.”

I crossed my arms over my chest and cocked my hip to the side. “I’m paying,” I repeated.

He smiled at me and held his finger up once more. “Yeah, two orders of eggplant parmesan, a large Greek salad, and give me one bottle of that wine my parents always have each time we’re there. Uh-huh, yeah, just add it to my parents’ tab. Thank you.” He hung up and I swatted him in the arm.

“What part of
I’m paying
do you not understand?”

“I’m sorry.” He laughed, rubbing the spot where I’d nailed him. “I just don’t like it when girls buy me things. Call me old-fashioned.”

“So you put it on your parents’ tab?”

He grinned. “Exactly.”

I rolled my eyes and headed up the little walkway that led to my back door. I unlocked it and stepped inside. Kace didn’t even give me a moment to flip on the light before he whirled me around and pressed his lips to mine. My stomach muscles tightened and my breath caught somewhere in my throat as I was pinned between his arms and the counter in a matter of seconds.

“Anyone ever tell you you’re sexier than hell when you’re pissed about something?” he whispered between kisses.

I shook my head. “Never.”

His lips crushed against mine again as his hands roamed over my body. I fisted the back of his shirt and pressed myself against him harder. Our tongues stroked one another’s in a raw and intimate way that set my blood on fire. Hoisting me up in his arms, Kace placed my rear on the countertop and buried his hips between my thighs. I wrapped my legs around his waist and locked them behind his back. Just when things were starting to kick up a notch, the doorbell rang.

Kace leaned his forehead against mine. “Damn, the food’s already here?” he asked, sounding breathless.

“Guess so.” I slid off the counter and adjusted my clothes as I made my way to the front door. “It must be all that freaking magick you guys use.”

“Funny. Don’t you pay him; it’s already been taken care of,” Kace shouted after me.

I chuckled and swung the door open. There was no delivery driver standing in my doorway. Instead, it was my mom.

“Hi, honey!” Mom squealed as she dove at me for a hug.

A sudden coldness slid through my core. “Mom, hi. What are you doing here?”

My mind raced with reasons for why she could be here. Had I inadvertently given her the impression it was okay to visit? I didn’t think I had. My hands flew to my hair as soon as she released me from her hug, and I immediately began to worry what my appearance looked like. Did I look like I’d been practically screwing my boyfriend on my kitchen counter just a minute ago? I hoped not.

“Oh, your father had to go to some chiropractic convention.” She waved her hand as she side-stepped me and wheeled her suitcase in behind her. “So, I decided to come spend the weekend with you. A little getaway by the beach.”

I closed the door and spun to gape at her. “Okay…”

“I’m here until Sunday morning,” she said as she glanced around the house. “I saw a car parked outside. Whose is it?”

I took in a deep breath.
Until Sunday?
“That’s, umm...Kace’s car.”

“And who is Kace? Is this the guy you’re suddenly dating?”

“That would be him,” I said, feeling my face grow warm because I knew Kace could hear everything we were saying from in the kitchen.

“Well.” Mom spun around. “Where is he?”

“Right here,” Kace said as he emerged from the kitchen. He leaned against the wall and sipped from a glass of water.

“Oh,” she said, surprise ringing clearly in her voice. “Nice to meet you. I’m Addison’s mother, Vikki Harmon.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Kace said politely.

I ran my fingers through my hair. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?”

Mom shifted to face me. “I didn’t know I needed to.”

“You don’t…really.” I stumbled on my words, searching for the nicest way to handle the situation. “I’m just surprised to see you is all.”

She started toward the stairs, dragging her suitcase behind her. “You shouldn’t be. I told you I’d probably come visit for a weekend sometime.” I couldn’t remember that conversation, but it could have happened. “I’m going to set my things in the room your father and I stayed in last time we were here.”

Once she reached the top of the stairs and was out of view, I bolted to Kace. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I had no idea she was coming,” I said. I buried my head into his chest.

His arms wrapped around me. “It’s fine, really. You’ve already met my parents and now I get to meet yours.”

“But what about tonight? The bonfire by the beach, the other movie—” The doorbell rang again before I could finish my sentence. “Dinner! Oh my God, this is going to be so awkward.”

Kace chuckled. “No, it’s not. It’ll be fine. Parents love me. You’ll see.” He winked and moved to answer the door. This time it
was
the delivery driver. Kace took our food from him and gave him a tip before closing the door and heading to the living room. “We can still eat, drink, and watch the movie. It’s not like you’re fourteen or anything.” He smirked.

He was enjoying my discomfort a little too much.

“Right,” I said. “You’re right. We can still do all of those things with her here.”

I grimaced and strolled into the living room behind him. He obviously didn’t know my mother. Because if he did, then he would know how much of a rule stickler she was. He’d also know the reason she was probably here was because she wanted me to not be—which meant that she’d do anything to get me to leave, including tear him down to size.

A few minutes after we’d set our food out on the coffee table and started the movie, Mom came down and sat in the recliner.

“You guys are eating dinner a little bit late, don’t you think?” she asked, pushing the sleeves up on her long-sleeved dress shirt. I’d rarely ever seen my mother in a T-shirt, and never in shorts or a skirt no matter the temperature.

“We had a busy afternoon,” Kace said, flashing me a knowing grin.

My stomach rolled. Why on earth had he just said that? He’d left the conversation open for her to pry without realizing it.

“Doing what?” Mom prompted. Exactly like I knew she would.

Kace shifted his icy eyes from me to look at her. He seemed virtually unfazed by her question. “Mostly spending time down by the beach.”

“Oh,” Mom said flatly. “Did you not have to work today, Addison?”

“No, I’m off for the weekend,” I answered.

“That’s great. I couldn’t have come at a more perfect time then,” she insisted. Her eyes narrowed and shifted to Kace. “Do you work, Kace?”

“Yes, ma’am, I do,” he said smoothly. I raised an eyebrow at his ma’am usage.

“Where?” Mom pressed.

“My parents own a hotel here. I work at the front desk full time during the summer and then part time during the school year. I’m also a full-time student at Craven,” Kace answered without even a smidge of hesitation.

I watched as my mom’s eyes widened. “So you’re the motivation behind Addison’s sudden interest in Craven.”

Kace glared at me with a wry smile. “She has interest in Craven now? I wasn’t aware.”

My face flamed. “I said I was
thinking
about looking into the place.” I dropped my gaze to my food and began scooting it around on my plate.

“Nice to know.” Kace chuckled.

“What are you majoring in, Kace?” Mom asked, drawing the attention back to him. I was grateful.

“Business management,” he replied. “I plan on taking over my parents’ hotel one day.”

“Hmm, that’s nice.” Her disapproval of his future occupation laced her every word. “I see you’re drinking wine, Addison.”

“I am,” I said. I lifted the glass to my lips.

“I won’t harp on you about it,” she said as she stood. “I’m going to get some water.”

“Only mother I’ve ever met that didn’t like me,” Kace whispered once she’d left the room.

“It’s not that she doesn’t like you, it’s that she doesn’t like me being here,” I said. I ripped off a little bite of my garlic bread. “I told her I was thinking about going to Craven and staying here the last time I talked with her. She seemed fine with it then. Maybe it took a while to sink in and now that it has, she doesn’t like the idea of it. I think she’s here to talk me into going home with her and going to college there.”

Kace sat back some and his expression fell. “Are you going to let her?”

I flicked my eyes to his. “I don’t think so.”

It wasn’t that I wouldn’t let her talk me into going back with her, it was more along the lines of I couldn’t leave. Not with the tether still in place between me and Theo. Plus, I still hadn’t made up my mind about the initiation. And then there was Kace...

“That’s good,” he said, taking a bite of his eggplant, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’m happy with that answer…for now.” He grinned wickedly around a forkful of food.

“Honey, I’m going to head upstairs for a bath while the two of you finish your meal,” Mom said from the entrance to the living room.

“All right,” I replied, watching her turn and walk away. I popped another piece of bread in my mouth and glanced at Kace.

“What?” he asked. “You’re looking at me weird.”

I grinned at him. “You know you can’t stay the night now, right?”

“Of course I can. You’re a big girl.” He smirked. “Doesn’t your mama know by now that you’re not a virgin?”

“By now?” I scoffed. “You make it sound like I’ve been with a ton of guys.”

Kace’s eyes lit up. “Anybody who can do the things you do in bed has been doing it for a while.”