Blonde With a Wand (29 page)

“I would. You’re staring at it as if it might start moving around the apartment on its own.”

“Can it?”

“No,” she said gently. “And right now, when I have no magic, it’s just an ordinary broom, the kind you can use to get a cat out from under the bed.”

He realized he was buying trouble, worrying about things that weren’t a factor yet. He was less and less willing to do that, so he decided to drop the subject of the broom as a potential flying machine. “I don’t want to use the broom to get Orion out.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s no fun being chased out from under the bed with a broom.”

“Oh.” She seemed to be holding back a smile. “Then what do you suggest?”

“Let me get him something to eat instead.”

“You know I’m trying to keep him from—” She interrupted herself and shook her head. “Never mind. Sure. Get him whatever you want except tuna. I really don’t want to start with that. Cats can get to the point where they won’t eat anything else, which isn’t good for them.”

“Okay. Be right back.” He went into the kitchen with the image of her standing there naked, holding the broom that might or might not be able to fly. He was so effing confused. He wanted her more than he’d ever wanted a woman before, and she’d jump-started his libido, which was huge. But could he deal with flying brooms and magic wands?

He’d said the magic wasn’t such a factor now. Maybe he hadn’t been honest with himself about that. The idea of Anica flying through the night astride a broom was a little disturbing.

He found some deli meat in the fridge to tempt Orion out from under the bed. As he carried it back to the bedroom, he was met with a sight guaranteed to fry a guy’s brain and send all the blood rushing south. Anica was on all fours beside the bed, which was interesting enough.

But her pose was even more erotic than that. With her fanny in the air, she laid her cheek on the carpet so she could see under the bed and call to Orion. Jasper almost came when he saw her positioned like that. Forget the cat. He’d grab a condom and be buried deep before the cat could blink.

She must have heard his footsteps, though, because she pushed herself upright and stood. “I can’t get him to budge without the broom, so let’s see you try with the food bribe.”

He was so aroused he could barely talk. Apparently she had no idea what she’d looked like to someone coming through that door. He doubted he’d ever forget that moment.

Then again maybe she’d known exactly what she was doing. She glanced up at him and smiled. “I was just thinking, we haven’t tried it doggie style.”

He gulped. “Uh, no, we haven’t.”

“Get Orion out from under the bed and maybe we can remedy that omission.”

Given that possibility, he was ready to drag Orion out with a grappling hook. No, no, he wasn’t. Cats were people, too. Well, some were, him in particular. Some were people wannabes, and that would be Orion’s category. He didn’t deserve the broom treatment.

Fortunately the deli meat worked like a charm. Once Orion was mostly out, Jasper grabbed him. Orion would still get the meat, of course, unlike the sneaky behavior of that Shoumatoff woman, who had brought tuna without any intention of giving it to him. Jasper knew he’d probably been guilty of similar tactics with pets, but he wouldn’t treat an animal with that kind of disrespect ever again.

After closing Orion in the closet with his deli meat, Jasper strode down the hall, shedding clothes along the way. He was shirtless before he made it through the bedroom doorway, and shoeless before he got to the bed.

She was back on the bed again, bathed in flickering candlelight. This time, instead of lying on her back as if ready to receive him between her thighs, she was propped on her side watching him undress.

“I love seeing you naked,” she said.

“Same here.” Then another thought came to him. As he stripped off the rest of his clothes, he wondered if she danced naked in the moonlight.

What were those groups of witches called? He’d read it on the Internet. Then the word came to him. “Do you belong to a coven?”

“How would you feel about that?”

“I don’t know. I picture people dancing naked in a circle out in the woods somewhere.”

“I have done that a few times.”

He was a little shocked by that and a lot turned on. “Basically, witches and wizards are nature buffs,” she said.

He climbed onto the mattress. “With an emphasis on the
buff
part.”

“Yeah.” She grinned. “I haven’t noticed that you have any problem getting naked.”

“No.” He caressed the slope of her breast. “But I kind of like my undressing to be confined to groups of two.”

“So do I.” She leaned closer and pressed her mouth to his neck, where she began trailing kisses from there to his collarbone. “I haven’t been naked in a crowd for years. Not my thing. I’m not part of a coven, either. I’m what you call a solitary witch.”

Her explanation eased some of his anxiety. Besides, they’d spent more time on the subject than he wanted to give it. He slipped his hand between her thighs and discovered her hidden springs rising to the surface. “You seem pretty happy to be entertaining company tonight.”

“Mm.” She moaned softly as he probed her dampness with his fingers. “You’re reminding me of my hostess duties.”

“Is that right?” He hoped she’d remembered her promise.

“Uh-huh.” Wiggling closer, she reached around him and opened the bedside table drawer.

He could have her wiggle and reach all day, considering how the movements caused her to rub her breasts against him and open her thighs to give him more access for his fingers.

Apparently she had a purpose other than that, though, because she produced a condom that she held between two fingers right in front of his nose. “You’ll need this for the next stage,” she murmured, her voice turned husky by his caress.

He loved that he could affect her that way. But he positively adored the way she rolled to her stomach, even though she dislodged his fingers in the process.

She more than made up for that when she pushed herself to her hands and knees and glanced sideways at him. “Whenever you’re ready, Jasper.”

If he hadn’t fallen in love with her before, her saucy behavior now would have done the trick. He couldn’t get that condom on fast enough or find his spot behind her soon enough. Then, sweet heaven, he was living a fantasy.

In the light from a host of flickering candles, he took her in the most basic, primitive fashion. If ever a sexual position was designed to emphasize sex and only sex, this was it. Yet by offering herself to him this way, she’d triggered that emotion he’d nearly revealed earlier tonight.

His need for her was raw and hungry, no doubt about it. But threaded through that urgency was a tenderness that prompted him to lean forward, even in the midst of his rampant lust, and kiss her shoulder.

“Thank you,” he whispered against her skin. Then all rational thought evaporated in the surge of sexual excitement as he grasped her hips and pounded into her. The rhythmic slap of his thighs against hers filled the room. The candlelight seemed fitting, as if they were in a cave deep in the earth.

For this moment she was his mate and he was hers. Her back arched as she tensed beneath him. He reveled in the music of her cries as she came, and only then did he allow himself the release he craved. At the moment of orgasm, he knew without a doubt that he loved this woman with a fierceness that shook him to his core.

But he wouldn’t tell her. She’d made it clear that she wasn’t ready to hear it.

They tumbled to the mattress and lay, panting and covered with sweat. He put his lips close to her ear. “Do you fly on that broom, Anica?”

“Yes,” she murmured. “Yes, I do.”

“Is it as good as this?”

Her laughter was breathless and filled with the satisfaction of good sex. “Not even close.”

He smiled. Maybe the magic wasn’t so threatening, after all.

 

Anica woke with a start. She hadn’t meant to fall asleep. She would bet Jasper hadn’t meant to, either. He’d planned to go through her magic books in the time he had left and search out more clues for breaking the spell.

But they’d decided to cuddle for a few minutes and she’d nestled into the curve of his body, spoon fashion. She’d been asleep before she took three breaths.

That was irresponsible on her part. She knew better than to fall asleep with candles burning, but all was well. She’d been asleep only an hour, and the candles were in protective holders. She’d lost a precious hour with Jasper, though. He was within five minutes of his changing time.

She started to turn toward him to see if he was awake, but before she could do that, his arm tightened around her and pulled her close.

“I know,” he said. “I know.”

“Did you sleep, too?”

“No.” He nestled his beard-stubbled chin against her shoulder. “I didn’t think we should both sleep with all these lit candles.”

She was mortified that he’d had to take over the job that should have been hers. “I lit them, so I should have put them out. I can’t believe I just fell asleep like that, as if I had no responsibility.”

“I’m glad you did. I’m sure you were exhausted. And I covered for you.”

“Thank you.” She seemed to be depending on other people a lot more recently—first Lily and now Jasper. It was a novel and not altogether comfy feeling to give up that control.

“My pleasure.” He gave her a squeeze that was more friendly than sexual, which was wise considering the ticking clock. “I liked lying here with you, watching the candles flicker while you slept. Gave me time to decide something.”

Her pulse rate picked up. “Oh?”

“I’m going to take a guess about the spell. I was afraid to waste one of my three in case I’m wrong, but on the other hand, I don’t want to waste an entire day, either, in case I’m right.”

Her chest tightened with fear and she hoped he couldn’t sense it. “You’re sure? I thought you wanted to do more research first.”

“Don’t worry.” He laughed. “If I’m not right, I won’t make another guess until I’ve read every damn book on your bookshelf.”

She was impressed that he could laugh when the stakes were so high. He had more courage than she’d given him credit for. And they were almost out of time for him to make that guess. “What is it, then?

“That I gain minutes every time I do a good deed.”

Relief flooded through her, and she rolled over to pull him into a fierce hug of triumph. “You’re
right
.” She nearly choked on the words, she was so excited for him. “Oh, Jasper, you guessed it!”

“Thank God!” He hugged her back so tightly that her spine popped. Then he kissed her hard on the mouth before scrambling out of bed. “I have to leave.”

“Jasper, it’s okay! Please don’t feel as if you have to leave when you—” She stopped talking, because he was gone. She could follow him, of course, but he obviously didn’t want that.

She lay there staring at the candles. Now he knew. Now they could talk about it. Now she could help him lift the curse. It was wonderful, wasn’t it? Why should she be worried?

The answer wasn’t pretty. Right now, while he was still partly a cat, he needed her. He stayed in the apartment, stayed with her, because he had to have a safe place to live when he returned to his cat status.

Anica had told both Lily and herself that she hated having his fate in the palm of her hand. She was ashamed to admit that maybe she secretly liked having that much control over him. Once he managed to transform himself back forever he wouldn’t need her anymore. Her control would be gone. He might be gone, too.

Jasper barely made it to the kitchen before the change hit him. He’d learned to go with it instead of resisting, which made the crossover ten times easier. He’d be glad when this didn’t happen to him every night, but he wasn’t horrified the way he had been the first couple of times he’d changed back into a cat.

And this change was the sweetest of all, because now he knew the secret for lifting the spell. Soon he’d be in charge of his life again. He’d already decided it wouldn’t be the same life, though.

Living as a cat, he’d come to appreciate some things he’d never paid much attention to before. He’d been too busy rushing from one thing to the next, going for the big score in the market, making sure he had tickets to opening night of whatever play was hot that season, hurrying to the gym and staying on the phone the entire time he was working out.

He’d never bothered to stop and enjoy whatever was right in front of him because he’d been too busy looking ahead to the next great thing, which was bound to be so much better than what he had going on at the moment. He knew now that nothing could be better than making love to Anica in a room filled with candlelight and then lying quietly, watching over her while she slept.

Staying with her all night would be a bonus, though, and he wanted to get to that point ASAP. When he was fully transformed into a cat, he trotted out to the living room, hopped on the desk chair, and turned on the computer. Typing wouldn’t be nearly as smooth as it had been four hours ago, but there were compensations. Cats didn’t get carpel tunnel or stiff necks. At least he hoped cats didn’t.

Now that he knew he’d be changing back permanently, he could allow himself to appreciate the good things about his feline self. He could leap to heights five or six times taller than he was. Even Michael Jordan hadn’t been able to do that.

He was now a champion nap-taker, too, and he had to acknowledge that naps lowered his stress levels. He also had meditation skills to rival the Dalai Lama and the patience of . . . well, of a saint. As a man he used to sit and drum his fingers on the desk while his computer booted up. Now he simply sat and waited.

Would any of his cat skills transfer to his human self? Not the leaping ability, of course, but he had hopes for a calmer approach, a more in-the-moment philosophy once he returned to his other life. He realized with some surprise that there were things he’d miss about being a cat.