Always Practice Safe Hex (Stay a Spell, #4)

by Juliette Cross

Yes, I had a stupid ass infatuation with this annoying, fine a...

I realize that there are plenty of kind, caring foster parents in the system. But for some unholy reason, I wasn’t sent to any of them.”

“Your telepathy?” A curt nod. “Among other things.” He didn’t elaborate, and I realized I wasn’t completely in his confidence yet. Grims always kept their magical abilities to themselves.

I’d come to realize there was a lot more to them after he’d accidentally telepathed the vision of us in his bedroom.

“My magic fully manifested one night unexpectedly.” He watched me, observing carefully for something though I wasn’t sure what. Then he added, “He didn’t bother me after that.”

“I changed his mind,” he answered coolly without any explanation. I couldn’t help but ask, “How did you manage that?” “Uncle Silas is a collector of power. He realized my abilities were an asset.”

When I turned from the booth, he was standing directly in front of me, mere inches between us. The violent assault of his nearness buckled my knees. I focused on not falling and steadying my breath, while he eased even closer, his hands coming up toward my chest.

“Oh, Lavinia,” he purred, smoothing the lapels of my collar after finishing the last button, dark eyes glinting. Then with a lascivious smile, he opened an intimate link and messaged me mind to mind. There will most definitely be a next time.

But now... Lavinia. It wasn’t just her body that I desired. I wanted her mind, her heart, and her soul as well. What was this obsession about, and how could I get rid of it?

Grims weren’t supposed to use telepathy to invade minds. No supernatural was. It was a violation. As much as I’d wanted to take a peek into Lavinia’s, I’d kept out. Now if she invited me in, that would be a different story.

“Do you think he’s a grimlock?” Like me.

But if Sean was like me, Uncle Silas would change his mind about his youngest son and try to bring him back into the fold.

“He doesn’t have the control that you have.” His voice was low and soft. “I’m afraid he’ll do something terrible that he can’t take back. Something worse than breaking arms.”

“Sean isn’t evil.” My voice vibrated a little loudly in the room. “No,” agreed Henry. “But he enjoys being bad. And he’s playing with fire.”

“Those fucking werewolves are all over the place. Hanging out at the Cauldron all the damn time.” “Ah.” I grinned. He didn’t notice as he went on. “And if that fucking redhead doesn’t stop staring at Clara, I’m going to rip his eyeballs out.”

“She—” he paused then, “it’s bad for you.”

“Mm. I think I liked you better as a smoker.” He rounded on me, furious, his eyes blacker than normal. “It’s bad for you!” he bellowed before storming toward the staircase. “Come on, Queenie!”

The smoky essence twisted out of its home deep in the cavern where I kept it, stirred to life by Richard’s nefarious presence. There was no doubt that my darkness recognized something evil inside this man. And if he didn’t keep his hands off Lavinia, I was going to fucking kill him.

I smiled at him condescendingly. I’d love to see him fucking try. Even if he attempted to use his powers against me, it would come to nothing. They wouldn’t work on me.

“Mr. Davis, I just wanted to let you know I’m not comfortable with people touching me like that in the workplace.” “Oh. It was meant as a friendly gesture.” He sounded like the excuse-making asshat that he was. “I’m sure. But I wanted to be clear how I feel about it.”

“You know, stop giving Richard murderous looks like you’re about to choke him.” She was close, I’ll give her that. I’d been contemplating something more bloody, like dismemberment. But choking was a pleasant thought.

I caught Lavinia checking me out as I passed by her desk. There was a distinct difference in her eyes when she was contemplating strangling me or fucking me. I winked as I passed

“But you don’t?” “That’s obvious.” I crossed my arms, leaning back against the copier. “You know I want you. It won’t affect the competition.” She had a hand propped on her hip and her serious thinking face on. She didn’t respond.

I’m considering what it would be like to kiss you right now, she telepathed to me. Fuck. Now I was really stiff all over.

Not only had she opened a mind-to-mind link, which felt magnificently intimate, but she was flirting. Quite aggressively. She was making me harder by the second.

You’re more than welcome to come find ou...

I liked her games. I wanted to play with her.

I was aware that my obsession was borderline neurotic. Still, I couldn’t control myself. A very uncomfortable feeling for me.

“You know it’s true. You always choose partners who are meek and mild. Tender and sweet.” “I like tender and sweet,” I mumbled defensively, frowning down into my empty glass. “Mm.”

I need your undivided attention when you insult me.”

What I mean is, you tend to choose men and women you can dominate. And from what you’ve told me about Gareth, he does not fit into that category.”

“You’re captivated because he won’t bow down and do your bidding. I think you need a challenge,” Kaya added gently, “someone who can take the reins for a while. Don’t you ever get tired of being the one in control all the time?”

Would it be nice to let someone else take the reins? Fuck yes, it would. But… “Gareth is just so… so…”

“Well, well,” said Kaya before taking a sip of her drink. “Now you’re using magic to push away guys you’d normally be dragging to the dance floor.”

My heart skittered to a halt to find none other than Gareth Blackwater watching me, hands set wide and wrapped around the railing. “Holy fuck,” I muttered toward my feet to avoid his gaze, yanking Kaya closer. “He’s here!”

But it wasn’t the DJ holding my attention. It was most definitely the man in black slacks and starched, dove-gray dress shirt, soaking up the deep blue lighting pulsing overhead. He’d rolled his sleeves up to his forearms, his tattoos accented by his casually crossed arms. The simple sight of his exposed forearms and all that sexy ink had me sweating.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him as everyone danced around me. Apparently, the feeling was mutual. His dark gaze, hooded in shadows, remained absorbed on me. Not a smile on his face. Completely stoic and seemingly indifferent as usual.

But he so wasn’t. Not at all. Even from here and around the bodies who kept disrupting our eye contact, I sensed the smolde...

You just going to stand there and stare all night? I asked him, mind to mind. He didn’t answer, but I caught a quirk of his lips. Someone is shy? And I thought you were a man of action, I teased.

His hands slid to my hips, exerting just the slightest pressure to lead me. Holy fuck. Gareth could dance.

The only place we were touching was where he had a firm grip on my hips, guiding me to move the way he wanted. My arms were still at my sides, and he was unraveling me with nothing more than his beautifully clenched jaw and piercing gaze. I didn’t want him to have all of the control, so I lifted my arms to encircle his neck, letting my fingertips trail along his nape.

Those black eyes glittered with primal fire, and I was the one who’d sparked the flame.

“Are you the spiderman?” I asked, our breaths mingling, mouths inches apart. “No, Lavinia.” He shook his head then dipped closer to me. I was sure he would kiss me, but he skimmed his nose along my jaw until his lips brushed my ear. “You are,” he grated, biting my lobe. “And I’m so fucking caught in your web.”

Then I felt the heavenly sensation of his warm mouth on my skin. And teeth. Oh, his fucking teeth. He was scraping and sucking at the same time, and I couldn’t recall one stupid reason why we shouldn’t be fucking each other’s brains out.

“Gareth,” I whispered. No, it was part moan and part plea, but I didn’t care. I wanted more. I wanted him.

I’d long since lost track of the song, of the crowd, of everything but my stealthy, patient hunter.

consuming me with luxurious laps of his tongue against mine, sucking on my tongue when I retreated. Like he couldn’t get enough of my taste. His other hand slid to the small of my back, then to my ass over the silk of my dress.

His magic buzzed along my skin, making me want to rub up against him. Actually, I was rubbing against him.

No mistaking the intent with that question.

I needed to quench the fire burning between my legs and sizzling along my skin. The one Gareth had started the first day I laid eyes on him.