Kisses and Curses

by Michelle M. Pillow

  Euann quirked a brow at that. He didn’t try to thread his arm back through hers even though he wanted to. For him, gremains wearing underwear as scarfs and magickal tea parties were in the realm of normal. What wasn’t normal was the slight tremor he felt every time he looked at Cora, and how a smile tried to tug his lips when he thought of her, even in the most inappropriate of moments.

  He knew he should be excited to feel such a thing for a woman, but the truth was it terrified him. His family always teased him that he was a watcher because he liked security cameras and spy gadgets. His own ma liked to joke that if he ever found a woman who tossed him heels over head and threw his magick into overdrive, he’d study her from afar and never make a move.

  Euann would never do anything that creepy in reality.

  Though they had a point. He was having a tough time thinking of a good way of asking Cora out on a date. Would it be a second date? Did the tea party and dancing count? Probably not. He needed to come up with an amazing idea before he asked. No simple dinner and a movie would do. He needed a plan. A good plan. A stellar plan that would make her forget his niece magickally kidnapped her, and she was now trapped here until they figured out what Jewel had done to her.

  Movies. No. Arcade. No. Dinner. No. Carnival. Not any around. Coffee. Hell no, I don’t want to be in the friend zone. Um…

  “Did I insult you? You became very quiet.” Cora paused on their way to the forest. “I didn’t mean to imply you were not normal.”

  “Picnic,” he blurted.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Ya like picnics?”

  “Is that a statement or a question?” Her laugh sounded like an enchantress’s song.

  “Question?” Euann tried to organize his thoughts. This was not his smoothest conversation.

  “Are you sure?” She laughed harder.

  “Yes?”

  “Euann?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you trying to ask me to go on a picnic with you?” Her eyes still danced with merriment, but her smile was kind. Thank the universe she was taking pity on him and his inept charm. He nodded. “That sounds nice, thank you.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Yeah, he still had it. No woman could resist the MacGregor charm. He would make sure none of his cameras picked up that little interaction.

  “Now, your phone. Where do you remember having it last?” She looked around the front yard of the estate.

  Euann pointed toward the trees. “I was looking at the security footage when ya set off the motion detectors in the forest. So I had it then.”

  “I don’t remember you having it when we got back to the house, so I’m guessing we start there.” Cora waited for him to lead the way to where they had been.

  Euann could have taken a direct route, with only minimal traipsing off the path through the trees, but instead, moved to the beginning of the trail to take a leisurely stroll through the forest. In truth, if he wanted to find his phone fast, he could cast a small locating spell that would take him right to it. This way, he could spend time with her.

  “Wait.” She glanced around before pointing. “Didn’t you find us over there?”

  “Oh, yeah, ya could be right.” Euann changed course to take the more direct route. So much for his romantic forest stroll.

  “I think it’s a librarian-organizational thing,” she said. “I have this ability to remember where things are located.”

  “Ah, yes, your Dewey Decimal System.” Euann tried to think of something to talk about that she might like. Maybe then she’d forget they were looking for his phone and they could be alone together longer. “I never met Mr. Melvil Dewey, but I do remember hearing about him at the time.”

  “Because you’re so…” She bit her lip.

  “Incredibly handsome?” he supplied.

  “I was trying to think of a nice way of saying older,” she admitted.

  “So not handsome?”

  “Well, yes, you are, but…”

  His smile widened.

  “I was referring to the fact Raibeart claimed you all were a few centuries old.” She again stopped walking. This time she studied his face. “I don’t know whether he was joking or if I believe him.”

  Euann tilted his head to the side, letting her examine him.

  “When’s your birthday?” She was so adorable when she was in deep thought.

  Euann arched a brow. “Going to buy me a present?”

  It took her a moment, but she laughed. “Is it a secret?”

  “Over four.”

  “Over four what?”

  “I’m over four hundred years old. I was born in 1577 if ya want to do the math.” Euann found himself leaning closer. Her breath caught, and he wanted to kiss her but held back. Her smile fell by small degrees and her brow furrowed. “Ya think I’m too old for ya?”

  “Is that a statement or a question?” Her words were soft. She was so close he could feel her new magick tickling him.

  “Statement?”

  “You should stop trying to guess what I’m thinking. It’s obviously not one of your warlock powers.” Cora gave him the sweetest of smiles. “I was doing the math in my head and you made me lose my place. But I’ll make you a deal. I won’t ask about your age again if you don’t ever ask about mine.”

  At that, he gave her a serious look. “Why? How old are ya?”

  “How old do I look?”

  He took a step back and pretended to study her from head to toe. Damn, she was beautiful, especially when she smiled at him. “I’d say, not a day over…”

  She gave a little pose and waited.

  “…two hundred.”

  A small burst of laughter escaped her, and she shook her head to pretend disbelief. “Wow. You know how to flatter a woman, Prince Charming.”

  “So, ya think I’m charming and handsome.” He again walked toward the forest, prompting her to fall into step next to him.

  “Is that a statement or a question, Mr. MacGregor?”

  He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “I think ya know the answer to that, Ms. Dewitt.”

  Chapter Nine

  Cora listened to the rain pounding against the window. The storm had been threatening all day before bursting angrily out of the sky in a sudden torrent. After finding his phone in the woods, Euann had driven her to where she’d parked her car. Thank goodness her cellphone and wallet were still in the console where she had left them. The vehicle had been unlocked with the keys still in the ignition.

  There were fifteen missed calls from her boss, six calls from a co-worker, a call from the bulldog rescue to see if she had time to transport a dog to Iowa, and then another saying they found someone and not to worry about it, and finally one call from someone trying to get her to sign up for a timeshare.

  Calling the timeshare person back sounded better than calling her boss. To be more precise, her former boss. The fifteenth and last voicemail Edie had left told her in no uncertain terms that the library would no longer be requiring her services.

  “What if I was in a car accident or in a coma and couldn’t call?” Cora whispered, tapping the phone touchscreen. “Or kidnapped by a magickal phoenix child and forced to drive across country and eat nothing but cake and cookies with no will of my own?”

  The former boss’ compassion had much to be desired. At least a few of her co-workers had sent her concerned text messages. Cora made sure to answer them back the best she could, assuring them that she was alive and well.

  Without a job, there was nothing Cora needed to rush home to. Even if there were, she wasn’t ready to leave Wisconsin. She felt safe with the MacGregors, with Euann.

  Her eyes went to the giant portrait hanging over the fireplace. It was of Euann wearing a kilt, surrounded by mist and midnight. The fog trailed up his arm. The ocean splashed against a rowboat behind him. His eyes were what captured her the most. It was as if he watched over her. She’d fallen asleep staring into those painted eyes.

&nbs
p; Knowing there was magick in the world, real magick, fascinated and terrified her. She wasn’t sure how she’d do out in the world on her own, looking for goblins at every roadside rest stop and fairies at wherever fairies might congregate. Flower shops? Her lack of knowledge was proof enough that she wasn’t ready to venture back into the world alone. She’d be questioning everything around her. She didn’t know a thing about real goblins and fairies. And what about other supernatural creatures? What if there really were werewolves and vampires and sea monsters?

  Cora hugged her legs close and dug her back into the thick pillow of the king-size bed. Beyond that still, there was this supposed magick Jewel had given her. She felt something was different inside her, but as hard as she tried, she couldn’t get a door to open without turning a knob.

  The smell of food filled the room, drawing her from her musings. A soft knock sounded on the door.

  “Come in,” she called.

  Euann poked his head in. She sat up straighter on the bed. She wasn’t sure which fact about him attracted her more—the accent, the sultry eyes, the playful smile—but he made her stomach flutter every time he looked at her.

  “Did the clothes fit all right?” he asked.

  “Oh, yes, thank you.” Cora glanced at the pale yellow t-shirt and yoga pants Euann had found for her. “You’re sure your sister won’t mind?”

  “Not at all. Malina has more clothes than she can wear in five warlock lifetimes.” Euann motioned as if to ask if he could come in.

  Cora nodded.

  “Sorry about the weather ruining our plans for a picnic outside,” Euann said.

  Cora glanced at the window as lightning struck. “It’s fine. It’s not like you can control the rain.”

  “Yeah, that would be Erik. He’s in a foul mood.”

  Cora laughed, then realized he didn’t appear to be making a joke. “Erik made the storm?”

  “He’s still angry about Kenneth,” Euann stood several feet away from the bed.

  As they’d looked for his phone, he’d told her about Kenneth. The man had been gone for a long time, and that absence noticeably created a lot of hurt feelings within what sounded to be a close-knit family. She wasn’t sure what happened and thought it not her place to ask too much. Euann would tell her what he wanted her to know.

  “But, I did promise ya a picnic.” His smile returned, and she felt a small thrill work over her.

  “It’s all right, I—”

  “So I brought the picnic inside.” He gestured to the floor at the foot of the bed.

  Cora crawled forward on the bed to look. The smell was coming from the array of food that had somehow magickally appeared on the floor. The antique serving platters held towers of finger sandwiches and fried chicken. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries had spilled over the sides of their bowls. Wine glasses filled with white and red wines were placed in the center of the feast.

  “Where did all of this come—oh, no.” Cora scrambled off the bed. She rushed around the food toward Euann. “Is Jewel playing again?”

  “I just said I did it,” Euann answered.

  She gave a small laugh. “Oh, right, sorry. I’m still jumpy. I keep feeling like I’m about to be taken over and made to pirate a ship or some other terrifying thing.”

  “Kenneth assures us he had a talk with her about that.” Euann went to the bed and grabbed a couple of pillows. A fire lit up in the fireplace without anyone going to light it. At the same time, candles appeared on the floor amongst the food. He put the pillows on the floor near the foot of the bed so they could use it as a chair back.

  “Thank you for letting me stay in your room,” she said.

  “Who said this was my room?” He sat on the floor.

  “I assumed because your portrait was on the wall, and there are male toiletries in the bathroom. It seemed strange to think one of your brothers would want to hang a portrait of you over their bed.”

  “Fair enough, yes, this is my room.”

  Cora joined him by the picnic. She tried not to sit too close, but the placement of the pillows made it impossible. Heat radiated off him and, just like the times before, she felt better when he was near. The low stinging sensation in her nerves dissipated, and she breathed easier. When she turned, it was to find him looking at her. She wanted to think of something clever to say, something to make him laugh. She really enjoyed the sound of his laugh, of his voice.

  Lightning flashed, illuminating the room. The sound of the storm created a cocoon around them. Her heart beat a little faster. Her skin began to tingle.

  “I—” he began.

  Not knowing what came over her, Cora leaned forward to close the distance. Her lips pressed to his. Her hand slid up the side of his face, holding him as she instantly deepened the kiss. Reason had no place in this moment. It was as if he carried an unexplainable force inside him that called to her. When they touched, the world felt like it made sense.

  Euann made a small sound of surprise but didn’t fight her as she leaned into him. As he returned the kiss, he slid along the foot of the bed before falling onto his back. She rode him down to the floor.

  He chuckled, and the sound only caused her to slip her legs around one of his thighs. The new position made the shape of his body unmistakable as she pressed into him. He desired her as much as she did him.

  A loud bang sounded on the door, hitting her libido like a bucket of ice water. She pushed away from Euann, wiping her mouth of any evidence and smoothing her hair.

  “Go away,” Euann yelled. He was slower to sit up.

  The door opened, and Rory poked his head inside. “I thought I smelled food. Don’t mind if I do. Downstairs is a dangerous place right now.”

  “Rory, get—” Euann couldn’t finish his sentence.

  “Did ya say food? I’m famished.” Iain appeared behind Rory. He left the door open as he came inside. Both men took a seat on the floor.

  Rory lifted the platter of fried chicken onto his lap and began eating. Iain took a glass of red wine, and when he reached for a piece of chicken, Rory slapped his hand. “Mine.”

  “Where is everyone hiding?” Erik called. He glanced inside the room. “Dinner upstairs. Good call. I don’t want to go near the dining room.”

  “What’s wrong with the dining room?” Cora wondered what could frighten three powerful warlocks into hiding. “Is it Jewel?”

  “Scarier. Aunt Margareta is home to confront Kenneth, and she just found out he wasn’t sucked into a vortex.” Rory acted like that explanation was enough.

  “Margareta, that’s your mother, right?” asked Cora.

  “Aye, my ma.” Euann scratched his forehead as if trying to think of the right words. “Guys, look, this picnic wasn’t meant to be a family dinner.”

  “But ya have five glasses,” Iain said.

  Cora looked down. She could have sworn there had only been four—two white wines, two red wines. She saw a fifth drink, a goblet filled with beer in front of Erik.

  Erik picked up the beer, and took a long drink. The anger of the storm seemed to subside and the rain lessened. It still pounded against the window but with less force than before.

  “Hold on a minute. I think he means he’s on a date,” Rory observed, still hoarding the chicken.

  “Indoor picnic?” Erik grinned and nodded. “Classic MacGregor move. Ladies can’t resist it.”

  “Nice,” Iain added. “Well played, Euann.”

  “That’s how Niall won Charlotte,” Rory said. “Euann apparently took notes.”

  “That is not how Niall won—” Euann began to protest.

  “Och, brother, no, ya never talk about your ex-girlfriends when you’re on a first date.” Iain managed to swipe a chicken leg from Rory’s pile and was rewarded with a magickal slap as Rory slashed his hand through the air. Iain slid back on the floor but managed to take a bite before being stopped by the wall.

  “It’s a good thing we’re here to help.” Erik lifted his beer in a sil
ent toast. “You’re welcome.”

  “Charlotte was only a friend,” Euann tried to explain, sounding defensive.

  “Who’s Charlotte?” Cora asked his family.

  “Euann and Rory had a crush on her when we first moved here,” Iain said.

  “Hey, not me,” Rory protested.

  “We are just friends,” Euann insisted.

  “These two used to fight over her all the time,” Iain walked on his knees to reclaim his place, “like two kids on a playground.”

  Cora forced a smile though she thought maybe Iain’s first observation was correct. She didn’t necessarily want to hear about Euann’s ex-girlfriends, especially if he’d been in love with any of them. And, knowing how old he was, she suddenly realized there was probably a long string of women in his past.

  “Charlotte is engaged to my brother Niall,” Euann told her, his tone low. “I felt sorry for her because we erased her memories of some horrible events, and it drove her into madness. I love her like a sister.” He turned to give his family a meaningful look and said through clenched teeth, “Like I love all my sisters.”

  “What horrible events?” Cora asked.

  “She witnessed some magickal things she shouldn’t have. We couldn’t let the family secret get out into the world,” Rory answered. Iain hit him in the arm. “Ow, what?”

  “She saw magick, so you erased her mind?” Cora automatically pulled away from them, moving to stand by the bed.

  “That’s what, dumbass.” Iain shook his head at his cousin as he gestured at her. “Ya scared her.”

  “Oh, yeah, sorry,” Rory mumbled. “I didn’t mean to scare ya, Cora.”

  “We will not erase your mind,” Erik assured her. “The family has agreed that we will only do that in the direst of situations. It was a decision that was overdue. Too many things go wrong with that kind of magick.”

  Cora contemplated her position as she stood over them. Slowly, she took her seat. “I have an important question, and I want you all to answer me honestly.”

  “Yes,” Euann answered. “I promised, I’d answer all your questions.”

  “If we can,” Erik corrected, with a meaningful look at Euann.