By the time our meal was finished and our plates were cleared away, I figured I was on about my fourth glass of wine. My body was warm and loose, my lips ready with a smile and most of my first date worries and jitters were buried in some dark hole of my mind. Beck was in the middle of telling me a story about his mother’s reaction when he finally chose a career after switching from majors in anthropology, computer technology and even marketing.
“I swear, she sent the most embarrassing, gushing thank you card to the guy, thanking him for finally giving me a professional path to follow. She even invited the guy to our house for dinner and gave him directions on how to get there. It was all I could do to hide from him when I started my internship there.”
“Well, mothers have that prerogative I suppose. Are you spending time with them for Christmas?”
“Nah. They’re in Europe. A few years ago, they decided they would travel for all the holidays. Mom said she wanted to see the world while she was still healthy enough to enjoy it, and that she wanted to get the traveling out of the way before I got married and started presenting her with grandkids.”
I laughed aloud, fingering the stem of my wineglass.
He studied me a moment, leaning back in his chair to cross his ankle at his knee. “So, what about your parents. How do they feel about you being a federal agent?” He said the last two words in a whisper as if I was a part of the CIA and it was a big secret.
One of my shoulders lifted in an uncomfortable shrug. “I guess they would probably have chosen something different for me. The truth is, I left home at eighteen and have only been back a handful of times. My parents don’t care for my path in life, and I’m just as well without seeing the censure in their eyes. I think it’s best for all of us if I keep my distance.”
The honesty I was handing him was a rarity. I didn’t tell many people about the division between me and my family. Even though my mom knew witchcraft was rumored to exist in her family, she’d never wanted her little girl to inherit magic. They’d ignored the fact for most of my childhood, but when the full force of my magic made itself known at eighteen... well, it was pretty much more than she and my father could handle.
I felt Beck staring at me, but I was afraid to look at him. I didn’t want pity. I was okay with the way things stood with my parents. My life was good even without them in it. Still, when I felt his hand cover mine across the table, it was almost my undoing. The backs of my eyes stung, and I blinked a few times before raising them to meet his gaze.
But I didn’t see pity. Instead there was commiseration and understanding and acceptance. The tears might have started if not for the sound of buzzing coming from my purse.
“Is that yours or mine?” Beck asked, reaching into his pocket and searching for his phone.
“It’s mine.” And I quickly grabbed the cell before the vibrating turned to loud ringing. “Hello?”
“Is this Lynlee? Lynlee Lincoln? Tig Durham is my Neutralizer, and I was told to call you if I had any trouble.” The female voice was panicked.
When I glanced at Beck, he gave me a knowing smile and motioned that I should take the call. I placed my hand over the receiver and frowned. “It’s a client. I’m afraid I’m probably going to have to cut our date short.”
He nodded, disappointment showing in his eyes just before he waved for the waiter to bring the check. As I turned my attention back to the caller, he leaned into my ear and whispered,
“Even third-stringers get the chance to make that touchdown. Run it into the end zone and make your boss take notice.”
Chapter 5
I DIDN’T GET HOME FROM taking care of Tig’s client until well after midnight. After a nice hot shower, I settled into my bed and started flipping through channels to find something worth watching. As the choices dwindled, my frustration rose, and I started hitting the button and scrolling through faster.
I almost missed The Goonies and had to back up a few channels when my mind registered. There was nothing more comforting than a good movie from one’s younger years. I sighed, dropped my head back against the pillows, and let my body relax.
Then my phone rang. I groaned, afraid it would be another of Tig’s MAUCs, but when I looked at the number, all the nerves in my body sparked to life – in a good way.
It was Beck.
“Hey, you,” I said, a smile filling up my face.
“Still awake?”
I yawned, the mere suggestion that it was late making me feel sleepy. “Just got home a little while ago.”
“Home? You’re back in Texas?”
I stretched my mouth out in an “eek” expression. “Oh, no. I’m in my hotel. I’ll hop a flight home tomorrow.”
He grunted in acknowledgment, and I heard rustling on the other end of the phone as if he were rolling over in bed. “That’s good. You should get some holiday downtime, too.”
“You’d think so,” I chuckled.
“Hey! What was that?”
My brows furrowed, and I glanced left and right, listening carefully for whatever he was hearing. “What was what?”
“Are you watching the Goonies? What channel?”
His excitement was contagious, and I found myself giggling like a little girl. It seemed even sexy men could be affected by a childhood movie favorite.
“Seriously, it was one of my favorites as a kid. My friends and I even made our own club just like them.”
“Did you really?” I scoffed, a seeming perpetual grin on my face. “We never did that.”
“Hey, I am not ashamed that I was a goonie-nerd. To this day, I’d rather watch this movie than just about any other. Oooo.... this is the best part!”
I probably heard those five words at least that many times during the life of the movie. I felt like I was talking to a little child on the telephone, but the longer we chatted, the more fun I had. And the more carefree and relaxed I became.
I released a jaw-popping yawn as we watched the pirate ship break through the rocks at the end of the movie, and within just a second or two, I heard Beck yawn as well.
“You probably need to get some sleep before you head home tomorrow.”
Even as he spoke I flipped off the television and then reached out to slap the lights off. “Yeah, I’m beat.”
The quiet that followed wasn’t unpleasant. In fact, I believed I could have just fallen asleep at that moment, listening to Beck’s soft breathing on the other end of the phone. My eyes drifted, and I snuggled deeper into the blankets.
“Lynlee...”
“Hmmm... yes?”
“I had a good time tonight. I’d like to do it again soon.”
My tired lips twitched with a half-smile. “Me, too.”
“How about tomorrow night?”
Sleep had my mind addled, and I wasn’t sure I was following the conversation. Even if I hadn’t already orbed to my home in Texas, Beck thought I would be flying here tomorrow. How could we possibly go out again tomorrow night?
“Movie night, I mean.” He clarified and my mind started to catch up.
“Movie night. Yes ...”
He chuckled. “Go to sleep, gorgeous. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“’ Night, Beck.”
“Good night, Lynlee ...”
There was no better sound to drift off to than that of my name on Beck’s lips.
Chapter 6
MOVIE NIGHTS WITH BECK were on a roll. We decided to take turns picking the movies, and tonight was his turn: Reindeer Games. The movie description provided absolutely no appeal to me, but Beck insisted he wanted a “dude movie.” I countered that since it was December 24, we should watch a more Christmas-y film. His response: “Reindeer is Christmas-y”
I had signed the papers for my new home just a few days earlier and via the magic of my wand, most of my possessions were already in their proper places. I was sorely in need of more furniture to fill up my huge house, and I was looking forward to taking advantage of post-holiday sales.
&nbs
p; Flicking my wand left and then right, I shifted a row of books from one shelf to another in my brand-new office. My brow cocked up, and I considered the organization a moment, then decided to put the occult and paranormal books back on the shelf closer to my desk since I’d probably have more need for them.
The rooms in my house felt hollow and overly quiet. I had the radio blaring back in the living room to fill up the silence. Ever since the year I’d left my parents’ home, I’d gladly spent my holidays alone, doing my thing without any care about what people were supposed to do for Christmas. For some strange reason, this year was different. I had the crazy urge to sing Christmas carols, drink apple cider, and have a room full of people to exchange presents with.
My hand to my forehead, I checked myself for fever. Something definitely wasn’t right with me.
Just then my phone rang, and my heart skipped when I saw Beck’s name. It was morning, much earlier than I normally heard from him, but it was a pleasant surprise. I pushed the answer button and wedged the phone between my ear and shoulder.
“Hey, there.”
“Hey, you. I’ve got bad news, baby.”
Bad news or not, I loved the sound of his voice; it made me smile and gave me the urge to laugh aloud. “Listen, if the video store is out of copies of Reindeer Games, I consider that good news. That means we move on to my choice, so you’d better grab The Santa Clause and...”
“There was a fire in my building, Lynlee.”
I sucked in a breath, immediately contrite about the joke. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. It was a small fire and wasn’t in my apartment, just my building, But the sprinkler systems went haywire, and it took them forever to get them to shut off so the whole place is flooded and the ceiling collapsed over my bedroom. All my stuff is ruined.”
“Crap. That’s terrible. Where are you gonna stay?”
He grumbled a few seconds, and I heard him shuffling around, cursing under his breath. “They’re giving the residents a stipend to get hotels, but my neighbor says a lot of places are booked.”
“You could come here.”
The sudden pause and utter silence on the other end of the line terrified me. I had spoken without thinking and even though I didn’t regret the invite, I was afraid I’d made a terrible faux pas. Beck and I had shared a meal and then enjoyed lots of flirting and bantering over the last several days, but inviting him to stay in my home over Christmas was an altogether different animal.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Of course.” I tried to keep my voice light and unconcerned, but my heart was thudding in my chest. “I mean, if you want to, that is.”
“I want to, Lynlee. I totally want to. But it’s your new house, and we haven’t known each other all that long. I just need to know you’re sure.”
My lip twitched as I registered his concern. I was a single woman with a big brand-new place, and I was inviting a man I had only known a week and a half at best to come stay with me. Most women would have the sense to be a little more careful.
But I wasn’t just a woman, I was a witch.
“Are you going to call and try to find a flight, or are you going to waste time worrying?”
His laughter set my nerves at ease, and I finally let the smile teasing my lips come through. “I’ll call you back to let you know if I can get there.”
Chapter 7
BY SOME MIRACLE, BECK found a cancellation and got a flight. His plane was scheduled to arrive at 3:45 that afternoon and even though I knew holiday travel would likely have some delays, I made sure I was there early to pick him up. My punctuality was rewarded when his flight landed right on time.
The entire drive to the airport, I’d wondered how I should greet him. When he made his way through the bustling gate and his eyes found mine, I didn’t have to wonder anymore. I rushed forward, pushing and shoving people out of my way and swallowed him up in a bear hug.
Beck didn’t seem to mind and even let his bag drop at his feet so that he could put his arms fully around me. “Merry Christmas Eve, gorgeous.”
I nuzzled his neck, inhaled his scent, then forced myself to step back and look at him again. “Merry Christmas Eve to you too.”
He surprised me by smacking a kiss to my lips, then simultaneously picked up his bag with one hand and grabbed my hand with the other. “Let’s get out of this place.”
I was really horrible with directions, and it wasn’t often that I drove the thirty or so miles to the airport, so the entire drive to my home I had to concentrate on my driving. Beck carried the conversation for the both of us, telling me about the apartment flood, his flight and the warm Texas weather.
I was just about to tell him there was a cold front arriving that night, but I missed my exit and decided it was better to focus on where I was going. Lucky for me, Beck didn’t seem to notice my U-turn and just kept on talking.
“Wow. You said it was big, but this is huge.” Beck’s jaw dropped when we pulled up to the house.
My chest puffed out in pride. I loved my house, and naturally I wanted everyone else to admire it, too. “See, I told you there was nothing for you to worry about. Plenty of room in my new digs for you to have your space.”
We had to maneuver our way past boxes when we entered the house through the kitchen. I had unpacked all of my things within no more than 24 hours of getting my house keys, but I realized almost too late that it would probably seem pretty unusual to most people. So in the hour before I left to pick Beck up, I’d managed to magically repack some of my things so that the place looked more normal.
“I bet you’re worn out with the rigors of the move,” he commented, following me down the hallway. “I’m sorry you had to rush out to pick me up this afternoon.”
“Hey, I invited you because I wanted you here. Don’t apologize.”
I opened the door to the downstairs bedroom and motioned him inside. There was a bathroom attached and so I crossed over and flipped that light on to be sure there were towels and other necessities there.
“Big room.”
My head bobbed up and down in agreement. “The realtor called it the second master. If you’ll help, we can get the bed set up.” I motioned to the mattress, box springs and frame. “Then you’ll be good to go.”
When I looked back at him, I was surprised to see him approaching me. In just a matter of seconds, he was in front of me, his hand brushing a lock of hair away from my cheek, then trailing a finger from my temple along my jaw. “Does the first master bedroom have a bed, too? One that’s already assembled?”
A tremble rolled up my spine, and I licked my lips, struggling to breathe. I didn’t mean to hesitate so long, but the close proximity to him always managed to undo me. Beck’s face blanched when I didn’t speak, and he quickly took a huge step away from me.
“Shit. I’m sorry, Lynlee. What an idiot. I mean, you invite me here to your home, and I practically manhandle you the moment we’re in the door.”
He ran a frustrated hand through his brown hair then marched off towards the kitchen. I stayed rooted to my spot for a moment, my mind swimming to the surface to find clarity. When I looked down the hallway Beck had both hands splayed against the island, while under his t-shirt, the muscles of his back flexed and released over and over.
I intended to walk to him calmly, but my legs were in a hurry and instead I rushed to stand behind him, cautiously placing my palms to his shoulders.
“I’m not living like a nun or something, but I don’t date. I never brought guys to my house ... I mean, I never had a house until now, but still, I brought you here because I want you here. I don’t just want you here, I want you, but you’re so damned sexy that all you have to do is get within a foot of me and I start acting all crazy. The only thing I can do when you get close is think about how bad I want to kiss you and then my brain just shuts down and I look stupid and I should probably just shut the hell up before I make an even bigger fool ...”
&
nbsp; His hands reached back to grab my waist, hauling my front up against his back. I gasped, then moaned as I leaned my upper body forward and put my cheek into the curve of his spine. There wasn’t time to get used to that position because before I could react Beck turned around and combed his fingers into my hair to hold onto me even as he backed me up against a wall.
“You’re right. You should just shut the hell up now, Lynlee. Shut up, stop thinking and just kiss me.”
Chapter 8
BECK DIDN’T HAVE TO tell me twice. When his lips dipped down, I stood up on my tip-toes and met him halfway. I rubbed my mouth against his, our breaths mingling in short rushes as he pecked and nibbled at my lips. My hand crawled up his back, taking hold of his neck so that I could force him closer, and we opened our mouths together.
When his tongue swept over mine, I knew I’d never tasted a sweeter kiss. A whimper rose up in my throat as if to beg for more. Beck gave me what I needed, plunging deeper and bruising my lips with frantic urgency.
While his mouth plundered mine, his hands were busy, too, working their way from my hair down my shoulders then my arms until they came to my hips. His fingers dug unto me, possessing me with their desperate grip. I had never felt so wanted in all my life.
I whimpered when his lips left mine, then sighed as they trailed a path along my neck, sucking and nipping. Hands that felt so good at my hips were exquisite when they plunged under my shirt.
My breasts tingled in anticipation as he rolled his index fingers under the hem of my bra, then reached behind to unclasp the hooks. I shoved against his chest in impatience so that I would have room to grab my shirt and rip it over my head. When I dropped my hands, the bra slipped to the floor even as Beck cupped a breast in each hand.
Trolling for Trouble (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 1) Page 9
