Impulsive Magic: A Snarky Paranormal Romance (Modern Magic Book 4)

by Nicole Hall

  She snuck a glance at him that he would have missed if he hadn’t been staring at her. Belatedly, he smoothed the frown from his face. On the off chance someone noticed them, he wanted to present a believable façade. Her hand relaxed in his, and Seth joined her next to the jewelry.

  “Which do you like?”

  A smile flitted across her face, and she pointed at a necklace with a sparkling teardrop crystal hanging from it. “That one.”

  Seth picked it up and noticed several knots of protection in the fine filigree that attached the pendant to the chain. How interesting.

  The shop tender turned from whatever she was doing in the back of the popup tent and approached the table in a cloud of sandalwood perfume. “That’s a fine choice. I would have recommended it myself.”

  The woman looked familiar. Seth tilted his head, trying to place her. Under an abundance of scarves, she appeared pleasantly middle-aged, a tad plain for his liking, but he tended to gravitate toward more striking features. Like turquoise eyes set against raven-black hair. Seth shook his head slightly. While he’d daydreamed, she’d unclasped the necklace from the security chain and draped it over his hand.

  “Go ahead. See how it looks against her skin.”

  Keely shook her head. “No, thank you though. I can’t afford something this gorgeous.”

  The woman closed her hand over Seth’s in a surprisingly firm grip. “I insist. Henry back there noticed when you arrived, and he’s never wrong.”

  Keely’s brows drew together, and Seth understood her confusion. Who was Henry? He glanced to the back of the tent where the woman had pointed, and made eye contact with a bright green iguana in a large glass tank. The woman might be crazy, but Keely wanted that necklace.

  He extracted his hands, then brushed Keely’s hair away from her nape so he could fasten the chain. The small movement brought him face to face with Keely. Seth couldn’t resist lowering his head a little to breathe in her scent. Everything in him relaxed at the feeling of rightness that came from standing there with Keely so close.

  She looked up at him through her lashes, and Seth noted a distinct absence of panic from the bond. His hands trailed over her neck as he stepped back to check his handywork. The clear pendant caught the sunlight and shined like a beacon. Keely looked down and touched it with a finger.

  “There now. Like I said. Don’t you dare take that off, young lady. The perfect piece to hold all your love. It is the greatest power of all.” The woman winked at Seth when he caught her eye.

  Keely sighed longingly, and Seth knew he’d pay anything for that bauble.

  “We’ll take it.”

  “Seth, no. We talked about this.”

  He ignored Keely’s protests and pulled out his wallet. “How much?”

  The woman smiled and subtly flipped over the placard with the price. “How about fifteen dollars?”

  Keely frowned at her. “That can’t possibly be right.”

  She tsked at Keely. “My goods, my prices. What do you say, Seth?”

  He grinned. “Deal.”

  She clapped her hands together and happily took the money, tucking it into a cloth bag under the iguana’s tank. Seth grabbed Keely’s hand again and pulled her away before she could protest more. Keely yelled her thanks, and the strange woman waved before turning back to her iguana.

  Keely absently touched the pendant as they walked. Each time, her lips tipped up in a secret little smile. Seth felt quite proud of himself for maneuvering around her resistance, until she broke the short silence.

  “You weren’t supposed to buy me anything.”

  Seth drew her along with him in a slow stroll as they reached the end of the row. “We weren’t supposed to be breathing heavy last night, but we’re both bad at following our own rules.”

  Keely blushed, but she didn’t back down. “I don’t want your money.”

  “I don’t recall giving you any. The necklace is a gift. Consider the dress I’m going to buy you later a work uniform.”

  She raised a brow. “I can buy my own dresses.”

  “Are you done shopping?”

  “No, and avoiding the question isn’t going to work.”

  Seth disagreed, but he gave in anyway, turning for the second row of tents. “The party will be here before you know it. Luc demands black-tie because he likes to dress up and show off. He’d expect my mate to be appropriately dressed and flaunted.”

  Keely pressed her lips together. “What makes you think I can’t pull together an outfit appropriate for a black-tie event? I worked in Manhattan.”

  Normally, Seth would have pushed a little further—he liked when Keely got riled up—but in this case, he needed her cooperation more than her sassy attitude. “I think that given enough time you’d be able to pull together a stunning outfit, but we can’t waste that time shopping. I’ve seen your closet. The closest thing you have to formal is that stuffy black thing with a petticoat.”

  “It was for a costume, and it’s cheaper to rent dresses for one-off events,” she muttered.

  Seth squeezed her hand and stopped in front of another fruit stand, hoping to calm her hackles. “That’s my point. Why waste your limited funds for a one-off event when I’m offering to provide the dress for free?”

  She yanked her hand back so she could cross her arms. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal. We have eleven days until your party. You spend the next nine days with me, no sudden mysterious errands to run, no locking yourself in the bedroom, nada. We’re going to take a crash course in getting to know each other. If you can keep your hands to yourself for those nine days, I’ll let you buy me a dress.”

  Seth’s brow furrowed. “Last night, you begged me to put my hands on you.”

  Keely rolled her eyes and shifted away from the now-blushing fruit seller. “Yeah, two whole minutes after we agreed to keep things platonic.”

  “I don’t see how that matters.”

  “When I make a decision, I expect myself to stick by it, even if it’s hard. At the slightest encouragement, I threw the decision out the window. Clearly, I can’t be trusted with myself. Or you.”

  Seth had trouble following her logic, but the bond indicated a greater distress than she’d displayed during the confusing conversation. He badly wanted a repeat of last night, but only if she wanted it as much as he did. Keely stood in front of him with her arms crossed, as closed up as she could get with a bond connecting them. He didn’t regret what they’d done, but part of her did.

  The disappointment tasted bitter, but then, Seth was used to people judging him unworthy. He’d just expected Keely to be different.

  Careful to keep his hurt to himself, Seth adopted his usual irreverent attitude and grinned. “I’ll agree to your deal with one caveat.”

  Keely peered at him suspiciously. “What’s that?”

  Seth moved in close and kissed her temple before speaking softly. “I’ll keep my hands to myself until you beg for them again.”

  She swallowed hard and nodded, looking past his shoulder. Heat built between them, coming at him from the bond. Under the tension, he felt her cling desperately to her control and understanding dawned. Her wild urges scared her. That was what she regretted, not him.

  Seth smiled to himself and glanced over at the fruit seller, scrambling to look busy organizing the pineapples in front of her, and made the executive decision that they were done with the farmer’s market. Keely wanted to spend nine days together? Fine with him.

  He recaptured her hand and led her out of the stalls. “Let’s go home. I have some non-touching quality time to spend with you.”

  Keely’s hand relaxed in his, and Seth breathed a little easier. Last night, he’d been the one to push the boundaries. This time, he planned to give her every reason to do it herself.

  Living together platonically was going to kill him.

  He’d kept his hands strictly to himself, despite feeling her arousal through the bond every time he invaded her space. Sometimes he caught
her staring at him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention, but she’d maintained her friendly attitude and nothing more.

  The first night, after coming home from the farmer’s market smugly sure he’d have her begging by dinner, Keely had resisted every one of his efforts. The time hadn’t been entirely wasted since he’d convinced her to cuddle up next to him on the couch for a movie he’d seen hundreds of times.

  Seth amused himself by whispering the lines to her and making her giggle with his terrible accents. When they finally said goodnight, a warm rush of contentment surprised him. It shouldn’t have though; he’d known spending time with her was fun.

  True to the deal, they spent all their free time together. Those nine days turned out to be some of the best of his life. They talked at length about everything, dreams, childhood memories, family. He even told her a little about his parents, though he left out the part about wanting to find the truth of their disappearance. As he’d known she would, Keely respected his wishes to not want to talk about it.

  To his utter joy, she kicked his ass at his favorite video game. He should have known better from her sly smile when she asked what all the buttons did, but he’d patiently explained the controls anyway. Keely let him win the first round—he was sure of it. Then while he offered advice on how to improve, she’d let loose with an expertise that made him sit back and marvel for a minute.

  Keely laughed at the look on his face, and Seth decided he’d lose every game if it made her happy. Not that she needed him to let her win. He only managed to win one other round during the entire nine days. In fairness, he’d been a llama for the better part of a year and his skills had deteriorated some.

  Watching a movie together became their nightly ritual, and despite spending a majority of the day with her, Seth most looked forward to those couple of hours with Keely in his arms. He couldn’t remember a damn thing about what happened on the screen, but every shift and sigh she made etched on his memory.

  On the last night, Seth settled down in the corner of the couch and put his feet on his coffee table. There were only about twelve hours left of Keely’s deal, and he had to admit he might have finally met his match. Twelve hours, and he’d be free to do all the things he’d been holding back. Keely’s panic from the farmer’s market hadn’t returned, and Seth hoped it stayed that way.

  He’d been waiting for her to change into her pajamas so they could watch another movie, and he fully planned to take what he could get with her snuggled next to him. The dress wasn’t that important to Seth, though he stood by his reasoning that she needed something formal to wear to the party, but Keely showed no signs of weakening her resolve again. Much to his chagrin.

  At long last, Keely came out of her room finger combing her hair. Seth thought those were probably the sexiest pajama pants he’d ever seen, mostly because Keely wore them with a tiny tank top.

  She flashed him a smile. “You waited?”

  “Of course. I’m not a barbarian.”

  Keely snorted and shut off the lights on her way to the couch. She liked to watch movies in the dark. One of many things he’d learned during their self-imposed isolation.

  She sat next to him and searched his face. “Are you sure you want to watch this?”

  Seth let his head fall back dramatically. “For the last time, I don’t care what we watch as long as it doesn’t include that creepy talking dog.” He stretched his arm along the back of the couch in invitation, and she scooted closer to lean against his side.

  Several minutes went by, and Seth couldn’t for the life of him focus on the movie. His mind insisted on returning to what would happen tomorrow. They’d undertake the obligatory shopping trip when he fulfilled his end of the deal, but how would Keely respond when her safety net disappeared? How would he?

  Nothing had changed in their situation that would make it safer to risk her participation. Except Seth understood her better now. After nine days of forced contact, he had a firm grasp of all things Keely.

  She laughed at the movie and shifted closer, glancing up at him. He offered her a smile, then trained his eyes on the screen. Hands off. The litany ran through his head on repeat. Hands off.

  His current distraction made him think they’d be better off giving in to the attraction. If he couldn’t even watch a movie with her pressed against him, how was he supposed to find long buried information on his parents in Aecantha? Then again, he’d be hard-pressed to find any information if he gave in and spent the next year in bed with her.

  His perfect fake mate was turning out to be more problematic than he’d anticipated. Seth grinned. But what a problem to have. In true trouble-maker fashion, he’d see how tomorrow played out before making a decision that could cost him his future.

  8

  KEELY

  Seth definitely wasn’t watching the movie. He smiled in all the right places, but his shoulders tightened when she shifted, and his hand gripped the back of the couch. Keely didn’t pretend to misunderstand. Honestly, she might have been playing with him a little bit.

  When she’d proposed the deal of a dress for nine days of chaste courtship, she’d been reeling from his effect on her and defensive about being paid for services rendered. As they’d spent more time together, she’d come to accept that Seth didn’t expect sexual favors in return for the money. The knowledge relieved her conscience, but no matter how hard she tried, Keely couldn’t control her reactions to him.

  The night he’d returned, she’d intended to say her piece and go to bed, but she hadn’t even put up a token resistance when he’d pushed. Who was she kidding? She’d started it. And he’d damn sure finished it.

  Keely squeezed her thighs together to try to alleviate the growing ache there, but she didn’t expect it to help much. Nothing had so far. The deal had been her way of trying to win back some control.

  It wasn’t working.

  The bond made sure she could always feel the simmering desire between them. Even sitting next to him now, she felt the pressure building. Keely wiggled again, a tiny movement that brushed her hip against his, and watched his hand clench into a fist out of the corner of her eye.

  There existed a certain heady power in being able to affect him with such a small action. He wasn’t the only one affected though. Keely struggled to keep her breathing even and her eyes straight ahead, but his reaction made it a thousand times harder.

  Keely couldn’t help herself. She shifted, and her hand brushed his thigh.

  For a second, he held himself stiffly. Then as dramatic music built the movie to a climax, Seth tilted his head down until she could feel his warm breath against her ear.

  “All you have to do is ask.”

  Keely shut her eyes and willed herself not to speak. His rough whisper was the first time he’d mentioned his caveat to the deal since they’d made it. Her body screamed yes. It begged to see how much better his touch would be in person, but the desperate need scared her.

  She had her reasons for keeping a rein on her uncontrolled urges. Reckless abandon led to bad decisions which led to finding a new place to live in the middle of a semester. Or in this case, could lead to screwing up Seth’s homecoming plan. Either way, homelessness would be on the horizon.

  Her eyes opened again to see the credits start rolling. Neither of them moved.

  She wasn’t stupid. Seth could have been working his magic on her the last nine days, maybe literally, until she gave in and begged, but he hadn’t. Even without any effort on his part, Keely nearly called the deal off. He could buy her the stupid dress and anything else he wanted as long as he followed through with his wicked promises.

  Keely licked her suddenly dry lips and turned her head to face him. A muscle ticked in his jaw, mere inches from her, but he wouldn’t cross the distance. Her chest tightened as she met his eyes. She felt his frustration through the bond, blending with her own.

  Her head began to swim, and Keely realized she’d been holding her breath. She sucked in a breath, and i
nstead of moving closer like she wanted him to, Seth backed away. He stood and turned the TV off, plunging them into darkness.

  He didn’t make any noise, but she could sense him walking toward her. Lit only by the cityscape outside the window, he took her hand and lifted her to her feet. Her inner hussy shouted for joy, but the celebration was short-lived. Seth escorted her down the hall and released her outside her bedroom door without a single caress.

  “Goodnight, Keely.” The challenge in his voice told her he knew exactly what he was doing.

  She couldn’t let it go unanswered. “Seth?”

  He paused with a hand on his doorknob. Keely badly wanted to have a savvy comeback at the ready. Something to bring him to his knees and provide a decisive victory to their stand-off.

  Nothing. Her mind remained stubbornly blank.

  She shook her head with a self-deprecating smile. “Nevermind. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  His bedroom door clicked shut softly, and Keely wished she could close out his satisfaction so easily. The bond didn’t care about her frustration, and truthfully, she didn’t really want to close Seth out, only his smug belief that he’d won.

  Keely glared at his door for a moment, then went into her own room. They’d had a great day together, so why had the last fifteen minutes sucked? She flopped face-first onto her bed and groaned.

  Her waffling pissed her off. She might as well have been standing there wringing her hands. Seth had done exactly as she’d asked. Did her frustration stem from his failure to push for more? Had she secretly wanted him to make her beg? She acted confident, but the loss of control paralyzed her whenever it came time to make a decision about what she wanted.

  Seth deserved better than her back and forth.

  Irritated at herself and her body’s refusal to obey, Keely crawled under her covers and tried to sleep.

  Keely opened bleary eyes at the jarring bleep of her text notification. She’d changed it after that night with Seth, and now it annoyed her every time it went off. Or maybe she was already annoyed. She’d tossed and turned most of the night alternating between nightmares and dreams of joining Seth in his bed.