by Kiki Howell
When she recognizes the unique color of a famous jewelry store, Clara gasps. “No!”
I wink and ask, “Is this your answer? I haven’t popped the question yet.”
“No, silly!” Clara’s tears now flow down her round cheeks, but her grin is luminescent.
“Woman, you insist on denying me,” I laugh out loud as she punches my shoulder. I open the box to reveal a radiant princess-cut diamond, nestled in a platinum setting, complemented by twelve scintillating small round diamonds on each side of the bigger rock. “I’m positive you won’t deny this ring, will you?”
“I won’t,” she snorts amidst the tears.
“Good. However, in order to have this ring, you must take me with it as your lawful husband. Will you do that, gorgeous? Will you marry me?”
“Yes. Yes. Yes.”
I never doubted she’d say the word, but I’m giddily happy to hear her say it. I kiss her tears away, then plant a chaste kiss on the tip of her nose. Holding her hand, I slide the ring on her finger and kiss her palm. “I promise I’ll spend the rest of my days making you as happy as you’ve made me just now.”
“I like the way you think,” she crosses her arms behind my neck. “You can start working on that now.”
As we tumble together on the mattress, limbs tangled and mouths locked, I know this is the most selfish promise I’ve ever made because Clara’s happiness is my happiness.
The End
EVEN THOUGH LUST IS a standalone novella, you’ll find more stories featuring these characters you fell in love with. Just be sure to stalk Liz Gavin.
About the Author
INTERNATIONAL BEST-selling author Liz Gavin, has accomplished much in her short career. Her books have made to #1 and Top Five best-selling ranks in her home country Brazil and others as diverse as Japan, the UK and the US; both in English and Portuguese, collecting 5 and 4-star reviews. Nominated for a Summer Indie Book Award in 2016, and again in 2017, this RWA member constantly seeks new opportunities to improve her craft.
This thirst for knowledge propelled Liz to leave the comforts of family and friends in Brazil and move to California to pursue a Master’s degree in late 2015. She lives in sunny SoCal, where she’s researching the writing process, for her thesis, in hopes to figure out why she creates in English instead of her native Portuguese.
Liz Gavin writes in contemporary, paranormal, and historical genres. In her sexy stories, one finds smart, independent women, who don’t need rescuing by knights in shining armor, but indulge in steamy action with swoony Alpha males with big hearts. She also writes about women discovering their sexuality and finding happiness in unconventional setups.
Where to Find More of Liz Gavin:
Website – lizgavin.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/LizGavin_author
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Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/liz-gavin
Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/lizgavinauthor
Also by Liz Gavin
Naughty Clara
Halloween at Club Desire
Welcome to the Club
Celtic Fire
Luck of the Irish
Upside Down
At the Club
Flying High
Her Discipline
Indecent Proposal
Find these titles at lizgavin.com
Witch Playground
by Isis Pierce
Witch Playground © 2017 Isis Pierce
Edited by Tracy Vincent
Cover by Emcat Designs
Copyright notice: All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Dedication
To my husband Cody, who inspires me every day. Without you, I’d be a lost star.
Witch Playground
by Isis Pierce
Back her in a corner and she'll give you hell.
When Samantha Smith agreed to cast a spell to sneak her friend Sassy into the hottest paranormals’ club in Vegas, she never thought she’d actually get caught. Now she’s facing a trial and the possibility of losing everything—including her magic, and maybe even her life. To get out of legal trouble, she might have to sleep with a vampire or go to hell with a bounty hunter. Maybe both. And that’s a whole new kind of trouble.
Chapter One
SAMANTHA SMITH,
You are hereby summoned to Club Diablo. You are charged with providing a human, Sassy Rivers, a spell that turned her temporarily into a wolf shifter. Because of your actions, the aforementioned individual was able to gain illegal access to the premises. Laws passed by the Paranormal Government forbid humans from entering any paranormal establishment for their safety, as well as our own. If found guilty of misdemeanor charges, you face fines up to two-hundred and fifty thousand dollars. If found guilty of felony charges, your magic will be stripped from you permanently. You will then be executed and sent to the Underworld to spend eternity. Hades will be your Judge, Jury, and Executioner.
Samantha stared in shock at the black parchment clutched in her hand. It was one tiny spell. No one had gotten hurt. Her heart refused to beat a few times as it took a swan dive to the floor. Oxygen seemed nonexistent in her tiny apartment as she forgot how to breathe. She had to remind herself that she was mortal. She forced in a gulp of air. She could still hear her heartbeat thundering in her ears. If the galloping race of her heart didn’t slow down, she’d pass out. She’d miss her hearing. She’d end up being executed for sure. Death really wasn’t her color.
Five minutes ago, a delivery man had transported the letter to her small apartment. He’d confirmed Samantha’s identity and signature by her driver’s license and a fingerprint scan before releasing it. She’d been waiting for him to ask for a cavity check so she could tell him where to shove it. The sun didn’t shine there and it wasn’t about to start now.
He gave her a bright cheery smile through his yellowed teeth and a small wave as he walked out the door. Samantha was left wondering if he knew what kind of letter he’d just delivered, or if he was oblivious to the threat of her pending demise? What kind of monster went around delivering death threats with that kind of cheer? Sick bastards, that’s who.
Literal flames on the letter danced mockingly as she re-read the summons. Scorching heat from the flames nipped at her fingertips like teething puppies. Carefully, she forced her hand to lay the letter flat on the table before it burned her like a campfire marshmallow. She had no plans to be a part of S’mores tonight.
She watched the magical flames for a moment to make sure the letter wasn’t a booby trap disguised to burn down her place. She gave a small snort of laughter imagining the look of horror on her landlords face when she asked if the security deposit covered magical house fires.
Leaning over she quickly scanned the parchment again. When was she supposed to face these charges? Looking at the tiger clock above the sink full of dishes, she realized she had less than an hour to meet with Hades.
Shit. No pressure or anything.
SAMANTHA ARRIVED WITH five minutes to spare. The club was pitch black. How was she supposed to present herself to Hades if there was nowhere for her to go? What woul
d happen if they thought she didn’t show? Would she be automatically sent to the Underworld? She heard rumors Hades was an asshole. She had no intention of testing that theory by missing this hearing.
Ten o’clock at night was an odd time for a hearing. She knew the club was open seven days a week from nine at night to four in the morning. But the strangest part? The fact that there were no club lights on. The street lights in the parking lot were off
She glanced around looking for some sign of life. Any sign of life. No clacking sounds of heels from ladies hustling into the club. No beeps from car doors being locked. Probably because there was one car in the parking lot. Hers. No thump of loud music busting from inside the club to pound its rhythm on the sidewalk in front of the club entrance. Not a single soul standing outside in the cool night air trying to pay their fee to the bouncer.
Any other time she would have already been inside the club. The empty parking lot gave her pause. This was Las Freaking Vegas. The town that never slept. Located in a busy city district. Even inside the car she could hear the hustle and bustle of life across the street. Just not where she was sitting. What in the world?
She couldn’t sit here forever. A quick glance at her phone showed she only had two minutes left to make it inside. Absently she scratched at a blemish on the front of her phone with a chipped fingernail. She waved her hand and turned the phone to silent. At least she had her magic, for the moment anyways.
“Don’t be such a scaredy witch.” She mumbled out loud. She took a large, calming breath. She slammed the door with more force than necessary as she shuffled out of the car and headed to the ominous dark entrance of the club.
She wiped her damp palms on the side of her black skirt while mentally slapping herself for freaking out. What was the worst thing that could happen? Getting sent to the Underworld to spend the rest of her existence. The letter didn’t say they’d torture her during that time. But it didn’t say they wouldn’t either. “Great pep talk Samantha,” she murmured.
The whole thing probably sounded worse than it was. If she told herself enough lies, she’d start to believe the bullshit she was currently feeding herself. Yep, that was the golden ticket.
If she controlled a paranormal government and wanted to frighten people into obedience she’d make the smallest infractions sound like instant death. How else could one control a freakishly large supernatural community with immeasurable strength and various powers?
Taking another deep breath through her nose, she raised her right hand into a fist and knocked three times on the club door. The sound echoed in the parking lot.
She’d never admit out loud how frightened she was. Scared enough she felt she could pee herself at any moment. Her body was strung so tight that even hearing a sound right now might cause her to snap.
She felt like one of those dumb girls in a B-horror movie as she stood in front of the club entrance. The girls where the audience is screaming don’t do that and the killer is right behind the door. Or the main character hears something and calls out, “Hello?” Do they expect the killer to respond with, “Yeah, I’m down here with a knife. Want to join me?” She vowed not to be a part of that cliché by keeping her mouth shut.
This wasn’t a movie, though; this was her life. She quite enjoyed living in the human world, with her magic intact, and her soul inside a physical body. No matter how many warts life threw at her, she was alive and that was the most precious gift of all. Living to fight another day.
The wooden door creaked open a few inches. She jumped to the right side in case something jumped out. She refused to acknowledge the possible dampness she felt on her inner thigh. Witches didn’t pee their big girl panties. Not who would admit to it anyways.
She refused to call out. Damn it. She was a witch. She had bad ass powers. However, powers meant squat if she had to face Hades. He could sauté her witch ass up like a stir fry and serve her for dinner to his hellhounds. Nothing like a Greek god to give a magical girl a complex.
Her back was pressed up against the hard wall of the building. She could feel the coolness of the stones seeping through her lightweight top. She pushed her fingertips against her throat and felt her heart trying to pound its way out. Using her right hand, she pushed the door open until it was flush against the wall. Nobody behind the door. That was a good sign, right? Things were starting to look up.
She squinted and to the left side she saw a red strobe light had been left on and lit the empty checkered dance floor. The floor looked sparkling clean, which confirmed her suspicions that no dancers had been around the club tonight.
To the right, shadows surrounded the interior except a small light near the bar.
A man stood there completely still. The light above him cast a soft yellow glow, illuminating his body. And what a nice body it was. She licked her lips. A snug black shirt caressed his muscular chest. Ash-blond hair that spiked at the top gave him a boyish appearance. She’d never been much of a hair puller but she wanted to take those locks and tug him down for a kiss.
He looked up at her approach. Bright grey eyes framed by gorgeous, long black lashes had her breath catching in her throat. There was something wrong with the Universe that gave her short brown lashes, that couldn’t ever achieve the length of his...even when she ended up poking her eyes more than once with the mascara brush. Many women would kill to have lashes that long, her included.
Wow.
His full bottom lip appeared red from where she was standing. A defined square chin. Distinctive cheekbones. Milky, pale skin practically glowed in the soft light of the bar. He looked like smooth white chocolate that she just wanted to lick. White truffles had always been her weakness.
“You’re late, Samantha.” If his voice had been a temperature, it would have been an icy storm, crackling and snapping in the frigid air. It was as if he’d just thrown a bucket of ice water over her. She shook her head to get rid of the fantasy of eating white truffles off that chest.
Uncontrollable chills raced up and down her spine and it pissed her off. Couldn’t he have just kept his mouth shut for another five minutes so she could enjoy the view?
She glanced down at the phone in her hand to verify the time.
“I’m not late. I was here five minutes ago. Your parking lot is dark. There were no further instructions on where to go, and the club itself looks closed. I’m sorry if I wasn’t rushing to the door, in the pitch-black darkness, after getting a creepy ass letter, outlining the ways I could pay for my transgressions. Please forgive me, your highness.” The sarcastic response just rolled off her tongue before she could stop it. Her brain and mouth had no filter. It got her into a lot of trouble. But she really didn’t need this crap from some work jockey on a perceived power trip.
His stare became intense, and he scoped her out from top to bottom. It was like he suddenly found her interesting. Having an intensely sexual Ice Prince stare at her like he wanted to eat her was nerve-wracking. She caught herself fidgeting under his perusal and commanded her body to stop. She met his stare with a challenging one of her own. She would not back down. If she got struck down in the process, so be it. But she wasn’t some delicate flower to be trampled over and she didn’t care what this guy thought of her.
He smiled, sharp and dangerous. Her jaw dropped. He had fangs. Great, she had provoked a bloodsucker. She hoped he didn’t have a favorite blood type like, say, O negative.
“Can we just get this over with?” she snapped, finding her composure. “Where am I supposed to go to meet Hades?”
She wasn’t particularly looking forward to meeting the God everyone claimed was a dick but at the same time, she didn’t like the intensity of this vampire. The way he made her feel. His whole personality screamed, I’m a hot, immortal asshole who you’ll despise, but you’ll still want to jump in the sack with me.
She could tell he knew it, too. He clearly thought she would have the same reaction to him as everyone else probably did. God only knew how many women this imm
ortal vampire had been with. She was not interested. Really.
“Hades isn’t here.” If possible his grin grew wider and with a little snap of his teeth he continued, “I’ll be substituting on this case tonight.”
Great. She had just pissed off the hired help. The one who’d be deciding her fate. Foot meet mouth. She gave him a small sheepish smile. “Oops. You’ll have to forgive me, I don’t have a filter and I’m a little on edge today. Can we start over?”
He shook his head, and her heart sank as he continued, “I’ve already decided your punishment, and Hades agreed with it.”
Awesome, she was going to get drained dry and be this man’s delicious dinner. He probably wouldn’t even bat an eye.
The silence stretched on till she couldn’t take it anymore. “And? What is my punishment?”
He tapped a finger to his chin, as if in deep thought. “You’ll be charged with a misdemeanor offense.” Her heart started to slow.
She wasn’t going to be sent to the Underworld. Thank Hades. “After you’ve paid your two-hundred and fifty-thousand dollar fine you’ll be cleared of all charges,” he added. “You have twenty-four hours to return your payment to me.”
She swallowed hard. “Doesn’t that seem a steep punishment? Who has that kind of money just laying around? Nothing happened. Sassy didn’t get hurt and when she was a wolf shifter, she found her eternal mate. What about the good of the situation? Doesn’t that count for anything?”
Even as she continued to speak, she knew he wouldn’t let her off. How was she to pay that sum of money? Did other immortals just have a stash of cash laying around in their mansions? She sure as hell didn’t. She lived in a little studio apartment and some months just barely squeaked by on paying her bills.
