Seduced and Enchanted

by Stephanie Julian

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

  www.ellorascave.com

  Seduced and Enchanted

  ISBN 9781419918315

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Seduced and Enchanted Copyright © 2008 Stephanie Julian.

  Edited by Carole Genz.

  Photography and cover art by Les Byerley.

  Electronic book Publication November 2008

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Magical Seduction:

  Seduced and Enchanted

  Stephanie Julian

  Trademarks Acknowledgement

  The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:

  Chucks: Converse Inc.

  Spock: Paramount Pictures Corporation

  Star Trek: Paramount Pictures Corporation

  The Lord of the Rings: Saul Zaentz Company DBA Tolkien Enterprises

  The Twilight Zone: CBS Broadcasting Inc.

  Toyota: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)

  Author’s Note

  In the contemporary world, magic holds no sway. But looks can be deceiving.

  Old gods remain. Old ways continue.

  Mythical creatures live among us…if you know where to look.

  The Etruscans were a mysterious civilization that came to prominence in what is now northern Italy. The ancient Greeks feared them. The ancient Romans revered them.

  Their culture was powerful and sophisticated on the surface. But what they kept hidden was much more interesting… Magic!

  The magical descendants of the ancient Etruscan race still walk the Earth. They comprise two groups. The Enu are of human descent, the Fata are spirits of the forests, water and air. Both have the ability to control the elements with the arus, the magic in their blood.

  For centuries, the Etruscans have maintained their culture, practicing their rituals and their way of life in the shadows, behind closed doors.

  But they live among us. And they’re more powerful than you’ll ever know.

  Chapter One

  That guy was way too gorgeous to be smiling at her.

  But for the past two minutes, as Rosalia Bianchi waited in line at the Square Deal market, she’d watched him watch her in the reflection of the glass doors behind the counter.

  She was so tempted to return that smile but she just couldn’t muster the courage to do it. And that really sucked, by the way.

  Which begged the question, why the hell was the hottie giving her that look?

  She was nothing special. Not in looks, body or brains. Not that she was ugly, deformed or stupid. Just average in every way. From her mouse brown hair to her B-cup bra and her size-six feet.

  So why was he grinning at her as if she were gorgeous, stacked and confident? Nobody had ever looked at her like that in all her twenty-seven years. Not once.

  Hell, she was used to getting passed over for women like the blonde ahead of her in a red suit that looked like no business suit Rosie would ever wear. Not with its skirt at least two inches above her knees and a tight jacket that conformed to every abundant curve.

  But the guy didn’t even glance at the other woman when she walked by him. Not even when the blonde flashed him a smile. He just kept his eyes on Rosie.

  “Hey there, Rosie,” Ethel said from behind the counter, drawing Rosie’s gaze away from Mr. Hottie. “Your usual today?”

  Blinking, she stepped up to the counter, takeout container in hand. “Hi, Ethel. You know I love your chicken potpie. It’s the best.”

  “You betcha,” the sexagenarian said as she rang up Rosie’s lunch order. “And you can certainly afford it. You’re a stick, babe. You need some meat on your bones.”

  A blush heated Rosie’s cheeks at Ethel’s overly loud comment, but she couldn’t be mad at her. The woman had been a friend of her godmothers for decades. She was practically family.

  But now the gorgeous guy behind her was probably looking at her skinny ass and rethinking that sexy smile. God, his mouth was almost too pretty to be a guy’s and he had gorgeous hair, straight and dark and long enough to cover his ears. He looked young, a bit younger than her, with those sharp cheekbones and strong Roman nose. Not young enough to dismiss out of hand though…

  Shaking her head, she said, “Thanks, Ethel. I’ll tell my godmothers you said hi.”

  “You do that, schnook. Talk to you later.”

  After Ethel handed over her change, Rosie turned—and found herself staring straight into Mr. Hottie’s dark brown eyes. They reminded her of chocolate—rich, yummy and sinful.

  Her feet tangled together and she fell forward. She gasped but didn’t have time to extend her arms to break her fall because he caught her against his body, somehow saving both her lunch and her dignity. Well, maybe not her dignity, because falling over her feet like that was pretty damn embarrassing.

  He had to know he was the cause of her clumsiness. Girls probably fell over him all the time. Girls, women, grandmothers, gay men…

  “Hey. You okay?”

  Oh wow. Her eyes widened just a little more. His voice matched that sexy smile, rubbing against her skin like velvet. Deep, a little raspy. God, she’d give anything to hear him say, “Come on, Rosie, harder. Take me deeper.”

  A hot blush flamed her cheeks and she dropped her gaze, taking a step away from him and glancing down at the foam container in her hand to make sure her lunch hadn’t spilled. Well, at least that was her excuse, and she was sticking to it.

  It was a good thing the guy couldn’t read her mind. She’d embarrass the hell out of him.

  “I’m fine, thanks.” She still couldn’t look him in the eyes but her gaze had lifted to his chest at least. “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem.” He shrugged his broad shoulders, encased in a tight black t-shirt. The shirt showed them off to perfection and skimmed the strong muscles in his arms, hinting at six-pack abs. “Good day for potpie, huh?” He smiled at her almost shyly.

  Potpie? Her eyes widened and the quick exit line she’d prepared stuck in her throat. Did this guy really want to talk to her? Guys like him never wanted to talk to her. What was wrong with him?

  She glanced down at his hand, warm on her arm. Those were poet’s hands, musician’s hands, long-fingered and beautiful. And wearing no rings.

  Then she looked up, back into his eyes.

  If she were the kind of girl who flirted, she’d smile, bat her eyes and step closer. She’d say something witty, something a little sexy. She’d ask if he wanted to get a table in the back where they could talk. Unfortunately she wasn’t that kind of girl.

  Instead, she said, “Uh, yeah. It’s chilly f
or October.” Christ, what an idiot she was! She barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes.

  His hand fell away as she dropped her gaze and practically ran for the door, cursing herself the whole way.

  * * * * *

  Valerio de Feo had noticed the woman the second he walked into the market to get lunch.

  Teodoro had told him this was the best place for a good fast meal within walking distance and since Teo lived in the city, Rio figured he’d take his older brother’s word for it.

  He’d have to thank Teo for the suggestion when he got back to the apartment. He’d found way more than decent food.

  He’d been struck first by the woman’s eyes as their gazes caught for just a second at the food bar in the back of the market. He’d noticed how pale a purple they were. They stood out like a beacon in her pale cream complexion.

  She’d glanced away fast but it’d given him time to assess her features—and he’d found himself falling for her just a little harder.

  She wasn’t beautiful. She was too soft for that, with her button nose, high cheekbones and pointed chin. But those eyes were gorgeous, huge and so unusual in color. Her mouth was such a perfect bow he couldn’t help but wonder how her lips would feel wrapped around his cock.

  She was tiny—no more than five-two, he guessed—which made him feel like a giant at five-ten. Still, she wasn’t lacking in curves. Her breasts would fill his palms. Her hips were slim, with just enough flesh to hold on to and her sleek ass begged to be petted.

  Rio liked women, all kinds of women. Blondes, brunettes, redheads. Bold women who liked to laugh. Who weren’t afraid to tell him what they wanted and how they wanted it.

  This woman was different. Even his gaze seemed to make her nervous. But he couldn’t help staring at her. Hell, he got hard just looking at her.

  When she tripped, he’d reached for her instinctively. Anyone else would have done the same. He hadn’t had any secondary motives… Well, at least none he felt guilty about. And then, as his hands touched her skin— He hadn’t been able to read her.

  Rio was a linchetto of the Fata. As one of the Etruscan magical races, linchetti had abilities an etera, a regular human, would think fantastical.

  For one thing, the Fata aged differently than humans. Rio might look like he was in his early twenties but he was nearly forty, almost one hundred years younger than his oldest brother Cam. Not that his youthful looks had ever gotten in the way with women. On the contrary…

  All linchetti could dissolve their bodies into shadow. A hell of a tool for the job he and his brothers performed.

  But Rio had been born with a little something extra. A goddess gift.

  He could read a person’s mind through skin-to-skin contact.

  So far the only people he couldn’t read were his parents, which frosted him to no end. Still, he figured it was just as well. As the youngest of four brothers, he probably didn’t want to know what his parents thought most of the time. His three older brothers were tough to read too, but he could if he really wanted to.

  But now this woman… He’d be damned if he let her get away.

  Through the glass doors behind the counter, his gaze tracked Rosie’s departure as he waited impatiently to pay for his lunch. As soon as he’d handed over his money, he hustled out the front door. He looked left then right and got lucky when he caught a glimpse of her just before she turned the corner from Sixth Street onto Penn.

  He hurried to catch up but made sure she didn’t see him. He didn’t want to freak her out by getting caught following her. Luckily the decent weather had lured the office crowd outside for lunch, allowing him to hide in the masses.

  When she hit Fifth Street, she turned left and walked a couple of blocks to the corner of Fifth and Franklin.

  A smile curled his lips. It was almost too much of a cliché but it fit her to a T. His shy mouse worked in the library.

  Yeah, he knew he wouldn’t earn any points referring to her as a rodent but, hey, he thought mice were cute and she reminded him of one. Small, timid, her dark hair caught in a braid flicking back and forth like a tail. Adorable.

  And completely edible.

  From street level, he looked up at the grand entrance of Reading Public Library. With its steep wide steps and columned entry, the building resembled an ancient Roman temple. He’d been struck by the design the first time he’d seen it and walked in just to look around. Amazed by the architectural detail, he’d figured one Etruscan or three had been involved in the design and construction.

  The city of Reading held a great deal of power, as did a few of the older cities in the eastern part of the United States. That was why Reading and the surrounding Berks County were crawling with Enu and Fata. Which begged the questions, who was this woman and how was she able to block him?

  Rio decided he needed to do more study. And what better place to study than in a library?

  Still staring up the steps, he debated his options for a minute. Should he walk in the front door and simply ask her out? Or do a little recon first?

  His oldest brothers Cam and Nino constantly nagged him about being too impetuous—their words, not his. He wasn’t impetuous. He just knew what he wanted and went after it—without thinking through every fricking possible consequence.

  Still, considering how she’d scurried out of the market, away from him, a little recon wasn’t out of the question. After all, he didn’t want to scare her off.

  Walking around the side of the building, he tossed his uneaten lunch in the trash can on the corner. He’d get something else later. Then he found a darkened doorway, made sure there was no one around and dissolved his corporeal body into shadow.

  Invisible now, he walked up the steps to the main doors and passed through them. Cool air brushed through him and the musty aroma of old books tickled his sense of smell. Shaking off a sneeze, he looked around.

  Damn, this place reminded him of a tomb—where books went to die.

  But there were more people in here than he’d figured there would be. Several sat at computers in the reference department, two or three browsed the DVDs in front of the desk to the left of the door and another ten or so roamed the fiction section and the stacks.

  He didn’t see his pretty quarry anywhere. He figured that would’ve been too easy, and nothing good ever came easy.

  Fifteen minutes later, after having checked the first floor, all four levels of stacks and the offices, Rio headed up the stairs to the second floor. It was the only place left and, again, made perfect sense.

  She had to be in the children’s library.

  * * * * *

  Rosie could swear someone was watching her all afternoon.

  Whether she was in the children’s library on the second floor or at the front desk on the first floor, she felt someone’s gaze on her. It was weird, but it didn’t feel malicious or creepy. Just…strange.

  Not even the constant stream of children and parents who came and went all afternoon dispelled the feeling. On the contrary, it only got more intense during afternoon story time. She was used to having the kids and parents stare at her as she read Where the Wild Things Are or Oh, The Places You’ll Go.

  But this…this new feeling was definitely weird.

  Of course it was no weirder than the fantasy she kept having all day. The one starring Mr. Hottie from the Square Deal. The one where he followed her back to the library and was waiting right outside the door to ask her out.

  She snorted. That definitely sealed the deal. She’d obviously become delusional. The guy had probably forgotten about her the second she was out of his sight. A cute guy like that had a girlfriend anyway. Maybe even two.

  At the end of the afternoon, walking downstairs to get the children’s returns, she still wondered why he’d smiled at her. She was a librarian. Hell, she looked like a librarian. She glanced down at her purple sweater-and-cardigan set, scarred by a few chalk marks from when she’d redone the schedule for next week. And her knee-length k
haki skirt had a spot of glue. She didn’t even know where that had come from.

  At least she wasn’t wearing orthopedic shoes.

  She hadn’t become the complete cliché just yet. Her purple high-top Chucks were comfortable and just eclectic enough to ward off a complete transformation into the stereotypical spinster virgin librarian. She wasn’t old enough to be a spinster. And she definitely was no virgin.

  She’d had boyfriends. None she’d wanted to keep forever, but at least no one had ever dumped her for being boring in bed.

  Or course, none of them had looked like the lunch hottie. Which reminded her that she hadn’t been able to talk to him without falling over her own feet. She cringed.

  “What’s got you so blue, Rosie?” Dottie West asked as she slid another book onto the adult return cart. “Your godmothers okay?”

  “They’re fine.” Rosie grabbed a few more books from the pile to put on the children’s library cart. “They called from the cruise ship last night. Fanny’s complaining about the food, Lora has the hots for their waiter and Vivian can’t sleep without her pillow. Business as usual.”

  Dottie laughed, a husky chuckle that sounded like dry leaves rustling in the street. “Yeah, that sounds like your godmothers. So what are you going to do with yourself for the next week while they’re gone?”

  Rosie heard the underlying concern in her older coworker’s voice and stifled a sigh. Jeez, you’d think she was still ten years old and coming in to volunteer with Fanny.

  However, she was at loose ends this weekend. She’d planned to catch up on her reading, maybe take a drive over to Gring’s Mill for a walk, if the nice weather held. See a movie, if there was anything interesting in the theaters… Mentally running through her weekend plans, Rosie wondered how boring her life could get.

  “Oh, I’ll probably hit some bars, pick up a few men, maybe get a tattoo.”

  Dottie just smiled. “That’s nice, dear. Have a good time with that.” She wandered off with her cart.