The Witch's Love Spell Book One

by Larissa Ladd

  Maybe it was time to consider a little practical magic after all. There were plenty of ways she could use her spells without hurting him. In fact, he most likely wouldn’t even know she’d done anything, if she were careful. The question was, how strong was his spirit? Could she just use a simple curse, or would she have to gift him with some sort of talisman that kept him under the influence? She got the impression he wouldn’t succumb the easy way. But then, she’d never been one to take the easy way out. She sure as hell wasn’t going to do it this time, when it was most important.

  She only wanted Chad to like her. As a boss. Maybe more. If she was going through with this, she decided that she might as well get a little fun and games out of it. Sitting back down at her desk, she put the question in the back of her mind, ready to get down to business and handle her personal problems later.

  Chapter 9

  “I have to know, Mother.” Skyler only called Ava that when she was determined to get something out of her. Ava Duran had avoided explaining her plans for David’s wedding throughout the dinner conversation, playing games with her daughter. She’d danced around the edges of her purpose or changed the subject one too many times now, and Skyler had grown weary of it. “Just tell me. Obviously, I won’t be able to change your mind or stop you. So, why don’t you tell me what brilliant scheme you’ve conjured up?”

  Ava rolled her eyes and sighed before leveling a very serious gaze at Skyler. “It’s really not that genius, Skyler, dear. I simply want David to pay for what he did to Jayden. I needed a way to get into the wedding so I could assure he was publicly humiliated, and I believe the best option is as a caterer. I’ve even spoken to him and offered him a vast discount.”

  “How can you offer a discount on something you don’t have?” Skyler asked, exasperated. “You don’t have a catering company, and, therefore, you don’t have a set price. How can you drop below a price level that’s never been set?”

  Ava waved her off. “Oh, please, I know how caterers come up with their prices. I asked him for a head count and multiplied by fifty dollars a head. I told him that was the regular price, then offered to do it for half that.”

  Infuriated, Skyler spoke in slow, enunciated syllables. “Listen to me, Mom. That’s a wonderful offer, if you have access to a catering company or materials. But you don’t, and this wedding is taking place next weekend.” Jayden had called in a panic after work and told her that, apparently, Ava had not only secured the job but had also convinced both bride and groom to move the date forward by three months.

  But the conniving smirk on Ava’s face assured Skyler she had already set everything in motion, and that left a sick feeling in the pit of Skyler’s stomach. “Ye of little faith, darling. We have magic on our side. Let’s just say I know some people who own a catering company, and with a little of our brand of persuasion, it’s all taken care of. All I have to do is drop a little of my special concoction onto David’s plate before he eats, and we’re in business.”

  Poison?! “Mom, you can’t kill him.”

  “You know me better than that! All I want is to give him some stomach trouble. In fact, just about the time he stands up to give his speech, he’ll start to feel a bit ill, and let’s just say it won’t be words that will spew from his mouth.” Her self-satisfied attitude made Skyler want to cry. Honestly, it was a perfect plan, and for just an instant, Skyler wished she had thought of it on her own.

  But she shook that thought from her head. “This is wrong, Mom. You can’t go through with it.”

  Scowling deeply, Ava pointed a harsh finger at Skyler. “Now, I’m going to do this because it’s what the man deserves. He was horrible to Jayden, and he should pay the price for that. We’re just lucky enough to have the capability of doing so without the disadvantage of being traceable. Now, let me tell you the best part.” Oh, great, Skyler thought. This gets richer. “I’ve gotten invitations to the reception for both you and Jayden, and you each have a plus-one on the invite. That means the two of you get to enjoy the show. I just recommend you don’t sit too close to the head table.”

  Skyler wanted to tell her to stop, but this was an offer she couldn’t refuse. Honestly, she wanted to see the look on Jayden’s face when her former fiancé upchucked all over his new bride and what she was sure would be a very expensive wedding dress. It would be priceless, she was sure. Reluctantly, she nodded and told her mother, “As long as you restrict your punishment to David, I’ll leave you alone about it. But if you even think about touching anyone else’s food, I’m going to have the coven strip you of your practicing privileges for at least a month.”

  The horrified expression on her mother’s face was enough to satisfy her concern. “You don’t have to be so mean about it, dear. I have no intention of leveling any kind of punishment on anyone else at that wedding, not even the bride. It’s not that poor girl’s fault David is an ass.”

  Skyler laughed. Her mother didn’t curse often, but when she did, she emphasized the word, said it with feeling. “I guess I’ll have to find a date.”

  “What about that man in your life? You know, the one Kendra supposedly misunderstood.” Ava rapped her nails on the table as she waited for an answer.

  Skyler frowned. “We are not dating, Mom. In fact, we’re still on the outs with each other, and Jayden bursting into my office this morning because you are insane did nothing to ingratiate me to him.”

  “Well, I think that you could strike a little revenge by putting him in a trance long enough to join you. Heaven knows it would teach him a lesson. Once he sees how much fun you are at a party, he’s certain to change his mind about you of his own volition.”

  Skyler had forgotten how much of a romantic and idealist her mother could be. “Sure, and when David realizes that getting married to the wrong woman has caused his stomach to rupture with vomit, I’m sure he’ll go groveling on his knees to Jayden, telling her how wrong he was and that he still loves her. Come on, Mom, that’s not how magic works, and you know it.”

  Ava held her hands up in surrender. “I just want a little poetic justice for you, too, darling. Think about it.”

  The problem was, she already had. In fact, she had things to do this evening, in private, and that meant getting out of her mother’s house before they started arguing. This was the closest thing they’d had to real conversation in a long time, and it was nice to think she might leave while things were going well. “I’ll keep your suggestion in mind, Mom, though I doubt I’ll take it to heart. For now, I have to go. I have some errands to run.” Like picking up a few supplies for the spell she wanted to work.

  Her mother stood and hugged her. “Take care, Skyler. We should go shopping for a dress for the wedding tomorrow evening.”

  Chuckling, she nodded. “We should take Jayden. Otherwise, she’s going to have a psychotic breakdown just thinking about it.” She shut the door behind her and jogged to her car before Ava could start up another conversation. Certainly if they tried to take it any further, the happy afternoon would blow up in their faces.

  Chapter 10

  It was nearing midnight, and the altar was set. Skyler looked over everything she’d gathered during the evening and nodded, satisfied with the collection for her spell. At first, she’d wanted to simply make Chad malleable, amicable, and easier to deal with. She wanted him to like her stories and stop being such a hard-ass. But as she considered the possibilities, including how long it had been since she’d dated anyone, she’d decided to take a different route.

  Chad was a sexy beast. If she was going to take the time and the effort to cast a spell on him, she was going to work it in her favor for more than just a professional relationship. She wanted to get her hands on that body, wanted to feel the same passion that drove him at work in a more intimate setting. She was sure he’d be a great roll in the hay, and she had every intention of confirming her suspicions. So, she’d left behind the idea of a compromising spell and decided to go with a love spell.

  Thes
e sorts of spells required more involvement, and she needed complete concentration. She also had to really want the connection she was about to form. It took two to build a love spell, and that meant the witch who cast it would be just as deeply in love with the man on whom she placed it. At least, though, she would know it was the work of the spell that made her feel drawn to him. Sure, he was great to look at, but because Chad was a bit of a jerk, Skyler couldn’t imagine truly being in love with him.

  Still, she was willing to take the steps necessary to make her world a better place. It lived within her, the ability to wield these powers. What good were they if she didn’t put them to use every once in a while for her own benefit, as her mother so kindly reminded her from time to time. Besides, she needed a date for this ridiculous wedding, and rather than taking someone she didn’t know or someone she had to coerce to join her, why not take Chad? He’d be great eye-candy on her arm, and he’d give her adoring looks, actually try to catch the garter, and likely be incredibly fun at the party.

  Heaving a deep breath, she looked over her supplies again. The red candle stood in the center, with the trinket she’d decided to use as the talisman just in front of it. Rose petals created a circle around the items, her perfume bottle set to the right and the paper with Chad’s name on it to the left. She was ready.

  Lifting her hands over her head, she began. “I call the elements of earth, air, water, and fire from the north, east, south, and west to bless my rites this night.” She glanced askance at the clock, which would be striking midnight about the time she infused the talisman with her magic. She was right on time; spells were strongest when invoked at the stroke of midnight and within a week of the full moon.

  A smile curled her lips as she continued, “I ask for guidance and offer sacrifice to the powers that guide me.” With the tip of her athame, she pricked her finger and let two drops of blood fall into the mortar, where she’d already added a small amount of water and a single rose petal. With the pestle, she ground the mixture three times, then returned to her ritual. “My heart be light, my will be strong. My motives are right, I wish no wrong. Bind me in love with Chad Pearson. As I will, so mote it be.”

  As she spoke, she lit the candle, then spritzed the talisman with her perfume. Taking the mortar in one hand and the talisman in the other, she put the mortar in front of the candle and dropped the trinket into it. She turned the candle to drip wax into the mix and said, “Tie our hearts together as one. Tonight it starts, when the flame is done.” She stood and watched the candle burn quickly to its end, and the flame died as the clock struck midnight.

  Something in her chest tugged at her, and her smile broadened. She dismissed the elements with a word of thanks and did a dance of triumph, excited to see what would happen at work tomorrow. She started to call Jayden but thought better of it. She didn’t want to share her plot just yet. Instead, she picked up after herself and cleaned off the new talisman that she would give to Chad in the morning. Yes, this carried a piece of her soul now, and it would make Chad fall madly in love with her. The poor man would never know what hit him.

  Chapter 11

  Sure he had a perfect plan, Chad was nothing but smiles as he took off his jacket and sat behind his desk. Not quite trusting themselves, three of his staff writers had already come to him with questions, wanting suggestions for ways to improve their work. It was only a matter of time before Skyler Duran followed suit and started relying on him. Or gave up and moved on to another publication. Everything was coming up roses, and he was in the best mood he’d been in for weeks, despite the fact that he was well aware his brother would be hauled off to rehab at some point today.

  With a deep breath of satisfaction, he leaned back, waiting for his computer to boot. The office door opened, and Skyler blew in like the spring breeze she always resembled. He hated how beautiful she was. All of this would be so much easier if she were a troll. But part of him hated the fact that he was having to play these games with her rather than just taking her to bed.

  Of course, if all else failed, he might be able to get under her skin with a little fling. Chad had wooed many women and gotten them to do as he wanted by simply taking them to bed. He had a feeling Skyler might succumb to that same charm if the offer was extended. He’d have to keep that in mind.

  Right now, he watched her curiously as she interacted with others on the staff. She placed a gift bag on her desk, reached inside, and had a handful of something he couldn’t quite make out that she started to hand out to the others. All he could tell was that these objects had little ribbons tied around them. Her hands were almost empty when she headed for Marina’s office, and for a second, Chad was almost jealous. Had she gotten something for everyone but him? Was that the plan she had to show him just how evil and rotten he was?

  But he shook it off, and that small part of him that had almost been hurt triumphed as he saw Skyler coming toward him with a bright smile and something still in her hand. He greeted her with a warm, welcoming grin. “Good morning, Ms. Duran, you look particularly radiant today. That shade of blue suits you.”

  She could tell it was a game, obviously, and she looked down at the aqua-blue dress that hugged her hips and let out a chuckle he was sure she meant to sound like she was embarrassed. “Thank you so much. I just threw on the first thing I could find this morning. Most of my clothes are at the cleaner’s. I got so busy with these little trinkets yesterday that I forgot to pick them up.” She brandished what she was holding, and Chad frowned. It was a pen.

  “To what trinkets are you referring?” he asked, playing dumb.

  She took a deep breath. “Well, I try to remind everyone around here from time to time that they are greatly appreciated, so I get a little something for the crew. Nothing expensive, of course, but just something small and nice. This time, I managed to get a friend of mine to engrave names onto them. And this one is for you.” She swayed her hips as she stepped toward his desk and held out the pen to him.

  It was a nice pen, and he could see his name scrawled in the side. With an appreciative smile, he reached out for the pen. “Thank you for thinking of me,” he told her, trying to sound sincere. But then his fingers grabbed the pen, and some sort of electrical spark snuck up his arm and made him warm from head to toe. He didn’t want to put it down. It was a beautiful pen.

  “I hope you like it,” Skyler told him, her face looking concerned that maybe he didn’t like it.

  He waved his hand reassuringly and placed the pen in his shirt pocket. This kind of pen never leaked. “I do like it, very much. In fact, I was thinking that, maybe, if you’ve finished your revisions to your story by lunch time, we might discuss it over a salad at the café up the street.”

  Chad could tell he had shocked her, but that was very much his intent. “I actually finished yesterday. So, yes, I think I might enjoy speaking with you at lunch.”

  “Good! And thank you again for the pen.” He patted it in his pocket. If he could keep her on her toes like this, surprise her, and manage to make her think he was falling for her, perhaps there was a chance she could be controlled. Then, there would be no more of her resistance, and somewhere in all of this, he might get a chance to see her in her birthday suit. That was enough of a bonus to solidify his decision.

  Chapter 12

  As Skyler returned to her desk, her heart raced. She certainly hadn’t expected the pen to make such a difference so quickly. Apparently, her spell had been more potent than she’d realized. The minute he’d touched the damn thing, Chad’s entire body shivered, and within seconds of having placed it in his shirt pocket, he was asking her to lunch. It made her nervous. She was an excellent, powerful witch, but maybe she’d taken this little project too far. She didn’t want Chad to be a droid that just followed the feelings instilled in him by the talisman. She simply wanted it to guide him in a particular direction so he could act of his own free will from there.

  But then, it was magic, and sometimes it was a little screwy, to th
e point that you got a semblance of what you asked for but not exactly in the way you asked for it. Taking a deep breath and trying to shake off her boss’s unexpectedly chipper reaction, she pulled up her story, with all the edits he’d requested still incomplete. She frowned at the comments, many of them quite scathing, and decided to test her theory—and her little potion—to see if he was completely under her spell.

  Closing that window, she pulled up the original and printed two copies, one for each of them to reference over lunch, and stacked them on her desk in a manila folder. The morning dragged on forever, and Skyler considered calling Jayden, giving her a little nugget of what Ava was planning for David, the Jerk, to get her interested enough to come over tonight. However, she couldn’t concentrate on that aspect of her life right now. She was too busy casting furtive glances toward Chad’s office to see what he was up to. And it seemed like every time she looked up, he was staring at her.

  When the instant message popped up on her screen, she almost missed it. Skyler was almost neurotically terrified of what might happen today, and her whole body shook. But as she finally read the message, Ready to go? from Chad, she breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, she was still nervous, but at least the moment of truth had arrived. Responding and telling him she’d be right there, she grabbed her purse and the folder and stood.

  Chad was already standing, donning his jacket, and he wore a smile more like the one he’d had the day he’d first waltzed into her life. Had that really only been a couple of days ago? Chad Pearson had already wreaked enough havoc in her life to make it feel like ten lifetimes. The thought made her wonder if she would live that long, and if she’d be able to keep up her looks for that many decades. She ignored the unreasonable thought; it wasn’t something any witch had the ability to foresee. Instead, she stood outside Chad’s office door with the type of smile she hoped would make any man weep with desire.