Double Booked

by CJ Anaya

  “Yes, I can imagine that marrying a woman a good two-hundred years your junior might be a bit off putting. But you should be considerate enough to view this from my perspective. Who wants to marry an old fart like you? How long before your immortality spell wears off and I’m changing your diapers and spoon feeding you chicken broth?”

  Miguel collapsed backward on the bed in a fit of laughter. “Oh, you are good for me, querida. I never have any idea what you might say next.” He looked up from his position on the bed and laughed again. “You must understand, precious little surprises me or fills me with joy after more than two hundred years of living upon this earth, and yet you have managed to do both.”

  No wonder this guy thought he could order me around and expect that I would marry him without question. He was ancient. His views on women’s rights were more than a little archaic. I bet he thought it my duty to accept the first offer of marriage afforded me by someone as handsome and powerful as he.

  His eyes alighted on my form and he stood. I noticed a change in his demeanor as a determined look set in. Oh, I did not like this. He looked as if he might grab me, throw me over his shoulder caveman style and carry me to the nearest courthouse.

  I inched away from the edge of the bed. “Happy to be so entertaining, but you seem to have come to the mistaken conclusion that I’ve agreed to marry you. Allow me to clear up the confusion.” I walked two paces away from him toward the door, turned around to face him and planted my hands on my hips. “No!”

  He stilled at my bold declaration and determined stance. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, alerting me to the fact that I had done little to deter him. I suspected he wasn’t told “no” very often.

  “Few people have ever had the courage to tell me no, especially women.”

  Surprise, surprise.

  I was so not interested in knowing the number of women who had said yes.

  I’m pretty sure I wasn’t, anyway.

  I’d been willing to take a backseat to his ego, allowing him to think the over-the-top flirting and obvious attempts at seduction were actually working on me. He could think his machismo reigned supreme and after a week, I would most likely never see him again.

  Now that he was giving me little choice in the matter, he was about to get a taste of my more independent girl power side. I am woman, hear me roar….or at least watch me walk away from your arrogant derriere.

  And it was such a nice derriere, too.

  Pity.

  “Well, since a defiant woman is obviously a novelty for you, allow me to repeat myself. No! Absolutely no! I’m not marrying a stranger. I’m not getting sucked into a marriage that’s convenient for you and your current situation, while simultaneously becoming a major inconvenience for me.”

  The shock on his face made me smile in satisfaction.

  “You think that’s all this marriage is? Convenient?” He took a step forward and then stopped as I inched back. “Our union will benefit you also, and it doesn’t have to be a marriage in name only. There is chemistry between us. You cannot deny this.”

  I pointed a finger at him. “Don’t for one second pretend that any of this is in my best interest. I’m just a pawn in this game you and your father have been playing for so long now.” I put my hand up to warn him off as he took another step closer.

  His eyes flashed a bright gold. “You are mine, querida, and I will have you, one way or another.”

  Well, that statement sounded egotistical, bossy, downright annoying and more than a bit high handed in nature, not to mention wonderfully promising.

  Gah!

  I needed to distract him before he decided to make good on his threat.

  “Why do you keep calling me querida? What on earth does that mean?”

  His eyes turned hungry as he took a step forward. “It means beloved.”

  My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when he said it.

  Okay, so epic fail on distracting him. He was now more focused than ever, and I was more than a little flustered by it.

  I wasn’t sure if his eyes had cast some type of spell on me or if my inability to move could be blamed on the connection we’d made every time his lips touched mine. I couldn’t tear my eyes from his or take a single step toward the door.

  His smoldering look heated me from within as his deep breaths accentuated the breadth and width of his chest and shoulders. There was a promise in his look, one I was scared to acknowledge, but I knew the moment he had me in his arms, he would never willingly release me.

  He’d never let me go.

  It took me everything I had to force my eyelids closed and blink away his hypnotic pull. I licked my dry lips and took one step backward.

  “As romantic as that marriage proposal sounds, I think I’ll pass.”

  He moved another foot forward, readying himself to grab for me.

  “You take another step toward me, Miguel, and so help me I will take that power you’ve been throwing at me for the past two days and mentally tie it into several unbreakable knots, castrating your magical powers and rendering them completely useless.”

  He couldn’t have looked more floored—or amused—than if I’d told him I planned on being a career woman instead of staying at home with our future children.

  “What are you talking about? I haven’t attempted a single spell on you.”

  “Please, do you really expect me to believe that? I’ve felt your magic reach out to me on several different occasions. At the registration desk you kept using your power to calm me down, allowing it to embrace me as if that might make me more trusting of you.”

  “Incredible.” His eyes probed my being as he took another step forward and asked, “What did you do when my magic embraced you? How did you react?”

  “I shoved it as far away from me as I possibly could. Every single time you pushed it on me, I shoved it back.”

  He looked astonished. “You rejected it? That’s rather impressive, considering you’ve never been trained as an actual witch.”

  “I don’t know about that, but I refused it just as easily as I’m refusing you and your bossy proposal.”

  He got on the defensive. “I’m not being bossy. I’m simply telling you what must be. You’re the one threatening to magically castrate me.”

  “With good reason!”

  “Querida, your ability to even sense my magic proves that this union between us is meant to be.”

  This guy could not take no for an answer.

  My next movements were brash and impulsive, born from a desperate need to get the hell away from Miguel before I dragged him to the courthouse. I dashed to the door, deciding I could buy a whole new wardrobe once I returned to New York. I had hoped to at least get the door open before Miguel became aware of my intent, but I didn’t even manage to reach it before his strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling my back roughly against his chest.

  Okay, so it hadn’t been a brilliant plan, but I’d had very little to work with.

  “You’re not playing fair, Analise.” His breath on my ear left a trail of goose bumps along my neck. I had to get away from this guy before I forgot my reasons for running and purposely flung myself into his arms. I stamped on his foot as hard as I could, but with bare feet, my attack had very little effect.

  “Look who’s talking. You’re the one around here who wields magic. I’m just trying to escape this confrontation with my life intact.”

  He flipped me around fast, gripping my arms and holding me against his chest. He looked surprised. “Why do you think you’re going to die?”

  “You don’t actually expect me to believe that you’ll keep me alive after this, do you? Your coven is known for its secrecy, its cruelty and ruthlessness. Your flirtatious behavior is just an act. Once I accomplish whatever goal you’ve tasked me with, I’ll be disposed of to make certain there are no loose ends, no links that tie back to you or your coven. The fact that you’ve told me who you’re affiliated with is a sure sign that
I’ll be dead once your goal is reached. You people never reveal your identities.”

  His eyes had widened during my little tirade, and then he leveled me with a desperate look, one filled with a deep longing.

  “I would never hurt you, Analise. Your life is more important to me than you could possibly imagine.”

  I stared at him in disbelief. “Yes, right up until I lead you to your stupid talisman. Then what?”

  He shook his head in desperation. “You are the future of our coven, Analise. You’re going to be my wife and remain my wife, not because you’re useful or because you’re powerful, but because I honestly can’t imagine spending another two hundred years without you.”

  Before I could let out any kind of startled protest, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me the kind of kiss that has the ability to wipe away all reason. The logical part of my brain was officially on hiatus.

  Chapter Seven

  I desperately fought the desire to succumb to the powerful attraction and chemistry building between us. No matter how handsome and charismatic this man appeared, I didn’t know him, and I couldn’t trust him, not yet anyway, but heck if I could stop responding to his fervent attentions.

  It took me everything I had to place my hands flat against his chest and push him away from me. Even with my adrenaline-induced shove, he only moved back a few inches as our lips broke apart.

  My thoughts and emotions were as erratic as my breathing, and I felt as if I might pass out from sheer panic.

  He noticed right away and slowly pulled back, giving me an apologetic look as he did so. My breathing failed to even out. The distance he put between us almost made it worse. A terrible hunger gripped me as we stood a few feet apart.

  The door behind me beckoned to be thrown open, but I couldn’t leave now. Not before I understood exactly what I meant to him, and what he might mean to me. His rough kisses had left me breathless and wobbly. I couldn’t have turned around and made a dash for freedom even if I’d wanted to, not on these shaky legs. But lust and desire weren’t emotions I could build a relationship on. Not a lasting one, anyway.

  I wanted to shake myself when I realized where my thoughts had railroaded me. The reason this man had taken an interest in me had little to do with me personally and everything to do with my gift. He didn’t care about my safety if he was that intent upon involving me with a quest assigned by Basque witches.

  Miguel ran a hand over his face in a frustrated gesture and then turned his chocolate eyes on me again, revealing uncertainty, something that belied his normally arrogant manner.

  “Forgive me. I...this isn’t going the way I thought it would. I shouldn’t have...I’m sorry if I scared you...” he trailed off, looking uncomfortable and unsure of himself. It was so dang adorable I almost reassured him by walking over and wrapping my arms around those broad shoulders.

  I threw my annoyingly compassionate side in a locked corner of my heart and steeled myself against Miguel’s overpowering presence.

  “You’re sorry, but you’re still not going to let me go, are you?”

  He shook his head. “No. I can’t let you go. I’ve waited too long. I tried to allow you a normal life before thrusting this burden upon you, but I can’t wait any longer. It’s too dangerous.”

  I knew I didn’t have a chance in hell of getting out that door before he reached for me again, and I didn’t want to give him any excuse or reason to touch me or infringe upon my personal space. I didn’t understand my reaction to him. Normally, I had better sense than this, but it couldn’t hurt to find out what he needed me for as far as supernatural issues went.

  “Fine, I will sit down on the bed and listen to you explain your situation so long as you stand by the door.”

  He looked sad at my ultimatum, but I shoved any pangs of guilt I might feel into that compartment where my compassion sat imprisoned, locking them both away.

  “If that will make you more comfortable, I am happy to oblige.”

  “I won’t feel comfortable until there are several hundred miles separating us. For now, a couple of feet will have to do.”

  My words irked him. I could tell by the tightening of his jaw, yet I could have sworn the corners of his mouth curled up in amusement as we passed each other and his arm brushed against mine. I hurried over to the bed and ignored the shivers skipping along my spinal column. Once I sat down and faced him, I studied his calm demeanor. He leaned his back against the door in a pose that any male model would have been wise to imitate.

  I thought distance would allow me some breathing space, but simply looking at him constricted my lungs, hindering my air supply. He continued studying me as I battled to get myself under control. I had no way of knowing if he noticed the affect he had on me, but I felt certain that somehow he suspected it.

  If I did anything to confirm those suspicions, I feared his calm restraint might crumble. I didn’t want to know what could happen if it did, especially if it involved more physical contact.

  Or maybe I did. No...no definitely not.

  I steadied my breathing and forced my face into a calm mask of indifference before making eye contact with him again. “I’m more than happy to help you locate that letter," I began, “but I don’t see why you should need me after that.”

  “I can’t locate the other spelled artifacts without your help.”

  “Why? If power is what you seek, you simply need to marry and join powers with another female of your coven.”

  He shook his head. “The spelled artifacts are guarded by spirits of my father’s associates from the revolutionary war. Each spirit will need to be dealt with by a medium such as yourself.”

  That posed more questions I felt anxious to frame, but I couldn’t be deterred from my first line of questioning.

  “Then you don’t need a wife, you simply need a spirit guide.”

  “I need both,” he evenly replied. “You may not have any understanding of the power you possess, but yours is the only power compatible with mine. A yin to my yang, so to speak. That’s why my magic reached out to you. It recognizes its match and wishes to join with yours.”

  I had no way of verifying that, so I moved on.

  “And once we locate this talisman and return it to your coven...then what? We live happily ever after?”

  The smile he gifted me softened the chocolate brown of his eyes. “Is this not what everyone wants? A happy ending?”

  “Is that our future or just wishful thinking? Do I have to stay married to you afterward?”

  His eyes narrowed. Irritation laced his next question. “You would wish to end our marriage once the talisman is recovered?”

  “Wouldn’t you? Don’t you want to be free to pursue the right woman?”

  My question seemed to break away any and all restraint he had placed upon himself. In a blur of movement, he was standing before me, reaching for my shoulders and jerking me upright.

  “You are the right woman. You’re the only woman I want, the only woman I’ll ever want,” he growled. He attacked my lips with a passion that threatened to consume the both of us.

  This time I’d steeled myself for the possibility of any more contact with him, but I had to admit that I was loath to push him away again when what I really wanted to do was explore the feelings that burned so brightly between us. I finally shoved him back in order to gasp for some much needed oxygen.

  “For heaven’s sake,” I said in a seriously pissed off voice. “You have to stop doing that. Do you realize that’s the fourth time you’ve kissed me without my permission? Just grabbed me like you would a slab of meat in a low end grocery store?”

  He didn’t look the slightest bit penitent as a mischievous smile spread across his face.

  “Are you saying you don’t enjoy my advances?” He tried closing the small distance between us.

  “Irrelevant!” I pressed a hand against his chest to prevent him further access to my lips. “You can’t kiss me, you can’t hold me, you can’t marry m
e, and don’t you dare look at me like that.”

  “Like what?” He pressed forward, undeterred by my protests.

  “Like you’ve been wandering in a desert for five years without a single woman in sight.”

  I found myself circling backward toward the door because moving toward the bed...well, if that didn’t flash some major warning signals in my brain, nothing else would. I frantically searched the room for another means of exit. I had my hands firmly pressed against his chest, but the pressure I applied made little difference as he backed me up against the door and rested both hands, palms flat, near either side of my head.

  His eyes smoldered in their intensity, and he bent his head until we were almost nose to nose.

  “I’ve been wandering this earth for much longer than that, Analise, and I’ve never encountered a woman like you.”

  Wow. Just...wow.

  Right before I threw all caution to the wind and kissed him just as fiercely as he’d kissed me, someone loudly banged upon the door.

  Miguel swung me behind him. I thought it a rather overprotective gesture considering it was most likely housekeeping. Then again, the person on the other side of the door probably would have announced themselves as such.

  I looked up at Miguel and saw that his eyes were focused on the door as he murmured something in a strange language. Latin perhaps? The door began to glow bright white, and I shielded my eyes against the glare. I could hear yelling and shouting coming from the other side.

  “They’ve found us, Analise.”

  “Who has found us?”

  “The faction of Basque witches that broke from us fifty years ago. The Akelarre coven.”

  “More Basque witches? Sounds ominous.”

  “You think I’m something to worry about? Believe me when I tell you, querida, these warlocks have no intention of kissing you. I’m afraid, whether you like it or not, you are stuck with me until this matter of the talisman is resolved.” He offered me his hand. “Are you with me?”

  The men beating at our door seemed to be muttering chillingly powerful incantations of their own, and I wondered how much longer Miguel would be able to hold them off.