Elemental Enchantment

by Bronwyn Green

  As soon as the ceremony was finished, Meaghan made her way downstairs, deftly avoiding the crush of the receiving line, and darted back inside the church. She needed to get the reflectors set up for the formal portraits. Carefully kneeling, she adjusted the base of the largest reflector and reached up to angle the screen toward the front of the church. A shadow fell over her. She knew without looking who it was.

  She took a moment to try to calm the rioting in her middle, pasted a serene smile on her face and looked up. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  Eli’s firm, full lips quirked, and his eyes sparkled. “I’m sure there is,” he muttered quietly, but she caught his words nonetheless. He cleared his throat and offered his hand to help her up. She didn’t want to take it—to touch him—knowing that his proximity would only make her longing worse, but she did, allowing him to pull her upright.

  His hand engulfed hers, and he didn’t let go right away. The feel of his roughened palm sliding across hers sent awareness fluttering through her body, and she quickly extracted her hand. She needed to focus. She had a job to do then she needed to get the hell out of there. Except there was part of her that wanted to stay and see what would happen next.

  “I thought I recognized you earlier,” Eli said. “What are the chances?”

  She nodded tightly and forced a smile. “Probably astronomical.”

  “Meg, have you got the reflectors set up yet?” Toby called from a few pews away.

  “Almost.” Meaghan looked at Eli. “I should probably get back to work.” She met his eyes. They were such a brilliant blue and almost hypnotic.

  He smiled. “I’m sure we’ll run into each other at the reception.”

  Oh, she definitely wanted to run into to him, but she wasn’t sure if that was a good idea at all. “I’ll be working.”

  He nodded, but his expression didn’t fade as he backed away before turning and joining the rest of the wedding party as they made their way toward the front of the church. Great. He was probably one of those guys who liked a challenge. He seemed into her. Would it be so bad if she were the night’s challenge? Maybe they could both get what they wanted. Or maybe she should just do her job and get out of here. God, she was so wishy-washy tonight. She was annoying herself.

  Barely listening as Toby went over the list of poses the couple had chosen, Meaghan took a deep breath and set up the rest of the reflectors. She needed to get a damn grip. She was never nervous around men. Not like this. She didn’t know what it was about Eli that had her ready to jump out of her skin, but whatever it was, it needed to stop. Yes, he was insanely hot, but he was also not the guy for her. Not even for a night, she told herself firmly. Ignoring the sensation of his eyes on her, she finished prepping the shoot and put fresh batteries and a new memory card in her camera.

  * * * *

  Eli had paid only the vaguest attention to the directions given by the photographer. He hadn’t fared much better at dinner. His focus was almost entirely on Meaghan and the short black dress she wore. He’d managed to pull it together for the best man’s toast and the required post-dinner dancing, but ever since then, all he’d really wanted to do was go find Meaghan.

  John leaned over and nudged him. “I’m going to assume the brunette photographer is the challenge you’ve been looking for?”

  Eli laughed and shook his head. “That obvious?”

  “Enough that Shannon has given up on plotting to get you and Cara together.”

  “That’s something.”

  John made a show of looking at his watch. “Your official best man duties ended three seconds ago. What are you doing standing around here?”

  Eli grinned and took off in the direction he’d last seen Meaghan. She and her partner had been making the rounds, photographing the bridal party and the guests, taking what seemed to be tons of candid shots. He didn’t envy John the job of sorting through all the pictures after the wedding.

  As he made his way through the crowd filling the hotel’s ballroom, he spotted Meaghan talking to the other woman, who looked up at him and smiled. “Can I help you with something?”

  Meaghan turned to follow the other woman’s gaze, and she momentarily froze.

  “I was hoping to convince Meaghan to dance with me.”

  “I’m working,” Meaghan said quickly.

  The other woman’s smile grew. “Actually, I’m just about to wrap things up with the bride and groom. You’re free. I’d like you to sort out all the usable photos by Monday evening, though.”

  “Right.” Meaghan nodded. “Big job. Lots of pictures. I should get on that. Right away.”

  “I’m sure you have time for a dance,” her friend said then shrugged. “If you want one.”

  Eli held out his hand. “You wouldn’t let me take you out to supper; can I at least have a dance?”

  An expression of surprise crossed her friend’s face, but Meaghan seemed set on ignoring her.

  She glanced at his hand then up at his face before slinging her camera over her shoulder and placing her fingers in his.

  “You sure you don’t want to set your camera down?”

  “This thing is worth more than my car. Not a chance.”

  He led her to a nearly empty section of the dance floor and pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly met his gaze as they swayed together to the music. He tried not to focus on how perfectly she fit against him or how her full breasts grazed his chest. It was nearly impossible not to tug her flush against him and kiss her the way he’d always wanted to. Instead, he stared into her deep brown eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay? You weren’t hurt at all?”

  She snorted. “You coerced me into dancing with you to make sure I’m okay?”

  “No.” He raised an eyebrow. “I have other, far-less noble motives.”

  That admission startled a laugh out of her, and he was reminded of the girl she’d been. Christ, she was beautiful. And he was apparently just as hot for her as he’d ever been. At least, he wasn’t as painfully shy and tongue-tied this time around.

  Still smiling, she tilted her head to the side. “And those motives are?”

  “First things first. You didn’t answer the question.”

  She waved away his concern. “I’m fine.”

  “And the kitten?”

  Her eyes softened. “He’s fine, too.”

  “Good.” He couldn’t help staring at her lips.

  As he returned his gaze to hers, amusement danced in her eyes. She’d caught him staring and probably knew exactly what he wanted. “What now, Boy Scout?”

  He lifted his hand from the small of her back and slid it over her shoulder and along the bare, warm flesh of her arm until his fingers circled her wrist. He loved the way her eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise. Did she even know how much she’d given away with her reaction? “You know…I actually was a Boy Scout.”

  Her breath hitched as she opened her mouth to speak. “Somehow, I’m not surprised.”

  “I excelled at knot tying.” He squeezed her wrist slightly before returning his hand to her back.

  “You don’t say. Get a badge for it and everything?”

  Her almost husky whisper went straight to his cock.

  “Believe it or not, they don’t give a badge specifically for that.” He shrugged. “But I’ve made do.”

  Her lips quirked. “Also not surprised.”

  She didn’t resist when he drew her closer and spun her in a slow circle. He didn’t think she’d resist if he kissed her either, but he wasn’t about to do that—not with her not knowing the truth about their past. “You don’t even remember me, do you?”

  She pulled back a little and looked at him as if he were crazy. “Uh…yeah. You’re the guy who rear-ended me yesterday. Pretty sure I remember that.”

  “Think back a little further.”

  “Did you hit your head, Boy Scout?” She drew back a little. “Either that or you’ve got me confused with some
one else.”

  He shook his head. Just because he’d had a massive crush on her didn’t mean he’d even registered in her memory. “Do you remember when you were in Guys and Dolls in high school…and failing math?”

  Her head straightened, and her eyes narrowed.

  “And you were in danger of losing your part unless your grade improved?”

  Her eyes widened, and her lips dropped open. “Eli,” she murmured. “Elijah Jones.” Her gaze dropped to his chest before climbing back to his face. “Well, holy shit.”

  Elijah Jones. Elijah Fucking Jones. Meaghan shook her head. Yeah, there had been something familiar about the unearthly blue of his eyes, but never in a million years would she have guessed that the adorable, nerdy little boy who’d tried so patiently to teach her Algebra in high school would turn out to be panty-dropping gorgeous as an adult.

  She shook her head. “Wow. Just…wow.”

  His lips quirked. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t recognize you at first—not until you opened your mouth.”

  Her cheeks heated as she tried to remember what she’d said.

  “Don’t worry. It wasn’t anything I didn’t deserve.”

  “You did open by being a bit of an ass.”

  Someone touched her shoulder, and she startled, whipping her head around. Toby stood there smirking. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to put my memory cards in your case. Will you be able to sort through them this weekend so we can work on getting them edited next week?”

  Meaghan nodded. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “I’ll see you Monday, then.” Waving, Toby walked away, still smirking.

  “Does this mean you’re going to be busy all weekend?”

  The heat of Eli’s body seeped through the thin fabric of her dress, and she moved a little closer. It felt so good to be held, even if they were only dancing. She kept reminding herself he wasn’t the guy for her, but her body seemed less inclined to listen as the song went on.

  “Why do you ask?” she finally managed.

  “I’d still like to take you out. Get to know you better. Maybe catch up on the last ten years.”

  This was a terrible idea—the getting to know her part, anyway—but she had to admit she wouldn’t mind getting to know his body better. At least for a night. If he was interested in more than that—and he seemed to be—she didn’t want to lead him on.

  “Look,” she said. “You were always a nice kid. Like I said the other day, you seem like a really nice guy, but I’m still not looking for a nice guy.”

  He tilted his head to the side and regarded her intently. A flutter of awareness shuddered through her middle as she found herself trapped by his gaze.

  “What are you looking for?” he asked. “I don’t think you answered that question the last time I asked it.”

  “Who says I’m looking for anything?”

  He shrugged. “In my experience, everyone is looking for something whether they realize it or not.”

  “Fine.” She trailed her fingers through the soft hair at the nape of his neck, loving the silky slide against her skin. Her gaze darted to his firm lips before meeting his eyes again. “Mark me down as looking for a good time.”

  “So you’re not interested in meeting the right man? Settling down? Maybe having a family?”

  Oh sure. She was plenty interested, but she knew what the chances of that were. Especially with a guy like Elijah. She shook her head. “It’s not for me.”

  “Why not?”

  She scowled. “I don’t remember you being this talkative when we were younger.”

  Surprised laughter burst from him, and he grinned. “It’s hard to be talkative when you’re dealing with the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen and she has no clue that you’re alive.”

  Color heated her cheeks, and she looked away. “I’m sorry if I made you feel bad.”

  “You didn’t. I just felt like a loser because if there wasn’t an equation involved, I couldn’t think of a thing to say to you.”

  He tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear, and she caught her breath at the feel of his callused fingertips dancing over her skin.

  “But that was a long time ago. I’m more interested in right now. If you don’t want to settle down, what do you want?”

  She moistened her suddenly dry lips and met his gaze. Deciding to just go for it, she said, “What I really want is for you to kiss me.”

  Chapter Five

  Meaghan watched as the already deep blue of Eli’s eyes darkened to nearly navy, and pure hunger replaced the earlier inquisitiveness. The fluttering in her stomach turned into a battering ram as he slid his fingers into her hair and tilted back her head. He held her gaze as he lowered his head, and his eyes dropped closed as his lips touched hers.

  Soft and teasing, his kiss toyed with her, deepening almost imperceptibly then retreating over and over until she thought she’d go mad with the need for more. She opened her mouth against his, silently offering, but when he refused to give her more, she nipped slightly at his lower lip.

  Eli lifted his head and stared down at her, amusement brightening his gaze and lifting his lips. “Haven’t you ever heard that good things come to those who wait?”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “I hate waiting.”

  His smile turned positively wicked, and she felt it all the way down to her toes. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Still grinning, he swung her in a slow circle, drawing her close enough to feel the long lines of muscle through his clothes. Close enough to feel an impressive erection growing between them. Her breath caught in her throat as she pressed against him.

  He lowered his head again, and this time, there was nothing slow or teasing about his kiss. His lips were hard against hers, and his hand tightened in her hair. So much for her carefully arranged up-do. The sensation of his fingertips on her scalp quickly convinced her that she didn’t care what her hair looked like when they were done. He didn’t wait for her to part her lips; he delved inside, stroking and tasting. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had kissed her like this. Like he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything.

  Her nipples tightened beneath the flimsy fabric of her dress, and she half-wondered if he felt them against his chest. His mouth seduced all thought away until he finally broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers, panting slightly.

  “That’s more like it,” she whispered.

  Eli cupped her chin and brushed his thumb across her lips. “Has anyone ever told you you’re incredibly demanding?”

  She smiled sweetly. “You haven’t seen anything yet.” Before he could respond, she caught the tip of his thumb between her teeth and swiped her tongue across it. His cock stiffened further against her, and he stared at her lips. She released her hold on him and met his heated gaze.

  “I have a room upstairs.” The rough quality of his voice made it sound as if it was part invitation and part demand.

  A shiver of need skated down her back, and she stood on her toes to whisper, “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  He kissed her again before trailing his lips along her jaw line to her ear and sending goose bumps over her limbs. “Why don’t I help you pack up your equipment?”

  Raking her fingertips through his hair, she scraped her teeth over his earlobe, loving the way his arms tightened around her. “Why don’t you make sure you have condoms, and I’ll meet you up there?”

  He stared at her a moment then nodded sharply and murmured, “Room four-oh-five.”

  As soon as he pulled away, she felt the loss of his warmth. He took a few backward steps, keeping his eyes on her as if he thought she might vanish. One of the other groomsmen intercepted him as he headed for the door. She wondered if he’d have to do some other wedding-related task. She shrugged inwardly and tried to tell herself it didn’t matter. If he was there when she went upstairs, he was there. If he wasn’t, this wasn’t meant to be. Turning away, she found her
bag and slid her camera inside.

  A few seconds ago, she’d been positive that a one-night stand was exactly what she needed—no Get Meaghan Laid spell required. Now that she was more than a couple inches away from him, she began to have her doubts.

  Oh, she was sure the sex would be fantastic. There was a sharp sense of urgency coiled beneath his neatly pressed tux, ready to pounce…ready to devour. And she needed that. She needed to feel desired, if only for a night. She was far lonelier than she wanted to admit, and while this wasn’t a long-term solution, it would at least solve the immediate problem. Maybe once she’d scratched this particular itch, she could go back to being the spinster sister of the family.

  She supposed there was the possibility sex with Eli would make the subsequent loneliness more acute. But how often did opportunities like this present themselves? No, she’d regret it if she bailed now.

  Grabbing her phone from the inside pocket of her camera bag, she texted Rowan, with her location, Eli’s name and his room number—just as they used to do when they were in college. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Eli—she did—but old habits died hard. Rowan responded, and Meaghan promised to fill her in on all of the details later. Now, she was heading upstairs before she lost her nerve.

  With her camera bag slung over her shoulder, she stepped into the elevator. The doors whooshed shut behind her, blocking out the sounds of the wedding reception and locking her into a cocoon of silence. Her nervousness increased as she traveled upward. When the doors opened, she stepped out onto the nearly deserted fourth floor. Eli’s room was right around the corner from the elevator.

  She’d barely finished knocking when the door swung open. The room was nearly dark except for a small table lamp on the far side of the room. Eli stood silhouetted in the doorway, his tie hanging loose around his neck and the top few buttons of his shirt open. His jacket had been tossed across the foot end of the bed.

  He stared at her for a long moment. “I wasn’t sure you would come.”