Applebottom Magic: Paranormal Romance

by S Cinders

  All the sudden a burst of air caught my body and shoved me forward. I landed on my hands and knees in front of one of the guest bedrooms. Thank the goddess above nobody had seen that little fit of wonder I thought smiling. That was until I noticed some pretty manly looking toes standing in the doorway of the bedroom I happen to be kneeling in front of.

  "Let me be dreaming, please just let me be dreaming," I mumbled to myself as I slowly followed those manly toes that changed into sexy muscular legs which were hidden past the knee by some low strung basketball shorts. Good goddess above, the boy was missing his shirt again.

  "It's funny," Ryan smiled, "I kind of thought that I was dreaming."

  I sat up and rested on the heels of my feet. I knew that I looked a mess, so I tried to smooth my hair back, "So, how much of that did you see?"

  His smile deepened, "Quite a bit actually, your stealthy moves are pretty killer."

  Kill me now. "Fantastic," I muttered thoroughly embarrassed.

  Ryan must have taken pity on me because he kneeled and offered me a hand up. "What were you doing, if I may ask?"

  "I wanted to talk to you." I said grudgingly, "Alone."

  Ryan raised his eyebrows in surprise but stepped back and motioned for me to enter his bedroom. I had thought that I had explored the entire cabin when I first moved in. But then I found out that the rooms that are not permanently occupied tended to rearrange themselves. Who knows why, perhaps for kicks and giggles.

  There was a small sitting area near his balcony and he had left the French doors open so that the moonlight could spill into room. It was dark enough to hide my blushing cheeks and honestly, I was thankful for that. It was also dark enough that I couldn't see every curve of muscle in that six pack. Seriously, how do you talk to someone like that? I get lost in drooling over his amazing body way before I can think of what I want to say.

  Ryan let out a bark of laughter and went over to the dresser to grab a black t-shirt and pulled it over his head.

  "Better?" he asked.

  Oh, hell no! "Do you freaking read minds??" I screeched.

  His laughter only doubled, but at least he was somewhat trying to contain himself. Sadly, he wasn't very successful at it.

  "You are pretty funny Apple. I hadn't anticipated that." He took one of his hands and tried to wipe off the smile. But I could tell from his eyes that he wanted to keep laughing.

  "To answer your question, no I do not read minds per say. But if someone I am close to someone, what they are thinking or feeling I can catch the drift of their thoughts or emotions. The only person I’ve ever could speak with in their minds was Emily. And that was a long time ago, I don’t even know if I could do it now.”

  Did he just say that he caught me checking him out and lusting over him, strike me down... NOW?

  Ryan laughed again, "I don't think that we need to resort to quite that much violence yet. So, to get back to your visit, what did you need to talk to me about?"

  I took a deep breath and pulled my legs under me on the loveseat, "Ryan I don't think that I am the right girl from the prophecy. I know that you and Nana and Emily and really everyone in this whole damn house have lived for centuries. But Ryan, I’m just a kid. I just barely turned eighteen. I can’t work the most basic of spells, Nana just barely started letting me use the dishwasher. I can’t do this. I can’t be who you need me to be. It’s got to be someone else, you all are just jumping the gun here, I’m not who you need.”

  I could feel my heart rate accelerating as I tried to pour out all my thoughts. I knew that I sounded young and inexperienced, but that was exactly what I am.

  “Hey now, just breathe for a minute. Nice and slow, breathe with me, is that better?” Ryan came and sat next to me rubbing circles on my back.

  Like how in the hell am I supposed to calm down with a sex god six inches away?

  Ryan blurted out another chuckle and I looked at him in shock was he mocking me?

  “No Apple, it’s nothing like that, it’s just that you’re” Ryan broke off when I interrupted.

  “Immature, young, stupid, ridiculous… please feel free to jump in at any time.” I was completely falling apart here.

  “Apple, no, it’s your thoughts. For some reason your thoughts are broadcasting loud and clear to me. And thank you, I don’t know if I’ve ever been called a sex god before.”

  I threw my head forward into my knees, hiding underneath my hair. This was so much worse that I could have even dreamt of.

  “It’s not that bad,” he tried to assure me.

  I answered him but I guess he couldn’t hear me when I was speaking into my knees so I tilted my head a bit to the side to see him. With one finger, he brushed my long hair out of my face.

  Maybe his finger lingered a bit longer than was completely necessary, but I’m not sure. All I knew was that I felt alone and scared and so woefully unprepared for what he was asking of me.

  “Apple, I know that you are scared, and that you are unprepared. I know that you are young and that me coming in here and telling you that any thoughts or dreams for the future you had were gone is ridiculous. Apple I really need you to trust me on this. I will never leave you alone, ever. Even if you decide that you don’t want to be with me that the prophecy is too much. I will fight and protect you with everything that I have and everything that I am.”

  His deep voice was fervent with his promises. I searched his face and could only see kindness and strength. I wanted to trust him, I really did, but I needed more time.

  “I would give you all the time in the world if I could Apple. But the things we told you about my father and the Magical authorities, they are a real threat to you and your family. If I just walked away, my father would be here in an instant and he would take you and do terrible things to you. I can’t let that happen, I won’t.”

  I shivered and he wrapped his arms around me, I placed my head against his firm shoulder. For the first time, I felt a small measure of peace. I reached up and clutched his t-shirt with my fist and snuggled down further against him.

  In response, he tucked me against him and played with my hair in the moonlight. He didn’t tell me what choice to make or how I was or wasn’t going to save his family. He held me, and because of that I knew I would follow him down this crazy rabbit hole.

  CHAPTER 14 - Ryan

  My first thought when I awoke was a certain rightness around me, peace even. Something that had been missing in my life that I hadn't even noticed, I turned my head slightly and bumped the top of Apple's head.

  She mumbled a bit and wrapped her arms more tightly around me. But she didn't awaken. I tried to remember when I moved us from the love seat to the bed, but it was a bit hazy. I obviously was completely exhausted to be able to sleep next to her and not try anything.

  Not that I'm a player, but she is so hot. I smiled thinking about how I had affected her last night. At least the feeling was mutual.

  Apple groaned and squirmed a bit getting terribly close to my morning erection. And thanks to her it was painfully hard. She had he head on my chest and my arm was wrapped around her with my hand on her ass.

  It was firm and perfect. Man, I wanted her so bad! But she's so young and I'm in her family's home, biting my lip I tried to will my erection away. It was like sending a marshmallow to put out a bonfire.

  Suddenly my mind was blasted with a torrid scene. Apple started grinding herself gently against my leg and moaning. In my mind, I was above her locked in a passionate kiss. Her hands clutching my back and I wanted more than anything to thrust inside her.

  She was broadcasting her dream to me, and I'll be damned if it wasn't the best dream I'd ever had and I was getting it second hand. I began to push her ass more tightly against me, her grinding that hot core on me blowing my mind.

  Just when I was about to throw all my morals out the door and strip her bare my door flung open.

  "Hey man, do we have a plan," James voice stuttered off as he took in the scene before h
im.

  I knew it didn't look good.

  Even if it was completely innocent my cock at full staff was not helping matters.

  "Ryan, I'm so sorry," he said trying to retreat but tripping over what I can only assume are his own two feet. He went down with a crash which finally woke up Apple.

  She shot straight up and screamed when she realized where she had been sleeping.

  A loud pounding of feet from the hallway only confirmed my humiliation. My door swung open and there stood Patrick in his boxers and nothing else, followed quickly by Apple's Nana and the Aunts tumbling into my room.

  At this point it was standing room only, we should have sold tickets.

  "What is going on young lady?" Nana screeched.

  Followed quickly by Emily rounding the corner of the bed post, "Ryan, how could you?"

  I didn't even hear her come in.

  The blond aunt laughed, "I'd say it was pretty obvious, they were doing the horizontal mambo."

  Apple looked horrified, "No! It was nothing like that."

  The blue haired aunt said, "Nobody calls it that anymore Sally, it's now the freaky freak."

  Sally nodded, "Or the dance without pants."

  "Flipping pancakes?" Patrick suggested, itching his stomach with a yawn.

  "Pigs in a blanket," James offered picking himself up off the floor.

  "Stop helping!" I bellowed to my friends, who were now howling with laughter.

  I was just about to do something drastic when Apple shouted, "GET OUT!"

  I'm not sure who was more surprised them or her, but they all cleared out quickly. Even Nana left, but she gave me a look indicating we would be having a highly uncomfortable conversation later.

  I wasn't sure what to do here, this had never happened to me before.

  "Never happened to me either," Apple replied cheeks a rosy red and still slightly rumpled from sleep.

  Suddenly it struck me how absolutely crazy the last ten minutes had been. How often are you going to have the girl of your dreams in your bed and have their entire household show up and offer euphemisms about sex?

  We both burst out laughing, the hilarity of James face when he walked in. The casual way her aunts just went along with it, and Emily and Nana's outrage.

  We laughed ourselves clear past any awkwardness that may have arisen otherwise. And although I will never admit it, our crazy families did me a favor, morning wood was completely gone.

  Apple smiled and got up shyly, "Thank you for being there for me. Ummm I'm going to change and then maybe we could try and work on my magic, if you have the time."

  A rush of warmth spread through my chest, when I spoke it was a little deeper than usual. "There is nothing I'd like better."

  With a little wave, in that sexy PJ set she went out of the door.

  I threw myself back down amongst the pillows, good goddess I could still smell her citrus and summer scent. I'm a goner for this girl and I'm not sure she has any idea.

  Getting up I grabbed some clothes to take a long, somewhat cold shower to pull myself together.

  With a wave of my hand the breeze blew the blankets and pillows back into place. Many magical folks used spells and incantations to perform magic.

  I really wasn't into that, I found that focus and pulling at the magic found around me was easier. I wondered if that might be part of Apple's difficulty learning.

  With my room back in order I shut the door to head down for breakfast. Taking two steps at a time I smiled when I saw Apple already sitting there with a bowl full of cereal.

  And then it dawned on me, I didn't say that this type of thing hadn't ever happened to me before out loud. Apple had read my mind.

  Her eyes grew round, you sure you didn't she asked smiling.

  I smiled happily, nope.

  CHAPTER 15 - Apple

  "Apple I want you to close your eyes."

  Ryan had taken me out hiking in the canyon with the intent of helping me with my magic. This day had started with what I had hoped to be the most embarrassing moment of my life.

  Don't get me wrong, waking up hot and bothered while being twisted up like a pretzel around Ryan Ruttledge was quite possibly the highlight of my life. But that bitch karma had to rear her ugly head and send his friends and my family into witness my moment.

  Then again at breakfast when we communicated telepathically, I felt like I was finally grasping my magic, even making a bond with Ryan. But then I remembered that I had just eaten sausage, and everyone knows sausage gives you gas!

  Oh, my crap on a cracker! I can't fart when I'm around the sex God!

  Stupid me, I broadcasted that message loud and clear, only to witness the sex God in question fall to the floor laughing.

  Awesome, I will just be known as his flatulent friend.

  "Stop, you're killing me here," he wheezed through his chortles, our friends and family just staring at us bewilderedly.

  This only caused me to think of other embarrassing moments, like when I tried to kiss Barry Stuart in 8th grade and instead gave him a fat lip with my braces. He never spoke to me again, and I got called into the principal's office where we discussed when no means no. Stupid Barry.

  Ryan threw back his head, great belly laughs erupting from him.

  "Man, have you lost it?" Patrick stood up to go over to where Ryan was sprawled all sexy like on the floor. Every inch of him was hard and tan, I don't think there is an ounce of fat on his entire body.

  This man should always wear shorts, or better yet nothing, that would work too!

  Ryan flushed and winked at me with a knowing crooked grin. I had done it again, my brain had verbal diarrhea.

  Get out of my mind! I yelled to him as James helped him from the floor and he came to the table.

  It's kind of hard not to hear you. I need to teach you how to guard your thoughts. But for the record I think you are adorable, beautiful and smoking hot, he said to me in my mind, and I promise I won't tell you no if you decide to kiss me.

  I was so flustered I fell off my kitchen chair, and Nana laughed! What a traitor!

  I quickly excused myself and left before I could do anything else to humiliate myself. Shortly after Ryan came and found me in my room and asked if I would train with him, he promised to start with guarding my mind. That is the only reason I agreed.

  After an hour or so of practicing I felt like I was starting to grasp it. He explained that you need to cage your thoughts to keep them private. By building some mental walls you could keep your inner most thoughts to yourself. If I wanted to speak to him through our minds I had to push the walls back.

  I liked how Ryan was teaching me, using a lot of visual examples. He was patient and encouraging as well. Moving on from there he asked me to close my eyes.

  "Okay," I said, "What now?"

  All the sudden I felt him enveloping me. Heat and tenderness so real and caring that it robbed me of breath, it was so unexpected. My eyes popped open and I saw him standing about 10 feet away.

  "How did you do that?" I asked rubbing my arms self-consciously.

  "For me I have to visualize the wind, seeing lines and rhythm to it. If I focus enough I can see an infinite amount of tiny sparkling particles. I bring them into here." He pointed to his chest. "I visualize that magic, that energy that the air has given me. Then I tell it what I want to happen. I am respectful of its power, and in turn, the magic respects that I will use it properly."

  This was a much different concept than how my Nana and aunts had been teaching me. They used words, and objects like rocks or crystals found in the canyon. But I hadn't been successful with trying their way. My magic was unfocused and a little violent.

  I remembered sometimes seeing the strands of what had looked like gossamer, golden and glittering, around me when I'd been hiking on my own.

  I closed my eyes again and focused inward. I really wanted this to work, and so I thought about strands running from my fingertips to gather the glittering magic from the canyon
.

  I opened my eyes and felt more confident. My vision was clearer than it had ever been. I could see the magic; these tiny wisps of gossamer surrounded me. I reached out my hand picturing those strands to be coming from my fingertips, asking the magic to join with me, to trust me. I promised that I would be a good witch, that I wouldn't abuse this gift, and that I would honor it all my life.

  "Apple, look at your hands," Ryan whispered to me.

  I glanced at my palms and saw glowing orbs, overjoyed I beamed at him, "Can you see this? It's beautiful."

  He walked closer to me and ran his finger along my cheekbone, "I see it beautiful."

  My hands stopped glowing because I had completely lost focus. I didn't really care though because Ryan look my face and planted his lips on mine.

  I reached up to grasp his hands where he held me. The kiss was sweet and exploring, almost as if he expected me to run away. I parted my lips to just get a small taste of him, he was intoxicating. My hands grasped his tank top and then I ran my fingers over his chest. He groaned deepening the kiss until there was nothing sweet about it.

  His hands grabbed my hips and pressed me closer, I moaned at the contact. He was an excellent kisser, man he could have taught Barry a thing or two.

  Ryan broke off the kiss, we were both breathing harshly, but he had amusement in his eyes.

  "What?" I asked.

  "I'm kind of glad Barry sucked at kissing." He teased kissing my nose.

  I had done it again; mentally I put my walls firmly back in place, "Spoil sport."

  He just laughed and said it was time to practice more magic. We stayed out there for hours. I learned how to gather the magic and how to pull it into my heart. I learned how to send it back out to do my will. I learned that wielding the magic did not mean that I was the master of it, that my body was a vessel that could allow magic to flow through.

  I had just picked up a large bolder with my mind when we heard Nana calling us home. No matter how far I wandered, she could always find me.

  As we came out of the trail I noticed two black hummers, parked by the cabin. Several military type men were standing around the porch. My aunts were standing off to the side next to James and Patrick. But there was no sign of Emily or Nana.