by V. Vaughn
I shrug and take a step back so I can think clearly, because that mouth of his is begging me to taste it. Devour it. "Maybe because I'm not one of the women who fall all over you to shove dollars in your butt crack."
Leo bursts into laughter. "There is a no-touching rule when it comes to that part of my anatomy.” He drops his voice to an even sexier register. “But I'd make an exception for you."
Heat from my anger flushes my cheeks as I get in his face. "I'll bet." I poke his chest with my finger. "But something tells me you believe rules are made to be broken."
Leo grabs my wrist and snakes an arm around my waist to pull me closer. "Yeah?" The heat of his body is like a warm blanket I want to wrap myself in, and it keeps me from jerking away. Instead, I lean into him as he says, "Something tells me you follow them all to a T. You're kind of uptight."
My breathing is shallow as I look up into Leo's eyes, and I lick my lips as desire pushes all rational thought from my mind. "Am not," I whisper before I yank on his shirt to pull him down for a kiss. His lips are soft on mine, and he's surprisingly gentle. Too gentle for my needs, so I turn up the volume as I dart my tongue into his mouth and clutch at his bulging biceps. Nancy's thought about climbing him like a mountain comes to mind when I realize I'm trying to fill every nook and crevice between us with my body as I kiss him. The electricity I felt earlier is now at a dangerous level as a hum fills my ears.
Leo responds to my advances and turns us so that my back is to the wall, and I thud against it as I slide my hands up to his shoulders. He breaks our kiss to smile at me. "Best spell ever."
I blink as I flash to a man saying the same thing to my mother. It was often how she got little things she wanted and something I would never do. So when I regain my composure, anger spikes in me at his accusation. "I did not spell you!" My power reacts to help me shove at his chest to push him away.
Leo chuckles as he stumbles back. “You’re strong.” He maintains the space as he rubs his thumb over his lower lip. "Don't try to tell me you didn't like that. You started it, after all."
Body oil from his slick chest is on my fingers, and I rub them on my jeans. "Ugh!" I'm disgusted not only by the grease on my hands but at the fact that I just attacked him. "Fine. I'm attracted to you, but that kiss meant nothing. I was merely trying to get you out of my system."
He laughs. "Wow. How's that working out for you?" He bites his lower lip as he lowers his eyelids in a sexy gaze, and when he tries to step forward, he bumps into an invisible barrier. Leo laughs again and then says, "You can't resist me, can you?"
"I am not— I can re—" I realize my voice is rising in volume, and I stop for a second to take a deep breath so I can speak calmly. "Look. Yes. I find you attractive in a—" I shrug as I search for the right words. "In a curious way, but this is where we end."
"I doubt that, Sammy. I've never had a kiss like that, and I'll bet you haven't either."
I let out a noise of disgust as my jaw drops at his audacity. "Believe me, I'm not about to date a man with less hair on his chest than I have."
Leo raises his eyebrows in amusement, which makes rage prickle along the back of my neck, and I’m sure my hair is rising up with static electricity as my powers threaten to take over. He drops his gaze to my chest. "Can I see?"
I close my eyes to tamp down my temper and shake my head. "I knew coming here was a mistake." I open my eyes again to see a playful smirk on Leo's face, and I scowl at him. "Huge."
Leo glances down at his crotch. "So I've been told."
"Oh my god!" I let out a huff and turn on my heel to get away from the most infuriating man I've ever met, and his laughter follows just like the tingling sensation of our kiss that's still on my lips. I reach up and touch my mouth, and warmth fills my heart as I recall how Leo tasted. Ugh. So help me, he's right. Because from what I know about soul-mate attraction, this is far from over.
3
Unlike most people who go to work on Monday, I actually enjoy spending my Sunday getting ready for the week. A metal grocery cart rattles when I pull it out from the corral. Early in the morning, I tidy up my lesson plans for my third-grade class and correct papers to clear my desk. In the evening, I tackle laundry. But right now, I'm at the grocery store with my list created from my meal plan for the week.
Brussels sprouts thump lightly into my produce bag as my thoughts wander to Leo. Again. I can't seem to stop thinking about him, and I suppose that's why a soul-mate connection is so hard to ignore. It's frustrating, but I can't let it get in the way of my master plan. It feels as if my life has always depended on a master plan, and I know better than to mess with it. It's how I managed to get out from under my single mother, who, while trying to put food on our table by working the pole, was sucked into the drug-filled world she claimed she could resist. It's how I managed to graduate summa cum laude despite working a full-time job when I was in college. And it's how I'm going to ensure I live the kind of life I want for myself and my future family.
So while I may have slipped up at the club when I kissed Leo, it stops there. I don't have time for a boyfriend, let alone a lifelong relationship with a stripper. It’s only a matter of time before he’s addicted to drugs, and I refuse to raise my children with a father like that.
I lift a ginger root up to the light to inspect it for mold before I place it in my cart. When I first moved to Orono, it was to be close to my two best friends, Nina and Elise. I knew Elise had an ulterior motive bringing Nina and me here, but I believed I could work around it. Like those who fall hard with a soul mate, she wanted her besties to have the same joy. There is also her desire to help the werebear clans in the Northeast Kingdom too, because it was recently discovered that offspring of witch and werebear mates are a powerful mix that clans want to have.
So when Elise tried to set Nina and me up with male werebear, hoping she could find us our soul mates, I nipped it in the bud, telling her destiny would know when it was supposed to happen. Right now I regret I ever opened my mouth because destiny is surely laughing at me.
I eye the fish behind the glass counter to determine which haddock filet I want as I wait my turn. The thing is, though, I have a choice. I don't have to be with my soul mate, and as a witch who is very human, I can find love and happiness with someone else if I wish.
The clerk looks at me. "Miss?"
My fingernail taps on the glass. "I'll take the one in the back on your left, three quarters of a pound, and cut it in half, please."
As he works, I inspect the crabmeat containers to find the lump meat I need for Thursday's dinner. Since last night, I've determined the best way to avoid temptation is to stay far away from Leo. It shouldn't be hard considering I'd never seen him before even though I've lived here more than a year.
After I get my fish, I make my way down the spice aisle to where the crispy breadcrumbs are located. But when I get there, I find that section of the shelf is empty, and I let out a sigh of frustration. I need them for my pan-fried haddock in lemon butter I plan to have tonight, and again for lunch tomorrow while the fish is the freshest. Canisters of regular breadcrumbs scrape on the shelf as I move them with the hope that the one I want is hiding in the back. No luck, darn it. I frown as I try to determine what to do. Regular breadcrumbs get soggy when pan fried, and I was really looking forward to the lemon-butter recipe. I've already got the fish and the lemon, and I don't have time to go all the way across town to another market for the right kind of breadcrumbs.
I take a deep breath to find a way to get past this. Leo's voice comes to me as I recall him teasing me about being uptight. Am not. I smile when I remember the way I yanked him down for a kiss to prove it too. I shake my head at myself and toss a container of the plain breadcrumbs in my cart with the intention of baking my fish instead.
I manage to get everything else on my list, and after I check out, the doors of the store swish open. When I get outside, I find the sun has peeked out from behind the clouds, so I lift my face up to the sky to
soak up the warmth. I hear the sluggish whine of a car that refuses to start and immediately think the driver needs a new battery. I glance over to a see a shiny black Jeep that is an older model but appears to be in top condition, and I'm tempted to throw a little magic toward the battery to make it start and brighten the owner's day. But before I can, the driver gets out, and when he moves to lift the hood, I realize it's Leo.
For a moment, I'm tempted to turn around and walk off before he sees me. I did swear I was going to stay far away. But I don't want to. My stupid soul-mate connection to him is making it painful. It occurs to me that this is my chance to show him I really do use my magic for good, and I make my way over to him. "Need some help?" I ask as the hood creaks open.
When Leo sees me, he smiles. "Sammy." He takes a moment to study me, and his smile turns into a grin. "You look even better in daylight."
I roll my eyes at him, and he chuckles.
"I could use a jump. I think my battery died. Got any magic tricks that can help?"
I give him a smirk. "What? You can't sweet talk it to do what you want?"
"Nice," he says with sincerity.
I love a guy who can banter, and I shoo him with my hand. "Get back in and try again."
He raises his eyebrows at me, probably wondering what I might do beyond starting the engine, but he gets behind the wheel. I'll admit it's tempting to send a little shock through him too just for fun, but when he turns the key, I only point my finger at the battery of his car to give it juice. A flash of white shoots toward the car, and the engine roars to life.
Leo steps out of the Jeep again. "You're handy to have around. Thanks."
"You're welcome." Sunlight makes me notice his hair is actually a dark shade of blond, and his cheekbones are prominent like a fashion model's. My god, he's handsome. "For the record," I say, "I only use my magic for good."
"Yeah. I know that." Leo shoves his hands in his pockets and glances down at the ground. "I'm sorry I accused you of spelling me." He looks back up at me. "I know we're soul mates."
"Yeah. We are," I admit. "But the timing on this is all wrong." I cross my arms and stand a little taller with my forced conviction. "I'm sorry, but there is really going to be nothing between us."
"Oh." There's an awkward silence as Leo stares at me, and I fight with the desire to move closer to him. My heart aches, and I know it’s going to hurt even more when I walk away. I finally say, "I should get home before my ice cream melts."
"Right. Thanks again."
I force a smile for him and then resume pushing my cart toward my car. But I only get a few steps past Leo before he calls out to me.
"Sammy! Wait."
I turn to face him.
"Do you like lobster rolls?"
"Ah…" The angel on my shoulder is shaking her finger at me while the devil is hopping up and down with excitement. "I do."
"I know this place not too far from here. Let me take you to lunch as thanks for starting my car."
"Oh." I shake my head as my angel grins with pride, because as much as I'd like to spend time with Leo, I don't trust myself to keep it platonic. "That's okay. It was no trouble to help."
I turn to begin walking again, then he says, "They're really good."
I stop, and now my devil is practically pushing me toward him. But like a drug addict trying to stay clean, I clench my teeth in an effort to remain strong. I fail, though, because the truth is I love lobster rolls. Being from the Midwest, I can't seem to get enough of the fresh fish here, and I'd be a fool to pass one up. Right? I turn back around to face Leo. "Okay. Follow me home so I can put my groceries away first."
Leo perks up like a child who's convinced his parents to get him a puppy. "Great!"
I'm excited too, against my better judgment. I manage to put a lid on it while Leo helps me load up my car with my bags before returning to his Jeep to follow me home. Once I'm in my car alone, though? I grin from ear to ear, because I'm about to spend time with a man who makes my heart flip, and when my angel tries to send off warning bells, my devil and I turn on the radio to drown them out.
4
After Leo followed me home, I ran inside to put my refrigerator items away. Since he had the top down on his car to enjoy the warm fall day, I grabbed a fleece before I hopped into his Jeep.
Wind whips around us as music blares, making it hard to have a conversation, but I don't mind. He takes me on a road along the coast, and the view is spectacular. We stop at a roadside fried-seafood place that would be a typical tourist spot except for the fact it’s also placed on a rocky shore.
Gravel crunches under my feet as we walk across the parking lot, and Leo says, "If you’ll grab us a table, I'll get the lobster rolls. What would you like to drink?"
"Diet soda, please." I move toward red picnic tables that allow one a front-row view of waves crashing on the rocky coast, and I pick one closest to the water.
I gaze out as I wait for Leo to get our food. The October breeze is chilly, and I tug my fleece closer as I wonder what I'm doing here. So much for trying to push my attraction to Leo aside so I can find a way to forget him. I have to make sure that I let him know there will be nothing more after this, and I think it might be best for my resolve if I focus on every negative thing about him I can.
A seagull lets out a cry overhead, and I look up to see him dive bomb toward a little boy's french fries at the table next to me. I squint and throw out a blast of air to make the bird veer off course and land on the ground beside them. It allows the kid's mother time to shoo the gull away before he can get what he's after.
"You're a softy," says Leo as he appears across the table from me and thumps down a tray with our lunch. He tilts his head toward the boy and his mother. "I saw what you did there." He touches between his eyes. "You get these little wrinkles when you make stuff move."
I reach up to feel the spot he indicated. "I do?"
"Yup. I saw it when you put my pants back on too." He grins as he hands me my sandwich. "It's cute."
"Huh," I scoff as I imagine he says that to all women. "You're really full of it if you think premature aging is cute."
"Can't help it." Leo shrugs. "Soul-mate thing."
He bites into his lobster roll and closes his eyes while he lets out a little moan that practically reaches in and tickles my insides with desire. Damn it. The connection we have is so inconvenient.
"Soul-mate thing," I say as I picture him gyrating on the stage and take a big bite of my roll. Sweet lobster with a slight salty flavor of mayonnaise fills my mouth, and I let out a small moan too. The moment I see Leo's gaze turn heated, I regret it, because I bet it affected him the same way he did me.
I swallow my food down hard and move on to something neutral. Like finding out if he went to college in a tactful way. "I know you must have grown up here, but have you ever lived anywhere else?"
"I went to school in Boston. And I might go back for med school." He grabs a chip. "What about you? Where did you grow up?"
I frown as I wonder if the med school comment is just a line he gives people. "Outside of Chicago. I moved here a little over a year ago to get my masters at Orono, and now I'm working on my thesis while I teach the third grade."
Leo smiles appreciatively at me. "That explains how you were dressed Friday night."
I think about the purposefully conservative outfit of jeans and a high-necked shirt that I wore. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing bad. In my job, you learn to read people pretty quickly. You didn't want to be in the club, did you?"
I sigh. "No. I wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been my former roommate's bachelorette party."
"I see a lot of that. Unfortunately, dressing conservatively is not the deterrent you think it is. Nate, the emcee, loves to pick women like you as volunteers." Leo chuckles. "He says that way he can be sure you won't take things too far."
I let out a dry laugh when I recall how I strutted around the stage like a dominatrix snapping the bel
t in my hands. "He wasn't prepared for the likes of me, was he?"
Leo gazes intently into my eyes for a moment, and his voice lowers to a sexy tone that sends a shiver through me. "Neither was I." A lazy smile forms on his face. "Never did I imagine I'd meet my soul mate in the club."
I lean toward him, and my words are soft when I say, "Me either." Leo reaches for my hand, and his fingers sear me with the heat of a werebear while our connection zings through us like electricity. I lick my lips as I stare at his mouth and recall how hot our kiss was Friday night.
Laughter from the little boy sitting near us tears me from my trance, and I stiffen as I look over at him and pull my hand back. I let out the breath of air I was holding.
"Right," says Leo as he glances over at the kid. He clears his throat before lifting his sandwich up. "You're going to be a great mother."
I flash to an image of Leo holding a tiny baby gently in his huge arms, and my heart fills with the warmth of love for my future child and husband.
And then I give myself a mental slap, because this is not how lunch is supposed to go. I turn my thoughts back to my original plan and picture him with huge ears that stick out. Unfortunately, the way they look on Leo in my mind makes him appear cute in a dorky way.
I take another huge bite of my sandwich, and Leo asks, "Like it?"
"Mm-hm," I say over a mouthful of food. Once I swallow it, I add, "I can't get enough of the seafood here. You were right. This is the best lobster roll I've ever had."
"Good. Now hurry up and finish because—" He reaches into the pocket of his fleece and pulls out what looks like a chocolate hamburger bun with white frosting inside. "I got us a whoopee pie for dessert. We can eat it down on the rocks and watch the waves."
"That looks really good."
"You've never had one?"
I shake my head. I've seen them before, but I try to avoid sugar and never thought to try one.
"Then you're in for a treat," says Leo.
