Colby: September

by Brandy Walker

  Ella’s gaze bounced back to Colby. She canted her head and studied him. Her eyebrow rose, and she smirked at the look on his face. He might as well have been a deer caught in headlights at that moment. His vibrant blue eyes rounded in surprise, and she could see he was trying to formulate an escape plan.

  Colby, the poor dear, stepped back out of Lizzy’s reach. His eyes narrowed suspiciously on the glass in Ella’s hand. “What have you ladies been drinking?” He stared at Ella in accusation, like it was her fault the woman hitting on him was drunk as a skunk.

  Ella shrugged. “White Lightning.”

  His mouth dropped open, surprise or shock flitting across his handsome feature. “On fire?”

  She paused at his reaction, a bit perplexed by it. She shook her head, clearing it. He took the action the wrong way and smiled.

  “Well, yeah.” She didn’t stop the roll of her eyes. It was a bad habit of hers. Forgive her—she was working on it. “Is there any better way to drink it?”

  Colby’s smile dropped, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Long, almost elegant, fingers came up and he pinched the bridge of his nose, and groaned. “Do you know what that shit will do to you when heated?”

  “Make it less potent,” she said, tilting her chin up stubbornly. At least, that’s what she believed. Fire burned some of the alcohol off. She cooked with it all of the time. And she didn’t have reason to think otherwise.

  “Oh Goddess,” he groaned louder than before. “How long have you been doing that?”

  Ella narrowed her eyes as he went slightly out of focus. Damn, the alcohol was hitting her hard. “Tonight or since the first time I ever had it?”

  “Tonight,” he said, his voice void of emotion.

  Ella shrugged again and looked around at the group of women she was with. The way Colby appeared beyond anxious about it had a tight ball of nerves tumbling in her tummy. Her friends did seem to be a bit more out of it than usual. A couple of them plopped down into chairs, glassy-eyed looks on their faces. “Since we got here a couple hours ago. The bartender didn’t say anything to us when he gave us the second bottle.” She gestured toward the table and the bottles of White Lightning, one empty and the other close to it. Really, there was only a swallow left. It would be a shame to waste it. She should probably finish it off, her little inner voice encouraged. Yeah, definitely. Without thought, she moved to grab it, but was stopped by a strong hand on her upper arm.

  “Oh, no you don’t. Setting White Lightning on fire makes it more potent. Not less. But even still, you and your friends shouldn’t be this bad off,” Colby sighed and dug something out of his back pocket. He held what turned out to be a little black radio to his mouth. “I need a couple of attendants over in section five. We’ve got a bunch of drunk witches that need tending to.”

  Ella’s mouth dropped open in indignation. It wasn’t like they were causing trouble. “You don’t need to do that. We’ve been behaving.”

  “Not for long.” He gestured over to where Lizzy had wandered off. It was apparent she wasn’t too upset Colby wasn’t paying attention to her anymore. She’d latched onto a tall, dark demon, and even he looked panicked as she ran her hands over his bare chest. Ella watched bits of magic leak from Lizzy’s fingers and flit along the demon’s skin. He winced and tried to back up. Lizzy wasn’t having it. She gripped his forearms tightly with a look of determination lighting her eyes.

  Ella snorted then slapped a hand over her mouth. She only made that dumb sound when she was drunk. But she couldn’t be drunk. “I feel fine,” she whispered.

  “Yeah,” Colby said; but, to her ears, he didn’t sound convinced. They stood there without saying anything for a couple of minutes. His big hand wrapped around the fleshy part of her upper arm. Normally, she’d be trying to pull away from him—or anyone that thought to touch her there. For being a massage therapist, one would think she would have better tone to her arms, but she didn’t, and it annoyed her. Her body wasn’t built that way.

  Three men approached Colby, and all he did was motion toward her group of friends. There was low chuckling coming from them, but Colby didn’t let her stay long enough to find out what would happen next. He tugged on her arm and led her away.

  “Where are you taking me?” She let out an unflattering squeak. They made a beeline toward the bars. Patrons getting out of their way without being told. It was rather impressive.

  “Somewhere quiet.” They stopped in front of a wall. He passed his hand over a pretty design etched into the wallpaper. It seemed a silly thing to do. Until a hidden door slid open and they stepped into an office. It wasn’t like any office she’d ever seen, though.

  There was a desk, chair, and everything that a normal office should have off to one side. On the other, there was a roomy-looking bed, an open-shelving unit with some clothes and personal items stacked on top, and a small nightstand with a lamp. It really reminded her of a loft apartment. An extremely tiny apartment, but an apartment nonetheless.

  “What is this place?” Ella huffed when Colby pushed her down onto the bed with firm hands on the tops of her shoulders. He stepped back. Disappointment had her forehead scrunching up and her heart dropping a little. She wanted his hands back on her. Their warmth and strength. The strange connection she felt settling around her.

  He leaned against the edge of the desk, crossing his thick forearms over his chest. “My office. I share it with the other manager, Holden. I crash here when I’m too tired to head home after a shift. Same with Holden when he works nights.” Worry pinched his eyebrows together. “Is there someone I can call for you?”

  “Why?” The sluggish words felt heavy on her tongue. In her mind, she knew she was sinking into oblivion at an alarming rate. Her body didn’t really give a damn though.

  He chuckled lightly. The sound twisted around her, sending a delicious curl of heat through her chest. “Because you’re about to pass out.”

  “No I’m not,” she slurred. But that’s exactly how it felt. The room got fuzzy, and she couldn’t quite think straight. Ella flopped back. All of her energy suddenly drained from her body. Why resist when the bed was so inviting? “It really is comfy,” she murmured, thinking she’d only close her eyes for a minute or two now that she was lying down.

  A snort came from Colby’s direction. She wanted to open her eyes and see what was so funny, but the bed’s lure was too much. “So nice.” She wiggled a little into the plushness. Her breasts jiggled against the soft fabric of her top, making her giggle. She’d picked one of her racier bras even though it lacked the support she typically needed. The silky fabric felt like heaven against the tops of her overflowing breasts.

  “Can I at least get your name?”

  Ella hummed lightly. The bedding was cool to the touch and felt delicious against her heated skin. “Ella,” she said on a sigh. “Ella Burke.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ella.”

  She was vaguely aware of being moved up the bed. Damn, the man was strong, and his arms felt good around her. She certainly wasn’t a lightweight. Her five foot four frame packed some mighty fine curves. She loved them. The dip at her waist. Her larger than average breasts, rear, and thighs. She had more of an hourglass figure. The type of body that used to be considered fashionable back in the day. If she could only get over her dislike of her bigger arms.

  A yawn stretched her mouth that she covered with her hand. “So tired.” Her body was floating away. The room spun behind her eyelids. Without opening her eyes, she waved a hand over her body. “Prohibere telarum,” she whispered and allowed her magic to flow free. It tickled over her skin and sunk into her bones. Like a snap of the fingers, the unwanted spinning disappeared. She sighed happily. A small purr rumbling in the back of her throat.

  A wisp of air, which had nothing to do with her magic, brushed over her and she was moved again. Strong hands gently tugged off her boots, and she was tucked into bed. Covers weighed down on her, relaxing her even more.

  “S’nice,” she
murmured as sleep pulled her under.

  Colby stared down at the woman snuggled up in his more-than-occasional bed with a wistful look. Damn, she looked cozy and content. She’d felt even better in his arms than he’d imagined. He wanted to crawl in next to her and wrap his body around every beautiful curve, but he knew that would lead to one pissed off witch. He had no intention of suffering another angry witch’s curse. Once in a lifetime was more than enough.

  He didn’t know what she’d said earlier, but figured it had to do with whatever she was feeling from the alcohol. He could only hope that it worked and she’d get undisturbed sleep. And that her hangover wasn’t as horrible as he thought it would be when she woke up.

  Blowing out a breath, Colby took a step back. He needed to put a little distance between him and the minx in the bed. He was technically still working, and needed to get his head back into the game. That didn’t mean he had to leave the room though. There was plenty of paperwork that needed to be done. He’d also have to have a talk with the staff about serving White Lightning and letting patrons set it on fire. Heat enhanced. Everyone knew that.

  He stepped out of the room, locking it behind him. It took him about ten minutes to let the bar staff know where he’d be and to put out one fire. Not a literal one. Just a mix up with a playroom reservation, which was sorted out in a matter of minutes. He checked on the women Ella had been with, all were fine and either picked up by friends or poured into cabs. Colby gave one last look around the Club then ducked back into the office. All was right in his world again. Maybe even more so, now.

  The door slid closed with a hushed click, and he let out a breath. Ella was curled up in the bed snoring lightly. She’d rolled onto her side and tucked the other pillow to her front, arms wrapped around it lovingly. He so wanted to be that damn pillow.

  “Later, Noble. You can wait until she’s sober and you get to know her better.” He shook his head and settled into the chair. Her witch’s blood called to him through the short distance. He was hardwired to feel it. He’d known after his first encounter with a witch when he was younger that he was destined to have one as his wife. His mate through all eternity.

  Pushing the excited feeling at finding the woman who could possibly fit the bill away, he concentrated on work. The stack of papers he’d been avoiding for a week made him the happiest guy around at the moment. There was no reason for him to leave, unless the Club caught fire. Even then, he had a feeling his witch could protect him.

  He glanced at Ella again. The Club catching fire was an improbability at the moment. He’d gotten the little fire starters separated and one in particular under his watchful gaze. He would question why he didn’t try harder to find someone to pick her up, he refused to lie to himself. There was a thread linking them together. An attraction, yes, but something more. The draw he felt from across the room earlier was even more potent up close. It intoxicated and made him want things he’d only dreamed of having.

  3

  Sept 5th – way too early to be awake

  “Goddess!” Ella moaned, pressing her hand against her forehead. Who the hell was pounding nails into a two-by-four on top of her head? She pried her eyelids open and tried to look around. Each time she moved though, the pounding got worse. Turned into throbbing and a chorus of woodpeckers trying to break through metal. She closed her eyes and squeezed the pillow tighter against her chest. What she really wanted to do was crush it over her head to make it all stop, it was too bad breathing was necessary to live. But was that what she really wanted at the moment? It would definitely make the pain go away.

  There was a dip and the bed shifted, jolting her. Her eyes popped open as she freaked out a bit internally. The girl inside flailed her arms in panic wondering what to do. Thank Goddess, she had better control over her extremities. The pain that would have resulted would have made her wish for death even more. She didn’t remember going home, let alone picking anyone up. Oh please say she didn’t pick up a demon, or worse yet, a warlock. They were such prima donnas.

  “Hey there,” a soft deep voice rumbled above her head. She expected it to rattle her brain. To intensify the throb or make her cringe. Neither of those things happened. In fact, it soothed the thundering in her head. Sucking in a breath through her nose, she pushed it out through her mouth, doing her best to calm her rioting body down. Her stomach churned slightly, and while she didn’t think she would throw up; it wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

  When she felt she had better control of things, she looked at the man that belonged to the voice. To her surprise, Colby, the hunky man from before sat on the edge of the bed. A soft smile played on his face, amusement dancing in his eyes.

  “Hi,” she croaked. A flush of embarrassment heated her cheeks, making her push her face deeper into the pillow beneath her head.

  Colby sprang up from the bed without a word, and was back before she could figure out what happened. Did she look as horrible as she felt? She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut.

  “Ella?”

  It figured, she couldn’t just disappear. She opened her eyes and gave him a wobbly smile. He held a glass of water in one hand and held out his other. It really was a sweet thing to do…if she actually intended on sitting up. Which, she belatedly realized, she would have to do in order to drink the water.

  With a sigh, she pushed her snuggle-buddy pillow to the side. Taking his hand, she let Colby help her up. Her world tilted for a second, but she recovered quickly. Colby had yet to let go of her, and she didn’t mind one bit. He felt like an anchor in the storm that was everything to do with her functioning at the moment. That warm, sweet feeling from before wrapped around her. It was comfort and familiarity rolled up into one loving feeling.

  Silently, he handed her the water and waited for her to drink. The cool liquid went down her parched throat, soothing her rough voice. She drank half the glass before handing it back to him.

  “Thanks,” she said, sounding much more like herself. Her head pounded unbearably, but she could talk. That was good, she guessed.

  Colby smiled. “How you feeling?”

  Ella snorted, which, of course, rattled her a little. She winced and worked not to shake her head. “Head hurts.”

  “A hangover will do that for you. Do you know any witchy spells to banish it?”

  “Sadly, no. There are some out there, but they’re a tit-for-tat kind of thing. The pain would need to flow somewhere or to someone. In my coven, we can only do some self-healing spells.”

  “Like whatever it was you said before you went under?”

  “Yes,” she blushed, her cheeks heating uncomfortably. “The room was spinning. It needed to stop.”

  He nodded and got up again. A couple of steps took him to his desk, he opened a drawer, and pulled out a small white packet with writing on it. Sitting back down, he ripped off the top and handed it to her, and then grabbed the glass back. “Lucky for you I keep a little hangover remedy of my own here. Pour it under your tongue, let it sit for a couple of seconds, and then wash it down.”

  Ella narrowed her eyes at the suspicious little packet. He’d ripped whatever writing was on it, off. “Magic?”

  “No. Over-the-counter pain killer. Works really well.”

  She huffed and took the packet from him, doing as he told her. “Thank you.”

  Colby’s pleased grin had her blushing even harder. “I aim to serve.”

  “I appreciate it.” She didn’t know what else to say. Looking around, she remembered she was in an office. “So a bed…” she trailed off. She couldn’t quite remember if they’d had that conversation already.

  “Late nights that turn into early mornings.” He paused and chuckled. “I told you that before.”

  “Oh. Guess I don’t really remember much.” Ella swung her legs off the side of the bed. Her head didn’t feel as bad, and the threat of vomiting had dissipated. That was some damn good pain relief.

  Colby moved back to his desk, sitting on the edge of
it. He crossed his arms across his very fine chest. That she remembered him doing before. It had the same heart-fluttering effect on her too. The man was dreamy, to say the least.

  “Drinking two bottles of White Lightning and setting it on fire will do that for a person. I can’t help but think something else was going on too, though. It shouldn’t have hit you guys that hard. At least, I don’t think it should have.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know,” she mumbled, “about the heat and stuff. Usually, cooking it burns the alcohol off.” She’d never had an issue with it before. But then, she usually wasn’t sucking down two bottles in the span of a couple of hours. She typically only had one or two glasses before calling it a night.

  “Not all alcohols, and especially not that kind.” He continued, giving her a pointed look. “It’s made for Mystics. You should have known better. All of your friends were picked up, by the way. You, kind of, passed out before I could get more than your name out of you.”

  Ella’s cheeks had to be on fire and permanently red. She pressed a hand to one and shook her head lightly. “I’m so sorry. I’m sure you had better things to do than babysit me.”

  “It wasn’t a problem.” He motioned to the top of his desk. “I had plenty of paperwork to take care of. Stuff I’ve been avoiding for a while. Plus, I wanted to keep an eye on you.” Colby tilted his head, and his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “So…is there a husband or boyfriend I should call to come get you? You probably shouldn’t be driving yet.”

  “No,” she squeaked. The sound much more distressed than she’d like. “Um, I mean, no. No boyfriend or husband. Just my twenty cats and me,” she said in a flippant manner. “Besides, I didn’t drive.”

  Colby’s eyes rounded in shock, his face turning white. “Twenty cats?”

  Ella couldn’t hold her snicker in. “I’m kidding. I only have one. I think they come standard when a witch is born.”