Enchanter by Joanne Wadsworth

It was so much better.”
    His frown deepened. “You should have waited for me when you finished school.”
    “But I controlled my fire.” I grabbed his hands. “Be happy for me.”
    “You’re lucky Faith told me where you were.”
    “Look.” I lugged him to the fire pit and jabbed at the burning wood. “I controlled the fire within me.” Couldn’t he see what I’d achieved?
    “She’s got this nailed. There wasn’t even any heat coming off her.” Zayn scooped sand and tossed it over the fire. It spat and died. “Silvie, we need to extend your training.”
    “Yes. Yes. Yes.”
    “She’s not doing that with you. Excuse us.” Guy held me tight as he ’ported us. We arrived in the stables, and he checked behind him. “Good. He got the point and didn’t follow.”
    “That wasn’t very polite.”
    “Do I look like I care? No.” He lifted my arms and wrapped them around his neck, bringing me against him. “I missed you today, and when I find you, it’s with him.”
    “Did you just say you missed me?” Surely not.
    “Hell, yes, I missed you.” He kissed me, a hot melding that made my temperature rise. Then he tipped me back, kissing me even deeper, until every inch of me warmed for more.
    He groaned. “We’ve gotta stop doing this.”
    “You started it,” I mumbled against his lips. “Although, I’m in complete agreement. We’ve gotta stop.”
    “You make me forget. You make me wish for more.”
    “And you’re a terrible influence on me.” I ran my finger in a saucy swirl down his chest and over his abs, his wickedly toned abs. He needed to stop working out with a sword, kick back and eat a ton of junk food. Whatever it took, he had to lose this physique that tempted me beyond reason. “Why don’t you back up before we both do something we’ll regret?”
    He caught my finger and brought it to his lips.
    “That’s not backing up.” Which meant it was up to me. I ducked around him and out into the blinding sunshine.
    “Silvie, you can’t just walk off.” He chased after me.
    “Yes, I can.” I continued on, firing up my link to Faith. “ Hey, I need a pickup. The outback. ”
    “Where are you going?”
    “Home, and without your help.”
    “ I’m already there, Silvie. I wanted to chat to Hope. We’re in her room. Do you see the homestead? ”
    On the hill, a sprawling earth-toned homestead of clay bricks and mortar proudly stood. It was magnificent in design, three-stories high with a wide wraparound porch. A castle for a king, even though Donaldo Wincrest didn’t reside here. “ I see it. ”
    I cut a path across the baked earth and under a towering stand of eucalyptus trees. A touch of shade cooled my skin from the delicious heat. I picked up my pace to pass out from underneath it. There. Faith and Hope waved from the top corner balcony.
    “You can’t leave.” Guy strode beside me. “We have a problem we need to work on.”
    “I’ll work on it with the girls.”
    “No, we’ll work on it with the girls.” He pulled me to a stop, and before I could say no, the dark ensued. We arrived on Hope’s balcony.
    “You have a terrible habit of taking over.” And I couldn’t let him. I shoved my hair over my shoulder and faced Faith. “From now on I’ve got to do this on my own. I’m firing my mate. He’s off the job. You’re with me on that, right?” I couldn’t say it any plainer.
    Faith struck a wide-eyed look at Guy. “What did you do now?”
    “I can’t stop kissing her.” He opened the glass slider, looking not one bit contrite. “Ladies first.”
    White lace curtains fluttered against my legs as I stormed in. How did I get through to him he had to leave? I gripped the smooth, round end post of Hope’s New Zealand rimu bed, trying not to tangle my fingers in the white netting trickling from the canopy. “He also said he missed me. This really isn’t working out the way it should.”
    “Then we’ll sort this problem fast.” Faith plopped onto the