Hidden Magic by Wynter Daniels

completely bewitched him.
    He wanted her with every breath he drew. Despite that he was working with her, he planned to have her. The sooner the better.
    * * * * *
    Jilly opened her seatbelt as Zander parked in front of Mind’s Eye. “Was that the total waste of time as I think it was?” They’d spoken with the Saxons but neither of Hannah’s parents seemed to know anything about her having a boyfriend or about any friends outside of those from her school.
    He draped his arm over the back of the seat and she got a whiff of pure male. “No, actually. They were so adamant about Hannah not being allowed to date. Makes me think that if she did have someone in her life she wouldn’t have told them. Maybe she’d even sneaked around with a boy.”
    She thought about her own teenage years. She’d have given anything to have had a parent who cared whether she dated. “Mr. Saxon didn’t like me. He was wishing I’d leave the whole time. I saw it in his aura.”
    Zander frowned. “Now that’s the sort of thing that can help an investigation. We know from the first time you went over there that he’s not happy about you being involved in the case. Maybe he just fears anything supernatural. Or it could be an indication that he has something to hide.”
    “Hmm. What are you going to do next?”
    He slid closer and twirled his finger around a lock of her hair. “I’ll have to watch him like a hawk, dig deeper into his past.” His voice was a low, sexy rumble as his gaze fixed on her lips. “Very deep.”
    No mistaking that he was no longer talking about Lee Saxon. Muscles inside her core pulled taut. She shouldn’t allow that delicious heat to take root but she was powerless to stop it. When he moved even nearer, she centered her hand on his chest with every intention of preventing him from continuing but his eyes had her mesmerized.
    Her first instinct when a man got close was to back away, but Zander meant her no harm. That much she read in his stare. He cupped her cheek in his palm, gently rubbed her skin with a callused thumb. The air between them sizzled with raw electricity. Her breath grew ragged and heat pooled at the juncture of her thighs. Then his lips were on hers, demanding and masculine and completely undeniable. Instead of pushing him away, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt and held him there.
    He tasted of mint and passion as he slid his tongue around hers, exploring and plundering her mouth. She closed her eyes and gave in to her craving, just this once.
    Zander threaded his fingers through her hair and held her head possessively. How could she crave him so much—like air or water—knowing she was taking a chance spending this much time with him. Could she be any more reckless than to get involved with a cop when she was pretending to be someone other than who she really was?
    He deepened his kiss and her desire rose tenfold. Passion chased all the objections from her mind and she surrendered to long-denied need.
    Zander broke the kiss, but held her face in his hands. “We shouldn’t be doing this, not as long as you’re working on the case with me, but…” He pulled her against his chest.
    It felt so good she couldn’t bear to let go. She could feel his heart beating, steady and strong.
    “I can’t stop thinking about you, Jilly.”
    She forced herself to push him away. “I know. Me too. But…” She could hardly tell him why being with a cop made her nervous. “I don’t do this. I’m not ready to…get involved, with anyone.”
    His wounded expression cut through her. She had to look away. “It’s not you, believe me.”
    “What is it then?”
    She studied her hands. She hated for him to see the regret in her eyes so she kept them downcast. If he only knew how much she wanted him. “I can’t talk about it now. I have an appointment in a few minutes so I should go inside.”
    He glanced at the store. “It looks closed.”
    “It is. But I take some appointments after hours.”
    He