soft and deeply seductive. Her gaze was trapped by his once more as he continued, “It’s simple yet powerful; and the chrysoprase stone enhances the spell.”
“Chrysoprase?” she asked, surprised that any sound came out at all. She put her hand over his, feeling the power humming beneath her fingertips.
“The stone,” he said, his hazel eyes starting to glow from within. He was so close, she could feel the breath of his words against her skin. “It offers physical protection and spiritual protection.”
“How do I know I can trust you?” she breathed.
“Because you feel it in your soul,” he whispered. Her breath caught in her throat at such a simple, straight-forward statement; it had been the truth! Leaning back, he chuckled, laughing at her and breaking the spell, “Or perhaps you are simply too trusting and I could not live with myself if something were to happen to you.”
“But you don’t even know me.”
“I know what I need to know,” he grinned, winking at her. “I know enough to show you my true form.”
“So the old man is the illusion,” she nodded, pleased with that conclusion. “I was leaning in that direction.”
He laughed again, though she wasn’t trying to be funny. Pulling an indigo blue card out of thin air, he handed it to her. His name was printed on it in gold ink, as well as the address of the store. He pointed at the address, “This will let you know where I am should you ever need me. You know, in case you require another spell. Or if you are looking for a new lover.”
She stared at him in silence, not sure whether he was being serious or if he was teasing her. Once more, his laughter filled the room as he stood up. Reaching down, he grabbed her hand and easily pulled her to her feet. He leaned forward, until she felt his breath against the side of her neck, “I couldn’t touch you until his aura surrounding you fell away. And I don’t sense that happening any time soon.”
He leaned back and smiled down at her, “Oh, well. I guess I’ll just have to wait a while longer until I have sex with a human.”
She jerked her head back to look at him but she was standing outside on the street, staring at the closed sign on the window of his shop. Her jacket was zipped up, her hat pulled down over her ears and her scarf wrapped snuggly around her face. If she didn’t feel the warmth of the medallion between her breasts, she would have sworn it had all been a dream.
In a daze, she walked back to her apartment building, wondering what else she had missed throughout the years. Were Vaughn and his brothers more than what they seemed? Given the events of the past twenty-four hours, she was going to have to assume they were. The question that remained, however, was what were they? And could she live with whatever Vaughn was?
Could she live without him was equally as important and just as easily answered: no. Maybe he and his brothers were some sort of succubae. No, that was the female version, duh; they would be incubi. But she didn’t feel drained after she had sex with Vaughn; she felt… invigorated. So, he probably wasn’t an incubus. Unless everything she knew about incubi – which was admittedly very little – was wrong. Still, she doubted he was an incubus.
Vampire? She chuckled at the thought; she doubted vampires even existed.
Of course, until a few hours ago she was pretty sure magic wasn’t real. No, that wasn’t quite true; she believed magic existed, she just never thought she would ever experience it. Still, she doubted he was a vampire; after all, he didn’t suck her blood. Though he did make her scream.
Smiling to herself, she decided that Vaughn and his brothers were most likely human because if they weren’t – if he wasn’t – she wasn’t at all sure how she was going to handle it. In her heart, she hoped she would be okay with
“Chrysoprase?” she asked, surprised that any sound came out at all. She put her hand over his, feeling the power humming beneath her fingertips.
“The stone,” he said, his hazel eyes starting to glow from within. He was so close, she could feel the breath of his words against her skin. “It offers physical protection and spiritual protection.”
“How do I know I can trust you?” she breathed.
“Because you feel it in your soul,” he whispered. Her breath caught in her throat at such a simple, straight-forward statement; it had been the truth! Leaning back, he chuckled, laughing at her and breaking the spell, “Or perhaps you are simply too trusting and I could not live with myself if something were to happen to you.”
“But you don’t even know me.”
“I know what I need to know,” he grinned, winking at her. “I know enough to show you my true form.”
“So the old man is the illusion,” she nodded, pleased with that conclusion. “I was leaning in that direction.”
He laughed again, though she wasn’t trying to be funny. Pulling an indigo blue card out of thin air, he handed it to her. His name was printed on it in gold ink, as well as the address of the store. He pointed at the address, “This will let you know where I am should you ever need me. You know, in case you require another spell. Or if you are looking for a new lover.”
She stared at him in silence, not sure whether he was being serious or if he was teasing her. Once more, his laughter filled the room as he stood up. Reaching down, he grabbed her hand and easily pulled her to her feet. He leaned forward, until she felt his breath against the side of her neck, “I couldn’t touch you until his aura surrounding you fell away. And I don’t sense that happening any time soon.”
He leaned back and smiled down at her, “Oh, well. I guess I’ll just have to wait a while longer until I have sex with a human.”
She jerked her head back to look at him but she was standing outside on the street, staring at the closed sign on the window of his shop. Her jacket was zipped up, her hat pulled down over her ears and her scarf wrapped snuggly around her face. If she didn’t feel the warmth of the medallion between her breasts, she would have sworn it had all been a dream.
In a daze, she walked back to her apartment building, wondering what else she had missed throughout the years. Were Vaughn and his brothers more than what they seemed? Given the events of the past twenty-four hours, she was going to have to assume they were. The question that remained, however, was what were they? And could she live with whatever Vaughn was?
Could she live without him was equally as important and just as easily answered: no. Maybe he and his brothers were some sort of succubae. No, that was the female version, duh; they would be incubi. But she didn’t feel drained after she had sex with Vaughn; she felt… invigorated. So, he probably wasn’t an incubus. Unless everything she knew about incubi – which was admittedly very little – was wrong. Still, she doubted he was an incubus.
Vampire? She chuckled at the thought; she doubted vampires even existed.
Of course, until a few hours ago she was pretty sure magic wasn’t real. No, that wasn’t quite true; she believed magic existed, she just never thought she would ever experience it. Still, she doubted he was a vampire; after all, he didn’t suck her blood. Though he did make her scream.
Smiling to herself, she decided that Vaughn and his brothers were most likely human because if they weren’t – if he wasn’t – she wasn’t at all sure how she was going to handle it. In her heart, she hoped she would be okay with
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