Fire & Ice Page 13

  Honestly, she’d never looked sexier. My blood instantly rose in temperature. “It isn’t working, you know.”

  “Hmmm?” She gave me a questioning glance, lifting her eyebrows as she pursed her lips.

  “The clothes—those horrible things you’ve been wearing. Shirts to your chin, pants down to your ankles, the bad hairdos, the quick kisses and hugs, none of it’s working.”

  “What do you mean?”

  So, she was going to play the innocent card. This made me want to laugh too. One small sneak inside her head and I knew exactly what she was doing.

  Getting up, I strode to where she was standing, wrapping both of my hands around her upper arms, and yanked her firmly against me.

  “I mean, it isn’t working,” I said again, my voice low, lips brushing across her forehead as I spoke. “You’re trying to help and you’re making it worse.”

  She didn’t move at all, only the sound of her accelerated breathing filling the air.

  “When you wear your hair like this, I want to rip it down so I can run my fingers through it.” A flick of my magic caused the band restraining her luscious locks to break, instantly allowing it to fall down, framing her beautiful face. Sliding my hands upward, I fisted my hands in her hair, gently tugging it so it caused her face to tilt toward mine.

  “And your clothes.” I shook my head, knowing I was treading on dangerous ground. “Let’s not even discuss what I’d like to do with those.”

  Closing my eyes, I worked to calm my raging desires, trying to shove the flashing images of what it would be like to undress her from my mind. It was an impossible feat, and I took a deep breath before opening my eyes to stare hotly at her.

  “You don’t get it, do you? I could be blind, and you’d still attract me. Your blood sings to me as it races through your veins. I feel every increase in the rhythm of your heart, every catch in your breath, and sometimes every thought meandering through that silly little noggin of yours.”

  She only stared at me, apparently speechless, her eyes never leaving mine.

  “Don’t hold yourself back from me, Portia. It doesn’t help. It only makes it worse because then I crave you even more.” I hoped I was getting through to her. She’d been driving me insane. “Do you understand?”

  Nodding, she bit the corner of her plump bottom lip, nearly causing me to groan with need. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. I thought I was help—”

  “Enough talking,” I growled, needing her now. “Kiss me, already.”

  She didn’t argue, wrapping her arms around my neck as she leaned toward me. My mouth crushed against hers, my tongue sweeping inside to taste her sweet minty breath. The kiss grew hotter the longer it went on, and my hands slid lower pressing her body hard against mine. She didn’t pull away, answering me action for action and I knew without a doubt she’d missed this connection between us too.

  My heart was infused with happiness, as though it were being refilled after a long drought. I needed Portia. She was like the breath of life for me. I recognized her for what she was, my other half—the one person in the world who completed me.

  We were levitating now, only a few inches off the floor, but that was only further proof of how the two of us made the other feel. There was only one problem. In proving my point of how deprived she’d left me over the last several days, I’d started a raging inferno between us. I need to release her. Now.

  Portia fell to the floor, looking confused and I felt horrible.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, extending a hand to help her.

  “Were we . . . floating?” she asked, her eyes drifting to my feet, which were still a few inches off the floor.

  “Sorry. I thought you knew,” I apologized and stepped back on the ground. “I wouldn’t have let go so abruptly.”

  “We were actually levitating?” She sounded unsure, despite what she’d seen.

  “Haven’t you ever heard witches can fly?” I chuckled.

  “Seriously? I thought that was like some broomstick legend,” she replied, seeming totally floored by the concept. I knew she’d been practicing magic with Milly here and there; but apparently, they hadn’t covered human levitation.

  Grinning, an idea suddenly popped into my head. “Well, there’s some truth to the rumors, although they may not be completely accurate. Care to try a fun experiment with me?” There wasn’t any reason I couldn’t teach her some things, as well. I was certain Milly wouldn’t show her this because I doubted she ever did it.

  “Sure.” She glanced down at her ugly pajamas. “Do I need to change, though?”

  “Don’t worry about it. The bunnies are starting to grow on me.” She really did look hot in those terrible things. Leading her to the window, I quickly jumped out, turning to look at her.

  “Think light on your feet,” I called softly, not wanting to alert her parents to what we were about to do.

  She landed perfectly. “Wow. That was cool. I barely even felt it.”

  “That’s the idea,” I replied with a smile, taking her hand and leading her to where my motorcycle was parked down the street.

  “We need some space to work with,” I explained, when we arrived at the high school football field.

  “What if someone sees us?” she asked nervously, glancing around as I helped her off the bike.

  “Don’t worry. It’s late and the lights are off, so we should be fine.”

  Taking her hand, I guided her through the gate that led into the guest stands built into the side of the hill, and down onto the football field.

  “Okay. So using this power is more about levitation than flying really. Witches don’t actually soar over the moon on their broomsticks. It sure would save on airfare if we could, though.” Giving a slight laugh, I pulled her toward me. “I want you to kiss me like you did; only this time, I want you to think about feeling as light as air while you’re doing it. Don’t worry, I won’t let go.”

  She easily complied with my wishes. I was sure there were other ways I could’ve demonstrated, but this had worked before and who was I to resist another opportunity to kiss her senseless?

  It didn’t take long for me to feel her letting herself relax, and the two of us floated easily into the air. Sadly, I pulled my mouth away from hers and she quickly glanced down to observe us standing about two feet above the ground.

  “Can you center your emotions on the feeling running through you right now?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  “Okay then. I’m going to let go now,” I cautioned her as I loosened my grip, stepping away and releasing her. She continued to float in the air beside me.

  “This is awesome!” She smiled, glancing carefully around her body as if she were afraid to move at all.

  “All right, now I want you to take a step toward me.”

  I could see the trust in her eyes as she did what I asked. I backed away from her as she moved closer again, each of us descending with every step we took until we were safely back on the ground

  “Why did we lower?” she asked, appearing puzzled. “I didn’t feel as though I was consciously doing it.”

  “We’re still bound by the laws of gravity. I guess you can say we’re bending the laws. That’s why a witch can’t actually fly away on a broomstick. You could make a broomstick levitate and you could hop onto it. But every movement you take would bring you closer to the earth again, making it a poor choice of transportation.” I laughed, and she joined me.

  “So what good is levitating then, other than being for fun?”

  “Well, it’s useful for standing outside someone’s window,” I replied with a chuckle and a wink. She laughed again. “It’s also good for combat maneuvers, if we needed to protect ourselves.”

  “Show me,” she demanded, settling down on the field to watch.

  “For instance, running and jumping. You can do things higher, farther, and faster.” I glanced up the hill toward the field house. “Hang on. I have an idea. Be right back.”

&
nbsp; Racing to the locker room, I used my powers to open the door and went into the equipment room, retrieving a football. Quickly, I secured the doors behind me and rushed back to where I’d left Portia waiting.

  “I’m going to go downfield.” I tossed the football to her. “I want you to throw this to me as hard as you can when I tell you to.”

  She nodded and I hurried off in the opposite direction.

  “Any time,” I yelled to Portia when I was ready. She cranked the football back and threw it very accurately toward me. I was actually impressed.

  Running toward the ball, I jumped, almost as if I were climbing stairs, catching the ball easily as I rolled into a mid-air somersault—yeah, I was showing off a bit—before running again until I descended completely down to the ground.

  “Why don’t you go out for the team?” she asked, clearly impressed with what she’d witnessed. “You’d fly by the competition every time!”

  “It would be kind of obvious, don’t you think?” I grinned, silently thrilled at the look of complete adoration on her face.

  “No wonder you aren’t impressed by sports.” She laughed. “They must seem positively dull to you.”

  “Not always. A lot of athletes have great natural ability, and that’s fun to watch. Come here,” I said, grabbing her hand and heading toward the school. “I want to show you something else.” We went to a place where the sidewalk narrowed in between two buildings. “The same concept applies here,” I added, gesturing between the walls.

  Jumping high, I planted a foot against the side of one building, then pushing off to land with the other foot against the opposite wall, bouncing back and forth until I landed on the roof.

  “Now you try it,” I called down to her. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.”

  Her uneasy emotions flooded over me, and I could only imagine what it must feel like to try to overcome a lifetime of mental conditioning with one jump. I’d been raised nearly my whole life knowing exactly what I could do; and even before I came into my powers, my parents had never considered shielding me from it. It had always been part of my reality. Considering everything that had been thrown at her lately, I felt this only served to highlight Portia’s character even more. She was so trusting of those she loved. I hoped I would always be worthy of that trust.

  She made her leap and easily scaled the wall, joining me at the top. First time. My girl really was a natural. Pride washed through me. Grabbing her around the waist, I swung her around excitedly, her laughter ringing in my ears. Gosh, I loved her!

  “Fun, isn’t it?” My exhilaration infused with hers. I was so happy to be with her. It was liberating to be able to share this part of myself with someone else.

  “Yes. Show me some more.”

  “My pleasure,” I replied, taking her by the hand and running at a high rate of speed across the rooftop. She kept up, but suddenly hesitated as we approached the edge of the roof.

  “Don’t stop! Keep going!” I yelled, holding tightly to her hand.

  We jumped high, easily clearing the gap between the buildings, landing safely on the next roof. I heard her let out a whoop of glee and I couldn’t contain my smile. Continuing until we ran out of roof, we jumped to the ground beneath us, landing softly, crumpling together on a soft patch of grass.

  “That was great!” she said breathlessly, gazing at the twinkling stars overhead.

  “Yeah, it was.” Rolling onto my stomach, I propped on my elbows so I could stare at her. Her face was flushed with color from our exertions and I briefly allowed myself to wonder if this was what she’d look like after the first time I made love to her. There was no doubt in my mind that it would eventually happen, it was only a matter of when. A stray hair blew against her cheek and I tucked it back behind her ear. “I love you.” The words came so effortlessly, and it never ceased to amaze me. I’d never been one who spoke flowery sentiments to anyone, choosing instead to keep my emotions buried most of the time. But with her, I couldn’t seem to help it. I had to tell her.

  “I love you too,” she replied, stroking my face lightly with her fingertips.

  “I wish I could show you what I really feel for you. Words don’t ever seem like enough.”

  “I know, Vance. I feel it too.”

  “Sometimes it’s like my life is just beginning. It’s a new awakening for me. Even when I knew you were the one for me, I had no idea it would be this strong.” I traced her lips with my thumb. “It’s not only the physical part of it, either. It’s everything. I don’t know; it’s like I was only halfway living before now.”

  She placed a finger against my mouth. “You don’t need to try and explain. I feel it too, like my heart’s always on the verge of overflowing, or about to burst.”

  “I wish I could marry you right now,” I whispered seriously. “I want to show you everything.”

  Love shown brightly from her eyes. “Someday, Vance. Like you said earlier, it isn’t time, yet.”

  “I know.” Drawn to her like a magnet, I had to kiss her. I was unable to stop the pull between us. Knowing emotions were heightened right now, I was careful, brushing first her lips, her eyelids, cheeks, the tip of her nose, and then settling back to her sweet mouth. Deepening the kiss, I only allowed myself a few seconds before I pulled away. Gathering her into my arms, so she was facing away from me, I held her, allowing some of the warmth inside me to gently heat her. We gazed at the stars, silently, while I occasionally stroked her hair and down her arm until she fell asleep.

  For some reason, though, I couldn’t sleep, deciding instead to take the opportunity to enjoy studying her. Her pale skin reminded me of porcelain, with an ever so faint smattering of extremely light freckles across her nose. Her thick black lashes fanned beneath her closed eyes under perfectly arched brows. I loved everything about her round dainty face, from her ski slope shaped nose, to her bow shaped lips. To me, she was the one piece of complete perfection in my life.

  She slept, not stirring until the morning light of the sun began creeping along the edge of the horizon, gently warming the sky. Blinking her eyes a few times, she glanced at me.

  “I didn’t want to wake you,” I whispered. “You’re so pretty when you’re sleeping.”

  She rolled into me, wrapping her arms around my neck and gave me a long kiss. My pulse raced and I wished we could start every day like this, together. Forcing myself away, I grinned when she tried to drag me back, but I held my position.

  “I need to get you home before it gets any lighter. How will it look to be riding through town at first light with you in your pajamas?”

  “I don’t care what people think.”

  “I know, but it’s time to go just the same.” Climbing to my feet, I pulled her after me. “You’re so beautiful.” I lightly kissed her cheek.

  “Of course I am. With my messy hair and bunny pajamas, I’m sure I look peachy.” She rewarded me with an eye roll.

  “Yes, you do. Like a peach I could eat again and again, and never get tired of.” I couldn’t control the thoughts racing through my mind.

  “Oh hush!” She shoved me, and then turned, running toward my motorcycle. Catching her, I spun her around for one more breathless kiss, allowing myself to devour her for several moments before I pushed her away again. “Come on. Let’s get you home. We have school today!” I hated leaving as much as she did, but the school would soon begin filling with students and teachers, not to mention that her parents would be alarmed if they found her bedroom empty.

  The streets were deserted as we drove back through town, the cool air blowing over both of us. Peace filled me. The roar of my motorcycle was always comforting, and adding Portia’s body wrapped around mine only made things better.

  “Thanks for the wonderful evening,” she whispered into my mind as we drove.

  “My pleasure. It’s the first one of many, you know.”

  She sighed. “I look forward to it.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Journal Entry:


  Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Samhain, Day of the Dead—whatever name people choose to call it—I hear all about it this time of year. Normally, for me, it passes without a great deal of fanfare. Spells, ghouls, and goblins of dark magic aren’t nearly as exciting to exploit when you are actually a warlock and you live with the reality of it everyday. And I’m sorry, but even though I am a witch, I have to say I’d never be caught wearing some of the costumes people come up with.

  That being said . . . this is Portia’s first Halloween as a witch, and I find myself wanting to have a little fun with her, and maybe teach her something new about her heritage in the process.

  ***

  Portia drew her coat tighter around her shoulders. “It’s a bit nippy tonight,” she said, and I followed her gaze through the trees toward the giant full moon barely peaking out behind heavy clouds. A light wind gusted through the trees, causing creaking branches and eerie whispers. “This is kind of creepy, Vance,” she added, shutting the passenger door of Marsha’s car.

  I laughed heartily. “What are you afraid of—that you might run into a witch or something? Baby, you are what people are running from in the darkness.” I draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

  She smiled. “And who will protect you?”

  Chuckling, I responded. “That’s why I brought you.”

  She eyed me skeptically. “I’m still a novice witch who pretty much has no clue about what she’s doing.”

  “Exactly, meaning while you stand around frozen with shock, I’ll be able to run away. The boogeyman always eats the slowest people first, you know.”

  She stopped, not moving any further. “Please tell me the boogeyman isn’t real too.”

  Shaking my head, I grasped her hand, dragging her along toward the end of the car. “It’s wrong for me to tell you all the secrets at once. Why ruin the fun for later? Now turn around.”

  “How come?” she asked stubbornly, glancing with suspicion toward the trunk.