The Trouble With Spells Read online

  “Come on, Vance. We’ve been in here kissing for several minutes now. Let’s go to our reception before something starts that you won’t want to stop.” I smiled knowingly at him as I placed my hand against his finely tailored chest.

  “Too late,” he said with a grin, and I could see the extreme disappointment in his eyes as he allowed me to take his hand and drag him back out the door.

  The wedding coordinator was standing outside with a knowing look on her face, and I briefly wondered if anyone would be at all surprised by our kiss-reddened faces and my obvious lack of makeup around my mouth. To my surprise she led me back to the bride’s room so I could retouch my makeup, while she kept Vance occupied in conversation just outside the door. Then she directed us down the hall to the reception room where all our guests had been shuttled.

  A man at the door stood at our approach and opened it for us, calling out to the crowd.

  “Please welcome Mr. and Mrs. Mangum!” his thunderous voice boomed into the room before us as we entered.

  We stepped into the lavishly decorated space, with its fragrant red roses in large crystal vases, silk-draped tables, and sheer-fabric-lined walls with soft lighting, to greet our guests. Immediately we were wrapped up in a throng of well wishers, shaking hands, hugging and giving kisses.

  Slowly we weaved our way across the room toward the head table, which was bedecked in fine china, crystal, and silverware, stopping to visit many times along the way. When we were finally seated, we enjoyed a lovely meal of roasted meats, fruits, salads, and many other concoctions, which a truly delightful chef had prepared for us and our company.

  Afterwards, when the dinner portion was complete, Vance and I headed out to the dance floor for our first dance as a wedded couple. He pulled me into his arms and began to move against me, and I was surprised at how well we danced in unison together. We had never really had the opportunity to dance with one another before this time in our relationship.

  He held me tightly in his arms as we swayed, his eyes never leaving mine, and though we didn’t speak any words to each other, many thoughts and feelings were conveyed in those precious moments between us. The rest of the room slowly melted away from my vision, and he was, at that moment, the only other being in my universe. It was as if the rest of time had come to a complete standstill around us as we held each other in a loving embrace. It was a magical moment, a true union of our two souls. Guiltily, I wondered if our guest were beginning to feel neglected since the two of us were so completely absorbed within each other. I didn’t mean to be rude, but he was all I was interested in right now.

  “They understand,” he said as he moved across the dance floor with me, never breaking his gaze from me.

  “Mmm?” I asked, continuing to look up at him with starry eyes, his words not really registering with me.

  “Our guests, they won’t be offended that we can’t stop looking at each other. That’s what you were thinking, right?” A slight grin tipped up the corner of his mouth, barely revealing one of his beloved dimples to me.

  I nodded my head with a dreamy smile, suddenly wishing I could kiss that charming little spot on his face.

  “I love you,” I said again, enjoying the feel of his strong muscular body moving against me.

  He bent forward and kissed my lips then. I responded instantly, moving my arms up over his broad shoulders and slipping my fingers up into the back of his hair. I registered, only briefly, somewhere in the back of my mind that we had quit moving to the music, but the thought was quickly brushed aside as the heat of his tender touch suddenly intensified.

  We forgot we had an audience, and he ran his hand up my back, sliding underneath my veil, over my neck, and up toward my hair. I felt a soft moan escape my lips as he pressed my head harder against his, feeling completely wrapped up in the pure bliss of the moment.

  Suddenly I was yanked unceremoniously from Vance’s grasp, and we both stumbled slightly at the intrusion as I found myself wrapped in my dad’s arms.

  “Save it for the honeymoon, son,” he whispered with a laugh, and he reached out to pat Vance on the shoulder before he spun me out onto the dance floor.

  I blushed deeply at the comment, glancing back apologetically toward Vance who was standing stock still where we had left him, with a slightly amused and somewhat bewildered expression on his face.

  We spent the rest of the evening visiting and dancing with family and friends until it was time to cut our wedding cake.

  Our cake was a simple but elegant three-tiered masterpiece that was frosted in white, with red roses draped down it in a spiral. Artfully styled frosting gave the appearance of a basket weave around the sides with little edible pearls delicately placed throughout the design.

  It almost seemed a shame to cut into something so beautiful, but we picked up the knife together, slicing gently into the red velvet concoction before removing a small section and placing it on a small china plate. I broke off a small piece of it and fed it with my fingers demurely to Vance, who made a purposeful point to lick the ends of my frosting-covered appendages as I did it, causing little shivers to course involuntarily up and down my arm at the contact.

  He was equally kind when it came to feeding me mine, carefully placing the dessert in my mouth, trying not to damage any of my makeup, though a small amount of frosting made its way onto the corner of my mouth. Vance, of course, took complete advantage of the situation as he swooped in to kiss me, licking it away with his tongue in the process.

  Everyone cheered loudly as the photographer moved in, snapping away with her camera, forever preserving the moment for us on film.

  “Can we get out of here now … please?” Vance pleaded under his breath with a smile, pulling back away from my face.

  I nodded my head in agreement.

  “Absolutely,” I purred back at him before extending my hand out to him. “Lead the way.”

  I was surprised when he turned instead to address our guests.

  “I’d like to thank all of you for making the trip here on such short notice to support us in our nuptials this evening,” his strong voice boomed out to the crowd around us. “But the time has arrived for us to bid you goodnight. Feel free to stay and enjoy yourselves for as long as you would like.”

  He grabbed my hand in his, interlocking our fingers together, and we waved at our guests as we ran through the throng, toward the door that led to the hall.

  Many happy well wishers followed us, and we made our way out of the building and to the waiting limousine which graced the entrance.

  We waved once again while we climbed in, the chauffeur closing the door behind us before we drove away.

  As soon as we were out of site of the venue, Vance leaned over to wrap his arms around me once again, sliding me right up against him and began truly kissing me in earnest.

  I laughed as I placed my hand against his chest and attempted to push him back a little, feeling my blush creep over my face.

  “Calm down!” I said. “We don’t want to scare the driver with our public display of affection.”

  “We have privacy glass,” he mumbled, and he hardly broke stride in his pursuit of me, leaning in to place a lingering kiss against the curve of my neck.

  “That may be, but we’ve waited this long; you can wait a few minutes longer.” I shoved him away even harder. “I want it to be just right. You know … special.”

  He smiled at me then, sighing before he released me.

  “Fine,” he said drawing out the word in exasperation as he reached out to take me by the hand. “I should’ve known you’d make me work for it.”

  “Hey!” I replied, slapping him lightly on the shoulder with my rose bouquet. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means you’re a tease,” he responded laughing, before giving me a wink, enjoying toying with me.

  “Whatever!” I said and turned away from him slightly, pretending to be annoyed with his behavior.

  He let go of my hand the
n and reached over to hook his finger under my chin, turning me back to face him.

  “I love you.” He smiled, looking deep into my eyes, and my heart began beating faster.

  “I know.” I smiled back with a small nod, unable to break my gaze away from him. “And I love you, too.”

  We soon pulled up to the towering hotel, and the driver exited the vehicle, coming to open our door for us.

  “Thank you!” Vance said with a grin, and he tipped the man generously after he helped me to exit the vehicle.

  “Many happy wishes to you both, too, sir.” The man nodded.

  Vance pulled me quickly and anxiously through the lobby, much to the delighted stares of several well wishers and passersby. We found our way into the elevator, which was thankfully empty, where he kissed me passionately again during the ride up, without stopping until the doors opened on our floor.

  He pulled me out after him, and we ran together down the hall like a pair of giddy schoolchildren to the penthouse suite he had booked for us.

  He slipped a key card from his pocket, opening the door before he turned back to me with a grin. He picked me up, swinging me into his arms. I gave a squeal of delight, and he proceeded to carry me over the threshold, kicking the door closed behind us with his foot. He quickly carried me through the living space and into another dark room.

  The room was suddenly bathed in warm glow when what looked to be a million white pillar candles of various sizes suddenly flamed magically to life, and I could see we were standing in a beautifully decorated, gigantic master suite.

  Soft music filled the air around us, and it was clear to me that Vance had been planning ahead for this evening.

  “Your room, Mrs. Mangum,” he said with a sexy grin and a glint in his eye. He let go of my legs, letting me slide slowly down the length of his body and placed me gently back on my feet.

  “I love the sound of that,” I replied with a smile, letting a soft sigh escape from my lips.

  “So do I,” he said and leaned in to kiss me again, this time his fingers picking through my hair to pull it free of the pins and restraints, running his hands through it, until it fell around my shoulders. “There. That’s better,” he said and leaned back to survey it.

  “I can’t believe we’re really married,” I said, reaching up to run my fingers over the side of his face.

  “Believe it,” he replied capturing my hand against his cheek, turning to kiss each of my fingers suspended there. He reached down suddenly swinging me back off my feet and into his arms.

  “You look tired,” he said with a sly grin and a wink. “I think I’d better put you to bed.”

  I laughed, and he carried me over to the plush bed, where he placed me gently on the soft mattress before climbing on next to me.

  He leaned over me, looking at me with all the love in the world radiating from his beautiful blue eyes.

  “Do you love me, Vance?” I asked, with a serious look, and I reached out to fiddle with his neck tie, loosening it, then pulling it free from his collar.

  “More than words can tell,” he replied, with a smile, bending to place a gentle kiss against my lips.

  “Then show me,” I said, biting a little at my lower lip at the bold words that had just slipped from my mouth.

  “With pleasure, baby,” he whispered seriously as he bent to place a light kiss there. “With pleasure.”

  Chapter 2

  I was lovingly awakened first thing in the morning by sweet kisses that were being trailed over my face, neck, and shoulder, sending little shivers of delight racing all over me. Slowly I opened my eyes, a smile creeping quietly across my face.

  “Mmm …,” I let the soft moan roll from my lips, and I tried to wrap my brain around what was going on around me, suddenly remembering where I was, who I was with, and why I was with him.

  My eyes settled on the handsome face of my husband, who was leaning over me with bright flashing blue eyes which were full of mischief.

  “There’s my beautiful wife,” Vance said with a grin, continuing to feather his kisses over me, speaking in between each one. “I didn’t think you were ever going to wake up.”

  “What time is it?” I asked, slightly groggy, and I looked around for a bedside alarm clock.

  “Seven,” he replied with a chuckle, without breaking his stride as his face slid down into the crook of my neck.

  “Seven! And you are waking me up already?” I complained to him. “We just got to sleep four hours ago!” I said playfully slapping at his arm.

  “I guess you didn’t wear me out enough!” he replied with a cocky grin and a slight shrug of one shoulder. “You’re going to have to work harder at that,” he added and lifted an interested eyebrow at me.

  “I think you’re going to kill me before the honeymoon is even over,” I laughed, feeling my blush at his attentions creeping over my face.

  “That will never happen,” he muttered, and he leaned in to suck at the spot he liked on my neck.

  “How do you figure?” I asked turning my head to the side so I could completely enjoy his lavish treatment of me.

  “Well, first off,” he began, speaking against my skin, and I could feel goose bumps begin to pop up all over my body, “I’d never do anything that would kill you. And second, I don’t ever plan our honeymoon being over.”

  “So we’re just going to live in bliss like this for the rest of lives?” I asked, my breath catching in my throat as he hit an extremely sensitive spot.

  “Works for me,” he replied, and he began to trail his kisses farther down my neck. I reached up to thread my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer.

  We finally got up around noon and went into the kitchen for “breakfast,” which apparently Vance had ordered for us from room service, but we hadn’t stopped to eat.

  I blushed at the idea that someone had been in the penthouse delivering our food while we had been locked in the bedroom together.

  “I like it when you blush like that,” Vance said. He picked a strawberry up off a plate, placing it against my lips so I could bite it.

  I opened my mouth willingly, not breaking eye contact with him and took a big bite. It turned out to be a very ripe strawberry, and some of the juices squirted out and ran down the side of my mouth.

  Vance was there before I could even move, and he licked the spot away with his tongue.

  “Mmm … tasty,” he said with a smile, and I knew he wasn’t talking about the strawberry.

  I blushed even harder.

  “So what are our plans today?” I asked him, trying to direct his attention away from my complete inability to control my own physical reaction around him.

  “I’m thinking more of the same, until it’s time to catch our flight,” he replied, biting into a strawberry of his own.

  The mention of our flight brought everything crashing back in upon me, and the reality of our current situation made its way back into my thoughts.

  We had recently found out that Vance’s mom, Krista, may still be alive somewhere, being held prisoner by a demon coven.

  The information we had been given was that she was overseas, somewhere in Scotland, though it hadn’t come from the most reliable of sources.

  Vance had been about to kill a demon witch from his father’s coven by the name of Darcy. Darcy had begged for her life and in return had imparted this information to us about Krista.

  Vance had wanted to leave to go search for her immediately. Of course he insisted on my going with him. We had made a pact, after the previous incidents we had been through, not to leave each other behind ever again. It was a vow neither of us was willing to break for any reason.

  My mom and dad were not too keen on the idea of sending their daughter off on a trip halfway around the world with her boyfriend, of course. Even though he was a legal adult and my fiancé, and he had sworn to protect me, they felt that would just be too tempting for us, since we would be alone so much.

  The entire coven had just
spent a lot of time helping us out in Mexico, so it made things difficult for any of them to follow after us, especially since we were unsure if we were being led on a wild goose chase.

  My memories flitted back over the discussion that had taken place just a few days ago.

  “Vance,” my dad had said. “Calm down, son. Why don’t you stay here and finish the rest of your senior year? I’ll try to gather some more information for you through my connections and see if we can find some more things out. Who even knows if this Darcy girl was being honest? She’s a demon after all. There’s no sense in running off halfway around the world without getting all the facts.”

  “You have to be kidding me!” Vance had replied a bit angrily. “There’s no way I’m going to sit here and do nothing while there’s the chance that she’s over there suffering! I’m going over there as soon as I can make the arrangements.”

  “And what about Portia?” my dad demanded. “Are you really going to leave her behind again? Even after the way the two of you suffered before?”

  “No,” Vance said firmly. “She’s coming with me. I will not leave her.”

  My dad had sat up straighter in his chair, leaning forward aggressively while my mom shifted uncomfortably beside him.

  “Oh, no she’s not!” my dad replied in a low menacing tone. “She’s my daughter, and I’ll say what she does Vance, not you! I’m not going to have the two of you running off together doing who only knows what. Portia stays here.”

  I could see this situation was quickly getting out of control and decided to step in at this moment.

  “Dad,” I said softly. “You’re misunderstanding what we’re asking.”

  “Which is what?” he asked, his gaze flickering over to me.

  “We know how you feel about us being alone with one another, but Vance is very worried about his mom. And you’re right. It’s extremely hard for us to be apart. We don’t want to be separated. So we thought in order to appease you, and help ourselves out as well, we’d ask your permission to let us get married now.”