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  “Let’s go out,” she replied with a smile.

  “Where to?”

  “Anywhere that’s not Bruce’s. I love his place, but I need a break from it.” She tossed me her keys. “And you’re driving. Let me go change really quick.”

  “Okay. I’ll meet you in the car.” I headed toward the garage.

  “Vance?” she called after me and I turned. “I won’t interfere; but please know I think Portia is the perfect choice for you. I’m happy about it.”

  Unable to help it, I smiled at her. “I am too.”

  Chapter Ten

  Journal Entry:

  It’s wrong how much simply the sound of Portia’s voice excites me. I could listen to her talk all day long and never get tired of it. When did I turn into such a lovesick fool? Not that I’m really complaining, but I think my cheeks are starting to hurt because I’m smiling all the time. Those muscles aren’t used to so much action.

  Marsha keeps staring at me with these silly daydreaming grins. I know she’s happy for me; but honestly, it makes me slightly uncomfortable to have her watching me so closely all the time. I never realized what a romantic she was and that kind of makes me feel sad. She’s a pretty lady, but taking care of me has certainly put her romantic life on hold as well. Maybe she’ll find someone here too, someday.

  ***

  “Hey, Shell,” Portia answered after a couple rings. “What’s up?”

  “I’m going to have to try a whole lot harder if you’re starting to confuse me with a girl,” I replied wryly. “I’m starting to doubt my kissing skills. Perhaps I need a tutor.”

  Her sweet laughter flowed through the receiver, causing a smile to spread widely across my face. “You so don’t need a tutor, trust me.”

  “So you’re speaking from experience then? Or am I to assume you’re just guessing at my level of skill.”

  “I’m speaking from experience, of course,” she answered, giving me pause as a streak of jealousy shot through me.

  I knew there had been others before me. I was even guilty of running some of them off with either minor magic spells, or discretely putting an obstacle in their path that kept them from hooking up. Still, I couldn’t be everywhere all the time, and I definitely didn’t like being reminded of them. “I’m not sure how I feel about that. How many boys have you kissed before me?” There was really nothing that gave me the right to ask this; but I couldn’t seem to help myself. Maybe I really was a glutton for punishment.

  “How many girls have you kissed, Vance?” She turned my question back on me.

  My mind flitted across the few I’d been with. There may not have been many, but there had definitely been hours and hours of making out. “Point taken,” I said, chuckling after a moment.

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You don’t get that good without a lot of practice.”

  She thought it was good! Score! There was no way I could wipe the wide grin off my face now. “So, you’re saying you’ve kissed lots of guys then, because I think I felt the earth move when you kissed me back.”

  “Whatever!” She laughed. “How’d you get my phone number?”

  Uh, oh. Portia was a smart girl, catching on immediately to the fact that I’d been gathering information about her. “I have my ways.” Toying with her was my new favorite hobby—besides kissing her, that is.

  “Are you going to share those ways with me?”

  “Nope.” I laughed, wanting to string her on a bit longer. I had to admit I was really enjoying myself.

  “Hmm, a secretive stalker. Maybe I should reconsider going out with you. It might not be safe.”

  Her words hit home, knocking me straight to the core, mostly because she didn’t realize how true they were.

  I swallowed thickly, the urge to protect her from the dangers surrounding me rising to the surface. “You’d probably be wise to reconsider being with me,” I replied honestly, my heart heavy at the thought of losing her so soon after getting together. “And I got your number from your grandma.”

  She recognized her error immediately. “I’m sorry, Vance. I was just kidding, and I spoke without thinking. There’s nothing for me to reconsider, either. I’m right where I want to be.”

  She was worried she’d offended me—I could feel it pouring off her. “No harm, no foul,” I said, hoping to soothe her. “So, what’re you doing tonight?”

  “Homework.” She sighed heavily. “Do you want to come rescue me?”

  “I’d love to, but I happen to be up to my eyeballs in the same stuff myself. If I have to research anything more about the fall of Rome, I may actually fall myself,” I laughed, silently berating myself over my attempt at a lame joke, but she joined me.

  “So was there a specific reason you called? Did you need something?”

  “Yes. I needed to hear your voice.” That was the honest truth. Simply hearing her was both soothing and exciting to me. I could listen to her all day long.

  The line went quiet with no response.

  “Too sappy?” I asked, suddenly worried I’d said something wrong.

  “What? No! I mean . . . I mean, I miss you too.” She laughed nervously. “You simply caught me off-guard. That was really sweet and unexpected.”

  “I’m going to have to work on my game then, if it’s unexpected. Apparently, I need to try a little harder letting you know exactly how I feel.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, if I didn’t think your dad would shoot me, I’d drop everything I was doing right now and come over there. Then I would pound on your door until you opened it and let me kiss you senseless.”

  She was silent for a moment. “My dad’s not home tonight,” she responded in a breathy whisper.

  “Hey, Portia, can you hang on for a sec? I’ll be right back.”

  “Sure.”

  I grabbed my jacket and headed toward the garage. There was no way I was missing an opportunity like this. “Be back in a couple of minutes, Marsha,” I called as I left.

  “Where you going?”

  “I need to run something to Portia’s really quick. I won’t be long.”

  “Okay,” she responded with a smile. “Tell her I said hi.”

  I started my bike and took off, paying attention to Portia’s thoughts. It took a few minutes, but she finally caught on. I chuckled as she hurried to straighten her appearance before rushing to the front door, flinging it open right as I was raising my hand to knock.

  “Hey, baby,” I said, stepping forward and pulling her outside. Shutting the door behind her, I then pressed her against it.

  “Hey,” she replied with a breathless grin. Her heart was racing. So was mine.

  Dropping my mouth, I kissed her passionately, running my hands into her hair so I could hold her tightly against me.

  The same fire raced through—igniting everything inside—making me feel like my nerve endings were sparking. It was incredible how fast she could turn me inside out.

  She started shaking, so I slid an arm around her waist, using the full contact of my body to hold her in place.

  My skin was hot, humming with desire when she slipped her hands around my neck. I broke away from her quickly, stepping out of her reach. We were on her parent’s doorstep for hell’s sake. I shouldn’t be putting on a show like this with her for the whole neighborhood to see.

  “I think that’s enough kissing for tonight,” I said, wondering how I was still managing to stand. Longing to take her in my arms again flooded through me. This girl made me feel like a fireworks display was constantly going off inside me.

  “Really?” she asked, the disappointment obvious in her voice. I laughed as I shook my finger at her. She was so damn hot—I wanted to taste her some more.

  Needing to put some distance between us, I slowly backed away. “Now, now. We’ll have none of that tonight!” I teased.

  “None of what?” She seemed completely confused as she watched me move away.

  “No more looking so . . . kis
sable!” I grinned as I climbed onto my motorcycle. “Go finish your homework!” I kick started the engine and backed from the driveway, never taking my eyes off her. It was all I could do not to return to her.

  ---

  The next few days were great. Portia monopolized most of my time, a fact I loved every second of. It had been incredible watching her as Milly gave her some of her first magical instructions. We’d both been amazed at the natural grasp she had, and she seemed to have capabilities above the norm. No one knew why that was, but I could easily relate, having come into my own powers so young and quickly. There had never been evidence of why it happened, only that there were cases of witches discovering their magic early, or some were better at it than others. This, of course, had Milly pouring through all her history books in search of more answers.

  Having Portia in my life was incredible, to say the least. Yes, Marsha had been family to me, but I never felt like I had family, until now. Portia completed me somehow, made me feel part of something greater, and I liked it.

  Retrieving my phone, I dialed her number.

  “Hey, gorgeous,” she answered, causing a tiny thrill to shoot through me.

  “Please tell me you knew it was me this time and not Shelly,” I teased, immediately wanting to hear her laugh.

  She complied and I closed my eyes as the sound rippled through me. “What’s up?”

  “Well, I’m having withdrawals. You see, I didn’t get to kiss you goodnight properly.” The funny thing was, even if I had kissed her goodnight properly, I’d still be having withdrawals. Being with her had done nothing to quell the longing inside me, it had only served to strengthen it. I hated being away from her.

  “You could’ve stopped by when you followed me home, you know.”

  “I thought I had more homework than I did. Plus, I didn’t want to interrupt yours either. I’m trying to be supportive right now.”

  She snorted. “For your information, I don’t have any homework tonight. I got it all done at school today.”

  “Really?” I drawled, a new thought quickly springing to mind. “Well, how would your mom feel about me taking you on a last-minute date, then?”

  “My mom’s at work tonight, and my dad’s out of town. How would you like to come here?”

  “Be there in five.” I chuckled, rolling my eyes at myself—nothing like sounding desperate. She had me completely wrapped around her finger and, for some reason I couldn’t explain, I didn’t seem to mind one bit.

  “Sounds great!” she replied, obviously excited.

  Grabbing my jacket, I headed to my bike. Marsha was working late, but she knew how to reach me if she needed me.

  Since I knew Portia was home alone, I opened her door, softly knocking as I entered. “Hey, it’s just me,” I called to her.

  “I’m in the kitchen,” she answered.

  Following the sound, I came to a halt when I saw her standing at the stove preparing some hamburger patties. I placed a hand over my heart. “And she cooks too,” I said with an exaggerated sigh. “Can this relationship get any better?” Moving behind her, I slipped her hair away from her neck, bending to place a kiss against it. Goose bumps flared across the surface immediately, and I couldn’t help smiling.

  “You might want to hold your remarks until you’ve actually tasted it.” She tilted her head a bit more to the side, giving me even better access.

  “I have faith in you,” I replied, whispering against her skin, enjoying the way it felt beneath my lips.

  She elbowed me. “Stop it. You’re distracting me, and you’re not going to get the chance to find out if I can cook or not.”

  “I’m okay with that too.” I stepped toward her again, eager to get my lips to her skin.

  “Vance! I mean it!” Raising her greasy hands, covered in bits of meat, she took a step toward me. “If you come near me again I’m going to wipe this all over that pretty leather jacket of yours.”

  Lifting my palms in surrender, I backed away carefully. “You wouldn’t dare desecrate the jacket, would you?” I loved that despite how much I felt I knew her, she was constantly able to surprise me.

  “Try me and find out,” she threatened, coming closer, a wicked gleam in her dark eyes. She looked like a witch, stalking toward me with cat-like grace. I’d never noticed it so much before, but her appearance almost made her seem cliché—as if she were trying to look like a witch.

  Stepping away, I carefully removed my jacket, placing it on one of the kitchen chairs. “I think I’d better put this baby out of the line of fire.”

  She laughed, turning to wash her hands at the sink, now that she’d won the battle.

  “What can I do to help?” I asked.

  “There are some plates and cups in that top cupboard there, and bags of chips in the pantry around the corner if you want to get those.”

  Going to the pantry, I grabbed the chips and searched for the other items, helping her set the table. Eating together felt so very domestic, and I found myself wishing it could be like this everyday.

  Taking a bite, I groaned. “I was right. You’re a good cook.”

  She rewarded me with a smile as she continued to chew. I couldn’t help staring. She blushed a bit and I felt bad for making her feel self-conscious, but she was so much fun to look at. I wanted to memorize everything about her.

  When we were finished, I followed her into the family room. Clicking on the TV, she gestured for me to join her on the couch.

  “This is so much better than homework,” I said, wrapping my arm around her and toying with her long, silky hair. I loved the feel of it and how it cascaded down to frame her face.

  “I agree,” she replied, glancing at me. I winked, earning myself another one of her beautiful smiles.

  “Tell me something about you that I don’t know.”

  Laughing, I stared back at her. “Like what?”

  “I don’t care. It can be anything. I just want to learn more about you.” She bit her bottom lip, and suddenly, all I wanted to do was kiss her.

  “Hmmm.” What was something about me that she’d find entertaining? Most of my happier memories came from my childhood, when I was still living at home with my parents. “How about this? I really, really love sugar cookies.”

  “Sugar cookies?” She gave me a skeptical look.

  “My mom used to make them for me when I was young.” I continued to stroke her hair, immersing myself in the memory. “I remember coming home from school and the whole house would be filled with the most wonderful smell. I’d run into the kitchen and she’d be pulling a tray out of the oven.” I chuckled. “I think she timed it that way. She’d always let me eat one warm while the others cooled, and then we frosted them together while I told her about my day. I’ve loved sugar cookies ever since.”

  Smiling at her, I was surprised when her eyes got teary.

  “Sorry. You probably think that’s too corny. Am I going to need to give you my ‘man card’ now? Did I lose all of my masculine allure?”

  The next thing I knew, her lips were pressed against mine. Not willing to argue with this turn of events, I pulled her so she was sitting on my lap. Deepening the kiss as her arms slid around my neck, I dipped my tongue inside to tangle with hers. The kiss was hot, sending the fire shooting through me once more, causing me to marvel at how quickly my hormones always seemed to react to her. She ignited me instantly—every single time.

  Forcing myself to break away, I leaned my forehead against hers, locking our gazes.

  “That was a wonderful memory, Vance. Thank you for sharing it with me.”

  I was glad she liked it. “Now it’s your turn,” I replied, running my thumb across her bottom lip.

  “My turn?” She seemed confused.

  “To tell me something I don’t know.” Dipping my head, I kissed her briefly on the chin.

  She stiffened a bit and then spoke in a rush. “I’ve had a crush on you for two years, since your first day of school here.”

&nbs
p; I smiled and kissed her cheek. “That doesn’t count. Pick something else.”

  “What do you mean it doesn’t count?” she asked, pulling away and scowling.

  “It has to be something I don’t already know.” I couldn’t help my grin. It was time to tell her the truth. No more keeping secrets.

  “What? What’re you saying?” She was completely lost.

  Laughing, I continued to mess with her. “I’m saying I’m aware of your crush and have been . . . since my first day of school here.”

  “How’s that even possible?” She was clearly shocked by my revelation.

  “I can’t tell you.” Man, this was fun.

  Standing, she placed her hands on her hips and glared down at me. Damn, she was sexy.

  “Why not?” she demanded.

  Rising, I took a step toward her, but she backed away, keeping the distance between us.

  “Because, then I’ll have told you two things about myself, and you still haven’t told me one new thing about you,” I replied, continuing my movements toward her.

  She kept going until her back hit the wall and I had her captured, leaning my body against hers.

  “Come on. Let’s hear it.” I ran my hands across her arms, enjoying the wide trail of goose bumps that rose in their wake, and continuing upward until they were resting on her shoulders. She was flustered.

  “When I was younger, I wanted to be a fashion designer. I played with Barbie dolls until I was thirteen, mixing and matching all their outfits so I could have runway shows with them.” The embarrassed stain spread quickly across her face, making her a lovely pink color. Laughing softly, I slid my hands up her neck and into her hair.

  “See, that wasn’t so hard.”

  “Tell me how you know about the crush,” she insisted. “I never told anybody about it.”

  Leaning in closer, my lips brushed her ear as I spoke. “I can hear your thoughts,” I whispered. “I’ve wanted to tell you, but . . . ” My stupid phone started vibrating. I really wished I could ignore it, but I promised Marsha I wouldn’t. Dragging it out, I answered. “Hey, Marsha. What’s up?”