despite multiple tries and multiple orgasms over a week’s time. Merlin had lied when he’d said while training Simon that finding Morgan Le Fay’s descendant in the beginning of the twenty-first century would greatly increase Simon’s power.
So Simon had left. He’d tried to do so without waking Pru, but the witch had damn good hearing. She’d confronted him. He’d told her the truth. That he’d had sex with her because of her ties to Morgan. She hadn’t taken the news well.
“So what exactly is this curse that Pru cast on you?” Damon asked.
“I um … my ability to have sex has been … compromised.”
“What?”
“I haven’t had sex in months,” Simon growled.
Damon took a step back. “How do you break the curse?”
“I was hoping your girlfriend Zoe would help me with that,” Simon said.
CHAPTER TWO
“You had sex with a vampire Demon Hunter?” Zoe stared at Pru in amazement.
“Don’t give me that look,” Pru said. “Apparently you have sex with a vampire Demon Hunter all the time.”
“Yeah, you have sex all the time,” Zoe’s cat, Bella, said.
“I’m still not used to your familiar being able to speak,” Pru said, staring down at the grey cat sitting on the floor. “I’m actually between familiars at the moment. I’ll have to put in a request for one that talks.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Zoe said.
“Yeah, I learned that the hard way with Simon,” Pru said.
“What’s the deal between you two? How did you meet? Did you two cross paths back in Boston?”
Pru knew Zoe and her grandmother from being in the same coven with them in Boston. Pru could still remember the uproar her friend had created when she’d broken the coven’s rule of never telling a human you were a witch. Zoe had told her fiance at the time. Later he’d dumped her or she’d dumped him, Pru wasn’t sure. She only knew that Zoe and her grandmother had been sent away. They’d come to Chicago and all hell had broken loose. Literally. The Book of Darkness had accidentally been opened, releasing brutal demons from hell.
Pru had only learned about the demon stuff after it was all over. She’d wondered if Simon had been involved but hadn’t been able to ask because she didn’t know about Zoe living with a vampire. “Why didn’t you tell me about Damon?” Pru asked.
“I told you I love him.”
“You didn’t tell me he was a vampire.”
“It wasn’t my secret to share.”
“Are you keeping other secrets?” Pru said.
Zoe nodded before quickly adding, “But none that affect you.”
“How can you be sure they don’t affect me?” Pru said. “We’ve both had sex with vampire Demon Hunters.”
“True.” Zoe nodded. “I’ll bet not many witches can say that.” She paused to hand Pru a Red Velvet cupcake. “Do you love Simon?”
Pru deliberately sidestepped the question. “I
“Actually, it’s not. It’s made by my friend Daniella, owner of Heavenly Cupcakes.”
“Mmm.” Pru wiped a dab of cream cheese frosting from her mouth with the napkin Zoe provided. “She’s not a witch?”
“No. But let’s get back to you and Simon. I know you said you hated him, but if that was the case, why did you have sex with him?”
“I forgot how stubborn you are,” Pru said.
“I prefer to think of it as being focused.”
Pru pointed to the Keep Calm and Carry On red T-shirt Zoe was wearing.
Zoe looked down and laughed. “Daniella got me a T-shirt that says ‘Keep Calm and Eat Cupcakes.’ Damon got me one that says ‘Keep Calm and Read a Book.’”
“Do you miss your days as a librarian?” Pru asked.
“I do at times,” Zoe admitted. “But I love my work as a soap maker. Aromatherapy is a powerful thing. Lavender is one of my favorite scents. It’s meant to have a calming influence, while citrus can be refreshing. Even though I’m not using any magic in my Bella Luna bath and body products, they are still selling faster than I can make them.”
“Because she won’t let Gram use magic to create more product,” Bella said, pausing while washing her face with her front right paw.
“Will your grandmother be upset that we ate a cupcake before the Solstice Yule dinner she’s prepared?” Pru belatedly asked.
“Not at all,” Zoe said. “Gram likes having dessert first. She’s prepared our traditional meal of pumpkin soup, roast chicken, sweet potatoes with cranberries.”
“And eggnog with rum to drink?” Pru asked.
“Yule nog? Yes, of course. But getting back to Simon, you hate him and--”
“And I meant to tell you that the table setting looks beautiful.” Pru was deliberately stalling. She was trying to come up with a way to explain what had happened between Simon and her. Instead she pointed to the small yule log and candles decorated with traditional evergreen, pinecones, cinnamon sticks, and mistletoe. “Good job. I see you’ve got the larger yule log as well.” She tilted her head toward the oak log wrapped in red and green ribbon sitting on the floor at her feet. “You and Gram already placed your wish notes on it.”
“We won’t put it in the fireplace to burn until after dinner. You’re welcome to add yours,” Zoe said, handing her a piece of lavender-scented paper.
Pru sniffed the paper before setting it back onto the coffee table in front of the couch. “It smells wonderful. I’ll write something later.”
“Simon’s arrival has distracted you,” Zoe said.
“Yes, it did.” The last time Pru had seen Simon, she’d been naked in his bed and he’d been ready to walk out on her.
“So come on, tell me. Where did you two meet?”
“Remember the trip I took to that homeopathic conference in London almost a year ago?”
Zoe nodded.
“I bumped into him outside the hotel,” Pru said. “I didn’t know he was a vampire until it was too late.”
“He took you against your will?” Zoe looked horrified.
“No. He made me want him so badly that I couldn’t think straight.”
Now Zoe looked confused. “But he couldn’t compel you. Witches can’t be compelled by vampires. Unless Simon is somehow different?”
“Oh, he’s different, all right. But he didn’t use any vampire powers on me. He was just charming and sexy and irresistible.”
“Was he your first vampire?”
“The first I had sex with, yes. I should have stayed home and never gone to London,” Pru said. “Yeah, I learned a lot at the conference. Information that proved helpful in my work at the Spirit Wellness Center.” The natural herbs, mixtures, and remedies Pru used had been passed down through her family. She always made it clear to her clients that her work didn’t replace medical treatment but instead was meant to supplement it. “But hooking up with Simon was a big mistake.”
“Was the fact that he’s a vampire the reason you two broke up?” Zoe asked.
“No, it was the fact that he was only using me for his own purposes. He told me so himself. Practically bragged about it in fact.” Which was when Pru had cursed him with a spell she was not ready to tell Zoe about
