Mysteria Nights

one. We’re even. I’m done with you.”

His eyes sharpened. “You’re not done with me. Not until you destroy the pen in front of me.”

“No. There’s ink left.”

“So you plan to use it against me again? You just said we’re even.”

“We’re even now. I destroy it, and you’re free to torment me for the rest of your life.”

He leaned forward, and she caught the scent of soap and dark spices. Shivered—then shuddered. What did she smell like?

“I’ll swear not to hurt you,” he said.

“And I’m sure you’ll mean it. Today. What about tomorrow?”

Growling, he fell back into the mattress and scoured a hand down his face. She noticed he did that a lot when he was frustrated. “I came here to find the pen, but do you know what I really wanted to do?” He didn’t wait for her to reply. “I wanted to follow you on your run, make sure you were safe.”

Really? How . . . sweet. Some of the ice around her heart melted. Don’t believe him, stupid!

“I wanted—want—to strip you, make love to you. Finish what we started. I can’t get you out of my mind. You’re the last person I should want.” Now he seemed to be talking to himself. “But want you I do. Maybe if I have you, I can stop thinking about you.”

Oh, how she wished. He’d consumed every corridor of her mind since their kiss. Always she craved him. Always she dreamed of him, hungered. Sometimes she was even willing to toss caution aside and go to him, beg him to take her. But . . .

What would happen afterward?

She had several strikes against her. She was a witch, and he hated witches. He was perfection, and she was the epitome of imperfection. She’d spent the last week torturing him.

Three strikes. You’re out, girl. Glory sighed. She was afraid she’d already fallen for him, though. He was strength, and he was courage. He hadn’t backed down from her once, even though her powers were considerable, and she could do major damage to him. His kisses were the best thing to have ever happened to her. His touch, electric. Finally she’d gotten a glimpse of what Evie and Hunter, Godiva and Romeo must experience every night. And different hours through the day. She’d liked it, wanted more.

Wanted him.

“No response?” he said, cutting through the silence.

She shook her head in hopes of clearing it. “You’re willing to have me now?”

“I was willing before. I just fought against it.”

“But you’re not fighting now?”

“No. I can’t.” He rolled to his side and stared over at her. “I’m helpless. Did you cast a love spell on me?”

“No!”

“I didn’t think so,” he muttered. “Hoped, but didn’t think.”

“Why not?”

“Because a witch did it once, and this isn’t the same.”

Her shoulders sagged. No love for her, he meant.

“It’s more intense,” he grumbled, surprising her.

Her legs began shaking more forcefully, and any moment she feared she would collapse. Somehow she managed to stumble to the chair in the corner and plop atop the many T-shirts heaped there. Falon’s gaze never left her. She felt it boring past her skin and straight into her soul.

“You want me, too,” he said. Hard, flat. “Don’t try to deny it.”

As if she could. “Who tried to deny it?”

His lips formed a thin line. Almost a smile, but not quite.

“Look, I came to you once offering the same thing. One night. You rejected me.”

“Yes, and it was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“Because you were made to suffer for it,” she said. A statement rather than a question.

“No. Because I crave you.”

Truth or lie? She dared not hope. “Now you’re out to protect yourself from me, and that’s perfectly understandable, but—”

“I don’t need protection from you,” he snapped.

“Falon, we’ll never be able to trust each other. We’ll always suspect each other’s motives.”

“We can call a truce. I’m not asking for a lifetime. I’m asking for a night. And when you came to me that night, that’s all you wanted, too.”

“I—I—” Wanted to say yes, she realized. Wanted it more than anything. After his kiss, though, she couldn’t delude herself and hope the sex would be so bad she’d never desire him again. The sex would be great. At least for her. She would want more than a night; she knew that now. He . . . affected her. “I can’t,” she finally said.

“Damn it. Why?” He shot up again, glaring at her.

If he approached her, if he touched her . . . Tremors racked her, part of her wishing he’d do it. Force her hand. “We bring out the worst in each other.”

Surprisingly, that mollified him somewhat. “I don’t know. I thought we brought out the best in each other while in the forest.”

“That was a mistake.”

“My favorite mistake, then.”

Goddess, if he kept saying things like that, she’d cave. Already her defenses were cracked. Really, what would one time hurt? Sure, she might fall for him even more than she already had. Sure, she might crave more from him. Sure, he might compare her to every girl he’d ever been with, and she would definitely come out lacking. Sure, this might be a scheme on his part to castigate her for using that pen against him. But she’d have an orgasm, so what did those things matter?

And what if . . . what if he truly desired her? What if he enjoyed being with her?

What if: the most dangerous words known to man.

“I just can’t,” she forced herself to say. Her voice cracked, just like her defenses. She had to swallow a sudden lump in her throat. “My answer is and will always be no. Find someone else.”

“You want me to sleep with another woman?” he gasped out, incredulous.

“Yes?” she replied, a question she’d meant as a statement.

“You won’t care?”

“No.” Her hands curled into fists as rage swam through her bloodstream. She’d destroy anyone he touched. Obliterate anyone he—What are you doing? Stop thinking like that! “I can give you a love potion for the woman if you think it’d help.” Idiot! What are you saying?

I thought I was supposed to push him—oh, never mind. Damage done.

Scowling, he jackknifed to his feet. “You want me to be with someone else, I’ll be with someone else. I don’t need a fucking love potion to do it, either. See you around, Glory.”

Glory watched him stride from her bedroom, heard the front door slam. Her shoulders sagged against the chair, and she covered her mouth with a shaky hand. What the hell had she just done?

Six

He’d made the boast to see another woman. Now he had to see it through. Shit, Falon thought. But if he had to prod Glory’s temper until she snapped and used that stupid pen, he’d do it. Do anything to have her in his arms again. What’s happened to me? He’d gone from hating her powers to craving them. He just flat-out refused to be ignored by her any