together, he tugged her into the living room and sat, pulling her into his lap. Her robe parted and bared silky smooth legs. He rubbed them compulsively, unable to resist the urge to touch. “What’s going on?”
She was silent for so long, he began to wonder if she was going to say anything. Then she started talking. Conjure, the magic shop. A flyer. Cat’s paw. Created a spell. She took it home by accident. She recited it, he fell under it, and all the toe-curling sex that came after it was a bit of magical mayhem.
“Okay”-he ran a hand through his hair-“you’re saying sleeping with me is your darkest desire, so we’ll hang on to that part. The rest of it is just nuts, so we’ll toss that out.”
“Shane.” She sighed.
“Be serious, Abby. You find it easier to believe that I was under some Halloween curse…spell…whatever, than to believe that I have a genuine interest in you? All because of this bizarre story told to you by a lady who owns a magic gag gift shop?”
Abby winced. “Sounds crazy, I know, and I’m not a believer in the occult, but you’ve never been interested in me before now. It’s either we have no explanation for your behavior, or we have her spell.”
“Bullshit.” He smiled grimly when her eyes widened at his language. “I’ve had the hots for you for months. From the day you bought your house, actually. I really liked how excited you were about moving, and I admired the guts it took to pack up and move across the country by yourself.
“I watched how easily you made friends and how much you enjoy life. You’re fun, Abby. You’re fun to be around, fun to talk to, but you’re not frivolous. You’ve got your head on straight. And I worship your ass. You’ve got the best damn ass I’ve ever seen.”
Shane watched the blush that spread across her pale cheeks. “Problem was, you never showed any romantic interest in me. So I tried to let it go. I kept dating as usual and waited for that initial kick in the gut I felt when I met you to fade into neighborly interest.”
He sank deeper into the couch and held her gaze. “But it didn’t fade. When I started thinking about you while spending time with someone else, I gave up. It wasn’t fair to them to be a replacement for you, and it wasn’t fair to me. I stopped dating almost two months ago.”
“I didn’t notice.” She wiped at her wet eyes. “I guess I was too busy trying not to get caught ogling you again.”
“Apparently you didn’t notice how I started coming around your house more often either. I kept hoping that if you got to know me, you might become interested.”
Abby reached up and tugged the towel off her head, releasing her wet hair. She held the damp cloth in her lap and stared down at it, picking restlessly at the tiny loops of cotton. “I’ve been interested,” she whispered.
“I see that now.” He caught her chin and forced her to look at him. “You wouldn’t be crying over a one-night stand. And you wouldn’t have been the way you were with me last night. That was incredible.”
Her mouth curved in a faint smile, and he stroked her lush bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. His hand moved on, cupping the back of her neck and drawing her close for a kiss. Licking the seam of her lips, he murmured, “This is real, Abby. As real as it gets.”
Twisting, Shane stretched out on his back and urged her to straddle him. He tugged open her belt and spread the edges of her robe wide, exposing perfect breasts, a taut tummy, and carefully trimmed curls between her legs. Catching her hand, he pushed it beneath his sweater to rest over his madly racing heart. “Feel that? That’s
Abby stared down at the male perfection sprawled between her legs and tried to convince herself that this was actually happening. “What made you decide to go for it last night?”
Shane smiled up at her, slow and easy, his dark eyes so hot they made her skin mist with sweat. “Baby, you started talking about wanting all-night sex, and I was there. Ready and willing. Dragging women to my cave by their hair has never been my style, but blaming it on a magic spell…?” He arched a skeptical brow. “I’m more inclined to think it was just a poor guy being driven crazy by the woman he’s wanted for way too long.”
Her hand slipped lower and teased his nipple. He sucked in his breath sharply.
“I kinda liked the caveman thing,” she purred.
His grin was wicked. “I noticed. You bring it out in me. Only you. I should be tapped out after last night, but”-he rocked upward, pressing the swell of his aroused cock into her bare pussy-“you do it to me.”
Abby unfastened his jeans, then the little button on his boxers, adjusting the hole so his big cock thrust upward out of it. With a shrug of her shoulders, she lost the robe, reaching behind her to shove it to the floor. Never in her life had she been this confident naked, but then never in her life had Shane Markham told her that she turned him on like no one else could.
“Oh yeah,” he groaned, reaching into his pocket to withdraw a row of six attached condoms. “Ride me while you’re naked, and I’m fully dressed. That’s hot.”
She laughed as he tore into a foil wrapper and sheathed himself with flattering haste. “You’re awfully prepared.”
He stilled, staring up at her with unmistakable intensity. “Because I was coming to see my girlfriend. She’s stocked up, but I’ve found I’m wild for her. I don’t want to miss any opportunity when she might be willing.”
Bending at the waist, Abby kissed him, her heart melting as he kissed her back with reverent tenderness, his big hands cupping her spine and holding her close.
“I’ll always be willing,” she whispered, shivering as he reached between her legs and made her wet with desire. Then she gasped and moaned, relishing the feel of him slipping inside her.
“I’m bewitched,” he said hoarsely, as she lifted and lowered with agonizing slowness, torturing them both. “Enchanted. Whatever. I’m a goner. But it’s not a damn spell. It’s all you.”
“All me.”
“And you’re all mine.”
“All yours.”
“And you can have all my nights.” His eyes shone with deep affection that she believed was absolutely real. “Use them as you will.”
She whimpered as he held her hips and pumped upward into her with a perfect stroke. “Magic,” she breathed.
Shane nuzzled his face between her breasts. “You and me.”
Epilogue
“WOW, LOOK AT THAT ROCK.” KAYLA WHISTLED. “ANOTHER ‘Most Eligible Bachelor’ bites the dust. Lucky girl.”
Abby smiled with contentment and admired her two-and-a-half-carat diamond engagement ring for the millionth time.
“Hey, Lucky Girl,” Sarah called out, laughing.
Turning to face one of her store managers, Abby tossed an arm around Kayla’s shoulder, and whispered, “Thanks for the costume, by the way.”
“Told you,” Kayla gloated with a good-natured wink.
“You don’t mind if I take some of this cake home with me, do you?” Sarah asked. “This cream cheese filling is divine.”
“Lord, please do,” Abby muttered, leaving Kayla’s side to hunt down disposable containers. “I love you guys for this girls-only engagement party, but if that cake stays in this house, I won’t fit into my grandmother’s wedding gown.”
She set out a stack of plasticware. Everyone helped themselves, and Abby was relieved to see that only a paperback-sized piece of the massive cake remained.
Later, she stood on her porch and waved good-bye to the nearly two dozen girlfriends who’d shown up unannounced a few hours before. As the last car drove away with a friendly beep of the horn, Shane stepped out of his house and joined her, setting his hand at the small of her back and escorting her back into the kitchen.
“You knew,” Abby said as she started to put the cake away.
