Chapter 2
Prax
I extended my hand to the sexy little witch, trying to ignore the horrible quality of the music coming from her device.
I really should”ve read the fine print before accepting the magical summons because she was right: this was a call for the perfect man. A happily-ever-after man. Not a good-times incubus.
I’d jumped right in answering the summons, thinking it was a booty call. It was the first I’d answered this century, not because I hadn’t received any, but because I’d been held prisoner by an evil wizard. Now I was finally free, and I was ready to party.
I’d taken one look at the witch and answered the summons without even checking it over closely. What a perfect woman she would’ve been to break me out of my funk! Even heartbroken and drunk, she was cute. Enticing.
She wore a comfy-looking pajama set with sharks on it and the words Bite This emblazoned across her chest at the front and her perfect ass at the back. Her midnight black hair cascaded down her back in a messy way that had me wondering how I could mess it up even more. The remnants of old eyeliner were smeared under her eyes, giving her a just-fucked look.
She was a far cry from a dolled-up siren, but I’d seen enough of those the morning after to recognize natural beauty when I saw it. I appreciated the effort it took to produce rouged cheeks, lined eyes, painted lips, and artfully arranged hair, but I also knew that art and artifice disappeared when the rooster crowed.
Don’t get me wrong, I loved me a painted lady. But outward sex appeal didn’t always equate to delicious inner sexual energy, and as an incubus, I cared much more about the latter. This little human was as delectable as they came, ripe and ready for the picking.
Since I was already here, I might as well enjoy myself and forget about the spell and what it entailed. Besides, the cute little witch emanated such sadness that I couldn’t have left her even if the spell had permitted it.
I recognized the smell of tears—anywhere, anytime. The centuries had changed nothing. Men were still jackasses, leaving women for me to cheer up. I’d always been a sucker for a broken heart. Some accused me of taking advantage of the weak, but I saw it differently, as showing them that they were still wanted and worthy. And indeed, many of my human conquests went on to live notable lives.
After a moment, she took my hand.
“You still haven’t told me your name,” I said as we started to dance around her living room, trying to avoid the myriad obstacles in our way.
She must’ve just moved in because almost everything was still in boxes, and while the coffee table was technically next to the couch, neither piece of furniture was in the right place in the room unless diagonally was how she’d intended it to go. If so, that would be quite avant-garde. Somehow, I doubted it.
“I’m Penny. Short for Penelope. But no one calls me that except for my parents, and I hate it.” She pressed her lips in a firm line as if she’d said too much.
“I think Penelope is a very pretty name. But I’ll call you Penny if you prefer.”
Penny tripped over a box and gasped as she lost her footing. That wouldn’t do. I caught her, then willed myself to be extra light so that I lifted off the ground, carrying her up with me.
She squeaked and clung to me as her foot felt around for a floor that wasn’t there.
“Don’t worry, I won’t drop you.” I held her a little tighter and bent my head to brush the shell of her ear with my lips. “Unless it’s into bed. And even then, only if you beg me to.”
She shuddered, and her arms pebbled into gooseflesh. I chased away the tiny bumps with my palms and inhaled the lust that filled the air between us. She wasn’t immune to my charms; this much was obvious.
“Maybe I am due for some fun,” she said. “But I’m not begging…yet.”
She was a lot more relaxed now and let me lead her around the room. Her body molded to mine, fitting there perfectly, so supple and tempting, as we swayed to the music. By the end of the song, she was smiling. The look suited her. I resolved to make her smile more.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice sincere. “I didn’t realize how much I needed that…but I did.” She was lightly flushed, the pink in her cheeks glowing with radiance. Her eyes sparkled, and her arms were still wrapped around my neck when her tongue darted out to moisten her lips a moment before she quickly tugged me down and kissed me. It was only a light touch, the barest feathery peck, but that didn’t stop the jolt of awareness shooting through me.
She must’ve felt it too, because she inhaled sharply and froze for the briefest of moments before pulling away. A low growl escaped my lips, and I caught her mouth again in a deep, claiming kiss as I pulled her tight against my body.
There was only her momentary gasp of surprise before need and pleasure flooded us. She moaned softly into my mouth, the sound almost a purr. I tangled my tongue with hers, sliding and stroking. She tasted mildly of the wine she had imbibed, mixed with her own addictive flavor: exotic vanilla, straight from a tropical orchid, mixed with the freshest alpine strawberries.
Then, as if freeing herself from a spell, she stiffened. I didn’t stop her when she pulled away and took a step back, a flustered look on her face. I had that effect on women…and sometimes men, too. It was part of my incubus magic.
Her shoulders drooped. “We really shouldn’t. This”—she waved vaguely to the spot where I’d appeared earlier— “was a mistake.”
“You weren’t looking for the man of your dreams? I am pretty dreamy.”
“Yes…I mean…no.” She blew out a frustrated breath. “I didn’t know you’d show up right away. I just thought I’d meet someone soon. And besides, I fucked up the spell, and it sent you. No offense, but I really don’t think you’re the one.”
“None taken. I don’t think so either. I’m here to be merry, not to marry.”
That was when I noticed the tingling. It was there for only a split second before it was gone. But it was enough to alert me.
I looked down at my wrist and saw the delicate silver strand that had settled there like gossamer. It led straight to my little witch, who had stepped away from me and was disappearing into the kitchen. Unlike the heavy magical chains that had bound me to the old wizard and his family before, this one didn’t have any unwieldy magic preventing me from puffing into smoke or shape-shifting. It also didn’t feel ominous.
Penny returned with a little handheld vacuum and went to clean up the salt on the floor.
“No broomstick?”
“Honestly, this is easier.”
“The salt wouldn’t have been able to contain me anyway. Just like your wards couldn’t keep me out.”
“Yeah—what’s up with that? I know I’m not a particularly powerful witch, but the wards should have at least delayed you while you fought your way in. But my wards are still intact, which means you never did that.”
“I didn’t have to. By using the summons, you invited me in. It’s part of the magic of the spell. I can’t very well wine and dine you unless I’m here, right? The spell trumps any magical wards and other protection you have in place.”
“Ohhh. That makes sense. In that case, I’m glad the fuck-up brought you and not a meaner demon. Thanks, Prax, for the dance.” Her eyes flitted back and forth uncertainly. “Say… Did you want some more wine? Or maybe we can order in food?” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t have much else to offer you. I haven’t even found the coffee yet. I found the coffee maker, though that’s not much good on its own.”
Aww. My little witch was trying to ask me to stay!
I was about to ask her if she wanted to go out on a proper date when I heard the summons jangling in my head. This one sounded a lot less fun than the one that had brought me here, but it was work, so I had no choice; I had to accept it. I sighed inwardly. The date would have to wait for another time.
“I’d love to spend more time with you, and I will, but right now, my boss is calling.” Then, realizing how lame that might sound, I added, “This isn’t a cop-out, I promise. I’ll be back.” I wasn’t sure the dainty chain of magic around my wrist would let me abandon her anyway. For her part, she didn”t appear to have noticed it yet.
“I’m holding you to that. But how do you know your boss is calling you? I thought demons couldn’t bring physical items along with them when they phase in and out of existence.”
“We can’t. Unless the item has been spelled specifically for that purpose.” I formed a cell phone in my hand. “This is made out of my soul stuff, and it looks like a cell phone, but that’s it. It can’t receive calls.”
“So, how do you know your boss is calling you?”
“Because I’m getting a summons from his wizard.”
Desmon, the dragon of Darlington, and my boss usually only called Seth in to summon me if the job was time sensitive.
She frowned. “You’re not bound to him, are you? That’s been outlawed.”
“No, I’m not. This is just a summons.” I searched her face, but Penny looked truly unaware of the new thread of magic that connected us. I decided it was best to tell her. “I am, however, bound to a witch.”
“You are?” I think the idea of me being bound to another witch disappointed her. Why did I like that?
“Yes.” I looked fixedly at her. “It happened just now when I answered a summons to be the perfect man.” I winked at her.
She looked shocked, then squinted at the air around me. I knew she was trying to see the magical bindings that would connect us if I was truly bound to her. My little witch might have magic, but she didn’t have the sight. I enhanced the magic around us for her benefit.
She gasped when she saw the thin silver strands on my wrists leading straight to her. They weren’t, in fact, just around my wrist now; they curled up my arm, too. Her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face.
“I didn’t mean to… I mean, I never…”
She was extra adorable when flustered.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.” I winked. “It can be our little secret.”
She glared at me. “That makes it sound worse! No, I’ll remove them. I just need to look up how.” She went to a random cardboard box, picked up the box cutter on top of it, and opened it. “I have to find my spell books. They’re around here somewhere.”
I didn’t want her to remove the bindings. Not yet. She was cute, and I wanted to spend more time with her even if I wasn’t the proper target of the spell. But what if I was? If the spell thought I was the perfect man for her, did that mean she was the perfect woman for me?
The idea was intriguing. I’d had more bed partners than I could count; it was part of my nature. But I didn’t remember many of them. What would it be like to find someone who actually cared about me, and wanted to stick around after?
“That will have to wait, my sexy, law-breaking witch.” I pulled her up and landed a kiss on her lips. “I’ll be back.”