Coven (12 page)

“Yes, thank you, Mom. It was awesome.”
Glancing between both my parents, I smiled. “I promised Seth I’d
show him around the house. Is that okay with both of you?”

“Fine by me.” Mom encouraged. “Your dad can
help me clean up in here.”

“Keep the doors open, “Dad said gruffly and
I laughed, standing and moving to kiss him on the head.

“Yes, Daddy.” Leaning closer to his ear, I
whispered. “I promise not to let him molest me.”

Something akin to a groan escaped him, and I
laughed even harder before grabbing Seth by the hand and dragging
him from the room.

“
That kid is gonna be the death of me,
you know that?”
I heard my dad speak to my mom through our
mental connection.

“
Aw, Vance. Come on. Can’t you see how
happy she is?”

“
I didn’t notice. All I could see was the
way he kept looking at my baby girl.”

“
She’s not a baby anymore. She’s a young
woman. You’re going to have to let her grow up.”

“
I don’t want to.”
Dad grumbled.
“I’m not ready for all this stuff.”

“
What stuff?”

“
The boys—them wanting her, and
especially not her wanting them.”

“
You need to trust her, hun. She has a
good head on her shoulders. Guess what she told me before
dinner?”

“
What?”

“
That she hopes someday a man will love
her the way you love me.”

“
She said that?”
I could hear the
wonder in his voice.

“
She did. She’s watching you—both of
us—and she’s a smart kid.”

“
I know all that, but it only makes me
more nervous. That guy here tonight? He’s gonna fall in love with
her. How can he not? She’s so much like you. I can already see the
light in his eyes when he looks at her. I recognize it from my
own.”

“
Don’t go borrowing trouble, honey. Just
let things play out naturally and try to embrace whatever does
happen. Let your daughter find her happiness. And if this is the
guy for her, then nothing either of us tries to do is going to stop
it.”

“
I know, I know.”
He muttered and
then gave a wry laugh.
“Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?”

“
It is,”
Mom agreed, laughing.
“
But I bet we will survive.”

“
I hope so.”

Easing out of my parents’ conversation, I
glanced up at Seth, wanting to see this light my dad was talking
about. Was it true? Were his feelings already growing so strong so
quickly?

For some reason, that excited me instead of
creeping me out. There was just something about Seth that continued
to draw me to him. I found myself looking forward to the next time
I’d get to see him, and my heart rate would pick up every time he
drifted through my thoughts. There was this constant flutter going
on in the pit of my stomach; and I spent half of the day absently
daydreaming about the way his lips felt on mine and wondering if
I’d get a repeat performance, tonight.

I hoped so.

“Are you feeling okay? Happy that you
survived dinner?” I asked in a teasing tone.

“Honestly? It went a lot easier than I
expected.”

“You can thank my mom for that. She forbade
my dad from drilling you.”

“Oh, he was still drilling me—with that
glare.” He chuckled.

“Maybe I should’ve mentioned that I’m
Daddy’s little girl and he doesn’t share well.”

“I think I already got that message from
him. But hey, he didn’t eat me, so I’m calling it a success.”

“But he wanted to eat you, I think that’s
the point, isn’t it?”

Seth’s face paled a bit. “He did?”

I laughed. “No, you silly dork. I’m just
messing with you.” I bumped against him.

“That wasn’t nice,” he said, glancing back
behind us before lowering his voice and looking at me. “I think you
need to be punished.”

“Do you now?” I asked as we entered the
foyer and moved toward the grand staircase.

“Yes, I do.” Pulling me around the corner
into the formal living room, he pressed me against the wall. “And
I’m going to do that punishing right now.” Lowering his head, his
lips captured mine and I welcomed them eagerly, fisting my hands in
the front of his shirt and dragging him closer.

Before today, I knew nothing about kissing.
Now, I only knew I wanted as much as I could get. It was like a
drug I craved. I wasn’t even sure if I was any good at kissing—only
that Seth was a master at it, so it made me good, by default.

Tongue delving heavily into my mouth, he
tasted me, his hands traveling down my back before resting against
my butt and hauling my body flush against his. A groan escaped him
as he ground against me.

“You’re driving me crazy, Kenna,” he
whispered against my lips before hungrily recapturing them.

The magic in my blood heated under his
touch, making me feel even warmer. Something inside me ached for
him—I wanted him closer—but I didn’t know how to achieve it.
“Seth,” I whispered, longing for something, but I didn’t know what.
I could only hear the need in my voice.

Wrenching away, Seth moved several paces
backward. I sagged against the wall, staring at him heatedly.

“Why’d you stop?” I asked breathlessly.

“Because I was about to do something right
here in your living room that would have, at the very least, ended
up with me killed.” Releasing a shaky sigh, he stared at me. “I
don’t know what it is about you, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never
liked a girl this much before, nor felt the need to move so
quickly.”

“So this . . .” I pushed away from
the wall and gestured between us as I closed the distance, “isn’t
normal?”

He shook his head. “Not in my experience.
I’ve never dated another witch before either, so I don’t know if
that’s what’s different. All I know is there is something here
that’s unusual. I don’t know how to explain it.”

“You don’t need to. I feel it, too.”
Glancing around the corner, I could see the coast was clear. “Come
on. I want to do something with you.” I grabbed his hand and pulled
him toward the stairs.

“As much as I want to do whatever it is we
are about to do, tell me first, is it safe? Or is this going to be
a life ending experience for me? I’d like to know so I can enjoy
myself to the fullest.”

I snorted. “Are you expecting to die in my
bed?”

“If that’s where we are headed, then yes.
I’m pretty sure that’s where I’m gonna die. But damn girl, I
promised to enjoy it first.”

Pretty sure I was blushing a thousand shades
of red, I couldn’t help my response. “I think I would enjoy it,
too—not the dead part. I mean the other . . . thingy, you
know . . . what you said. I’m just going to stop talking
now.”

He laughed. “I think that may be the sexiest
thing I’ve ever heard in my life—you know, my very short life—that
will be over soon.”

“I didn’t actually say I was taking you to
my bed, you know?”

Reaching the top of the stairs, he glanced
down them before dragging me into a nearby alcove. “I know you
didn’t, but I also know how you make me feel; and if you feel even
a percentage of what I do right now, then I’m thinking it won’t be
too long before the two of us end up there, anyway. So either way
you look at it, I’m most likely gonna die soon because of you.”

I giggled. “But I don’t want you to
die.”

Sliding his hands on either side of my head,
he pressed his full length against me, pinning me to the wall. His
eyes were full of hunger. “Don’t feel bad. I’m pretty sure it will
be worth it.”

Again, his lips captured mine, sending my
blood careening through my body in an excited response. Once more,
the overwhelming need to be closer to him consumed me. Without even
thinking about it, I raised one of my legs, hooking it around him
and he groaned—a little too loudly.

Immediately, we both glanced down into the
foyer below us, thankful to find it empty. He wasn’t aware of my
dad’s excellent hearing, but I was. Hopefully my mom was keeping my
dad otherwise occupied.

“Is there somewhere else we can go?” he
whispered and I nodded, remembering my original intention.

Taking him by the hand once more, I guided
him to a single door at the end of a long hall.

“What’s this?” he asked, quietly.

“It leads to the attic. I’ve been meaning to
explore it since we moved in, but I haven’t had the chance. When I
came home from school, yesterday, I thought I saw someone staring
at me through the window, but no one else should be here.”

“Sounds positively spooky and just the
distraction I need. Let’s go.”

Carefully, I turned the knob and opened the
door, revealing the tall narrow staircase that ascended up into
darkness. I slid my hand over the walls, searching, but found
nothing. “No light switch.”

Seth glanced behind us. “I think I just
heard horror music starting to play somewhere.”

I laughed and nudged him. “So you’re
chicken? Is that what you’re saying? I don’t know if I can date a
guy who’s chicken.”

Squaring his shoulders, Seth straightened,
making his well-over six-foot height seem even taller. “Hell no,
I’m not chicken. Dude, I’m like a friggin’ slayer.”

“A slayer of what? Pizza?” I teased with a
giggle.

“Definitely pizza, and any other wickedly
delicious foods.”

“I’m so happy to know I’m safe with you. At
least I am if there’s a pizza haunting the attic.”

Seth snorted and tiptoed quietly up on the
stairs, keeping me safely tucked behind him. I wasn’t really
scared, of course, but something about knowing he was placing
himself between me and any danger was heartwarming.

Reaching the top, I blinked several times,
trying to let my eyes adjust to the dimness of the space. The only
light was from the moon filtering through the small dormer windows
covered with lace curtains. The attic space covered the entire
length of the house; and other than a small bench, an old rocking
chair, and a couple of really old looking trunks in the corner,
nothing else cluttered up the wood planked floor.

“Looks pretty empty from what I can see.”
Immediately a ball of bluish white light appeared in the center of
Seth’s free hand. Waving it around, he illuminated the dark areas
before nodding toward the items in the corner. “Looks like that’s
it.”

“What do you call that?” I asked, gesturing
toward his hand. “I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

He chuckled, staring down at it. “I’ve
always referred to it as ‘witch light’. That’s what my parents call
it. They can both do the same. If you’re not familiar with this,
then what does your family use?”

Raising my hand, I called a ball of flame.
“Fire is the natural magic of both my dad and me. My dad has also
assimilated an electrical force. Mom always jokingly calls it the
Electric Storm Ball Effect, but he can generate light that way,
too.”

“What else can you do?” Seth extinguished
his witch light at the same time I put out my fireball, plunging us
back into darkness.

“Now all I can see are spots!” I said with a
laugh.

“Then we should do something that doesn’t
require sight.” He scooped me off my feet and I squealed.

“You caught me off guard.”

“Good. I like catching you off guard.”

Surprising me, he knelt down and gently laid
me on the floor and leaned over me. I blinked several times,
wishing I could see him better, but not wanting to break the
mood.

“I want to kiss you, Kenna, for a long, long
time—until I don’t know where I end and you begin.”

Heat infused me at his words and I honestly
couldn’t think of anything that sounded better. Reaching for him, I
pulled him down, capturing his mouth as he leaned beside me.

Tongues tangling, he shifted to straddle me,
resting with his elbows by my head and his hands tangled into my
hair.

What was it with kissing him? I’d never
expected anything like this—this feeling of wanting to be consumed
by something, of wanting to give in. It didn’t matter that I was
inexperienced or that I barely knew Seth—it was like my body knew,
recognized, and craved him like a needed drug.

“Kenna.” My name, whispered as he brushed
his lips over my skin, moving toward my neck, caused a flush of
delicious prickles to race over me. He murmured it so sweetly, but
it sounded so full of need and wonder.

Leaning on one elbow, he trailed his other
hand down the side of my body, lightly sliding over my neck,
collarbone, and ever so slightly grazing the edge of my breast as
he passed, moving to my waist before anchoring his hand on my
hip.

“Even in the dark, you’re beautiful.”

“I . . . I don’t know what to
say,” I admitted, feeling things I’d never experienced before
swirling around inside me.

“You don’t need to say anything. Just keep
being perfect like you already are.” A soft kiss was pressed
against my forehead.

“I’m not perfect.” His words made me feel
like I was, though.

“You are to me.” Giving a wry chuckle, he
stroked my cheek with his thumb. “Excuse the analogy, but right now
I’m feeling like the Titanic and you’re my iceberg. I’ve been hit
and I’m going down fast.”

“You make it sound like I’m going to destroy
you,” I replied, closing my eyes as he feathered more kisses on my
face.

“You just might,” he breathed out against my
skin. “Especially if your dad catches onto this.”

“Kenna? Are you guys up there?” As if on
cue, my dad’s voice floated up the stairs and it was as if someone
threw a bucket of cold water on us.

“To the trunks,” Seth urged, quickly pulling
me up. We moved as noiselessly as possible.

“Yeah, come on up!” I called to my dad, as
Seth used magic to pop the lid open and summon some witch light.
“Oh my goodness!” I exclaimed, when all the fancy old dresses in
the trunk were revealed. “Look how beautiful they are!” The sound
of my dad’s boots ascended the stairs and I quickly glanced over my
shoulder. “Dad, come see what we found in this old trunk!”