ENTANGLED (27 page)

Fear trickled over her in a cold sweat. “Are you from the coven?”

“Yes. I’ve been sent to…” He paused, cocked his head to one side before smiling and showing off those dimples. “…retrieve something that belongs to them.”

Chloe swallowed hard.
Damn
. She knew exactly what thing he wanted to retrieve and he would have to do it over her dead body.
Which was probably the idea
.

She never should have run and she’d been stupid to think she could hide here in the human world, under the guise of a baker. Who was she fooling?

She could admit now that her baking had gotten out of hand. That she had this drive and determination to be the best there ever was. That’s why she started putting a little magic in her cupcakes, a little enchantment in her scones and using a little witchery on her cookies. She was the best in town. She had succeeded. She had also succeeded in not staying anonymous.

Her use of magic had, no doubt, called attention to her.

She could run but he’d catch her. And she certainly couldn’t get around him to get to the door. Chloe straightened her back and steeled herself against the coming onslaught. She wouldn’t go down without a fight.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Edward chuckled, a deep rumble in his throat. “Oh, come now. Surely you must know. You took something you shouldn’t have, didn’t you? You also saw something you shouldn’t have.”

Damn
. Chloe thought for sure she had escaped from that horrible world. Apparently changing her name and her appearance hadn’t done a bit of good. She’d convinced herself over the last year she really was Chloe O’Shea, baker extraordinaire instead of Sadie Steele, witch who saw something she really wished she’d never seen.

“Sadie.”

Edward let her name roll of his tongue in a dark, dangerous baritone dripping with sex and lust and dark promises.

Chloe swallowed hard, that lump still there. “What do you want?”

He leaned a hip on the counter, his musky scent drifting over her, tantalizing her. He certainly didn’t smell of fear. Instead, he smelled of eroticism and awesomeness. He glanced over his cuticles, examining his perfectly trimmed nails.

“It seems a have another rather pressing problem at the moment. What I want is you.” He gave her a pointed look. One that said he knew what she’d done last night, all alone, with thoughts of him racing through her mind. “It’s the only way to cure me.”

“Cure you?” Fear mingled with uncertainty as it flooded through her. Clearly, he knew who and what she was—a healer. “What do you mean?”

“Can’t you see what you’ve done to me?” He leaned toward her, his lips parted. “You put magic in your cupcakes, didn’t you?”

“I…” She faltered. She had and he knew it. And maybe subconsciously she’d put a little something extra in his. A big mistake, clearly.

“You did. That’s why I’m here.” He twined a blond lock around his forefinger. “Once I took that first bite, the magic in them awoke the demon inside me.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Demon? I thought you were a witch.”

“I’m half-witch, half-incubus. Lucky for you. I take what I need, when I need it.” He winked and leaned toward to her, his lips close to hers as he whispered against them. “And there is one of two ways you can give me the release I need.”

“Dare I ask?” Her heart thrummed in her chest. Her traitorous body reacted to the way his warm breath lingered over her mouth, teasing her. Tempting her.

“Have sex with me for the next twelve hours. It will sate my thirst for you and break the spell.”

Edward’s lips brushed hers ever-so-softly, rich with promise and vows of ecstasy. Slick heat exploded between her legs, begging for release. Instead, she jerked away, out of his reach.

“Do you expect me to surrender to you that easily?”

“Oh, I expect you
will
surrender.” Again, that pointed sultry look. “You’ll
beg
to surrender to me.”

Chloe propped her hands on her hips. “I will never surrender to you.”
Yes, you will, you liar. You know you will
. Her inner voice taunted her.

“You want me, too, don’t you?” His grin showed off the dimples around his mouth.

“What’s my other option?” she asked, ignoring his question. Of course she wanted him. Her body shook with desire.

“Perform a spell to break the magic that’s holding me.”

Well, that was certainly out of the question. If she did, it would be like sending up a giant neon sign pointing at her saying,
Here I am! Come get me!
The coven would definitely know where she was if she used that much magic. She told herself the little bit she used in her baked goods would go unnoticed. That she could remain incognito. Perhaps she had been wrong about that, too, if he’d found her so easily.

Edward had to realize that using a spell like that would make the coven aware. That’s why he tried to coerce her into having sex with him.
Like that was such a bad thing.

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Then the decision has been made.”

A breath passed between them as she looked at him. Mistrust skittered through her. There was still the matter of the pendant and her dead sister. What would happen afterward? When playtime was over and the spell was broken? Would he then insist on retrieving the pendant and taking her back to the coven?

“We will discuss the pendant after,” he said, as though reading her thoughts. “Rest assured, Chloe, if I found you, others will. And they won’t go so easy on you.”

“Yeah?” she asked. “How so?”

“They’ll torture you before they kill you. They’re ruthless. They want you dead so you can’t talk.” He paused, a grimace on his face and she knew he spoke the truth. “That and they want the pendant you took.”

Her heart skittered to a frightened halt. That pendant belonged to her sister, now dead. Zanna’s lifeless eyes open, blood pooling around her, her long auburn hair a tangled mess around her face. Her skin red where the pendant had been ripped off her neck. The fingernails on her left hand were broken to the quick. Like she’d struggled.

The memory slammed into Chloe so hard, she hadn’t expected it. She hadn’t been ready for it. Usually she could steel herself when something reminded her of Zanna. But not this time. This time it punched her in the gut and took her breath away.

That pendant was the only piece of evidence Chloe had proving who had murdered her. Zanna had always worn it. Chloe had found the pale green stone pendant with the broken chain on the floor near her body. Like whoever had killed her hadn’t realized the power the pendant held.

She tried to sound casual as she played dumb. “What pendant?”

“You know what pendant. Don’t play coy with me, dear. I know you have it.
They
know you have it.”

“My sister died for it,” she snarled. “I’m not giving it up, ever. Besides, it’s not even here.”

“Then where it is?”

She snorted. “As if I’d tell you that.”

“Do you realize what they’ll do if they find you?” he asked. “They will do whatever they have to do to get the information out of that pretty head of yours. Even if that means they have to take it.”

Her face drained, the blood pooling at her feet and her stomach clenching. She knew what that meant. Any witch did. The thought of having her mind scraped for information by some demon-witch made her skin crawl.

“They won’t get it out of me.” Despite the fear coursing through her, she tried to put on a brave front. “I don’t entirely trust you and I haven’t agreed to have sex with you. How do I know you won’t kill me afterward?”

“I suppose you don’t,” he mused. “You’re a wise woman. But I assure you, I don’t want to destroy such a lovely creature. Now, what is your decision on getting me out of my predicament?”

He walked around the counter, the bulge thick and heavy in his pants. She kept her gaze on him the entire time, never wavering. Never looking at that obvious place needing her affections. Edward stopped in front of her and she had to crane her neck to look up at him. He stood over six feet tall.

“I find you wildly attractive, Chloe.” He advanced on her, his scent still teasing her. “I want you. I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you. Will you help me?”

Chloe swallowed hard. She knew her answer. “Cast a spell and let the coven know where I am? Or go the easy route and have sex with you? Gee, let me think…”

He chuckled, a rumble deep in his chest as his hand slid around her waist, pulling her close. “Let me taste you.”

Edward leaned in for a kiss. It wasn’t like she was going to stop him. His mouth landed on hers, tentative at first and then possessive, taking her over. For a moment, it was like touching souls as he stole her breath from her. She wanted it to last forever. She wanted
him
to be the one kissing her forever.

Chloe slipped her arms around his neck as she stood on tiptoe, trying to get a better angle. She shifted her body closer to his, felt his heat wash over her, making the roots of her hair tingle. When he broke, he looked down at her, ran a tongue over his damp lips.

“You taste better than I imagined.”

Her breath came in ragged gasps. Her hands shook. She remembered the cupcakes then and slipped away from him, making her way over to the box she’d put them in. Unable to hide her sly smile, she handed him the cupcakes.

“I made these for you.” She leaned toward him. “With love and a dash of lust.”

His hands brushed hers as he took the box. “I can hardly wait.”

“You should try them now.”

Chloe wasn’t sure what possessed her to offer up the cupcakes, but she couldn’t say she was anything less than delighted when he popped open the box. He pulled out one of the red velvet treats, held it up and eyed it with a lascivious gleam in his eyes. Her nerve endings sparked and arced, making her tingle in all the right places.

If he was already in this state, what would it do to him to take a bite of that little cake? She trembled.

Edward placed the box aside and slowly peeled the paper away from the cupcake. Chloe never took her eyes off his mouth—and he never took his eyes off her—as he licked the cream cheese from the top of the cupcake, one slow stroke at a time.

“See? That’s what I plan to do to you.” His voice was deep, guttural, purring.

Chloe shifted from one foot to the other, her clothes suddenly chafing her. Making her want to strip naked right there in the middle of the bakery. And why not? They were closed for the day. He’d locked the door after all.

Edward wrapped his lips around as much of the red velvet cupcake as he could, sinking his teeth in the spongy goodness. Watching him take a bite nearly sent her over the edge. She dragged a hand through her hair, mussing it.

“Mmm.” He swallowed the first bite. “This is divine.” He ran his tongue over his lips. “Do you taste this good?” His gaze dropped, fixing on one special part and she knew exactly what he meant.

“Don’t you want to know?” An invitation.

“Yes, I do,” he said. “Take off your clothes.”

She was already pulling her shirt over her head when he said it. She wasn’t entirely sure what compelled her to do it. Was he using witchcraft on her to make her undress? Did she care? Chloe reached back to unhook her bra.

“Stop,” he ordered.

Desire and need burned between her legs and she had to stifle a whimper. He set aside the half-eaten cupcake, picked up a fresh one. He drew a finger across her shoulder, over her collarbone and down the swell of her breast still inside the cotton of her bra. He traced the outline of one then the other, her nipples standing dutifully at attention.

Her entire body felt as though it were encased in flames. Her head fell back as she looked up at him, giving him the expanse of her neck. Edward leaned down, touched his mouth against her heated skin, flicked his tongue over it. It nearly drove her mad.

Chloe put her hands on his chest and digging her nails into his soft shirt until he grunted.

“You like to play rough, do you?”

He reached behind her with one hand and flicked open her bra. Her breasts came free of the material as she tossed the offending garment to the ground, leaving her feeling blissfully exposed.

Edward smeared the icing from the cupcake over one nipple, then the next, then held it up so she could watch him peel the paper from it one ridge at a time. So slowly. So purposefully. With her nerves about to detonate, he took bite after bite of the red velvet cake until it was completely gone and he brushed his hands together.

“That was a delicious treat.” His gaze landed on her icing-covered breasts. “Now for my real dessert.”

Chloe leaned against the metal table where she’d prepared cookies and cakes, arching her back and thrusting her breasts forward. She watched Edward bend as he looked up at her. His pink tongue flicked out, licked one thin trail through the icing.