Jackson (3 page)

After ordering a pot of Pu’er oolong from a smiling Chinese server, Jackson sat down to work the spell. Having the elemental power of fire didn’t limit his ability to work magic, and centuries of studying the craft allowed him to create and conceal the most complex enchantments from other Wiccans.
 

To me come eagerly, in your desire.
He passed his hand over the flame of the small candle on the table to seal his power to the spell.
Seek from me your every pleasure. So may it be.

Once he had cast the spell it contracted around him until it became like an invisible, second skin. The moment Audrey touched him, the spell would transfer to her body and compel her to act on her desire for him. He’d known from the first time they’d met face to face that she wanted him; the heat of her longing had set her emerald eyes ablaze. He also guessed she had been resisting her needs, for her reaction to his deliberate touch last night had been surprisingly intense.
 

While the Magus Corps had been unable to determine how many lovers the rogue witch had taken after being initiated by her first, unfortunate relationship in college, Jackson suspected the paramedic had little experience with men. That also puzzled him. She had to know that, along with complete bliss and virtual immortality, that sex with another Wiccan helped to enhance and refine their power. Jackson knew how twisted killer rogues were. Audrey’s mother had been a particularly disgusting creature.
 

Perhaps that’s why she’s setting the fires––to use them to hide the traces of ritual sacrifices, like her mother.
 

If that were the case, then it explained why Audrey had reacted so strongly to his touch. Although his body wards completely masked his true nature and talents, he could not rid himself of the elemental power seething inside him. Even concealed, the heat of his magic would draw her like a moth to an open flame.

“Hey, Jack,” Audrey said as she approached the table and eyed the half-empty cup in front of him. “I’m not late, am I?”

“No, I’m early.” Jackson clamped down on his displeasure and stood to pull out a chair for her. Although he was tempted to touch her now to activate the spell, feeling compelled to leave with him as soon as she arrived might make her suspicious. “Please, sit down.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at the server who came over to the table. “Could I have a pot of Fuijian Snow, please?”

“So you like white,” Jackson said as he sat back down. “Interesting. I would have guessed black.”

“You
 
know your teas. I’m impressed.” Humor and something else danced in her pretty green eyes. “Most guys are better at beer brands.”

“I’m not much of a drinker,” Jackson said, and silently cursed himself. If he’d met her at a bar, he could have gotten her drunk enough to insist on driving her home. “And I think you’re the first person I’ve met in Seattle who doesn’t like coffee.”
 

“Well, don’t tell anyone, but…” She made a show of looking from side to side before lowering her voice to a confidential level. “I don’t root for the Seahawks, I think hipsters are silly, and I actually like all the rain.”

He leaned forward to murmur back, “Your secrets are safe with me.”

In that moment they were almost close enough to kiss, and Jackson would have considered it if he hadn’t been momentarily entranced. He suspected she had just washed her hair, which gave off the fragrance of honeysuckle, and the only cosmetic she wore was a lip balm that smelled of cherries. Beneath those delicious scents was the smell of her skin, which was cool and sweet, like water from a hidden spring, and wrapped around him like caressing arms.

How can such a lovely thing be so evil?

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Audrey whispered, her eyes wide now.

“You’re so lovely,” he said, shortening his angry thought into a compliment. “It’s difficult to look away.”

A moment later the server arrived at the table with Audrey’s tea, and Jackson considered walking out right then. The witch’s allure had aroused him so much he felt as hard as iron, and it sickened him. She had to be carrying a charm spell to stir his lust, for how else could he want such a murderous creature? Was this how she bespelled her human victims? With a sex spell?
     

Command’s reminder echoed in his mind.
You took an oath to do whatever it takes to carry out your mission, Captain.
 
How many more should have to suffer what you endured before she’s stopped?

“Look, maybe this was a bad idea,” Audrey said as soon as the server left.

Jackson frowned at her. “Why do you say that?”

“I really like you, Jack.” A delicate pink color bloomed on her cheeks as she stared down at her steaming tea cup. “But I haven’t dated anyone since I was in college. Part of it is the job, you know, the crazy hours, and always being on call and stuff.”

He nodded. “What’s the other part?”

She swallowed hard before she met his gaze. “The last guy I was involved with only wanted to use me to get to someone else. I found out and broke up with him, and a few days later he committed suicide.”

Or you made it look like he had,
Jackson thought, grudgingly admiring the skillful way she infused her voice with genuine-sounding pain.
 

“I’m not interested in using you, Audrey, and I can’t kill myself.” When he saw her expression he quickly added, “Suicide is against my personal beliefs.”

“Good to know.” She hesitated before she said, “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not experienced enough to know exactly what you want from me. Plus I don’t want to get burned again.”
 

Now was the perfect moment to spring the trap, but it still took all of Jackson’s resolve to reach across the table and cover her slim pale hand with his. A brief tingle of energy assured him of the transfer of the spell from his skin to hers, but he threaded his fingers through hers to carry on the pretense.
 

“We could dance around it, my lovely one, but I think we both want the same thing. To be naked with each other.”

 
Audrey’s pupils dilated. “What happens when we are?”

“I want to do this.” He brought her hand to his mouth and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “To every inch of your beautiful body. And this.” He nipped the pad of flesh beneath her thumb before gently licking away the sting. “And this.” He took the tip of her smallest finger into his mouth and sucked it for a moment.
 

She stared at his mouth. “Are you trying to make me crazy? Because it’s working, really well.”

“Then we both should be locked up.” He touched her cheek and traced the curve of her upper lip with his thumb. “Now tell me what you want, Audrey.”

Her pretty flush darkened, and he felt her trembling as she unconsciously resisted the spell before she sighed.
 

“To do the same things to you. Right now.”
 

He gave her a crooked smile. “I wish I could make it happen tonight, but I haven’t found an apartment yet. At the moment I’m staying at a friend’s house.” He stroked his thumb over the side of her finger. “I’m sorry.”

She bit her lower lip before she said, “We could go to my place.”
 

He had her, Jackson thought, but his triumph felt hollow. “Are you sure, Audrey? I can wait for you.”

“But I can’t.” She got to her feet and tugged him to his. “Come on.”

AS SHE PULLED up to the front gate of her godmother’s estate Audrey rolled down her window to punch in the security code. The guards who usually manned the gate and watched the house accompanied Hannah whenever she traveled, however, so she and Jackson had the entire estate to themselves.

Me and Jackson.
She glanced in her rearview to see the lights of his red pickup truck directly behind her.
This is really going to happen.

Once the gate opened she drove up the circular drive past the main house to the garage, where she parked her little compact. Jackson drew up alongside her and did the same before climbing out and walking around to join her.

“Some place.” He didn’t seem at all interested in her godmother’s fancy mansion as he gazed down at her. “Where’s your room?”

Audrey laughed and seized his hand, hauling him after her as she ran along the path that led to the little cottage nestled in the trees.
 

“Welcome to the permanent guesthouse.” She dug her key out of her pocket and unlocked the front door. “Me being the permanent house guest.”

“Wait.” Before she could step inside Jackson tugged her back to him, and then swept her up in his arms. When she gave him a puzzled look, he said, “I’ve wanted to sweep you off your feet from the first moment I saw you.”

“Really.” Audrey linked her hands behind his strong neck and giggled as he carried her inside and kicked the door shut behind them. “You should do this professionally.”

“I do.” He shifted her so that she slid down the front of his body as he set her on her feet, and bent his head as if he meant to kiss her. The sound of an indignant screech stopped him, and he looked past her toward the porch door. “Is that a cat?”

“Only if he caught one.” She rolled her eyes as she went to peer outside. “Stop fussing, Plato, it’s a friend.” She glanced back at Jackson. “Come and meet the other man in my life.”

Jackson followed her out to the porch and watched as she went to the owl’s box and held out her wrist.
 

“You have a bird.”

“No, I have a pain in the ass that resembles a bird.” As the barn owl’s snowy white head popped out and gave them both a wary look, she smiled. “Come on out and be nice, Plato.” When the owl stepped out onto her wrist she gave his nape a reassuring scratch. “Jackson, this is my best non-human friend, Plato.”
           

The owl and the man stared at each other for a moment before Jackson said, “You can’t have that owl.”

“Oh, I know it’s illegal,” Audrey said. “Plato lives on the estate and keeps the local rodent population in check.”

“That’s not what I meant.”
 

He moved closer, but as he did Plato extended his wings and uttered another of his rasping screeches before flying at Jackson’s face.

“Plato, stop it.” Audrey reached out to grab him, but the owl bolted and flew away, while Jackson cradled his bleeding arm to his chest. “Oh, no. Come inside so I can look at that.”

Instead of going back into the guest house Jackson shook his head.
 

“Explain to me how you have that owl.”

“I don’t actually own him–”
 

“Explain,” he demanded.

Why did he look so angry? “I found Plato in a vacant lot after he’d been shot by some kid with a pellet gun.” There was no way she could explain to Jackson that she’d saved the owl by touch-healing him, so she said, “I nursed him back to health, and then obtained a special permit to relocate him to the estate, where I could keep an eye on him. He likes to hang out here a lot so I built him his own little owl guest house. Now will you come inside so I can clean those gashes he made on your arm?”

Jackson stared in the direction that Plato had flown for so long she thought he hadn’t heard her. Then he said, “That was a ghost owl. A master hunter with the power to link heart with mind.” He finally turned to her and saw the way she was looking at him. “It would never bond…” he stopped and shook his head.
 

“Okay, I think I should get some help,” Audrey said in the soothing tone she used with hysterical patients. “Why don’t you sit down and relax while I make the call?”
 

He gave his wounds an impatient glance. “It’s nothing.” He extended the other arm. “Audrey, take my hand. Please.”

She didn’t want to touch him, not when he was behaving like a man about to have a breakdown, but something in his voice made her reach out and curl her hand around his. Once more he laced his fingers with hers, but the moment he did she felt a strange, thrilling heat race over her skin and up her arm to sink into her chest.

“It’s not there.” He ran his hand up her arm as if tracing the path of the warmth and then cupped her chin to lift her face. When he looked into her eyes she saw a strange amber light glowing in his. “I know you’re not carrying any protective charms. You don’t even have the house warded. How did you dispel it?”

Nothing he said made sense to her, but his touch was starting to make her insides melt.
 

“Jackson, I brought you here because I like you. What Plato did was an accident. I would never deliberately hurt you.”

“I believe it.” He tightened his grip on her chin. “Last night, at the house fire, you used power. I felt the traces of it when you left. What did you do?”

“My job.”
 

Genuinely frightened now, she tried to pull away from him, but he clamped his good arm around her waist and held her easily. Suddenly she realized that he was a complete stranger, and there was no one here to stop him if he tried to hurt her.
 

“Listen, Jackson, you don’t want to do this. The people at the tea room saw us leave together. My partner knows I was interested in you and saw you talking to me last night. You won’t get away with it.”

“Stop talking like a human,” he bellowed.

“Why should I?” she countered, completely bewildered now. “I
am
human.”

Jackson went completely still, and then abruptly released her to stride back into the guest house. Once inside he began methodically searching her front room, going through her books and furniture as if looking for something hidden.
 

When she carefully edged toward the phone he said without looking at her, “Don’t even think about it, Witch.”

She wrapped her arms around her waist to hide how badly her hands were shaking.
 

“I don’t have drugs, okay? If you want money, take my wallet. It’s in my purse.”

He finished in the living room and went into her bedroom, giving her the chance to run. But as Audrey eyed the door, she thought of Hannah’s mansion, and all the beautiful, irreplaceable things her godmother had collected over the years. If Jackson had come here simply to rob her, she couldn’t let him get into the mansion.