Love Charms (105 page)

“Oh my beautiful witch, how I love you,”
he whispered as he thrust one final time, spilling his seed hotly inside her.
For a few minutes, she let her resolve slip and allowed herself to believe, to
bask in the warmth of his love.

They stayed joined together, breathing
erratic, their bodies flushed with sweat. A moment she would always remember as
the most beautiful. The most pleasurable. The moment that sealed her fate.
Because
now that I’ve admitted it, he has the power to hurt me.
The thought
frightened her to her very core.

* * *

The moisture leaking from her eyes
shocked him. She’d admitted she loved him and now cried. Silently, but still.
It wasn’t what he’d pictured happening once he admitted his affection.

“What are you doing, witch? Please tell
me those are tears of joy.”

She pushed at him and he rolled to the
side. Up she popped, back ramrod straight, her entire bearing screaming
don’t
touch
. “I need to be alone.”

“Talk to me, Ysabel. What’s wrong?”

“You got what you wanted. You made me
admit how I feel. Now leave.”

“I’m a little confused. I thought being
in love was a good thing.” He stood from the bed and padded over to her,
spinning her to face him.

“A good thing?” She laughed bitterly.
“How is it a good thing to fall in love with a demon-whore? How long before you
cheat on me and break my heart? A day? Two? Maybe I’ll be lucky and you can
hide it from me for a few weeks.”

“You’re it for me, Ysabel. From now until
one of us dies. I will touch no other.”

“You say it so convincingly,” she said,
her tone wistful. “But, don’t forget, I know all the false promises. I’ve heard
them before. I just don’t understand why. I was perfectly fine letting you have
your fun with me and then walking. Why did you have to try to make it into
something more? Something you know won’t last?”

“But I’m telling you the truth.”
Exasperation colored his words, and still she sadly shook her head. Did she not
understand how it worked when a demon mated? That despite their reputation,
once they bonded it was one female for life?

“I wish I could believe. Please leave.”
She pulled away from him, but before he could grab her and shake some sense
into her, a furry menace jumped between them. Teeth bared and growling, bloody
Felipe dared him to get close enough for a bite.

“Ysabel. Call your cat off.”

Turning her back on Remy, his witch
instead stalked into the bathroom and the feline stepped closer, still
snarling.

“Get the fuck out of my way. I need to
talk to her. To make her understand I mean what I say.”

It seemed the hellcat wasn’t interested
in letting him say his piece and given the choice between losing some limbs or
hurting her pet, Remy did the only thing he could. He turned on his heel and
left.

As he stalked the castle corridors, he
tried to figure out where he’d gone wrong. She said she loved him, and he, for
the first time, declared himself to a woman. Used the Big L word, and not
fallen over dead.

And in the biggest cosmic joke of all,
his love made him lose his witch.
How? How is that bloody possible?

And how can I fix it?

Time to talk to his mother. Surely she
had some crazy plan to win over the trust of the one he loved. He just hoped it
didn’t involve bathing in muds from the Obnoxious Swamp again. The last time it
took weeks to get the stench out of his hair and it never did grow him a pair
of horns like his mother intended.

Thank Lucifer.

Chapter
Twelve

Remy left without even trying to pit
himself against her cat, and Ysabel cried.

Dirty rotten jerk, telling me he loves
me.

How dare he raise her hopes? How dare he
get to her to admit she cared? Killing him was looking like a better and better
prospect all the time, if only she could muster the strength to do so.

I can’t do it. I can’t end his life.
Cowardly of her and weak, yet, she just
had to think of his beautiful eyes and earnest expression to lose the
fortitude. But, she did have a friend who might help her out.

Heading to Nefertiti’s tower, Ysabel
caused the damned roaming the streets, and even the demons in her way, to dive
to the side for cover. Perhaps it was the scowl on her face or the electrical
static making her hair dance or the fireballs she kept lobbing – a
corporal manifestation of her turmoil. Whatever the reason, no one dared to say
a word or stand in her path as she made the short trek to visit her friend.

Rapping at the tower door – and
admiring the new knocker shaped like a man on his knees with his arms bound
behind his back – she tapped a foot impatiently as she waited. It took
only a short moment before the ornate portal swung open to reveal the handsome
figure of Geoffrey, the butler, standing at attention. Literally.

Naked but for a loincloth that did little
to hide his straining erection, a must for the staff in this place, Geoffrey
bowed her in.

“If my lady witch would follow me,
Mistress awaits in the garden.”

Spinning on one heel, the butler walked
down the corridor, the muscles of his shapely ass flexing. Normally, she would
have allowed herself to admire such a prime specimen, even if she would never
think of touching, however, consumed with thoughts of Remy, all she could think
was how her demon sported a much better set of glutes.

Ruined. He’d ruined her to the point she
couldn’t even admire another male. With anger now a companion to her misery,
she stalked into the garden and found Nefertiti sitting at a wrought iron
bistro set, sipping a lemonade while watching her gardener – who wore
nothing but a straw hat, a tiny loin cloth and a set of shears. Averting her gaze,
Ysabel sat across from her.

“Hey, Nef.”

“Ysabel. You naughty devil. A little imp
told me someone got lucky last night, but judging by your smile it mustn’t have
been very good. I’m surprised. Remy has impeccable technique. Or so I’ve heard.
I never tried him out myself. Apparently, belonging to a harem doesn’t appeal.
His loss.”

Ysabel’s fingers clawed at the table top
as she fought to prevent herself from flying across the table and tackling her
friend for even daring to think of Remy in a sexual manner. As to her
query…she’d not come here to discuss her bedroom antics, but knowing Nefertiti,
if she didn’t say something, she’d find a way to pry it out of her. “We had
sex. It was good,” she grouchily admitted.

“So why the angry face? Did he screw you
and run?”

“No.”

“Make you swallow when you told him you
preferred to spit?”

Cheeks flaming, Ysabel bit out another,
“No.”

“Did he try to insert his big tool into
an out hole?”

“No.”

“Then what has your panties in a twist? I
don’t think I’ve seen you this miffed since Lucifer bought you that vibrating
chair that liked to grope.”

Ah, the chair. She’d retaliated for that
prank by electrifying his. Not that it worked like expected. Instead of
bellowing or shooting smoke from his ears, her boss thanked her with a sly, ‘My
pubes have never been curlier. Thanks.’ She’d had to skip lunch and dinner that
day after that admission. It still made her shudder.

Snapping out of the unwanted
recollection, she caught Nefertiti’s questioning stare. Damn, she still wanted
a reason for her annoyance. “He told me he loved me.”

Nefertiti blinked. Frowned. Opened her
mouth, then closed it again. She shook her head. Slapped her left ear and said,
“I’m sorry. Could you repeat that? I could have sworn you said he confessed to
loving you.”

“He did.”

Eyes wide, expression stunned, her friend
leaned back in her chair. “Congratulations.”

“Excuse me. Did you not hear what I said?
The jerk said he loved me.”

“Yes. That’s quite the feat. I wagered
he’d wait until he started going gray in a few hundred years before he’d fall
into that trap.”

“He hasn’t. He’s just saying that.”

A crease marred Nef’s forehead. “Now I’m
confused again. Are you saying he’s lying about confessing he loves you?”

“Yes. It’s part of his ruse.”

“Ruse? What kind of ulterior plan could
he have?”

“I don’t know, but I’m sure I won’t like
it,” Ysabel grumbled.

“Let’s skip his confession for a moment.
What about you? Do you love him?”

“Yes, the miserable bastard.”

Nefertiti’s eyes crossed and she closed
them as she took a deep breath. “Maybe I’m finally getting slow with old age
–”

“Never mistress!” shouted a male voice.

“ – but I fail to see the source of
your anger. He loves you. You love him. Isn’t there a happily ever after in
there somewhere?”

“No!”

“Why ever not?” Nefertiti replied in an
exasperated tone.

“I know the answer,” sang a familiar
voice.

Ysabel groaned and put her head down on
the tabletop.

“Jallayna,” Nefertiti exclaimed. “What a
pleasant surprise. I hear congratulations are in order.”

“Yes, I won the bet against all those
wagering against me. My Remy has finally found a witch crazy enough to make him
fall in love. Isn’t it wonderful?”

“You’re both nuts,” Ysabel muttered.

“Thank you,” they replied in tandem.

Raising her head, she peered at the two
women. “Why is it you both believe he loves me?”

They shared a conspiratorial look. Then
shrugged.

“Remy’s never said the L word before. Or
so my sources say,” Nefertiti said.

“And I told you that you were the first
girl he’s brought home,” his mother added.

“So what? I’m supposed to just believe
he’s going to give up screwing everything with a hole between its legs and
settle down with me?”

Dual nods answered her.

And she wanted to believe them. But…

“Oh, don’t you dare compare him to
Francisco!” Nef exclaimed. “Remy is nothing like that two-faced bastard.”

“My boy has honor,” Jallayna said with
pride. “He also has manners. Why, he never forgets to lift the seat to pee and
always puts it down when he’s done.”

“So you both think I should just throw
caution to the wind and let myself believe?”

“It’s time you trusted again,” Nef said
softly.

“You cannot live in fear forever. After I
accidentally killed Remy’s father, I was crazy with grief for a long time. And
when Jacko came along, I also didn’t want to let myself love. But he wore me
down, and now, even though I’m still slightly insane, I couldn’t be happier.”
Remy’s mother beamed. “Oh and my husband says thank you for getting me up to
date on the latest fashion trend. He loves my new pantyless state.”

Ysabel left as Nefertiti and Jallayna
discussed the merits of going around bare-assed. It wasn’t a conversation she
could have, especially not with Remy’s mom. But while the woman seemed to own
no personal boundaries, she and Nef had given her food for thought.

Am I being foolish? Is it time I stopped
wallowing in fear and let myself trust again?
The worst that could happen was Remy
breaking her heart. But the best was living with the male she loved. Never
being alone. Enjoying laughter in her life again. Surely the benefit, even if
it proved temporary, was worth the risk?

She owed it to herself to stop being such
a chicken about love. Sometimes a girl got stuck with a loser who broke her
heart. Yet, sometimes a witch hit the jackpot, and should enjoy the riches
while they lasted. And besides, there were spells to make penises fall off if a
man dared stray. But how to tell him?
I wonder if I scared him away
permanently with my hissy fit.

If he truly loved her as he said, then he
wouldn’t let a temper tantrum stop him. Entering the castle, still lost in her
thoughts, it took her a moment to register the imp flitting in front of her.

“What is it?”

“You’ve got mail,’ it giggled, thrusting
an envelope at her. She snatched it from the clawed paw, but before she could
ask who sent it, the mischievous creature flitted away.

The sealed red envelope bore only her
name. She checked it for traces of magic but found none. She sliced it open and
pulled out the missive inside.

Ysabel read the note twice, sure she’d
misunderstood, but no, there was no mistaking the message.

We’ve got your demon lover. Either you
find a way to get us out of going back to Hell or we’ll kill him. Painfully. Do
nothing, and we’ll still kill him. And then we’ll disappear. Hope you enjoy
burning alive for an eternity.

Wishing I could watch you burn, again

Francisco

Rotten, fucking bastard. As if she’d let
him escape. However, the part that truly made her blood run cold was the
threat.
He’s got Remy.
Which surprised her. How did one poor excuse for
a damned soul get the drop on a warrior of Remy’s calibre? Didn’t matter. She
needed to do something. Letting Remy die, even if it would solve her dilemma
with him, never crossed her mind.

She loved him. He might hurt her. Take
her love and stomp on it, but that didn’t mean she could let him die.
I have
to save him.
But how?

On the mortal plane, her powers were
diminished, and by the terms of her contract, she was even weaker against her
foes? Or was she? Brain kicking into gear, she placed a phone call to her boss,
calling his private line.

“Do you do this on purpose to vex me when
I’m doing important things?” he asked curtly.

Judging by the giggle, she could guess
what Lucifer did. “Say hi to Gaia for me would you?”

He growled. “This is not funny, witch.
What is it now? I already told you, I can’t return the curse.”

“I know. What I want to know is if all
the clauses for it transferred.”

A minute later, she hung up, and tapped
her chin thoughtfully. Good news, but she still needed more help. Remy’s life
hung in the balance and she refused to take chances. She made another phone
call. Actually two, and then got ready to go to war. And for those who
wondered, it involved a short skirt, halter top and heels. Unlike other
heroines who saved their men in ripped up jeans looking like a tomboy, Ysabel
intended to do it in style, sexy style because if she played her cards right,
not only would she end the curse, she’d get to claim a prize.

And I know what I want.

Easy access, a grateful demon, and her
bent over, seeing stars.