An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Seduced and Enchanted ISBN 9781419918315 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Seduced and Enchanted Copyright © 2008 Stephanie Julian. Edited by Carole Genz. Photography and cover art by Les Byerley. Electronic book Publication November 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please Please purchase only authorized electronic electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication
www.ellorascave.com
Seduced and Enchanted ISBN 9781419918315 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Seduced and Enchanted Copyright © 2008 Stephanie Julian. Edited by Carole Genz. Photography and cover art by Les Byerley. Electronic book Publication November 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please Please purchase only authorized electronic electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
M AGICAL S EDUCTION EDUCTION :
S EDUCED AND AND E NCHANTED NCHANTED
Stephanie Julian
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Chucks: Converse Inc. Spock: Paramount Pictures Corporation Star Trek: Paramount Pictures Corporation The Lord of the Rings: Saul Zaentz Company DBA Tolkien Enterprises The Twilight Zone: CBS Broadcasting Inc.
Toyota: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
Author’s Note
In the contemporary world, magic holds no sway. But looks can be deceiving. Old gods remain. Old ways continue. Mythical creatures live among us…if you know where to look. The Etruscans were a mysterious civilization that came to prominence in what is now northern Italy. The ancient Greeks feared them. The ancient Romans revered them. Their culture was powerful and sophisticated on the surface. But what they kept hidden was much more interesting… Magic! The magical descendants of the ancient Etruscan race still walk the Earth. They comprise two groups. The Enu are of human descent, the Fata are spirits of the forests, water and air. Both have the ability to control the elements with the arus, the magic in their blood. For centuries, the Etruscans have maintained their culture, practicing their rituals and their way of life in the shadows, behind closed doors. But they live among us. And they’re more powerful than you’ll ever know.
Stephanie Julian
Chapter One That guy was way too gorgeous to be smiling at her. But for the past two minutes, as Rosalia Bianchi waited in line at the Square Deal market, she’d watched him watch her in the reflection of the glass doors behind the counter. She was so tempted to return that smile but she just couldn’t muster the courage to do it. And that really sucked, by the way. Which begged the question, why the hell was the hottie giving her that look? She was nothing special. Not in looks, body or brains. Not that she was ugly, deformed or stupid. Just average in every way. From her mouse brown hair to her Bcup bra and her size-six feet. So why was he grinning at her as if she were gorgeous, stacked and confident? Nobody had ever looked at her like that in all her twenty-seven years. Not once. Hell, she was used to getting passed over for women like the blonde ahead of her in a red suit that looked like no business suit Rosie would ever wear. Not with its skirt at least two inches above her knees and a tight jacket that conformed to every abundant curve. But the guy didn’t even glance at the other woman when she walked by him. Not even when the blonde flashed him a smile. He just kept his eyes on Rosie. “Hey there, Rosie,” Ethel said from behind the counter, drawing Rosie’s gaze away from Mr. Hottie. “Your usual today?” Blinking, she stepped up to the counter, takeout container in hand. “Hi, Ethel. You know I love your chicken potpie. It’s the best.”
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“You betcha,” the sexagenarian said as she rang up Rosie’s lunch order. “And you can certainly afford it. You’re a stick, babe. You need some meat on your bones.” A blush heated Rosie’s cheeks at Ethel’s overly loud comment, but she couldn’t be mad at her. The woman had been a friend of her godmothers for decades. She was practically family. But now the gorgeous guy behind her was probably looking at her skinny ass and rethinking that sexy smile. God, his mouth was almost too pretty to be a guy’s and he had gorgeous hair, straight and dark and long enough to cover his ears. He looked young, a bit younger than her, with those sharp cheekbones and strong Roman nose. Not young enough to dismiss out of hand though… Shaking her head, she said, “Thanks, Ethel. I’ll tell my godmothers you said hi.” “You do that, schnook. Talk to you later.” After Ethel handed over her change, Rosie turned—and found herself staring straight into Mr. Hottie’s dark brown eyes. They reminded her of chocolate—rich, yummy and sinful. Her feet tangled together and she fell forward. She gasped but didn’t have time to extend her arms to break her fall because he caught her against his body, somehow saving both her lunch and her dignity. Well, maybe not her dignity, because falling over her feet like that was pretty damn embarrassing. He had to know he was the cause of her clumsiness. Girls probably fell over him all the time. Girls, women, grandmothers, gay men… “Hey. You okay?” Oh wow. Her eyes widened just a little more. His voice matched that sexy smile,
rubbing against her skin like velvet. Deep, a little raspy. God, she’d give anything to hear him say, “Come on, Rosie, harder. Take me deeper.”
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A hot blush flamed her cheeks and she dropped her gaze, taking a step away from him and glancing down at the foam container in her hand to make sure her lunch hadn’t spilled. Well, at least that was her excuse, and she was sticking to it. It was a good thing the guy couldn’t read her mind. She’d embarrass the hell out of him. “I’m fine, thanks.” She still couldn’t look him in the eyes but her gaze had lifted to his chest at least. “Sorry about that.” “No problem.” He shrugged his broad shoulders, encased in a tight black t-shirt. The shirt showed them off to perfection and skimmed the strong muscles in his arms, hinting at six-pack abs. “Good day for potpie, huh?” He smiled at her almost shyly. Potpie? Her eyes widened and the quick exit line she’d prepared stuck in her throat. Did this guy really want to talk to her? Guys like him never wanted to talk to her. What was wrong with him? She glanced down at his hand, warm on her arm. Those were poet’s hands, musician’s hands, long-fingered and beautiful. And wearing no rings. Then she looked up, back into his eyes. If she were the kind of girl who flirted, she’d smile, bat her eyes and step closer. She’d say something witty, something a little sexy. She’d ask if he wanted to get a table in the back where they could talk. Unfortunately she wasn’t that kind of girl. Instead, she said, “Uh, yeah. It’s chilly for October.” Christ, what an idiot she was! She barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes. His hand fell away as she dropped her gaze and practically ran for the door, cursing herself the whole way.
***** Valerio de Feo had noticed the woman the second he walked into the market to get lunch.
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Teodoro had told him this was the best place for a good fast meal within walking distance and since Teo lived in the city, Rio figured he’d take his older brother’s word for it. He’d have to thank Teo for the suggestion when he got back to the apartment. He’d found way more than decent food. He’d been struck first by the woman’s eyes as their gazes caught for just a second at the food bar in the back of the market. He’d noticed how pale a purple they were. They stood out like a beacon in her pale cream complexion. She’d glanced away fast but it’d given him time to assess her features—and he’d found himself falling for her just a little harder. She wasn’t beautiful. She was too soft for that, with her button nose, high cheekbones and pointed chin. But those eyes were gorgeous, huge and so unusual in color. Her mouth was such a perfect bow he couldn’t help but wonder how her lips would feel wrapped around his cock. She was tiny—no more than five-two, he guessed—which made him feel like a giant at five-ten. Still, she wasn’t lacking in curves. Her breasts would fill his palms. Her hips were slim, with just enough flesh to hold on to and her sleek ass begged to be petted. Rio liked women, all kinds of women. Blondes, brunettes, redheads. Bold women who liked to laugh. Who weren’t afraid to tell him what they wanted and how they wanted it. This woman was different. Even his gaze seemed to make her nervous. But he couldn’t help staring at her. Hell, he got hard just looking at her. When she tripped, he’d reached for her instinctively. Anyone else would have done the same. He hadn’t had any secondary motives… Well, at least none he felt guilty about. And then, as his hands touched her skin— He hadn’t been able to read her. Rio was a linchetto of the Fata. As one of the Etruscan magical races, linchetti had abilities an etera, a regular human, would think fantastical. 9
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For one thing, the Fata aged differently than humans. Rio might look like he was in his early twenties but he was nearly forty, almost one hundred years younger than his oldest brother Cam. Not that his youthful looks had ever gotten in the way with women. On the contrary… All linchetti could dissolve their bodies into shadow. A hell of a tool for the job he and his brothers performed. But Rio had been born with a little something extra. A goddess gift. He could read a person’s mind through skin-to-skin contact. So far the only people he couldn’t read were his parents, which frosted him to no end. Still, he figured it was just as well. As the youngest of four brothers, he probably didn’t want to know what his parents thought most of the time. His three older brothers were tough to read too, but he could if he really wanted to. But now this woman… He’d be damned if he let her get away. Through the glass doors behind the counter, his gaze tracked Rosie’s departure as he waited impatiently to pay for his lunch. As soon as he’d handed over his money, he hustled out the front door. He looked left then right and got lucky when he caught a glimpse of her just before she turned the corner from Sixth Street onto Penn. He hurried to catch up but made sure she didn’t see him. He didn’t want to freak her out by getting caught following her. Luckily the decent weather had lured the office crowd outside for lunch, allowing him to hide in the masses. When she hit Fifth Street, she turned left and walked a couple of blocks to the corner of Fifth and Franklin. A smile curled his lips. It was almost too much of a cliché but it fit her to a T. His shy mouse worked in the library. Yeah, he knew he wouldn’t earn any points referring to her as a rodent but, hey, he thought mice were cute and she reminded him of one. Small, timid, her dark hair caught in a braid flicking back and forth like a tail. Adorable.
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And completely edible. From street level, he looked up at the grand entrance of Reading Public Library. With its steep wide steps and columned entry, the building resembled an ancient Roman temple. He’d been struck by the design the first time he’d seen it and walked in just to look around. Amazed by the architectural detail, he’d figured one Etruscan or three had been involved in the design and construction. The city of Reading held a great deal of power, as did a few of the older cities in the eastern part of the United States. That was why Reading and the surrounding Berks County were crawling with Enu and Fata. Which begged the questions, who was this woman and how was she able to block him? Rio decided he needed to do more study. And what better place to study than in a library? Still staring up the steps, he debated his options for a minute. Should he walk in the front door and simply ask her out? Or do a little recon first? His oldest brothers Cam and Nino constantly nagged him about being too impetuous—their words, not his. He wasn’t impetuous. He just knew what he wanted and went after it—without thinking through every fricking possible consequence. Still, considering how she’d scurried out of the market, away from him, a little recon wasn’t out of the question. After all, he didn’t want to scare her off. Walking around the side of the building, he tossed his uneaten lunch in the trash can on the corner. He’d get something else later. Then he found a darkened doorway, made sure there was no one around and dissolved his corporeal body into shadow. Invisible now, he walked up the steps to the main doors and passed through them. Cool air brushed through him and the musty aroma of old books tickled his sense of smell. Shaking off a sneeze, he looked around. Damn, this place reminded him of a tomb—where books went to die.
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But there were more people in here than he’d figured there would be. Several sat at computers in the reference department, two or three browsed the DVDs in front of the desk to the left of the door and another ten or so roamed the fiction section and the stacks. He didn’t see his pretty quarry anywhere. He figured that would’ve been too easy, and nothing good ever came easy. Fifteen minutes later, after having checked the first floor, all four levels of stacks and the offices, Rio headed up the stairs to the second floor. It was the only place left and, again, made perfect sense. She had to be in the children’s library.
***** Rosie could swear someone was watching her all afternoon. Whether she was in the children’s library on the second floor or at the front desk on the first floor, she felt someone’s gaze on her. It was weird, but it didn’t feel malicious or creepy. Just…strange. Not even the constant stream of children and parents who came and went all afternoon dispelled the feeling. On the contrary, it only got more intense during afternoon story time. She was used to having the kids and parents stare at her as she read Where the Wild Things Are or Oh, The Places You’ll Go. But this…this new feeling was definitely weird. Of course it was no weirder than the fantasy she kept having all day. The one starring Mr. Hottie from the Square Deal. The one where he followed her back to the library and was waiting right outside the door to ask her out. She snorted. That definitely sealed the deal. She’d obviously become delusional. The guy had probably forgotten about her the second she was out of his sight. A cute guy like that had a girlfriend anyway. Maybe even two.
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At the end of the afternoon, walking downstairs to get the children’s returns, she still wondered why he’d smiled at her. She was a librarian. Hell, she looked like a librarian. She glanced down at her purple sweater-and-cardigan set, scarred by a few chalk marks from when she’d redone the schedule for next week. And her knee-length khaki skirt had a spot of glue. She didn’t even know where that had come from. At least she wasn’t wearing orthopedic shoes. She hadn’t become the complete cliché just yet. Her purple high-top Chucks were comfortable and just eclectic enough to ward off a complete transformation into the stereotypical spinster virgin librarian. She wasn’t old enough to be a spinster. And she definitely was no virgin. She’d had boyfriends. None she’d wanted to keep forever, but at least no one had ever dumped her for being boring in bed. Or course, none of them had looked like the lunch hottie. Which reminded her that she hadn’t been able to talk to him without falling over her own feet. She cringed. “What’s got you so blue, Rosie?” Dottie West asked as she slid another book onto the adult return cart. “Your godmothers okay?” “They’re fine.” Rosie grabbed a few more books from the pile to put on the children’s library cart. “They called from the cruise ship last night. Fanny’s complaining about the food, Lora has the hots for their waiter and Vivian can’t sleep without her pillow. Business as usual.” Dottie laughed, a husky chuckle that sounded like dry leaves rustling in the street. “Yeah, that sounds like your godmothers. So what are you going to do with yourself for the next week while they’re gone?” Rosie heard the underlying concern in her older coworker’s voice and stifled a sigh. Jeez, you’d think she was still ten years old and coming in to volunteer with Fanny. However, she was at loose ends this weekend. She’d planned to catch up on her reading, maybe take a drive over to Gring’s Mill for a walk, if the nice weather held. See
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a movie, if there was anything interesting in the theaters… Mentally running through her weekend plans, Rosie wondered how boring her life could get. “Oh, I’ll probably hit some bars, pick up a few men, maybe get a tattoo.” Dottie just smiled. “That’s nice, dear. Have a good time with that.” She wandered off with her cart. Rosie sighed. Damn, she couldn’t even fool herself. But, truth be told, she really hated being such a good girl. Back upstairs with her cart, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone’s gaze moved over body—almost languorously, she thought—but there was no point in daydreaming. She had work to do. So much so that when Dottie was ready to leave, Rosie told the head librarian she’d lock up after she was finished. “Don’t stay too long, dear,” Dottie said on her way out. “It is Friday night, after all. Try to have some fun, though I’d say no to that tattoo.” So would Rosie. She hated needles. And pain. She’d just finished shelving the last book when her cell phone rang. She smiled, looking at the number. “Hey, Christian. What’s up, hon?” “Hey, babe. You’re still at work, aren’t you? Bad girl. You need to come meet us right now.” Swallowing a sigh, Rosie shook her head. Her best friend since high school sounded way too happy this early in the evening. “Where are you, Chris? Sounds too quiet to be The Speckled Hen or The Ugly Oyster.” Chris’ voice dropped to a whisper. “We’re at Tim’s. He finally asked me over.” Ah well, that explained Chris’ good mood. He’d been lusting after Tim Reedy for months with an almost pathetic devotion Rosie wished she’d experience just once in her life.
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“Well, then you certainly don’t need me there to interfere. I wouldn’t be good company tonight anyway.” “Hey, sweetie,” his tone dropped an octave, “what’s wrong? You don’t sound like your normal cheerful self.” She sighed and laughed at the same time. “Just one of those days, I guess.” “Oh, it doesn’t sound like just one of those days. What happened?” Damn, he knew her too well. “Nothing really.” I’m just a pathetic loser. “Sounds like you’re having a much better day. You should get back to Tim.” “Oh no, you’re not getting away that easily. He’s getting changed anyway, so I have a few minutes. What’s wrong, babe?” Back at her desk, she flopped into her old wooden chair and dropped her head back to stare at the vaulted ceiling. “Tell me the truth, Christian. Am I the most boring person you know?” “What? What are you talking about?” To his credit, Chris sounded believably shocked. In her mind, she could see his handsome face puckered up in dismay. “What happened, hon?” “Nothing happened.” And that was the problem. Nothing ever happened. “It’s just… I’m a stick-in-the-mud, the most boring person in the world. I never do anything. I never go anywhere. I never meet anyone. And I’m never going to have sex ever again, because I’m so boring. “I’m a freakin’ children’s librarian, Chris. I’m twenty-seven years old. I should be out meeting men, sowing my wild oats. When was the last time I did anything impulsive? Anything fun? Hell, I don’t even remember how to flirt. For the first time in my life, my godmothers are gone for ten whole days. The perfect opportunity to have a little no-strings sex, right? But where am I going to spend Friday night? At home in front of the TV. And no, I’m not coming over there to crash your party. You’ve been waiting for months for your shot at Tim. No way will I break that up.”
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“Whoa, honey, sounds like you need a drink and fast. Are you still at the library? I’ll be right over—” “No, Chris. Absolutely not,” she interrupted. She had to be adamant, because she knew Chris. He’d drop everything to come to her rescue, just as he had done all through high school. “I’m just in a pissy mood. I would be horrible company. Tell you what, you’re right. I’m going to get out of here and get a drink. You have fun tonight.” Chris was silent and she knew he wanted to argue. He took being a best friend seriously. He’d be here if she wanted him. “Honestly, Chris. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.” Rosie hoped she could infuse enough cheerfulness into her voice. Why ruin both their evenings with her foul mood? After a couple more silent seconds, Chris said, “All right, but I’m showing up at your house tomorrow with coffee and donuts. And we’ll discuss this in depth. Love you.” “Love you too. Have fun.” She hung up, releasing a huge sigh. Poor Chris. He had to be sick of listening to her bitch about her boring life. Hell, she’d been bitching about it since high school when they’d become best friends, sharing a lunch table. Neither of them had been part of the popular crowd. They weren’t jocks or brains or goths or any of the other subsets of high-school life. Of course Chris’ open homosexuality had made him more of an outcast than she’d ever been. Still, they’d shared a love of books, theater and movies. But where Chris was outgoing, she was just so…not. So do something about it, a little voice in her head whispered. Yeah, but it wasn’t that easy, was it? Turning off her phone, she tossed it on the desk, where it landed on the grant papers for the workshops she wanted to give next fall for the preschool story time. She laughed, a short, bitter burst. She might as well use her time constructively.
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Rio had spent the entire afternoon in the library watching Rosie. The name suited her. She was as delicate as a flower and from what he imagined, she smelled just as good. He’d only gone out for forty minutes when he’d walked up to Sixth Street to the Crystal Palace to get a few hot dogs before his stomach growled and gave him away. Even though his body wasn’t in corporeal form at the moment, it was still there and it could still feel hunger…and lust. From the way she kept looking around, he imagined that she felt his presence. He wanted to think it was because they had a connection. Eteri rarely sensed the presence of Fata in their midst, so he was probably deluding himself. After he listened in on her phone conversation with her friend—he knew he shouldn’t, but he did it anyway—he wanted to ease the hurt he heard in her voice. She said she wanted fun. He’d give her fun. She wanted sex? He’d fuck her so many times she wouldn’t be able to walk for a week. Even though his body was still dissolved in mist, he was aroused. He’d have a hard-on the second he re-formed. And then he’d give her whatever she wanted. But how to approach her? As he pondered that problem, sitting cross-legged on the child-sized table across from her desk, she began to pack up her stuff. Following her down the stairs, he watched as she checked the locks on the front doors, set the security system then walked out the back, locking that door behind her. He expected her to head for a car, which would have been a problem for him unless he managed to get in the car with her. But…no. Holy hell, she was going to walk home. Alone. After ten o’clock at night. Through the city. Was she nuts? From the library, she headed back to Penn Street then headed east toward City Park. He followed her up Penn Street, fuming the whole way.
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Christ, did she have no sense of self-preservation? Didn’t she know what walked the streets of this city at night? The answer to that was probably no. Sure, she had to know the city had a thriving drug trade, but most of that was well north or south of Penn. In this part of town, cop cars regularly cruised by and there weren’t that many people on the street. Behind the sports arena though, the neighborhood got lively again. There were bars on the corners and people on the streets and— And Christ, he was losing it. She wasn’t a child. She was a grown woman—who’d probably lived in the city most of her life. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure no one approached her and follow wherever she was going. Straight home, he figured, especially after that phone conversation. Rio walked several yards behind her, far enough that she shouldn’t sense him. He didn’t want to freak her out on her way home. In the dark. Alone. She walked all the way to Eleventh Street, head up, alert. She didn’t run but she didn’t meander either. She didn’t talk to anyone, avoided eye contact with any men but smiled at a few of the older women sitting on porch steps, as if she knew them. By the time she got to Eleventh, the streets had cleared again, only the occasional car cruised on the road. His linchetto senses picked up the deeper hum of traffic from the highway surrounding the city, voices from various televisions and music from several different sources. When she slowed after turning right onto Eleventh, he figured she was close to home. Then again, maybe not. Head cocked to the side, she stopped in front of the unattached building on the corner. There was nothing remarkable about the brick structure set back from the street. It had a single front door flanked by two large windows covered by wooden shutters. The second story had two more large covered windows while the third half story had a small gabled window.
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A light shone dimly on the porch that ran the length of the building, a few tables and chairs sitting empty. The sign over the door read Lacey’s Stay-a-While but it was the Latin word hidden in the decorations on the sign that intrigued him. Taberna. Tavern.
A deliberate message to any Etruscan descendant who might wander by that this was a friendly place to congregate. Since Reading and Berks County were home to salbinelli, linchetti, gianes and an entire tribe of lauru, as well as various other Fata and Enu, there were several places like this around. It wasn’t that they weren’t open to eteri.
It was just that they also catered to a different crowd. Rosie was eyeing the place as if it was Mount Everest and she had a new pair of climbing boots. Damn, of all the places she could’ve stopped…
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Chapter Two Rosie had passed the new bar every day on her way to and from work for the past few months while it was undergoing renovations, so she’d almost forgotten the place had opened two weeks ago. Only a block and a half from her home, Lacey’s kept a low profile. There’d been no after-hours fights, no drunken patrons relieving themselves on street corners, no thumping music that rattled the windows. More importantly for the neighborhood residents—no police visits. Just the type of safe place for her to have a drink. Relax. Hell, maybe she’d even flirt with a guy. She allowed herself a few brief seconds to imagine walking in and seeing Mr. Lunch Hottie sitting at the bar. She’d slide onto the stool next to him, ask to buy him a drink then proceed to seduce him. She snorted. Yeah, right. She’d be lucky if she could make herself walk through the front door. No, don’t think like that. Just do it. Besides, any bar that included the Latin word for tavern in its sign couldn’t be a dive. Squaring her shoulders, she marched up to the porch, grabbed the door and stepped through before she managed to talk herself out of it. The interior was smoke free and smelled of herbs, spices and hops. It was surprisingly muted. Soft lighting illuminated the small round tables to the right of the door while a long wooden bar ran the length of the wall to the left. There weren’t many people, which caused her to sigh in relief. Of course now that she was here, she was a little worried about actually having to talk to another adult. She was great with kids—toddlers, adolescents, teens. Anyone under eighteen. Adults… Now that was a different story. 20
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The female bartender was a welcome sight. Taking a deep breath and trying not to look nervous, Rosie stepped up to the bar and slid onto an empty stool surrounded on both sides by other empty stools. Coward. “Hi there,” the woman said with a bright smile. “What can I get you?” “I’ll have a glass of white wine, please.” “Coming right up.” The brunette with the willowy body grabbed a glass and a bottle from under the bar. “I’m Lacey, by the way. Thanks for stopping in. How’d you hear about my place?” Lacey set the glass in front of her then leaned on the bar, a smile on her face, waiting for her answer. “I live down the street.” She took a sip of the wine. “Mm, that’s good. You’ve done a great job on this building. I know it sat vacant for years but it’s beautiful now.” The woman’s face lit up with a smile. “Thanks so much, Ms…” “Oh sorry. I’m Rosalia Bianchi.” She held out her hand and Lacey shook it. “But please call me Rosie.” “Nice to meet you, Rosie. Are you meeting someone tonight? A friend? boyfriend?” Rosie shook her head, trying not to look helplessly pathetic. “Nope. Just needed to get out of the house.” Lacey rolled her river blue eyes. “I know just what you mean. Rosie, you and I are going to get on just fine.”
***** Rio considered the situation for a few seconds before he walked up to the building, stopping just short of the steps to the porch. He took a careful look around to see if anyone was out and about on the street. Nope, the coast was clear. Because if he was right then—
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Yep. The protection spell surrounding the building jolted him back into his corporeal body. Several good wards protected the building. Strong wards. Since he’d lived in Philadelphia for the past twelve years and was only staying with Teo temporarily, he wasn’t up on the Reading scene. With the exception of DownBelow, the secret Etruscan-only club located below a strip club on the south side of town, and the Cellar, a restaurant run by the monacielli, a few blocks from DownBelow, he didn’t know of any Etruscan hangouts. He couldn’t believe his brothers hadn’t told him about this place. Then again, Teo didn’t play well with others, so he didn’t get out much. Cam, who lived just outside the city borders, and Nino, who had recently moved into the city from Philadelphia, were kept too busy by their security business to spend their nights barhopping. Add their women into the mix and his two oldest brothers had become romantic saps who only left home for work in the morning reluctantly and couldn’t wait to get back to their mates at the end of the day. Rio smiled. Nino wouldn’t mind being called romantic but Cam would definitely be offended. His oldest brother had his reputation as a stoic badass to protect. Actually it wasn’t just a reputation. Cam was a stoic badass. Shaking his head, Rio made sure his ears were covered before he opened the door and stepped into Lacey’s. About twenty people sat in various positions around the room, probably half of those Etruscan. He picked out two linchetti females he knew well enough to say hi to, a gianes wood elf and a couple who looked like fauni nestled together in the back corner.
There were a few versipelli, probably wolves, at the end of the bar. Working with Cam had taught him more than he’d ever wanted to know about paranoia, but he had to admit the ability to case a room in a few seconds came in handy. Unlike in DownBelow, there were several humans here in addition to Rosie, who was sitting at the bar talking to the female bartender and smiling.
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She hadn’t turned around to see who’d come in the front door, as almost everyone else had, which gave him a chance to study her smile. Well, maybe not study. Soak it in would be more apt. He hadn’t seen her smile more than a few times today and those smiles had been nothing like this. This one was bright, like the sun breaking through the clouds after a full day of rain, as warm as bread fresh out of the oven and… When the hell had he gotten poetic? The bartender—his senses told him she was at least half linchetti—shot him a quick look then nodded. She knew what he was. But he only had eyes for Rosie. Rio walked up to the bar, sat down on the stool next to her and waited for her to acknowledge him—which took all of a second. She stilled, as if realizing who sat beside her. Then she bit her lip, as if unsure what she should do. When she swallowed, she drew his gaze to her slim throat and the pulse that beat there. She drew in a deep breath and— He couldn’t help himself. His gaze dropped to her chest, still hidden under the baggy cardigan. In a flash, his eyes shot back to her face just as she turned toward him with a smile. Another blinding smile. His libido lit up as surely as if she’d put her hand down his pants and stroked his already hardening cock. “Hello again,” she said. “Small world, isn’t it?” “It surely is.” He stuck out his hand. “Hi. Valerio de Feo. Everyone calls me Rio.” Despite the smile, she hesitated for a split second before she took his hand. “Nice to meet you, Rio. I’m Rosie.” “Come here often?” Her short laugh was a little bitter, a little rueful. “No. But I think I’ll be here a lot more often.” The bartender smiled back at her, as if laughing at a private joke, then looked at Rio. “Welcome to my place, Rio. I’m Lacey. What can I get you?”
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“Beer, whatever’s on draft.” The bartender moved away to fill his order and Rosie took a sip of her wine, obviously trying to think of something to say. When Lacey set a mug in front of him then moved away, he opened his mouth to say something, anything—and shut it when he realized he didn’t want to do the flirting thing. He actually wanted to have a conversation, which required more than a little thought. But Rosie beat him to the punch. “So are you from around here, Rio?” “Originally,” which was true, “but I live in Philadelphia. I’m…on vacation for the next couple of weeks, spending some time with my brother before I go back to work.” Her eyebrows lifted politely. “What do you do?” Damn, even her eyebrows were pretty. “I work in security. What about you, Rosie? What do you do?” Her smile dimmed as her gaze dropped to the bar top. “I’m the children’s librarian for the Reading Public Library.” “That sounds…awfully noisy,” he laughed. “You must love kids.” Her smile bounced back as she lifted her gaze to his. “I do. They’re unpretentious and funny and surprisingly undemanding. And they love a good story as much as I do. But it doesn’t sound half as exciting as your job. Security, huh? What does that mean exactly?” Nothing he could honestly tell her. And for some strange reason, he hated lying to her. “It’s pretty boring actually. I’m mostly doing computer work. We install security systems.” The description wasn’t even close to what they did, but he couldn’t tell Rosie his last two jobs had been guarding the daughter of the Etruscan God of the Woods and trapping an evil Malandante businessman who’d been one of the county’s leading
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industrialists. That was until he’d been killed by his own niece, who now lived happily ever after with his brother Cam. He couldn’t tell her any of that. Was he nuts? This woman wasn’t one of his own kind. He couldn’t understand the sheer irresistible force that pulled him toward her. Rio wasn’t usually attracted to eteri. They just didn’t have that something special that women of the Fata and Enu, the descendants of the magical Etruscans, did. But this woman, Rosie… There was something about her, something in the sweet smile still curving her lips. “So you don’t travel the world, guarding famous people, having shoot-outs and wearing little earpieces?” Her question made him laugh. “I’ve never worn an earpiece in my life.” It wouldn’t fit unless he had it specifically made. “I’ve never been in a shoot-out.” Well, he’d never actually handled a gun. “And I definitely haven’t been a bodyguard to anyone famous. I’m into IT. My older brothers usually handle those cases.” Because they didn’t trust him not to get hurt. It definitely sucked being the youngest. Her head tilted again as if he’d said something interesting. “How many brothers do you have?” “Three.” He grinned, shaking his head. “I’m the youngest and they never let me forget it.” Rosie nodded but her expression was bittersweet. “I’m an only child. I don’t remember much about my parents. They died when I was a baby and my godmothers raised me after that.” Her beautiful mouth curved again. “Bet you boys all kept your mom busy. Must have been great to have all those brothers.” “Believe me, having three older brothers is much less fun than you think.” In his case, it was almost like having five parents, considering his oldest brother was more than ninety years older than he was. “So how old are you, Rio?” Rosie asked hesitantly then added, “I’m twenty-seven.” Her tone made him laugh. He could tell she was worried about her age, about how much older than him she might be. 25
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“I’m older than I look, Rosie. Older than you. It’s a family trait. All my brothers looked really young at my age.” No lie there. When she still looked incredulous, he offered, “Wanna see my ID?” He winked as he dug his wallet out and flipped it open. Rosie had a quick glance, her brows lifting in disbelief, then blushed. Time to change the subject. “So do you live in the city, Rosie, or just work here?” She slowly sipped her wine before nodding, leaving a wet sheen on her lips. The urge to lick it off made Rio’s body harden. “I live just up the street. Have all my life.” “I’m staying with my next oldest brother Teodoro while I’m in Reading. He’s a writer.” Her eyes lit up, as he’d expected they would. What librarian wouldn’t love a writer? “Really? What does he write?” Now that was a little harder to explain. “He’s freelance, writes for several different, uh, publications.” The truth was his brother wrote about sex. Fiction, non-fiction. Magazines, books, blogs, editorials. Teo wrote about it, but because of his situation, the guy very rarely got it. And that made for one cranky older brother. “I love to read and I do a little writing myself.” There was that self-deprecating smile again, stoking his libido. “I rework fairy tales. For adults.” His eyebrows lifted. “That sounds interesting.” The blush that lit up her cheeks made him even more curious, but at least she didn’t drop her gaze. His cute little mouse was getting braver with each sip of wine. “They are actually. Sexy and dark and filled with magic.” Her husky laugh spilled out, attracting the attention of one of the versipelli sitting at a table. The guy actually made a motion to get up but Rio warned him off with a glance. No way was he going to share her. When he caught Rosie’s gaze again, she was staring at him, brows lifted. “So, Rosie, do you believe in magic?”
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She looked him straight in the eyes. “Of course.”
Had she hit the jackpot or what? Rio was gorgeous, funny…gorgeous, smart…gorgeous, sexy and… Oh, did she mention gorgeous? That strong jaw, those warm brown eyes and that crooked smile made her blood flow like hot chocolate through her veins. When he spoke, her thighs clenched, trying to ease the wet ache between her legs. He appeared to be totally interested in her every word and if she wasn’t mistaken, he’d just staked his claim on her to the cute guy sitting in the corner. She should have been offended. Yeah, right. She loved all the attention. Her heart beat faster and harder, because he
didn’t want to share her. It really made no sense at all. Most men looked around her, over her, through her. They never saw her. For most of her twenty-seven years, she’d been practically invisible to men. But not to Rio. The little voice in the back of her head, the one she’d let dictate her actions in high school and college, the one that had always told her not to talk to strangers and never to make a spectacle of herself— She couldn’t hear that voice tonight. It was amazingly liberating. They talked for what seemed like hours, the conversation ranging from family to work to politics to television shows and music. Lacey occasionally stopped to refill their drinks or make a comment when Rio or Rosie engaged her but, like a good bartender, didn’t intrude. It was only when Rosie caught Lacey glancing at her watch that she did the same. She gasped when she realized it was five after two in the morning.
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“Oh my God, I can’t believe how late it is.” She glanced around, noticing almost everyone but two guys in the corner had left. “Lacey, I’m so sorry. You must want to close up for the night.” Lacey shrugged as she wiped down the opposite end of the bar. “I’m in no hurry. Finish your drinks.” She couldn’t believe she’d lost track of time. No, that isn’t true, she thought as she looked back at Rio. She could believe she’d lost track of time. This was the most fun she’d had with a man in…well, in forever. No other date had ever kept her so engrossed for so long. And she couldn’t even call this a date. But what now? Rosie wasn’t ready for the night to end, but did she really have the guts to ask him back to her home? What if she was wrong about him being such a nice guy? What if he was a rapist? A murderer? And if he were any of those things, would he have spent the past four hours sitting here talking to her? “Rosie, you okay?” Rio touched her arm with just his fingertips and her thighs clenched against the throbbing in her sex. Looking into his eyes, she let her instincts guide her. “Would you walk me home, Rio?” He didn’t smile in triumph, as if he were mentally congratulating himself on scoring. Instead, he just nodded, his eyes steady on hers. “Of course.” When she tried to settle her tab, he took care of it. Stepping out the front door, Rosie heard the thin blanket of fallen leaves on the street rustle in the cool breeze like a cat in a paper bag. The leaves still clinging to the branches across the street in City Park crackled and snapped. She shivered at the sound. “Are you cold?” Rio stopped beside her, not touching but close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. She took a deep breath and drew in his scent—a little spicy, a little woodsy and a whole lot of hot male. The scent settled into her lungs, where it created an ache that
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spread south into her belly and lower still, into her already pulsing sex. There, it gathered heat and moisture, making her panties wet. “No, not cold. Just…” Horny. Yeah, as if she could say that. She smiled up at him. “Just a chill.” “I’d offer you my coat but…” He shrugged, broad shoulders shifting under his black t-shirt, hands stuck in the pockets of his worn jeans. The man was pure hottie material. His smile invited her to drop all her inhibitions and while she was at it, get rid of her clothes too. She wanted to lick the smooth skin of his neck then tear off the shirt and let her tongue glide down to his flat stomach. Did he have a line of dark hair pointing down from his bellybutton to his cock? She really wanted to find out. When he stuck out his elbow, the motion was charming and completely natural, as if he did it all the time. She slid her arm through it and let her hand rest on his biceps as they started walking up the street. Rio definitely worked out. Firm muscles bunched and shifted beneath her fingers. That show of strength gave her a sense of security. Her part of town was safer than most but drug deals, robberies and rapes had been reported elsewhere in the neighborhood. But that violence had never touched her house. Maybe the six-foot-high rose hedge protecting the front garden from the street and the eight-foot holly hedge at the back were deterrents. Her godmothers swore by them, tending to them as if they were their babies. As they walked in silence, the only sounds she heard were their shoes scuffing on the pavement and the faint hum of music. Something with a throbbing beat that caught in her blood. She’d already made up her mind to invite him inside when they reached her home. What she didn’t expect was for him to stop at the hedge that hid the house from the street and stare at it as if it was a puzzle he needed to work out.
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“Rio? Are you okay?” Her voice seemed to knock him out of his thoughts and he turned to give her a distracted smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just never seen roses like this before. It’s amazing they’re still blooming in October.” “It is pretty amazing, isn’t it?” She turned to look at the blood-red flowers in the thick hedge. There weren’t as many blooms now as there would be in late spring and early summer but Rosie had a flower in the vase by her bed from early spring through mid-November. “My godmothers have lived here most of their lives and they say the hedge has always been here. I don’t know what kind of roses these are but the thorns are as big as my thumb and they sting when they prick you. You’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where the gate is.” Rio nodded, his gaze slipping back to the hedge. “Yeah, I can imagine.” Sticking her hand through the disguised opening to flip the latch, she pushed the gate wide then turned and waited for Rio. He just stood there, staring at her. Had she read him wrong? Was he going to leave? Or maybe… “Would you like to come in?” she asked quickly before reason could interfere. There was that smile again, the one that made her heart thump madly. “Yes, I would.”
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Chapter Three Rio braced himself to be knocked back by a protection spell as he walked through the gate. He’d seen a couple of enchanted hedges in his life, had actually helped Cam install one a few years ago. This definitely had the look of one. Holding his breath, he whispered a quick spell and was shocked when it didn’t hit a counter spell of any kind. Reading was an old city and it sat over an ancient vein of earth power. That power had drawn the Etruscan Fata and Enu to settle here centuries ago. Many of the houses still held residual magic from their former residents. Rio would’ve bet that this place had been built by Fata. It just had that look. And if the hedge hadn’t sealed the deal, the house it hid from the street certainly did. It was a fricking castle, scaled down to fit on a city lot. Unlike most of the other houses on the block, this one was unattached and sat several yards behind the hedge, leaving room for a small landscaped courtyard worthy of a European villa. The house was constructed of light-colored stone, had three stories and boasted two rounded towers on either side. Intricate wrought iron scrollwork covered the four large windows while iron straps and studs held the arched arc hed door. “Nice place.” Rosie walked up the stone path and opened the front door. Warm yellow light spilled out. She slid a smile over her shoulder. “Yeah, it’s definitely unusual. Come on in, it gets better. But I have to warn you. My godmothers are a bit…eccentric.” Now he was definitely intrigued. But, honestly, he would have followed her anywhere at the moment.
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Stepping over the threshold, he felt the pull of a spell against his arus, the magic inherent in his blood. He didn’t sense any malicious intent clinging to the spell, it was more like it was checking him out. For what, he didn’t know, but he guessed he passed when he wasn’t zapped. Then he looked around. In shock, his mouth dropped open for a brief b rief second before he caught himself and closed it. Holy shit, she hadn’t been kidding about the place being eccentric. The word didn’t even begin to cover what he saw in front of him. The front room was part art gallery, part French royal crypt and part dungeon. He actually had to take a second look at the rack in the far corner of the room. And he did mean far corner. corner. The house was deeper than it looked from the street and the entire first floor had no interior walls. Load-bearing columns held up the second floor. A circular iron staircase wound up in the center of the room and revolving around it were statues. Erotic statues, some life-size, some not. All completely detailed. Men and women in every sexual position he could think of—and some he wouldn’t have. Most depicted a man and a woman but there were a few male-male and female-female statues. “My godmother Lora likes to sculpt.” Rosie’s voice drew his attention away from the spectacle for a few seconds before he let his gaze roam to the walls. The paintings hanging there were in direct opposition to the erotic poses of the statues. They were gruesome enough to give horror-movie meister George Romero nightmares. Someone with a decent amount of talent and a wicked imagination had re-created the murderous shower scene from the movie Psycho, the zombie cemetery scene from Night of the Living Dead and… He had to move closer to be sure but, yeah, that was the
rape scene from Evil Dead. “And Fanny loves to paint. Unfortunately she also has a thing for horror movies.” “Can’t fault her taste in those. But,” he pointed to the collection of framed velvet pictures on the opposite wall, “I’ve never been much of an Elvis fan myself.”
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Rosie stopped beside him, close enough for him to smell the vanilla scent of her shampoo. It made him think of ice cream and how much he liked it doused in hot fudge. Did Rosie like hot fudge? What girl didn’t, right? He turned to find her staring up at him, undiluted desire in her eyes. There was no fear, no hesitation. And that was all he needed. He met her halfway, her lips soft and warm beneath his, her breasts barely touching his chest. She kissed like she smiled, slow and sweet, in no rush. He told himself that he could handle slow and sweet. If the only thing she wanted to do was kiss, he’d deal with it. But, damn, the girl could kiss. Her lips molded to his, clinging. She tasted of the wine she’d had at the bar and a spicy enticing heat. Almost like a drug, her taste seeped into his body. Made his pulse pound and his breathing quicken. His hands clenched and he felt soft cotton. Her skirt. He’d grabbed her hips without realizing, eager to pull her against him. No, too soon for that. He didn’t want to rush her, didn’t want to scare his little mouse away. He wanted to let her set the pace, let her taste him. Then coax her into taking more. His cock was so hard already that if she moved just a few centimeters closer, she’d be able to feel how much he desired her. But he didn’t want her to think he couldn’t control himself. Releasing her skirt, he rested his hands on her waist and took control of the kiss. He let his mouth move over hers with a stronger purpose then eased her lips apart until he could flick his tongue into her mouth. Just a little at a time. Teasing, tempting. Hopefully making her want more because, Christ, what he really wanted to do was toss her on the purple velvet chaise in front of a sculpture of a couple who looked as if they were going for a gold medal in the sexual Olympics. Oh yeah, he could picture that. He wouldn’t lie down right away. He’d stand there and look at her, just for a few seconds, to let her see how much he wanted her, to let his eyes roam over her. Let her look at him. 33
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Rio opened his mouth wider and let his tongue slide into her mouth. Not deep, just farther. He licked at her teeth then flicked at her tongue, encouraging her to play. He liked to play, considered it an important part of sex. Hell, he considered it an important part of life. Her lips parted and her tongue shot back, wet and warm against his. Her hands lifted to his face, cupping his jaw, her touch as light as the glide of her tongue. They stroked down his neck, raising goose bumps all over his body. A groan started low in his throat as he deepened the kiss and he was rewarded when she opened her mouth wider. Her fingers slid down to his shoulders, then lower, kneading his back. His hands spread around her waist to lift her feet off the ground, pulling her more tightly against his body and pressing his throbbing erection between her thighs. He swore he could feel the sweet heat between her legs, even through all the layers of clothes. With a little moan, she thrust her hips against him, her hands sliding down to hook into the belt loops of his jeans. Drawing him toward her, she rotated her hips, grinding against his stiff cock. Desire flared through his body as if someone had switched on a flame. And suddenly taking it slow wasn’t working for him anymore. Slanting his mouth across hers, he let the intensity of the kiss take him under. All thoughts of play burned off like water on a hot skillet. He was dead serious now as he gently set her on her feet and swept his hands up from her waist to her breasts, brushing against the undersides before cupping their full weight. Warm and soft, they molded into his palms. He wanted to feel them naked and rubbing against his chest. Soon, he hoped. But first he rolled his thumbs over the hard tips—he could just about feel them under the cardigan—going back again and again until she gasped into his mouth. She pushed her hips against his as if they weren’t wearing any clothes and he was about to get extremely lucky. 34
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Gods be damned, he wanted her naked, needed to see her bare body. His clothes rasped against his skin, irritating him. He wanted them off. As if Rosie had read his mind, she broke off the kiss and caught his gaze as she peeled her cardigan down her arms. A smile kicked up the corners of her mouth as she reached for the bottom of her sleeveless sweater. Then she stopped. His breath stuttered in his lungs. Shit, was she having second thoughts? Because if she had, he’d— Oh, he knew what that smile meant. Maybe his little mouse was more adventurous than he’d guessed. Reaching over his head, he grabbed the back of his t-shirt and pulled it up and off, dropping it on the floor by his feet. Then he waited. Her smile spread as she lifted the hem of her sleeveless sweater, exposing first her stomach then her ribs. When she paused, his gaze shot back to hers and he watched her left eyebrow lift like Mr. Spock’s. Except that he’d never found Mr. Spock sexy, and Rosie’s eyebrow was sexy as hell, along with that little strip of flesh she’d exposed for him. Her eyes slid down his chest like melted ice cream dripping down a cone. Yeah, that image had definite possibilities. He was seriously going to raid her freezer later. Then he’d drip something sweet and wet all over her naked body. And then— Then Rio couldn’t think anymore, because Rosie removed her top and uncovered a pretty pink bra. Oh, he wanted that bra. Rio toed off his sneakers and socks and watched as she bent to unlace her Chucks and take them off. Along with little purple-heart-decorated socks. With a tiny spell, he shifted a condom from his wallet into his hands and slid it between his back and the waistband of his boxer briefs. Then his fingers went to the button on his jeans while she reached for her skirt. He pushed his jeans down his hips, making sure he didn’t lose his underwear. He wanted to see what was under that skirt first. As he stepped out of his trousers, he nearly lost his balance when he caught sight of the pale pink thong that matched her bra and barely covered her mound. He hadn’t 35
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expected that. But he did appreciate a woman who gave a little thought to her underwear. Damn, maybe he should just drop to his knees right now and beg. Instead, he straightened and hooked his fingers in the waistband of his boxers. The tip of his hard cock had already escaped his shorts. He watched her gaze dip and her tongue lick her upper lip before disappearing. Christ, he wasn’t going to last more than a minute if she kept looking at him like that. And that would be really fucking embarrassing. Her right hand lifted, fingers splaying on her sternum, her little finger just touching the swell of her breast. She stroked her fingertips over her skin, inching closer to her breasts with each second. His cock throbbed in time with her motions as he imagined her fingers doing the same on his flesh. But first he wanted her to take off the pretty lace bra that matched her panties. His gaze lifted, past the smile that promised so much. It mesmerized him and held his eyes captive. He didn’t realize she’d taken off her bra until he saw her hand wave a little scrap of pink at him. It took a few more seconds before he let himself look at her. But when he did, his lungs ached as if he’d run a marathon and his heart kicked into an even faster rhythm. Her breasts were perfect mounds that sat high on her chest, the nipples small and pink. He couldn’t wait to get his mouth on them. Her creamy skin gleamed in the dim light, pale freckles dotting her breasts, arms and stomach. Their game forgotten, he reached for her, cupping her breasts in his hands. His fingers molded to her velvet skin, his thumbs brushing the pebbled nipples. Lids fluttering down, she arched against him with a moan. Her head tilted back, exposing her neck and lifting her breasts up toward him. Never one to turn down a gift, Rio bent to lick one tight, candy pink tip. Gods, she even tasted like vanilla, sweet and tantalizing. And her skin smelled like roses. He nipped at her, barely grazing the skin, then opened his mouth and sucked her nipple in. She gasped then moaned, her chest expanding, pushing her farther into his 36
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mouth. The sound made his body tingle and his cock pulse as he switched breasts, sucking and licking until she panted. Her hands lifted to cup the back of his head, sliding her fingers into his hair and raising goose bumps on his skin. His hand slid down her smooth stomach to that pale pink thong. He brushed his fingers along the silky material, close enough to her clit to make her shudder. But he didn’t touch her there, not yet. Instead, he brought his other hand down and teased one finger through each of the strings holding the tiny triangle of fabric in place. He eased them off her hips. He would have gone slow, extended the tease, but she wriggled out of them, the soft hair on her mound brushing against his hands as she moved. Sensation shot from the tip of his shaft to his balls, making them tighten and throb. Hell, there’d be time for slow later. Right now fast and hard had just become as necessary as his next breath. With her nipple still between his teeth, he worked his hand between her legs, petting her for just a second before rubbing his middle finger against her clit. As her breath caught in her throat, her hands latched onto his boxers, fingers curling in the material, pulling it taut across the tip of his cock. The slight pain stung across his senses and he released her breast before he could bite down and hurt her. As he lifted his head, she pressed against him. Her mouth sealed to his and their tongues entwined. She shoved his boxers down as far as she could and Rio caught the condom before it fell to the floor. Rosie wrapped her hands around his cock and his body immediately responded with a burning surge of heat. He thrust into her hands, aching for friction. She gave it to him, curling her fingers tightly around his length and beginning a slow pump. It was his turn to groan. He needed to get inside her—now. “Rosie…”
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She must have known exactly what he was thinking, because she walked backward, slowly, hands still wrapped around his cock. Heading toward the nearest wall… He would have followed her everywhere. His hands stopped her before she hit the wall then he let her ease back. Rio ripped open the condom wrapper and sheathed himself. With her back flat, Rosie smiled and reached for him. Grabbing her hips, he lifted her to the perfect height. Rubbing his cock between her legs, he found her wet and sleek and so fucking hot. He couldn’t wait any longer. Fitting the head of his shaft against her sex, he thrust inside her, her body arching to take him in. Rio took her hard and fast and Rosie was right there with him, rolling her hips to meet his thrusts, her hands on his shoulders clutching and releasing in perfect rhythm. Such perfect friction. He thought he wouldn’t last longer than a few seconds but he hung on until he felt her climax hit her, her sheath milking him in strong pulsations. And then, finally, he let go. Rio thrust hard, seated himself deeply and released into her. The last thought he had was, Mine.
Rosie felt Rio’s cock twitch inside her. Her orgasm still rippled through her, pouring over her nerves like a waterfall, drenching her in sensation. He held her so tightly she had no fear of falling. And she certainly didn’t mind being wrapped around his oh-so-fabulous body. Rio was as much a work of art as any specimen her godmother Lora could sculpt. Broad shoulders, tight pecs, washboard abs and a perfect ass. Not to mention, the guy was hung. Even only half erect, his cock hadn’t slipped free yet. She clenched her inner muscles around him, not ready to let go. He groaned. “Gods, woman, you do that again and we’re not gonna make it to a bed anytime soon.”
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Since that sounded like a challenge, and tonight was all about challenges, she did it again, squeezing her muscles around him. She was rewarded by another groan and a slight thickening of his cock. Damn, she’d hit the jackpot. Rosie turned her head to whisper into his ear, still hidden under his straight hair. “I’m starting to think a bed’s overrated.” Rio pulled back to look at her, a smile lurking around the corners of his mouth. “Not for what I want to do to you, Rosie. You’re going to want that padding. For your back. And your knees.” The images his words conjured made her swallow convulsively. “Up the stairs, first door on the right.” His smile lit up his face and set her skin tingling. Lifting her slightly, he pulled his shaft free and set her on her feet. “Bathroom?” he asked. “The door just before the kitchen.” With a quick smile, Rio disappeared into the powder room. She heard the flush of water and moments later he reappeared, making straight for her. Her gaze moved over his naked body. The man really was absolute perfection. At her side again, he bent down and picked her up gently, holding her in his arms. Embracing his shoulders, she laid her head against his chest as he headed up the stairs. “So, Rio, how long are you going to be in town?” she murmured, nipping at his neck. His short laugh vibrated through his chest. “At the moment, I’m thinking about extending my stay.” “I think I’d like that,” she said, feeling his muscles bunch and flex beneath her cheek. When he turned at the top of the stairs, she lifted her head. “Wait, let me switch on the light. My room’s kind of a minefield.”
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The moment the light clicked on, she saw Rio’s eyebrows rise. “I think minefield is too tame, sweetheart. How about landfill?” Okay, so maybe she was a bit of a slob, but she knew where everything was. And books were never trash. “It’s not that bad.” Rosie turned in his arms, trying to see her room as if for the first time. It wasn’t huge but it wasn’t a broom closet either. Her queen-size, four-poster bed complete with white-lace canopy dominated the far wall, flanked by two small bedside tables. A matching armoire against the left wall and a chest of drawers to the right between two large windows completed the set. Her antique writing desk sat in the corner to the right of the bed, nearly hidden under piles of books. Towering pillars of books crowded around the bed, around the armoire and the chest. And books, alone or in pairs, lay like haphazardly placed walking blocks between the door and the bed. Definitely not a landfill. She shrugged. “I like to read.” His snort was amused. “Just as long as they’re not on the bed.” Rosie faced him, all thought of her messy room gone at the husky tone of his voice. “Don’t worry, Rio. I’ll make room for you.”
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Chapter Four Rosie woke abruptly from a deep sleep, seeing nothing but inky darkness. She knew she was in her own bed because she recognized the scent of the rose candles on her bedside table. Her aunt Fanny made them from the hedge out front. She also knew she wasn’t alone. Rio slept beside her, his body a warm weight curled against her back. His firm erection nestled in the crack of her ass, a hot prod that lit a fire in her belly. It burned through her blood with the force of a hurricane. Could she still be horny? They’d almost depleted her stash of condoms in the bedside table. They’d had sex at least three—no, wait, four times. Which was twice more than she’d had in the past year. If she played her cards right, she’d up her ante to five. She sank closer to Rio, rubbed against that erection—and the lust in her blood suddenly became an ache. A very uncomfortable, painful ache. Rosie rolled onto her stomach, facing away from Rio. Was she sick? She hadn’t had that much to drink last night so she wasn’t hung over. But the ache steadily increased until it became a sharp pain that made her stomach clench into a tight ball. God, what was wrong with her? She heard buzzing in her ears and her skin crawled as if she had goose bumps, but she certainly wasn’t cold. She should get out of bed before she woke Rio. The poor guy needed his sleep— A tearing pain shot through her chest and her cry echoed through the room. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold herself together. “Rosie?” She couldn’t answer him, the pain was too intense.
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“Jesus, Rosie. You’re burning up.” Rio pressed his hand against her cheek, his skin cool and soothing. Another pain racked her body, as if someone had injected her with hot lead. Her leg and arm muscles cramped and her stomach felt as if it had folded in on itself. What the hell was going on? And why did the bed feel as if it was shaking?
Christ. This was seriously bad. Rosie looked as if she was about to melt from fever and Rio could’ve sworn the bed shook—from a force that emanated from Rosie. She cried out, curling further into herself, and the bed shook again, harder this time. “Rio,” her voice sounded raspy as if she had a sore throat, “what’s happening?” “You’re burning up, sweetheart.” He gathered her into his arms. “We need to get you in a cool shower.” She couldn’t answer as another pain twisted through her—and the piles of books around the bed toppled. “Oh my God,” Rosie gasped. “What the hell’s going on? Are we having an earthquake?” This was definitely no earthquake. Rio couldn’t be sure but it was pretty likely Rosie wasn’t just any etera children’s librarian. With her Italian-sounding last name, he bet she was of Etruscan descent. But why hadn’t he sensed any arus in her? There was no time to figure that one out. Right now they needed to get her fever down, fast. With her shaking body in his arms, he moved into the hall and headed to the upstairs bathroom he’d found earlier.
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“Rosie, have you ever had trouble controlling your powers before?” Obviously she had power. He just hadn’t been able to detect it earlier. Usually the arus in his blood recognized another magical being. But why hadn’t it recognized her? Rosie groaned, trying to curl even further into herself. “What are you talking about? What powers?” Carefully, he set her on her feet, keeping one arm around her as he turned on the taps. “It’s all right, sweetheart. You can tell me what you are.” The gaze she turned on him expressed utter confusion. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” With the water at the right temperature, he eased her into the shower stall then stepped in behind her. He could have sworn the water sizzled as it hit her skin. She moaned in relief and tilted her head up to catch the water on her face. “ Oh God, that feels good.” Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her so that if her knees buckled, he’d catch her. They stood in silence for a few minutes, letting the water run over them. The shower must have done the trick, because her fever seemed to fade almost immediately. “Rio.” Her voice sounded a little better as well. “What, hon?” “Sorry to be such a bother.” “You’re not a bother.” Hell, he wanted to take care of her—which didn’t make a damn bit of sense. He’d only known her for a few hours. But deep down, he also knew that this felt right. The two of them together. No matter what was going on. And something was definitely going on. She had cooled down to a normal temperature when she finally turned and wound her arms around his waist, pressing her chest to his. There was nothing sexual about the gesture and a curious warmth spread in his chest.
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“Rio, what did you mean earlier? About controlling my powers?” Her genuinely confused tone rang warning bells in his head. “I mean, have you ever had something like this happen before? Where you lost control and stuff started flying around? I kind of assumed you were Etruscan, because of the name. But I didn’t get that sense from you. So are you Fey? Or Norse Berserkir ?” She shook her head, rubbing her soft cheek against his pecs. “You think I’m a fairy? Or a bear?” she joked. Rosie pulled back and lifted her head to look into his eyes, a smile playing on her lips. “I think— Oh my God.” Her eyes widened until they were saucers and she retreated a step, her back hitting the tile wall of the shower stall. Rio frowned and reached for her but then pulled back when he realized she looked frightened. “Rosie, what’s wrong?” “Your ears…” Shit. His hair was plastered to his head from the water. He hadn’t given a thought
to how his ears would be exposed. Reaching up, he tugged on the pointed tips. A linchetto ear would never be mistaken for human. The lobe looked exactly like a human
lobe but instead of the traditional oval shape at the top, a linchetto’s ear was almost triangular, pointing not straight up, but backward. “Are they real?” she asked, her tone uncertain. Jesus, how could she wield that kind of power and not know there were beings other than humans in the world? “I’m linchetto, Rosie. Of the Etruscan Fata.” Her brow furrowed and her mouth opened then closed. “Huh?” She looked dumbfounded. “Rosie…” She shivered, her arms coming around her chest to hug herself. He saw goose bumps rising on her skin, so he reached behind her to shut off the cool water.
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She looked so adorably confused he knew she wasn’t faking. She didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, and that was a big problem. But first things first. “Let’s get you out of here.” He opened the stall door, grabbed a towel from the rack on the wall and wrapped her in it. “How are you feeling?” Rosie shook her head and held up one hand—and every bottle of shampoo, conditioner and body wash on the shower shelves rattled. Her eyes widened as she stared at them. “Rio, what’s going on?”
Rosie turned her gaze to Rio. He had asked her how she felt and for a few seconds, all she felt was numb. Then she took stock. She felt…different. Weird different. Scary different. As if her body held a force she couldn’t control. As if her blood was boiling and her skin wasn’t thick enough to contain it. Every time she moved, that force got away from her—and something shook, rattled or rolled. The bed, the bottles. And what the hell was up with Rio’s ears? Nothing made sense. “I’m not sure what’s going on,” Rio said as he took another towel and dried her hair. “But I think I have a pretty good idea.” She was too afraid to move. “Does it have something to do with your ears?” He paused for a few seconds, his features going blank. “You don’t have to be afraid of me. I won’t hurt you, Rosie. Not ever.” After what they’d done, she knew that. Even though she was scared, even though she had no idea what was going on, she knew, deep down, that she could trust this man…this linchetto, whatever that was. But first she had questions, many questions. “You need to tell me what’s going on. Right now.”
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Rosie turned slowly, not wanting anything to move. Her mouth fell open as she took in Rio in all his wet naked glory. The man would make a dead woman drool. Lean, sculpted muscle. Chiseled cheekbones. A talented mouth. But those ears. “Rio?” He sighed. “I’m not completely sure but I think the sex we had tonight unlocked your latent powers.” Rosie stared at the gorgeous naked man. He looked sane enough but he obviously wasn’t. “Latent powers?” He sighed again and ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the strands and making his abs dance. Her mouth watered. How could she be scared, confused and horny all at the same time? “The bed shaking and the bottles moving? That was you.” Her jaw dropped and her mouth opened and closed a few times before she actually spoke. “What does that mean?” “It means you now have magical abilities you didn’t have before. Unless you were able to make things move just by thinking about it and waving your hands.” She lifted her hands from her hips to wrap the towel more tightly around her—and the bottles of lotions and hair products on the bathroom console table shook. She froze, the towel now only partially covering her body. Rio sighed and finished tucking the towel around her. “Or even by not trying.” Now she was really too afraid to move. “This is insane. I must be dreaming.” He pinched her arm, just a gentle squeeze, but enough for her to wince and reach for him. The bottles on the console rattled again. “Oh my God.” Her voice held a definite squeak. She squeezed her eyes closed, wanting to shut out the world around her. “What’s going on? Why is that happening?” Placing his hands on her shoulders, Rio said, “Think of it as a force field around your body that you control with your mind.” When her eyes popped open again, he
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sighed. “Yes, I know it sounds nuts. But if you want to be able to leave the house, you’ll have to learn how to control it.” “Why do I have to leave the house?” Okay, that was a really stupid question. Rio’s smile returned, a completely natural expression, and it gave her hope that he actually knew what he was talking about. “Well, for one thing, you have a job. For another, I’ve got a friend you’re going to want to meet. He’ll have answers.” Answers sounded good. But she still had to get out of the house without bringing it down around her. “Fine.” Rosie took a deep breath. “Show me what I have to do.”
Rio lifted Rosie in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom. He had her stand perfectly still while he dried her again and dressed her in the robe he found thrown over a chair in the corner. Then he picked her up again and sat her on the bed. Her body was so stiff he was afraid she’d break, but her eyes followed his every movement, occasionally slipping to his ears, as if checking to see if they’d changed into normal ears while she wasn’t looking. Pushing that thought aside, he said, “Okay, let’s do a little experiment first.” He stood in front of her, staring straight into her eyes. “I want you to clear your mind. Try to think about nothing. Then I want you to move your foot as if you’re kicking a ball.” Her head cocked to the side out of habit. She didn’t seem to notice and nothing moved. “My foot?” He nodded. “Let’s just see what happens.” She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. It took her at least thirty seconds but then she opened them, firmed her mouth and kicked out with her left foot. Nothing moved, shook, rattled or even trembled. “Anything?” she asked, staring straight at him, as if afraid to look around.
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He smiled easily, shaking his head. “No. All right, now I want you to move your hands. Slowly, okay.” If he was right then— Rosie lifted her right arm, fingers outstretched as if she were reaching for something. And the pictures on the wall directly across from her rattled. Her eyes widened again, fear replacing the determination. “Hey, it’s okay, babe.” He reached out to clasp her shoulders and squeezed gently. “Slowly put your hand down and move your head.” Again it took her a few seconds, her gaze glued to his, but finally she lowered her hand and tilted her head to the side. Nothing happened. Her eyes narrowed as her brain worked. “It’s just my hands?” He nodded. “Yeah, that’s my guess.” She frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense.” “Actually it does. Most Etruscans use their hands to direct the flow of magic. You’ve never had this happen before?” She shook her head, slipping her hands under her legs so she wouldn’t use them to gesture. “I’m the most boring person in the world. Nothing ever happens to me. I mean, I lost my parents when I was really young but that was just a freak accident.” Rio’s eyebrows rose. “What happened to your parents?” “I told you. It was an accident. They were electrocuted.” “How?” “An electrical wire fell on them during a summer storm. I was only six months. I was in the house, taking a nap. They were outside working in the garden. It was a onein-a-million accident. My godmother Lora was visiting us at the time and she brought me to live here.” Her eyes widened. “Oh my God, do you think I killed my parents?” “Whoa, no, Rosie.” Sliding onto the bed next to her, he wrapped his arms around her and settled her against his body. She didn’t reach for him but he knew that was 48
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because she didn’t want to move her hands. “That’s not why I asked. Besides, most Fata don’t come into their full powers until they’re teenagers.” “Then what’s happening to me? I’m definitely not a teenager. And I’m not Etruscan or Fata, whatever that is. I mean, my dad’s parents were from Italy, but that doesn’t make them Etruscan. The Etruscan civilization has been extinct for thousands of years.” He didn’t want to get into that discussion just yet. Better she meet Sal first and then they could answer all her questions together—after she fainted. “I don’t know, Rosie. But I do know someone who might have some answers.” She took a deep breath, her body crowding just a little further into his. “Then let’s go.”
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Chapter Five Rosie got dressed in silence, trying not to move too much. After she turned down Rio’s offer to help her get dressed, he’d taken his clothing from downstairs into the bathroom. She’d almost called him back but she didn’t want to be too needy. She was already embarrassed by her earlier actions. Jeez, she’d clung to him like a baby, as if he were her only hope. She tried to make sense of the situation. They’d had sex—great sex, mind-blowing sex—and then she’d gained some weird freaking powers. That must be the worst possible consequence of a one-night stand ever. They should use her as an example in an after-school special. Her mind almost exploded with questions, but she did know one thing for sure. Rio could have hauled ass out of here at the first sign of trouble. He hadn’t. However, he still had a lot of explaining to do. When he reentered the bedroom again, looking fabulous in the slightly rumpled clothes he’d worn last night, she wanted to lick him from head to toe. She couldn’t help it. To distract herself, she asked, “What about you, Rio? Tell me about you.” It was time to explain the “I’m a linchetto of the Etruscan Fata” comment. He didn’t answer her right away but she knew he was mulling over a response rather than avoiding her question. Then again, maybe she didn’t want to know how delusional he really was. Of course those ears she’d been trying not to think about made her doubt her own sanity. Finally he sighed and walked over, stopping directly in front of her. “You know those fairy tales you were telling me you like to rewrite?” He waited until she nodded
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then said, “Well, most of those stories have a basis in reality. Not the story so much as what the story is about.” Okay, she’d play along. But she couldn’t keep the hint of skepticism out of her voice. “So fairies and elves and goblins are real?” He nodded, looking completely serious. “Yeah. We’re just not that…generic.” Generic? “What do you mean, ‘we’? What’s a linchetto, Rio?”
He looked deep into her eyes as if trying to predict how she was going to react to whatever he was about to say. “A linchetto is part of the Fata, one of the two magical races of the Etruscans. The Enu are the other. The Fata are what you would consider mythical beings…elves, fairies and so on. The Enu are humans with magical abilities, like the streghe and versipelli.” At her blank look, he added, “Witches and werewolves.” Her mouth opened but she couldn’t think of a damn thing to say. A sudden heat flash engulfed her body and she swayed. Rio grabbed her arms as if to hold her up. After about a minute, she felt the heat subside and took a deep breath. “So you’re telling me those…creatures are real?” He stiffened slightly. “We’re not creatures. We’re people. Just like you.” The hurt look on his face stung her. “So what…what does linchetto mean?” “Night elf,” he shot back. Her eyebrows lifted. “And that means…” “That means I can dissolve my body into shadow.” Her jaw was going to come completely unhinged after all this. “Huh?” Just like that, Rio disappeared before her eyes. As in, one second he was there, the next he was gone. The short little shriek that left her mouth was involuntary. The one she uttered when he reappeared was just as embarrassing. She stared at him in wide-eyed wonder. His expression was wary, uncertain. “Oh my God. Rio, that’s…” She didn’t find words for it. 51
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Rosie had her hands out of her pockets and was reaching for him before she remembered they were dangerous weapons. Rio swayed at the force she threw at him but managed to move back only a few steps. He grabbed her hands then laced their fingers together. His growing smile nearly made her forget the entire screwed-up situation. “I’m sor—” He put a finger on her mouth. “Hey, babe.” That smile turned sinfully sexy. “No more sorry. This isn’t your fault.” “Can you do what I can do?” she asked. Pulling her closer, he guided their hands around his waist and flattened hers on his back. Then he moved his hands around her waist and pulled her body tightly against his. “No. But I can work spells. And my brother Cam can translocate.” At her puzzled look, he added, “He can move himself and others from one place to another.” Right. “What about your other brothers?”
“Well, Antonin and I can dissolve. Teo can dissolve but he’s…different.” “Different how?” Rio shook his head. “I can’t really explain. It’s a long story. Just take my word for it.” She was about to ask another question when he said, “You seem to be handling this pretty well. Are you sure you’re not in shock?” No, of course she wasn’t sure. She’d never been this frightened in her life. If Rio hadn’t been here, she’d probably be on the floor in a dead faint. His presence helped calm her, steadied her enough to face whatever was going on. And something was definitely going on. Hell, things moved when she waved her arms. “Well, it’s not as if I
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fell into the Twilight Zone, right? I mean, I’m still me. I just have…an ability I didn’t have yesterday. Right?” Her tone sought reassurance. Rio smiled again and a sense of calm invaded her. “You’re still you. With a new ability. So are you ready to get some answers?” She could do this. Rosie nodded, trying to feel as confident as she hoped she sounded. “Lead on.”
Rio couldn’t believe how well Rosie was rolling with the punches. Sure, she was worried. But she wasn’t hiding in a corner, crying. Her eyes were bright, maybe a little too big, but the smile he couldn’t get enough of had reemerged. But now he was taking her to see Sal, and that might freak her out. He knew it would… He’d given some thought to calling his brother Cam to ask for his help. But Cam would chew him up one side and down the other for having a one-night stand with a girl he didn’t know anything about. Of course Cam didn’t have much room to talk. He’d seduced his mate Stella with the intention of using her to bring down her evil uncle. Still, Rio knew Cam would give him a lecture and he didn’t want to deal with that. Nino would be the same and Teo wouldn’t have a clue how to help. He might actually make things worse without even trying. No, he’d take her to see Sal. He’d already given her the rundown on the Fata and the Enu. Sal would be a shock, but Rosie could handle it. He had no doubt. As they walked down the stairs, Rosie held on to his hand with both of hers. “Do you have a car, hon, or should I call a cab?” Rio asked. “I can go get my car from my brother’s apartment but it’ll take me about a half hour or more.”
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“My car’s parked in the space behind the house but I couldn’t get it started yesterday,” Rosie said. “I had to walk to work. You still didn’t tell me where we’re going.” He ignored that question for now. “Do you mind if I take a look at your car?” Her eyebrows lifted. “Do you know anything about cars?” “Hey,” he gave her a mock-offended look, “I’m a guy. It comes with the territory.” There was that smile again, the one that made him want to take her back to bed. “Right. Just like girls have the gene for cooking. I’m hell with a microwave but don’t expect me to make you a gourmet meal.” “No problem.” He shrugged. “I can cook too.” “Well, aren’t you just too good to be real?” Was that sarcasm in her voice? It sure sounded like it. As they walked through a kitchen that looked like it held the entire contents of a kitchenware store, Rio wanted more of her earlier smile. He stopped in his tracks, bringing her to a halt and her gaze back to his. Her eyes widened as he lifted her right hand and splayed it on his chest. His heart kicked into a faster rhythm. “Does this not feel real?” he asked quietly. Her gaze held on to his but he saw her chest begin to rise and fall more rapidly. She swallowed hard and her fingers flexed, digging into his pecs. Then her eyes flashed to his ears. They were covered again by his hair but he knew she was thinking about them from her slight frown. “I’m just as real as you are, Rosie. I have parents. I went to high school and college. I had a first kiss. My favorite writers are J.A. Jance and Stephen King. I like metal and classic rock and horror movies.” Her expression softened but there was still no smile. “What? You’re not a huge Lord of the Rings fan?”
The gentle teasing in her tone lit his libido as surely as if she’d set a match to a can of gasoline. He wanted her. He wanted her more than he wanted to breathe—but she
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was still freaked out. He could see it in her eyes, in the slight dilation of her pupils. Still, sex as a tranquilizer wasn’t a bad idea… He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to rein in his desire. Rosie was probably on overload and he didn’t want to do anything she might regret later. Her fingers flexed again, the slight movement not triggering any force—except making his blood pressure rise, and his cock along with it. Letting his gaze drop to her hand, he watched her small, unpainted nails dig into his t-shirt. A memory from last night—the slight pain those short white crescents had inflicted on his balls—made heat burn low in his body. When he lifted his eyes again, he could tell she was right there with him. Her pretty lips were parted as she drew in a deep breath. Then her tongue darted out to lick her top lip. Her heavy-lidded gaze caught his and, just so he made no mistake, she leaned forward and nipped his bottom lip. He let the sensuality of that touch unlock the hold he had on his libido. Rio stepped right into her body, molding her to him with both arms around her back and trapping her against his chest. He kissed her hard, forcing her mouth to open under his and letting his tongue plunder the warm cavity beyond. Rosie moaned, desire and a hint of relief evident in the sound. It was the relief that had him vowing she was going to forget her problems, even if it would only be for a short while. For that, he needed to set some ground rules. He walked her backward a few steps until she came up against the counter, his mouth still sealed against hers, his tongue sliding against her tongue. Then he took a step back, watched her hands clench into fists and spun her until she was facing the cabinets. She gasped, not in fear but in excitement. He knew the difference well and it made him smile. Wrapping his body around her from behind, he pressed his throbbing cock against her ass and rubbed, teasing another groan out of both of them.
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“It’s going to be fast and hard, babe,” he whispered in her ear. “If that’s not okay, say so now.” She shuddered against him, as if the words themselves caressed her. “Do it, Rio.” Grabbing her hands, still clenched into fists against her chest, he lowered them and forced her to curl them around the edge of the gray granite countertop. “Don’t let go.” He spoke directly into her ear, nipping the lobe for good measure. “Not until I tell you to. And bend at the waist.” She nodded and did exactly as he told her. “Good girl. Now don’t move.” He knew they didn’t have time to play and he also knew if he took too much time, her brain might start to kick in and then she’d worry. About her new powers, about him and where he was taking her. So he unzipped his jeans and pulled them and his boxer briefs down below his ass until his straining cock was freed. With a quick spell, he materialized one of the condoms from her room into his hand, sheathed himself then reached for her jeans. He wasn’t careful. His hands were rough as he popped the top button and yanked the zipper down. He wasn’t going to bother with her t-shirt. He liked her half-clothed. When he had her jeans open, he shoved them and her plain white underwear down her legs and let them gather at her ankles, restricting her movements. It’d make for a tighter fit. Just thinking about it made his cock pulse in expectation. Rio didn’t waste any more time, just stepped up behind her, her hip in one hand, his cock in the other, and guided it straight into her wet slit. Gods, she was hot and tight and with her bent over like she was, he sank deeply on the first thrust. Her sheath rippled around him, grabbing on to him with the strength of a fist. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he tried not to come right away. “Oh my God, Rio,” Rosie gasped, her head lowering even farther. “Do that again.”
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No problem. He didn’t say the words aloud. Her grip on his shaft intensified and he
felt the pulsations as her body prepared to orgasm. Only one more thrust… Rio pulled back until only the tip of his cock had contact with her sleek lower lips then held there for two heartbeats before he slammed back in. With a cry, Rosie climaxed, her back arching, her fingers clenching white on the counter’s edge. He noticed those details only because he wanted to hold out. Just one more thrust… He pulled out again, halfway out this time, making her groan. She tried to move with him but he held her hips steady. Another breath and then he shoved it back forcefully with a cry of release. He came, his cock jerking and spurting, giving her everything he had. Including his heart. He suspected it was hers already. After a minute or so, Rosie drew in a deep breath and shifted, as if her arms were tired. “Hey, you okay, babe?” Pulling free, he let her straighten, though she still held on to the counter. “Yeah, you could say that.” She laughed, just a short exhalation of air, but she sounded much more relaxed than she had been. “But I could use a little help with my clothes.” His hand stroked across her bare ass. “I don’t know. You look pretty good to me.” She laughed again, this time longer. “Yeah, well, I’m not exactly going out of the house like this.” “All right, let me just clean myself up first.” She directed him to the drawer with the dishtowels and he first disposed of the condom in the trash before he wet a towel and used it to wipe them both. Then he redressed her, letting his fingers linger over her skin for a second. He wanted the touch to be comforting, soothing, anything not to make her worry again right away.
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But as soon as she turned around, she stuck her hands into her pockets. Reaching for her, he grabbed her right hand, lacing their fingers together as he pulled her toward the back door. It was early morning and the sun had just risen. Spotting a small Toyota at the back of the overgrown garden, Rio headed for it. On the way, he tried to think of something to say, something witty or smart to get her talking. But she beat him to it. “So I guess you’re not a big fan of Tolkien.” He laughed, a flat-out belly laugh that felt great. “Tolkien had a god complex and the man took forever to make a point. Enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies though. Never could stand that damn Tom Bombadil, so I’m glad Peter Jackson got rid of that character.” “I loved what the director did with the romance between Aragorn and Arwen. I always wished Tolkien had spent more time with them.” Her smile turned soft and sweet and Rio felt himself fall head over heels in love. He was in love! The truth hit him like a ton of bricks. Fuck that he knew Rosie only twenty-four hours. Fuck what his family would say. Cam and Nino would think he was crazy. Then again, maybe not, considering how they’d found their mates. And this was definitely the woman for him. He’d never been surer of anything in his life. Now if they could just figure out what was going on, they could live happily ever after.
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Chapter Six Rio worked some kind of magic—literally or just practically, she wasn’t sure—with her car and had them on the road in less than fifteen minutes. They seemed to have run out of topics because the ride wherever they were going was silent. It was probably her fault because she couldn’t get her mind to stop thinking about sex with Rio. Sure, she’d developed some new scary ability. Sure, her worldview had just tumbled ass over teakettle with the talk of Fata, linchetti and everything else Rio had thrown her way. And all she could think about was sex. It’d been earth-shaking. Mindblowing. And it’d changed her life forever. But now what? Was he going to dump her on someone else’s doorstep and run the other way? She couldn’t blame him if he did. But he certainly wasn’t acting as if he was going to abandon her. Sitting on her hands on the front seat next to him, she caught him checking on her every few seconds. He was constantly touching her. His hand on her knee or her shoulder, just a little squeeze every now and then, but enough to reassure her. The man, or linchetto, was definitely too good to be true. It didn’t take them long to get where they were going because they never left the city. The south-of-Penn neighborhood Rio took her to was a bit rundown but not seedy, the houses a little worse for wear but not in a total state of disrepair. When he parked, the sudden weight on her chest made her slow to get out of the car. She couldn’t catch her breath. Rio had her door open and his hand out before she could move. He suddenly filled her vision as he knelt beside the car right in front of her. “Rosie.” He took her hands in his warm, strong ones. “It’s going to be okay.” 59
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God, she wanted to believe that. “How can you be so sure?” “Because you’re not afraid of anything.” Her laugh was short and bitter as she dropped her gaze. “Obviously you don’t know me. I’m afraid of everything.” “No way, Rosie.” He sounded so sure she glanced back up into his steady, warm gaze. “You’re smart, you’re confident and you’re handling this situation without freaking out.” When he looked at her like that, she almost believed him. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and let him lead her up the sidewalk to one of the brick row houses. There was nothing special about the house, nothing out of the ordinary, except for the beautiful carved decoration around the door. “I need to warn you, Rosie.” Rio paused as he looked down at her. “You’ve never met anyone like Sal before. Just…don’t freak. He’s a great guy and he’s going to have answers.” Okay, that sounded completely ominous. But she didn’t have time to worry because Rio slid an antique silver key from his pocket and used it to open the front door. Stepping inside, he pulled her along before closing the door tightly behind them. “Hey, Sal, you home? It’s Rio de Feo.” Rosie took a look around the small entry hall though she couldn’t see much. Directly in front of her was a stairway to the second floor. To the left was a doorway that led into a sitting room and dividing the two was a hall that led to another— All the air left the room as she caught sight of the…the…whatever it was coming down the hall. It had the upper body of a man and the lower body of an animal, complete with hooves. They made strange little clicking sounds on the wood-plank floor as he walked toward them. He had a handsome face, dark curly hair and small black horns peeking out near the front of his head. Horns! And legs covered in a brown hide.
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And hooves. He had hooves! “Hey, Rio,” the little goatman said. “What’s up? Who’s the babe?” “Rosie, honey, breathe,” Rio whispered in her ear. Then he turned to the…whatever. “Sal, this is Rosie Bianchi. She’s got a problem I’m hoping you can help her with.” Rosie took a deep breath then another, trying to calm down. But…there was a satyr standing in front of her. A living, breathing, walking, talking creature of myth staring up at her with his hands on his furred hips and an assessing look on his face. They stared at each other, Rosie afraid to say anything at all for fear she offended…him? Definitely a him from the voice but no way was she looking any lower than his chest, because he didn’t have pants on and she didn’t want to— “So, Rosie Bianchi,” Sal finally broke the silence, his heavy New York accent just adding to the weirdness factor, “what can I do for ya?” She had her hands out of her pockets before she knew she’d done it. She talked with her hands, couldn’t help it. So she didn’t even have to open her mouth to show Sal what her problem was. The poor guy landed on his butt five feet away from where he’d started, a comical look of surprise on his face. Well, at least it would have been comical if this had been a sitcom. Or a cartoon. But right now it just made her want to cry. Carefully, she put her hands back in her pockets as Sal shook his head before pushing back up to his feet…ah, hooves. She had no idea what to expect. Would he run away screaming? It wasn’t impossible but considering how he looked, he must have seen a lot of weird stuff in his life. Her ability to move things by waving her hands was probably no biggie in his world.
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Still, she dropped her gaze to the floor, shaking her head. “Sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—” Clop, clop, clop. Then Sal stood in front of her. He put his hand under her chin,
forcing her to look down to him. “Sweetheart, I’m a lot stronger than I look and I’ve been knocked on my ass a few times.” He grinned. “Never by a more beautiful woman though. Come on back.” At that, he turned and clopped down the hallway. “You look like you could use a cup of coffee.”
While Sal made coffee, Rio watched the four-foot salbinelli glance back and forth between Rosie and the coffeemaker. It was starting to freak him out because Rio had never seen Sal look so…confused. As if he had no idea what was going on. And that was so not what Rio had wanted to find. He’d wanted Sal to say, “So here’s how we fix this.” Not, “Hell, kids, I don’t have any answers for you.” And that was clearly what his expression meant. Finally, after Sal puttered around in the kitchen, getting mugs and waiting for the coffee to drip, he brought three cups to the table by the window and took a seat. Then he looked at Rosie. “So, hon, tell me what brought you here.” Rosie looked straight at Sal, walked over and sat down. “Rio and I had sex last night and I woke up this morning able to wave my hands and move things without touching them. I’d like to know why.” Sal’s lips slowly tilted up in a grin. “Yeah, that would be a real head-scratcher, now wouldn’t it? Never had this problem before, huh?” “No, and I’m no, ah, virgin.” She grimaced as if embarrassed and Rio’s chest tightened a little more. Damn it, this was his fault. What the hell had he done to her? “Rio,” Sal turned to him, “anything you want to add?” He shook his head. “I don’t have a clue.”
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Sal leaned back in his chair, gazing deep into Rosie’s eyes. His earlier confusion had cleared from his expression and now he looked as if he was staring into her soul and dissecting it. Rosie either didn’t mind or wasn’t aware that he was reading her like an open book. Finally Sal sighed. “I’ve been trying to figure out why your name sounded so familiar. And it finally came to me. How are your godmothers, Rosalia?” Rosie’s eyes popped open as if Sal had reached out and goosed her. “ You know my godmothers?” “Yeah, I do. For many years. They must be out of town, right? Is that how you ended up with boy wonder here last night?” Rosie’s mouth hung open for several seconds. “But… When… How do you know my godmothers?” Sal snorted and shook his head, his expression pained. “That’s a story they’re going to have to tell you. And since their, uh, spell’s been broken, they’re probably on their way home as we speak.” Rosie went completely rigid. “Spell? What spell? What are you talking about?” Sal gave her a rueful smile and a pat on the knee. “You really need to talk to your godmothers about that, sweetheart. It’s not my story to tell. But I can patch the binding,” Sal shot Rio a look, “to make sure you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else until they get here to fix this.” Rio had been listening intently to everything Sal had said, and he was catching most of what Sal wasn’t saying. It was blowing his mind. But Rosie had reached the end of her rope. Her eyes narrowed as her detailoriented brain worked through the few facts she knew. “So what you’re telling me is that I have magical powers my godmothers somehow hid all these years and never told me about?”
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Sal’s expression twisted as if he’d swallowed shards of glass. “Rosie, there’s not much in this world that scares me anymore and I’ve seen my share of horrors. But your godmothers…they scare the crap out of me.” The hair on Rio’s neck stood straight up and his balls tried to crawl back into his body. He hadn’t thought Sal could be afraid of anything. Who the hell were Rosie’s godmothers? Not that he would skip out—no way would he leave Rosie—but shit, if Sal was worried about pissing off Rosie’s godmothers by spilling the beans, what would those women do to him when they found out what part he’d played in this whole fiasco? The thought was not something he wanted to dwell on. Rosie wasn’t letting Sal off the hook that easily. Even though her hands were stuck tightly inside her pockets, she looked like she was shaking a finger at him. “That’s not going to cut it. You are going to tell me what’s going on. Right now. You can’t drop hints like that then expect me to say, ‘Sure, I’ll just twiddle my thumbs until my godmothers come home.’” Even as worried as he was, Rio grinned. He knew that look on her face. He’d seen her use it on an unruly preschooler in story time yesterday. Two seconds of that look and the kid had settled down like someone had flicked a switch. Turned out Sal wasn’t immune either. “Now, Rosie,” Sal held out his hands in front of him, palms up, “there’s no need to get testy.” “Then I suggest you start explaining.” Rosie lifted her delicate chin in the air and raised her brows. “Now.” Damn, if he hadn’t been in love with the woman already, that look would have sealed the deal. He didn’t know many people who would take on Sal, much less a woman who’d only just met him, who’d only just discovered that the fairy stories she read to her preschoolers happened to be real.
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Sal’s deer-in-the-headlights expression made Rio laugh. In fact, he laughed so hard his stomach hurt. Doubled over on the chair, he caught the sharp-eyed look Rosie was now giving him and laughed even harder. “Oh babe,” he said between gasps, “I’m not laughing at you. I’ve just never seen anyone take on Sal and win. This is classic.” “Yeah, well, you won’t be laughing when her godmothers get hold of you, Rio.” Sal just shook his head. “You’re not going to be able to charm your way around those women.” “My godmothers are the sweetest women in the world.” Rosie shook her head, glancing back and forth between the two of them. “I don’t know where you got the idea they’re these evil creatures who are going to lop off your head.” When Rio’s laughing jag finally abated, he got up, walked around the table and kneeled in front of her. With his hands on her knees, he looked straight into her eyes and said, “There’s no way they can be bad if they raised you to be this sweet.” Her smile should be considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Rio decided. It was sweet and playful and a little sad and so hot all at the same time. When she leaned forward to kiss him, still smiling, he swore he felt sparks crackle between them. “Ah Christ, Rio,” Sal groused, shaking his head. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” “Just spit it out, Sal.” Rio stood, pulling over an empty chair so he could sit next to Rosie. “Tell us what’s going on. If her godmothers want to blame someone, I’ll make sure it’s not you.” Sal eyed him through slitted lids. “All right, son. You asked for it.” Then he turned to Rosie and his expression softened as he sighed. “Honey, do you have any memories of your parents? Any at all?” Carefully pulling her hands out of her pockets, Rosie slid them down her thighs until they connected with Rio’s. Lacing their fingers together, she held on. “No. I was only a baby when they died.” 65
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“You were five,” Sal said. “You only looked like you were six or seven months old.” At Rosie’s shocked gasp, Sal scrubbed a hand across his jaw. “Tinia’s teat, I wish your godmothers were here.” “Well, they’re not, so just keep going, Sal,” Rio said. “Actually, yes, we are,” came a female voice from behind.
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Chapter Seven A tingle racing up her spine, Rosie swiveled toward the sound of her godmother Lora’s voice to find Lora, Fanny and Vivian standing in the entrance to Sal’s kitchen. When she was younger, Rosie had assumed they were sisters, they looked so much alike. It was only later that she’d learned they weren’t, though they all had the same coppery brown hair, leaf green eyes and slim builds. Facially, they looked nothing alike. Lora’s features were sharp and pointed, giving her an inquisitive expression. Vivian’s features were soft and rounded and her constant smile never failed to make others smile back. Fanny looked a little like Katherine Hepburn and she had the haughty attitude to go with it. People got out of Fanny’s way when she walked, though none of her godmothers stood taller than Rosie’s five-two, and they couldn’t weigh more than three hundred pounds combined. It gave them an air of fragility that was incredibly misleading. Rosie’s godmothers were anything but weak. Right now Lora and Vivian stared at her with such pain in their eyes it almost frightened her. Only Fanny glared at Rio as if he were a toxic bug she’d scraped off her shoe. That wasn’t good. Rising, Rosie moved in front of Rio but he stood up as well, putting his arm around her and pulling her against his side. Fanny’s glare got hotter. Lora’s mouth made that funny little quirk that only happened when she was flustered, but she directed her next words at Sal. “We came as soon as we realized what had happened. We never expected— Well,” she sighed and looked back to Rosie, “we just never expected you to find him so soon. We’re so sorry, sweetheart. I know we have a lot to explain but I promise we will.
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“But first,” Lora gave Rio a weak smile, “maybe you could introduce us to your new…friend?” Before Rosie could make a sound, Rio stepped forward, hand outstretched to Lora, charming grin on his lips. Even with everything else going on and uncertainty gnawing a hole in her gut, that smile made her tingle from head to toe. “Valerio de Feo, ma’am. Son of Tana and Lucumo de Feo.” Every single one of her godmothers’ eyebrows raised in unison as Lora shook his hand then Vivian and finally Fanny. But Fanny didn’t release him immediately. “You’re linchetto, are you not?” she asked, a sharp edge to her words. Rio dimmed the wattage on his grin but kept his expression friendly. “Yes, ma’am.” “I’ve met your parents.” Fanny finally released his hand. “Good people. I believe your brother Camillus runs a personal security and investigative firm.” “Yes, ma’am. My brother Antonin and I both work with him now.” Fanny’s gaze narrowed again. “And how exactly did you meet Rosalia?” “Wait just a minute,” Rosie interrupted when it became clear that Fanny was about to interrogate Rio. “I want some answers and I want them now.” Unconsciously, she took her hands out of her pockets and shook a finger at Fanny. As soon as she did it, she gasped and froze. But Fanny didn’t fly back or even take a step back. “Oh my God.” She looked at Lora. “Did you fix me?” Lora shook her head. “No, sweetheart. We just put a temporary lock on your powers as soon as we got here.” She sighed and that sad expression Rosie was beginning to fear made a reappearance. “Sal, I think we should take this into the living room, if you don’t mind. I feel we’re going to need somewhere soft to sit.”
*****
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“I know this is going to be a little unbelievable but you, my dear, are the very rare offspring of a fauni and an aguane.” Sitting next to Rosie on Sal’s couch, Rio’s mouth dropped open. Holy shit. He’d known there was something special about Rosie. He just hadn’t realized how special. And Rosie had no idea what they were talking about. She shook her head, her expression adorably befuddled. “Lora, I don’t even know what that means.” Lora grimaced. “I know that. It’s just… We’ve debated telling you for several years but something always came up. I know there’s no excuse for keeping you in the dark for so long but, sweetheart, your life is so…stable. All we’ve ever wanted was to spare you a life lived in fear.” “In fear of what, Lora?” Rosie’s voice rose. “You still haven’t explained what’s going on. What am I?” “You are salvanelli.” Rosie shook her head again but Rio’s was spinning. Even to the Fata, salvanelli were mythical beings. Right up there with unicorns and Santa Claus. Salvanelli powers were rumored to be almost godlike. “Lora,” Rosie said, drawing Rio’s attention back to the conversation, “you’re still not telling me anything I can understand. I mean, Rio’s explained a little bit about the Enu and the Fata but I still don’t understand what it all means.”
Lora gave him a weak smile, which he hoped boded well. At least she wasn’t glaring at him like Fanny. “Well then, you are Fata, like us. Vivian and Fanny and I are gianes. Some call us wood elves. Your mother was aguane, an elemental spirit of rivers
and streams, and your father was fauni, an elemental spirit of the forests and fields. All Fata, with the exception of the salvanelli, were created through the mating of fauni and silvani, the elemental spirits of air. But you, my love, are very special.”
“How so?” Rosie asked.
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Lora turned to look at Vivian, who took a deep breath and continued, “With your powers unlocked, you would eventually be able to control certain aspects of weather and time and you would be able to shape-shift.” Rio’s eyes popped open. But Rosie’s hand tightened on his. Her ice-cold hand. “You mean I’m a werewolf?” “No,” Fanny jumped in, “your ability to take on another form is much different from how the versipelli change their shape. But it’ll take you years to master that skill.” Fanny paused and looked back at Lora, who nodded. “And you’re going to have more important things to worry about before you can even begin learning how to do it.” Rosie’s hand had tightened on his until he was pretty sure he’d have bruises. Not that he cared, just so long as she kept holding on. “And those are?” Fanny’s mouth screwed up into a mean-ass grimace. “For starters, there’s a bergoia looking for you.” Oh shit. Rio’s entire body flinched as if he’d taken a blow to his solar plexus. That
was really not good. “Jesus, how the hell did that happen?” The words were out before he even realized he’d spoken them and Rosie’s godmothers pinned him at once with sharp glances. He swore he felt the prick of tiny needles all over his skin. Most gianes were peaceful women who wouldn’t hurt a fly. He didn’t think these three would hesitate to squash him if he so much as looked at Rosie the wrong way. He opened his mouth to tell them he would never hurt Rosie but before he could say anything, Rosie turned to him, eyes wide. “What does that mean? What’s a bergoia?”
Rosie knew from Rio’s expression that whatever this bergoia was, it wasn’t a good thing.
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He opened his mouth to answer but she held up her hand to cut him off before he could say a word. “Wait.” Suddenly it was all too much and her stomach tightened into a hard ball. Everyone was staring at her. Her godmothers. Sal. Rio. She’d never liked being the center of attention. Her godmothers had never encouraged her to try out for the lead in the school musical or play a sport. They’d encouraged her to be a good student but never exceptional, to make friends but not too many. To be invisible. It’d helped that she had a quiet personality, liked to read and was content with a small circle of friends. All that had made it easy for her godmothers to keep her hidden—from whatever this bergoia was. She should probably be terrified. But all she felt was numb. It was too much. All of it. She was something called a salvanelli. She had powers, more than just being able to make things move by waving her hands. Rosie wanted to run, stick her head under a pillow and sleep until they all went away—except Rio. She wanted him in bed with her. He squeezed her hand as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. She looked up to find him staring into her eyes. “I don’t… I can’t…” Hell, she couldn’t even finish the thought. “Yes you can.” Rio squeezed her hand even harder. “I didn’t mean to scare you but, hon, you need to know. A bergoia is kind of like a pissed-off ghost. It’s created when a Malandante strega is killed and her spirit returns for revenge on whoever killed her.”
Her mouth twisted in a bitter smirk. “I don’t have a clue what a…Mala…whatever is but it sounds like something I don’t want to cross in a dark alley.” His easy smile made her tight muscles loosen just a little. “It’s sort of an evil witch but you’re not going to have to worry about it. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
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“Oh for the love of Uni.” Fanny threw her hands in the air, her mouth drawn in a tight frown. “Son, you’re no match for this. Why don’t you run back to your brothers and let—” “Fanny.” Lora reached over to put her hand on Fanny’s shoulder. “That would only delay the inevitable. We knew this day would come.” Vivian sighed, a wistful smile on her lips. “Our baby’s all grown up, isn’t she? We should have prepared you better for this but we never expected you to find your so—” “Ah, Viv, let’s not go there yet.” Lora sliced a glance at Vivian. “One thing at a time. Bergoia first. Other stuff…later.”
Actually Rosie would rather have known what Vivian had been going to say. It had to be much more interesting—and much less frightening—than dealing with a vengeful spirit. “Now,” Lora said, her gaze going back to Rosie, “we have to relock your powers. If we’re lucky, the bergoia hasn’t been able to pinpoint your location yet. Then we need to get you somewhere safe. Somewhere the bergoia won’t find you. We’re working on the assumption that it felt the spell break and is probably already on its way here.” “Why is this thing after me? I didn’t do anything to it.” Vivian reached over to pat her on the shoulder. “Your parents weren’t killed in a freak accident, honey. They died after defeating this Malandante strega in battle. Their injuries were too severe to be healed but they lived long enough to get you to us and beg us to hide you. While you were still a baby, we were able to lock your powers away, to mask your true nature and hide ourselves here in Reading. There’s a large Etruscan community here and, well, Sal was here, so if we got into trouble, we’d have backup.” “Why did it kill my parents?” “Your parents were fierce protectors, love,” Vivian continued. “They knew someone had to take a stand to protect the races from the Mal. It was what drew them together from the start. Fauni and aguane don’t mate often. The aguane are water spirits. 72
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They never venture far from the stream or river they call home. But your parents had a love affair for the ages. They never expected to have children and when you were born… Oh Rosie, they thought you hung the moon. They gave up their battle against the Mal to keep you safe. But they fought one final battle after you were born. And that’s the spirit that haunts you now. The bergoia can’t reach them anymore and as you are their only child, it has focused its revenge on you.” “So,” Lora stood up, her face set in firm lines. Rosie knew that look. It was the one Lora had worn through most of Rosie’s teenage years. The look she’d get when she told Rosie she wasn’t allowed to go the concert in Philadelphia with her friends or couldn’t have her friends sleep over for her sixteenth birthday. That face had worked amazingly well when she’d been a teenager. After a while, she’d learned what was acceptable and what wasn’t. She’d stopped asking if Sara Linney, whose parents worked for the newspaper, could come to the house or if she could take a vacation with friends at the shore. “We need to lock down your powers again,” Lora said. “It’s for your own good.” Lora believed that completely. And as Rosie looked at Vivian and Fanny, she knew they did too. But…did she believe the same? “No.” Lora’s eyebrows shot straight up. “Rosalia, you don’t know what you’re talking about. This is for your protection—” She held up one hand, cutting off Lora. “This spirit…this thing isn’t going to stop until it finds me. It’s only a matter of time, right? Or am I supposed to hide my entire life?” Lora’s expression went blank and Rosie knew that was exactly what she thought. Well, hiding away her whole life wasn’t an option. “Don’t you think it would be better if I learned how to use my powers to protect myself? To find out as much as I can
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about this thing that’s after me? I’m sick of hiding. Hell, I didn’t even know I was hiding, but my entire life has been about being invisible.” Vivian shook her head. “No, sweetheart. We didn’t want you to be invisible—” “Oh hell, Viv.” Fanny’s hand slashed out. “The girl’s right. We put her in a bubble. And that’s no way to live.” Her godmothers began to argue among themselves, Fanny’s voice loud and excited, Lora’s calm and reasonable, Viv’s quiet and conciliatory. Rosie’s stomach rolled and her head hurt. She didn’t want her godmothers to fight. On the one hand, she wanted to do whatever they said. Considering they’d given up their lives to raise her, it wasn’t too much to ask that she listen to them. She’d been conditioned to do so her entire life. On the other hand, she was twenty-seven years old. When did her life become her own? Rio squeezed her hand, drawing her gaze back to his as her godmothers continued to talk. “Are you sure?” He gave her his warm, comforting smile. She barely heard his voice over her godmothers’ discussion but she knew what he was asking. She smiled back, even though the expression trembled a little. “Of course I’m not sure. I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. But I’ve had my head in the sand for years and I’m sick of it.” He nodded, no longer smiling. “Then I’ll be right here.”
Rosie’s confused look told Rio she couldn’t understand why he wasn’t running in the opposite direction. Hell, he was a little surprised himself. His brothers were right about him in some respects. He hadn’t met a woman before who held his interest long enough to make him stick around for more than a few dates. Until now.
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Rosie’s godmother Vivian had just confirmed it. Lora hadn’t let her finish but Rio knew what Vivian had been going to say. Soul mate.
Rosie was his. The one woman meant for him. That was why he’d been so drawn to her from the beginning. That was why the spell had been broken when they’d made love. Joy flooded him. He’d met the woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with. Now he just had to keep her safe while they defeated a bergoia so they could live a long life together. Rio didn’t have a clue how he was supposed to do that. But he knew one thing for sure. Rosie’s godmothers weren’t taking her away from him. “We need to move her before the bergoia gets here,” Lora said. “Hopefully it didn’t track her to Sal’s but—” “Rosie and I will stay here for the day while you ladies scout the city, see if the bergoia has shown up,” Rio decided, standing to address the godmothers. He figured he
needed every advantage. “We’ll be safe here, at least for today. Sal will make sure of that. Besides, it’s a good environment for her to test her powers, get a feel for them. Tomorrow, if you decide it’s safe, I’ll take her to someone who can teach her how to control them.” Lora opened her mouth to shoot him down but Vivian spoke first. “I think that sounds like a plan. Release the spell, Lora.” “Viv, really—” “Release her.” Vivian’s voice held absolutely no give and both Lora and Fanny stared at her with widened eyes. They grumbled about how stupid that idea was but Vivian stood firm until Lora finally said a few words in Etruscan and snapped her fingers. Rio felt the rush of the spell breeze toward Rosie, who gave a little gasp as it connected with the arus in her blood.
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Then Vivian winked at Rosie. “We’ll be back in a little while, sweetheart. Try not to worry too much while we’re gone.” The little godmother turned to Lora and Fanny and herded them toward the hall. “Let’s go. We have a lot of ground to cover.” With a huff and a pointed look at Rio, Fanny headed toward the front of the house with Vivian, but Lora lingered. She managed to look down her nose at him even though she was shorter. “I certainly hope you’re as good as you think you are, son,” Lora said. “We’ll be back by nightfall.” She turned to Sal. “I’m still not sure this is the right thing to do.” Sal hopped off the chair and stood, waving the woman toward the doorway. “You knew the day was coming, Lora. Gotta let go sometime.” With a sigh, Lora let Sal lead her out of the room. The front door opened and closed and finally alone with Rio, Rosie closed her eyes and blew out her breath through pursed lips. Then she turned her gaze to him. “What now?” Good question. And one he better have a damn good answer for. “First we need to teach you how to get a handle on your little hand problem. That’s the easy part.” Her eyebrows lifted. “Easy, huh? Maybe I don’t want to know what the hard part is.” “You can still get your godmothers to bind your powers.” She thought about it for a few seconds then shook her head. “No.” She took another deep breath. “No, I can do this. Lead on, Rio. I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.” So did he.
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Chapter Eight Six hours, two meals and countless bruises later, Rio gave Rosie a standing ovation in Sal’s basement workout area. She stood in the center of the room, waving her hands in the air like a conductor while he stood directly in front of her. Not flying into the wall at his back as he had the last twelve hundred or so times. Her smile was radiant, her eyes sparkled—and the aches and pains in his battered body became nothing more than a slight annoyance. With a laugh, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly before stepping back to grin at him. “Oh my God, Rio. I can’t believe it. This is so amazing.” Yeah, this really was amazing. But he was pretty sure they were thinking about two different things. “I can’t believe I’m able to finally control that,” she waved her hands in front of him like jazz hands, “power. It’s just so cool.” They definitely weren’t thinking of the same thing. While she was talking about her newfound power, he was thinking about the feel of her half-naked body pressed against his. They’d stripped down to bare essentials a few hours ago, after a quick lunch of Sal’s fantastic prosciutto, basil, provolone panini and homemade lemonade. Rosie wore only her black bra and a pair of soccer shorts Sal had dug out of a bedroom drawer. Rio had lost his t-shirt hours ago but had kept on his jeans. He didn’t want to have mat burns on his ass from his many trips to the floor. They’d interfere with his plans for later. And, boy, did he have plans.
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“No need for thanks, babe. Believe me, I’ll be taking my payment in trade.” He winked at her. It took a few seconds for his words to sink in but then she smiled. His cock throbbed as she let her gaze wander down his bare chest to his stomach then to the ridge behind his zipper. Her eyes lingered before she looked back up. “So you’ve just spent six hours getting thrown across the room just because you wanted to get laid?” The corners of his mouth lifted at the enticement in her tone. Even with everything going on, he couldn’t remember ever having a better time with a woman. “Oh, getting laid doesn’t begin to cover it.” Her smile turned impish…and hot as hell. “Don’t you know all you had to do was ask?” Every muscle in his body tightened and that ever-present fire low in his body raged. “And what fun would that be?” “So you want a little fun?” she teased. Oh Great Goddess, he wanted a whole lot of fun with this woman. A whole lot of times, in a whole lot of positions, with a whole lot of orgasms. Without warning, he dropped to his knees, pulled the nylon shorts and her panties to her ankles and slipped one hand between her legs. “Rio! What—” She couldn’t finish the sentence because she gasped when he slid two fingers straight into her dripping sex. Her hands clasped onto his shoulders, to either hold herself steady or make sure he didn’t go anywhere, he wasn’t sure which. But she didn’t have to worry. He wasn’t moving anywhere until she’d come. The trimmed, pale brown curls on her mound were silky soft. He couldn’t resist getting closer and running the tip of his nose through them. He inhaled. She smelled aroused and wet and hot. All for him.
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Rio didn’t wait to taste her. Using both hands, he spread her legs until he saw the folds of moist pink flesh and the small nub of her clit. Her fingers urged him closer and he settled his mouth directly over her clit, letting his tongue lead the way to flick over it a few times before he gently nipped at it with his teeth. Rosie moaned so loudly it reverberated off the stone walls. He worked her with his tongue and teeth for a few minutes, licking and sucking. Her body thrust toward him, at least as much as he allowed, his hands holding on tightly to her hips. He wanted her begging for release, wanted her to equate pleasure with him only. Then he would give it to her. With his eyes closed, he relied on his senses of taste and touch to guide him. Swiping his tongue along her folds, he lapped up the moisture gathered there. The sweet honey was more intoxicating than any alcohol. Like an addict, he wanted more. He moved one hand between her legs and thrust two fingers into her wet sex. Her pussy sucked them in eagerly. He finger-fucked her, alternating fast and slow thrusts until he felt her orgasm begin and heard her whimper. When her muscles clamped onto his fingers and she cried out, he drew out her climax until she was gasping for air. Only then did he increase the speed and rush her into release. When her knees buckled, he caught her and laid her out on the mat. Rosie looked sated and a little dazed. Both good things. But Rio was far from finished. In fact, he’d only just started. He tangled with her bra for a few seconds before he got it off and threw it over her head. After he tossed the shorts and panties from her ankles, he wrestled with his jeans, easing them off his hips and making sure he didn’t catch his aching erection in the zipper. When he was finally naked, he spread her legs, crawled between them then sat back on his heels, watching her. Her heavy-lidded gaze connected with his. Watching. Waiting. Wondering.
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If he were an artist, he’d paint her just like this. But since he didn’t have one artistic bone in his body, he settled for using his hands to trace every curve, every line, every hollow, from her beautiful face to her gorgeous toes. Her webbed toes. Cool. That must be her aguane heritage.
He opened his mouth to say something but completely lost his train of thought when she sat up and cupped both hands around his cock. It was his turn to groan at the sensation of her cool hands on his heated flesh. His shaft jerked in her grip then thickened even further as she stroked him. Closing his eyes, he let her caress him with long pulls, alternated with light tugs on his balls. The sensation made sweat slick his skin but he forced down his desire. When he came, he wanted to be buried deep inside her, hopefully while she came as well. And that meant holding on— She slipped her lips over the tip of his cock and sucked. The sound that came out of his mouth was animalistic in its intensity and he reached for her head to hold her in place. After she’d played her tongue around the tip for a few seconds, she let her lips slide down on him, taking more of him until his shaft was completely enclosed in her mouth. His cock head reached inside her throat. No woman had ever let him in so deeply. The wet heat, the scrape of her teeth and the motion of her tongue shot fire into his balls. Oh Christ, he wasn’t going to last. His hips pumped involuntarily as she drew back, letting her teeth drag against the tender flesh. The slight pain and the cool air on his moistened skin made his cock jerk in warning. “Rosie, I’m gonna—” The swift downward motion of her mouth forced all the air from his lungs in sheer pleasure. No more words were needed. The fierce suction she induced as she hollowed her cheeks made it more than clear what she wanted.
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Rio gave in to her, the rush of fluid pulsing out of him and into her mouth. It was sensual and binding in the most primal way. His. Always his.
Back flat on the mat, arms over her head, Rosie stretched her entire body. She felt completely sated and, for the first time today, not totally freaked out. She could get addicted to sex with Rio. Real fast. On his stomach beside her, the object of her obsession had his eyes closed as he tried to catch his breath. His hand lay heavily on her stomach, his skin warm. She wanted to bask in that heat for hours, like a cat in the sun. Wanted to rub her body all over him, make him come— Oh wait, she’d already done that. But there was no law that she couldn’t do it again. At that moment, Rio opened his eyes. He must have been able to tell exactly what she was thinking because he smiled that maddeningly erotic smile. “Babe, just give me a minute.” She laughed, because there was no way he’d be ready again in a minute. He looked completely replete. She had done this to him. Rosie had never felt this sexy and powerful. His smile turned rueful. “Okay, maybe more than a minute. But definitely no more than five.” Leaning over, she smacked a kiss on his lips then rolled away to get her clothes. “We should get dressed and go upstairs. I’m sure Sal knows what we’re doing down here, so I’m already going to be embarrassed when I see him. But if we do it again, I won’t be able to look him in the face.” Rio pushed himself up on an elbow to watch her. “Believe me, Sal’s not gonna judge.”
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Pulling her bra on, she shook her head as she searched for her shorts. “Still, it’s not like I know the guy and here I am, having sex in his basement.” She finally found the shorts all the way across the room. How’d they get there? “I’m not normally this…” Slutty? Horny? “Eager.”
“Glad to know it’s just me,” Rio said, smiling. Damn, but that man’s smile did wonderful things to her libido. “And that’s, ah, something I wanted to talk to you about.” She pulled on the shorts and panties. “You know I’m not a virgin. I’ve slept with other guys before. So is what happened, my powers unlocking, just because you’re…magical?” He didn’t answer right away, just stared at her until finally she put her hands on her hips and prepared to interrogate him. “Rio…” With a sigh, he sat up, reaching for his jeans and pulling them on, not bothering with his boxers. Since he was naked under them, she held her breath for a second as he dragged up the zipper. “Rosie…” He imitated her pose and attitude, which made it impossible to hold on to her anger. Then he turned serious. “This explanation is a little more…involved than the others.” Her eyebrows lifted. “You mean more involved than learning how to control this magic that has somehow taken over my body? More involved than learning there are men like Sal in the world? More involved than—” “Okay, okay.” He held up his hands like a traffic cop, grinning a little. “I’m sorry. You’re doing great, dealing with all of it. But this is a little different.” “Different how?” Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the ends before releasing it. “Different in that it involves our…relationship.” Relationship? He thought they had a relationship? Rosie tried to squash the flare of
happiness that erupted in her chest at his use of the word. Yes, she wanted them to have
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a relationship. She’d fallen for him the second she’d seen him and although she couldn’t—wouldn’t—put her feelings into words just yet, she knew Rio already meant more to her than any man ever had. Still, they’d only met yesterday and relationships didn’t work like that, did they? For all she knew, Rio might tell her he was going to leave her with Sal to wait for her godmothers’ return. But then he’d practically instructed Lora, Vivian and Fanny to get lost and that he’d take care of her. Unable to bear the suspense any longer, Rosie said, “Just spit it out, Rio.” Hands stuffed in his pockets, arms tight with tension, he said, “I’m pretty sure the reason the spell broke when we were together was because we’re soul mates.” She blinked. “Did you just say…soul mates?” He nodded. “Yeah.” Rosie might be more than a little bit of a hopeful romantic but she was also pragmatic enough to know that most men did not believe in love at first sight or soul mates. Still, Rio didn’t look like he was kidding. On the contrary, his expression was completely serious, not a hint of a smile in sight. “And by that you mean…” He stared straight into her eyes. “That we’re meant to be together. I believe we were blood-bound in a former life.” Her eyes widened until she could feel her forehead scrunching. “Former life? Blood-bound?” He nodded solemnly. “Yes. In a former life. I believe if we look, we’ll find a mark on your hand or on your body, some mark you’ve always had, that you thought was a birthmark or a blemish. That will prove it.” Her head spun from information overload. “What does blood-bound mean?”
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He paused again and his mouth twisted, as if he wasn’t quite sure how she was going to take what he had to say. “It’s a ritual, a magical ritual that binds our souls together throughout all eternity, ensuring that we find each other in every life.” Whoa. That sounded…permanent. “And how does this happen?”
“We exchange blood during sex.” Her mouth opened then closed then opened again. She didn’t have a clue what to say to that one. Rio’s expression never changed. Actually it was curiously blank. Rosie had no idea what he was thinking. Was he happy about this? Was he pissed off that he’d been trapped by a past self into believing he should spend the rest of his life with her? Did he want to run fast and far and never look back? Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there was no proof. “So where would this mark be?” “Well, it could be on your hands, your chest or…you might not have a mark at all.” She frowned, her brain at a dead stop. “Why not?” “If you’d have been a virgin when we first made love, I could’ve cut myself and our blood would have mingled when—” She held up her hand, blushing irrationally. “Got it.” Now he smiled, the blasted man. “That’s considered the most preferable way.” She snorted. “Yeah, I bet it is for the guy.” “Ah Rosie, what man wouldn’t want to be his true love’s first and only?” His tone was completely sincere. Well, when he put it that way, she couldn’t hold on to her sarcasm. “So do you have a mark?” He didn’t speak right away and the pause made her heart beat heavily in her chest. Then he lifted his right hand, palm up. She wasn’t close enough to really see what he wanted to show her, so she had to move toward him. “What am I looking at?”
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With his other hand, he pulled her flush against his body. Her arms went around his waist automatically, her hands spread across his back, her fingers kneading his firm warm skin. The man’s body had her hooked like an addict on crack. Even though she still tingled from their last go-round, she wanted him. Again. Focus, Rosalia. This is important.
If what he was saying was true, Rio was destined to be hers. Forever. Wasn’t that what she’d dreamed of since she was a little girl? The man of her dreams who swept her off her feet? Rosie looked back at the hand he still held out for her, searching for whatever it was he wanted her to see. Rio’s hands weren’t huge but they were strong, hands that could make her scream with desire. “What am I supposed to be looking at?” His right palm was lined, just like every other palm she’d ever seen. Except…there was one line that wasn’t like the rest. One line ran counter to all the others, from his pinky to his thumb. “I noticed it when I was thirteen and I was playing some stupid game with my brother Teo. He looked at my hand and laughed. He said, ‘Kid, you’re screwed. Women are more trouble than they’re worth.’” He shook his head, still staring at that line. “Of course Teo, being Teo, wouldn’t tell me what the hell it meant, so I had to ask my dad. He took one look and called for my mom. The rest of the males in my family aren’t as enlightened as I am.” He smiled at her and it did wild and wonderful things to her insides. She held up her left hand and looked at her palm. No out-of-place line. “Rio, I don’t have a line.” He wasn’t her mate. Worse, she wasn’t his. The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. “I’m not—” He placed his fingers over her lips, his gaze holding hers. “Yes, you are. I know it. I knew it the first moment I saw you. I just didn’t realize what I was feeling.”
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“But how can you be sure?”
Rio saw fear in Rosie’s eyes and he hated it. He wasn’t handling this well. His brothers would be all over his ass. He had a reputation for handling women, charming them. Mostly charming them out of their clothes. But this was his woman. He didn’t want her to be upset, not about this, not about anything. “Because I’ve never been more positive in my life. Pull your shorts down, hon. Let me check something.” Her eyebrows rose and the corners of her mouth lifted just a little. “I think you’ve checked that already.” Wiggling his eyebrows made her smile spread. “Now who’s got their mind on sex? I want to check if your mark’s on your hips or your back.” Twisting her body in a way that made her breasts thrust out and lust pound through his veins, she pulled her shorts off her right hip. Her lips pulled into a frown until he said, “Try the other hip, hon.” She turned, doing that lust-inducing twist again. “Oh my God, Rio, look. I never even noticed that before.” Rio had no doubt she was his. Nonetheless he released a silent sigh of relief. Leaning forward, he pressed his hand against the mark of her skin. It was tiny, just a small straight line, so very pale against her skin. Wearing a big grin, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. “Guess we’re stuck with each other for a while, huh?” she whispered. Not just for a while. Forever. But he didn’t want to press that point just yet. His arms came around her waist and he pulled her even closer. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
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Chapter Nine When they emerged from the basement, they ran upstairs to take a quick shower before getting dressed and heading back to the kitchen and Sal, who was waiting for them. “All right, you two.” Sal pulled the cork out of a bottle of Merlot and poured them each a glass. “Try to contain yourselves for a little while. We’ve got stuff to discuss.” Rosie sighed, knowing she couldn’t continue using sex to keep her mind off everything else. It would be nice though… “So, Rio,” Sal picked up his glass, “I think I know who you should take Rosie to see about her powers.” Rio picked up his glass and swirled the ruby red liquid. “Yeah, I know who you’re going to suggest. I thought the same thing. This is going to make her decade, you know that, right? First Nino then Cam, now me.” Rosie knew those names. They were Rio’s older brothers. So who was the “she”? “Are you talking about your mother?” Rio pulled a face, not meeting her gaze, but Sal laughed before he said, “Yeah, Tana’s gonna love you.” She couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic and she should be worried. Maybe Rio’s mother wouldn’t like her. Maybe his parents wouldn’t be thrilled with a salvanelli in the family. “Rio?” He must have heard the question in her voice, because he smiled reassuringly. “You don’t have a thing to worry about. I grew up listening to my mom mope about how she was never going to have grandchildren. During the past year, both Cam and Nino
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found their mates. Mom’s ecstatic because she figures she’s going to get grandchildren soon. That you’re Fata is just a bonus. Believe me, she’s gonna love you.” Rosie wrinkled her nose, staring at her hand tracing patterns on the table. “Or is she going to think I’m a slut? I mean, last night I picked up a guy in a bar and slept with him. Today I have magical powers and a soul mate.” “Hey.” Rio grabbed her hand and squeezed, hard enough to get her attention. “You’re not a slut, Rosalia. You and I, we’re meant to be together. Whatever we do is meant to be. Anyone says differently and I’ll make them eat their words.” His expression was dead serious and the weepy feeling she’d had earlier returned, making her eyes well again. “So when do I get to meet the folks?” Rio looked at Sal. “What do you think?” Sal took a sip of wine before he answered. “I think we should shift her around a few times, try to draw the bergoia out into the open but keep Rosie one step ahead until we can get rid of it. Then she can go see your parents.” Rio groaned. “Shit, Sal, you want me to subject her to my brothers, don’t you?” Sal shrugged. “They’re the only ones I’d trust at the moment, kid.” Rosie shook her head. “Now you want me to impose on even more strangers? Isn’t there somewhere safe we can hide—alone—until the bergoia makes a move?” Rio rubbed his thumb along her hand, the motion making her hand tingle. “As much as I appreciate the sentiment, hon, I trust my brothers even more than I trust myself to keep you safe. And they’re going to want to meet you.” Rio had obviously already made up his mind and she trusted his judgment. She was about to give her go-ahead when she remembered something. She sighed. “What about my godmothers? They said they would be back before nightfall. They’ll be worried if I’m not here.” “I’ll give them an update as soon as they get back,” Sal said. “Let them know where you are. They’ll know it’s the right thing to do.”
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Rosie gave that another moment’s thought then sighed again and said, “So when do we leave?” Rio’s smile was instant and completely comforting. She would have gone anywhere with him. “Just let me call Cam and let him know we’re coming.” She expected him to reach for a cell phone but instead he got up and lifted the receiver on the antique-looking black phone on the counter next to the refrigerator. He turned the rotary dial a few times and waited. She’d never seen anyone use a phone like this. She’d noticed it before but had thought it was just for show. “Hey, Phil,” Rio said, “can you connect me to Cam? Thanks.” An operator too. It wasn’t the strangest thing she’d experienced today but it was just one more piece of a new world she’d never known existed. She wanted to know who he was talking to and why he had to use that old phone to do it. When she was a child, her aunts had always said she never let a minute go by without a question. She’d been an inquisitive little girl, which was why they’d introduced her to the library. As she watched, Rio seemed to be mentally gearing himself up. Then he suddenly straightened. “Hey, Cam. You up for visitors tonight?” She vaguely heard a deep male voice on the other end of the phone. “Ah, yeah, I’m bringing someone you’re going to want to meet.” A pause. “ Baciami il culo, Cam. We’ll be there in a few minutes… No, Cam, it’s nothing like that.” Another
pause. “Just…be presentable.” Rio hung up the phone and smiled at her. “Let’s go for your first ride, babe.” Rosie frowned. “Ride?”
***** Rio had laid out the particulars and now Rosie looked terrified.
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“We’re going to do what?” He took her hand and held her gaze. “Sal’s going to transport us to my brother’s house. He’s going to use a spell to move our bodies from here to there in just a few seconds.” Her eyes widened even further. “Like a transporter on Star Trek?” “Kind of like that, yeah,” Rio said. “Babe, it’s going to be fine. My brother does it to me all the time.” “Yeah,” Sal snorted, “but take my advice and breathe through it. Rio usually holds his breath and passes out by the time he gets there.” Great, just what he needed, Sal giving out his most embarrassing secrets. Hell, she hadn’t even met his family yet. “You’ll be fine, babe. I’ll hold your hand the entire time and it’ll be over before you know it.” She took a deep breath, still staring into his eyes. Finally she nodded. “Okay. You’ll be with me?” Goddess bless her, she was so damn brave, taking everything in stride. And she was his. “The whole time,” he answered. She swallowed hard. “What if I can’t hold on?” “You can’t lose me that easily. I’ll be holding on to you too.” “All right, you two.” Sal waved them into the middle of the living room. “Let’s get this show on the road.” Rosie grabbed both of Rio’s hands, her grip tight. She looked at him with such blind trust he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of fear. He didn’t want to let her down but Sal was right. He did tend to pass out just after translocation. Mostly because he hated listening to his brothers. A lifetime of “Do this”, “Don’t do that”, combined with being the youngest of four boys, had made him…well, unwilling to take advice from them. There was no way he’d ever tell his brothers he was completely freaked out by this particular spell. No other act of magic bothered him like this one. Sure, it was irrational
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but hey, some people were afraid of spiders. And others didn’t like having their molecules transported from one place to another by magic. Cam had tried to help, had given him some tips to make it better. He’d never listened. But now he’d have to be strong. For Rosie. Time to grow up. “All right, Sal.” Rio gave Rosie a reassuring smile then he took one deep breath. “Let’s go.” Rosie’s hands tightened on his to the point of pain as Sal snapped his fingers and time and space parted. One second, he and Rosie were standing in Sal’s living room, the next, they stood in Cam’s living room. Through it all, Rio kept breathing—then found himself staring into his oldest brother’s eyes. Cam’s normally hard expression softened the tiniest bit as he reached for Rio’s shoulder with one hand and Rosie’s shoulder with the other. “Come on, Rio. Sit down before you fall over.” “Cam, I’m fine.” Surprisingly he was. He experienced none of the dizziness and blackouts he usually had when he was transported. “Rosie, hon, you okay?” Cam didn’t release him until Rio moved to put his arms around Rosie. She looked so pale, her eyes wide and pupils dilated. Jesus, no wonder Cam freaked whenever he transported him. He probably looked this bad. “Rosie, look at me. Come on, sweetheart.” Slowly her eyes focused on his and then, after drawing in a deep breath, she took a look around. “Oh my God, Rio. How awesome was that?” His laugh blasted out of his chest at the sheer exhilaration on her face. When she leaped at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, he hugged her close, shutting out everyone else in the room. “I’m glad you had a good time.” He kissed her, a loud smack on the lips, and she kissed him back. Rosie opened her mouth over his and slid her tongue inside his mouth.
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Rio groaned at the lust that pounded through his veins, lust he could do nothing about, because his brother— Cam cleared his throat and a feminine laugh sounded from behind them. “So, Rio,” Cam said, “you want to introduce us to your new friend?”
***** Rio’s brother Cam and his wife Stella welcomed Rosie with such warmth she couldn’t help but feel at ease. Immediately after the introductions and Rio’s quick explanation of the situation, Stella invited her to sit on the cushy sofas in the living room while Cam pulled Rio into the kitchen—far enough away that she couldn’t hear a word they were saying. “So I’ve never heard of a salvanelli before,” Stella said. “And you didn’t know a thing?” The cool blonde looked like every rich snobby cheerleader she’d ever met but in fact, Stella was the nicest person. Smart, curious and almost as clueless about Etruscan mythology as she was. “My godmothers never told me anything,” Rosie said. “I didn’t know a thing until last night.” “Must have been a shock, huh?” Stella’s expression was pure sympathy. “You could say that. And I’m still not really sure what it means. Rio and Sal have explained some of it but…” She shrugged. Stella smiled. “I know. I’m still learning too. I’m a strega, a witch. I’ve always had the ability to transport myself, like Cam, but until I met him I just thought I was a freak of nature. My parents never explained why I could do what I could do and then they died.” Stella’s expression hardened. “Actually my son-of-a-bitch uncle killed them… And then I killed him.”
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Rosie’s eyes widened at Stella’s flat statement. “Sounds like…he deserved it,” she said carefully. She couldn’t imagine ever harming anyone herself but Stella’s tone brooked no argument. “He did.” Stella nodded emphatically. “He was evil…” She cast a quick glance to the men who were returning to the sofas then addressed Rosie again. “This thing after you seems pretty bad too.” “It is,” Rio said, sliding onto the couch beside Rosie. “Which is why you’re going to stay far, far away from it.” Rosie lifted her brows at him. “And how do you plan to do that?” “By killing it.” “And again…how do you plan to do that?” “By giving it what it wants,” Cam said as he sat next to Stella. “But…isn’t that me?” Rosie asked.
The fear in Rosie’s voice felt like a punch to the gut. Rio hated putting the woman he loved through this crap. “Rosie, I won’t let anything happen to you. I swear.” He reached for her and she slid right onto his lap, wiggling her ass into a comfortable position. His cock immediately hardened. Rio swallowed a groan and settled for a quick kiss on her temple, ignoring Cam’s raised eyebrows. “We want the bergoia to think it’s going to get you but you’ll be nowhere close. Then we’ll kill it.” “Do you know how to kill a bergoia?” she asked. “I thought it was already dead.” Sometimes his little mouse was just too smart for her own good. “I guess kill is a bad word. How about we send it back to hell?” She sighed against his neck, her warm breath raising his blood pressure even more. “So what do I have to do?”
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“Nothing.” Cam answered that one. “You’ll be safe here for the night since we don’t think it knows where you are yet. The house has strong wards and a state-of-theart security system. It won’t be able to get in without tripping all sorts of alarms. “Tomorrow we’ll let the bergoia know you’re here but the second it’s on the way, we’ll move you to a secure location and get rid of it.” Rosie looked from Cam to Rio. “Do you know how to do that?” Cam looked straight into her eyes. “No, but we’ll figure something out.” She must have seen what she needed to see in Cam’s eyes, because her tensed shoulders visibly relaxed, but she still looked back at Rio before she nodded. “All right.” Trust. He saw it on her face, in her eyes, and his stomach twisted in on itself. No one
had ever looked at him with that level of emotion before. Then Rosie’s face lit up in a smile—and his heart pounded in time with the blood rushing to his cock. “You know,” Stella said, “it’s getting late. Cam and I are going to bed. You guys take the back bedroom. We’ll see you in the morning.” “But—” Cam never got a chance to finish whatever he was going to say because Stella grabbed his hand and literally pulled him out of the living room. Rio saw them take the stairs to their bedroom only out of the corner of his eye. He couldn’t look away from his Rosie, blushing so prettily. She mustered a breathless “Good night” but never took her eyes off Rio’s. He held her stare, listened to her breathing deepen before he let his gaze fall to her chest. Her nipples peaked against her t-shirt but as much as he wanted to bend and take them in his mouth, he waited. For her lips to curve up and her lids to lower in desire. Waited for the moment when she lost her inhibition about being in his brother’s home and gave in to the fact that they were going to be naked and in bed in just a few minutes. Abruptly, she stood, tossing her hair over her shoulders and holding out her hand.
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He smiled before he took it and let her pull him to his feet. Barely an inch of space separated them. The air around their bodies was charged with electricity that practically crackled. Standing, he stared down into those pale purple eyes, loving the way they warmed for him. He could tell, just by her expression, that she was right there with him. When he bent to scoop her up in his arms, she didn’t try to hide her laughter. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head on one. He was halfway to the back bedroom when she took his earlobe between her teeth and nipped. It was just a brief flash of pain but it made his cock throb in his jeans and his blood burn. Arms tightening around her, he stepped up his pace, careful he didn’t accidentally knock her against the doorframe as he stepped into the bedroom. With his foot, he shoved the door closed then aimed straight for the bed. Rio tossed her on it and before she had time to release the laugh he saw on her curved lips, he fell on her with a hunger that only grew the longer they kissed. Their tongues dueled as their hands tangled in each other’s clothes, battling buttons and zippers to see who could undress the other the fastest. Rosie had the lead at the moment with his t-shirt off and his pants down around his ankles, but that was only because he was letting her win. Actually he felt like the winner since she had one hand wrapped around his shaft and was working it up and down with a tight grip. He groaned, low and deep, then got on with the program of stripping her down to bare skin. When she pushed him onto his back to get more access, he toed off his shoes and worked his jeans off his ankles, using his feet since his hands were still busy trying to get her jeans unzipped. That bastard little button at the top was giving him problems though, refusing to slide through its hole.
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His frustration levels were about to blow off the top of his head. Rosie refused to let him break off the kiss and he couldn’t see what he was doing until, finally, her jeans gave up the fight and he shoved them off her hips. Just as he was about to let his fingers slide into her sweet wet pussy, she pulled away, lifting one finger to his lips to stop any complaint he might have had and shaking her head. She slid off the end of the bed, making sure he watched her every move. As if he could take his eyes off her! Christ, they were glued to her frame. When she stood before him, he lifted his upper body on his elbows so he could see what she was doing. The small smile on her face should have clued him in to the fact that she was going to make him suffer—in the best possible way. With her gaze on his, she let her hands drop to her already gaping jeans and slid her hands between her skin and the fabric, slowly dragging the pants down her legs. She still wore a pair of little white panties that shone softly in the light. He briefly thought about tearing them off with his teeth but decided against destroying a pair of her underwear. Women were funny about that. Of course he could always buy her more— She’d look incredibly hot in black silk and lace. Rio lost his train of thought when her hands reached for her dark purple t-shirt and pulled it over her head. His mouth dried when he realized she wasn’t wearing a bra. How the hell had he missed that? Now he couldn’t take his eyes off those small perfect mounds. He couldn’t think beyond the fact that he wanted to feel her soft skin and rub his stubble against the nipple until it puckered. He thought about all the other places he wanted to rub and could barely breathe by the time she moved only a second later. Naked now, Rosie crawled up the bed, one knee on either side of his body. She came right up to his face, laid her lips on his and kissed him with all the heat in her eyes. He opened his mouth to let her take him, resisting the urge to lift his hips and brush his cock between her legs. He knew she was wet and his nostrils filled with her 96
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musky, earthy scent. His arms trembled when her tongue darted in and out of his mouth, mimicking the motions of sex. His knees came up, bumping against her ass, crowding her closer. With her hands on his shoulder, she dropped her hips, her pussy brushing against his cock. As their tongues tangled, she rubbed herself against him, letting her juices coat his shaft. He didn’t know how long she kissed him, because he was lost in the sensuality of the moment. Her hair fell down around his face, the strands tickling his shoulders and chest. His skin tingled at the feel, his stomach contracting as he arched up into her. Inside. I need to be inside. With a spell, he materialized a condom and covered
himself. Rosie looked down in astonishment. “Handy trick,” she said wryly before settling her lips back on his and slipping her hand between them to grab his erection and lift it away from his stomach. His heart hammered and his lungs struggled for air as her hand stroked him from root to tip and back again. Anticipation tightened his muscles, making his entire body ache. The ache multiplied tenfold when she fit the tip of his cock to her slit and sank down on him in one smooth motion. The sensation literally flattened him, his elbows sliding out and his back hitting the bed. Instead of following him down, she sat up and took him in deeper. He waited for her to move, watched her toss her hair over her shoulders like a conquering goddess and plant her hands low on his stomach. Her expression made him groan. Desire was painted on her features in broad strokes. When she moved, the arus in his blood rose in response. Her sheath clamped around him, the heat pulsing in waves that fed his magic. It rose between them, twining around their bodies and heightening the pleasure. Her body went taut and her hips stuttered to a halt just before she moaned and began to
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move in earnest. She set a furious rhythm, thrusting downward with ever-increasing speed. Her fingers dug into the muscles of his stomach and he lifted his hips into her. The world narrowed down to the two of them, the sound of their flesh meshing and the rose scent of her skin enveloping him. His orgasm gathered in the base of his cock, tied to the rising magic in his blood. Reaching up, he found her clit with his thumb and rubbed in time to her increasingly frantic motions. Her breathing became labored, her fingers clenching and releasing his muscles. “Rio, please.” The panting entreaty did him in. His cock jerked and released as their magic melded. A burst of energy erupted between them. It was so strong it threw her over the edge. Her pussy milked his shaft with a throbbing beat, forcing sensation to continue to sweep through him, draining him. With a rough sigh, Rosie fell forward, her body limp and warm. And all his. Forever.
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Chapter Ten “I like your brother. He seems very, um, competent. And intense. Very intense.” Rio snorted, resting on his elbow as he drew lazy circles on Rosie’s bare back. Sprawled on her stomach across the bed, she relaxed into his touch. She hadn’t been able to fall asleep, too wound up from the sex and the thought of what tomorrow could bring. Rio couldn’t sleep because he was worried about Rosie. If anything happened to her— “Yeah, intense is almost too kind to describe Cam.” He ran his hand down her back to cup her ass. She had such a beautiful ass. “He’s a force of nature. Like a hurricane, but he doesn’t destroy things. He blows in and takes over.” And when he was done kicking ass and taking names, Cam would have cleaned up whatever mess someone else had made. She turned her head to look up at him. “You worship him.” He laughed but she was absolutely right. “Yeah, well, don’t tell him that. It’ll go to his already fat head.” Rosie shook her head. “I don’t think anything but Stella goes to his head. He seems to have everything all worked out by the time you tell him what the problem is.” Something curled into a tight ball in his stomach but he refused to call it jealousy. Rosie knew exactly what he was thinking, if her impish smile was anything to go by. Rolling onto her back, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her, skin to skin. The heat of her body seared his, drawing his desire for her back to the surface. Hell, he didn’t think there would come a time when it wasn’t somewhere close to boiling over.
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“But,” she said, “controlling guys never did much for me.” Her hips rotated against his, rubbing her mound against his thickening cock. “So what guys do it for— Babe, what’s wrong?” Eyes wide, she stared over his shoulder. Before he could turn, something hit him from behind.
Rosie had never seen anything like the beast that suddenly materialized behind Rio. It looked like a cross between a dragon and a snake, with the worst attributes of both. It had razor-sharp teeth in a mouth that stretched as big as a crocodile’s, with fangs thrown in for good measure. Its head was shaped like a crocodile’s too, long and ugly. This had to be the bergoia. There was nothing remotely human about it, although, if Rosie had understood correctly, this had once been a strega, like Stella. Gray scales covered the grotesquely muscular arms and serpent’s body that shot out of kangaroo-like hindquarters. Its tail had one long spike on the end and claws tipped its three-fingered hands. It was hideously scary and when it swiped one of those hands out and threw Rio across the room, she couldn’t even scream. He hit the wall and fell to the floor, but the second the thing made a move toward her, he was up. He rushed in from the side, tackling it like a football player. They hit the ground with a huge crash that shook the floor and the walls. The beast trapped Rio under it. His head bounced against the oak-plank floor, so hard Rosie was sure he was knocked out. But Rio twisted and wrapped his hands around the beast’s neck. Fear paralyzed her, her brain stuck on the fearsome image of the beast lying on top of Rio, trying its damn best to get its teeth into his neck. He was strong though and kept the thing far enough away that it couldn’t bite him.
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It took a few seconds for her brain to begin functioning again, but when it did, she went straight for the bergoia. Rosie threw herself at its back, squeezed her arms around its neck and tried to pull it off Rio. The hideous beast’s scales scraped the bare skin of her arms and it let out a shrill screech that hurt her ears. “Cam!” Rio yelled. “Rosie, get the hell out of here! Now!” The beast tried to whip its head around to bite her, its hot, gross-smelling breath brushing along her cheek. Those teeth were even more fearsome up close and personal. When the reptilian eyes caught hers and its mouth drew back in what she assumed was a grin, she knew it wasn’t after Rio. This thing wanted her. Her immediate reaction was to pull away. But she didn’t even have time to think Oh shit before she knew she’d made the wrong move.
The edge of one of its teeth caught her arm. She heard Rio yell, “Rosie, no!” Then she didn’t hear or see anything at all.
“Rosie!” Rio’s heart stuttered as Rosie’s eyes rolled back in her head and she fell away from the monster. He swore the thing smiled at him. “Your wards and fancy security system are no match for something that no longer has life in its body.” Its voice rasped like sandpaper over gravel. “You’ll never save her now, linchetto. She’s gone.” Rio refused to believe that. Rosie was his. He’d just found her. She couldn’t be gone. He pushed the pain that invaded every cell in his body as far away as he could and replaced it with fury. He would save his love. The bergoia wasn’t going to win. His rage gave him the strength to keep the thing from biting him. But he needed to get it away from Rosie, who looked so pale lying on the floor. She’d tried to save him—
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With a burst of strength, he rolled and tossed the thing away toward the other side of the room—just as the door burst open and Cam took stock in one second flat. Cam dove for the bergoia, putting himself between it and Rio and Rosie. But before he could get to it, it hissed and disappeared. Rio didn’t wait to see if it returned. He ran for Rosie, dropping to his knees and lifting her into his arms. Her body was warm but he couldn’t tell if she was breathing or not. “Oh Gods, Rosie.” He held her against his chest. The soft breath against his neck was barely palpable but at least she was breathing. “The bergoia bit her, Cam. Oh Jesus. Fuck. Cam, what the hell—” The panic cut off his words and tears gathered in his eyes.
“That’s not helping, Rio. Get a grip.” Cam laid his hand on her forehead then pressed two fingers against her neck. “She isn’t dead, thank the Gods, but I think the fucking thing put a spell on her with its bite. It paralyzed her like a tarantula. Probably so it could get her out of here easily and then kill her at its ease. Come on, put her on the bed.” Rio laid her on the rumpled sheets, gently covering her naked body with the comforter. He didn’t care about his own nudity, but he knew Rosie wouldn’t like to be on display like this. He smoothed back her hair, her skin so pale against her dark curls. It scared the shit out of him. “Jesus, Cam…” “Rio, pull yourself together.” Cam’s sharp tone made him take a deep breath and focus. “I want you to stay here with Rosie. I’m going to find the damn bergoia. Get it to tell me how to fix this.” “Then you need me to go with you.” Rio desperately wanted to stay with Rosie but he knew the beast would never give up its secrets. It was already dead, for God’s sake. The only hope they had of getting the bergoia to tell them how to cure Rosie was to read its mind. And that was where his
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“No,” Cam shook his head, just one curt shake, “you stay—” “No,” Rio’s tone was pure steel, “you need me, Cam. That thing isn’t going to tell you what you want to know. It’s already dead. This is the only way.” His brother’s jaw set and Cam looked him straight in the eyes. There was no way Rio was going to let his brother keep him out of this. This was about his and Rosie’s future together and he would fight this battle. Cam must have sensed his conviction, because he blew out a sharp breath and ran a hand through his hair. “All right, but we do this my way.” Rio stared down at Rosie, at her pale skin. “Whatever it takes.”
***** “Vaffanculo, Rio. I don’t like this.” Cam paced before the huge natural-stone fireplace in his living room, his face set in hard lines. “Not one bit.” Rio heard his brother but couldn’t let himself be distracted by the worry in Cam’s voice. He had to get a feel for the sword in his hands. He hadn’t held one since he was a teenager. The damn thing weighed a freaking ton, he needed two hands to hold it and the fucker was sharp. Cam had demonstrated just how sharp by dropping a piece of paper on it. The edge had cut the sheet in half like a hot knife slicing warm butter. “Not your call, Cam. Not this time.” His woman, his fight. No other way. He’d called Sal to let him know what had happened and Rosie’s godmothers had appeared at Cam’s door seconds later. Rio had thought they’d rip him up one side and down the other but they hadn’t accused him. They almost seemed to blame themselves, which Rio and Cam both assured them was not the case. The only one to blame here was the bergoia. And Rio would make sure the damn thing paid. After it gave up the secret how to cure Rosie. After some discussion, Cam, Rio and the three gianes had come up with a plan. The godmothers knew how to draw out the bergoia. They would track it then call in Rio and Cam so they could pool their power and destroy it. 103
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Cam’s heavy sigh broke into Rio’s thoughts. He could practically hear his older brother running through excuses in his head as to why Rio should let him handle this alone. Cam had always been a controlling bastard, ordering everyone around to his tune. But not this time. Nothing he could say would make a difference. Rio braced himself for further arguments but Cam just stood there, staring at him. “What?” The question came out a little sharper than he’d intended. His brother was starting to freak him out. Cam shook his head. “Nothing. You’re just so…” He shook his head. “Nothing… So you think you remember how to use that without cutting off your own hand? We know guns won’t work against the bergoia since it’s already dead. The only way to get rid of this thing is to cut its head off with an iron blade.” Rio lowered the sword. “Okay, now you’re really freaking me out. You’re not going to order me to stay home so you can go fight the big bad monster by yourself?” Cam crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing. “No, I’m not. You’re a big boy, Rio. Gotta cut the apron strings sometime.” Rio almost opened his mouth to tell his brother to go to hell, but then he realized Cam wasn’t dissing him. “Jeez, when did you get all misty-eyed, old man?” Cam snorted. “About the time you decided to find a decent woman and become a man. Come on, let’s see what you can do with that sword.” Picking up the matching weapon from the sofa where he’d laid it, Cam lifted his sword. Just as Rio was about to attack, he lowered it again, his head cocking to the side, as if picking up some sound Rio couldn’t hear. “Hold that thought. Mom and Dad just got here. And so did Nino and Ellie.” When Rio had called Sal earlier, Cam had called their parents and brothers, asking them to come and stay with Rosie while he and Rio went after the bergoia. As the front door opened, Rio braced himself for the bomb-drop effect of his family.
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His parents walked through the door first, Tana de Feo taking a quick look around before spotting Rio and making straight for him. He smiled at the concern on his mom’s unlined face. At two hundred, she was considered middle-aged in Fata years. But she looked like any beautiful fifty-year-old etera. Her dark hair held no gray, her body still as slim as a twenty-year-old’s.
“Rio, sweetheart. How are you, baby?” His mom reached for him and he set the sword aside quickly before he accidentally hurt her. When his mom had one of her boys in sight, she didn’t see anything else. Wrapping strong arms around him, she hugged him so tightly he thought his ribs might crack. “I’m fine, Mom. Honestly.” As a kid, the intensity of his mother’s love had sometimes been hard to take. Now, with the love of his life in a spell-induced coma in the next room, he knew where that intensity sprang from. He let her hug him as long as she wanted. Lucumo de Feo stood behind his wife, his dark eyes steady on Rio. When his mom finally stepped aside, his dad reached for him, bear-hugging him until he could barely breathe. No wimpy handshakes in this family. “Son.” Luc wasn’t much of a talker. When his dad stepped back, Rio saw his second-oldest brother Nino talking to Cam. Ellie, Nino’s mate, gave him a quick kiss and a hug before she headed off to the bedroom where Stella sat with Rosie. Only Teo was missing— The front door opened one more time and Teo walked through. Shaggy brown hair curling around his face, hazel eyes taking in everything. Teo got the same treatment from his mom and dad, got the head nods from Cam and Nino. Then they all turned to him.
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“So, Rio,” his mom smiled, “why don’t you introduce us to your mate? Then we can get this show on the road.”
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Chapter Eleven Laying one last kiss on Rosie’s cool brow, Rio took a deep breath. Adrenaline ran through his veins like broken glass, clearing his head of everything but what he had to do. “I’ll be back, babe,” he whispered in her ear, hoping she could hear him, even though she seemed almost frozen in time. “I won’t let you down.” When he stood, he looked at his dad, standing by the bed with Nino and Teo. All had swords. They were staying behind to guard Rosie and the other women while he— Cam laid a hand on Rio’s shoulder. “You stay close, Rio, when we get there.” Cam hefted his sword in his right hand. “Mom’ll take it out of my ass if anything happens to you.” “Camillus, language.” Their mom’s eyebrows shot up, even though they all could see she was tired. And scared. For the past hour, Tana had labored over Cam’s moon bowl in his altar room, scrying for the bergoia, just in case the three gianes wouldn’t be able to track it. Because their mother was better at that spell than any of her children or her husband, she’d insisted on performing it herself, even though the bergoia could possibly create a link back to Tana and attack. But they all knew Tana was damn good at what she did. She’d found the beast but what she’d seen had made Rio’s skin crawl. “Why the hell didn’t they call us? We’ve got to go now. Her godmothers aren’t going to last long.” The moon bowl had shown the women in their home, sparks flying as they threw spells at the bergoia. Vivian had blood running from her nose and ears and Lora’s arm
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bent at a weird angle, but Fanny had a wand out and was blasting the thing with bursts of pale blue electricity. “They must have drawn the bergoia out and it went straight for them. Revenge is big with that beast,” Cam muttered. “Don’t care. Get us there. Now,” Rio ordered. Cam nodded. Sword heavy in his hand, Rio took a deep breath then another as he closed his eyes and felt his body disintegrate. The next thing he knew, he was standing in the entrance hall of Rosie’s home just as the creature caught Fanny across the jaw with one of its claws. She stumbled backward and fell to the floor. He didn’t have time to check strategy with Cam. He went straight for the beast. Sword raised at chest level, he swung straight out. But the beast hissed and broke to the side with an inhuman speed before it parried with a slash of those lethal claws. They fought in silence, only the sound of Rio’s breathing becoming heavier and heavier as they battled. Rosie’s godmothers hadn’t yet regrouped and Rio realized Cam was nowhere to be seen. The damn wards the godmothers had around the house must have kept him out. “Rio, you need to cut off its head,” Vivian called to him from the other side of the hall as she crawled toward Lora, who looked unconscious. “I can’t,” he yelled as he lifted the sword to defend himself against the broadsword the beast had manifested in its hand. “You won’t win this battle,” the bergoia hissed through its teeth. “The girl will never wake again.” At Vivian’s soft cry, the beast’s mouth curved in a cruel grin. “She’s dropped into twilight sleep. She’ll stay there forever. There is no way for you to bring her back.” Rio tried not to listen. The beast would say anything to hurt them, to weaken them. Without responding to its taunts, he leaped forward and engaged it again, looking for a
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weak spot. Cam and his dad had taught him how to use a sword, had drilled him from the age of ten when he could finally lift his dad’s gladius and swing it. He’d never imagined having to use those skills. Not in a world where guns, self-defense training or a decent spell could take care of most everything. But now, with only himself between Rosie’s three injured godmothers and a nightmare creature that couldn’t be killed in any of the regular ways, he sent out a silent prayer to the gods. The weight of finding a cure for the woman he loved was squarely on his shoulders and by Uni, he would live up to the challenge. The beast took advantage of his momentary pause to attack again. It swiped for his head, a move that Rio parried with the sword, but it followed up with a punch to his gut. He twisted away but it still caught him just below the ribs, not hard enough to be fatal but it hurt like a bitch. And really pissed him off. They fought, the bergoia testing him, trying to wear him down. Though the beast had been a human strega upon death, it had made a deal with Charun, the Etruscan God of Death. It had given the god a blood sacrifice and Charun had allowed it to return to the living world as a bergoia. But the god had a bitter sense of humor. Though the bergoia retained its human intelligence, it was mostly animal now. It thought like a human, with cunning shining in its eyes, but it fought like an animal— straightforward and with no forethought other than to win. Rio fought with every trick his dad and Cam had taught him but he hadn’t gotten close enough to the bergoia to even think about laying his hands on the thing and reading its mind. Without Cam, he needed to come up with another plan. He couldn’t count on Rosie’s godmothers to help. From the corner of his eye, he saw Vivian and Fanny trying to revive Lora. But he couldn’t help them now. He needed his entire concentration focused on the beast. If he could only get it close to the wall then maybe he could shove his sword through it and pin it there. The iron blade should keep the bergoia from magically 109
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transporting away. Right now it thought it had a winning chance so it wasn’t about to leave. And that, Rio decided, was the creature’s failing. It didn’t even consider that it could lose. That was how he’d beat it. Rio let himself get a little slower with each parry. Falling back into a defensive position, he took a step backward then another. The bergoia’s mouth curled in a snarl. It got ready to come in for the kill. But when it pounced, Rio was prepared. The bergoia aimed high, expecting Rio to block so that it could try for his stomach. Rio took a calculated risk. He ducked, lowered the sword and stabbed straight through the beast. The bergoia caught him in the head with the back of its fist, making his ears ring, but Rio continued to force it backward. It was hissing and screeching as it hit the wall. Its arms flailed wildly, its claws only millimeters from his skin. Its head thrashed from side to side. Still Rio kept pushing the sword through its body until the tip hit the solid oak paneling on the wall, holding it in place like a bug on a pin. As soon as it was stuck there securely, Rio reached out and grabbed both of the beast’s arms, pinning them to the wall. Then he held on. Rage hit him like a two-ton truck. Black and bitter and all consuming. The bergoia lived in an eternal well of hatred. All the wrongs—real or imagined—that had ever been done to it during its life ran on a constant loop in its mind. It fed the beast’s anger, kept it in a constant state of fury. The fact that Rio could read its thoughts pissed it off even more. Single-minded in its determination to get away, it fought with the strength of two men. Rio held on. Bits and pieces of its human life filtered through—spell-casting, rituals under the moon, running through dark alleys with someone close on her heels. Terror, anger, despair—a mess of emotion that made it so fucking hard for him to find what he needed. The cure for Rosie. But he wouldn’t give up, his determination lending strength to his arms. 110
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Deeper, he had to go deeper into its mind. With a steadying breath, he pushed all his fear and anxiety back, closed his eyes and fell into the beast’s mind. The bergoia went wild. It fought with everything, its fear making it stronger. Rio felt blood drip down his face from a scalp wound and from the gash in his side where the beast had caught him with its sword. And still he held on. Because he saw something, something the bergoia didn’t want him to see, something the bergoia had hidden, maybe even from itself. It made Rio laugh in pure relief. With a motion faster than any he would have believed himself capable of yesterday, he released the creature, grabbed the sword and pulled it free. Before the beast had time to take even a few steps, Rio swung the sword through its neck, watching with a detached sense of awe as the head separated and fell to the floor. He took one deep breath. And passed out.
***** Rio regained consciousness in stages. First was his sense of feeling—and with it, mind-numbing pain. His entire body ached as if the flesh had been stripped off the bones. He really hoped that wasn’t the case. He must have passed out again, because the next time he woke he could hear as well as feel. That wasn’t much better, because Rosie’s godmothers were taking him to task. “What if you’d gotten yourself killed?” Lora asked. “What would our Rosie have done then?” “Foolish boy,” Fanny tsked. “Brave but foolish. Lucky for you, Vivian is a decent healer or you’d have bled out all over our floor.” Finally he got his eyes to cooperate and focused them enough to see Vivian’s ageless face above his.
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“Now leave him alone, you two, or I’m going to banish you.” Vivian smiled down at him. “I think you were very brave, Rio. And more than a match for our Rosie. How are you feeling?” Before he could answer, Cam spoke from somewhere out of his sight range. “He better be feeling awful, because if you’re not, you’re going to wish you were. Goddamn it, Rio. I’m going to kick your ass for being so reckless. I was stuck outside because of the damn wards. Apparently they’re designed to only let Rosie’s soul mate through.” Cam shot a quick glance in Vivian’s direction then continued, “If anything had happened to you, Mom would have never—” “Christ, Cam, give me a break.” Rio wanted to lift his hand to brush away his brother’s anger but decided against it. Just thinking about moving his muscles hurt. “You would have done the same damn thing.” Cam took several seconds to digest that. “Yeah, I would have. Shit, Rio, you could have been killed.” Rio blinked a few more times, getting his eyesight back to normal so he could locate Cam. His brother stood next to a pile of ashes. That must be what was left of the bergoia. Cam must have burned the body with a spell. “Thanks for cleaning up after me, dude.” Cam just shook his head as he walked over to Rio. “You better have what you needed from that thing, because the only place it’s going is the landfill.” Carefully, with Vivian’s arm around his shoulders, he sat up, anxious to get back to Rosie. “I got what I needed. No one can help Rosie but me. Now transport me back.” Vivian nodded as if she understood but Cam’s gaze narrowed. “Are you su—” “I’m sure. Just do it.” Rio stood, already feeling better. Vivian’s healing magic had obviously taken care of the worst of his wounds. Sure, he’d be sore for a while but those tiny aches and pains couldn’t compare to the one in his heart. He had to get back to Rosie. Right now.
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Cam’s lips curved up in a brief imitation of a smile. His brother didn’t say anything. He just reached out, laid his hand on Rio’s shoulder and took them back to his house. His dad was the first to notice them. He crossed the space from the couch at a flat run. “Rio, son…” Lucumo’s worried expression told Rio he still didn’t look too good, but he didn’t care. He needed to see Rosie. “I’m fine, Dad. Is she okay?” “Oh Rio.” His mother emerged from the back bedroom. “Are you hurt?” She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his arms. “Camillus, is he okay? What happened?” Rio gave his mom a quick peck on the cheek but didn’t stop on his way to the bedroom. “Rosie’s godmothers are probably going to be here in a few seconds, Mom. Keep them company please. But don’t let them into the room. Actually it’d probably be better if you all leave. We’re going to need some privacy to break the spell.” He didn’t wait for his mom to answer. He had to see Rosie. He vaguely heard Cam say something to their mother but he couldn’t make out the words. Teo stood in the doorway, his gaze assessing. “No change. Hope the bergoia looks worse than you do, bro.” “If by worse you mean a pile of ashes then, yeah, it does.” He moved into the back bedroom, past Nino who had his own sword in one hand. Stella and Ellie sat next to the bed. Both got up to give him a quick hug. “Guys, I can’t thank you enough for watching over her.” He turned around for a brief second to acknowledge his family then he focused on Rosie, and her alone. “But for what I need to do, I don’t think Rosie’s going to want an audience.” Nino’s eyebrows lifted but Ellie smiled and began to drag her mate out of the room. Before she closed the door behind all of them, she said, “Don’t worry, Rio. I’ll make sure
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no one disturbs you. But you’re going to need to bring your girl to dinner. Perhaps in the next couple of days? I don’t think Stella and I can keep your mom at bay any longer than that.” He spared another glance back at Ellie and smiled. “Thanks, Ellie. You know you’re a goddess, right?” Well, actually she was the daughter of a god, but Rio wasn’t a stickler when it came to rank and standing. Her lips twisted into a cute little grin. “Yeah, yeah. You always were a sweet talker.” Then her expression sobered and she looked straight into his eyes. “You sure you’ll be okay?” He nodded, needing to believe it himself. “We both will. Thanks.” She smiled, stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. Steadying himself, Rio took a deep breath and leaned his head and hands against the door, listening to his family talk quietly to Rosie’s godmothers, who’d just arrived. The solid wood door muffled their voices but their tones were concerned and a little frightened. In just a few minutes, Ellie made good on her word and got Teo to leave with her and Antonin. A minute after that, Cam and Stella left with his parents and Rosie’s godmothers. He had no idea where they’d go. Didn’t care. Silence fell over everything like a wet wool blanket. Turning from the door, Rio walked to the bed. Rosie would have looked so peaceful lying there if her skin hadn’t been so pale. It was the only outward sign that there was something wrong. What if she’d slipped too far into the twilight sleep? She’d be caught between life and death for all eternity. Just thinking about it made his chest tighten to the point of pain. But I can save her. If what he’d seen in the bergoia’s mind was true then he could
bring her back. The logistics went against his nature, but he’d do it and not give it a second thought.
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He started by removing the t-shirt Ellie or Stella must have dressed Rosie in. He ignored her unresponsiveness. Soon enough she’d be wrapping her arms around his shoulders and kissing him back. Now if he could just imagine her being asleep… With a flick of his hand, he pulled the shades and turned off the overhead light, plunging the room into intimate darkness. Another flick had him naked on the bed. Rio slid under the covers next to her and gently removed the rest of her clothes. He was careful not to twist her arms or legs or pull her hair. All the while he kept talking to Rosie, telling her how much he loved her and how they would spend the rest of their lives together. When he had her naked, he tenderly rolled her on her side and curled c urled up behind her. He needed to hold her, needed to feel her warm skin next to his. And he needed to get into the mood. Fast. But his brain wouldn’t stop working. What if he’d read the bergoia wrong? What if— “No,” he chided himself, “I’ll never know if I don’t try.” Closing his eyes, he molded their bodies together, her warm back to his chest, his arms wrapped around her. After a few seconds of absorbing the feel of her, he believed he felt her chest rise and fall in a slightly faster rhythm. Did she feel him? Damn, he hoped so. His hips nestled against her smooth ass and when he inhaled her sweet scent, he felt lust stir his cock. He rubbed his hardening shaft between her ass cheeks until he had a rock-hard erection. All the time, he kept thinking of Rosie, heard her laugh in his mind, breathed in her rose smell. As his own breathing deepened, he could have sworn he felt hers quicken as well. It gave him the push he needed to slide his hand between her legs— Her pussy was drenched! He groaned aloud when his fingers slipped through the slick folds.
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She was responding to him. Even through the spell, she sensed him, wanted him. Their souls were connected no matter where they were. Not even death could— But Rio wouldn’t think about that. Rosie was not dead. In fact, she was very much alive. His finger found her clit and rolled the little nub. He was awarded by another burst of moisture. Her sweet juices trickled down her thighs. It was time to bring his sleeping beauty back to life. With one last prayer to the Great Goddess Uni, Rio guided his cock to her slit and thrust inside.
***** Rosie opened her eyes to darkness. Heat surrounded her, inside and out. Desire made her entire body heavy. She sensed Rio’s presence. It was all around her. He whispered to her, words of love, words of comfort, but he was too far away for her to clearly hear them. Warmth caressed her pussy and she knew it was him—her body knew it was him. She wanted to touch him, feel his cock, but she couldn’t pinpoint where he was. Then Rio shifted and thrust inside her. She gasped, heat rushing through her body as light and color seeped back into the world. And suddenly he was there—behind her, his cock deeply embedded inside her pussy. She sighed as her muscles tightened around him, causing him to groan and wrap his arms even more tightly around her waist. His mouth opened on the back of her neck, biting lightly, and she gasped again at the pleasure. “Rosie,” he whispered, almost as if he didn’t think she could hear him, “Rosie, honey, I love you so much.” His hips thrust again, the angle of penetration rubbing against that perfect inner spot that made her shudder. 116
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“Oh Rio. Do that again.” He froze behind her—so not what she wanted him to do. d o. “Gods, Rosie. Oh Rosie… I love you. Are you okay?” The intensity in his voice made her frown. Of course she was okay, even more so if he would just start moving again. She could barely think over the lust pounding in her blood. “I need you, Rio. Make me come.” Wiggling back against him, she tried to encourage him to get back with the program. She heard Rio’s harsh breathing, felt the trembling in his chest, even felt a drop of moisture on her shoulder. Was he crying? Why— His cock surged back into her, making all other thoughts disappear. Her head falling back against his shoulder, she reached for his hand, sliding it down into the curls on her mound. Rio didn’t need any more encouragement. His fingers honed straight to her clit, his touch immediately increasing the fire in her blood. Her impassioned moan made him thrust even harder. Heat sparked from her clit through her sheath to her womb. Her whole body came alive with sensation. She reached back for his hips, pulling him closer, deeper. He gave in to her without a fight and fucked her so hard the bed groaned in protest. Rosie loved every second of it. She loved the feel of his hand on her clit. Loved the feel of his cock shuttling in and out of her. Loved his control over her. Loved him. “I love you, Rio.” The words burst out of her. Arching her back, she settled her hips against his and felt her orgasm detonate. It burned b urned her to cinders and took Rio with her.
***** “So the bergoia is really gone?” Rosie’s words brushed across his chest, as light as a feather, sending a shiver up his spine. A very good shiver. 117
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The memories had come back slowly after they’d made love. She’d been rattled when he’d explained what had happened—which had meant of course that he’d had to calm her down with more sex. Now, lying across his chest in Cam’s extra bedroom, she had her arms wrapped tightly around him, as if she were afraid he might disappear. His arms were wrapped just as tightly around her. He wasn’t going anywhere without her. “Gone and never coming back.” “And you found that out because you read its mind…” He heard the unasked question in her voice. “Yeah. But don’t worry. I can’t read yours. I’m pretty sure it has something to do with being soul mates.” She laughed, just a short puff of air. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. And my godmothers are okay?” “You just talked to them a few minutes ago. They’re fine.” She’d called them as soon as they’d caught their breath. There’d been lots of crying on the other end of the line and a few tears on Rosie’s cheeks. Happy tears, he could handle. “And you’re really okay?” she asked. Even though it was probably the fourth or fifth time she asked, he only smiled and said, “I’m fine.” “And…you love me.” Rosie sounded smug and more than a little satisfied. Wrapping one hand in her hair, he gave it a gentle tug so she looked up at him. When he was staring straight into those beautiful purple eyes, he nodded. “More than my own life.” Her smile warmed his heart for several seconds. “Then you’d better take care of yourself, Rio. No more going off on your own to fight monsters,” she paused, “because I love you too…” The sweetest of kisses followed that announcement and desire again pounded in his blood. Gods, the woman would wear him out… Never!
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Before he could act on it, Rosie drew back and frowned. “Am I going to have to move to Philadelphia? I mean, I will if that’s where you want to live but I love my job and—” “There’s no way I’ll make you give up your job.” Hell, he’d even move in with his parents or her godmothers if it made her happy. “We’ll find a place here in Reading. Wherever you want. And since you’re going to need to learn how to control your powers, it’s probably better to be closer to my mom.” The smile on her face was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. “Sometimes I think you’re too good to be true, Rio de Feo.” He pinched her cute little ass. “That’s just a reminder that I’m no figment of your imagination.” His formerly sleeping beauty kissed him hard. “I love you, Rio.” “I love you too, Rosie. Always.” The End
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About the Author Stephanie Julian is an avid reader, who used to have a book-a-day habit. Then she realized she not only wanted to read books but write them, too. Romance has always been her first love, the sexier the better. Hot men, strong women and a heaping helping of magic dominate (and she does mean dominate) her blazing hot stories. When she’s not writing, she’s, well…she’s certainly not cleaning. And she only cooks when her guys complain that they're hungry (ain’t cereal grand!). Otherwise, she’s got her fingers on a keyboard, her butt in a chair and her head in the stars.
Stephanie welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Stephanie Julian Magical Seduction 1: Seduced by Magic Magical Seduction 2: Seduced in Shadow Magical Seduction 3: Seduced and Ensnared
