MagicalMistakes (4 page)

The three sisters sat back at the kitchen table, staring at
the small, growling dog.

“Are you sure he changed back?” Tamsyn asked.

“Not really something I’d mistake,” Mikayla snapped. “One
second he was a dog, then poof, he was Ciar.” She sighed, dragging a hand
through her hair. “Then he was a dog again.”

“When Wyn came in,” Tamsyn mused, tapping her finger against
her lips. “Well, first thing’s first.” She scooped up the angry dog and walked
out of the kitchen. When she returned her arms were empty.

“Do I want to know what you just did with little sis’s boy
toy?” Wyn asked.

Tamsyn waved her hand, obviously unconcerned. “I locked him
in the pantry. Figured we didn’t need Ciar eavesdropping.”

“Do you know what’s going on?” Mikayla demanded.

“What were you doing before he turned back to normal?” her
sister asked.

Mikayla frowned as she thought back. “I’d just finished
saying I was going to get a lover and he started growling. Then poof, demon
Ciar.”

A grin curved Tamsyn’s lips. “I see. He got angry at the
thought of losing you.”

Mikayla snorted in derision.

“Think about it, honey. When you cast the spell, you wanted
Ciar to notice you. You wanted him to see you differently. What if that’s the
trigger? When he starts to truly see you as someone he’s attracted to, the
spell weakens and he changes back to normal.”

“Since he wasn’t attracted to me, he reversed when I came
into the room,” Wyn said. “I think I should be insulted.”

“That’s my best theory,” Tamsyn said, ignoring Wyn. “I think
the change would have been temporary anyway—based on the strength of his
feelings—but yes, your appearance shortened his time as a demon.”

Mikayla shook her head. “Nice try, but I don’t buy it,” she
said, a blush heating her cheeks. “I practically did a striptease for him last
night and he didn’t change back. If he was attracted to me, don’t you think
something would have been triggered?”

“Last night was Halloween.” Tamsyn dismissed the protest
with a wave of her hand. “With all magic going haywire, there easily could have
been something in the air to counteract your spell. Today is the first day
we’re seeing the true effects of your incantation.”

Wyn nodded. “Makes sense.” She glanced back at Tamsyn. “Are
you thinking what I am?”

Tamsyn inclined her head, looking none too happy.

“Hell,” Wyn sighed, leaning back in her chair. “She cast a
Beauty-and-the-Beast spell.”

“I couldn’t have,” Mikayla argued. “They require time and
training. Not a two-sentence spell mumbled in the spur of the moment.”

“Be that as it may, you did cast the spell on Halloween,”
Tamsyn said, her voice gentling. “It changes all the rules. You changed his
appearance into an unnatural form and made the condition of his release…”

“No,” Mikayla whispered.

Wyn placed a hand on her shoulder, finishing Tamsyn’s
explanation. “Love. He has to fall for someone before he can regain his true
form.”

“It would explain why none of our reversal spells have
worked,” Tamsyn added. “Nothing can break a Beauty-and-the-Beast spell.”

“Nothing except Ciar falling in love. And he’s made it very
clear that I am not a suitable contestant for that game,” Mikayla said.

Tamsyn and Wyn glanced at each other. Neither sister had any
words of comfort to offer.

Mikayla closed her eyes. As much as she wished this could
all be resolved with a happy ending, she knew the truth. Ciar hadn’t wanted her
before. Even if he was starting to see her appeal, even if it led to fantastic
sex, it wouldn’t be enough to break the spell. If this
was
a
Beauty-and-the-Beast spell it meant he had to fall completely and utterly in
love with someone. And it wouldn’t be the witch who had trapped him in such an
unforgivable way.

“We have to find a woman he can love,” she said.

“Mikayla,” Tamsyn breathed.

Mikayla looked at her sister, forcing a smile to her lips.
“Will you and Wyn go to the Black Cat tonight? See if you can find any info on
Ciar’s previous relationships. Maybe there’s a woman in his past we can use.”

Wyn tapped her fingers on the table. “I’m all for getting
this man out of your life, don’t get me wrong, but are you sure you want to do
this?”

“This has nothing to do with me.” Mikayla gritted her teeth
and forced the words out. “This is about righting an unforgivable wrong.”

“Maybe he could love you,” Tamsyn offered, ignoring Wyn’s
derisive snort. Mikayla shook her head even as her heart leapt at the thought.
“He already has a hang-up about witches and now I’ve gone and done this to him.
Demons don’t forgive. You know that.”

Without another word she left the room.

* * * * *

It had been hours since the sisters had left and he was
still a damn dog. Mikayla sat close by, crossed-legged on the bedspread. She
appeared to be attempting to have a staring contest with him. His tail wagged
in annoyance, the movement still startling. He might have lived centuries but
having a tail was new even for him.

“No one else is around,” Mikayla said, interrupting his
thoughts. “You can change back now.”

He growled. If he could change back, didn’t the maddening
witch think he would have? After all, he was more than willing to pick up where
they’d left off. He wanted to find out if her naked body looked as good as it
felt.

A tremor ran through him, like he’d touched a live wire. If
he’d been in his natural form he would have frowned. What the hell was that?

Mikayla was oblivious to whatever strange powers were at
work. She chewed on her lower lip and his gaze followed the movement. How he’d
like to use his tongue to ease the abused flesh. Another tremor hit him.

Mikayla plucked at her t-shirt as if she was nervous about
something. He cocked his head to the side. What was the witch up to?

“Ciar?” she asked, reaching out to stroke his fur.

He closed his eyes at the contact. It was becoming a habit
for her, one he had no wish to break.

“I have something I want to try.”

He hadn’t imagined it. There was uncertainty in her eyes.
The sight would have made him smile if he’d had his own body. Mikayla was such
a contradiction. Tough as nails and ready to battle anyone who crossed her one
minute, shy and unsure the next.

His pleasure vanished, shame replacing it. Her hesitation
with him was more trained than instinctive. He’d taught her to expect only a rebuff
when she approached him.

She rose to her knees, gripping the hem of her shirt.

He sat up, alert. What was she doing now?

With a swift jerk she pulled the material over her head.

Electricity raced through him. There was no denying the
sight of Mikayla in only a black, lacy bra inspired desire but this was
different. His claws curled into the bedspread as his body vibrated with
energy. The tremors refused to let up, growing in intensity. He gritted his
sharp teeth, sure his body was about to explode. There was no surviving the
sensations ripping him apart. He opened his mouth to howl when black clouded
over his vision.

When the smoke parted, he looked at Mikayla with a man’s
eyes, not a poodle’s.

The witch’s mouth hung open as she watched him. With a small
squeak she grabbed a pillow and pulled it before her body as a shield.

Too late
, he thought. The sight of her was already
branded on his mind.

“Why am I back to normal?” he demanded. “And why do you keep
stripping in front of me?”

“It was a test.” Though her chin lifted, Ciar noticed the
telltale blush creeping up her cheeks. The sight was endearing.

Raising an eyebrow, Ciar lifted his gaze to hers. “Of what
exactly? My ability to see half-naked women?”

The blush deepened.

“I wanted to test a theory. We thought attraction might be
key to breaking the spell,” she explained.

His eyes narrowed before he rose to his knees and crawled
toward her. “Attraction?” he purred. Wasn’t that an interesting turn of events.

“I’d say it’s probably safe to conclude when you are
attracted to someone, you change back to normal.” She scooted back until she
hit the headboard. “Now since we have that settled, I’ll go put something more
suitable on.”

Ciar caught her arm before she could flee the bed. “If
attraction is the key to me staying in this form,” he told her, “then we should
probably try to prolong the feeling. Right?” His cock jumped in agreement. Oh
yes, he was more than ready to play.

Mikayla swallowed as she glanced back at him. “But before…”

Ciar slid closer, reaching out to draw one finger down her
smooth cheek. “Before?” he breathed.

Shadows swept over her eyes for the briefest moment, gone so
fast he wondered if he’d imagined them. “Yeah,” she said instead, her smile
turning sexy, her actions growing more confident. “Let’s see how long we can
keep you this way. I have quite a large number of fantasies you can only act
out sans paws.”

“Is that so?”

“Come see for yourself,” she offered.

He wasn’t a man who had to be told twice. Leaning forward,
he captured her lips with his.

Mikayla twined her arms around his shoulders and pulled him
closer. Ciar growled as the pillow she clutched kept him from crushing her
against his chest.

Grabbing the offending cushion, he threw it from the bed.
Mikayla didn’t protest.

He groaned against her lips as her scantily clad body
pressed along his. Her skin was as smooth as silk beneath his fingertips.
Perfect. She was so bloody perfect.

Breaking away from her mouth, he drew his lips down her long
throat. Ciar lapped his tongue over her pounding pulse. Oh yes, his witch liked
what he was doing to her.

She shifted and he slipped more comfortably between her
legs. Ciar rolled his hips, pressing his erection against her to prove just how
badly he wanted her naked and spread beneath him.

Her gasp was music to his ears.

Running his fingers up her sides, he touched the lacy bra
covering the flesh he most wanted to explore.

“Off,” he growled against her skin.

She snapped her fingers. The bra vanished as if it’d never
been.

Magic washed over his skin but for the first time, he didn’t
cringe when he felt it. How could he, when it revealed such a beautiful sight?

Ciar reared back to look down at Mikayla. She lay sprawled
beneath him, her brown hair tangled around her face and her skin flushed. His
gaze fell to her breasts and he couldn’t help cupping them in his large hands.
Her lips parted in a sigh of pleasure. With a smile, Ciar lowered his head to
the perfect handfuls. He teased one pert nipple with his tongue before drawing
it into his mouth.

She drove her fingers into his hair, releasing the black tie
holding it in place. He lifted his head as his hair tumbled around his
shoulders. Rarely did he look so disheveled, but Mikayla seemed to enjoy the
view.

The lust in her eyes called to him but he stilled at the
tenderness no amount of need could mask. A chill ran through his body at the
sight. That was what he’d wanted to avoid, why he hadn’t ever made a move on
her. She couldn’t look at him like that. It would only lead to trouble.

“Stop,” he breathed before he could call the word back.

She frowned.

“Don’t look at me like that.” He brushed his lips over hers
to soften the words.

“Like what?”

“Like I matter to you.”

She closed her eyes, a siren’s smile on her lips. “Of course
you matter.”

The words stabbed into him. He shouldn’t want to hear them,
shouldn’t enjoy the burst of pleasure they inspired. She was a witch, he a
demon. This could never be more than sex. If he was any kind of decent man he
had to make her understand. He wasn’t good for her.

“You’re making a mistake with me.”

With a smile, she laid her hand over his heart. She raised
her eyes to his and he was unable to look away. Had anyone ever looked at him
with such tenderness? It wasn’t an emotion valued by his people. But with
Mikayla he realized it wasn’t the weakness he’d always assumed. Under her gaze,
he felt stronger than he ever had before.

“If this is a mistake,” she purred, “then I might as well
enjoy it.”

She arched under him, rubbing her breasts against his chest,
and all thoughts of being noble vanished.

* * * * *

Mikayla grinned as she watched the pleasure flash across
Ciar’s face. She knew this was a mistake, one she would no doubt regret for a
long time to come, but even so, there was no chance of her turning away from
him. His arms around her was perfection. Like she belonged in his embrace.

His hands touched her bare flesh with such tenderness it
nearly broke her heart. She was the one who had done this to him. Yet he still
touched her as if she were precious. Mikayla closed her eyes, enjoying the
thrill of his fingers teasing over her sensitive skin. His hot breath branded
her as he leaned down to press his lips to her breast.

“How did I resist you for this long?” he mused, as if to
himself. “You are a goddess.”

She couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped her. “I wouldn’t go
that far.”

His paused. “I would.”

Her eyes snapped open. What had he said? Surely she’d
misheard him. She opened her mouth to protest but he was quicker. Catching one
aching nipple, he scraped it lightly with his teeth and nearly sent her
shooting from the bed.

“Ciar.” His name was a breathless gasp.

“Yes,” he murmured, his hands cupping her breasts. “I always
imagined you saying my name just like that.”

Her snort of derision was cut short when his fingers slid
down her body to trace along the top of her jeans.

“Liar, liar,” she teased.

“Hmm?” he queried, clearly focused on other things.