2

Tessa stared in the mirror and blinked several times. With a new cut and style, and now makeup, she hardly recognized herself. However, it definitely suited her..

“You are smokin’ hot,” the girl helping her commented.

“Thanks. I’ll take all of it.” She could smell the melting plastic from her credit card and still had to buy a few new outfits.

Once she’d checked out, she headed down the street to a small boutique she’d walked past every day on her way to and from her job at the Wicca shop. Many times, she’d stop in the morning while the small store was still closed and stare in the window. Envisioning herself wearing the outfit displayed on the mannequins, she would dream of having an ordinary life and a hot boyfriend. She certainly could never afford such nice clothes, and fear of her incompetent magic kept her from conjuring her own. As far as the boyfriend, her curse made being near a man impossible. However, since she was in dire need of help, she decided to wander in and see if the shop girls would be able to assist her in finding something to fit the bill.

“Hi, my name’s Mandy, how can I help you today?” a cheery young blonde inquired.

Tessa felt her confidence bump up a notch. “I need something sexy but not overboard.” She shifted her weight. “It’s a blind date, so I don’t want to come across as...you know, too much.”

The girl nodded. “I know exactly what you mean.” She walked to a rack of dresses. “Is this evening or daytime?”

“Umm, late afternoon.”

Mandy grabbed a couple of dresses. One in bottleneck green, another a cobalt blue, and one in a vibrant berry. “Follow me and I’ll put you in a dressing room. We’ll start with these and see how you like them. You have such a lovely skin tone.” The sales girl opened a room and hung the garments on a hook. “I think a low heel, maybe even a pretty sandal. Let me go look while you change.” She sauntered off and left Tessa alone with the dresses.

She tried on the green and immediately pulled it back off. The color wasn’t her favorite. Next came the blue. As she stood looking at herself in the mirror, she came to one conclusion. I had no idea I had this much cleavage. She wanted to seduce him, but this left her feeling like the girls would make an appearance any moment. Last came the berry. She adored the color and when she slipped it on, it was instant love. The richness of the hue against her skin was perfect. The deep scoop of the neckline showed the slight swell at the top of her breasts, yet didn't leave her worrying about falling out. The rest of the dress clung to her curves, and even she was impressed.

A knock came. “Come out and let’s see.”

She swung open the door and stepped out.

“Oh wow, that looks very nice. Here, try these.” Mandy handed over a pair of black sandals.

Tessa moved to sit on a plush stool and pulled on the shoes. With a low heel, a wide strap across the top of her foot and another thick strap around her ankle, they were sexy yet functional. She walked to the mirror to view the complete look.

“Ohh, I love this.”

“It shows off your assets nicely,” Mandy complimented.

“I’ll take it. Now, how about some jeans and a couple of tops.”

“You head back into the dressing room, and I’ll bring you some things to try.”

By the time Tessa left the store, she’d purchased the dress, two pairs of jeans, a couple of tank tops, and two pairs of shoes. Her card was close to being maxed and her nerves strung tight. She glanced at her watch. Two hours until he would arrive at her apartment. Just enough time to get home and change.

Crone strode down a narrow hall and stopped at the door marked with the number three. He wrinkled his nose at the dingy carpet beneath his feet The building was a pig pen, and if this Tessa was by some slim chance Tara’s family, he would remove her from the premises posthaste. No blood of hers should live in such squalor. He did have to wonder why she would choose to inhabit such an establishment. Was it possible she was giving up her life savings to hire him?

He squared his shoulders and knocked on the door. Light footsteps, undetectable to a human’s ear, came closer. Finally, the door swung open, and he nearly took a step back.

Shit!

She’d been pretty in the photo, but the woman who currently occupied the space on the other side sizzled with sex appeal.

“Hi, you must be Crone?” her voice carried soft and sexy.

“I am.”

She stepped aside. “Come in.”

He moved through the doorway and into a small living room. Doing a quick scan of the area told him a lot about her. She was neat and liked things in order. Not a speck of dust touched the room’s surface. A thick, leather-bound book stood out among the others on the case. Most likely, her ancestors spell book. He turned to focus on her. Her dress molded itself to her skin, and he tried hard not to notice the swell of her breasts.

Double shit.

“So, who are you exactly?” he asked, never one to beat around the bush.

She took a step back. “I told Makayla who I was. Did she not provide you with the information?”

“Yes. However, I need to know everything about you if I’m to provide protection.”

“Oh. As you may have guessed, my grandmother was Tara. You remember her?”

He’d never forget. “I remember.”

Sadness crossed her face. “I never got to meet her. My mother told me the story of what happened and how you tried to protect her.”

He furrowed his brows. “I searched for any remaining family and found none. How did your mother know what transpired?”

“My mother was there and witnessed the entire thing.”

Crone nearly retched. The daughter had watched her mother die? He wanted to kill Morden all over again. “What do you mean she was the there?”

Tessa steeled her shoulders. “My mother was eight at the time. Morden kept her hidden from you but made her watch. It was his warning of what happens when you defy him or his family.”

“Son of a bitch.” Disgust and hatred filled him. “I'm so sorry I failed. Had I known Tara had a daughter, I would have torn the place apart until I found her.” Was that what she'd been trying to tell him? He'd failed at that as well.

“You couldn't have known, nor could you realize Morden intended her death all along. She'd defied him the entire nine years he held her captive.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry. My manners are lacking. Please have a seat.” She gestured toward the furniture in the center of the small room. “Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee? I might even have a beer in the fridge.”

“No, but thank you,” he stated sitting in a chair. “Please tell me more.”

She took a seat on the couch. Her dress hiked slightly to reveal long legs, and Crone imagined them wrapped around his waist. Damn. What the hell is wrong with me?

“My mother was handed over to Morden's son.”

Crone stroked his goatee. “I’d no idea he had a son.”

Her brown eyes filled with hatred. “Yes. He handed her off to another warlock family to be raised. When she turned twenty-five, he claimed her just as his father had claimed my Nana. I was born and raised with the family then allowed to leave when I turned eighteen.”

“Why do they allow you to leave then come for you later?” He was having trouble making sense of this.

“It’s another form of cruelty. Allow us to enter society and get a taste of freedom so they can later snatch it away from us.”

“I see, and where is your mother now?” He feared her reply.

“Dead.”

Tessa focused on the man who sat across from her, his blue eyes piercing her soul. She thought she’d been prepared for the Jinn named Crone, but when she’d opened the door... If sex could walk, it had sprouted legs, waltzed right into her living room, and sat in the chair across from her. Why did she ever think she was any match for this man? Power, carnal energy, and the scent of black leather mingled in the air and sent a spark of sexual tension that lashed out and landed smack between her thighs.

He raised a brow and promptly furrowed it. “I am sorry for your loss. Can you tell me how the women in your family came to such a fate?”

“They were cursed several centuries ago by an ancient warlock.” She rubbed an invisible spot on the hem of her dress, hating the fact she had to give him ammunition he might possibly use against her later. However, she had to trust him…a little. After all, he had tried to protect her Nana.

“The first female in my family to be taken was generations back. She was marked with the warlock’s symbol on her body, which is passed to all the Blackwood women in my family. A curse comes with the marking that makes us easy to locate. Around our twenty-fifth birthday, a descendent of the original warlock comes to claim his Blackwood witch. They take our power, and then choose the man who will father our next daughter so the cycle continues.” She intentionally left out how the warlock took their power. That was something he absolutely did not need to know. Too many questions would be asked.

Did he realize Nana had given him her power? Or the fact his mate currently sat across from him? The witch she’d purchased the blocking spell from had assured her that the Jinn would not be able to detect she was his vetemba. Tessa wasn’t positive how it kept Crone from knowing, but she would do anything to remain hidden. At least until she decided what to do about the mating.

He studied her as if searching for the truth. Was he capable of seeing through her and discovering all of her secrets? After a long pause, he asked, “So this warlock you wish to be protected from, I assume, is one of the Demois descendants?”

“Yes.” She tamped down the fear that he would suddenly change his mind. The man could win a poker game hands down. His features, not even his eyes, gave away anything.

“What are you not telling me?”

Crap. Had he figured out already what she was? She understood there was a chance he would eventually realize she was his vetemba, so she fell back on something a friend had taught her long ago. Deny, deny, deny. “I don’t know what you mean.”

His left black brow arched high over a pool of blue, and he looked at her as if she were a child who’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. “One thing you need to learn. I’m not a man with much patience. How does the warlock take your power? Is that what Morden did with Tara?”

Quick, think! “Yes, he took her power, but I’m not positive how.” She plastered on the best poker face she could muster. Let him believe her Nana had no power when he’d fought to save her. The less he knew, the better for her. He scrutinized her, but settled back into his chair and seemed to ponder her words.

“Okay. This is what I propose. I can take you to a secure location where you’ll be safe, while I research more on these Demois warlocks. If you are agreeable, pack what you need and we can be on our way.”

She hadn’t expected the bit about leaving her home, but again she wasn’t sure what she expected. Perhaps he’d hang out in her tiny apartment and watch over her? Yeah, that was a stupid idea. Besides, soon she’d get kicked out for not paying her rent, and then what? She’d have to explain she was dirt poor, and he’d not be getting all the gold she promised. Stupid! I could just tell him the truth and hope he agrees to hand Nana’s power over to me while we have sex. Suddenly, it dawned on her... What if he has a wife? One thing she did know about the Jinn. They were devoted to their loved ones, and no matter how much she tried, there would be no seducing him. Was it even possible for him to marry if he had a vetemba? She wasn’t sure.

Panic mingled with the acid in her stomach and rolled around. “Do I need to worry about a jealous lover? Wife?”

His mouth curved into the most delicious grin. “You’ve nothing to fear on that front. I’m between lovers, and a wife is not even on my radar.” His gaze dropped to her breasts, and her nipples hardened as if on command. “Are you offering?”

“No.” What the hell did she mean no? She should have said yes and been on her way to getting exactly what she wanted. Apparently, the Jinn had her rattled.

“That’s good, because I don’t believe in mixing business with pleasure. Clouds the mind and that can be very dangerous. Now, are you agreeable to moving out of here?”

Her heart dropped to her stomach. He had no intention of sleeping with her, and she found his rejection stung. “Yes. What do I need to pack?”

He pushed himself out of the chair with powerful ease. “Pack light. It’s hot where we’re going.”