Page 33 of Charmed

He stared in blatant disbelief…before he tipped his head back and laughed. The cheerful sound filled the clearing, infusing me with a warmth deeper than the crackling fire.

“You cursed yourself?” he asked when he’d regained enough composure to manage words; his wide grin and the mirth lingering in his eyes dispelled his usual gloom.

“By accident,” I clarified defensively. “So you don’t need to fear the repercussions of earning the ire of a vengeful witch…though now that I know how to cast such a curse, I might be inclined to turnyouinto a frog should you refuse to help me.”

“There’s no need for that. I’m not inclined to ignore anyone in need…even wizards who got themselves into their own predicament.” He winked.

Wizard…so he thought I was male? I was tempted to correct his mistaken assumption, but I wasn’t sure how he’d react to knowing the companion he was spending time alone with was agirl; honor might dictate I no longer accompany him, which would thwart my goals to turn back into myself and acquire the healing magic he’d have access to should he win a place on the council. After a moment’s vacillation, silence won and we finished our dinner, both deep in thought.

After the meal, I made my way to the pond to find a place to spend the night. The spellbook hovered worriedly as I hopped along the lily pads with rather precarious balance and lurched forward when I nearly slipped into the water, but I managed to regain my footing and settled myself more or less comfortably on the smooth, cool surface of a pad.

I tucked my limbs beneath my body, closed my eyes, and remained immobile, yet even once I managed to still my own worries and rushing thoughts I wasn’t entirely sure whether or not I entered a true state of rest. Ever since my transformation, I hadn’t seemed to need actual sleep; apparently frogs rested differently than humans. Though I sat still with my closed eyes blocking out my surroundings, I remained alert to the world around me—the gentle sway of the lily pad where I balanced against the water, the caressing breeze, the popping embers, the soft ruffle of the spellbook’s pages—each sound like a soothing lullaby.

I hadn’t been resting long when Alden’s aggravated groan punctuated the air, compelling me to open my eyes to find he had once more returned to work, his fingers burrowed in his hair as he gazed helplessly at the thick volume in his lap.

When he made no other sound, I tried to recapture my earlier stillness…yet as before it wasn’t fully silent. In addition to the magnified sounds, my ears or some deeper sense picked up a trace of something else—a faint whispering sound similar to the magic I detected when I listened for my powers, though I couldn’t discern where it was coming from. Before I could fully analyze this new sensation, my concentration was abruptly interrupted by an unexpected sound of rustling fabric.

I glanced in Alden’s direction…only to discover he was no longer there. Despite my keen awareness of my surroundings, I’d missed his departure. I whipped my head back and forth but the clearing appeared abandoned. I was about to venture into the trees to search when asplashabruptly jerked my attention to the pond.

My gaze skimmed the water. Had Alden fallen in? Panic coursed through my body when he didn’t immediately surface, the feeling enhanced by my small frame. Worry filled each hop as I ventured closer to investigate.

“Alden?” I peered into the pond, and had just discerned a human-like shape when he broke through the surface with a satisfied gasp.

My relief that he was alive and, by his calm expression, didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger barely registered when it became eclipsed by an emotion of a far different sort.

The man wastopless.

Such alarming circumstances were awkward enough, but were made even more so when my night vision allowed me to see every contour of his rather chiseled chest in vivid detail, a sight that rendered me speechless.

Completely oblivious to his effect on his frog companion, Alden ran his fingers through his dripping hair before settling back with a contented sigh, relaxing with the full intention of staying far longer than my heightened anxiety could allow.

“What are you doing?” I demanded.

He startled and whisked his head around, his shoulders relaxing once he caught sight of me. “You surprised me, Mae; I feared someone had stumbled upon me, which would have been rather awkward.”

He chuckled and resumed his bath. I did my best to look away, but the trouble with now having nearly 360-degree vision was I could still see him no matter which way I looked. Each glimpse of his chest did nothing to lessen its effect on me…until the force grew far too tempting to even attempt to look away.

Sensing my staring, he glanced over with raised eyebrows, catching me in the act. If a frog could blush, I was certain my face would be awash in crimson. “What is it?” he asked.

The last thing I wanted to admit was that I’d been staring at him. His realizing the extent of my embarrassment would only clue him in to the fact that I wasn’t awizardas he’d initially supposed, but a buddingwitchwho happened to be of marriageable age and thus had no business gawking at his bare chest.

“I was trying to sleep.”

“My apologies.” He looked genuinely remorseful and made to get out of the water, causing my panic to surge.

“No! Don’t get out! You can finish.” I forced myself not to dwell on the fact that I’d only delayed the inevitable of him emerging naked once he finished.

“Then I will be prompt.”

I felt a twinge of guilt that I’d compelled him to speed the process along when the strained wizard was finally allowing himself a chance to relax, even as I sent a plea heavenward that he would finish quickly. I made a valiant effort to pay attention toanythingelse, yet remained acutely aware of every movement of the sloshing water as he conjured soap to bathe.

I tried to rectify the problem by closing my eyes, yet it did nothing to lessen my acute awareness of his nearness, the energy that seemed to expand in the limited space dividing us. I hopped along the lily pads in an effort to increase our necessary distance, but my nerves made my movements in a body I still hadn’t fully accustomed myself to clumsy; balance was already difficult enough without my awareness of the handsome, naked wizard bathing nearby.

I misjudged a particularly long hop and slipped beneath the surface. I hastily squeezed my eyes shut so as not to see Alden’s approach as he waded closer and picked me up with aching gentleness. “Are you alright, Mae?”

I peeked an eye open a sliver to assure him I hadn’t died—though as a frog I was in no danger of drowning—only to encounter his dripping face clouded with a worry that somehow only made himmoreattractive.

Blast.

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