Page 21 of Pure Magic
Her breath catches. Arms crossed, she clutches her upper arms. “I am as well. Perhaps this will turn out to be a misunderstanding. Perhaps you are more sensitive, and Mother only made a mistake. I don’t know. It all feels wrong, Adam.”
“It does. I wonder that the trouble Goddess warned us was coming is not already at work.” Inside, I shudder at what my being in Windsor might cost, and if it’s worth it.
Chapter
Seven
SARA BETH
He calls me Beth, and I long to open my heart to him. Even so, danger rings in my head. Men cannot be trusted, and charming men are the worst of all. It’s not easy, but I try to banish my mother’s warnings from rolling around in my mind. “Who else might not wish for you to be in Windsor?” My cheeks heat. “Perhaps it was the nature of our conversation in the park that sparked interest from an enemy.”
I’ve blushed more in the last week than I have in my entire life.
“I don’t know why anyone, friend or foe, should care if I’m intimate with you or anyone else.” Intensity flashes in his eyes.
His desire heats the air in the room. The connection allows my need and his to merge. I squeeze my knees together, but it doesn’t help the sensation sparking between my legs. “Perhaps it’s because I’m sworn to protect the crown. Some people believe if I were killed, the Windsor coven would be vulnerable to attack. Those people would be mistaken. This coven would survive and thrive without me. I have seen to it.”
“I have no doubt.” Pupils fully dilated, he looks ready to breach the gap between us to relieve my growing need and his own.
“It may look as if the witches are frivolous, but they know what to do, no matter who should fall.” There’s no need to defend my leadership, and yet I’m doing so with more ferocity than I ever have.
With soft eyes and a slight smile, he says, “Beth, I have only been here two weeks, and it is clear you are a great leader, and not only respected, but adored. You needn’t defend your station. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to inherit such a job at a young age. No one will question your authority.”
He’s right. I’ve never been in danger of a mutiny. Prudence taught me long ago that my mother’s iron fist might not be the only way to lead. Loyalty is kinder when earned. I’ve done my best. “Goddess connected us.” I change the subject. “Why?”
“I don’t know.” His shoulders slump as he clasps his hands between his knees. “I asked to know your mind, but never thought it to be taken so literally. I’m sorry, Beth.”
For some reason, his apology hurts deep inside me. “I didn’t ask for remorse. I assume you would remove this link if you could.”
Looking up, he blinks several times. “No. I would know you in all ways. I would learn your likes and dislikes, loves and hates, and I would hear every word, thought, and feeling inside that beautiful head of yours. I love the moments when I hear you, but wouldn’t ever want to intrude on you. It’s hard to know when to listen and when to close off when feeling your desire for me right now is so alluring.”
I should be appalled that he knows of my need, but I’m excited about it. It’s satisfying to know he yearns for me just as painfully. “If I am honest, I would not change what Goddess has given us. I like the sound of your voice in my head.”
He frowns, and his worry punches through our connection. “What you offered in the park…”
“Yes. I remember.” Heat flushes my chest and neck, and my body tingles as visions of being taken against an old oak tree flood me.
“As delicious as the offer is, Beth, it would never be enough. I know you think one swift night to relieve our need would end this yearning, but I know you’re wrong. It will only whet our appetites.” His broad chest rises and falls hard and fast. “I would be honored to make love with you.”
Unable to decide if it’s a burden or a gift that he knows what I’m thinking, I try not to think so much. My body is on fire with desire. “I would think, after such a trying day, you might need your rest.”
“Is that a no, Beth?” His voice is soft, and he sounds regretful, but he makes no move to either leave or come closer.
“What do you want from me, Adam?” I’ve taken lovers, so why does this feel so different?
As if I’d spoken, Adam stands and steps in front of me. He holds his hand out for me to take or reject. “It is different. We are something more. I can feel it. I could feel it the moment I saw you in the kitchen. Some part of me awakened for the first time, Beth. I don’t want to lose the way I feel or see you in my world.”
Can meeting someone change the world? I never thought so before Adam. He is a mystery, and I should be wary of him and his past. He’s told me so little about how he came to be without clan or coven, only that some act by his brother had the family banished. “If I say yes, it doesn’t mean I’ll stop protecting myself or my coven from you if I need to.”
“I know.” Unmoving, he waits with his hand outstretched, and his piercing blue eyes focused on mine.
Drawing breath for courage and restraint, I take his hand and stand. “Pleasure can be just pleasure, Adam. It needn’t have great meaning behind it.”
His lips twist in half a smile. “For many, that is true.” He pulls gently so I draw closer, then he wraps one arm around me. With his other hand, he threads my hair, sending dozens of hairpins tinkling to the floor.
My long dark hair tumbles over my shoulders and down my back, and he combs the last of the pins out with strong fingers.
Almost a foot taller than me, he lowers his head and presses a soft kiss to my lips. He draws my bottom lip between both of his.
