Page 24 of The Mating Fire
The dark-haired, bearded man still remained in front of her, only this time he sighed.
“Stop hurting yourself. Won’t do much good. You’re not dreaming, and you should eat.”
He gestured to a small table set up near the French doors. The tantalizing smells of bacon, ham, freshly baked bread, eggs, muffins and coffee drifted over to her. Harper blinked.
“That wasn’t there a minute ago.”
A slow smile from Jared. “I have magick as well. Conjuring breakfast is only one of my talents.”
Her stomach grumbled, reminding her she’d forgotten to eat dinner last night in her excitement over the hike to Ijen. Reasoning if Jared wanted to harm her, he wouldn’t bother feeding her, she walked over to the table. He was there in an eyeblink, pulling out a chair for her.
Such manners. Harper looked at his hand as he rested it on her silk-clad shoulder. Awareness shot through her, a feeling of deep sexual interest. A simple touch and he turned her on more than any other man had done with much, much more.
Her nipples saluted the area, hardening to diamonds, clearly showing through the thin material of the pajamas.
“Where are my clothes?”
Harper crossed her arms in front of her chest. Jared walked around the table and sat opposite her. His dark gaze locked to hers.
“If you would prefer to get dressed, go ahead. Breakfast can wait.”
“Are you going to watch me?”
He leaned back with languid grace, his long fingers resting on the table’s edge. “Why not? I’ve seen it done before.”
Color suffused her face. “I suppose it was you who undressed me and put me into these pajamas. Well, I’d like some privacy to get dressed. I’m not getting naked with you watching.”
Not yet, his dark, sexy gaze indicated. Jared shrugged. “No need. Use your magick. I did when I brought you here and put you into that sleeping outfit. Very fine pajamas, I might add. From Paris.”
Harper felt her headache deepen. “Magick?”
“Ah, I nearly forgot. You’re not accustomed to your powers. You simply conjure clothing for yourself. Envision yourself wearing whatever clothing you desire.”
“I… can’t do that. I don’t know how you got me here or what’s going on, but envisioning myself in different clothing can make the clothing appear? It’s illogical.”
He raised a dark brow, making him look even more impish. “Is any kind of magick logical? Try it.”
Simply because she was desperate to feel some kind of normalcy and wearing this fabric, which teased her skin and made her feel wanton and sensual, Harper tried. Anything to hide her body’s reaction to his man, who had her squirming in her chair almost as much as she had back in the bar.
She closed her eyes and imagined herself wearing…
A deep laugh.
Opening her eyes, she found her body clad in a rough burlap dress. It scratched her skin and made her itch.
“I understand, my dear, of you wishing to hide your delectable body from my sight, but jeans and a loose shirt would suffice. Or sweats. That looks dreadfully uncomfortable.”
At this point, she wasn’t certain what proved more shocking – the fact she could conjure clothing by using her imagination, or that he’d called her body delectable.
Harper closed her eyes again, trying to get a grip on an increasingly loose reality.
“Imagine yourself wearing comfortable clothing, something that makes you feel at home.”
Jared’s deep voice rolled over her in waves of reassurance. She didn’t trust him, had no idea why he’d brought her here (a demon? Seriously?), but she knew he was right.
Harper envisioned herself in jeans, and a soft crimson cashmere sweater she’d once seen in a store and coveted, but hadn’t had to the money to purchase.
With extreme care, she opened her eyes. She wore faded blue jeans, her favorite pair, and the crimson sweater.
