The Bewitching Hour

Vivi Anna

Witch Fiona Woodland hopes fate brought her and sexy crime scene investigator Hector Morales together at her cousin’s wedding in the Otherworld city of Necropolis. In his arms she feels graceful and beautiful, and the promise of his kiss takes her breath away. Then everything around them starts going wrong, making Fiona think it’s a sign their union isn’t meant to be….

But the burning desire between Fiona and Hector cannot be refused. And before the night is out, Hector will show how he feels with a night of pleasure that will leave them both bewitched….

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 1

There were only ten minutes until the wedding ceremony. Hector Morales shut the hotel room door behind him, tucking the key card into the inside pocket of his suit jacket, and walked swiftly down the wide, opulent corridor to the bank of elevators. Luckily, the Necropolis Grand Hotel had eight elevators serving the huge lavish hotel. He hoped at least one of them would get him to the penthouse suite in time. He really didn’t want to be late for Lyra and Theron’s wedding.

After pressing the up button, he sat in one of the red velvet high-backed chairs to wait. He smoothed down the wrinkle on his gray trousers and cursed himself for not getting here earlier. His suit needed pressing, and he likely needed a shave. He rubbed a hand over his chin, already feeling the first prickles of stubble. But the phone call from the office in San Antonio had delayed him and he’d had no time for personal grooming.

The sheriff had called him about a missing person case his crime scene investigative team was working on. As usual, the sheriff had called to chew him out. It still surprised him he had a job after that fiasco in San Antonio, when Caine Valorian’s forensic team, from Necropolis, came out to help him on a mysterious murder case. The murder had been solved; and it was discovered to be part of a series of rituals that a very powerful vampiress was conducting in order to open a portal to hell. She ended up being a demon of all things.

Hector still had trouble believing that all of that had happened. Vampires, lycans, witches, these were the types of people who lived and worked in the city of Necropolis. He was both pleased and perplexed to call some of them, namely Caine’s crime scene team, his friends. Enough so, that he was attending the wedding of Lyra, who was a witch, to a half vampire/half witch named Theron, who hailed from the Otherworlder European city of Nouveau Monde.

Sometimes it got really confusing keeping everyone’s species straight.

The elevator arrived. When the doors slid open, Hector walked into the plush mirrored elevator for the twenty-floor ride. His room was on the tenth floor and the wedding was in the penthouse suite in a tropical-themed atrium. A night wedding. He liked them around this time. It seemed more romantic to him. It was no surprise, though, that the wedding was taking place after the sun went down. Many of the guests were vampires and couldn’t tolerate the bright light for very long.

The elevator stopped on the thirteenth floor. The hoteliers obviously weren’t superstitious. The door slid open, but no one came on. Shrugging, Hector pushed the close-door button. But before it could slide shut, a slim pale hand stopped it. The door bounced open again from the intrusion, and a tall, slender woman in a lavender dress stepped into the elevator.

Her hair was as red as a Texas sunset, and it swirled around her in long, perfect curls. It shone in the muted elevator light, and Hector had a terrific urge to reach out and caress one of those perfect spirals. He actually had to fist his hand tight against his leg to stop from doing just that.

She glanced at him and smiled. “Good evening.”

He just nodded, ill at ease. He was usually quite comfortable around people. He’d worked in law enforcement long enough to be confident and sure in his position. But nerves zapped through his body the second the woman entered the elevator. The air seemed thick around him, and he was having a difficult time breathing. Was it just because she was an Otherworlder? Or was it because she was breathtakingly beautiful?

She looked at him again. “Are you going to Lyra and Theron’s wedding?”

Her eyes were as green as fresh spring grass. He didn’t think a color like that could exist in someone’s eyes. Knowing he was staring, likely impolitely, he cleared his throat and lowered his gaze. “Yes,” he finally managed to say. His throat was tight and he pulled at his tie. The temperature in the elevator was definitely rising.

“I’m Fiona Woodland, Lyra’s estranged cousin.” She stuck out her slim, elegant hand toward him.

He glanced down at it and almost had a panic attack. He couldn’t touch her and survive. He knew the feel of her skin against his was going to bring him to his knees. But he didn’t want to appear rude.

Cautiously, he grasped her hand. Her skin was cool in his. It actually had a calming effect on him and he sighed. Then smiled. “Estranged?”

“Did I say estranged? I meant just plain old strange.” She released his hand.

He laughed at her odd statement. Normally people just didn’t come out and say things like that to others they just met.

“I highly doubt that,” he said.

“Wait ten minutes and I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he went with an introduction instead. “I’m—”

“Hector Morales. You’re a human from the crime lab in San Antonio.”

He was startled by her admission. Was she a mind reader? He knew some witches had telepathic or telekinetic powers. Gwen, who worked in the Necropolis crime lab, could move things with her mind. “Yes, that’s right. But how did you know that?”

She took a step back. It was small, but he noticed it. “Ah, Lyra must’ve told me. I’m sure she’s mentioned you once or twice before. You worked with Eve.”

“That’s right. Were you at Eve and Caine’s wedding? I think I would’ve remembered if you had been.”

She shook her head. “I’m not from Necropolis.”

A hint of disappointment at her statement seemed to settle in his gut. He was hoping that she was from the city or from somewhere nearby. Not that he was already thinking of seeing her again.

Her attention returned to the bank of floor lights on the elevator. “I hope we make it to the top.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s nothing really. It’s just that I seem to have a little problem around—”

That’s when the elevator shuddered to a complete stop. The lights flickered threateningly, went off, and then flashed back on again.

Hector looked up at the floor indicators. They were stuck on floor twenty-nine. One floor beneath where they should’ve been.

He looked at Fiona. “You were saying?”

She looked sheepish. “Ah, I seem to have a wee bit of a problem around electricity.”

“Meaning?”

She scrunched up her nose. “We’re stuck in the elevator?”

It would’ve made him smile if they weren’t stuck twenty-nine stories up. Now her previous statement seemed to make more sense.

Hector opened the emergency panel along the side and grabbed the red phone. It had a direct line to the front desk. Except when he put it to his ear, it made no noise. No dial tone, no ringing. It was as dead as the elevator. He glanced at Fiona and she shrugged.

After replacing the handset, he reached into his jacket pocket and came away with his cell phone. He flipped it open. He couldn’t get a signal. He held it up, thinking that would somehow work.

“Yeah, that probably isn’t going to work, either.” She glanced up at the flickering lights.

“At least we still have light.”

That’s when they flickered for the last time and went out. It was completely dark in the elevator.

“Damn it.” Hector’s pulse started racing. It wasn’t that he was afraid of the dark, it was just he preferred some light. It was like being blind, and that was one of his greatest fears. He had a cousin who had been blinded in an industrial accident. He’d seen how much his life had to change.

He could sense movement beside him. Fiona was doing something. Within moments of thinking that, a pale green glow emerged in the middle of the elevator. After the glow intensified, Hector realized it wasn’t just floating in air but hovering above Fiona’s right hand.

“It’s witchlight. It’s one of the first spells witches learn.” Her eyes widened when she looked at him. “Are you all right, Hector? You seem a bit edgy.”

Edgy, she says. I’m stuck in an elevator with a gorgeous lunatic. “I’m fine. Except for the fact that we’re not getting out of this elevator any time soon.”

“Oh I’m sure someone on the ground floor has realized we’re stuck. This happens to me every once in a while. That’s why I waited so long to go up to the roof. I was hoping no one else was going to be in the elevator.” She smiled sympathetically at him. “Sorry.”

She looked so earnest when she said it, he couldn’t help feel sympathy for her. It was his own darn fault for being late, anyway. “It’s okay. I’ve been in worse jams than this.”

The elevator took that moment to shudder and groan, proving his statement false. This had just turned into a bad situation.

Hector glanced up at the ceiling. There was a loud, frightening creaking sound coming from up top. It almost sounded like the cables were giving. Which he thought was impossible, not in an expensive hotel like this.

“Oh, I don’t like that sound one bit.” Fiona wrapped her free arm around her body.

“Me, neither.”

Hector started pushing any and all buttons on the elevator panel. But nothing worked. Nothing lit up and there was still no response from the front desk.

“You don’t think the cables will break, do you?” Fiona’s voice was very small. Hector glanced at her and saw the fear on her face.

“I wouldn’t think so.” He reached over to grab her hand. She smiled when he squeezed it.

“We’ll be fine.”

But again the scary groaning sound came at them from outside of the elevator.

Squeezing his hand hard, Fiona pulled him closer. He could feel her body quake. “I didn’t do this, did I? My horoscope said my day would be full of ups and downs.”

He shook his head. “No, of course not. Unsteady cables have nothing to do with electricity.” At least, he didn’t think so. But darn it, he didn’t know anything about elevators. He could very well be telling her a bunch of crap.

And because he couldn’t be sure, they needed to get out of the elevator before those ominous sounds grew louder and more assertive in their intent—as in breaking apart. Although he was sure there were things in place to prevent an elevator from plummeting to the first floor, he really didn’t feel like waiting for that to play out.

Looking up at the ceiling, he saw the panel outlined. He let go of Fiona’s hand and moved toward the corner so he could use the walls to his advantage.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting us out.”

Bracing one foot against the wall, Hector pushed himself upward. He was strong and it didn’t take too much for him to punch open the panel on the ceiling. Once it was open, he was able to support his weight with his hands. As he attempted to pull himself up through the hole, he felt Fiona pushing him up from below. He glanced down at her, surprised at where her hands were placed. She was smiling up at him, while she supported his behind with her hands.

“When Lyra and I were kids we used to love to climb trees. We helped each other a lot to get to that first high branch,” she said. “I always fell though. Lyra was much better at climbing.”

Hector just laughed. He wasn’t sure what to say. Not with this beautiful woman’s hands on his ass. After more pulling and uncomfortable pushing, he managed to get through the panel and on top of the elevator.

Lying on his stomach, he reached through the hole to Fiona. “Grab my hand and I’ll pull you up.”

“Are you sure this is going to work?”

“No, but it’s the best plan I’ve got.”

“Okay, I trust you.” She reached up and grasped his hand. When he started to pull, she braced her feet along the wall just as he had done. She wasn’t very heavy, so it didn’t take too much exertion to bring her through. The ball of witchlight floated through after her.

Once they were both up, Fiona looked around. “Now what do we do?”

Hector shrugged. “Got any spells to help us float out of here?”

“No, but if we fall I could definitely heal all those broken bones.”

He laughed again. “Well, that’s good to know. Just in case.” He glanced up, searching for a way to get out of the elevator shaft and onto a floor. It was dark along the walls. “Could you direct that witchlight up there, so I can see where we are?”

Fiona wrapped her hand around the glowing ball hovering in midair and then tossed it up toward where Hector pointed. The glowing green orb floated up and up along one wall.

“Stop,” Hector said. And the ball obeyed.

He could clearly see the inside of an elevator door. It was marked with a big thirty in red. They were only about eight feet below their intended destination. All they had to do was grab the ladder rungs along the wall and climb up. Prying the door open was another matter altogether.

“I can see the door. We just need to climb up the side and get to it.”

Fiona looked like she was going to faint. “I guess this is a bad time to tell you I’m not very good with heights.”

Hector set his hand on her shoulder. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

She half smiled. “I bet you never thought you’d be rescuing someone at Lyra’s wedding.”

“Hey, I’ve been through stranger things. The last case I worked with Lyra and the rest of the OCU was interesting, to say the least.”

She laughed, but he could hear the apprehension in her voice. He felt it, as well. Now that he was at the edge of the elevator and looking down the shaft, he wasn’t so confident of the ease of getting to the next floor. Most of what he was saying was bravado. He was trying to appear strong and positive in front of Fiona. It was a man thing.

“Okay, I’m going to go up first and see if I can get the door open.”

Hector stood at the edge of the elevator and reached across to grasp one of the ladder rungs. It was more of a stretch then he’d first realized. Without looking down, he held on to the rung and stepped out onto the ladder. As Fiona watched him, he could see her wince with every movement he made. He tried hard not to do the same.

Slowly he climbed up. Within moments he was level with the elevator door. Now came the tricky part. Prying the door apart, while hanging onto the ladder. He wasn’t sure he could accomplish that with only one hand to work with. Damn it, maybe getting out of the elevator was a really bad judgment call.

Grasping hold of the ladder rung, he reached over to the elevator door. He pressed his fingers into the slit and tried to get a firm grip. Maybe just tugging on one side would prompt the doors to open. But he didn’t get a chance to find out because something was going on with the elevator.

“Hector,” Fiona said, “I think the electricity is back on in the elevator.”

He glanced down and saw the telltale glow of light coming through the panel in the elevator ceiling.

“Jump back down, Fiona. You’ll be safe inside.” He started climbing back down the ladder toward her.

The hum of movement reverberated through the shaft. The elevator was moving with or without them.

“It’s moving!” Fiona yelled. Except it wasn’t going up, it was going down.

Hector was right beside her now on the ladder. He reached with his hand toward her.

“Jump!”

“I can’t.”

“Do it now! I’ll catch you.”

With her eyes closed, Fiona took a running leap off the elevator roof. Hector managed to grab her around the waist and pulled her to him. The impact hit him hard in the gut, but he didn’t let his hold on her loosen.

“I got you,” he murmured.

Her whole body was shaking, but she managed to set her feet onto one of the rungs. She still held on to him tightly, though. He didn’t mind. He liked having her close. He could smell vanilla in her hair and on her skin. It was one of his favorite scents.

The elevator dropped, stopping at the floor beneath them. Hector could hear the opening and closing of the door. He sighed but made no motion to relinquish his hold on Fiona.

“I thought I was going to fall,” she finally said, her voice barely a whisper. But he heard her. “That was almost a down part of my horoscope.”

“I told you I’d catch you. I never lie.”

She looked up at him, her gaze serious and penetrating. “I know. I can sense that about you.”

Their gazes held. And Hector could feel the temperature rising around him. She leaned toward him, her lips parted. He could hardly contain himself. It was the strangest place to be kissing the woman of his dreams. But he wouldn’t complain.

Her mouth was only a whisper away when the elevator door above them was yanked open. Caine Valorian leaned down and looked at them.

“Did you guys need some help?”

Hector groaned. Fiona released a nervous laugh and noticeably reined herself in. The moment was snatched away with the help of a three-hundred-year-old vampire.

“How did you know we were here?” Hector asked his friend.

Caine tapped his head. “I heard you.” He reached down with his hand. “Come on. I’ll get you two up. We can’t have a wedding without one of the bridesmaids.”

Letting go of Fiona, Hector helped her up the ladder to Caine’s outstretched hand. He felt a sense of loss when she was out of his arms. Maybe it was just the scare they had. The adrenaline rush. It couldn’t possibly be that he was head over heels lovestruck with a woman that he’d just met.

Things like that just didn’t happen. But then, again, he was in Necropolis. And strange things were par for the course.

Chapter 2

The service was beautiful, once Fiona was able to fix her hair and get into line with the other two bridesmaids, Eve and Gwen. Surprisingly, even after being hauled out of the top of an elevator, jumping into a man’s arms and climbing up a ladder to be rescued, her dress was still immaculate. Not a dirty spot on it. But that was what clean spells were for. To protect one’s attire from unplanned disaster.

Lyra was a breathtaking bride in ivory lace, but that didn’t surprise Fiona. Love did that to a person. Made them radiate and glow. And the groom, well—Theron was just gorgeous. Polished and perfect. Despite that, Fiona couldn’t keep her focus on the ceremony or her gaze off one particular person in the audience. Hector Morales was too damn sexy for words in his dark suit, long, dark wavy hair, with flecks of gray at the temple, and five o’clock shadow.

A couple of times she felt his gaze on her, as well. It was probably because he was waiting for something else to go wrong around her. She hadn’t been exactly charming in the elevator. She had babbled at him and then shorted out the electricity. Not exactly smooth behavior. She’d also been a complete dork on top of the elevator with her fear of heights and her clumsy jump into his arms. She knew her elbow had plowed into his gut. Thankfully no lower. But he hadn’t made a sound. He didn’t comment, either. She appreciated that.

Once Lyra and Theron said their vows and lit candles to thank the spirits, the priestess performing the ceremony pronounced them to be man and wife. The audience, a mix of vampire and lycan and witch, some from very powerful families both inside Necropolis and out, rose and clapped as the couple walked arm in arm down the aisle. Gwen and Eve followed behind, then Fiona. As she walked in the procession, she tried hard not to pick Hector out of the crowd. She kept her eyes ahead of her and concentrated on taking controlled steps forward.

But as things were in her world, nothing went as planned.

She tripped on the ivory runner down the aisle and her bouquet of white and pink daises popped out of her hands and tumbled to the ground. Embarrassed, Fiona went to pick them up, but someone beat her to it.

Hector’s gaze met hers as she straightened and he gave her the flowers. “Are you okay?”

She nodded quickly, flustered by the amused look on his face. “I’m good.” She lifted the flowers. “Thanks for, um—”

“You’re welcome.”

She wanted to say more, but she caught sight of someone in her peripheral vision. Someone she really didn’t ever want to see again.

Clutching the bouquet to her chest, she made her escape and caught up with the wedding party. They were going into the atrium for the wedding photos. While they were to be inundated with light spots from the camera flash, the rest of the attendees would be getting ready to find their assigned table. Fiona didn’t mind. It would give her time to clamp down on her nerves and stop being a clumsy fool. The last thing she wanted was to give Hector the impression that she was ridiculous.

She’d been battling that label ever since high school. She’d been tall and gangly without any grace whatsoever. Boys made fun of her. Until she spelled them, of course, but still the ridicule hurt. And managed to stay with her. Obviously.

Even some in the magical world thought her silly. One of them just happened to be in attendance. Because of her belief in astrology and signs and portents, some called her a pseudo witch. She just had a firm belief in fate. Some things were meant to be. And some were not. She wasn’t quite sure in what category to put her growing attraction to the human crime scene investigator.

When Hector had her tight in his arms, she’d actually felt willowy and dainty. Maybe it was because he was so masculine and sexy. He wasn’t a huge man like a brutish bodybuilder, but he was a little bit taller than she was, and he possessed wide shoulders and hands. She liked how they felt around her, on her. As if he could lift her up and hold her, the way Atlas held the world. Corny, she knew, but it was still how she felt.

Maybe she was romantizing the event too much. Hector saved her. He probably did that a lot considering the line of work he was in. She shouldn’t read into his actions. He did it because that was the kind of man he was. An everyday hero. It definitely wasn’t because he found her irresistible.

Someone nudged her in the ribs. “Fi, I’ve been talking to you for the past two minutes.”

Fiona blinked into Lyra’s big brown eyes. “I’m sorry. I was thinking about something.”

“Was this something tall, dark and named Hector Morales?”

She shook her head but looked down at her feet. “No. I was thinking about how lovely your ceremony was and how happy you look.”

“Yeah, I’d believe that, if you hadn’t been looking at Hector the entire time.”

“I wasn’t,” she sputtered.

Lyra arched a brow. “Uh-huh.”

“Okay, maybe a little.”

Lyra put her arm around her shoulders. “Hector’s a good man. You could use a good man in your life.”

Fiona looked sideways at her. “You know, when I said that to you eight months ago, you nearly hit me.”

“Well, that was before.”

Fiona saw the looks Lyra and Theron were trading from across the room. It was full-blown heart-pounding love. A little pang of jealousy stabbed at her. She wanted that. A man who looked at her as if he couldn’t take his next breath without her at his side.

She couldn’t have been happier that Lyra had found that kind of relationship with Theron. Her cousin had been far too long alone.

“I see Oliver is here.”

Lyra frowned. “Yeah, Theron thought it was best that we invite members of all the powerful families in the city and from Europe. You know, to keep the peace between species.”

“Is it working?” Fiona asked.

Lyra shrugged. “Who the hell knows?”

After the last pictures were taken, the wedding party took their places at the head table and the meal was served. Starving, Fiona savored the salmon, rice pilaf and roasted asparagus spears. It wasn’t until she caught Hector’s gaze from across the room that she was aware that she had some of the lemon saffron cream smeared on her chin. Mortified, she grabbed the linen napkin and hid her face.

When she peeked past the napkin, she saw that Hector was still looking at her, a smile on his handsome face. She smiled in return and waved her napkin like a flag. An “I surrender” flag. Could she be a bigger dork? Not wanting to know the answer to that question, Fiona excused herself from the table and went in search of a glass of wine. Maybe if it looked like she was drinking, people would assume she was drunk and that was the reason why she was so inelegant.

She sidled up to the bar, which was located near the stone fountain, and ordered a white wine spritzer. As she waited for her drink, she admired the white twinkling lights all over the rooftop. It gave the whole place a magical atmosphere, as if Lyra and Theron had gotten married in the sky among thousands of blazing stars.

She smiled at her whimsy, obviously overwhelmed by the enchanting ceremony. During a night like this one, it seemed anything was possible. At least the lights were still on. That was something. She hadn’t blown out the breaker. She’d done that once at prom. It wasn’t one of her best events.

Taking a sip from her glass, Fiona turned, intending to go back to the table when she came face-to-face with Hector. Surprised, she said, “Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Can I buy you a drink?” she asked.

“Ah, it’s an open bar, isn’t it?”

Fiona winced at her gaffe. “Right.”

“Did you enjoy the meal?”

She nodded. “Yes, it was very good.” She chuckled. “But you probably could see that by the sauce all over my face.”

“It was just on your chin.”

She laughed and was about to say something else, when Henri, Theron’s best man from France, stood up to make an announcement.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Theron and Lyra will now for the first time dance as husband and wife.”

The crowd started to clap as soft music started to play, and Theron led Lyra out onto the dance floor. Fiona watched, a wistful smile on her face, as the happy couple moved gracefully across the floor, their gazes never leaving each other.

Startled, Fiona felt a hand at the small of her back. She glanced up. Hector was standing right next to her.

“Would you like to dance?”

She nodded and he took her wine glass from her and set it onto the bar counter. He then took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor. Caine and Eve, and Jace and Tala, whose belly was swollen with twins, all coworkers of Lyra’s from the crime lab, were already whirling around the floor with the bride and groom.

“I’m not much of a dancer,” Fiona admitted.

“Me, neither,” Hector said with a smile. He pulled her in close, his hand settled firmly at the small of her back. “I’m sure we’ll manage.”

And manage they did. By the time the song was over, she was giddy. Having Hector so close, his heart hammering against hers, made the insides of her thighs squeeze tight. His scent was subtle—a combination of spice and clean soap—and it tickled her senses. She liked his smell. It made her feel safe and secure. As did his strong arms encircling her body.

After the last notes of the song played and everyone was clapping, Hector looked at her. His mouth was a mere inch from hers. She held her breath, thinking he was going to kiss her. She wanted him to, desperately. Her lips parted in invitation.

“May I cut in?”

Startled, Fiona nearly knocked her head against Hector’s. She turned and saw Oliver, a witch from one of the wealthy magical families, standing next to them waiting, a winning smile on his pale face. He was also her ex-boyfriend.

“Of course,” Hector said, and relinquished his hold on her, although she could tell that he didn’t want to. “I can’t keep all the beautiful ladies to myself.”

“No, you certainly cannot.” Oliver said it with a smile, but Fiona didn’t feel the lightheartedness of the statement in his words. There was really nothing lighthearted about Oliver.

Hector didn’t comment, but he lifted one eyebrow in question.

Oliver laughed. “I’m sorry. Did I say something wrong?” He took Fiona’s hand and brought his other around to rest at her waist.

“No of course not.” Hector tipped his head and took a step back.

But Fiona didn’t want him to go. She wanted to dance with him still. She wanted that moment back. That moment, that beautiful perfect second, right before his lips touched hers and their breath mingled in sighs of release. As she watched Hector walk away, she wondered if she’d ever get that moment again.

The music started and Oliver waltzed her around the room. What she really wanted to do was to stomp on the man’s foot.

“It’s nice to see you again, Fiona. You’re looking very well.”

“Thank you,” she said between clenched teeth.

“Are you not happy to see me?”

“You don’t want me to lie, do you?”

He laughed. “Oh, Fiona. I’ve always enjoyed your sense of humor.”

“Can we just dance? I’m not in the mood to talk to you about anything of importance.”

He didn’t respond, but she got the feeling that he wasn’t very happy with her comments. She was beyond caring. She just wanted to get out of his arms and back into Hector’s, where she could feel safe and cared for. Because she was feeling the exact opposite being held by Oliver.

Chapter 3

Feeling slightly jilted, Hector returned to his table. He sat and watched as Fiona was waltzed around the dance floor by another man. It wasn’t as if he could say no when the man asked if he could cut in. It would’ve been rude. And he really didn’t want to appear rude, not in a room full of Otherworlders. By the looks of it, Eve and he were the only humans at the ceremony. An honor to be certain, but a precarious one as well.

Not all Otherworlders were as open and welcoming as the members of the OCU. He’d learned that over the past couple of years he’d been working with them.

He sipped his drink as the next song started up and the man took Fiona for another dance. He was looking at her as if he was quite enchanted. Hector couldn’t blame the guy. He’d been bewitched, as well, by the breathtaking, statuesque redhead.

“Sitting this one out?”

Hector nodded as his friend Caine slid into the vacant seat next to him. “I’m not much of a dancer.”

“It looked like you were doing quite well before.”

He glanced at the vampire, knowingly. “Yeah, well, I had a good partner.”

“Fiona’s a lovely woman. I haven’t known her long. A couple of years at most. But she is definitely a person that remains in your memory long after.”

Hector looked at Fiona as she danced. She was smiling and her silken hair swung around her like dancing flames. How his fingers itched to touch it, to touch her again. Her skin had been smooth in his, and when he’d spun her around in the dance he could feel her heart racing as wildly as his.

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“So, then, why are you letting her dance with some stuck-up witch?”

“Because it’s safer.”

“Nonsense.” Caine frowned. “Everyone is on their best behavior. You don’t have to worry about anyone here.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Hector took another sip of his drink.

Caine lifted one brow. “Ah. I see.”

“How do you—” he cleared his throat, suddenly unsure of exactly what he wanted to ask “—and Eve manage your differences?”

“Like any other couple, I suppose.”

“But you’re not like any other couple. You’re two completely different species.”

“Every man and every woman have differences. If a man and a woman want each other, if they want to be together badly enough, they’ll do what they must to make it work.” He smiled. “Sometimes it just takes creativity and patience. Lots and lots of patience.”

Eve came up behind Caine and wrapped her arms around him. She pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “What are the two of you talking about?”

“Hector was just asking how I’ve managed to keep you in line all this time.” Caine grabbed her arm and managed to swing her around so she was sitting in his lap. The move was smooth and practiced. Just like a vampire to be so cool.

“You both better hope to God that that wasn’t what you were talking about,” Eve said, squirming in Caine’s lap.

Caine planted a firm kiss on her mouth. She sighed, snuggling into him. Hector looked away, not wanting to intrude on their moment. His gaze swept the room and landed firmly on Fiona, who was standing near the head table talking to Lyra. Her head was down, but something made it come up and her gaze locked with his. In that second, his breath was nearly knocked from his chest.

“Oh, and if I can give you any advice, my friend.”

Hector glanced back at Caine.

“Don’t waste time.”

With that statement, Hector was up and out of his seat. He crossed the floor swiftly, his gaze never leaving Fiona’s. Her lips twitched as he drew near, and by the time he was only two feet away her smile was blossoming.

But he never got that chance to reach her.

Henri was back at the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, the bride will now toss her bouquet.”

Fiona’s smile faded as a swarm of single ladies grabbed her and propelled her into the middle of the dance floor. Hector couldn’t believe he’d been dashed again.

Lyra stood on the edge of the dance floor, her back to the murmuring throng of single ladies waiting impatiently for the flowers to be tossed back. On a count of three, she threw her bouquet over her head and into the crowd of women.

Amused, Hector watched as the women struggled to reach for the bouquet. And in the middle of it was Fiona, wide-eyed and frightened by the jostling mob around her. He had to smile. She looked so out of place and out of her element. He had an urge to dive into the crowd and save her.

But he didn’t have to. She managed to push through the throng and save herself. Laughing at the ridiculousness of it, she propelled herself out of the mob and ended up standing right in front of Hector. He smiled just before the bouquet came barreling down on top of her head.

It bounced off her red curls and landed at her feet. She glanced down at it, then up at him, then back toward the women who were screaming and racing toward her. Before the crowd could squash her, Hector grabbed her hand and pulled her from harm’s way. The movement caused him to go sailing back into a chair and Fiona ended up in his lap, laughing uncontrollably.

“I thought I was going to die there for a minute,” she managed to say after getting control of her laughter.

“So did I.” Hector laughed. “Death by bouquet.”

That caused her to burst into another round of hysterics. By the time she was done, tears streamed down her cheeks. Hector loved the sound of her laugh. It was full of heart and soul. Nothing was held back, and he wondered if that was how she lived her life. Full out. Never holding back.

Was that how she’d be in bed? She was an extremely passionate woman, and he couldn’t help but wonder what making love to her would be like. This wasn’t probably a good thing to think about, considering she was squirming and moving around on his lap.

She must’ve sensed his thoughts, because suddenly she stopped laughing and moving and really looked at him. Her cheeks were pink, and he wondered if she could hear what he was thinking. God, he hoped not. Or maybe he did. It would eliminate any pretenses.

He wanted her. In all kinds of desperate ways.

She pressed her lips together, and then swiped at the hair that was sticking to her cheek. Hector wanted to kiss her. The urge dug at him. It was almost painful how much he desired her.

Lifting his hand, he cupped her cheek, running his thumb down along her jawline. He tilted her head toward his, letting her know what he wanted. Her lips parted in anticipation, and it took all he had not to rush the moment in a desperate urge to taste her. He went slowly. So slow, the torture of it made him quiver.

Her breath came in short pants as he licked his lips and slowly brushed them against hers. The slightest touch sent a rush of heat down his neck. He couldn’t believe what just kissing this woman was doing to him.

Burying his other hand in the yards of her silky hair, he brought her closer and slowly, carefully, covered her mouth with his.

And that’s when the lights went out and the entire place was plunged into darkness.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He sighed in frustration.

Fiona fidgeted in his lap. “Sorry.”

Chapter 4

Of all the times for her knack with turning off electricity to show up. Just when the sexiest man she’d ever met was going to kiss her. And kiss her good, judging by the penetrating gaze he’d given her right before brushing his soft lips against hers.

She pushed out of his lap, anger and disappointment swirling in her belly. “Jeez, I can’t even come to my cousin’s wedding without messing everything up.”

His fingers wrapped around hers. “Don’t beat yourself up. It’s not so bad.”

She glanced around at the dark area. Points of green light started to appear haphazardly around the room. Witches of varying levels were making glowing green orbs of witchlight.

She met Lyra’s gaze over an emerald luminance Theron was forming in his hands. Her cousin smiled at her and shrugged. She was used to Fiona’s mishaps. Fiona appreciated her cousin’s nonchalance with the situation. It eased her guilt. But only a little.

“I’m going to go.”

With her hand still in his, Hector stood. “What? Why?”

“So Lyra can have the rest of her wedding reception. As long as I’m here there’ll be no light, no music, no anything.”

“Someone will work the breakers. It won’t last.”

Even in the low green glow of floating witchlights, Fiona could see the eagerness on Hector’s face. The pleading in his eyes. She looked away. She didn’t want to see it. Maybe this was fate’s way of telling them that they had no business being together, even for one passionate night.

She was a big believer in fate, signs and portents. And this one was telling her that their union was not supposed to happen. Everything was pointing to that now. Being interrupted while dancing, intercepted for the bouquet toss, now the lights going out right before their lips met.

But looking deep into his soulful brown eyes, she wanted to believe that their meeting was not by chance. That there could be something here between them.

“Don’t go,” he said again. “Have a drink with me. We can cozy up in the dark and make out.”

She laughed at that. But his suggestion sounded very tempting.

“Okay, but I’m going to talk to Lyra and Theron, and make sure they’re cool.”

He looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. “Okay. But don’t be long.”

She smiled, feeling her cheeks burn. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around her in a strong, comforting hug. She hugged him back, sighing with the way he made her feel. Safe. Secure. Loved?

She shook her head at the last part. She was jumping to conclusions without any evidence. When he released her, taking a step back, she smiled again and went to find Lyra and Theron.

As she walked, she could feel Hector’s gaze on her back. She had to fight the urge to look over her shoulder at him, or even to turn around. She didn’t want to appear too smitten.

When she neared Lyra, her cousin was already looking at her as if she’d done another silly thing. “You’re not seriously thinking of leaving, are you?”

“I thought about it, but Hector talked me out of it.”

“Good.”

“I just wanted to make sure you weren’t mad at me for messing with the electricity.”

“You’re an idiot, you know.” Lyra shook her head. “But I love you despite that.”

“I love you, too, even when you call me names.”

“Well, I’m glad Hector talked you into staying. Why would you leave, anyway?”

“I was thinking that this was just a sign that Hector and I aren’t supposed to be together.”

“Fi, you and your ‘signs’ are pretty much always wrong.”

“No, they aren’t. Remember Rob Sharp?”

“Yes. The question is do you remember Rob Sharp? Despite his name, the dullest knife in the drawer.”

“All the signs pointed to us not being together and I ignored them and our relationship was a disaster.”

“Yeah, because Rob was an idiot and a jerk.” Lyra frowned. “Hector Morales is neither. What are you afraid of?”

“That it’s the magic and nothing more. I don’t want to wake up the next morning and realize it was all just a spell.”

Lyra hugged her. “We all feel that way, Fi. But you have to take the chance it might not be.”

Fiona hugged her back hard. “When did you become the Dalai Lama to the lovelorn?

“I don’t know.” Lyra laughed. “Just don’t tell anyone, okay? I don’t want everyone to think I went soft or anything just because I fell in love.”

Theron took that moment to slide in next to Lyra. Fiona figured it was because of his vampire heritage that gave him that extrasensory hearing. Or he was just that in tune to his new wife. She liked to think it was the latter. It was more romantic that way. And seeing the two of them together, so in love, so mismatched yet perfectly in harmony, made Fiona want to believe in romance.

“Your secret is safe with me, ma petite sorcier.” He kissed the top of her head.

“You really shouldn’t be eavesdropping.”

“I was only a little.” He smiled at Fiona as he continued to snuggle Lyra.

She returned his grin. “I just came over to wish you both well. I hope you have a long and beautiful marriage.”

“Merci, Fiona.” He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to the back. “I wish the same for you.”

She frowned, taken back. “What? I’m not getting married.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you caught the bouquet. Is that not the way of things?”

“It bounced off my head. Not a very good omen, I don’t think.”

“Perchance, but if I’m not mistaken, that bounce propelled you into another direction.” He lifted one eyebrow, knowingly.

Fiona thought about the way she’d felt sitting in Hector’s lap. Even now her heart picked up a beat or two. The sensation of his skin against hers, his heart quickening next to hers. The way he looked at her, with longing and need in his dark gaze. Thinking about it made her ache all over again.

Beaming, she leaned forward and kissed both Lyra and Theron on the cheek. “Thank you.”

Before they could respond, she swirled around to search for Hector.

But after ten minutes of looking and asking various people if they knew where he went, Fiona couldn’t find him. She saw Caine sitting at a table and sat down beside him. She knew that he and the inspector had been talking earlier.

“Have you seen Hector?”

“I think he just went to the washroom.”

“Thanks.” She got up from the table and, gripping her purse tight, started toward the washrooms.

She didn’t mind the dark. It was kind of pretty with all the witchlight floating around, basking the room in a warm green glow. It was almost as good as candlelight.

And that’s when she ran straight into five feet ten inches of egotistical witch.

“Just the girl I was looking for.” He smiled, but it was like a sliver of ice stabbing her in the stomach. Fiona felt the floor drop right out from under her.

Chapter 5

Hector came away from the bar with two glasses of champagne. Now he just had to find Fiona. Before he’d gone to get drinks, he’d seen her talking with Lyra and Theron, and then she disappeared. Which wasn’t unlikely, as it was fairly shadowed in the room.

He spotted Caine chatting with Jace and Tala and went toward them. “Hey, have you seen Fiona?”

Caine nodded. “She was just here looking for you, my friend. I told her you went to the washroom.”

“Okay.” Champagne still in hand, Hector wandered toward the bathroom in the far corner. It was out of the way and in the dark. He really wished he could conjure one of those witchlight orbs right about now. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel like he was going to trip over something and fall onto the floor.

As he neared the far corner, he could hear voices. One of them didn’t sound too happy. And it belonged to the woman he was looking for.

“Please take your hand off me, Oliver.”

Hector could see them now. Fiona was shoved up against the wall, and the man who’d danced with her earlier was looming over her.

“Hijo de fu pinche madre,” he murmured under his breath. Setting the glasses onto the floor, Hector stalked toward them, his hands clenched tight. “I’d do what the lady asked there, buddy.”

Oliver swung around and glared. “Mind your own business, buddy.”

“Fiona is my business.”

“Is she, now?” Oliver sneered. “I didn’t realize how far she’d fallen after I tossed her aside.” He looked Hector up and down with a condescending curl to his lips. “I knew she was ridiculous, but a human from San Antonio, that’s just unnatural.”

Fiona pushed past him. “Don’t be an ass, Oliver. I know it’s a difficult task, but I’m sure deep down inside your soft interior you can find some decency.”

Oliver’s eyes widened and he raised his hands toward her. The tips of his fingers glowed green. “You bi—”

But that was all he was able to get out before Hector punched him in the mouth. Oliver went sprawling backward and landed smartly on his rear end.

“Mind your mouth, buddy. Didn’t your nanny teach you any manners?”

“I’ll sue you,” Oliver snapped. His words were a bit slurred due to the fact that both his lips were cut and he was bleeding.

“Don’t you be ridiculous, Oliver. You deserved that and more.” Fiona moved over to Hector. She grabbed his hand and inspected it. “Does it hurt?”

He nodded, enjoying her attention. “Maybe a little. The guy has buck teeth, I think.”

She brought his hand up to her mouth and pressed a kiss to the bruised skin. “Better?”

He nodded, wanting to tell her it hurt in other places, not on his hands, but by now they had a bit of an audience. Lyra, Theron and the others had gathered around.

Lyra glanced at Hector and Fiona, then down to Oliver, who had yet to get up off the floor. “Is there a problem here?”

“That Neanderthal punched me.”

Lyra and everyone else glanced at Hector.

He wrapped his arm around Fiona’s shoulders. “He was going to use magic on her.”

“What? I would never—” he sputtered.

Theron and Caine moved toward Oliver and yanked him up by the arms, none too gently judging by the wince on the witch’s face.

“Time to go. The party is over for you,” Caine said. “Not a good idea to be bleeding in this group.”

They dragged him sputtering and complaining all the way to the exit. The rest of the crowd dispersed, leaving Hector and Fiona alone.

“You saved me, again.”

“Not really,” he said. “I’m sure you could’ve handled that guy all by yourself.”

“Maybe.” She ran her hand down his arm. “But I liked that you did.” Her fingers entwined with his. “Does your hand still hurt?”

“A little.”

“We should get some ice on it.” She smiled, and there was a little twinkle in her eye. “I have some in my room.”

He nodded, and with his arm around her still, they walked toward the elevator. When they arrived at the closed door, Hector pushed the button, and then he said, “Hmm, maybe we should take the stairs.”

Fiona smiled. “I’m willing to risk it, if you are.”

The elevator doors opened and the two of them went in. The doors slid shut behind them and it started to descend.

Hector nearly sighed in relief. “So far so good.” He smiled at her.

She returned his smile, and he lost track of all the things he was planning to say to her, about chance and risk and never letting an opportunity pass you by. Clichéd phrases that would do better on bumper stickers and motivational calendars.

What he really wanted to do was kiss her. Hold her. Touch her. Bury himself in the ultimate beauty of her.

He wouldn’t let the moment escape. Not again. Not this time. He’d waited too long.

“I—”

That was all she was able to say before he had her in his arms, his hands under the silky strands of her hair, pressing her close. Her lips parted in a sigh, maybe to protest, but he didn’t let her do anything else before he covered her mouth with his.

The kiss was everything he imagined it would be. Soft, sensual, erotic as hell.

He swept his tongue over her lips and into her mouth, reveling in the way she responded to him. She matched him in every motion. Little moans of pleasure escaped her when he nipped lightly at her bottom lip.

He wondered what other little sounds he could get from her. Would she moan when he touched her body, setting his fingers to play at her breasts? What would she do when he parted her sweet cleft with his fingers and circled her pleasure spot? He grew hard thinking about it, imagining it. So hard that he knew she felt it pressing against her.

Looking into her face, he saw the high color on her cheeks. She was flushed from his kisses. It made her look even more desirable with her stunned feelings so evident on her face. He loved the way her eyes darkened to sea-green and her lips opened, swollen and wet from his kiss. It made him think of another part of her body, and he had to bite down on his lip to keep from groaning.

“I want you, Fiona. From the second I saw you, I’ve wanted you.”

“I want you, too, Hector.” Her eyes sparked, confirming her statement. “But I don’t do free and easy. I’m not that kind of woman.”

“Me, neither.”

She laughed.

“I mean I don’t do free and easy, either. I don’t believe in one-night stands.”

“Good.”

He smiled and rubbed his hands up and down her back, fingering the strands of her hair. God, what would all that glorious hair look like spread across his pillow?

“Why isn’t this thing going any faster?” He jumped up a little, bouncing the elevator.

Fiona smiled, and he saw a little mischievousness in the glint of her eyes. The elevator lurched to a stop between floors.

Hector’s eyes widened. “This isn’t in the realm of ‘free and easy’?”

She shook her head, then playfully tugged on his bottom lip with her teeth. “More in the naughty arena.”

“Lucky me. I get to be stuck in an elevator with a very naughty witch.”

Still nibbling on his mouth, Fiona walked backward, pulling on his tie to follow her. In three steps her back was pressed against the elevator wall. He really liked this teasing, wicked side of her. It was a bit unexpected, but nonetheless, a real turn-on.

He kissed her again and moved his hands up to run his fingers through her hair. She was so beautiful, so exquisite, like a pagan goddess. He could picture her holding court in an open field at night with a raging bonfire behind her. She’d be naked, her hair unbound and flowing around her like flames. And he’d be there on his knees waiting to worship every inch of her.

Suddenly eager to taste her, all of her, Hector peppered kisses over her chin and down to her neck. He inhaled her fresh, tantalizing scent along her thumping pulse, then continued his path down to the slope of her throat. She moaned as he licked her there.

Then he dropped to his knees.

Startled, she gaped wide-eyed at him. “What are you doing?” He could hear the rising panic in her voice. And it caused a rush of shivers to run down his back. He liked that he’d caught her off guard.

“Worshipping you.” And with that, he set his hands down around her ankles and started to move up her soft, smooth legs, gathering the hem of her dress as he went.

♥ Uploaded by Coral ♥

Chapter 6

Fiona grasped the handrails along the wall of the elevator as Hector moved the skirt of her dress up. The contrasting sensations of Hector’s hot breath and the slightly cool air caressing the bare skin of her legs made her muscles quiver. She felt as if she was going to have to hold on for dear life with whatever Hector had planned. By the glint in his eye, she had a pretty good idea what that was.

“Mmm, you are so beautiful.” Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to just above her knee on one leg, then the other.

She bit down on her lip to stop a low moan from breaking free. He pressed another kiss and another to her skin, slowly making his way up her thighs. She was shaking so badly, she was surprised she could still stand.

Hector must’ve noticed. “I’ll hold you up, carino. I won’t ever let you fall.”

Closing her eyes, she let her head fall back as he neared the V between her legs. She took in little ragged breaths as he hooked his fingers into the band of her panties and started to pull them down. She couldn’t believe she was stuck in an elevator letting this man take her like this. It felt so decadent. But yet it felt so good and liberating.

On another day, with another man, she’d never let this happen. She’d never even have considered it. But with Hector she felt so safe and secure. She trusted him fully; she knew he’d never hurt her, never push her to do something beyond her limitations.

Once he had her panties down her legs, she stepped out of them and he balled them up and shoved them into his suit jacket pocket. He then shed his jacket and folded it over the hand railing. It looked like he was getting ready to work, or to eat. She giggled at that thought.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

Licking her lips, she nodded. Her throat was too dry to form any words. She didn’t think she’d be too coherent, anyway, so it was for the best that she didn’t speak.

Slow, like a meandering stream of cool water, Hector spread his hands across her thighs. He started to move them, massaging her flesh. Tortuously, he inched closer and closer to her warm, aching center. It was a delicious torment.

Until finally, gloriously, he rubbed his thumbs across her sensitive femininity. On a moan, she parted her legs for him, giving him easier access to her, allowing him entrance to her most intimate parts.

With soft, gentle strokes, he opened her up. She knew she’d be hot and wet for him, with an eagerness she’d be unable to hide. There was no disguising the hard, aching desire she felt for him. It vibrated through her body, over her flesh. Deep inside, she throbbed for his touch. She clenched her hands on the handrail as warm puffs of Hector’s breath blew across her flesh. Sucking in a deep breath, she prepared for what was going to come next. Gently, slowly, he covered her with his mouth. And she thought she’d come right there and then. “Oh, good goddess,” she panted.

He stroked her with his tongue. From one end to the other, his tongue lapped at her slick cleft, stopping only to circle the tip of his tongue around her most sensitive pleasure spot. She gasped as he manipulated her again and again. It wouldn’t take much more for her to crash over the climatic edge.

And just when she didn’t think she could take any more, he slid one thick finger deep inside. She clenched her jaw and clamped her eyes shut again. She could feel the first hard flutters deep in her belly. She was so close, so excruciating close to orgasm, that she could barely stand it.

Maybe sensing she was near, Hector pushed her thigh up with one hand, holding her open against the wall of the elevator. He increased the flow of his strokes both with his tongue and with his fingers. He slipped another finger inside her and pumped her hard. Swirling his tongue around, he clamped down on her nub, sucking on it.

It was then she could feel the fierce, crushing wave of orgasm taking her under. Squeezing the muscles in her belly and thighs, she came in a loud, glorious rush.

“Oh, goddess!” She moaned.

Her legs could barely support her weight and she felt like she was falling. But Hector was there to catch her. He held her still and pressed against the wall as release surged over and through her like white blinding walls of water, over and over until she could barely breathe.

“I got you, baby,” Hector crooned to her as he released his hold on her thighs and let her legs slide together slowly. He dropped the hem of her skirt and stood, wrapping his arms around her, hugging her close.

As if drugged, she snuggled into his warmth and grinned. “That was, ah, that was, remarkable.”

He chuckled. “For me, too.”

She looked him in his eyes and saw so many things there. Raw, open emotion she’d not seen often on a man’s face. This made her admire Hector even more. He was so strong and sexy, a man’s man, but he wasn’t afraid to show his vulnerability.

With a shudder, the elevator started to move again.

Hector smiled. “Where are we going now?”

“My room?”

Within minutes, it stopped at Fiona’s floor and the door slid open.

He retrieved his jacket from the railing, and hand in hand they stepped off the elevator and walked down the corridor to Fiona’s room. Neither one of them talked. They didn’t need any words to communicate.

She slid the card key into the locking mechanism and the door buzzed open. With a grin and a full heart, she grabbed his tie in one hand and pulled him through the door.

As they came into the room, Fiona didn’t bother with the lights. She knew without a doubt that they’d go out soon enough. Everything shorted out on her, especially when she experienced emotion. And right now, her reactions were at their highest, most intense level.

Instead, she formed a ball of witchlight in her hands and set it floating free. It bobbed around in place, basking the room in a soft emerald light.

“Sexy,” Hector said, but the way he was looking at her, she didn’t think he was talking about the light.

He set his suit jacket on the back of a chair and stepped toward her. Little shivers raced over her arms and legs at the way he was moving toward her. Predator-like. A graceful stalking of one’s prey. If she didn’t already know he was human, she might’ve thought he was lycan.

With every step he took forward, she took one backward. After a few minutes they’d managed to dance their way across the main living room and into the bedroom. She stopped only when the backs of her legs bumped into the mattress of the bed.

Smiling, he closed the distance between them and cupped her face in his wide, strong hands. He stroked his thumb over her lips. “You’re so damn beautiful.”

She blushed, not used to a man’s compliments. And the way he said it, she had no doubt that he meant it. He was not someone who used false flattery to get what he wanted. He was honest and true. She had seen that right away with him.

“So are you.” She stroked her fingers over his chest, playing with his tie. She had a desperate urge to tear it off him and find the raw passion underneath its stuffy exterior.

And so she did just that.

She unknotted the tie and slowly pulled it out from the collar of his shirt. His eyes darkened to night as she tossed the tie to the side. He liked her playfulness. He was the first man she’d felt comfortable around enough to let down her guard and let her inhibitions go. She felt completely free with Hector.

Now that his tie was gone, Fiona felt frantic to touch him, to run her hands over his hot, hard flesh. Deftly, she undid the buttons on his shirt, then ripped it from his pants and tore it down his arms. She’d been right about his body being powerful. He was built with hard, rippling planes. She ran her fingers over his muscles, reveling in the way his skin felt under her fingers. Soft, smooth, yet like hot iron.

His chest was sprinkled with coarse, dark hair and she played her fingers through it. Then she followed the line of it down his sternum to the flat plane of his stomach. The dark hair disappeared just below his navel under the band of his pants. She wanted to follow that path, desperately.

Maybe he read her mind, or maybe he had his own plans, but Hector’s hands went to the button on his pants and he undid it for her. Slowly, he pulled down the zipper, making sure she was watching every single tortuous second of it.

When that was done, he circled her with his arms and pressed a soft, gentle kiss to her lips. She sighed into him, and he deepened the kiss, pressing her close. He moved his hands up and down her back, caressing her through the thin fabric of her dress. His hands rested at the clasp in the back of her dress. He undid it and slowly pulled the zipper down.

Fiona trembled in his arms as she let the dress fall to the floor. She stood before him braless and panty-less, completely naked, as her panties were still in his jacket pocket. He stepped back to look at her. Another time with another man, she might’ve had the urge to cover herself from his hungry gaze, but not with Hector. She let him take in his fill of her, glorying in the way his gaze made her feel.

“You bewitch me, Fiona. You have from the second I saw you.”

He took off his pants and briefs and stepped out of them. Fiona’s gaze went to the hard length of him. He was beautiful to her. Together, they went to the mattress, lying down side by side, his erection pressing against her thigh.

He kissed her. Lifting his hand, he cupped her cheek and stroked her skin with his fingers while he stroked her with his tongue. It was a beautiful, beguiling kiss. One that made her breathless.

Fiona moaned into his mouth and trailed her hand down his body. She took his cock in her hand and stroked it with firm strokes until he gasped aloud. She rolled him over and lay on top of him, eager for him. Pressing kisses to his chin and neck, she trailed her tongue over his pulse points and up to the lobe of his ear. She sucked it into her mouth while she continued to caress him.

“I’m hungry for you.”

Straddling him, she moved down his body. He was rock hard in her hand again as she lowered herself. Inch by exquisite inch, he filled her up. She held him still within her, as she rubbed her hands up and down his chest, enjoying the way his hard muscles felt under her palms.

Watching his face, she contracted the muscles of her sex, squeezing him tightly within her velvet walls. She marveled over every flicker and grimace of emotion that flashed over his sexy, handsome face. His eyes were as black as pitch as his gaze stayed on her.

He reached up and molded her breasts in his hands, squeezing and flicking his thumbs over her nipples. Fiona arched her back as waves of pleasure swept over her. She began to move up and down on him, squeezing her muscles with every movement.

When she quickened her pace, his beautiful face contorted with strain. She could tell that he struggled for control. That he was quickly losing it as she took him up and over. Who knew she possessed such power over a man like him?

Hector moved one hand down to where they joined. He circled his fingers over her, finding her clit with expert ease. He stroked it firmly, pushing her toward another intense climax.

Fiona grabbed hold of his shoulders as she moved faster, harder, propelling them both to the edge. As the first peak of release swelled inside, she dug her nails into his flesh. Moaning in pure pleasure, she pushed down on him, filling herself completely with his hot male flesh.

He pressed one more time on her pleasure center and sent her spiraling over the edge. She collapsed forward over his body, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, and held on as she spun down into ecstasy. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight, and with one final thrust, he reached his own release.

“Dios. Dios,” he murmured as he ran his hands up and down her back, squeezing her tight.

When she could finally breathe, Fiona raised her head and looked into Hector’s face. His eyes were closed, but he was grinning. It made her smile, and she traced her fingers over his lips. He kissed the tips of each one.

“Are we still alive?” he asked.

“Oh, yeah,” she chuckled, and pressed a kiss to the side of his mouth. “We are very alive.” She snuggled down into the crook of his arm and rested her head on his chest. His arm came up around her and pulled her close.

She played a finger through his chest hair, and listened to his heart. It was beating hard, as was hers. They were in synch. Fiona was a firm believer in harmony. And she believed that despite all the little mishaps that had happened to keep them apart, fate had finally aligned just for them.

“I will start looking for a new place tomorrow,” she said as she circled a finger over his chest.

“In Necropolis, I hope.”

“Yes.”

Hector pressed a kiss to her forehead, and murmured against her skin, “Need some help? Surprisingly, I have a great eye for real estate.”

“I’d love some—for now and forever.”

For more sensual paranormal romance, try these other titles by author Vivi Anna, available always in eBook format:

Blood Secrets

Dark Lies

Veiled Truth

The Vampire’s Quest

Mahina’s Storm (also in the Midnight Cravings anthology)

“Ice Bound” in Winter Kissed

Plus, don’t miss the other spooky and sensual NOCTURNE BITES, available at www.ebooks.eharlequin.com and wherever eBooks are sold. Titles include:

His Magic Touch by Cynthia Cooke

The Vampire’s Desire by Alexis Morgan

Moon Shadow by Jenna Kernan

The Secret Vampire Society by Lisa Childs

Taken by the South Wind by Anna Hackett

Wind Kissed, Fire Bound by Anna Hackett

After the Kiss by Michele Hauf

Darkness of the Wolf by Bonnie Vanak

Wild, Tethered, Bound by Stephanie Draven

Time Raiders: The Seduction by Cindy Dees

Savage Dragon by Anna Hackett

Looking for more paranormal romance? The sizzling and spine-chilling books of Silhouette Nocturne are available at www.eHarlequin.com or your local bookstore.

Interested in writing for Nocturne Bites? Send your submission to NocturneBites@Harlequin.ca

ISBN: 978-1-4268-4529-1

The Bewitching Hour

Copyright © 2009 by Vivi Anna

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