Free Sinful Magic by Jennifer Lyon Page A

and the head wobbled. “You won’t even give me a chance! You’re all the same, a bunch of stick-up-your-ass cretins who refuse to recognize my talent!” He got up, snatched a full glass of water from the next table and dumped it on her.
    Roxy gasped in shock as the water and ice tumbled over her.
    Everyone in the café went silent, except for the sound of a cellphone ringing somewhere. Bart Simpson stomped out.
    “Hell,” she muttered, feeling hot tears of humiliation, tiredness, frustration, and loneliness fill her throat. She never cried, never gave in to her emotions.
    “You have a lemon slice in your hair.”
    She looked up to see Kieran looming over her, his wide shoulders blocking out the world. His mouth was half-cocked, one side turned up in a smirk, the other side flat. It felt strangely as if it was just the two of them. “It’s my citrus look. You like?” What else was she going to say?
    She could feel his gaze slide over her face, travel along her neck like a warm caress, and catch on the soaked silk shirt molded to her breasts. She felt her nipples tingle and harden.
    He lifted his gaze. Putting one hand on the table, he leaned in. “You have a habit of getting wet.”
    In spite of the cold water, heat bloomed in her belly and in her schema. She was losing her mind, or maybe it drowned in the water. “First you and now Bart Simpson.”
    His grin slid into high voltage as he pulled the slice of lemon from her hair. “The cartoon character? He gets you wet? Kinky.”
    “No!” She picked up a cloth napkin and wiped her face. “I mean—” She was flustered. That voice, his grin, just the solid feel of him leaning into her made her forget her own name. “Bart Simpson’s been stalking me!”
    His dimples appeared. “Where’s your bodyguard? Off at Moe’s Bar?”
    Her mouth twitched. “I gave Joel a break. I didn’t know I’d be accosted by Bart. He had a cutting-edge animated series idea. X-Men meets the Munsters.”
    Key dropped his head and laughed.
    It was too much. Roxy was drenched, humiliated, tired, sore, but she started to laugh, too. Until finally the hot pain in her face got her attention. She cupped her left cheek in her hand. “Could have used the ice in that glass for my face.”
    Key sobered instantly. He reached over, pulled her hand off, and took her chin in his palm. “Hell, woman, why didn’t you put some ice on this?”
    The sudden touch stunned her. “Uh
    I had work.” Business first. She was responsible, not flighty and reckless.
    “The bruising is worse.” He ran one long finger over the tender skin.
    She shivered, a little tremor sliding down her body, touching her nipples and
    He stood up, slid off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. “Come on.” Using the edges, he pulled her to her feet.
    Chunks of ice clunked on the polished marble floor. She hardly noticed with the feel of his jacket, warm from his body and full of his spicy scent, and Key standing right in front of her. “Thanks.”
    He smiled down at her. “Let’s get you in dry clothes and do something about your face.” He let go of the edges and pressed his hand into the small of her back.
    Waitstaff rushed in behind her to clean up the mess. Diners watched as they walked out into the atrium with the colored water feature in the center. Every step she took with his hand on her back pulsed in her schema. “You don’t need to come with me.” She held up the phone still clutched in her hand. “I’ll call Joel.” She should have done that earlier, but Kieran had a way of distracting her.
    He kept his hand on her, guiding her into the elevator, then gestured to the buttons for her to push her floor and said, “Can’t take a chance with Bart Simpson on the loose. Call your bodyguard from the room.”
    She put her phone away and pushed the button, then she leaned against the elevator wall, and pulled his jacket tighter around her. She’d been watching Kieran in the signing, she couldn’t help it. The man was her Awakening, and she was curious.