Free Sensual Magic by Lauren Dane Page A

strong and in control, the way she smiled and laughed. Hell, even the fact that she was some witch bounty hunter made her special and strong and it attracted him, impressed him and made him proud.
    He pushed off the couch and began to pace. She’d settled inside him. Not as a weight, not as a burden, but as part of him. As much as he wanted to deny it, to be frustrated and angry and pretend she was nothing more to him than a few hours’ worth of fun, she was more. She was everything and he supposed he’d reached the stage in his life where he simply couldn’t ignore it.
    Stock-still and struck dumb, he faced it. He didn’t understand it at all. He didn’t know her! He’d met her less than two weeks before. How could it be? He wasn’t a woo-woo type of guy. He didn’t believe in karma or soul mates or hell, and until the first time he laid eyes on Nell Hunter, he wasn’t sure he even believed in love.
    â€œToo damned bad.” He clenched his fists. He didn’t want to love anyone and the only way to resolve this stupid mess was to get Nell Hunter’s delectable ass out of Vegas posthaste.
    * * *
    Nell stomped into her hotel room and threw her purse against the far wall with a curse. Galen had gone out to do some reconnaissance work near the area they’d thought the mages had been holed up.
    She snatched up her phone and dialed the familiar number.
    â€œYou will not believe what that fuck did!” she said without preamble when Meriel picked up.
    â€œThis is about William Emery, our boy hero?” Meriel’s voice held amusement, but also concern.
    â€œMeriel, I don’t care what Fate has in mind, he’s a gigantic tool and there is simply no way I can deal with being shackled to such a twit. Fate has to be wrong.”
    She unzipped her boots and tossed them to the side.
    Meriel sighed. “Tell me what he did.”
    Nell recounted the evening, including the whole balcony episode and then the way he’d let himself get jumped on by the women back at his club.
    â€œHere I am, even after he fucked and ran, making sure he’s safe and all he can think about is dipping his cock into yet more women? I’m not enough? He sure came like I was enough. Meriel, how dare I not be enough!”
    She wadded her skirt and threw it in a far corner.
    â€œIn the first place, of course you’re enough. He’s an idiot and he’s running from a very scary truth. I know you understand that even as it hurts.”
    â€œHe’s gonna be the one hurting if he has sex with anyone but me, I’ll tell you what. Punk. Idiot. Prick. Oh! He’s just an ass.” She failed to hold back the tears.
    â€œHe’s totally a prick. And I’m going to kick him so hard when I meet him for making you cry. Do you want meto come down there?” Meriel’s sarcasm smoothed into soothing tones.
    â€œNo. I’ll be done in a day or two if everything goes as planned anyway.” She sniffled and her blouse and bra followed the skirt. She planned to burn the whole ensemble later.
    â€œYou’re not giving up on this butthead. We’ll make him pay, of course, but you love him. And Nell, Fate is female. She won’t take this lightly and you know as well as I do, he’s so going to pay for making you cry.” Meriel laughed and Nell wiped her nose on the sleeve of the robe she found hanging in the bathroom.
    â€œI hate him.”
    â€œNo, you don’t. If you hated him, he couldn’t make you cry. You love him and he loves you, which is why he ran like a little girl after that thing that happened in Darkness. He’ll come knocking soon enough. Then you can make him pay. You sure you don’t want me to come down there? I feel awful to hear you so upset.”
    â€œSave me a pint of Cherry Garcia. I’ll be back soon. I have to go. I need to shower and sleep. Or try to sleep. I love you, thanks for listening.” Nell