Kissing with Fangs

Chapter 5

“I must be out of my mind,” Claudia said.

“Trust me. If you’ll let me do this one itty-bitty spell, it will protect you from Ruxandra. I promise.”

Claudia poured more tea into Kurt’s cup. “You really believe in magic?”

“Yup.”

Tory hadn’t said a word. She wondered what the down-to-earth ex-football player thought of this. On the other hand, Kurt, an ex-marine, believing in magic was a big enough surprise.

As if he’d heard her, Tory spoke up. “I’ve seen it work. I don’t pretend to understand it, but Kurt does. He really has a gift.”

“Can Anthony be here while you’re doing…your thing?”

“Why? Don’t you trust me?”

“Not as much as I trust Anthony.”

“Didn’t he call you last night and ask you to accept my help today?”

“He left a voice mail, but I thought he meant moving furniture or something.”

“He meant magical help. Ruxandra’s got it in for you, and believe me, you do not want to go up against her. I also have ways to protect the shop itself. And after last time…I know it wasn’t Ruxandra who burned the bar to the ground, but it was a jealous woman.”

“That’s right. Drake had one date with her, and she turned into a psycho stalker when he dumped her for my friend, Bliss. Oh, boy.” Claudia sighed. “I guess it can’t hurt.”

“Exactly.” Kurt rubbed his hands together. “So, you’ll let me give you a little magical protection?”

She rolled her eyes. “Why not?”

“That isn’t a yes.”

“You want me to say, ‘Yes’?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then. Yes. I guess.”

“Good enough. I have a few supplies with me.” He plunked the gym bag he’d brought with him on a chair.

“What the heck? Are you going to hang stinky socks around the place to ward off evil spirits or something?”

Kurt laughed. “Not exactly.” As he pulled nine candles out of the bag, she noticed a hollowed-out portion at the bottom of each. Then he withdrew some kind of botanical mixture and began stuffing it inside the holes.

“Anthony said you had some glass candleholders—enough for nine tables.”

“We have more than that, in case one breaks.”

Kurt grinned. “After I’m through protecting the place, nothing will break.”

“Seriously?”

“Trust me. Now, where are the candleholders?”

“On the shelves under the cash register.”

“I’ll get ’em,” Tory said. He jumped up and rounded a display case with special teas in tins or bagged and ready for sale. Returning with as many candleholders as he could carry, he had to go back for the rest.

Claudia watched, fascinated, as Kurt held the stuffed candles upside down and placed the hurricane glass over each, then flipped them over one by one. None of the ingredients spilled out. If she hadn’t watched him fill the hollow, she’d never have been the wiser.

Kurt held his left hand over each candle in turn and murmured some words in another language.

It was all Claudia could do not to laugh. Does he really think these candles are some kind of magical talisman or something?

Kurt opened his eyes and began setting one in the center of each table. “You’ll never need to replace these.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, they’ll appear to burn down an inch or so, but won’t go any further. You can light them first thing in the morning if you want and let them burn until closing every night. Don’t give them another thought.”

The next thing Kurt extracted from his mystery bag was a set of bells.

“You’re not going to hang those over the door, are you?”

He stopped in mid-stride. “Yeah, I am. Why?”

“If they tinkle every time someone opens the door, they’ll drive me crazy.”

“They’ll keep evil from entering.”

“Okaaay.” Claudia tried not to smirk.

Kurt took a deep breath and let it out in a frustrated whoosh. “You’ve heard of exorcisms, right?”

“Yeah…” What’s he getting at? Is Linda Blair a big tea drinker?

“There are always bells. And churches…always bells. Just go with it, okay?”

If I was coming in hungover, they’d drive me nuts, but I’m sober now. “Okay. I’ll try to get used to them.”

“Good.” He hung the bells and murmured some more strange words. “Now that I’ve finished out here, can we use the office for a protection spell specifically for you?”

“Sure.”

Out of his bag, Kurt withdrew a long, wooden branch studded with brightly colored stones. A pointed crystal was attached to one end.

“You aren’t going to make me lie down while you walk around me with a magic wand, are you?”

Kurt tipped his head. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Holy crap. “Seriously?”

“I wasn’t going to have you lie down. You can sit or stand, but I am going to cast a circle of protection around you.”

Claudia shook her head. “I don’t know why I’m letting you talk me into this.”

“Because Anthony wants you to be safe.”

She rose. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Kurt grabbed his gym bag off the chair beside him and followed her.

After he’d rolled up the carpet, he scrubbed the hardwood floor with some clear mixture he’d brought in a mason jar. After that, he poured a circle of salt around both of them. Then he placed various rocks and plants just inside the circle and poured another circle of salt, trapping the various items between the two lines of salt.

“Seems like overkill,” she muttered.

“It’s an extra-powerful barrier between you and anyone who wants to harm you.”

“So I have to stand in here anytime the boogey-woman comes after me?”

Kurt laughed. “No. Once the spell is cast, you’ll be protected wherever you go. Well…you’ll see.”

Claudia was through protesting and questioning. She’d do this for Anthony’s peace of mind and no other reason. Wait a minute…she had one more question.

“I just thought of something. What if Ruxandra has one of her fits and knocks the candles over? The place could go up in flames—again.”

“Won’t happen. Trust me.”

She took a deep breath and tried to believe he knew what he was doing.

Kurt grabbed his wand and pointed it at the place where the wall met the ceiling. Then he walked around her, speaking more gibberish. She felt ridiculous until she saw a blue light glowing inside the crystal at the tip of the wand.

Hmm…must be some kind of trick of the light. Like a prism or something.

On his last pass, a stream of blue light shot out of the tip, tracing the entire circle, and she gasped.

Anthony lifted his fist to knock and wondered why he was so nervous. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t visited Claudia at her apartment before. But this time she was in his apartment building and it was the night before their grand opening. Perhaps because their lives had become so completely intertwined—at his insistence—he now felt a greater sense of responsibility for her.

No. Responsibility came naturally to him. That wasn’t it.

Without analyzing himself further, he knocked twice.

A few moments later, Claudia opened the door and beamed when she saw him. She wore a dress he hadn’t seen before. It was purple and set off her blond hair beautifully. He realized he was grinning too.

“Are you ready for the grand opening tomorrow?” he asked.

She lowered her head and looked up at him through hooded eyes. “There’s another kind of grand opening I’d like to get to tonight.”

Anthony raised his eyebrows and swept her into his embrace. After a long, impassioned kiss, he was dying to take her into her bedroom.

Hell, why waste any more time?

He hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her there while she giggled. Fortunately, her door was open and most of her things had been put away, so he had a clear path to his destination. He dropped her onto her bed and she bounced, laughing.

Anthony dove over her, trapping her body beneath his.

She was beautiful. Not that she wasn’t always pretty, polished, and put together, but tonight she glowed. Her eyes were clear and searching, as if she were looking at him for the first time. Perhaps she was. She had described her newfound sobriety as a catalyst to the serenity she had always sought.

“You’re breathtaking, Claudia.”

She laughed. “You don’t need to butter me up, you know. At this point, I’m pretty much a sure thing.”

“I’m not buttering you up. I’m telling the truth.” He brushed a lock of hair away from her chin. Then he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her more reverently.

The words “I love you” flowed through his mind, but it wasn’t a good time to say them. Could she say them back? She had enough to deal with tonight. He was just happy she hadn’t let her sponsor talk her out of their budding relationship.

“You surprised me. I had hoped to have candles lit and a negligee on when we finally got to this point.”

“No need for atmosphere as far as I’m concerned. But if you need to feel romantic…”

“Oh, hell no.” She cupped the back of his head and dragged his lips to hers. He kissed her again thoroughly.

“I—uh…I wonder if you’d mind if I hung up my dress. I was just trying it on to be sure it fit, so I could wear it tomorrow.”

“Of course.” He backed off of her and helped her up.

She turned her back to him and said, “Would you mind unzipping me?

He smiled. Mind?

Anthony lowered the zipper slowly, revealing her skin a little at a time. When he came to the bottom and peeled back the shoulders so she could step out of the dress, he groaned. Her fair skin was shining. The curves of her lower back and bottom were as perfect as he’d imagined.

As if she’d known he was coming, she wore only a matching black bra and panties. No hose to contend with, thank goodness.

She hung her dress in her well-stocked closet and turned around.

His breath hitched.

She smiled shyly. She must have seen the lust in his eyes as he boldly admired her.

“Your turn,” she reminded him.

He whipped off his suit jacket, tie, shirt, pants, and underwear in record time. This time she was the one to stare, apparently fixated on the part of his anatomy that was more than ready to please her.

“Come here,” he commanded and was surprised to hear the hoarseness in his voice. She strolled to him, deliberately seductive, and let him envelop her in his arms. He caressed her back and kissed a trail down her neck, pausing over her pulsing jugular vein.

Someday, perhaps. He knew he could heighten the pleasure of sex for both of them with a loving suck there, but she wasn’t prepared. She would have to know what he was and trust him completely.

With the delightful fantasy in his head, he unhooked her bra and helped it slip off her shoulders. When she pulled back enough to remove it, she revealed the creamiest set of full breasts his hands could hold.

“God,” he whispered.

She smiled and shimmied out of her panties. With them standing as naked as Adam and Eve, he had to force himself not to tackle her to the floor and take her right there.

Damn it all. I’ve held back long enough.

He grasped her and while they kissed desperately, he lowered them both to their knees. They tumbled to the brand-new carpet and continued to kiss and grope. When she grabbed hold of his cock, pleasurable sensations shot through him and he groaned unconsciously.

He rolled her onto her back and bent over her breasts. Cupping one, he suckled as she arched and moaned. Then he switched to the other, and while he sucked, he rubbed her sweet spot until she writhed and begged him to fill her.

“Not yet,” he said. He leaned back enough to see her face as she came apart in his arms. Her cries of climax filled him with satisfaction. She went limp in his arms and whispered, “Oh, my God.”

As soon as she caught her breath, she asked, “Are you ready?”

He laughed. “Honey, I’ve been ready for five years.”

She grinned and parted her legs. He kneeled between them and held her gaze as he gently entered her. She bent her knees and raised her hips to meet him. When he was fully seated, she closed her eyes and cooed.

“Are you all right?”

She gazed at him with hooded eyes. “Never better.”

He feathered kisses down her neck and found his rhythm. She rocked with him, meeting every thrust. Her soft moans encouraged him. The indescribable sensations sparked a fire he had long forgotten. A white heat burned within. Eventually, he felt the inevitable tingle at the base of his spine.

He sped up and bore down on her pelvis, hoping to bring her over the edge with him. When she threw back her head and let out a strangled cry, he tumbled over the brink. The most incredible sensations shook him to his core. He rode her to the last aftershock and finally stilled when her cries faded. Her hands slipped off his back and flopped out to her sides. She grinned even as she was inhaling lungfuls of air.

He smoothed the hair off her dewy forehead and smiled back at her. “Was it all right?”

She giggled loudly. “If by ‘all right,’ you mean incredible.”

He buried his nose in her hair and kissed her temple, her cheek, her chin, and made his way to her lips where they shared a long, meaningful kiss. It was as if they were sealing their hope for a future together.

“God, I love this man.”

Was that telepathy? Anthony almost broke the kiss to ask her what she’d just been thinking. But how crazy would that sound? He didn’t want to scare her. Besides, she might not be ready to commit to those words out loud.

When the time was right, he’d explain that some immortals could establish telepathy with their soul mates. As pleased and hopeful as he was, there’d be plenty of time to explore the details later.

Claudia felt more relaxed than she would have expected to on the morning of their grand opening. She credited last night’s gymnastics with Anthony for that. Just thinking about him made her smile.

The cook had arrived early and was unwrapping the bakery items when Claudia poked her head into the kitchen. He was fresh out of culinary school and she hoped he’d be satisfied enough with the limited menu to stay.

“All ready for our first day, Chris?”

“Oui,” he said with a charming fake French accent. “C’est bon.” Then he smiled and winked.

Claudia surveyed the spotless kitchen and realized Chris had everything well in hand.

She lit the candles and inspected the tablecloths, making sure they were clean, and wished Anthony could be there when she welcomed the shop’s first customers. But, as usual, he’d said he’d arrive in the early evening.

Where the heck does he spend his days?

In the five years they’d known each other, she’d never asked. She could sense the information was of a personal nature. Maybe he visited a sick relative. Or perhaps he held another job—something volunteer but close to his heart.

The desire to find out was gnawing at her. Part of her said she had a right to ask, and the other part said she might not want to know. She didn’t really want to discuss it with her sponsor, because any normal woman would caution her or tell her to confront him.

Claudia knew Anthony was a good man and had dismissed the suspicions that rolled unbidden through her brain. Anyone who didn’t know him might think the worst—like maybe he had a family in the suburbs.

A knock at the door disrupted Claudia’s musings. The shop wasn’t due to open for another fifteen minutes, but she was grateful for the distraction.

Peeking through the window, she could see the top of Sadie’s gray head. Her braids were wrapped Gretel-style across her crown. Claudia had almost forgotten that Anthony’s aunt would be arriving a few minutes early to set up her table where she’d read tea leaves.

Claudia welcomed Sadie inside. The elderly woman hugged Claudia and smiled.

“How are you? I’ve missed your calming presence.”

Claudia chuckled. “I’ve missed yours too.” It was good to see Sadie’s familiar face. Claudia hadn’t realized until that moment how important a role the old woman had in the bar before, and she’d bet Sadie would become a fixture in the new business as well.

She watched Sadie wend her way through the tables to the one in the farthest corner. Sadie put her satchel down on the floor beside it. “Is it all right if I pull this one slightly farther away from the others to give my customers a bit of privacy?”

“Of course. Can I help?” Claudia quickly made her way over to the corner table, pulled out the chairs, and grasped one side of the table.

“Just a foot or so toward the back should be fine.”

When they’d rearranged the back corner, Sadie set her hands on her hips and surveyed the whole room. “It looks lovely. Are you sure you don’t mind my throwing off the arrangement like this?”

Claudia laughed. “The day I become so anal that I can’t tolerate a table being moved a few feet is the day I should hang up my apron.”

Sadie looked her up and down. “But you’re not wearing an apron. Come to think of it, aren’t you afraid you’ll spill something on that gorgeous purple dress?”

“That’s what dry cleaners are for. Really, Sadie,” she teased. “Priorities.”

Sadie settled into her chair. “And what are your priorities, dear?”

That took her by surprise. Was she being serious? “What do you mean? I was just joking about fashion taking precedence over practicality—although I’m not going to wear an apron. I want the atmosphere to be like a home where I’m the hostess and the customers are my guests.”

“Can you handle all that by yourself?”

“I prefer being busy to being idle.”

Sadie nodded. “Is that what your sponsor told you?”

Claudia’s jaw dropped. Anthony wouldn’t have told anyone she was in AA, would he? Didn’t everyone know what those letters stood for? Particularly the second A for “anonymous”?

“I can see I surprised you,” Sadie said. “And before you ask…no, Anthony didn’t tell me.”

Claudia slowly lowered herself into the chair opposite. “You knew that because you’re psychic?”

Sadie chuckled. “No. I knew that because I saw you going into the Sacred Heart Church’s basement entrance one Sunday evening. Then I got my psychic flash.”

“Oh.” Claudia felt her cheeks heat and she hung her head.

“Don’t be embarrassed. I’m proud of you. You’re doing what you need to do to take care of yourself.”

“I’m not exactly embarrassed. More like ashamed. I had no business working in a bar for so long.”

“Did you drink the profits?”

“Of course not!”

“Then you have nothing to be ashamed of. Anthony wouldn’t have trusted you with his business if you weren’t doing your job. And now he’s trusting you again.”

“That’s just it. Somehow I managed to work sober, but when I got home I’d drink the rest of the night away.”

“And now you have something better to do with your evenings.”

Claudia gave Sadie a grateful smile. “Yes, I do.”

“I still worry about you.”

Claudia’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know whether to be insulted or just accept that people would be concerned for a while. Maybe Sadie was just honest enough to say it out loud.

“But not for the reason you think,” Sadie added. “I knew you and Anthony were fighting a growing attraction to each other. I figured it would only be a matter of time before Ruxandra discovered it.”

Claudia groaned and rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what to do about her.”

Sadie reached across the table and took Claudia’s hand. “Let Anthony handle her. It’s the only way.”

The little bells over the front door tinkled, letting the women know they had a customer.

Before Sadie let go of Claudia’s hand, she whispered, “Good luck, dear. I’m here if you need me for anything.”

Trepidation that Claudia hadn’t felt earlier suddenly enveloped her…until she looked over to see who had come through the door.

“Brandee! Angie!” She rushed over to her first customers. They had been her employees at the old bar, and now she thought of them as dear friends.

Things might work out okay after all.