She smiled back at him. “I love you, Nathan. Forever.”
“I love you, too.” He bent toward her to give her their first kiss in a hundred years. When they parted, Catherine looked over at Amanda and Jacob, her eyes glowing with happiness.
“Thank you,” she said. “Both of you. So much.”
Amanda smiled at her and felt a warmth fill her. She was so happy she wouldn’t have to perform any exorcisms tonight. “You’re very welcome.”
The next moment, the two ghosts vanished from the room in a soft pulse of light. Amanda turned to Jacob, her eyes shiny with tears.
“What in the hell?” he said after a moment. “I feel like I was just forced to watch about eight chick flicks in a row. I seriously need a shower.”
She laughed. “That can be arranged.”
“Where’d they go?”
“I’m assuming wherever people go when they die. The afterlife.”
“They’re not trapped here anymore?”
She shook her head. “She broke the spell.”
“Damn well took her long enough.”
“Some people are pretty thick in the head when it comes to this sort of thing.”
Ain’t that the truth, he thought. “Here I was expecting to see my first exorcism live and in person.”
“We can always rent The Exorcist.” She smiled. “But, like I said before, it’s a little different in real life. Not nearly as dramatic.”
“We can, can we?”
“Definitely.”
I don’t know, he thought, looking into her eyes. I’m trying to figure out how this is going to work. You and me. This spell. Are you absolutely sure this is how you want to play it? Are you sure you don’t want to destroy the clock now while we’re still here?
She blinked. “What?”
“What do you mean, what? Are you going to answer the question or not?”
“What question?” She looked confused for a moment. “Oh, are you thinking at me again?”
He eyed her warily. “What’s going on here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“Now you’re answering my questions with more questions?”
She looked way too amused. “Ask me something. Anything.”
He frowned. “Is the sky blue?”
“Right now it’s black. It’s almost midnight.”
“But is it blue during the day?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m thinking it’s more of a magenta. With glitter.”
Definitely not the truth, unless in Amanda’s world the sky looked like something out of a children’s coloring book. “You can’t lie to me.”
“Sure I can. And just for the record, I can’t hear your thoughts anymore. Luckily, what you’re thinking is written all over your face.”
“It is?” His frown deepened. “Then what am I thinking right now?”
“You’re thinking that mind-reading and truth-telling are both part of our curse, and now those things have disappeared. You’re thinking that maybe the spell has been broken, but you’re not exactly sure how or why.”
“That is what I’m thinking.”
“And now you’re starting to think that the only way to break the spell, which as evidenced by what just happened between Catherine and Nathan, is for the more stubborn and annoying partner to admit she’s in love with the other.”
“That does sound like what’s going on in my head right now. Are you sure you can’t read my mind anymore?”
“Quite sure. And now you’re thinking that the stubborn person can’t just say that they love the other out loud, they need to admit it inside themselves as well to know that it’s the truth. They can’t lie to themselves even though they may have tried really, really hard.”
He swallowed. “And what happens then?”
“Then the spell is broken because the enchanted clock’s purpose was to make two people realize that they’re in love with each other no matter how much they try to deny it to each other or themselves.”
“The clock is very strict.”
“It is.”
“Okay, so I’ll admit it, that is what I am thinking right now. The only question is, what are you thinking?”
Amanda placed her hands on Jacob’s chest and slid them up over his shoulders. “I’m thinking that I’ve been kind of stupid.”
“No comment.”
She smiled at that. “I’m thinking that I’ve been denying the exact thing that I’ve wanted more than anything because I didn’t think I deserved it.”
“And that thing is?”
“You, of course.”
Jacob’s jaw dropped. “Wait a minute—”
She shook her head and pressed her index finger against his lips. “I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t really in love with you, but I was. I am. The clock knew it. I guess I’ve been in love with you since the night I first met you.”
He raised one eyebrow, not wanting to believe his own ears. Maybe he’d been knocked unconscious and this was only a dream. “The night at the bar? When I first started at PARA?”
“You called me Amanda the Strange.”
“It’s a cute nickname.”
She grimaced. “Not to me it isn’t.”
“Oh.” He cleared his throat. “Sorry about that, then. Sometimes when I’m nervous I say stupid things.”
She laughed. “You’re forgiven.”
“I can’t believe this.”
“Believe it.” She looked up at him then and a sliver of doubt crept into her expression. “Do you feel any differently now that the spell is broken?”
“Considering I actually had to be told that it was broken, I’m thinking that I don’t feel any differently.”
“Just checking.”
He shook his head. “I still can’t believe this.”
“Obviously I’m going to have to convince you that I’m in love with you.”
“It might take a lot of convincing.”
“I have time.”
He looked at her very seriously. “What about your big move?”
“Right. That.”
“You have a brand-new life waiting for you in New York. If you stay here you’ll never feel normal, and isn’t that what you want? This mega race to be the most normal woman in North America?”
She shrugged. “I am starting to think that maybe being normal is overrated.”
“I could have told you that. In fact, I’m pretty sure I did tell you that a few billion times.”
“It’s only been four days. Hardly a billion.”
“Half a billion.” He finally couldn’t hold back anymore and he leaned forward to kiss those full, delicious, warm lips of hers. “I love you, Amanda the Strange.”
She cringed. “I thought I told you I hate that nickname.”
“Sorry.” He grinned. “You might have to get used to it. Because I think it’s a seriously sexy pet name for the woman I love.”
“Oh, yeah?”
He nodded. “I hate normal chicks. So boring.”
“Fine, I forgive you.” She grinned and kissed him again.
“I guess we should probably head back to Mystic Ridge.”
She shook her head. “Too late. Besides, there is that lovely little bedroom upstairs.”
“I like the way you think.”
Without another word spoken or thought, he picked her up and carried her quickly up the stairs. He laid her down on the canopied bed where they’d first made love, pulling her dress off over her head and quickly disposing of his own clothes.
He kissed her completely and thoroughly, tasting those lips he’d become addicted to, without any stupid spell as the excuse. He wanted her. He’d wanted her since the first moment he saw her. And now she was his.
“I love you, Jacob,” she told him.
He smiled against her lips. “I do love the sound of that.”
He timed it so he could slide into her at the stroke of midnight. Seemed appropriate, somehow.
17
br /> SHE WAS awakened by a pounding sound.
Amanda came to the slow realization that her body was entwined with Jacob’s body, her arm across his hard chest. He looked so peaceful when he slept. She moved up to kiss him on his lips and his eyelids flickered open.
“’Morning,” he said groggily.
“Good morning,” she replied.
“So that wasn’t just a dream?”
“I’m thinking no.” She traced her finger along his whiskered chin. “Is that okay?”
“More than okay.” He drew her closer so he could give her a proper kiss.
“What is that sound?”
“Somebody’s knocking on the door.”
Amanda’s eyes widened and she grabbed the bedsheets to pull them up over their blatant display of naked flesh.
The next moment the door to the bedroom swung open and Sheila Davis took a step inside. Her eyes went very big at the sight of the two of them.
“What on earth?” she exclaimed. A big blue vein pulsed on her forehead. “You two? Again? I thought I lodged a complaint with your superiors! I will have you both fired for this continued display of disrespect to my property!”
“Sorry about this,” Jacob said, although he couldn’t hide an amused expression at Ms. Davis’s outrage. “I can’t keep my hands off of her. It’s like a curse, or something.”
“It’s sickening.”
“Maybe,” Jacob said, “if you went out and got some yourself, you wouldn’t be so bitchy. No offense intended.”
She gasped. “I want you both out of here immediately.”
“The ghosts are gone,” Amanda said, feeling that she should try to turn this unpleasant moment around a bit.
That doused the flames a little. “Really? That is good news. But it doesn’t excuse you for this.”
“You’re absolutely right,” Amanda said. “Very sorry. Really.”
“You are?” Jacob asked.
“Well,” she shrugged. “Sorry we got caught.”
Ms. Davis tapped her foot on the floor. “I’m waiting for you to leave now. Since my supernatural infestation has been taken care of, I can get this place ready for my open house.”
“This is a gorgeous house,” Amanda said. “Needs a lot of work.”
“I don’t have the time or money to put into repairs. I’ve been told that we’ll probably sell the property and the house will be torn down.”
Amanda shook her head. “That’s not going to happen.”
“No?”
“No.”
“And why not?” Ms. Davis asked, now looking a bit curious to find out the answer from the bedsheet-wearing psychic.
“Because I plan to buy this place,” Amanda said matter-of-factly. “I think I can refurbish it. I’ll keep it as a home away from home. I love this house.”
“Buy it?” Jacob asked. “Are you serious?”
She nodded. “I did tell you I had a little nest egg saved up.”
“I didn’t know it was enough to buy a house, just enough to live in New York for a while.”
“Do you have any idea of the cost of living in Manhattan these days?” Amanda smiled at him. “Trust me, I have enough.” She looked at Ms. Davis. “So…obviously this is going to be my house soon.”
“Well.” Ms. Davis looked flustered. “I am pleased to hear that you’re interested.”
“So if you could lock the door on your way out?” Amanda instructed. “I’d really appreciate it.”
Ms. Davis’s gaze swept over the two of them. “I’ll have my Realtor contact you immediately.”
“Better make it a few hours,” Amanda suggested.
Ms. Davis left.
“A few hours?” Jacob asked. “I think you might be overestimating my post-enchantment stamina.”
“I’m very willing to test that theory,” she said and kissed the man she was completely and totally in love with. There was nothing strange about the way he made her feel.
Her mother would definitely hate him.
She was strangely okay with that.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4264-1
HOT SPELL
Copyright © 2009 by Michelle Rowen.
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Michelle Rowen, Hot Spell
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