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  "Please, Logan, hurry," she whispered on a ragged breath, her passion leaving her drenched with sweat.

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  Nestling against her fine ass, he positioned his cock and plunged inside her, feeling at once how her pussy clamped down around his cock, milking him, coaxing a response he was more than ready to give.

  "Fuck my dick, Sophie," he commanded, reaching for her hips and pulling her back against him as he thrust forward, needing to be embedded deep inside her as if the very act of sheathing himself inside her pussy could protect him from the magic pounding away at him.

  She moaned and pushed back, drawing forward then slamming her cunt onto his cock again and again. He held on despite the torrents of wintry air swirling out of control around them. Her tight sheath squeezed him like a vise, milking him, commanding him to pour out everything he had within him.

  "I'm coming, Logan!" she cried, then words weren't possible as she screamed and came all over his cock. He jettisoned come deep within her, digging his fingers into her hips as he rode out the frenzy that had overtaken them both.

  She collapsed against the couch and took him with her. He turned her and cradled her in his arms, taking deep breaths until the world seemed normal again. Finally, he sighed in relief, satisfied that he'd managed to control the magic.

  Perhaps what he thought he'd felt for her had been nothing more than pent-up lust.

  He had nothing to be afraid of. She couldn't tear away his careful control.

  "Come with me," she said, standing and holding out her hand. Curious, he let her lead him into the bedroom.

  "Lie down on the bed," she commanded, her voice still husky with passion.

  He laughed. He'd finally met a woman whose libido was as strong as his. "You want more?" he asked.

  One corner of her mouth curled in a sexy smile. "Oh yes. We're not nearly finished yet."

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  Now that he knew she posed no threat to him, he was more than eager to continue fucking her until she begged for mercy.

  But when he moved to pin her to the bed, she shook her head. "Let me get on top."

  Grinning, he lay flat on the mattress and said, "Ride me, baby." His cock rose and hardened to accommodate her. She straddled him, lifting her sweat-moistened hair and tossing it over her shoulders.

  Inching upward, her sex brushed his cock. She rocked against his shaft, tossing her head back and whimpering as her hard clit caressed his erection. When she looked down at him again, her eyes were glazed dark with passion. She reached for his shaft and stroked it, cupped his balls and squeezed gently.

  "Fuck me baby. Now."

  Her gaze burned hot as she straddled his hips and inched down over his cock, embedding him deep within her tight sheath.

  "Fuck, that's good," he groaned, lifting his hips and thrusting even deeper.

  She let out a hoarse cry when he circled her clit with his finger, gently plucking at the distended bud.

  "There is no fear in letting someone love you, Logan," she whispered, bending over him and taking his mouth in a gentle kiss.

  He allowed her to penetrate his inner sanctum for the briefest of seconds, which was all it took for her to wrangle her way past his defenses.

  Suddenly a light began to glow around her, starting out nearly black and then growing, until the entire bed was surrounded in a lavender glow that pulsed every time she thrust against him.

  She moved her hands over his skin, stopping to finger his nipples to hard points.

  He felt the sensation in his cock and thrust hard against her.

  A low, murmuring chant escaped her throat. Words he didn't understand, but knew instinctively were ancient and sacred. Unfamiliar vibrations settled over him, and 82

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  with each touch of her hands on his burning skin, he felt the warmth of a woman's love penetrating deeply, coaxing the magic free, hovering dangerously close to his heart.

  Her body was beautiful bathed in the lavender light, her breasts thrusting forward as she rocked against him. She tilted her head back and rode him as if in a trance, and he was helpless against her power.

  Sophie had no inhibitions whatsoever, leaning back and giving him access to every part of her as she continued to ride him relentlessly.

  He thought he had the power? Hell, right now he had none. Unable to contain the magic, he had no choice but to let it free. Snow began to fall, slowly at first, then the wind picked up and swirled around them.

  His magic needed to fight with hers. He had to show her he wouldn't give in.

  Yet she continued to murmur strange words, comforting words, and squeezed his cock with her cunt until he couldn't do a damn thing with his magic, or hers.

  Surrounded by a blizzard in her bedroom, she kept them safe within the warm cocoon of her aura.

  Her energy began to enter him. Through every pore, she seeped bit by bit within him.

  He pulled her close, driving his hips upward as he pierced her with pistoning thrusts again and again. Her tears spilled over his chest as she accepted what he gave her. A cry tore from her lips as she spasmed around him and came, the orgasm so intense it nearly rocked him off the bed. He let go and freed both himself and his magic, allowing a part of himself to enter her. For the briefest of seconds, they were suspended in time, their essence flowing one into the other.

  Then it was over, and she collapsed against him. Equally spent, he could do nothing but hold onto her and stroke her back, her hair, and wish to all the heavens that he had never laid eyes on Sophie Breaux.

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  Chapter Ten

  The soft light of morning spilled into Sophie's tiny bedroom. She snuggled close to Logan's warmth, the blanket pulled down to her hips.

  He admired the lines of her back, counting every vertebra with his eyes as he memorized her scent and the buttery feel of her dark skin.

  Last night was like nothing he'd ever experienced. She'd exhausted him. So much that he'd slept better than he could ever remember. He'd never spent the night with a woman. Too intimate. And yet he'd fallen into satiated slumber with his arms wrapped tightly around Sophie.

  He could still feel her pussy squeezing his cock, pulling orgasm after orgasm out of him. He'd never met a woman who could match his passions, and yet she'd been game for whatever he wanted last night, for however long he wanted it.

  Like a strange psychic pull, he felt her embedded with him, a connection so close that it threatened to dissolve the wall he'd so carefully erected around his emotions.

  No, that wouldn't happen, no matter how much his family liked her, or how much Sophie wanted it.

  His life had direction and control. Since he'd met her, everything had begun to dissolve. To warm. Thoughts of her filled his days and long into his sleepless nights.

  Her aroma filled his senses like a snake charmer's spell. Her dark, exotic looks and her wicked smile called to him, bound him to her in inexplicable ways.

  Hell. Everything about her intoxicated him.

  Sophie shifted and moaned, scooting closer to his body heat. He pulled the cover up around her and let her move her head onto his shoulder.

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  Shit. He swore he'd never fall in love, and there was no way in hell he'd ever bring children into the world. A child might inherit his bizarre powers, and he'd never inflict that kind of burden on anyone, let alone an innocent child.

  No, he'd remain alone, aloof, and impervious to falling in love.

  Besides, Sophie wasn't the woman for him. She was warm, had a generous heart and cared deeply. She'd want a home with a husband who adored her, and probably a ton of kids. He'd have to let her down gently, because he could tell she was falling in love with him.

  Dammit, he never wanted this to happen. How the hell could things have gotten so madly out of control so fast?

  He hadn't led her on; he'd been totally honest with h
er about his feelings.

  And she'd claimed she could handle it. Now she'd be forced to prove it.

  "Don't you ever turn that incredible mind of yours off?"

  He looked down into sleepy violet eyes as she smiled up at him. And suddenly found himself unable to speak.

  "Good morning. Would you like some breakfast?"

  Yes, he did. Starting with her sweet pussy, and moving on from there. His cock hardened against her belly and she grinned. "Or maybe you'd like to put off breakfast for a little while?"

  He still couldn't manage words, especially when her head disappeared under the blankets and her hot mouth surrounded him.

  No, he definitely couldn't form words then. He could only close his eyes and put off the inevitable until much, much later.

  She took him deep, his cockhead banging the back of her throat. His balls tightened with the need to release again, a fact that surprised him despite the delirium of pleasure Sophie weaved around him.

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  "Suck me, Sophie," he said, clenching his teeth as the pressure built to a crescendo.

  He dug his fingers into the sheets and held on while she wove a wicked spell on his cock.

  Her hair slid across his thighs as she threw off the covers and leaned over him, moving her mouth up and down over his shaft.

  Watching his cock disappear between her lips, feeling and seeing the way she swallowed him, had him lifting his hips and driving deeper, wanting more of the torment.

  When she cupped his balls and tugged, he groaned, held her head with his hand and shot a stream of come down her throat. She milked him, and he gave her everything he had, finally collapsing back on the mattress and fighting to regain a normal heart rate.

  He could grow to like this. Hell, he already liked it. And her. Way too much to let it go on without telling her that it was over.

  She looked up at him and grinned, then licked her lips. He shuddered, knowing how much he wanted to fuck her ten different ways. He could spend the entire day buried inside her.

  "I need to go."

  She frowned. "Um, I was going to fix you breakfast."

  He slipped off the bed and reached for his clothes. "No time for that. I have things to do today."

  She sat up, her hair falling over her breasts. One dark nipple peeked out between the raven curls, and he quickly turned away. She looked way too damn sexy sitting there with the sheet wrapped around her hips, her lips swollen and moist from sucking him.

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  "Okay," she finally answered, rising and tossing on a pair of sweatpants and an oversized sweatshirt. She wound her hair up and grabbed a clip from the dresser, pinning her hair loosely.

  Fuck, even dressed like that with her hair a tumbled mess she still looked desirable.

  His cock fired to life again, and he all but ran to the door.

  "Logan, wait!"

  He cringed, but stopped and turned around. She approached and paused a few inches from him.

  "Thank you. For yesterday at your parents. For last night, too."

  He nodded, unable to say what he needed to say to her. Tell her it's over, you moron. How fucking hard is that?

  Instead, he grabbed her and planted a passionate kiss on her lips, then quickly pulled away and stepped outside before he did something incredibly stupid.

  Like walking back in there and making love to her.

  Forever.

  *

  "He hurt you, didn't he?"

  Sophie looked up at Josh. "No, he didn't."

  She wouldn't let Logan push her away. She wasn't going to leave things between them unsettled, no matter if Logan was avoiding her.

  "When did you see him last?" Samantha asked, handing Sophie one of the new crystals they'd received in today's shipment.

  "Sunday." Four days ago. No calls, and he hadn't come by. Not that she'd expected him to.

  Okay, maybe she had expected him to.

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  "You slept with him, didn't you?" Josh said, his voice accusing.

  "That's none of your business, Joshua."

  "Since when? Everything about your life has been my business, Soph. For years.

  Now you can't confide in me anymore?"

  She rubbed her temples, more confused than ever. No man had ever mattered enough to her to withhold how she felt, but she knew if she told Josh about Logan, it would only hurt him more than she already had.

  "Josh, look. I know how you feel about me, and I just don't think it's a good idea if I tell you about my sex life."

  He inhaled sharply, jaw clenching. "Well, there's my answer, then. You did sleep with him."

  Before she could say anything else, he left the shop.

  Sophie felt horrible. She'd never led him on, but she still hated hurting him.

  "He's working on it, Soph," Sam said, patting her hand. "He told me he's been dating this girl who teaches at the college."

  Sophie stared wistfully at the closed door, wondering if she should go after Josh.

  "Really? He didn't mention her to me."

  "And he probably won't. You know how he is--how he's always been. He hides his feelings from everyone, and the one time he--"

  She paused, and Sophie nodded. "I know, I know. The one time he bared his heart, I stomped all over it." Burying her head in her hands, she mumbled, "I'm between a rock and hard place with Josh. I don't know what to do to make it right with him."

  "There's nothing you can do. He has to find his own way. He's still young, for a man, Sophie. This burning torch he's carried for you since elementary school will pass once he finds the woman of his dreams."

  And no one would be happier to see him find a woman who would love him like he deserved to be loved.

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  "I'll talk to him," Sophie said.

  "Do whatever you think is best. Now, tell me what's going on with Logan."

  She groaned. "I don't know. Sunday was...magical. Perfect. Hot, passionate, we even shared magic."

  "But?"

  "But he hurried out of there so damn fast Monday morning that you would have thought his pants were on fire. And I haven't heard from him since."

  Not that she'd called him, or tried to see him. She wanted to give him space to think, and maybe that had been a mistake.

  "Go after him. You already know he's not going to come to you willingly. If you want him, search him out."

  She was just cowardly enough to not want to have the door slammed in her face if she did just that. "I don't know. I haven't had a vision in a few days. Maybe the danger to him and his family was false."

  "Maybe you're just a coward and this has nothing to do with the visions and you know it."

  Sometimes it sucked to have a best friend who knew her so well. "You're right. But really, Sam, how many times should I let him get close and then run away before I give up?"

  "Depends on how you feel about him."

  Sam gave her a pointed look.

  "I don't know how I feel. No, wait, that's not true. I'm crazy about him, Sam. He makes my heart pound, and oh God the sex is amazing, but there's also something so vulnerable about him, as if he's got this huge fear of not measuring up. It's odd, because that's so not like his outward persona."

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  "Look. This is going to sound hokey as hell, but I really believe true love only comes around once in a lifetime. And if you don't grab it when you see it, it's lost forever. If you love him, honey, then grab it."

  She nodded, contemplating her next move. First she needed to talk to Josh and smooth things over with her friend. Then she'd work on Logan after that.

  *

  She found Josh at the park, knowing that when he needed to brood, that was where he'd go. It's where he always ran off to, even when they were kids and his mom had left for one of her overnight or several night jaunts, leaving Josh alone with his alcoholic fa
ther.

  If anyone needed love in his life, it was Josh. She sat next to him on the bench, not speaking, just staring at the trees and the playground, remembering their laughter, how easy it had been for the three of them to bond as children.

  How tight that bond had always been. Until lately.

  "Josh, I miss you."

  He didn't turn to look at her. "He's going to hurt you, Sophie. You're chasing a fantasy. Logan Storm is never going to give you what you want and what you deserve."

  "I wish it were you, Josh. I really wish I could--"

  "It's not that," he interrupted. "Not anymore." Then he did turn to her, his eyes the same gentle brown that had made her feel his warmth. "Despite the fact that you and Sam seem to think I'm pining away over you, you're wrong. I've found someone, and I like her. A lot."

  She smiled and reached for his hand. "I'm happy for you, Josh. That's all I ever wanted for you. For all of us. To love and be loved in return."

  "I know that now. Hey, I'm a guy," he said with a sharp grin. "I like to think I'm irresistible to the ladies. When you didn't want me, I had...ego issues."

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  Giggling and feeling much more lighthearted than she had in awhile, she asked about his new girl.

  "She's a professor at the college. New to town. She's from Nebraska. Such a sweet thing, too, Sophie. You and Sam would really like her."

  The animation in his face, the excitement in his eyes, told her she'd gotten her friend back. She hugged him. "Bring her around the shop sometime soon, okay?"

  "I will. Now, about you and Logan. You gotta listen to me, Sophie. I only want you to be happy. And pining away for a man who clearly doesn't love you is a lot like...well, a lot like what I was doing with you."

  How could she explain that it wasn't the same at all? "I'll give it some thought, Josh." She kissed him on the cheek and headed toward the shop. She had a lot of thinking to do. About what Josh said as well as Sam.

  And about what the next step was with Logan.

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  Chapter Eleven

  One week. One fucking entire week and Sophie hadn't called or tried to see him.

  She'd seen plenty of his family, though. How the hell she got involved in helping with the wedding planning for Shannon and Aidan was beyond his ability to understand.