“Really? Because you’re damn good at it.”
Sighing heavily, he stared out the windshield and I noticed his knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. I could tell he was upset and, for some reason, I felt badly about it.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, fearing I would long regret encouraging him to continue.
“Nothing,” he replied shortly.
“Obviously something is, because now you’ve turned into some dang moody . . . girl.” It really was an insult to girls everywhere, but I couldn’t think of anything better.
“Why don’t you like me?” he asked, moving straight to the point.
“Hmm. Let’s see. You have been a jerk since we first met. You challenged me in front of everybody and when I showed up to accept your challenge you proceeded to humiliate me by throwing the fight. It’s not like you threw the welcome mat out for me.”
“That’s exactly what I did.”
“What?” I was confused to which thing he was referring to.
“I threw the welcome mat out for you.”
Seriously? Oh, this ought to be good. “Please enlighten me then, because I missed it.”
“By challenging you to a fight, I basically got every single person in this school to pay attention to you and want to know who you are. By throwing the fight, I pretty much raised you to celebrity status here at school—all at the expense of my own reputation, I might add. How many friend request have you gotten on Facebook since then?”
A lot. It had been a lot. My jaw was gaping and I couldn’t seem to close it or find any words to say.
“What’s the matter, darlin’?” he drawled out. “Cat got your tongue?”
I was pretty sure I looked like a fish making that ever constant “O” shape with my mouth. “And what about all the times you’ve spoken out against Seth?”
“What the hell are you talking about? I never talk bad about Seth. He’s my bro.”
“You’re constantly trying to convince me not to be with him.” Glancing out the window, I grew puzzled. “Wait! Where the hell are you going? This isn’t the way to the school!”
“You and I need to clear the air between us, so I figured a field trip was in order.”
“Excuse me, but I have class. I can’t afford to be pissing off all my teachers at the beginning of the year. You may not care about school, but I do.”
Immediately his phone appeared in his hand and he hit a number on speed dial. I heard a woman’s voice pick up on the other end, but couldn’t understand what she was saying.
“Yes, this is Vance Mangum,” Jett said, his voice matching the sound of my dad’s exactly. It was uncanny. “My daughter, Kenna, has a doctor’s appointment after lunch and will be late back to school.”
The woman on the other end responded and Jett smiled. “Thank you so much!” he added in my dad’s voice, glancing over at me as he slid his phone back into his pocket. “There you go. It’s all taken care of.”
“You sounded exactly like my dad,” I said, completely in awe.
He shrugged. “It’s one of my abilities. I can mimic anyone I want.”
Unable to help myself, I smiled. “Show me someone else.”
“Like who, little lady?” he said, as John Wayne.
I couldn’t help laughing. “Do me,” I said excitedly, and his eyes instantly grew heated and roved over me before returning to the road.
“I’d do you in a heartbeat,” he replied, sounding exactly like me and I blushed, hearing words that sounded so sexy and seductive.
“I should’ve known you’d twist my words all around. You’re the master of deception.”
Laughing, he winked at me. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“You would. When did you know you could do that?” I asked, silently kicking myself for keeping the conversation rolling between us.
“What? The voice thing?”
I nodded.
He shrugged. “Maybe a couple years ago. It was right after my powers manifested.”
“When did yours manifest?” I asked, curious, knowing most witches came into their power around their sixteenth birthday. That’s the way it had been for my mom, though my dad had manifested at the age of five and I had at birth, something my relatives had never heard of before.
“Same as everyone, when I turned sixteen,” he answered.
“Hmmm.” I hesitated telling him my story.
“Why?”
“No reason. I just know others who’ve manifested at different ages.”
“Really? Like who?” He seemed genuinely interested.
“My dad for one. He came into his powers when he was five. My grandma cut herself badly with a knife while she was washing dishes. My dad saw all the blood and covered her hands and healed her.”
“So he’s a healer witch, too? That’s amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone getting their powers that early.”
“I did, too,” I added, deciding to just spill the beans.
“You got them when you were five?” He sounded surprised.
“No. I mean I manifested early. I had my powers before I was born.”
He looked at me skeptically. “And how could you possibly know that?”
“My dad and I—we have a mental connection—we can communicate through thoughts, without speaking. While my mom was pregnant with me, my dad could hear her thoughts, too. They were channeling through me. When I was born, I burst into flames while my dad was holding me. He says the smell of my blood caught him off guard and I was protecting myself from him. I don’t actually remember any of that.”
“Wow. That must’ve been strange to have a magical infant.”
Sighing, I nodded. “Hence the reason I’ve been raised basically alone out in the middle of an ancient forest. And it’s also the reason I begged to move here. I wanted to meet people and interact with kids my own age. So thanks for making that transition real nice and easy for me.”
“Well, when you put it that way, I sound like a complete dick,” he muttered.
“You are, so that’s okay,” I teased.
Jett turned onto a dirt road that lead who knew where. For some reason, though, I didn’t feel threatened—merely curious.
“Where you taking me?” I asked, admiring the beautiful foliage as we drove. The trees, a mixture of leafy green sycamores, elm, and red oak, indigenous to this area, were absolutely gorgeous this time of year. I imagined it would look fairly bleak during the winter, once all the trees had lost their leaves.
“Out to a place where some of us like to go party on occasion.”
“Are we having a party? I don’t drink. Well, I don’t know if I don’t actually drink, or if I’ve just never had the occasion to.” Might as well be honest.
“Oh, you and I are definitely going to party; but we don’t need alcohol.”
“Do I need a Taser to protect myself from you?” A girl could never be too prepared. I may not have an actual Taser, but I had magic that could do far worse, if needed.
“You never need to protect yourself from me.”
“Says the guy constantly antagonizing me in one form or another—not to mention a secret desire to be a demon. That, right there, is enough to give me pause.”
Visibly stiffening, his white-knuckled grip was obvious on the steering wheel. “I’m going to have to remember to shut Seth’s mouth for him.”
“Why? It’s not like I have no clue about demons. Hello? Live with one, remember?”
He didn’t respond, but I could see the tic in his jaw. I’d definitely hit a touchy subject.
“Can I ask why you want them to change you? What about it appeals to you? I ask because my dad hates it with a passion. He’d give anything to get rid of it.”
“My family comes from a line of demons. It’s what I know. Do you have any idea what it’s like to be the only different one?”
“I do. My dad’s a demon and my mom is a witch turned demon, turned human. I am the only one like me in my imme
diate family.”
“What about the rest of your family? Are any of them demons?”
“No, none that are living anymore, anyway. My dad’s family was primarily demonic, as far as we know. His dad started his conversion and his grandparents finished it. Most of my parents’ early relationship was spent trying to get away from those people. They were evil, Jett. Evil to the core.”
“And is your dad that way?” he countered.
“He’s not, but he’s the exception to the rule. Did you know that some witches and warlocks get turned and they can’t survive the change? They go crazy—like over the top insane. They can’t tolerate the switch and they have to be put down. It happened to my mom. If my dad hadn’t performed a demon kiss on her and sucked her magic away, she would’ve never survived. What’s so wonderful about demons that it’s worth risking all that?”
“I see a completely different side. For as far back as we have kept track, the majority of my family has been demonic.” Pulling off the road into a clearing, he parked the car and turned it off. “Their powers are much stronger than mine . . . more enhanced, and they have the ability to assimilate more.”
“Yeah, if they kill or steal the powers of another witch. Is that really what you want to do? Prey on the innocent?”
“No one is ever innocent,” Jett grumbled, opening his door and signaling the end of this conversation. “Come on.”
Reluctantly, I followed him from the vehicle, crossing the meadow until we were standing in the middle with the high natural grasses up to our knees. “Now what?” I asked, wondering why he brought me out here.
“Now you’re going to kick my ass,” he replied with a laugh.
“Excuse me?” I couldn’t have heard that right.
Stepping closer, he lifted a strand of my long dark hair, rubbing it lightly between his fingers. “You seem to be hung up on the fact that I threw that fight, so here’s your chance to get even with me. Show me what you got.”
I sighed heavily. “What if I’m not in the mood to fight you anymore?”
“That’s okay, too. I can think of several things I’d rather do besides fighting.” Before his words could even register, he closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine.
Chapter Fifteen
“What the hell?” I asked, pressing my hands against his chest and shoving him backward. “If I’d known you were just bringing me out here to molest me, I would’ve thrown myself out of the car!” Turning, I walked away in a huff, trying desperately to ignore the fact that my lips were tingling where his had touched mine—tingling in a really good way—in a way they shouldn’t be tingling.
“Kenna, don’t be like this.” Coming up behind me, he slipped his hand over my shoulders and turned me back to face him. “I like you. What else do I need to do to prove it?”
I gave a half-laugh. “Is there no sense of loyalty in your body whatsoever? I’m dating the guy you claim is your best friend on the planet. Your ‘bro’. Do you really want to stab him in the back this way? He trusted my care to you and this is how you repay him?”
“He trusted me with you because he already knows I feel the same way about you. He knows I’d never let anything happen to you.”
“You are what is happening to me, though. You are the danger. I don’t think he realizes that. I can’t imagine he’d agree to you giving me a ride if he knew you were going to kidnap me and try to seduce me in the wilderness!”
Jett laughed. “So dramatic. I like it.”
“Stop it.”
“Come on. Admit it. You like me.”
“I like him,” I stressed.
Amusement still etched on his face, he continued to goad me. “Liar, liar, pants on fire,” he chanted, eyes drifting wantonly over me. “You know it’s true. Just admit it.”
Glaring at him, I centered my attention on the bottom of his jeans and set them on fire. “Now whose pants are on fire?” I asked, feeling a bit of wicked glee shoot through me.
“Shit!” he hollered, quickly bending to slap out the flames on his pants before they could do any real damage. Straightening, he glared. “What the hell was that for?”
“You aren’t listening to me, so I had to do something to get your attention.”
“I am listening to you. I just want you to admit the truth. Is that too much to ask?” He sounded frustrated.
“Do you realize how nice he’s been to me?” Ignoring his comment, I continued to spout Seth’s accolades. “From the first moment he saw me, he bent over backward to help me out and tried to introduce me to new people.”
“I’ve done the same.” Jett held my gaze and I could see the sincerity in his eyes. It boggled my mind that he actually believed what he was saying.
“Whether or not that comment is accurate, it’s beside the point.”
“Which is what?”
“Which is the fact that Seth and I already had a camaraderie going before you even met me. He was first. And because of that, he deserves my loyalty.”
“Oh, so you have no problem being attracted to me? You simply believe because fate introduced the two of you first, that you belong with him. Do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?”
It did sound kind of stupid when he said it that way. “I never said I was attracted to you.”
“Then give me five minutes.”
“Five minutes for what?”
“Five minutes to prove what is happening between us.”
“Again, there is no ‘us,’ remember?”
He stepped toward me and I felt my heart rate pick up. I was totally hovering between fight or flight mode.
“Kenna,” he said, his voice low and calming as he moved, eyes never leaving mine. “All I’m asking for is five minutes of your time. Five minutes. That’s it. If you still feel the same way afterward, I’ll walk away and never bother you again.”
Sighing, I considered his words carefully, the appeal of him disappearing for good being almost too much for me to handle. “Fine—five minutes, and not a second longer. Set a timer or something.”
Something changed in his eyes and in the way he looked at me that made me a little scared. It was like he knew what I looked like without my clothes on. Of course, after Seth had described his particular power earlier, I realized he probably did.
I had to know, right now. “Be honest. Have you ever placed a glamour on Megan so she looked like me?”
He paused, clearly caught off guard by the change in conversation. Clearing his throat, he finally spoke. “Not ever. Seth was wrong to tell you about that.”
“Why haven’t you?” I wasn’t sure if I was relieved or hurt by his confession.
Laughing, he shook his head. “Did you want me to?”
“No.” I hesitated. “Seth just made it out like you do this kind of thing all the time. I was just wondering why I didn’t fit the criteria for your delusions, I guess.”
Moving closer, he was merely a hairsbreadth away. “Every now and then, perfection comes along and there is no way something like a glamour could ever hope to mirror the real thing. For me, Kenna, you are that perfection.”
I couldn’t speak, even if I had wanted to. His words filled something sweet in my heart and made me feel so . . . special. A mere second later, his lips were pressed to mine, once more. Heat flooded me, but I resisted him, standing stock still as he tenderly explored my mouth.
“Five minutes, Kenna.” he growled against my skin. “You promised me five minutes.”
“You’re getting it,” I answered, trying desperately not to be drawn into the web of seduction he was painting around me.
“I want five minutes with you as a willing participant,” he whispered in between light kisses.
“I . . . I don’t know if I can do that.” My knees were trembling.
“Try.” It was the last word he said before dragging my body flush against his. Even with the difference in our height, he managed not to break the kiss, instead letting his tongue trace the creas
e of my lips.
As if under a spell, I opened my mouth and gave him entrance. Groaning, he squeezed me tighter as his tongue plunged heavily into my mouth, sweeping all thoughts about everything else right out of my head.
My hands slid up of their own volition, traveling over his lean muscled arms and wrapping around his neck as I kissed him back, moaning as extraordinary heat flooded my body, making me feel like I might actually combust in his embrace. It was as if his kiss activated the magic inside me, making it burn hotter and stronger. I simply wanted to melt into him and let him have his way with me.
“Enough!” I said, breaking the kiss and shoving away.
Breathing heavily, he stared at me. “That wasn’t even one minute. You promised me five.”
Every part of me was shaking and certain places on my body were begging to continue, but I just couldn’t. “All you asked for was time to adequately make your point. You’ve already done that. You don’t need any more time. Besides, five more minutes of that would land us both in hot water.”
Staring at him as he flashed that dazzling movie star smile of his, I felt my heart flutter. “So if you liked it, will you go out with me?”
There was so much turmoil going on inside me at this moment. “I . . . I can’t do this to Seth.” Tears filled my eyes. “I like him, Jett. A lot. I want to get to know him better. Yes, you proved there is something between us, but I don’t know what, and I’m not at liberty to find out.”
Growling, he turned away from me. A second later, an invisible energy burst shattered a tree across the clearing. Great. Now he was pissed.
“I don’t want things to be weird between us, though. I’m willing to just forget this and move on. But since we both are friends with Seth, I suggest neither of us tells him about this. I don’t want to hurt him and mess up his life over something that meant nothing.”
“Damn it, Kenna!” Spinning around, he pressed his mouth to mine again, and once more sparks flooded my body. Desperate hunger filled his kiss and I was powerless to resist him. It was like two halves of the same whole coming together, as if yin and yang were happily, and wantonly, united.