in the middle of her living room floor was a man dressed in a pirate costume.
Why hadn’t he left with all the other guests? she wondered. He must have been in the
bathroom, she thought. But that still didn’t explain why he was lying on her living room floor.
Oh God, the drunk had passed out, she thought. Well, that wasn’t her problem. He sure as
heck wasn’t staying on her living room floor all night.
With a sigh, Alanna walked over to where the man lay, only to blink in surprise as she gazed
down at him. Even lying down she could tell that he was tall, not to mention well-built. And
absolutely gorgeous, she thought, taking in his dark hair, sensuous mouth, and angular jaw
with its day’s worth of stubble. How could she possibly have missed a hottie like him at the
party? she wondered.
Alanna continued to gaze down at him for a moment, taking in the muscular expanse of chest
visible beneath his half-open shirt before moving on to the breeches and supple leather boots
he was wearing. They looked expensive, she thought. Then again, so did the musket pistol
and sword on his hip. Even safely tucked into the scabbard, it looked like the real thing.
Alanna let out another sigh. Regardless of how gorgeous he was, he had to go. Using the tip of
her shoe, she gently nudged him in the side with her foot. When he didn’t move, she nudged
him again, a little harder this time. But still, he didn’t stir.
Her brow furrowed suddenly as a horrifying thought occurred to her. Oh God, she hoped that
the guy had only passed out.
Chewing on her lower lip, Alanna knelt down beside the man. Leaning forward, she turned
her head so that her ear was right above his mouth, and then sighed with relief when she felt
his warm breath against her skin.
Okay, so he wasn’t dead, she thought. That was a relief. She leaned closer to his face and
noticed that he didn’t smell like he’d been drinking at all. That was strange, considering he
was passed out on her floor. Her brow furrowing, she put her hand on his shoulder to nudge
him when his eyes flew open.
For a moment, Alanna just knelt there, lost in those incredibly golden brown eyes of his. God,
they were sexy, she thought.
He studied her in silence, then his eyes widened and he was scrambling away from her.
Quicker than she would have thought possible, he was on his feet, his hand on the hilt of his
sword as he looked around wildly.
“Where am I?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing as they came to rest on her. “What have you
done to me, witch?”
For a moment, Alanna just stared at him in confusion. What the heck did he mean, where was
he? Was he really that drunk, or just stupid? But watching as his eyes darted around the
room, she decided that he must be drunk. He was looking at her apartment as if he’d never
seen it before. Her mouth tightened. That was all she needed at this time of night, a guy so
drunk that he couldn’t even remember coming to the party. How the heck was she going to get
him out of there if he was that ripped? Slowly getting to her feet, she stood facing him, hands
on her hips.
“Okay, I’m not sure why you didn’t leave with everyone else, but the party’s over,” she said.
“So, you need to get your drunken butt out of here. I have to go to work in the morning.”
His brows drew together as he leveled that incredible gold gaze at her. “I will leave when you
tell me what you have done to me, witch!” he growled. “Where am I, and how did I get here?
Answer me, witch! What evil scheme have I fallen into?”
Alanna frowned. The guy certainly didn’t sound like he’d been drinking. He just sounded
weird. Why was he still putting on that fake accent anyway? Like something out of an old
pirate movie, she was sure it had been a hit during the party, but now, it just sounded
ridiculous.
But the guy insisted on still playing the pirate, and when she failed to answer his outlandish
questions immediately, he took what he probably thought was a menacing step toward her. If
he thought she was going to be intimidated by his size or his make-believe glower, however,
then he didn’t know her at all. She was in no mood to play games. She was exhausted and
wanted to go to bed.
“Look,” she said, taking a step closer and lifting her chin to glare up at him. “I’m sure the
accent and the pirate lingo were a big hit with the girls at the party, but at this time of night, it
just makes you sound stupid. Now get out before I call the cops.”
His eyes narrowed, taking in her curve-hugging gown and long, black hair with a sweep of his
gaze. He made no move to go, however. Annoyed, Alanna began to gesture with her hands in a
shooing motion toward the door.
“Go on, get out of here!” she told him.
The man stepped back quickly, his hand going to the hilt of his sword. “Trying to put another
spell on me, are you, witch?” he said. “Well, you won’t catch me so unaware this time, I can
promise you!”
Alanna shook her head. What a complete dumbass! she thought. Okay, so obviously he wasn’t
drunk. But he must be high on something, she decided, because no one in their right mind
would act like such a complete moron.
“Okay,” she said smartly. “You want a spell? Try this one then, C-O-P-”
She had this really cute line all ready about calling the cops, but apparently he wasn’t
amused because he never let her get the words out. Quickly closed the distance between
them, he pulled her close and swiftly brought a hand up to cover her mouth.
Alanna’s eyes went wide, her pulse skipping a beat. Oh crap, she thought. Could she have
misread the whole situation? What if this guy were dangerous.
“I will not let you, or Morania, or any other witch bespell me again, is that understood?” he
said softly.
For a moment, Alanna could only stare up at him, her heart pounding. Yes, she had definitely
misread the situation. This guy wasn’t drunk or high. He was nuts!
He studied her for a moment, his golden eyes seeming to penetrate her blue ones. When she
didn’t make a move to resist, he began to relax his hold on her. That was all the incentive she
needed. Wishing she had finished those self-defense classes she’d started, she did the only
thing she could think of. She jerked away from him and slapped him across the face as hard as
she could.
Alanna had hoped to startle him enough so she could make a run for the bedroom. Once
there, she could lock the door and call the cops.
Unfortunately, her blow didn’t have the desired effect. Actually, it had no effect at all. The man
only blinked, probably more stunned that she’d had the audacity to slap him than from the
actual slap itself. Jaw tight, he reached for his phony pirate sword and started to pull it from
its scabbard.
What the heck was he doing? Alanna thought, taking a nervous step back. But then she froze
in place, her eyes going wide as the light glinted off the blade. Oh God, she thought. It wasn’t a
phony sword; it was real! For the first time, she had the inkling that she might be in real
trouble.
But swearing under his breath, the man slammed the sword back home. “You might be a
witch, but I have never drawn a blade on a woman, even one who has just struck me, and I am
not about to start now,” he said, his golden brown eyes narrowing. “Nevertheless, you will tell
me what I want to know!”
Before Alanna could even wonder what he meant by that, the man reached out and grabbed
her by the arm. His grip like iron, he began to drag her across the room to the couch.
“Let go of me, you...” she began, only to let out a startled little “Oh!” of surprise when he sat
down on the couch and yanked her over his knee.
For a moment, Alanna was so shocked that she couldn’t do more than lay there. She regained
her senses quickly, however. Bracing her hands on his well-muscled thigh, she tried to push
herself upright, but a strong hand on her back held her firmly in place.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, craning her neck to look at him
over her shoulder. “Let me up, you...Owwwww!”
Alanna’s eyes went wide as she felt his hand come down on her upturned bottom. He was
spanking her! Just what the heck was going on here? First, he had grabbed her, then he had
threatened her with his sword, and now, he was spanking her. Who the hell did he think he
was, manhandling her like this? Crazy jerk! Too angry to even be the least bit scared of the
guy now, she struggled to free herself.
“How dare you!” she cried, beating her fist against his leg as hard has she could. “Let me go
right now!”
Why hadn’t he left with all the other guests? she wondered. He must have been in the
bathroom, she thought. But that still didn’t explain why he was lying on her living room floor.
Oh God, the drunk had passed out, she thought. Well, that wasn’t her problem. He sure as
heck wasn’t staying on her living room floor all night.
With a sigh, Alanna walked over to where the man lay, only to blink in surprise as she gazed
down at him. Even lying down she could tell that he was tall, not to mention well-built. And
absolutely gorgeous, she thought, taking in his dark hair, sensuous mouth, and angular jaw
with its day’s worth of stubble. How could she possibly have missed a hottie like him at the
party? she wondered.
Alanna continued to gaze down at him for a moment, taking in the muscular expanse of chest
visible beneath his half-open shirt before moving on to the breeches and supple leather boots
he was wearing. They looked expensive, she thought. Then again, so did the musket pistol
and sword on his hip. Even safely tucked into the scabbard, it looked like the real thing.
Alanna let out another sigh. Regardless of how gorgeous he was, he had to go. Using the tip of
her shoe, she gently nudged him in the side with her foot. When he didn’t move, she nudged
him again, a little harder this time. But still, he didn’t stir.
Her brow furrowed suddenly as a horrifying thought occurred to her. Oh God, she hoped that
the guy had only passed out.
Chewing on her lower lip, Alanna knelt down beside the man. Leaning forward, she turned
her head so that her ear was right above his mouth, and then sighed with relief when she felt
his warm breath against her skin.
Okay, so he wasn’t dead, she thought. That was a relief. She leaned closer to his face and
noticed that he didn’t smell like he’d been drinking at all. That was strange, considering he
was passed out on her floor. Her brow furrowing, she put her hand on his shoulder to nudge
him when his eyes flew open.
For a moment, Alanna just knelt there, lost in those incredibly golden brown eyes of his. God,
they were sexy, she thought.
He studied her in silence, then his eyes widened and he was scrambling away from her.
Quicker than she would have thought possible, he was on his feet, his hand on the hilt of his
sword as he looked around wildly.
“Where am I?” he demanded, his eyes narrowing as they came to rest on her. “What have you
done to me, witch?”
For a moment, Alanna just stared at him in confusion. What the heck did he mean, where was
he? Was he really that drunk, or just stupid? But watching as his eyes darted around the
room, she decided that he must be drunk. He was looking at her apartment as if he’d never
seen it before. Her mouth tightened. That was all she needed at this time of night, a guy so
drunk that he couldn’t even remember coming to the party. How the heck was she going to get
him out of there if he was that ripped? Slowly getting to her feet, she stood facing him, hands
on her hips.
“Okay, I’m not sure why you didn’t leave with everyone else, but the party’s over,” she said.
“So, you need to get your drunken butt out of here. I have to go to work in the morning.”
His brows drew together as he leveled that incredible gold gaze at her. “I will leave when you
tell me what you have done to me, witch!” he growled. “Where am I, and how did I get here?
Answer me, witch! What evil scheme have I fallen into?”
Alanna frowned. The guy certainly didn’t sound like he’d been drinking. He just sounded
weird. Why was he still putting on that fake accent anyway? Like something out of an old
pirate movie, she was sure it had been a hit during the party, but now, it just sounded
ridiculous.
But the guy insisted on still playing the pirate, and when she failed to answer his outlandish
questions immediately, he took what he probably thought was a menacing step toward her. If
he thought she was going to be intimidated by his size or his make-believe glower, however,
then he didn’t know her at all. She was in no mood to play games. She was exhausted and
wanted to go to bed.
“Look,” she said, taking a step closer and lifting her chin to glare up at him. “I’m sure the
accent and the pirate lingo were a big hit with the girls at the party, but at this time of night, it
just makes you sound stupid. Now get out before I call the cops.”
His eyes narrowed, taking in her curve-hugging gown and long, black hair with a sweep of his
gaze. He made no move to go, however. Annoyed, Alanna began to gesture with her hands in a
shooing motion toward the door.
“Go on, get out of here!” she told him.
The man stepped back quickly, his hand going to the hilt of his sword. “Trying to put another
spell on me, are you, witch?” he said. “Well, you won’t catch me so unaware this time, I can
promise you!”
Alanna shook her head. What a complete dumbass! she thought. Okay, so obviously he wasn’t
drunk. But he must be high on something, she decided, because no one in their right mind
would act like such a complete moron.
“Okay,” she said smartly. “You want a spell? Try this one then, C-O-P-”
She had this really cute line all ready about calling the cops, but apparently he wasn’t
amused because he never let her get the words out. Quickly closed the distance between
them, he pulled her close and swiftly brought a hand up to cover her mouth.
Alanna’s eyes went wide, her pulse skipping a beat. Oh crap, she thought. Could she have
misread the whole situation? What if this guy were dangerous.
“I will not let you, or Morania, or any other witch bespell me again, is that understood?” he
said softly.
For a moment, Alanna could only stare up at him, her heart pounding. Yes, she had definitely
misread the situation. This guy wasn’t drunk or high. He was nuts!
He studied her for a moment, his golden eyes seeming to penetrate her blue ones. When she
didn’t make a move to resist, he began to relax his hold on her. That was all the incentive she
needed. Wishing she had finished those self-defense classes she’d started, she did the only
thing she could think of. She jerked away from him and slapped him across the face as hard as
she could.
Alanna had hoped to startle him enough so she could make a run for the bedroom. Once
there, she could lock the door and call the cops.
Unfortunately, her blow didn’t have the desired effect. Actually, it had no effect at all. The man
only blinked, probably more stunned that she’d had the audacity to slap him than from the
actual slap itself. Jaw tight, he reached for his phony pirate sword and started to pull it from
its scabbard.
What the heck was he doing? Alanna thought, taking a nervous step back. But then she froze
in place, her eyes going wide as the light glinted off the blade. Oh God, she thought. It wasn’t a
phony sword; it was real! For the first time, she had the inkling that she might be in real
trouble.
But swearing under his breath, the man slammed the sword back home. “You might be a
witch, but I have never drawn a blade on a woman, even one who has just struck me, and I am
not about to start now,” he said, his golden brown eyes narrowing. “Nevertheless, you will tell
me what I want to know!”
Before Alanna could even wonder what he meant by that, the man reached out and grabbed
her by the arm. His grip like iron, he began to drag her across the room to the couch.
“Let go of me, you...” she began, only to let out a startled little “Oh!” of surprise when he sat
down on the couch and yanked her over his knee.
For a moment, Alanna was so shocked that she couldn’t do more than lay there. She regained
her senses quickly, however. Bracing her hands on his well-muscled thigh, she tried to push
herself upright, but a strong hand on her back held her firmly in place.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she demanded, craning her neck to look at him
over her shoulder. “Let me up, you...Owwwww!”
Alanna’s eyes went wide as she felt his hand come down on her upturned bottom. He was
spanking her! Just what the heck was going on here? First, he had grabbed her, then he had
threatened her with his sword, and now, he was spanking her. Who the hell did he think he
was, manhandling her like this? Crazy jerk! Too angry to even be the least bit scared of the
guy now, she struggled to free herself.
“How dare you!” she cried, beating her fist against his leg as hard has she could. “Let me go
right now!”
Stifling a yawn, Alanna was just reaching behind
her to undo the zipper on her gown when she heard
a loud thud out in the living room. Startled, she
froze, listening, but everything was quiet.
Chewing on her lower lip, she stared at her bedroom
door, wondering if she should investigate. But
knowing she would never be able to sleep if she
didn’t, she opened the door and cautiously looked
out.
Though she had a clear view of the living room from
where she was standing, she couldn’t see much in
the dark. Which meant that she would have to go out
there, she realized. Taking a deep breath, she slowly
tiptoed into the living room.
Running her hand along the wall, she found the
switch and flipped it on, only to stop in her tracks
when light illuminated the room. There, sprawled
her to undo the zipper on her gown when she heard
a loud thud out in the living room. Startled, she
froze, listening, but everything was quiet.
Chewing on her lower lip, she stared at her bedroom
door, wondering if she should investigate. But
knowing she would never be able to sleep if she
didn’t, she opened the door and cautiously looked
out.
Though she had a clear view of the living room from
where she was standing, she couldn’t see much in
the dark. Which meant that she would have to go out
there, she realized. Taking a deep breath, she slowly
tiptoed into the living room.
Running her hand along the wall, she found the
switch and flipped it on, only to stop in her tracks
when light illuminated the room. There, sprawled
| Excerpt |
© Paige Tyler and ABCD Webmasters, 2007
The Magic Spell
