Kate moaned and reached for more.

He moved back a precious inch and twisted her nipples.

Red-hot lust shot to her pussy. She lifted herself up on tiptoes, damned to eternity to be his sex slave, her breasts swollen and aching. “You have to let me in,” he murmured, nibbling on her bottom lip, keeping barely any contact with their mouths while his hands left her breasts and slipped behind to cup her rear. He dug his fingers into her ass and rocked his hips against hers. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you.”

She tried to force him to kiss her without the words, sliding her tongue between his lips, but he refused entry, pressing gentle, nonsatisfying kisses across her jaw, her cheeks, while his hand lifted the back of her skirt, and his finger slid underneath to trace the wet lace of her underwear. Her clit throbbed for relief, and she twisted for more, knowing one dip of his finger could bring her off to a shattering release.

He laughed low and dirty, teasing her through the damp material. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m not letting you come this time until you beg. Invite me in so I can remind you what you’re missing by sending me to another woman.”

Rage and frustration mingled and rushed like a choppy tidal wave through her body. “Fuck you and your games, counselor.” He pushed his knee in the center of her pussy and her legs gave out.

“Oh, I intend to fuck you all right. All day and all night, making you come in so many ways you beg me to stop. But I won’t stop, Kate, I’ll use my dick and my teeth and my tongue to make you scream.”

The shock of his words ripped a shudder from her weak muscles. She cursed him and hated him but gave him the words. “Kiss me. Put your tongue inside my mouth and kiss me properly.”

“About time.”

He ravaged her mouth, his tongue sweeping and licking and conquering every slick corner. He drank in her essence like a vampire draining her soul, and Kate tilted her neck back and gave him everything he wanted. She surrendered to the dark embrace with no thoughts of holding back, his raw male need a complete aphrodisiac to the empty, lonely corner of her soul. Her fingers dug into his scalp and tore at his hair. He ground her against the wall, into that musty corner, and showed her everything she was lacking and everything he intended to give her.

Then stepped back.

Her breath shuddered. A hazy mist of lust clouded her vision. His erection strained the fabric of his pants as he stared at her, jungle eyes wild with desire, a sheen of sweat evident on his forehead.

She opened her mouth to tell him she made a mistake. That she wanted him, would take the chance, but it was too late.

“Set me up with Emma for Friday night. Good night, Kate.”

He walked away.

Kate turned her face to the wall, fighting back tears, and wondered why getting what she wanted was so painful.


HOURS LATER, CUDDLED UP in her favorite chair, she stared at the television droning with infomercials. Robert snored beside her on his orthopedic mat, his doggy grunts and mild moans confirming some heavy dreams. A restlessness nipped endlessly at her nerves, driving her from her spot to her bookshelf. She couldn’t sleep, and needed to get her mind off sex. With Slade.

Kate grabbed a bunch of books she’d purchased from the secondhand store a few weeks ago and brought them back to her recliner. Maybe she’d do some research for Kinnections. She found many books with kernels of information that helped her clients or gave her a fresh direction to explore potential relationships. She skimmed a few, making mental notes, until an electrical shock jolted her fingertips. Kate jerked back, annoyed, and revealed the purple, fabric-colored book.

The Book of Spells.

She remembered discovering it in the stack, and the weird electrical thing had happened before. Strange. It had occurred before only when she met people, never with inanimate objects. A bit wary, she gingerly reached out and opened the cover. A mild tingle traveled up her arm but no pain.

Kate relaxed and flipped through the book. The few illustrations were beautiful, and only one strange spell was contained within the faded pages. An odd scent of incense and smoke drifted to her nostrils, and she shook with a sudden need she couldn’t make sense of. Crap, what if this thing had belonged to a real witch? It held some sort of spooky power. But the spell seemed . . . well . . . pure. Stripped down to the essence of what a woman craved in her lifetime mate. Make a list of all the qualities wanted in a soul mate. Write them down on two pieces of paper. Burn one in a fire and tuck the other under the mattress.

Kate remembered reading about the power of the written word, the unconscious magic of dreams, and an empty craving squeezed her heart. God, she was so tired of being alone. What would it be like to meet someone who actually believed in love and commitment? A man to grow with in this lifetime and beyond? Someone who saw all of her faults and accepted who she was?

Kate sniffed and rubbed her eyes. Ridiculous. She was a big baby. Maybe she’d bring the book to Kennedy and see if one of her clients would believe in it. Sometimes a woman needed a placebo to fight for love. If she thought a love spell could work, she’d be more open to opportunities in the dating world. She closed the book, deciding to bring it to Kinnections in the morning, when the idea crystallized before her.

Complete the spell.

The voice whispered in her ear, a lilting pleasurable rumble that gave her shivers. She huddled under the crocheted blanket and looked around. Very weird. She didn’t believe in that stuff. It would be ridiculous to try a love spell. Right?

She stared at the book and again the overwhelming urge to follow the instructions burned within. Kate hesitated, listening to Robert’s snoring and the urging of the commercial to buy the latest ab equipment to get skinny and turn back the clock.

Complete the spell.

Loneliness swamped her. Maybe she needed her own placebo. Maybe if she did this silly spell, she’d believe in something she lost along the way. Her confidence and belief in true love. Somewhere. Someday.

She moved quickly before she could question her sanity. Kate ripped out two pieces of paper, grabbed a pen, and wrote down all the qualities she dreamed of in a man. Her man. She didn’t think, just let the pen scratch across the paper in a fury, tapping into the well of her unconscious. She folded the papers, trudged to the bedroom, and shoved one under her queen-size mattress.

It took a while to find something that could contain a small fire, but she finally found a small metal bucket under the sink. She grabbed a lighter from the kitchen junk drawer, ripped up some papers, and lit the flame.

Kate held the list over the fire and shut her eyes. Chanted a few words to Earth Mother. Took a deep breath, cleansing her energy to send it into the universe. And dropped the list into the bucket.

She watched it shrivel and blacken. When it turned to ashes, she sprayed some water from the sink and doused the flames.

A looming sense of premonition swamped her, and a shiver raced down her spine. As if she had done something she could never take back, stepped down a side road that would bring her into a new pathway of life, a journey she would never have taken if thinking clearly.

Kate swallowed and pushed back the fear.

Silly. There was no such thing as love spells, of course. But maybe by clarifying what she needed, she’d open a portal that had been previously closed.

Damn, she was taking way too many yoga classes with Arilyn.

She cleaned up the mess, turned off all the lights, and went to bed.

ten

SLADE PUSHED A hand through his hair, straightened his tie, and guzzled a glass of water before his next client. He was exhausted, barely sleeping most nights, and his work schedule exploded with a rash of bad karma. It still amazed him how many wealthy couples never thought of a prenuptial, and how many more spent millions to try and break them.

He strode to the window and ignored his rumbling stomach. No lunch again. He liked the basic principles of helping others and loved the law. Fitting past cases together to complete a puzzle, the rich history of the American judicial system was something he was fiercely proud of—the cornerstone of equality and justice in rapidly declining institutions such as marriage.

But divorces were sometimes a real bitch.

Fog shrouded the skyline of Manhattan today, and the melting snow once blanketing everything in a sheen of white had turned dirty. Clumpy ice balls clogged the sidewalks and roads but didn’t slow the frantic pace of the city. He gazed at where the beloved Twin Towers had reigned, a sadness always tingeing his heart at how the city landscape drastically changed after 9/11. The new memorial downtown held hope, though, and soothed some of the emptiness and grief of New Yorkers.

Slade finished his water, threw the cup in the waste-basket, and grabbed his notes. His office was fully equipped with a cherrywood desk taking up half the room, bookcases lining the wall, and burgundy matching chairs to inspire clients to tell all. Photos of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence covered the walls and reminded people of justice. The thick burgundy rug was soft under the feet, and the smell of wood, lemon polish, and coffee hung in the air.

If he got partnership, they’d move him to the penthouse, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a wet bar, and a private bathroom/changing area. Slade thought the extras were nice, but he didn’t want the promotion for the perks or even the money. He knew that as a full partner, he’d get to pick more of his own cases and take on a bit more pro bono work. He’d have the power needed to make more important decisions. The rest was all extra.