“So how are things going with you and the witch?”

Reese looked up from the engine he was examining to see Keller leaning against the doorway to his shop, his arms crossed over his chest. There was a sardonic little grin on the other male’s face, but Reese thought he could detect just a hint of worry far back in Keller’s leaf-green eyes.

“Going great,” he said, wanting to put his best friend at ease. “Better that great, actually—Jo and I are getting along like a house on fire.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Keller sounded skeptical. “And what about the spell she put on you? How did that turn out?”

Reese felt his cheeks getting hot. Should he tell the other male what had happened during the incomplete binding spell? On one hand, it was pretty private but on the other, Keller could keep a secret. He decided an abbreviated version would be the best.

“Well, actually . . . “ He cleared his throat. “The spell went a little . . . wrong.”

“Wrong? Wrong, how?” Keller was instantly on the alert. “What did she do to you, Coop? Are you okay?”

Reese laughed. “Take it easy, buddy—I’m fine. More than fine to be honest.” He told Keller briefly about how Jo had cast a binding spell and hadn’t been able to reverse the intent at the end as she’d meant to.

Keller gave a long, low whistle.

“So she basically cast a lust and fidelity spell on the two of you and now you’re living in the same house with her and trying to keep your hands to yourself?”

“It’s not like that, Keller.” Reese frowned, trying to think how to explain. “I mean, it’s hard to be around her, wanting her so much, but I don’t really think the spell’s to blame. If anything, it only heightened what was already there. I mean, Jo’s a Juvie, so—”

“What? Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” Keller demanded.

Reese shrugged. “Figured you already knew. After what happened at the Friendly Bean—”

“No, what did happen at the Friendly Bean?” Keller demanded. “I’ve been on a business trip, you know. Trying to wrap everything up before the babies come along. Just got back in an hour ago.”

“Makes sense.” Reese nodded. “Okay, so we go into the shop . . . “

After he related the incident, the Cougar Shifter shook his head.

“So she’s a witch and a Shifter?”

“So says Fiona.” Reese shrugged. “Got no reason to doubt her—Jo certainly shows both characteristics.”

“Sounds like she does.” Reese nodded thoughtfully. “I’m glad she’s a Juvie, Coop.”

“You are?” Reese frowned. “Why?”

“It makes me feel better about this whole thing—about her staying with you.” Reese left the doorway and came over to clap Reese on the shoulder. “If your little witch is a Juvie, that means Lady Moon’s got a hand in this too. And we know the Goddess doesn’t make mistakes.”

“Don’t believe she does.” Reese smiled at his friend wryly. “Although sometimes it’s hard to figure out what’s going on.”

“You’ll work it out,” Keller said confidently. “Speaking of which, Samantha and I are having a get together with Mathis and Sadie later on this week. We’re going to throw some steaks on the grill and take it easy. Why don’t you bring Jo along?”

“I’d love to, but are you sure? I mean, Sadie and Samantha don’t even know Jo.”

“It’ll be a perfect time to introduce them to her. To introduce all of us,” Keller said firmly. “Just come, Coop—if you like Jo, I’m sure we will too.”

“She’s a little shy,” Reese said. “Especially around males. But yeah, I think you’ll like her. She’s pretty great.” He smiled, thinking of her beautiful, fox-red hair and gorgeous amber eyes. Not to mention her laugh or the way her long fingers felt when they ruffled his fur . . .

“More than great if that look in your eyes is anything to go by,” Keller said dryly. “You better bring he by so we can get to know her before the two of you start having babies of your own.”

Reese frowned. “I think we’re a long way from that point, Keller. In fact after . . . what happened to her, we might never get there.”

“Lady Moon will make a way,” Keller said confidently.

Reese laughed. “Now you sound like Fiona.”

Keller shrugged. “Why not? She’s usually right. Well . . . “ He clapped Reese on the shoulder again. “I’d better go. Samantha would skin me alive if she knew I came to talk to you instead of going straight home when I got back into town.”

Reese raised an eyebrow. “She’s got you on a short leash, huh?”

Keller laughed. “No, leashes are for Dogs and I’m a Cat—haven’t you heard? But I had to come talk to you first before I went home to Samantha. The pregnancy hormones make her, let’s say . . . amorous. The minute I get home to her, I won’t be going anywhere for the next few days.”

“Well don’t let me keep you.” Reese grinned at his best friend. “Go have fun.”

“Will do. You too.” He winked at Reese and was gone.

Reese sighed and went back to his engine. Though he appreciated his friend’s vote of confidence, he wasn’t at all sure that he and Jo would ever be having the kind of “fun” that Keller was currently anticipating. Still, you never could tell—maybe Lady Moon did have a hand in all of this. Fiona certainly seemed to believe so.

“If you’re listening, Lady Moon,” he muttered under his breath. “I’d be very grateful to have with Jo what Keller has with Samantha and Mathis has with Sadie. If you sent me Jo just to protect her, I’ll do that, no problem. But if you sent her for me to love her, well . . . “ He sighed deeply and looked up at the ceiling of his shop just for a minute. “I think I could do that too.”

No one answered his prayer, but he felt a little better when he was finished. He went back to work on the engine humming, a feeling of hope and contentment in his heart.

* * *

The next week, life fell into a routine for Jo. She got up each morning and made breakfast for Reese and herself and then he drove her to Fiona’s pharmacy before opening his auto body shop where he worked until noon. Around that time he would usually come across the street and the two of them would have lunch together, sometimes in Fiona’s little shop or sometimes, on sunny days, they would get in Reese’s truck and go out on a picnic in a little secluded park on the far edge of town.

Jo liked the picnic days the best—the air was bright and crisp and since she’d given in and accepted the clothing Reese offered her, she was warm enough to enjoy the Fall air unlike during her weary journey after leaving Avalon. They packed sandwiches, or sometimes Reese picked something up from the Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Diner or the Cougar’s Den Bar and Grill. They sat on an old plaid blanket and talked of everything and nothing and generally got to know each other.

During these lunches, Reese always found a way to touch her.

His fingers would brush hers while passing a plate or a napkin, or he would see an eyelash on her cheek and brush it off, his big hand gentle on her face. Jo knew he was helping her the only way he could—touching her to take away the pain of the ever-looming headache that returned more and more frequently during her hours away from him. It was a kind gesture—even kinder because she couldn’t bring herself to ask for it.

Jo liked the feel of the big Shifter’s hands on her and knew that Reese wished she would tell him when her temples throbbed and ask for what she needed . . . but she just couldn’t. Because she liked it too much—and even as the headache faded with his touch, she could feel the heat between her thighs growing more insistent.

She often saw Reese’s nostrils flare and knew he was catching her scent. Sometimes he got restless and got up to walk around the park or Fiona’s small back room. At times like that, Jo often saw the thick ridge of his shaft pressed hard against his jeans and wondered if he was making space between them because he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. The thought both frightened and intrigued her . . . and then she felt ashamed that she was interested in something she’d sworn off so many years ago—and scared of the silent yearning that sometimes fell between herself and Reese when they were together.

Jo tried to tell herself that the sexual tension between them was there because she hadn’t been able to find a way to reverse the spell she’d cast. If she could just find a way to undo what she had done that first night in his back yard, she was certain the lust that rose inside her when she saw Reese and felt his gentle touch on her skin would fade. This whole Shifter thing was probably nonsense—it was the spell that was to blame.

So she hoped.

In the early evening, after another four or five hours working on the new ingredient and artifact filing system she was designing for Fiona, Reese drove her home again and Jo made supper.

He had protested, at first, about letting her cook all the time but Jo told him she liked it—which was true.

“But I thought you were a feminist,” he said, frowning. “And you’re already insisting on paying me rent, which is ridiculous. We should share the cooking.”

“I’m a hearth witch—what some people call a ‘kitchen witch,’” she told him, as she stirred a big pot of her famous vegetable stew which was bubbling on the stove. A pan of homemade cornbread was baking in the oven to go with it. “That means I draw power and satisfaction from things to do with the home—cooking . . . mending . . . healing. Not cleaning though—you’re welcome to do the dishes if you want.”

“I can handle that.” Reese had given her his warm, sleepy smile and she’d had to look away, biting her lip because she wanted so badly to put her arms around him and kiss his luscious-looking mouth and feel his hands all over her body.

After supper one night, near the end of the week, they were in the den slash library and Jo was looking for something new to read when she found a whole stash of books she hadn’t seen before high in one corner of the shelf.

“Oh,” she exclaimed. “Lest Darkness Fall . . . The Years of Rice and Salt . . . The Difference Engine—you like alternate history?”

“Sure.” Reese nodded. “I like any kind of history. In fact, I’ve always wished I could teach it—you know, on the university level.”

“Really?” She was instantly intrigued.

“Yeah but I was the only son in a family full of daughters. Would have broken my old man’s heart if I’d left him alone with the auto body shop. So . . . “ He shrugged. “What could I do? I stayed while all my sisters went their separate ways. All of them got out of Cougarville, but here I am in this big house all alone. Well . . . “ He grinned at her. “Not quite so alone now, I guess.”

Jo felt her cheeks heat at the warm look in his eyes but she tried to push the attraction away.

“You shouldn’t give up your dreams,” she told him. “It’s important to do what you love.”

“Well, I haven’t completely. Look . . .” Reese got up and went into the other room. He returned with a framed diploma and showed it to her.

“A bachelor’s degree in ancient history!” She looked up at him, surprised.

“It’s only from an online university.” Reese shrugged self-deprecatingly. “But it’s a good one—I did plenty of research before I enrolled. And I’m thinking of taking classes for a master’s degree next.”

“You should! Reese, this is really impressive. I knew I saw a band of intellect in your aura. I couldn’t figure it out at first.”

“Yeah, a mechanic who likes to read.” He grinned. “Go figure, right? Well . . .” He took the diploma back from her and stretched. “Think I’ve had enough reading for one night. It’s time to let my Fox out to roam around some.”

This was something he did every evening, about an hour before bedtime. He’d explained to Jo that his other half enjoyed spending time with her too and it was only fair to give the Fox a chance to see her at least once a day.

Jo felt a wide smile spread over her face at his words. She loved his Fox to pieces—the little animal was so frisky and cuddly. Just hearing his sharp little yip and seeing him tear across the living room to jump into her arms made her bubble over with happiness. Plus, sitting on the couch and stroking his lithe, furry body just before bedtime ensured that her sleep wouldn’t be interrupted by the pounding in her temples coming back before she woke.

“Good,” she exclaimed. “I can’t wait to see the little guy.”

“Sometimes I think you like my animal half more than my human half,” Reese said dryly, but Jo could tell he was only partially joking.

“Of course I don’t, Reese,” she protested, getting up to go to him. “You know I love, um, spending time with you . . . talking to you.”

She could feel her cheeks getting hot as she spoke—her body yearned for his and she wished they could do a lot more than talk. But she tried to push the need she felt away and went on.

“Your fox is just so cute and cuddly,” she told Reese, “Nothing like those huge, ferocious dire wolves that chased me after I left Avalon.” She shivered at the memory. “Goddess, I’m so glad you don’t turn into anything like that.”

“Uh, yeah. That would be a real shame,” Reese muttered. He looked like he wanted to say something, then he just shook his head. “Guess I’d better let him out then.”

He turned away but Jo couldn’t ignore the hurt look she’d seen in his brown eyes.

“Reese,” she said, stepping forward and putting a hand tentatively on his arm. He was wearing a t-shirt and she saw his bicep tense and knot at her light touch. She hadn’t reached out to him—hadn’t touched him voluntarily—until now. Other than the kiss on the cheek she’d given him that first day at Fiona’s, she hadn’t touched him at all—it was always him touching her.

“Yes, darlin’?” he asked, turning back to her, his voice dropping into a lower register—almost a soft growl. “What is it?”

“I . . . I just wanted you to know . . . wanted to say . . .” Jo tried to think of how to put it.

He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting, which made her even more nervous.

“I want you to know I like being with you—like spending time with you,” she heard her voice saying. “I . . . I like it too much. So much it makes me . . . uncomfortable sometimes when I’m near you in your human form. That’s all.”

She pressed her thighs tightly together, trying to ignore the throbbing which got worse any time she was near him. His hands on her body . . . his mouth on her breasts . . . his fingers between her legs . . . No!

Goddess, she had to stop thinking of their erotic encounter after she’d cast the spell! The lust was messing with her head, making her think of doing things she hadn’t desired in years. Why couldn’t she just turn her libido off, the way it had been the entire time she’d lived in Avalon?

She hadn’t desired a man’s touch in over twenty years, but now, sometimes when she was close to Reese, she thought she would go crazy if she couldn’t have those big hands roving over her body . . . making her naked . . . making her his . . .

“Being near you makes me uncomfortable too, you know, darlin’,” he said matter-of-factly. “You smell so good it drives me crazy. Half the time I’m with you, your Juvie scent makes me so hard I ache.”

“I . . . I’m sorry.” Jo took a step back from him but he followed her and reached out to stroke her cheek lightly with the back of his knuckles.

“Don’t be,” he murmured. “It’s worth it to be near you. Even if I want you so badly I can hardly see straight. It’s a kind of torture but . . . a sweet torture, if that makes any sense.”

“Yes,” Jo whispered. “It . . . it feels that way to me too.”

“Then why are we torturing ourselves, darlin’?” he asked softly. He cupped her face in his big, warm hands and leaned down to look into her eyes. “Why can’t we stop playing this game?” he murmured.

Jo’s heart pounded and she wanted to pull away from his soft touch, but somehow she couldn’t. He was so close . . . close enough to kiss and his breath smelled sweet and a little spicy, like the apple pie she’d baked for dessert. She knew his mouth would taste of cinnamon and cloves and hot, aroused man and Goddess, she wanted so badly to taste that—to taste him.

“See, this is why I like your Fox form,” she said breathlessly, not answering his question. “Because there’s none of this . . . this tension when you’re the Fox. I can touch you as much as I want without wanting to do more . . . to go too far.”

“How far is too far?” Reese murmured. He hadn’t released his light hold on her and somehow Jo couldn’t make herself pull away. His touch seemed to send electrical tingles though her entire body.

“I . . . I don’t kn—” she began.

Before she could finish, Reese took her mouth in a sweet, urgent kiss. Soft, yet demanding, his mouth covered hers.

Goddess! Jo felt like she was melting. Throwing her arms around his neck, she returned the kiss, opening her lips to his, welcoming him in, finally giving in to the lust that had been burning inside her for what felt like forever.

Reese gave a low groan and crushed her to him. His big body, hard and hot, was pressed against hers from chest to groin and Jo felt the solid ridge of his shaft pressing insistently against her thigh.

Come on, baby, whispered a voice from her past. I just want a little kiss—c‘mere and give me a kiss . . .

With a gasp, she broke the kiss and pushed away from Reese. What was she doing? What was wrong with her? She had to get away—to get out of here before she did something she’d regret—before he took what she wasn’t willing to give.

“Jo?” Reese looked at her uncertainly, clearly wondering why she’d pulled away from their passionate embrace so abruptly.

“I . . . I’m sorry.” Jo shook her head, her long red hair whipping around her face. “I can’t—I just can’t. I have to go now.”

Turning, she fled up the stairs to the room Reese had given her. She locked herself in, threw herself on the bed, and shook and cried, trying to push away the past. Trying not to think of how badly she wanted Reese . . . and how badly she didn’t want to want him.

It was awful and made all the worse because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to stop the feelings welling up inside her for the big Shifter.

At last, though, she felt she’d cried herself out. Sitting up, she wiped her eyes with the clean but faded patchwork quilt that covered her bed and took a deep breath. There had to be something she could do—some way out of this mess.

There is, whispered a little voice. You know there is—you just have to be brave enough to do it.

Biting her lip, Jo considered her options. Just that day she’d found a recipe for a love spell reversal potion in the back of Miranda’s book of shadows. While perusing the book, she noticed that two of the pages seemed to be stuck together. As she carefully separated them, the potion recipe had been her reward.

At first Jo had been elated—it was exactly what she needed! And the list of ingredients and accoutrements needed seemed to be all things she had on hand or could get at Fiona’s pharmacy. But then the last thing on the list had caught her eye and her heart had lodged in her throat.

“Cestrum nocturnum, sometimes called night-blooming jasmine,” the list read. This tender perennial blooms from spring until fall, but it must be gathered in the wild under the light of the moon to be effective.”

Gathered in the wild . . . just the thought made Jo shiver. She knew where she could get some night-blooming jasmine. She’d seen some in the forest as she made her way through the trees. Finding some, even this late in the season, should be no problem . . . except for the fact that she’d have to go into the woods to get it.

Just thinking of that—of entering the forest when the shadow creature might be waiting for her—made Jo feel like she’d swallowed a pound of ice cubes which were sitting in the pit of her stomach refusing to melt. And yet, what else could she do? There was no other way to get the jasmine she needed—no other way to make the potion to break the lust spell that was driving both her and Reese crazy.

I can probably grab the jasmine and be out of the woods in no time, she told herself, trying to nerve herself up. And besides, I haven’t seen the creature lately—haven’t sensed its presence. Maybe it realized that I’m protected now—that I’m safe—and it decided to give up.

She hoped she was right because tonight she had reached her breaking point—she was damn well going to go into the forest and pick herself some night-blooming jasmine. She needed to brew that potion, no matter what the risks were.

Jo sat up straighter and took a deep breath. Okay, fine—she was going to do it—she was determined. But how could she get out without alerting Reese? After the passionate kiss they’d shared, she didn’t want to tell him she was going to try and eliminate all the passion and desire between them. He might feel offended and insulted, and that was the last thing Jo wanted. No, she had to get out of the house without Reese realizing she was gone.

Taking stock of the situation, Jo looked around the room and saw the window, opened just an inch to let in the cool night air. It was right beside a huge old oak tree and Reese had told her how his little sister Meggie, whose room this used to be, had always snuck out the window and climbed down the tree to go meet her friends when she was grounded.

Jo would never have dreamed of climbing out a second story window and down an oak tree in her forty-one year old body. But now that she felt nineteen or twenty again, the idea wasn’t daunting at all.

Lifting the window sash as quietly as she could, she measured the distance to the nearest tree branch and then to the ground. A chill wind rustled the trees and Jo shivered.

Going to the closet, she pulled out an extra warm, cable-knit sweater and pulled it on over the thinner sweater she was already wearing with her jeans. Then, sending a short prayer to the Goddess for protection, she slipped out the window and disappeared into the night.

* * *

Reese paced up and down, running his hands through his hair, cursing himself for a fool. Why had he done that? Why had he kissed her when he knew she had a past, knew she was frightened of being with a man? It was her Juvie scent driving him crazy, making him want her so badly he couldn’t see straight . . .

That’s no excuse and you know it, Reese told himself. You’re a full-grown man and an Alpha. You ought to be able to keep your hands to yourself!

But he couldn’t help thinking of that one moment when Jo had allowed herself to kiss him back, the way her arms had slipped around his neck and she’d pressed herself against him, giving in for just a split second to the need they both felt.

And then she’d pulled away and went running up to her room.

The desire was a palpable thing between them—a presence that pressed down on both of them like a huge, heavy hand whenever they were close enough to touch. It was suffocating . . . distracting . . . a burning thirst he couldn’t slake. It made him so frustrated at times he had to get away—yet he couldn’t bear to leave her. That was where his Fox form came in.

Reese knew Jo needed his touch and also knew she wouldn’t or couldn’t ask for it. He also wanted desperately to be near her without being constantly overwhelmed with desire. So he’d fabricated the idea that he had to spend time as his Fox every night.

When he was the Fox, he didn’t have to feel the desperate desire that made his cock so hard it ached when he looked at Jo and couldn’t touch her. And as the Fox, he could and did touch her as much as he wanted to. Reese looked forward to Shifting every evening, despite the pain it entailed. It was a relief every night to take his other form for an hour—to be close to her without wanting her so badly it made his whole body clench with need whenever she was near.

He thought of Shifting to his Fox right now and going up to scratch on Jo’s door. She would probably let him in as the Fox, even if she was upset with him as a human. Though she knew cognitively that he and the Fox were basically the same entity, it still hadn’t quite sunk in for her yet on an emotional level. She seemed to trust the Fox in ways she couldn’t trust him as a man.

It made Reese sad . . . made him wish she could trust his human form as much as his animal one.

He was just about to Shift when he stopped himself. Shifting right now would be a cop out. He had to talk to Jo—had to apologize for kissing her, for pushing too hard. Damn it—he’d been trying to keep his hands off her, trying to gain her trust. He supposed he might have destroyed that now—all his effort washed way in that one, intense kiss.

Sighing, he mounted the stairs and went to stand in front of Jo’s room. Taking a deep breath, he called through the door.

“Jo? Jo, can we talk? I know I was an ass down there—I shouldn’t have pushed you. I’m really sorry.”

No answer.

Frowning, he tried again. “Jo? Are you all right?”

Still no answer and his sensitive Shifter senses didn’t pick up her heart beat or any sounds of breathing either. A surge of worry shot through him. What was going on?

“Jo?” He knocked on her door, which wasn’t very securely latched, and the wooden panel swung inward.

The room was empty.

“Jo? Jo, where are you?” Fighting the panic that wanted to overwhelm him, Reese came into the room. He looked everywhere but didn’t sense her presence, though her maddening Juvie scent still hung faintly in the air.

Then his eyes lit on the window. Jo normally slept with it cracked because she liked the spicy scent of the leaves and the slight chill of the autumn air. But now the window wasn’t just cracked—it was wide open. Jo was gone.

Reese ran over to it, looking out into the darkness, hoping to find her still in the tree or in the backyard but it was no use—the little witch was nowhere to be seen. She had run away in the dead of night—probably to get away from him.

Great going, Reese—you drove her away. Your kiss scared her so badly she’d do anything just to get away from you!

He wanted to kick himself. He shouldn’t have pushed her, shouldn’t have kissed her, no matter how badly he wanted her and sensed that she wanted him. He shouldn’t have—

And that was when he heard it. Out in the forest, lost in the trees and shadows, a woman was screaming. The short hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a low growl rose in his throat as Reese recognized the voice.

It was Jo.