CHAPTER SIXTEEN

 

 

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“Would you mind?” Sandy’s tone was dry, and her eyes glared up at him, but Joel couldn’t help but find amusement in their situation even if he was miffed that he still couldn’t move a muscle.

“I don’t mind one bit,” he offered back with a wolfish grin that stretched his lips and made her chew her inner cheek with annoyance. At least he could raise his head now – that was always a bonus.

“I’d like to be able to take a full breath in…”

“I’m guessing that zapping me wasn’t the best idea you’ve ever had then?”

His upper body strength was coming back to him and not a moment too soon. He dragged himself up onto his elbows and looked down at her.

“Not my finest hour,” she bit out in annoyance.

She’d tried to be a kick-butt, mean chick witch, and look where it had gotten her – beneath the hard, sexy, muscle-bound body of the man that fate had picked out for her. Exactly the outcome she was hoping to avoid.

It might have annoyed her that her chances in life seemed to be heading for the door screaming – as she should have been – but, there was also an air of rationality that seemed to have settled in her mind like his body had settled in against hers.

If fate had sent her a mate, then didn’t it follow that her dreams of a bakery in the big city weren’t for her in the first place? Wasn’t fate just pointing out the blooming obvious to her in a big, sexy way that she could understand? Like being slapped in the face by a wet kipper – it might not have been welcomed, but it did the trick.

“But, I do have you exactly where I want you,” Joel teased her.

“Isn’t it a bloody shame that you can’t do anything about it?” she tossed back, scoring what she thought was a point for her side in that wet kipper slapping contest.

Oh, how wrong could one witch be?

“I can do this,” Joel said and brought his lips down on hers.

For one long moment her whole body went as rigid as his body had done when she’d zapped him, but rather than magic, it was shock and awe that had shot through her. Shock that he’d been forward enough to kiss her when he’d only just met her, and awe at the feel of his lips against hers that sent tingles over her body and kick-started her womb into action.

Sandy had choices; she knew she did, and yet, the problem seemed to be that she couldn’t think of a single one of them.

 

 

~

 

 

Maxi had the urge to leave the alpha on the side of the road as she drove towards the man and he flicked a look back over his shoulder at her car as it approached him. She wasn’t totally mad at him, only slightly miffed. After all, Bree had brought a lot of what had befallen her on herself, but still, the witch was trying to change her ways, and she’d just come back from hearing all about her exploits with Joel and his new mate.

With a small resigned sigh, Maxi slowed down and pulled up beside him as she wound down the passenger window. “Want a lift?” she asked, and when Mason stopped, so did she.

“Are you planning to throw me out with your magic?”

“Only if you criticize my driving,” she said and tossed up a shoulder.

“Is it that bad?” Mason’s brow furrowed as he placed his palm against the roof and bent to peer in at her.

“Yes, but I’ve seen worse.”

“I guess I can risk it. I’m a fast healer.” He pulled open the door and climbed in. He folded his large frame inside the small car and looked for a way to push the seat back to give him a little more leg room.

“Jon’s pushed it back as far as it can go,” Maxi chuckled. She knew exactly what he was looking for because he mate grumbled and growled every time he climbed in with her.

“Clown car – you need a new one,” Mason grumbled.

“Funny, I hear that a lot from my mate.” She chuckled as she stomped down on the accelerator, just for the satisfaction of getting a grunt from the alpha, and sped off down the road.

“You’ve been to town?” Mason asked.

“Bree’s,” Maxi said and flicked a look at the man when he grunted again.

“Maybe I should walk.” Mason thought he knew what was coming. Maxi was still miffed at him for banishing her friend from pack land.

“Guilty conscience?” she teased.

“Not even remotely close,” he tossed back. “Self-preservation.”

“I’m not planning on driving you to a deserted wasteland and killing you, alpha…”

“The thought hadn’t crossed my mind – until now,” he offered back.

“She’s trying…”

“She certainly is, and in ways, I never thought possible.” He knew they were talking about two different things, and when Maxi chuckled, he knew that she’d caught on.

“Trying to be a better witch…”

“How about a better person?”

“Harsh,” Maxi berated him.

“Maybe a little,” Mason conceded.

“She helped Joel chase his witch mate down, and she released him from the glamour spell,” Mason grunted. “She’s not a bad person, just a little…”

“Thoughtless…”

“Well…”

“Selfish…”

“At times…”

“Immature…”

“Geez…”

“Devious…”

“Okay, look…”

“Mean…”

“But!” Maxi snapped out and brought his attention to her. “She’s really making an effort to change.”

“Which I applaud…”

“Then…?” She left that hanging there in the air between them with a big old dollop of expectation.

“Not yet,” Mason said and watched her deflate in her seat. “Should I jump before I’m tossed out of the car at speed?”

Maxi snorted a chuckle. “Nah, we’re good. I’ll drop you at home.”

“On my head?”

“Tempting. But don’t expect me to slow down too much when we get there.” Maxi flicked a grin at him.

“I’m all about second chances, Maxi. Bree just needs to earn it,” Mason assured her, and she nodded.

“She will. I have faith in her to do the right thing.”

Mason hoped for Maxi’s sake that Bree could live up to that.