“I can’t believe you did that,” I snapped, my body relaxed and blissful in the aftermath of some epic orgasms but my mind shocked and dismayed.

“What did you expect would happen?” was his sarcastic reply. “Or did you plan for this to be one-sided?”

“Of course, I didn’t. But did you have to come inside me? Would it have killed you to stop and grab a condom?”

“I didn’t see you pausing the action.”

“I was kind of busy,” I yelled in reply. Busy coming so hard I almost believed in Heaven.

“Well, so was I.”

How dare he have so much fun he forgot the important stuff? “You should have pulled out.”

“Are you really going to blame me when it’s your fault for making it feel so damned good?”

Ooh, I almost melted there. “Just because I’m epic, it isn’t an excuse to not practice safe sex.”

“I don’t see what the problem is. If you’re worried about disease, I’m clean.”

“Says you. And what about pregnancy?”

“Aren’t you on birth control?”

“No.” Because the damned hormone pills screwed with my magic. “Please tell me whatever you are isn’t compatible with me.” I begged him for reassurance, even as my mind conjured up cute little blond-haired babies with his eyes.

“We’re compatible. But I doubt it will happen after just one time.”

“Said every man before accidentally becoming a daddy.” I rolled my eyes and shoved at him.

He moved, taking his heat with him, removing his delicious weight, and I immediately regretted it.

My wanton body wanted to stay snuggled. I, on the other hand, was going to hop in a shower and aim the spray at my girly parts and hope I didn’t miss my next period. Despite what my mother wanted, I wasn’t ready for kids.

Mostly because I haven’t found the right guy.

I cast a glance at Alistair lying on my bed, looking too comfortable. Or have I?

Mental slap. Now was not the time to be thinking of him as a potential boyfriend. We were supposed to be working together on a dire problem, not fucking.

But it was epic fucking.

That would never happen again.

As I showered, I listed to myself all the reasons why it wouldn’t work.

It was a pretty good list.

1. I don’t know what he is. Not quite human. Not an elf. What did that leave?
2. He’s a wizard.
3. Arrogant and cocky.
4. My family would never accept him. And I thought this despite the almost successful dinner party.
5. No room in my closet.

Lots of valid reasons, and the only argument for us hooking up?

I like him.

Like wasn’t enough.

Emerging from the bathroom wrapped in a huge towel, I found him on his phone, his voice low, his conversation halting the moment I entered the room.

“Has there been another incident?” I asked.

“Nothing that requires urgent attention.”

“So no bodies?”

He shook his head, and my shoulders relaxed. “I’ll call you back in a bit.” He tucked the phone into the pants he’d pulled on. Guess he wasn’t making an attempt at round two.

Not that I would have allowed it, of course. Hello, I had a list!

One that wouldn’t last long if he kept staring at me, his eyes smoldering with heat, pricking me between the legs. “You should go.”

“I thought we argued earlier about this. I’m staying here to protect you.”

“What about the phone call?”

His brow knit. “They’ll have to wait until sunrise. Unless you wish to join me.”

“More demons?”

“Not exactly, a problem at the bureau headquarters. Something about an artifact. You could stay in my office while I deal with it.”

“So you can stash away your embarrassment?” I snapped.

“Do you really believe I am embarrassed by you?”

“You’re a wizard, remember? I know you are.”

“Perhaps I should stay here and show you how wrong you are.”

“Yeah, about that.” I would have whistled innocently if I knew how. “I might have kind of made a phone call before I showered.”

His gaze narrowed. “To who?”

“My brothers. Banyan and Ash are coming over to watch me. I should probably mention that they take their job of protecting me very seriously. As in, if they discover you seduced me, you might find yourself with your head up your ass.” They had this thing about boys messing with their little sister.

“Your brothers don’t scare me.”

I cocked my head. “Maybe they don’t, but let me make something clear. Hurt them, and I will hurt you.”

His eyes turned flat, and his nostrils flared. “You aren’t playing fair.”

“Get used to it.”

A ghost of a grin pulled at his lips. “You can’t chase me off so easily, Willow. There is something between us.”

“You’re right. There is something between us. Centuries of tradition. Your secrets. The demons.” I shook my head. “It would never work.”

“Worked just fine a short while ago,” he said, his gaze roving over my body.

Way to sucker-punch me in the cunt. “The sex is good, I’ll grant you that, but I don’t trust you.”

“You should trust that I won’t hurt you.”

“Again, said every man before doing the exact opposite. This argument is not going anywhere. I am not changing my mind. You need to leave.”

I thought for sure he’d argue again. Maybe try and sway me with his mouth and hands. My body tingled in anticipation. Instead, Alistair grabbed his shirt and covered his body. “I’ll go, but you won’t get rid of me so easily.”

“Obviously, considering we still have the case to work on, but this”—I pointed to me, him, and the rumpled bed—“that’s done.”

Said with conviction, yet as soon as he left, I felt deflated.

He didn’t even fight that hard to stay. Not even a single kiss to show me how wrong I was.

Jerk.

My annoyance with him probably explained my terse attitude with my brothers when they arrived, and the restless sleep I got that night.

The next morning, my gritty eyes glared at my cheerful siblings where they sat at my table devouring a month’s worth of groceries.

“You’d better be planning to replace that,” I grumbled as I made myself a cup of coffee.

“Someone is on her period,” Oak muttered.

“Am not.”

“Then your crabby attitude must be because of that wizard you’re working with. Want me to beat him up for you?” Banyan offered before inhaling a loaf of toasted bread.

“I don’t need your help with Alistair.”

“And she doesn’t deny he’s the problem!” Oak chortled. “She’s got a thing for a wizard.” The words were sung, and my mighty glare didn’t ignite him on the spot.

“Watch it, or I’ll tell Mother you’re the one who broke her grandmother’s Royal Doulton.”

His eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Don’t piss me off.”

“Someone needs to get laid,” Banyan rumbled.

Actually, that was my problem. I’d gotten laid. Liked it, and wanted more.

What was wrong with me?

“So look what I found wandering around your yard this morning.” Oak reached under the table into his lap and pulled out an orange bundle of fur.

“Whiskers!” I yelled, diving for my kitten.

My baby kitty meowed at the sight of me and lifted a paw. I nestled him in my arms, trying not to squish him—not easy because I wanted to hug him and love him and squeeze him. I was so happy he’d come back instead of being digested inside some demon’s stomach.

Then I had a horrifying thought.

What if Whiskers had been taken over by a demon like those other pets had?

I held him up to eye level and peered at him. Peeked at his aura, simple and orange. Sniffed him. Smelled liked wet grass and kitty.

How could I tell if it was my baby?

The furball opened one sleepy eye and yawned. He blinked open both eyes and began to purr. An aircraft-carrier-loud rumble as he showed his happiness at seeing me.

Awwww. I snuggled him close. Perhaps my love life was a mess, but at least my cat was back.

With daylight making everything bright, I felt no qualms about kicking out my brothers. Kal would be arriving shortly, and besides, only an idiot would attack me in my home.

A witch’s house was her haven. A sorceress’s house was her fortress. With the mood I found myself in, I’d have welcomed a distraction. Alas, not even a salesman tried to disturb my peace.

On my third cup of coffee and wading through emails, Kal arrived, one of the few people keyed into my place and allowed entry.

With a, “Morning, boss,” he entered the kitchen and caused me to blink.

He’d chosen a rather eye-popping yellow shirt with snug, dark slacks paired with a multi-hued scarf and aviator glasses today.

“You look like shit,” he announced upon seeing me.

“Says the man who swallowed the sun. Would it kill you to turn down the brightness a notch?”

“Spoken by a woman wearing a T-shirt that would look better in a rubbish bin.”

That earned him a finger. I was rather fond of my T-shirts. Every year for Christmas, my brothers found me a new one, something tacky with a ridiculous saying about witches. This one stated, Bitchcraft.

Kal didn’t heed the subtle warning on my chest. “Someone needs to snap out of her funk. Especially since we have to go shopping today.”

“Shopping?” I wrinkled my nose. “Like hell. We have work to do.” Such as lying on the couch and working on a nap.

“No shopping? Then I guess you’re not hitting the ball tomorrow, after all.”

“Is that already here?” I’d lost track of time, apparently. I was pretty sure I could blame Alistair for that, too.

“It is here, and unless you’re planning to wear something from last year”—not too likely since I’d spilled wine on it—“then we need to get you something that fits off the rack.”

“But I don’t want to go shopping. I’ve got work to do. People to call.”

“We can make those calls on the way there, and while you’re trying on gowns, I can fire off texts to those who’ve yet to reply. Now, go get dressed and do something about your hair.”

“I hate you,” I grumbled.

“Good, then that means I’m doing my job as your assistant,” Kal riposted.

Thank goodness for efficient employees. While my brain still felt sluggish, and my thoughts were chaotic, Kal managed to get me organized and out the door.

The addition of food to my caffeine belly restored me somewhat so that, by the time we hit the dress shop, I almost felt human. Human enough that I wondered what Alistair was up to.

Where did he go last night?

Where is he now?

Why hasn’t he called?

Will he call?

No wonder I couldn’t sleep.

Being clueless when it came to style, I put myself in Kal’s hands at the dress shop. He knew a posh one that boasted enough styles and sizes to torture me. While he took up a spot outside a changing room, I tried on dresses.

And more dresses. Then more after that.

The problem with having an assistant who knew about style was that I didn’t get away with trying on just one.

I got to enjoy a short commentary as I emerged in frock after frock.

“Too short.”

“Too frilly.”

“Beads?” That one got a snort.

“Bows don’t belong on any gown.”

Criticism after criticism until I emerged in one that Kal declared, “Just right.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, twirling to view it from all angles in the mirror.

The mauve number was bold. So very, very bold. And sexy. It hugged my curves from my neck where it had a band across my throat, over my breasts, where a strategically placed hole showed some cleavage, then down to where it nipped into my waist and then flared out over hips.

I looked like…

“A goddess.” Kal clapped his hands. “About time you wore something to showcase your gifts.”

“I hardly call having thirty-six D boobs gifts.” He’d obviously never tried to jump on a trampoline with them.

“You will turn heads in that number.”

Did I want to draw attention?

I looked at myself in the mirror, a voluptuous redhead in an eye-popping gown that screamed, “look at me.”

It’s time. Time to stop hiding. Time to stop pretending to be something I wasn’t.

I knew what the coven recommended. It wanted the sorcerers among them to remain hidden, to not let anyone know that humans had magic, powers on par with the other races.

Why? Why did we have to hide who we were?

Witches and sorcerers alike deserved respect. This wasn’t the Dark Ages. We wouldn’t allow ourselves to be hung and tortured in the name of a false religion as part of the agenda of the wizards.

The time had come for us to be accepted as equals.

And, as an equal, I could date a wizard.

Make Alistair my boyfriend.

Even have his damned babies if I so chose.

The question was, did I dare upset centuries of order?

Screw letting rules and other people decide what I could have or who I could be.

The only person who should be making decisions about my life was me. If I wanted a certain man, not just any man, a wizard who was my equal and more, then dammit, I should be allowed to have him.

As I gave one last twirl of my dress, I smiled. Wait until Alistair sees me in this.

Despite what he’d done, I couldn’t stay mad at the man who made my toes curl. The one who’d finally texted me.

It wasn’t a flowery speech.

What are you doing?

Feeling somewhat mischievous, blame it on the dress, I texted back.

Looking incredibly sexy.

His reply?

You always look sexy.

More than my toes curled.

What do you want? Do we have a break in the case?

Come to headquarters. I want to show you something in the vault.

Hello, had Alistair seriously just invited me to peek inside the wizard’s secret vault?

That was a big deal. I wondered if Morfeus would be there with his lemon-sucking face for me to take a picture.

I’ll be there in half an hour.

Long enough to pay for my dress, drop off Kal, and then whip over there.

I could hardly contain my giddiness, and it wasn’t just because I’d been invited into the inner sanctum. I’d get to see Alistair.

Don’t be too eager. Alistair needed to recognize that he didn’t call the shots. Plus, I was still mad about the whole no-condom thing.

Which might have been why I detoured a few minutes and purchased a special anti-fertility amulet on the way over.

Not that I planned to have sex with him again.

Snicker. Even I didn’t believe that lie.