Page 7

Clark

T his can’t be happening. It has to be a dream.

He’s the voice I heard.

X is the voice and the man who watched me blow my load the other night.

And he walks into my store today to tell me he practices magic? He’s either a fantastic liar or there’s more to this. Real magic is involved. There’s no other explanation.

After X left, I immediately copied his phone number into my cell. I’m not stupid; stranger or not, I know what he implied and I’m not about to turn that down.

But now I’m wondering if my spells worked and drew him here? Or did he try the same thing I did? Perhaps our spells met up and made it all happen. I’ll need to make a post on the chat boards to get another opinion. But later.

I’ve been in a perpetual state of arousal since the moment we shook hands.

X is sexy. With his messy bun, leather bracelets, and ripped-up jeans, he presents like a laid-back rock star and not a man simply enamoured with practicing magic. But the ache in my whole body to have him under me is so fierce, I need to inhale multiple deep breaths and force myself to relax.

I’m not usually so quick to get involved with someone, but he ticks all my boxes, and it’s about time I get a break.

“I deserve this, dammit. Don’t I?”

My words hang in the empty apartment, and I stare at the blank screen on my phone. The option to FaceTime stares at me, and before I can have second thoughts, I hit call. It goes unanswered for several rings, and, as I’m about to hang up, X’s face flashes on the screen. After some fumbling and swearing, his bright smile returns and the screen steadies.

“Sorry.” He laughs before taking a breath. “I saw a local number calling by video, and I knew it was you. I had to get somewhere private, just in case.” His cheeks are flushed as he stares, and I’m taken aback by his honesty.

“Well, that might be a good thing. What if I called you naked? Awkward if you answered in a group of people, right?”

He cocks his head with a grin. “Not really for you, though. You like an audience, don’t you?”

My neck burns as his silky voice sends shivers up my spine.

“I do.”

The camera wobbles as X moves around, and there’s a rustling before his face comes into view again.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Of course. I didn’t call just to give you a show.”

His plump pink lips pout. “No?”

“No. I want to know you. ”

There’s a silence before X asks his question.

“How did you get into magic? What drove you to open a store devoted to something most people scoff at daily?”

He’s made himself comfortable, propped on his bed with his phone balanced on something in front of him, and I wish we were having this conversation in person. But I’m also happy he asked with genuine interest.

“It’s a long story, but as a child, I was sick a lot. I missed a lot of school and didn’t have many friends. To create my own friends, I found books. Magic books. All kinds of them. And they took me away to a place that gave me hope.”

“Hope for what?”

“To be accepted. That magic was real. That I could help others achieve the high of discovering it. Maybe find that tight-knit group of friends I always wanted.”

“And have you found that?” X’s voice is soft with understanding, and he leans closer to the phone screen. I’d kiss him if he were in front of me right now.

“Some. I’m still practicing spells. I still believe it’s out there, though. Magic.”

X’s eyes drop as he looks away from the screen.

“There’s magic out there. It’s not always good, but it’s there.”

When he lifts his gaze back to the screen, there’s a sadness there that makes me wish I could pull him into my arms. To soothe the memory that brought on his sadness.

“What’s your favourite food? ”

X smiles at my abrupt change of topic. “Lasagna. What’s yours?”

“Cesar salad with shrimp.”

“Would you like to have dinner with me? I can make both pretty well.”

X again drops his gaze and nibbles his lip. Fuck, he’s cute.

“I’d love to.”

A smile fills his handsome face, and those warm brown eyes meet mine.

“Good, good. Ah, how about Friday? The day after the magic meeting?”

“I’d love that.”

“Clark…do you…” He puffs out a breath with a crooked smile. “Do you believe in love as much as magic?”

“Yeah.” Clearing my throat at the sudden emotions, I nod. “Yeah, I do.”

I won’t lie and say I intended to make this call to be nudity-free. I most definitely wanted to see skin. My cock has only grown thicker since hearing his voice. But our conversation fuels a different need. Something else I’ve wanted to satisfy for a long time.

The acceptance and love of a partner. X seems to want that, too.

“I should let you get some rest.”

“Yeah, I’ll try. Thank you for calling. I can’t wait for the club meeting tomorrow.”

“Me too. Until tomorrow, X. ”

After ending the call, I lean back in the chair and wonder if it’s too soon to have feelings for someone I’ve only just met.

But even though we just met, it doesn’t feel like that at all.

It’s like I’ve known him for years.

And he’s exactly what I’ve been searching for.

“You’re kind of jumpy tonight, Clark. You okay?”

Louis gently removes the stack of cardboard cups from my hands and sets them next to the punch bowl. This morning, I made a spiced orange punch since it’s almost Halloween. It’s also supposed to help channel creativity.

“Um, yeah, I’m just…”

With a sigh, I slump into one of the folding chairs scattered around the room. “There’s a new person coming tonight.”

“That’s great! The flyer worked!”

Louis claps my shoulder before sitting next to me. “Isn’t it? That’s what you wanted, right? New customers and a bigger club?”

“It is. He’s just—”

“Woo-hoo! We’re here and ready to cast spells! Tonight is the night!”

The usual four members of the monthly magic meeting arrive together; three men and one woman. They’ve been fast friends since they all met here and are the only original members of the club. New people come and go all the time, some for months, others it’s a one-and-done kind of thing. But these four are true devotees of their craft.

“Hey, guys. Come on in. You know the drill.”

They chatter away as they drop their things on the table in the middle of the room. Louis and I hold the meetings in the storefront. We move the displays over to clear a space and set up a circle of chairs with a snack table in the corner and a smaller table in the middle that, if needed, serves as our altar.

“I’m stoked for Halloween. Clark, did you get any of the willow bark in? It’s the last ingredient I need.” Henry grins as he sidles up to me. “A love spell is in the air.”

Henry has flirted since he first came here, and I politely turned him down when he asked for a date. He’s an attractive man, and we have common interests, but there’s no spark for me. I don’t think of him when he’s not here, and not once have I ever thought about him with clothes off. He’s simply not my type.

“And who might you have an eye on this time, Henry? Should I ask?”

“You can ask, but I won’t tell you. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

The group takes their seats with a cup of punch and talks like any group of friends would, except the topic isn’t who won last night’s hockey game or things that happened in the news. They speak animatedly about moon cycles, spell books, potions, and altars and even about adopting a new energy from within using crystals.

Our formal meeting doesn’t start for another ten minutes, and my gaze flicks constantly to the door. I’m never nervous about new members. I’ve been doing this for years, but with X, I’m on high alert and I just hope he shows up like he said he would. The disappointment will crush me if he’s not really into magic, but just yanking my chain.

To distract myself, I fill a cup with some punch and step into my office for a moment of calm. My small office space is comfortable and familiar. The scent of jasmine lingers from the incense I lit earlier today, and after a few breaths, my shoulders droop, and my heart rate steadies.

“Boss?” Louis’s quiet voice breaks through my silent retreat.

“Is it time to start?”

“In a few. Just making sure you’re okay.”

“I’m okay. Just nervous.”

I smile to reassure him, and he nods as he exits my office.

Get a grip, Clark.

After tossing my cup into the garbage, I step back into the shop just as the front door opens. X steps in with an apologetic smile.

“Am I too late for the magic club? Sorry, I’m usually early, but I…”

A pink tinges his cheeks when he notices the others watching, and he waves to the group. “Hi. Sorry, it’s my first time here.”

Hazel stands and offers her hand. “Hi! I’m Hazel. This is Henry, Zack, and Morgan. That guy over there is Clark. He runs the show. Come on in! We love having new people. Would you like some punch?”

Hazel takes X by the elbow, leading him to the punch and for once I’m grateful that she stepped in because my tongue is glued to the roof of my mouth. X’s hair is down today, and it flows to his shoulders in a perfect caramel mix of brown and blonde. A long-sleeved Henley clings to his slim frame with the sleeves pulled up to accommodate all the leather bracelets he prefers.

He’s achingly beautiful and I’m staring.

Louis nudges me to get on with tonight’s meeting and Henry’s glare is just as obvious as my blatant staring.

“I thought for tonight we could share what we’ve been working on and if you’ve had any breakthroughs. Then I’ve been working on a special spell that I’d like to get some feedback on before I try it.”

X takes a chair in the circle and smiles at the group. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go last. I want to see how you do it before I share.”

“Of course.” I smile, and X locks his gaze with mine. One simple look is like a bolt of electricity from head to toe. Swallowing hard, I look away to focus on Hazel, telling us how she’s changed her altar at home and feels more in tune with her surroundings .

“When I swapped the clear crystal for the rose quartz, it was a vast difference. Like, I know it’s just a colour, but it’s been an amazing change for me.”

“Colours are actually very important. They line up with your aura,” X says as he leans forward. “Many people discount the importance of colours, but you really are connected on a molecular level.”

“That makes sense! And I’m not a plain person.” Hazel laughs as she motions to herself. “Look at me. I wear loud, bright clothes and dye my hair colours of the rainbow. Clear crystals didn’t have a chance with me.”

X nods along and his eyes sparkle. “Yes! That’s exactly it. Part of witchcraft is lining up that inner part of you to harness the power of the outside.”

“You know a lot about this. Do you practice often?” Henry cocks his head and focuses on X.

“I do. Multiple times a day, but I have a gift. I see auras, and while I don’t see Hazel’s right now, I sense it. Her self-assessment is right.”

“You see auras?”

All heads swivel to me, and X’s eye contact again lights up every nerve in my body like the bank of buttons in a damn elevator.

“I do. I see lots of things. Some good and others not so much.”

“That’s so cool.” Hazel breathes. “If you ever see mine, will you describe it to me?”

“Of course. I’ll let you know.”

The others in the group share their practices and discoveries, but I barely hear them. X has this energy about him that draws me like a magnet. I can’t concentrate. All I want is to have him alone and—

“So, what do you think, Clark?”

Henry’s voice snaps me back, and he knows I wasn’t listening. The disapproval in his pursed lips makes me wince.

“Uh, you’ve been practicing. That’s great.” To rush past me being caught not listening, I stand quickly and walk to the centre table. “I’m excited to share a complex potion and spell I’ve been working on with you. We talked last meeting about summoning good things and that’s what this one is. I’ve deviated from recommendations in books and created my own.”

After setting everything up on the table and making sure the group has their notebooks ready—they love taking notes—I launch into my newest mish-mash of spells and potions.

“I’m still trying to create the perfect set of words, but since I like flowers and the rose is symbolic of love, I thought I’d add rose water to the potion.”

“Don’t!”

X shouts as he stands, and the group turns to stare.

“I mean, you shouldn’t do that.”

“Why not?”

He looks around the room and continues. “Because if the rose water carries the juice of a thorn, it will kill any bit of love in the potion already. Rose water that you didn’t prepare yourself is a risk.”

Again, everyone fades away as we stare at each other, and I’m hyper-aware of how close X has drifted to my table.

His hand closes around mine, holding the vial of rose water.

“Let me show you how you test it. It would be a shame to kill all your work with one tainted ingredient.” He glances at the shelves of product in the store. “Do you have any butterfly wings?”