Page 9 of Untraced Magic (Cutters Cove Witches #1)

One kiss would be all it took for her to become the second biggest mistake in my life, and the lyrics blaring in my ears should’ve served as a warning, like fate was telling me not to fuck with it.

But I didn’t believe in fate.

I watched as Morgan’s lips sounded the lyrics, inches from my own. ‘When the crazy world turns to hell on earth.’

It was then I should have stopped.

Backed off and committed her to nothing more than my new neighbor.

But as the small of her back drew my hand to it, her body arched against mine, and I could have sworn a moan tortured my ears over the music .

Suddenly, light spilled through the bar to acknowledge closing time, air filling the void between us as she took a step back.

Her hand rested on my forearm. “Thanks for not stepping on my toes,” she mused.

I looked down at her heels. “It wasn’t your toes I was worried about.”

I was a tall guy, but she was almost eye level with me wearing those things and damn, they could do some serious damage.

I heard Wes’s voice. “Let’s go. Nightcap at ours.” He motioned toward the exit.

Morgan’s warmth slipped from me, a bitter cold replacing her touch.

I followed everyone outside, my gaze travelling up her legs from behind, unable to pry my attention from the subtle crease of her ass under the thin material of her dress. It drew my attention like a neon sign, and it was not denied.

Stumbling home, we pulled Wes out of a bush he tried to pick a fight with, or rather it tried to pick a fight with him, so he said.

A grin spread over my face as Colt sorted him out, with Morgan beaming from ear to ear as she watched the scenario unfold.

Filing inside and downstairs, I headed straight for the bar in our man cave. I needed something that would numb me from the inside, or numb me from her rather.

Tequila. That would do it.

Opening the liquor cabinet, I pulled out some shot glasses, lining them up on the bar. Morgan sauntered over, a sway in her step from either her heels or the alcohol—I wasn’t sure. Nonetheless, she drank me in with curiosity.

She leaned on the other side of the bar eye level with the glasses, watching as I filled each one.

It took every effort not to look at the perfect curves of her breasts at this angle.

“Nicely done,” she purred. “I might have to see how your skills are at pouring cocktails next time.”

She had a newfound confidence about her, but I knew it had to be from the booze.

I took the bait, pushing two shots over to her.

“Name it… Are you a Moscow Mule or a Sex on the Beach kind of girl?”

She paused, never breaking eye contact. “I prefer a Harvey Wall Banger.”

Then she fucking winked.

It was as if she was sent to this earth for one purpose, to test my limits and fuck with my head. A hurricane of sorts, tearing at my self-restraint. My hand clawed at the stubble shadowing my jaw. If I didn’t pull it together, I was done for.

Morgan turned on her heels. “Here you go, Wesley.” She passed him a shot as I dished the rest out to the others.

Reid handed out the lemon slices and salt before holding his shot in the air.

“Bottoms up!” he yelled.

“Tequila!” we all cried out in unison before licking the salt, knocking back our shots, and sucking on the lemon slices .

Colt shook his head, his lips curling in distaste. “Hell, Ty, I don’t know why you love this shit.”

I shrugged. “I don’t love this shit. No one does.”

He eyed me sideways, raising a brow, and I looked away.

The girls started dancing to a song on the coffee table and I laughed, remembering I bought it solid for this exact reason. I sat back watching them when Morgan’s eyes found mine.

It was becoming a regular thing, seeking her out in a room full of people, and it sent a fiery heat through me.

Taking a deep breath, I looked away, rubbing the back of my neck.

We were dancing a fine line, and I was grasping at the edge of reason and self-control. I’d let my guard down on the dance floor. I’d come so close to fucking up. Again . I needed to drown these thoughts. Numb my body to her .

I poured another shot of tequila, knocking it back.

Wes held an empty bottle in the air. “I call for truth or dare,” he announced over the music.

“Really, we aren’t eighteen anymore,” groaned Scarlet from where she was dancing with the other girls.

“Oh gods,” I heard Skye murmur, hopping off the coffee table to the ground.

Jade laughed. “Scar, you make us out to be ancient. I’m keen.”

I turned to Reid. “This is a bad idea…”

He necked another shot. “I’m down for whatever.”

Morgan jumped down from the coffee table, choosing to sit on top of it .

Wes turned down the music, and the rest of the group formed a circle. Spinning the bottle in his hand like a drumstick, his attention pinged around the room as he placed it in the middle.

I cursed. “Are we really doing this?”

“C’mon, Ty, lighten up.” Jade teased from the other side of the circle.

“If I do, I’m not touching you filthy pricks or my sister,” I argued.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of that,” Wes joked, steering Skye a sidelong look, and she gave him a stare that could have rivalled the Devil’s.

“Like fuck you will,” I scoffed.

Wes wouldn’t dare touch Skye. None of the guys would.

He rested the bottle in the middle of the circle as a grin spread over his face. “Let’s get the party started.”

Flicking his wrist, the bottle spun wildly before finally coming to a stop on Colt.

“Truth or dare, big dog?” Wes asked.

Colt sat on the floor against the couch, an arm resting on his raised knee. He pursed his lips for a moment before shrugging. “Dare.”

Wes smirked. “I dare you to kiss Morgan.”

Fucking hell.

Morgan shifted her weight, her expression tightening.

Colt remained unmoving. “Anywhere specific?”

Wes leaned back, casually placing his hands behind his head. “I’ll leave that up to you. ”

I leaned forward in my chair, my elbows edged on my knees. My foot tapped continuously on its toe as I watched Colt rise from his seat before stopping in front of Morgan.

“Go for the toes!” Jade yelled.

Morgan shot her a dirty look. “Oh my God, gross!”

Colt kneeled to her height, and my breath held firm in my chest.

“If I’m going to kiss a woman, I’m doing it right,” he retorted before connecting his lips with hers. My stomach bottomed out at the sight, something unfamiliar and unpleasant stirring beneath my skin.

Morgan’s brows shot up, her lids fluttering closed as he took full advantage of the situation. My arms ached to rip him away as jealousy coursed through me.

I averted my gaze.

“Welcome to Cutters Cove, Morgie babe,” Wes teased, giving me a sideways glance.

Seeing them together grated a part of me I didn’t expect, but I kept my expression carefully blank. Like I didn’t care.

Did I care? Taking a deep breath, I let out it slowly.

If it had to be any of the guys, at least it was Colt. He knew the rules and never bent them.

Colt returned to his perch on the floor, swiping a thumb over his bottom lip before taking the bottle in his hand. Whipping it around, it came to a standstill, pointing directly at Morgan once more.

She threw up her hands, scrunching her nose. “Oh c’mon, that’s unfair!”

Colt shrugged nonchalantly .

“Rules are rules,” said Reid, from the opposite side of the circle. He raised a brow. “Truth or dare?”

She narrowed her hazy gaze at him. “Dare.”

“I dare you to give Ty the sexiest lap dance you’ve got.”

Morgan turned her attention to Colt, looking for affirmation.

Colt shook his head with a low chuckle. “You opted for dare.” He said simply.

I cursed under my breath. It was bad enough I just had to watch her get mouth-fucked. Now this? This would be torture.

Fuuuccckkk.

Morgan arched a brow at him. “Do I get music, or do I have to freestyle this?”

Fuck me. Was this really happening? My head turned to her, locked somewhere between ‘hell no’ and ‘fuck yeah.’

Reid whooped. “Ooh, strap him down, Ty. She’s coming for you, big fella.”

This.

Here.

Right now.

Was going to be the end of me.

Scarlet turned up the music, and a grungy song filled the basement. Something about chasing a storm.

Morgan sauntered towards me as the music filled the room, her hips swaying as she inched closer with each step. When she was close enough, she dragged a finger up my knee, skimming my thigh as she moved to my side .

My eyes slid shut at the contact, sending stars to the void of my eyelids.

I felt her touch slide up my shirt until her hands caressed my shoulders behind me, and I willed myself to open my eyes as the pad of her finger carved a trail between my shoulder blades and down the other side of my torso.

Then she stood before me again, staring back at me in that goddamn tight dress and those sinful-as-fuck red lips.

This woman was my kryptonite. My weakness.

The thunder caving my chest.

The lightening splitting my bones.

She was my fucking hurricane.

Her curves moved with a seductive roll, and my hands itched to claim her sides. To feel the curl of her hips in the palms of my hands. Instead, I sat motionless as she climbed onto my lap, a leg landing on either side of my thighs, sending her dress dangerously high up hers.

Her hips tortured mine, while silent words soaked with lust spilled between us.

Our own delicious storm.

I didn’t dare look down, knowing full well the view between her thighs would cut the last bindings of my self-restraint currently keeping my hands clawed to the armrest.

When the song ended, the room erupted with wolf whistles and howls.

Morgan leaned into my ear; her voice filled with liquored confidence. “ Now we’ve got a problem. ”

Then she was off me. And that lack of warmth made my body practically beg for her return.

The group continued to play the rest of the game, but I couldn’t ignore the heat-filled glances connecting with mine from across the room.

I adjusted my pants, aware I was worked up like a bull that hadn’t fucked in six months.

Had life not tested me enough?

But here I was, lost in a world where all there seemed to be was her . Grinding her way under my skin.

As the game ended, the mood in the room mellowed.

Reid walked over to the far wall and grabbed his guitar from its case. He perched on the end of the couch, started to strum some chords. The guy was a maniac for music.

Morgan stifled a yawn. “I think I’m about ready to head home.”

“I can walk you over.” The words tumbled from me before I could stop them.

Fuuucckkk.

Morgan stilled. “Ah sure, thanks,” she said before turning on her heel and heading for the door.

I followed her outside, where shadows stained the sky and the moon watched us from its disconcerting corner of the world. The night was eerily quiet, the crunch of gravel as we made our way down my drive and over to her place seemingly magnified.

Our feet soon scraped against Morgan’s front porch, and she turned to face me, swaying slightly from the aftereffects of the evening’s alcohol .

“Tonight’s been… fun,” she said, looking up at me now her heels were in her hands.

I leaned against the beam holding up her porch. “Yeah, you seemed to fit right in,” I lied.

It couldn’t be further from the truth.

She was the beauty.

We were the beasts.

I held her gaze longer than intended, not daring to look at her full red lips. To look down would be considered an invitation, causing a follow-on chain of events that included my lips on hers and more.

She grinned, her words slurring slightly. “Thanks for walking me home. You really didn’t have to.”

“Yeah, I did.” Before those leeches scent your blood and come back for more, I thought to myself. “No one should be out alone at this time of night.”

She straightened, folding her hands over her chest. “I can hold my own, you know.”

I chuckled to myself. “Yeah, I bet.”

She frowned. “You don’t sound convinced.”

“You’re drunk,” I reminded her.

Morgan raised a brow. “And you’re not?”

I held my hands in the air. “I never said I wasn’t.”

She wrapped her arms around her waist, and it plumped her chest. I looked away, shoving my hands in my pockets.

She must be freezing. It was well past midnight, and the bite in the air was deathly cold.

I nodded toward her door. “You should go inside. It’s cold out here.”

My hands fisted the denim in my pockets as if it would keep them from escaping. From landing on her waist and walking her backwards until she connected with the door. From every bad idea her wicked eyes asked of me and more.

I held onto the material as if my life depended on it, my palms burning, and I knew it was only a matter of time before the denim would singe under my heated palms.

She tipped her head to the side, like it would help read my mind.

Finally, she murmured, “Goodnight, Tyler.”

“Night.”

She turned towards her door, glancing over her shoulder at me.

I walked away, fearing that to stay a moment longer would be my undoing.

Barreling back into our house, I eyed Wes now sitting in our upstairs lounge, an arm draped over the back of the couch. I pointed a finger in his direction. “Don’t even say it.”

I made the distance to my bedroom in seconds, slamming the door behind me.

This had to stop. This couldn’t happen again.

Except it was.

Thoughts of her consumed every part of my goddamn mind as I ripped off my clothes, attempting to ease the heat-filled tension crawling under my skin.

Who was I kidding? I saw the way she looked at me.

It was the same way I looked at her .

Tomorrow, I had to put an end to whatever this was before it was too late to stop this trainwreck. Before the ache in my pants got another human killed.