Bewitching You

chapter Eight



Rachel rolled over onto her side and opened her eyes. The sun was rising and spilling soft light through her sheer pink curtains, reminding her of the night before.

She glanced down at what she was wearing. The red dress she’d worn the night Hayes had made love to her. She’d put it on just for him, thinking he’d love it. The memory made her want to slap herself silly. What type of awful person was she?

She’d known Hayes was going to come over to check up on her. He’d told her, whispered it to her when Grayson wasn’t watching. Then she’d gone out and purchased this dress. This daring red dress. A color she’d never had the nerve to wear before for anyone else.

Now, her head throbbed from a hangover.

How many glasses of wine had she drunk before stumbling into bed? Who knew? Who cared? She didn’t want to cry anymore. Her eyes were dry and crusted over with the tears she’d spilled the night before. Pathetic. Truly pathetic.

When was she going to gain some control over her life? Over her emotions?

Then, an invisible arm wrapped around her waist. The bed indented behind her and she felt his body encompass hers.

“You’re so beautiful in this dress.”

His voice cheered her up for a moment, before she remembered he wasn’t really there. Not fully.

“Rachel, you have to know how sorry I am for leaving you. I promise you that you’ll find love with someone who deserves you.”

“I don’t want anyone else. I want you.” More tears found their way out and ran down her temple.

“Baby, you have no idea how good it feels to hear you say that. If I could change the past, you’d be damn certain I’d be lying here after a night of making love to you.”

But he wasn’t here. Just how long did she have with him now?

“How long can you stay? I mean, until you’re able to move on?” She turned toward him and ran her fingers over his chest and neck and face. She couldn’t see him this time, but she could feel every inch of him.

“I’m not positive, but everything’s in motion. It could be any minute, hour or day.” He kissed her forehead.

“Why can’t I see you?”

“All my energy is going into being able to touch you and have you touch me. I can’t do both, baby. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want you to be sorry anymore.” Rachel felt him wipe a tear from her nose. She wanted him closer. She wanted that night back.

“Can you make love to me?”

He chuckled and brushed his lips against hers. “It sure the hell feels like I can.”

~ * ~

Sofia beat the eggs in a mixing bowl and turned the gas burner on low this time. She wasn’t going to burn this batch. Nope. This one was going to be perfect. The bacon and sausage, however, were a little on the dark side and the pancakes, well, a couple of them were edible.

So what if she wasn’t the best cook? It wasn’t as if she were applying for wife-status. Not even girlfriend-ability. Because as soon as Gray got out of the shower and ate this breakfast—oh, yes, he was going to eat it after all the hard work she’d put into it—she was driving his fine butt out of here.

His nice, tight, athletic butt.

She’d had another dream of him. Just before dawn, she’d awakened in a sweat and couldn’t go back to sleep. Knowing he was down the hall when she’d reached orgasm, alone in her grandmother’s bed, was fairly humiliating. What if he’d heard? She was pretty vocal in her dreams, but had no idea if she revealed that in her sleep.

Thankfully, he was still fast asleep when she’d checked on him. He’d left his door wide open and was wrapped up in the white linens. Naked, with Sam the traitor cat curled up at his feet.

Not that she’d seen Gray’s...manly component, only his thigh. Calf. Ankle. Chest.

The muscle line that curved down his stomach to his... That she did not see.

Quit being such a prude, Sofe.

“Morning.” His deep voice rumbled over her shoulder, close enough for her to smell his minty breath.

She jumped and noticed the eggs needed to be stirred pronto. Focus!

“Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, and casually slipped his hand onto her waist.

Like she was his girlfriend. Darn, why did it have to feel so good? Make her feel so secure?

“You’ve been busy.” He settled his chin on her shoulder and eyed her most recent disaster. “It smells great.”

“You are a horrible liar, Grayson Phillips.”

“I would never lie to you, Sofia Good.”

She stifled the urge to turn her head and see the expression on his face. “Well, I guess I believe you, considering you only have a couple of hours tops to never lie to me.”

“Getting rid of me so fast?” The warmth of his body disappeared, and Sofia slumped her stiff shoulders.

She watched from the corner of her eye as he walked to the other side of the kitchen and stared out the window. Silent and somber.

His dark hair was damp and curly from showering. His wrinkled blue dress shirt was untucked from his dark jeans and his sleeves were rolled up. The white t-shirt with the stain was partially crammed into his back pocket. Even ruffled, he was a gorgeous man. The dreams didn’t do him justice.

Sighing, she plopped the eggs on a plate and carried them to the table she’d already set.

“This is kind of nice,” he said, still looking out at the cornfields.

“What is?” She stood next to him and tried to see exactly what he was seeing.

“This.” A cute grin pushed up the sides of his lips as he looked down at her. “I grew up in the city, so this is a treat for me. No noise. Just the sound of the grandfather clock ticking and you and me talking. It’s nice.”

“Oh.”

The man didn’t look like the country type, but who was she to argue? Maybe this was part of his recent crisis. What does a shrewd, controlling businessman with his whole big, glorious life planned out in front of him do when everything and everyone wilts away in such a short time span?

Well, he goes to see the desperate girl from his dreams and hopes she’ll make him feel better, that’s what he does.

“Hungry?” Sofia asked, suddenly realizing he hadn’t broken eye contact.

“Yes.” His gaze dipped down to her chest, making Sofia want to curb his hunger in a way that wasn’t prudish in any shape or form. “Nana pick that off the clearance rack too?” He smiled with his whole face as he read the words on her chest.

“What?” Good Lord. What had she put on this morning? She’d been in such a haze, she’d simply thrown on whatever she’d stuffed in her duffle bag. “Please don’t let it be the Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These shirt.” The one with the hot pink words that spread across her breasts.

“It most certainly is.”

“This is mortifying. Listen, I’m really not trying to lead you on. I saw a white t-shirt, so I grabbed it because white matches everything, right? My mom gave it to me as a practical joke. Honestly, I didn’t think it was very funny, but I kept the shirt because I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Nana always teases my mom that the boob gene skipped a generation, but I never laugh. My mom is drop-dead gorgeous and she doesn’t need boobs, really. And I packed this shirt, thinking I won’t see another living soul for the next few days. Of course, now you’re here, but I wasn’t thinking this morning because of the dream I had of you last night. I just couldn’t think. Of anything. I was lucky to put two and two together and get dressed. I don’t even know if I remembered to put on underwear.” She finally stopped rambling and took a breath.

“You dreamed of me last night?”

Nice, Sofe. Of course he would pick that out of all the babbling mess that had left her lips. She heaved out a breath. “Yeah. It was really no big deal.” Her cheeks burned from the memory of how big a deal it actually was.

“No big deal? Am I not satisfying you in these dreams you’re having?” His smile disintegrated into an indignant frown.

“Um.” How was she going to get out of this one? He’d satisfied her completely, as always, but she didn’t want to tell him that.

“Was it just last night that I failed you? Because the reason could be I didn’t dream of you for the first time in over a month. Maybe there’s some sort of—” He waved his hands. “I don’t know what. Something’s missing. I mean, if I believe in this seeing the future…” He let his sentence fade, biting into his lip.

“It was fine, Gray. What do you mean you didn’t dream of me?” Could it be that her plan to get this guy out of her future was working? If so, why did it make her feel awful?

“Fine? I was fine?”

“You were brilliant, okay? Can we eat now?” Sofia slumped down into a chair. The food before her didn’t look so edible anymore.

Why couldn’t she have the hot guy?

Well, Sofe, because he’s only here to mend his wounds. Then he’d leave and break her heart. The dreams never guaranteed he’d love her forever, did they now?

“Brilliant?” His smile lit up again as he sat opposite her. “Are you saying that to appease me?”

“No,” Sofia said, solemnly. “You rocked my world. Again.”

“Why do you look upset about it then?”

“I’m not upset. I’m hungry.” She forked some cold eggs onto her plate, then into her mouth to prove her point.

He followed suit, filling his plate with everything she’d prepared. “So, you’re not wearing any underwear?”

~ * ~

Gray rinsed off his plate in the sink. He hadn’t had a full breakfast like that in a long time and he was stuffed. “Thanks for the grub, Sofia,” he said, as she stood next to him. “It was delicious.”

“A man who’s easy to please? Or a compulsive liar?” She reached over the sink and turned the water on.

“I’ll choose door number one. I didn’t complain about the hot water in the shower only lasting a minute and a half, did I?”

“Until now.” She smiled at him. “Sorry about that. I should’ve warned you. Nana’s water heater isn’t very powerful.”

“No worries. I needed a cold shower anyway, after the kiss we shared last night.”

Her cheeks stained bright red for the third time that morning. He liked that she was easy to read. The blushed cheeks were a dead giveaway to what she was really thinking. Obviously, kissing him had affected her on some level.

Hell, he’d figured that out last night when she’d wrapped her legs around his hips, allowing him to feel the heat between her thighs. But the blushing showed it wasn’t something she did often, if at all.

Just like in the dreams, she was completely innocent. And sweet.

She squeezed some dish soap into the sink and grabbed the plate out of his hand, nudging him out of the way.

He grinned, adding playful to the list of things he liked about her.

“Now, what kind of man would I be if I allowed you to do everything?” He nudged back.

“You wash. I’ll dry.”

“Fine with me.” She laughed and tossed a dishtowel at him.

Gray caught it and swatted her jean-clad bottom with it—faded jeans that showed off her heart-shaped ass. He secretly hoped that snug white t-shirt would get a little wet while dishwashing. She wasn’t exactly fashionable, but whatever she wore, she looked sexy as hell.

Shame she wanted him to leave. They could have a lot of fun together. Gray smiled to himself. Having fun hadn’t been high on his priority list for a long, long time. It hadn’t been part of his idiotic life plan. However, the woman beside him inspired him in ways he hadn’t imagined. Besides, he didn’t exactly have much going on in his life now. He could put off moving to San Francisco for a month or so. Live off his savings, well, whatever was left of his savings after he paid back Rachel’s parents for the chunk of change they put into the wedding that wasn’t going to happen. Her heartless actions may be the reason the wedding was off, but he could see now that she’d done him a favor. Marrying Rachel would’ve been a huge mistake.

Now his life had no limitations. Maybe he could convince Sofia to go out with him a few times. Show her who he really was, and who he could be if given the chance.

Anything was possible.

“Sofia, can I take you out on a—” Before he could finish, the faucet made a clanking sound and fell off into the sink, spurting water straight up and onto Sofia.

Gray dropped to his knees and threw open the cupboard door. He spotted the valve that shut off the water and turned the knob until it wouldn’t go around anymore. The sound of Sofia laughing hysterically brought him back up to his feet just as fast.

“What could possibly be funny?” he asked, but couldn’t help but chuckle along with her.

Her shirt was drenched, more wet than Gray had hoped, but he wasn’t complaining in the least. Underneath, a white lace bra sparsely concealed her ample breasts.

She slapped a hand on her thigh and continued her hysterics.

Gray chuckled. Her good mood was contagious. “What?” he managed to ask finally.

“Oh my gosh.” She took in a breath. “Ever since I realized I was wearing this shirt, I’ve been looking for a reason to change.”

At that, they both doubled over. Gray laughed more than he had in years. Not since his college days with Hayes. Sofia had a spirit and liveliness that reminded Gray of his brother. Hayes would’ve liked her, there was no doubt.

Hopefully, not as much as he had taken a liking to Rachel.

But that was a different story for a different time. Right now, all Gray wanted to do was be close to Sofia in any way she’d let him. If he wasn’t going to be able to dream of her anymore, he’d need to step up his game in real life.

Taking a chance, he leaned in and dared to kiss the side of her lips.

She stepped back, halting the laughter altogether.

Damn. Undoing the damage he’d already done wasn’t going to be easy. “Why don’t I fix the faucet while you change?” That would give him a little extra time.

“You don’t have to.” She paused. “Are you sure?”

“It’s no problem. I’m pretty good with my hands.” He winked at her, and she blushed again.

Fourth time, but who was counting? “Your grandma have a tool chest?”

“It would probably be in the shed out back, but she keeps it locked up for some reason.” She pulled out a set of about ten keys from a drawer. “One of these might open it. But you don’t have to put yourself through all that trouble. I’ll get it.”

“No trouble at all.” Gray grabbed the keys from her and waved her away. “You go change into some dry clothes.”

He couldn’t rip his gaze away as she sprinted from the room. Curvy hips, narrow waist and an ass that had him biting his lip. Shaking the desire ratcheting his body, he headed to the shed.

The mid-July day was warm, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The lake west of the house had a small pier with a rowboat attached. He wondered if there were any fish in the water. He hadn’t been fishing since he was a kid when Dad took Hayes and him camping.

Living in the city didn’t give Gray a chance to be by the water he loved. He wondered for a moment if he could charm Sofia into letting him have a couple hours out on that rowboat. She seemed determined to get away from him, though. To stop her dreams of me from happening.

He wasn’t sure what to think about her claiming she dreamed of the future and had the ability to change the events she saw in her dreams. It was all a little far-fetched even for him to believe, and he considered himself fairly open-minded.

After everything was said and done, he couldn’t deny there was something mystical about the dreams that had brought them together. Something he couldn’t explain in any sensible terms. Something he wasn’t ready to rationalize.

For once, he planned to go with the flow. Hayes would have been shocked.

The old wooden shed was indeed locked. The padlock wasn’t very big, so one of the smaller keys might fit it. And if they didn’t, Gray didn’t think it would take much to simply lift the dilapidated door right off its loose, rusty hinges. He could screw it back on properly when he found the tool chest. Luckily, he didn’t have to worry. The third key he tried worked. He carefully pulled the door open and walked in.

Sunlight shone through the many holes and cracked spots in the wood, allowing Gray to see what the shed consisted of. Very odd. Next to the lawn mower was some sort of altar.

Along the walls were shelves filled with bottles of herbs, oils, and some burned candles. He leaned forward to see if any of the bottles had labels, but none of them did. Moving on, he spotted a decorative saber knife hanging on a nail above a shelf. Curious, he picked it up and gently ran his finger over the sharp, shiny blade. The handle was adorned with various colors of gemstones. Beautiful. He hung the knife back up. Just below was a silver chalice engraved with some sort of circular design.

Did the old woman perform rituals in here, or what? Freaky. A chill crept over his spine. He shrugged it off, then jumped when the cat appeared out of nowhere, jetting under and around his legs before shooting back out the door. Freaky cat too.

“Are you in here?” Sofia walked in and glanced around wide-eyed. She’d changed into a white cotton mini-skirt and a blue top with a moderately low V-neck that showed a sliver of cleavage. Her hair fell over her shoulder in damp ringlets. Damn.

He tried not to stare. “Do you know what all this stuff is?”

“Huh.” She glanced around. “My mom always said Nana was a witch, but I thought she was kidding. Dang. She really does practice witchcraft. I had no idea.” Her gaze landed on Gray. “Do you ever truly know a person?”

“That’s an excellent question. I’ve been deceived by the only two people in my adult life I’ve ever gotten close to.”

“Your fiancée and your brother? What were their names again?” she asked, while swirling her finger over the dagger’s design.

“Ex-fiancée,” he corrected. “Rachel, and my brother’s name was Hayes.”

Her nose crinkled as she wiped her hands together. “Well, Rachel and Hayes were fools, if only for a night.”

Before he could reply she pointed to a rusted toolbox covered with cobwebs. “There it is. Let’s get out of here.”

~ * ~

Sofia ran her fingers through Sam’s fur and watched Gray work on the faucet. It was a hot day, so he’d taken off his shirt and thrown it at her, chuckling after she gave him a dirty look.

And now he was shirtless. Half-naked yet again.

The muscles in his back and biceps flexed as he twisted the wrench. Sofia sighed. The man was a work of fine art to be observed and appreciated. For sure.

He turned his head to smile at her. “Hey, sweetie, can you get me a drink of water?”

Sweetie? “Sure, darling.” Sofia snickered and jumped to her feet, sending Sam to the floor. She opened the gas-powered refrigerator she and her mother had purchased for Nana two Christmases ago to replace the old icebox. They were always on the lookout for appliances that didn’t require electricity. Nana was getting up there in age, and anything that made her life more comfortable was a godsend.

Sofia pulled out a bottle of water and handed it to him.

“Thanks,” he said, and chugged half of it down. “Hot day, today.”

“Yeah.”

A bead of sweat dribbled down the middle of his abdomen, into his jeans. She held back the urge to run her finger down the path and farther. To touch the muscles she knew so well.

Another sigh.

She seriously needed to get him out of here before she did something she regretted. Because even if this Rachel chick had crushed his feelings, there was no way he would be over her so quickly. Right?

“I think it’s fixed. Just need to turn the water back on and test it out.”

“Okay. Then I can drive you to your car. Or if you want, there’s an auto-body shop I can take you to about ten miles away, and it has a tow truck.”

“Whichever.” He drank down the rest of the water and stooped to turn the sink valve.

“Super.” She swallowed the rising disappointment building in her throat.

It wasn’t as if she didn’t enjoy his company. She did, so much so that she knew she would miss him when he was gone. Nevertheless, getting him away from her was for the best. For now.

Who knew? Maybe after his heart healed, he would come back to her and his reasons would be pure, less convoluted. She allowed herself one eye roll for that thought.

Yep, she was saving herself some serious heartbreak by saying goodbye, indefinitely.