Witch In Charge - Celia Kyle Page 0,16

slow dance. It was for nobody but her—more a celebration of her body under the rhythm of her friend’s band than anything. It felt great. Sometimes being alone in a crowd was just what she wanted.

In truth, she often felt that way, but it was rare that she felt like celebrating it.

“Damn.”

Startled, she turned to see a sultry vampire hanging loosely in the doorway, watching her. His eyelids were at half-mast and he swayed ever so slightly on his feet.

“Right back atchya,” she growled.

In the stage she was at—seduction—it was the only voice she had available. The part of the evening where she was going to make out with someone had arrived, and it looked like this handsome fellow just might be the lucky winner.

“I was just, uh…” he leaned unsteadily against the door frame, “looking for a drink?”

There was something uncertain about him. Perfect. His hair was pulled back, revealing that distinctive widow’s peak so common among his kind. A pair of crystal blue eyes peered out from behind those lazy lids and she offered herself to their bleary gaze.

“Well,” she said, stepping aside to gesture to the little monarchy she had claimed on the table. “Help yourself.”

Yeah, the words dripped with innuendo—so what? She was there to live life to the fullest. Besides, what was that old song about loving the one you’re with? The one with all the ‘do doos’ in it? Anyway, it wasn’t that she loved him—or anyone, for that matter—but she sure as hell wouldn’t mind kissing him. That’s what nights like this one were for, after all.

What good was that great big house of hers if she couldn’t bring somebody back to it? It was a hell of a lot more impressive than her little dorm room anyway. Provided it would let this drunk lothario across the threshold…

“Hmm,” he hummed as he approached the table, doing a lousy job of pretending that a drink was what he was walking over for. “Let me see.”

It was impossible to say who started it. They found each other in the way that drunk people do, pressing their mouths onto each other with precious little care as to spectators who might be lurking around. Was it sloppy? Yes. Was it what she was after? Kinda. It’d do, anyway.

As the vampire draped his arms around her, she reached up into his mouth with her tongue, hoping to find a trace of Ronun anywhere. Unable to chase him out of her mind, she just surrendered to it. Besides, she wasn’t really sober enough to manage much else. Since she wasn’t going to remember him in the morning anyway, she might as well make him whoever she wanted.

Maybe Henry Cavill would pay her fantasy life a call?

Then, just like that, she found herself making out with…nobody. Vampires could turn themselves into mist and bats and shit, right? Still, it seemed like a funny time for the guy to go pulling that kind of trick. Things were just getting good.

She opened her eyes to see where her chosen rando had disappeared to, but the world spun. Like, hard. Maybe coming back up and pounding half a bottle of whiskey on top of whatever else she’d swallowed wasn’t such a good idea. Had the first one been tequila? Who could say?

Someone turned out the lights and she tipped backward. The last thing she felt was being caught by a pair of remarkably strong, almost familiar arms.

Wait, Ryan's still playing, right?

Seven

Thump thump thump thump.

It was unclear how long someone had been knocking on the door before she woke up to hear it. Her phone said it was past noon, and she rejoiced that she had managed to sleep through the first wave of her hangover. Hopefully, coffee would squelch the little pangs flirting with her temples.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Ugh! Where was Nathan? Sure, it was noon and all, but he should be capable of answering a door—or at least telling the unwanted visitor to go to hell. Besides, what kind of heathen went around pounding on people’s doors on a Saturday?

Wait.

Saturday?

Oh, shit.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP!

Kelly scrambled out of bed, still in her party clothes from the night before. The leggings had scrunched down during sleep and hung baggy around her knees, but who was she trying to impress? As soon as she was on her feet, the full flush of her hangover unfurled and her stomach twisted into a knot. This was going to be a great day.

“I’m coming,” she called as she