Wicked Bad (WIcked 3)(6)

Her smile wobbled, but it stayed on as she lifted her pen. “What’ll it be?”

“I’ve heard great things about the meatloaf…Jane. I’ll have that and a slice of the strawberry rhubarb pie.” His voice was making her thighs tremble.

“It’s the cook’s specialty. You’ll love it.”

Her jaw ached from keeping her smile, and she turned toward the kitchen without another word. Maybe she needed to take Dee’s advice and get out more. She was restless, without magic or passion. Besides, hadn’t that been on her list of things to try? She’d always wanted to experience single life as a human. To have a man who just wanted to use her for her body, not her abilities.

Melissa had invited her out more than once, complaining that she had too many wealthy, kinky men clamoring for her attention. Perhaps it was time to take her up on it. If her reaction to the man at her table was anything to go by, sooner would be better than later.

After she slipped the order to the cook, she went to the employee bathroom to splash some water on her face and caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She certainly looked all too human today. Her shock of long black hair pinned up in a bun, her gray eyes still exotic, but tired. And her skin. Ugh. Normal, non-magical makeup was hell on her complexion. It felt heavy and caked onto her face. Unnatural.

If and when she ever went back to civilization, she would need a whole slew of appointments at the Magian day spa to recover.

But it would be worth it.

Her image wavered in the mirror and she gasped, stepping back so quickly her elbows hit the wall.

“Harry…”

Lorie? That sounded like her brother’s voice calling her name. Distant but distinct.

For a moment she could have sworn his face superimposed over hers in the reflection. In the blink of an eye it was gone. He was gone.

“Shit.” Had they found her? Had they gotten Lorie, usually so lost in his research he couldn’t be bothered, to cast a locator spell that bypassed all her protections? He no doubt knew enough to do it. But she didn’t believe he would. If anyone understood her need to be left alone it was her shy, solitary brother.

Maybe she was just imagining it.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Order’s up, hon. That table’s looking pretty darn impatient. Man obviously has a stick up his ass. Want me to bring it to him?” Dee sounded worried.

Harrison patted her cheeks, her smile falsely bright as she opened the door. “No. Thanks, but I’ve got this one.”

She carried the plates to the uptight, if handsome, man, but her mind was on other things. Maybe she should call Conway. Check on things, just in case. Lorie had sounded anxious. She supposed they all were, wondering where she was. Just one phone call, to make sure everyone was all right.

“Are you going to stand there all day, or were you planning on giving me my food?”

Harrison narrowed her eyes, her expression sharpening at his rudeness. A sudden image of her using magic to turn him into a small, furry rodent came to mind, but she dismissed it. “I’m sorry, sir.” She set the plate on the table more firmly than usual. “Enjoy your meal.”

She turned to go, but he grabbed her sleeve. She could tell he had to work to soften his expression, though he seemed to be avoiding actually touching her. As if she were somehow distasteful. What a jerk. She was about to dump his meatloaf in his lap and send him on his way. His next words stopped her.

“I am the one who needs to apologize, Jane. May I call you Jane? I’m a jackass at the best of times, but today I received some difficult news. It was a bitter pill to swallow. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

His voice, so like the one from her fantasies, lulled her. She understood rough days. She’d had a few herself. Her smile returned. “Everybody gets a turn, sir. We’re only human, right?”

Something flickered in his mud brown eyes before he nodded. “Yes. Only human. Thank you for being so gracious.”

She nodded and gently extricated her arm from his grasp. Her skin was still tingling as she fled behind the relative safety of the counter and the faces of her more familiar regulars. She really needed to get out more if that stiff was turning her on. She’d talk to Melissa about it tomorrow.



“Miss Jane, I wish you’d let me walk you home.” Gary, the sweet, freckle-faced chef was blushing to the roots of his short ginger hair, and it made Harrison smile. Every night that she closed with him he offered, and every night she turned him down. She didn’t think he’d get the wrong idea, he was far too gentlemanly for that, but she liked being on her own. After a lifetime of smothering, it was a nice change.