Three's A Charm

Excerpt

How could I choose between them? Choose between the man that made me feel
so safe and warm in his arms and the vampire that made my blood race?
Neither man was perfect, but both were oh, so beautiful. Nathaniel Newlyn was a
little rough around the edges and did a great job of hiding his emotions while Drew my
vampire lover’s violent past left him damaged, needy, and somewhat unpredictable.
My best friend Samantha had advised me to keep them both and enjoy the best of
both worlds: the safety of humanity I craved with Nathaniel and the danger that thrilled
me so much with Drew.
I just don’t know if I’m a witch who can play two men like that. I’ve always been
a one-man type of girl.
Now I am a witch wedged between a cock and hard place.
Which, I have to admit, is not an entirely unpleasant place to be. Two very
gorgeous, hotter than hot, make-me-weak-in-the-knees men wanted me.
One just happened to be a vampire.
Not that strange for my world. See, I am a witch and I live in a world that most
humans don’t even realize exists right under their noses. Very few people realize
“Others” walk among them, both good and bad.
Yes, even in my world good fights evil. It is a never-ending battle.
Especially here in Flint. The bad guys in my world have decided Flint is the place
to be, now that almost all the humans have moved out. Not to mention the fact that it
sits on a major preternatural power source and that the stars and planets and whatever
are all lining up so that something major can happen—if the right spells and rituals are
performed. It’s part of my job description to make sure that doesn’t happen. There are
plenty of beings that need to stay in their own dimensions and leave this one alone.
So quiet time is not something I get to enjoy very often and I was relishing it like
you wouldn’t believe. Soft music, a book, some red wine—
Then the doorbell rang. I should had known the quiet wasn’t going to last. Before
answering the door, I smoothed down my long, flowing skirt, pulled the rumples out of
my tight sweater and glanced in the hall mirror to make sure my hair wasn’t sticking up
in some weird way and that my makeup looked good. Then I opened the door and found
Nathaniel Newlyn standing there.
Damn, he looked fine. Under his black leather jacket he wore a charcoal T-shirt
that topped faded blue jeans. Rugged black biker boots finished his causal look.
Everything fit just right, tight enough to show off his muscles and other manly assets
and loose enough to make movement easy. It was nice seeing him out of his normal suit
and tie.
A hesitant smile brightened his chiseled features and crinkled the corners of his
blue eyes. “Hi, Addie. Not busy, are you?” He looked over my shoulder, probably
checking to see if I was alone.
My body warmed at the sound of him calling me Addie. No one else called me
Addie; everyone else called me Ariadne or just Ari. He was the only one I let get away
with calling me that. I used to hate it, back when I tried to keep him at arm’s length so
we could maintain a proper human/witch relationship. Since that had all been blown out
of the water, I let myself acknowledge my feelings for him and open myself to the
possibilities.
“Hi, Nathaniel. Come on in, have a seat. I was just having a glass of wine and
relaxing. Would you like a glass or would you rather have a Corona?” I smiled,
remembering the last time we shared drinks on my sofa. I knew Corona was his favorite
beer, mine too. It was the only beer I ever bought.
“A Corona would be great,” he said as he sauntered in and tossed his leather
jacket over the back of the recliner. He moved like a large cat, all grace and gliding
muscle. He sat down on the sofa and put his feet up on the coffee table. Good thing I
wasn’t prissy about things like that. Also a good thing I preferred sturdy furniture over
feminine and flimsy, otherwise his massive legs might have caused some damage.
I went to the kitchen to grab his Corona with a lime wedge, and refilled my glass
of wine. I came back out to find him flipping through the book I had left on the coffee
table. My cheeks burned. It was a naughty erotica book Samantha had given me, trying
to open me up to new sexual experiences. This one was about a woman—and two guys.
I just don’t know. I was having a hard enough time accepting being in a
relationship with two men at the same time, but to actually have sex with them at the
same time, like both of them naked with me and touching me—
Crap on a broomstick. I knew I must be turning about seven shades of red because
my body was flaming like I was inside out and Nathaniel was giving me that sexy little
smirk of his that drives me totally crazy.
“This is some interesting reading you have here, Addie. I didn’t know you had
such…um…vivid tastes in reading materials.” His smile got even bigger. I handed him
his Corona and sat down next to him, snatching the book out of his hands.
“Samantha gave it to me. It’s not the kind of book I normally read.” I said, trying
to squash the embarrassment flooding my neurons.
He smiled and leaned over to kiss me, “Has it given you any ideas?” he asked
right before his lips met mine. I leaned into his kiss, letting the sparks fly and the heat
flow. The man knew how to kiss, gentle yet firm, his full lips pressing into mine leading
me into a world of pleasure and potential.
He had just parted my lips and his tongue was starting to thrust in my mouth when
the doorbell rang—again.
I pulled away from him as energy coursed through my body and images of
Nathaniel and Drew arguing flooded my brain. Damn, and double wicked damn.
I looked at Nathaniel in fear, and his eyes narrowed. He knew who was on the
other side of the door. “You should have told me you were expecting company. I
wouldn’t have stayed.”
“I wasn’t, I didn’t, I’m sorry.” I fumbled with the right words.
The doorbell rang again.
“You going to answer that or should I?” he asked, looking very irritated.
I hopped off the sofa, “I’ll get it.” There was no way in hell I wanted Nathaniel to
open the door to an angry vampire on the other side.
I took a deep breath and opened the door, bracing myself for what was going to
happen. Drew stood there smiling, with a whole lot of fang showing. He looked at the
truck in my driveway, then over my shoulder. “I know you have company, and I wasn’t
going to stop, but then I decided I am not going to just roll over and let him win. I am
man enough to stand up and fight for you.”
Nathaniel snorted as he walked up behind me, “Man enough? You aren’t a man at
all. You’re a fucking monster.”
I turned and gave him a dirty look and turned back to Drew. “Thank you for the
apology, but right now may not be the best time to have this conversation.”
Drew pushed me aside and walked in only to stop right in front of Nathaniel. They
stood there, eyeballing each other. Nathaniel was a little taller and a lot broader but I
knew that with Drew’s vampire strength, Nathaniel would be toast if things got ugly.
“You think you have what it takes to win her heart, Newlyn?”
“I know I do,” he replied cockily. “She needs a man who isn’t a monster, a man
who isn’t going to eat her alive.”
Drew blanched and I wondered if Nathaniel knew what Drew had done. He
couldn’t have. I was sure Nathaniel would have staked him by now if he knew.
Drew composed himself and said, “I think you have forgotten one key point about
Ariadne.”
“Yeah, what’s that?” Nathaniel asked with a sneer.
“She’s one of the monsters, too. You keep forgetting or ignoring that.”