Chapter 1

OCTOBER 31

"COME ON, BRIANNA, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO."

Brianna James angled her head and shot her best friend Kayla Pierce a sidelong glance. Not only was Kayla her closest friend, she was also her most valued employee. With her marketing background and merchandising skills, Kayla had helped increase sales and profits at Conjure, Brianna's very own magic boutique centrally located in the quaint little town of Wilkins, Massachusetts.

Keeping a telltale grin from her face, Brianna folded her arms in defiance, and replied with casual nonchalance, "Who says I want to?"

Kayla refilled the crystal decanter with jasmine incense and then leaned into Brianna. She arched one brow, pursed her full lips, and whispered in a low, sultry tone, "You do, with your eyes and your body."

Well, she certainly had her with that, Brianna mused, noting with dismay how easily her friend could read her. Once again Brianna stole a glance at the guy meandering through her magic boutique. Okay, so there was no denying she wanted to gobble him up like a scrumptious Halloween treat. But good God, did Kayla so blatantly have to point it out?

Brianna's lascivious gaze swept the length of his long, muscular torso. Her body reacted to the gorgeous specimen before her, tingling and warming in her most private places. Even the short blond hairs at the nape of her neck bristled in erotic delight. Squirming on her stool, Brianna ran her damp palms over her jeans and resisted the urge to lick her freshly painted lips. Obviously, it had been far too long since she'd sampled anything so fine.

Every few minutes Mr. Sexy Adonis would cast her a suggestive look. One that said he was less interested in the Halloween costumes, magical charms, and novelties in the showroom and more interested in the merchandise behind the glass counter. Despite the sexual sparks between them, Brianna smoothed the hem on her navy knit sweater and averted her gaze, taking care not to send out the wrong signals.

Kayla's sharp intake of air gained her attention. Brianna twisted sideways to watch her friend's hazel eyes light with excitement. "Why don't you invite him to Abby's Halloween bash tonight?"

Brianna grabbed the book of spells from under the desk, dropped it onto the counter with a clunk, and absentmindedly fingered the aged, yellow pages. She rolled one shoulder casually. "Because I'm not going, I have work to do. Inventory is next week, and I want to get a head start."

"Come on Brianna, it's Halloween, and…" she said, stretching that one word out, "it's your birthday. Double the reason to celebrate." Kayla got quiet for a moment, crinkled her cute little nose, and added, "Is it because you don't have a date?" She didn't wait for an answer. Instead she waved her hand toward the showroom, and said, "If it is, then ask him—" She stopped midsentence when she spotted Mr. Sexy Adonis exiting the store.

Brianna gave a resigned sigh. Even though Kayla was her closest friend, Kayla had no idea what or who Brianna really was. Which was the main reason why Brianna had given up dating in the first place. After the last fiasco, when her date had nearly discovered she had special powers, Brianna wasn't about to risk having her true identity revealed. Fortunately for her, the night she had misused her magic, her date had been drinking heavily, thus enabling her to pass her slip-up on his inebriation.

She hadn't meant to cast a spell on that bimbo and give her lopsided boobs. Really, she hadn't. It was just that sometimes her temper got the better of her. And honestly, that slut shouldn't have been all over Brianna's date in the first place. Council had nearly had her ass for that one. And messing with Council's stringent rules was something she'd rather avoid.

She shivered and linked her fingers together as her thoughts wandered to the legend of Xander. Apparently, decades ago, Xander, the bad boy of all bad boys, had used his magic for his own personal gain, not the betterment of mankind. His misuse had landed him in a heap of trouble. To teach him a lesson, Council had cast its own spell on him and transformed him into a pussycat…meow. Brianna cringed. She had no desire to roam the earth for centuries as any type of animal, never to be heard from again.

Speaking of animals, her pet cat Max jumped on the counter and rubbed up against her. "Hey, Max," she cooed, stroking his silky black fur. She'd found the little guy just over a year ago, hanging around outside her shop. She'd taken him in, and they'd been best buds ever since. Unlike all the other males in her life, Max was always there for her, on the coldest of days and the loneliest of nights. He was there to comfort her and keep her warm. Truth be told, she'd shared all her secrets and heart's desires with him, things she never felt comfortable telling anyone else. Although Kayla was her closest friend, the fact that Brianna was a witch forced her to keep a modicum of distance. So when it really came down to it, she'd have to call Max her very best friend.

Max stretched out his paws and swatted at an imaginary object. A moment later, he circled around the book of spells. Brianna narrowed her eyes in concern, assessing him, noting that he'd been acting odd all day. Perhaps it had something to do with the full moon. On Halloween. On her birthday.

The three elements needed to conjure a new spell. Or so the legend says.

A shiver came out of nowhere and raced down her spine.

Pushing those thoughts to the far corners of her mind, she glanced out the store's front window and watched Mr. Sexy Adonis weave his way through traffic and cross to the other side of the street. Of course, even if he had stuck around, she had no intention of asking him out.

A few months back it had occurred to her that she had very little control over her emotions or her wild temper. She figured the best way to keep her identity intact and avoid future disasters was to steer clear of men, especially those who got her panties in a twist. And that guy definitely got her panties in a twist. Anyway, since she'd begun stocking those cute little toys called The Magic Bullet, she saw no real need for the opposite sex anymore. Okay, so the bullets weren't really magical per se, but boy oh boy, they sure did magical things to her body. One part in particular.

Kayla's voice pulled her from her musings. "Hey, maybe there is a magical spell in that book of yours that can help you find a date. A man who will fulfill your deepest, darkest desires," Kayla added, fingering the aged parchment paper with longing.

Copyright © 2007 by Cathryn Fox and Sylvia Day.