Sex with a Hex: Magical Sisters, Book 2 Read online

  “First you blow off inventory night and then you want a favor? Besides, I thought you wanted to win this bet fair and square. Without using magic.” Hilly placed a shipping receipt on top of a stack of other receipts, then sat back in her desk chair.

  Meg paced to the opposite side of the small office. Allie stood by the door and took in the scene.

  “I did, but things have changed.”

  “I’ll say they have.”

  Whatever Allie meant was locked inside her at Hilly’s glare. Any other time, Meg would’ve jumped on her younger sister’s slip of the tongue, but she had to convince Hilly to help her first.

  “Hilly, what I’m asking you isn’t that big a deal, is it? I mean, you’ve impersonated lots of people before, right? All you have to do is change into a beautiful woman, let him try to get you into bed, then turn him down flat. That way he loses and the game’s over.”

  “When she’s right, she’s right, Hilly.” Allie placed her hands on her pregnant belly as though protecting her child from Hilly’s scowl. “If you’ll remember, you changed into me when Tom and I first got together. All in an attempt to run him off. This time you’d be helping one of your sisters.”

  Hilly snorted. “If both of you will remember, I offered to do the exact thing when you first told us about this challenge.”

  “Then what’s the big deal now?” Meg glanced from Hilly to Allie and back again.

  “I didn’t know him then. Now I do, and I don’t like tricking him.”

  “Please, Hilly. Do this for Meg.”

  Meg squeezed Allie’s hand, thanking her for taking her side. “Look, I’m not even asking you to take the form of someone we know. You can be any woman you like just as long as she’s no one Chance knows. Oh, and she’s got to be drop-dead sexy gorgeous, of course.”

  Hilly chewed on the end of her pencil. “I don’t know. I hate having any part in winning this silly contest. Plus, like I said. I really don’t like lying to him. Then there’s the possibility that I’d squash his fragile male ego. I could do irreparable harm to the man.”

  “Oh, come on. I think Chance’s ego can take this one blow. Besides, I need to end this bet once and for all.”

  “Then end it. Just walk up to him and tell him he’s won. Or that you quit.”

  “Hilly’s right, Meg. That’s what you should do.”

  Why didn’t her sisters understand? Meg frowned, suddenly aware that she didn’t fully comprehend how things had gone so horribly wrong. “I can’t. First of all, I don’t want to pay the price of losing.” She ignored Hilly’s judgmental lift of her eyebrow. “And second, after what he saw, he’ll know something’s not right if I just up and quit. I mean, who forfeits a game when they’re ahead?”

  “Then find him three women who will sleep with him and give him the win.” Allie shrugged. “Seems like that’s the best way to handle this.”

  “No way. I don’t want him to sleep with one other woman, much less three.” Meg couldn’t keep the whine out of her voice, but she didn’t care.

  “Really? Is there a reason you don’t want him to be with someone else?” Allie, the perpetual romantic, grinned at her sister. “Tell us, Meg. Do you care about him? Do you maybe…love him?”

  Meg narrowed her eyes and studied her sisters. Allie acted as though she were about to burst while Hilly, once again, cast hard looks at their younger sister.

  “Okay, spill. What’s going on?” Realizing she’d have an uphill battle getting information out of Hilly, Meg centered her interrogation on Allie. “Little sister, what do you know that you’re not telling me?”

  Allie scurried over to Hilly’s chair, using the chair and her older sister for protection. “Nothing. I think it’s you who aren’t telling us everything.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, come off it, Meg. Admit it, you love him.”

  Cornered, Meg had no choice but to lay it on the line. She held up her head and nodded, at once nervous and delighted to admit the truth. “Yeah. I think I do love him.”

  “Wow, oh, wow. She actually said the words. Hilly, this is serious. Now you really do have to help her.”

  “Yeah, Hilly, listen to Allie. You have to help me.” Tears blurred Meg’s vision. “I love the arrogant, bullheaded, sexy, intelligent man. So will you help me? Will you change into a hot woman and be his next seduction?”

  Hilly slumped into the chair and tossed the pencil on top of the desk. “Fine. I’ll do it. But don’t blame me if this whole scheme blows up in your face.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Chance downed another drink and slammed the glass on the bar. Would any amount of alcohol clear away the image of Meg with Ian and Josh? If only he could chalk the memory up to a bad dream.

  “Hey, take it easy, Doc. Any harder and you’ll break the glass.”

  “Don’t call me Doc.” Meg called him Doc.

  “Sure thing, D— I mean, Chance.” Tom rested his forearms on the counter and leaned closer. “Look, man, if you need to talk, then just say the word. As Allie’s husband I know how a Tristan woman can get under your skin. Trust me, Allie and I had a major obstacle to overcome when we first got together.”

  “Meg and I are not together.” At least not in the way Tom meant. Chance squashed the quick ache of yearning and rattled the ice in his glass. He might wish he and Meg were a couple, but wishing didn’t make it so.

  “I see.” Tom refilled his glass, then ran his towel over the counter. “But you wish you were. Am I right?”

  Chance didn’t bother denying it. Tom would see the truth on his face, not to mention his hurt and frustration. He’d give anything to turn back time and forget he’d ever thought about the damn challenge. Winning or losing no longer mattered. The only thing he cared about now was ending it with hopes of starting over with Meg.

  “I see.”

  “Will you stop saying that?”

  “No, you don’t understand. I really do see.” Tom gestured behind Chance. “I see Meg coming this way.”

  The drink made it halfway to Chance’s mouth and then stalled. Meg was here? Setting the glass down, he spun around on his stool and came face to face with the woman of his dreams. “Meg.”

  Blue eyes sparkled a wicked gleam at him. “Hi, Doc.” Her gaze slid to the glass behind him, then narrowed and locked on to him. “I see—”

  “Aw, hell.” Did everyone see but him?

  Her perfectly shaped eyebrows dipped. “—you’ve bellied up to the bar. For quite a while, it seems.”

  Was he drunk? Good thing he wasn’t on call. “Is that a problem?” Damn, why did he always want to argue with her? Because he loved to see her chin tip up in defiance? Or was it the way her eyes flashed and her nostrils flared?

  “Not for me. But I figured you might want another chance at winning.”

  He shook his head, but she’d already turned to point at a beautiful woman sitting alone at their—their?—booth. The woman was tall with legs that accounted for more than half of her body. She pulled her long flowing red hair like Meg’s over one shoulder. Her almond-shaped eyes gave her an exotic look Chance had always found enticing. Breasts that ached for a man’s touch pushed against the red fabric of her tight, almost-short-enough-to-flash-her-crotch dress.

  “Her name is Sasha Grey and I’ve heard she’s a real ball-buster. In fact, word has it that she hasn’t taken a man to bed in over a year.”

  His laugh sounded harsh even to his ears. “Then she’s an ice bitch. Or maybe she swims in the other pool.”

  Meg jerked back, then regained her composure. “Ouch, Chance. What’s got your panties in a bunch? And I disagree. I’ve heard she’s a real wildcat in bed. In fact, I’ve heard she wears men out.”

  He harrumphed and took a drink, using the time to study the woman.

  “In fact, I think that proves she can have any man she wants, but she simply hasn’t wanted any man for a while. The problem is…are you the man to make her crave
what’s she’s been missing? Do you have the stamina to take her on?”

  He didn’t care if he was what Sasha Grey wanted or not. The only woman whose opinion was important stood before him extolling the virtues of a complete stranger.

  “But who knows? You might have a chance, Doc. She’s new in town and doesn’t know many people. Plus, you can always use the ‘I’m a doctor’ card if you need it.”

  He scowled at Meg, then drained his drink. “Whatever.” He just wanted to finish the bet, one way or another. “But she’s only one woman. You had two men.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. Ian and Josh were fun, but they weren’t much of a challenge. I hardly had to bat an eye to get them into bed. Sasha, on the other hand, is a formidable challenge, so I’d count her as a match for my twosome any day.”

  “Okay, then I guess I’m up.” Chance lunged off the stool.

  “Watch out, Doc.”

  Meg took his arm and wrapped it over her shoulders, helping to steady him. Heat, wicked and unyielding, flashed from her body into his. He gritted his teeth, determined not to give in to every nerve shouting for her touch.

  “Are you sure you want to do this right now, Chance? You can wait until you’ve sobered up, if you want.”

  Her face, her tantalizing, sexy, come-and-get-me face was inches from his. He could see the small flecks of silver in her eyes, smell her perfume and almost taste her lips. If he relaxed, he’d get closer and press his mouth—

  “It’s your call, Doc.”

  Meg released him, breaking the magic of the moment.

  “No time like the present.” Pulling himself straighter, he walked toward Sasha, his mind filled not with what he had to do to the stranger, but what he wanted to do to Meg.

  Just get it over with. After that, I can start fresh with Meg.

  He plastered on his practiced smile and gazed into the green eyes of Sasha Grey. “Hi. I’m Chance Dannigan. Dr. Chance Dannigan.” Cripes, he hadn’t meant to use the doctor card, but if it made things move faster, then who cared?

  A haughty eyebrow arched, and she gave him a slow once-over. She halted at his crotch, the corners of her mouth tipping upward, then swept over the rest of him. “Hello. I’m Sasha Grey.”

  “Yes, you are. May I sit down?”

  She paused to consider his request and he couldn’t help but hope she’d say no. “Of course.”

  Sighing, Chance slid in next to her, raking his arm around her on the top of the booth cushion. An image of himself doing the same thing with Meg struck him in the gut, shooting pain outward.

  “Are you all right? You went kind of pale for a second.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Sasha was perfect. Perfect eyes. Perfect teeth. Perfect voice. Hell, she even had the perfect aroma that he sensed wasn’t from a perfume. Everything about the woman told him she was a temptress who could give more than she got in bed and leave a man breathless and satisfied. But the one thing she wasn’t was the one thing he wanted. She wasn’t Meg.

  “I hear you’re new in town. So am I.”

  Her laughter was like a bell and, of course, perfect. “I guess nothing stays a secret for long in a small town.” Her shoulder pressed against him, signaling her interest. “I’m glad I’m not the only new kid on the block. Maybe we should get to know our new town together?”

  Chance knew a come-on line when he heard one. Seemed Sasha wasn’t as hard to win over as Meg thought she was. Risking one last glance at Meg who had taken his seat at the bar, he moved in for the kill.

  “Damn, I hate this.” Meg swirled around on the stool to put her back to Chance and Hilly-turned-seductress. But she could still watch them by way of the mirror on the wall behind the bar. “Damn.”

  “Then why don’t you call it off? Or throw the bet? Why make Hilly go through the motions of turning him down?” Tom wiped the counter clean, then refilled the peanut bowl.

  “Oh, so I see Allie called and filled you in.”

  “Yeah, but you didn’t answer my question. Why go to all this hassle?”

  She groaned and played with the swizzle stick in her drink. “I’ve already gone through my so-called logic with my sisters. Ask Allie to explain it to you later. Right now, I’m a little preoccupied with the action in the booth to do a rundown of the stupidest mistake I’ve ever made.”

  “Well, at least you know when you’ve screwed up.” Tom ducked away from her slap, then made her another drink. “Here. I think you’re going to need this.”

  “Some bartender you are. Aren’t you supposed to have some words of wisdom? Or at least commiserate with me a little?”

  Why the hell was her sister taking so long to turn Chance down? Sure, she needed to make it look good, but why drag it out?

  “Hey, I’m merely a sounding board. Nothing more, nothing less. If you want more, you need to see a shrink.”

  “Then sound me this. Why do I feel like crap? I’m about to win the bet and have him announce that I can get any man I want. I should be doing a happy dance. Instead, all I want is for him to be with me. Sheesh, I’m a mess.”

  She squirmed under Tom’s hard perusal “Why are you looking at me that way?” She tucked her head, studying the wood grain in the bar.

  “What you’re feeling, my sweet sister-in-law, is guilt. You know tricking Chance is a lousy way to win the game.”

  Tom was often right and this time was no exception. “Damn.”

  “Look, Meg, you two got this thing going before you really knew each other. You’re both players who wound up having the game play you. But then you had to take it a step further and beat him by using magic. No wonder you feel guilty.”

  “Okay then, smart man, what would you do?”

  But Tom didn’t answer. Instead, his eyes grew large and he suddenly found work behind the bar. “Don’t look now, but they’re both headed this way.”

  Sasha hurried by, shot a quick look at Meg and whispered, “Catch you later.” She rushed toward the exit.

  Meg swallowed, closed her eyes and prepared to meet Chance head-on. Please let this awful game be over. She gasped as he spun her around to face him. “Look, Chance, I—”

  “You win.” His dark eyes were dull, yet his jaw was clenched.

  “Wait. What did you say?”

  “I said you win. Sasha turned me down cold.” He glanced at the door where Sasha had gone.

  Meg wished she could swallow the lie, but she was in it too far to turn back. “She did, huh? So fast?”

  He glanced at Tom who, catching Chance’s warning tilt of his head, moved to the other end of the bar. “Yeah, she did, and I’d thank you not to rub my nose in it. Move over and let me do what I have to do.”

  “What do you have to do?” She slipped off the stool at his insistence and stepped out of the way.

  “Like you don’t remember. Like I said. Don’t rub it in.”

  Oh, hell. Is he really going to do it? “I’m not. But seriously, you don’t have to do this.” Her guilt level skyrocketed, clogging her throat and putting a vise on her heart.

  “Out of my way, Meg.”

  Using the footrest on the stool, Chance jumped and landed, butt first, on top of the counter. Laughter and shouts of surprise filled the club and the crowd moved closer, eager to find out what he would do next.

  Meg glanced around her, the flame of embarrassment heating her face. “Chance, get down from there, okay? I don’t want you to do this.” How could she have ever wanted him to make a fool of himself? She reached out for him, but he ignored her.

  Clearing his throat, he threw his arms wide. “Listen up, everyone. I have an announcement.”

  Meg cringed. The crowd probably expected him to propose to her. Then to call out “drinks for everyone” in celebration. Instead, they’d get front-row seats to his humiliation.

  “Chance, please. I don’t want you to do this.”

  He smiled at her, shocking and thrilling her in the same moment. “It’s okay, Meg. A bet’s a bet and
I always pay up.”

  “But—”

  Chance threw back his shoulders and let his voice boom. “I want everyone to know that Meg Tristan—” he nodded toward her, pausing long enough for everyone to look at her, “—delightful, wonderful, sexy, amazing Meg Tristan can get any man she wants. No matter how handsome, how rich, how intelligent—no man can withstand her charms.”

  “Oh, my God.” Although what he’d said delighted her, she wanted nothing more than to yank him off the bar. She looked to Tom for help, but he was as mesmerized as the rest of them.

  “Including me.”

  Meg inhaled along with most of the other women in the room. Had he meant what he’d said? Or was he just getting into the spirit of the game? Was he pretending to play the rejected lover? Yet when she met his gaze she saw real adoration, a match for the love she felt for him. She pressed a hand over her heart. Would he say more?

  Chance looked away, his features hardening. “But the sad part is that while I care for her, her heart isn’t mine.”

  Women around her almost swooned, their collective aws singing into the silence. Confused and even angry stares assaulted her as though demanding her reason for not loving such a romantic man.

  She had to stop him. But not with magic. No, she’d used enough magic to trick him. “Chance, please, listen to me.”

  “No. She doesn’t care for me and my heart is broken.”

  Had she heard sincerity in his tone? Meg studied him, her breath hitched in her throat, fearful she hadn’t. Chance’s eyes locked with hers and tore a hole in her heart. The pain, the hurt she saw was too much to bear. But what else could she do?

  “I had to get that off my chest. Thanks for listening, everyone.”

  Applause thundered as Chance dropped to the floor in front of the bar. Several girls reached out to touch him, to comfort him, while a couple of men patted him on the back.

  “Was that good enough for you?”

  Meg lifted her head, a tear at her eye as she tried to find the right words to say. But the right words didn’t exist. “I’m so sorry, Chance. I tried to stop you, but you wouldn’t listen.”