Blonde With a Wand.

Thompson, Vicki Lewis.

To all the compa.s.sionate souls who spend their precious time and resources to save homeless pets, with special grat.i.tude for the largest no-kill facility in the world, Best Friends Animal Society, where I spent a fulfilling week one memorable July.

Acknowledgments.

As always, I'm deeply indebted to the wonderful folks at Penguin for championing my cause, especially my editor, Claire Zion. I'm grateful for the support of my agent, Robert Gottlieb, at Trident Media, and for the constant encouragement from my a.s.sistant/daughter, Audrey Sharpe and my brainstorming partners, Jennifer LaBrecque and Rhonda Nelson. I'm also filled with wonder at the twists of fate that brought me in contact with Romance Writers of America and its founder, Rita Clay Estrada. Rita's vision transformed the romance landscape, and without RWA many of us, including me, might never have published a book. Thank you, Rita.

Chapter 1.

The night Anica Revere turned Jasper Danes into a cat started out innocently enough.

They'd dated for nearly three weeks, and tonight l.u.s.t ping-ponged across the restaurant table. Anica had antic.i.p.ated this moment since she first glimpsed this dark-haired Adonis with golden eyes. Although Monday wasn't a common date night, Jasper's favorite restaurant was open and he hadn't wanted to wait for the weekend to see her again. All the signs pointed to finally Doing It.

He studied Anica as if he wanted to lick her all over, which sounded great to her, except . . . she still hadn't mentioned a significant detail, one that could be a real buzz kill. She hadn't told him she was a witch.

With chemistry this strong she was so tempted not to tell him, but one mistake with a nonmagical man was enough. The image of Edward racing out of her bedroom a year ago still pained her.

He hadn't even bothered to grab his clothes. Sad to say, a Chicago police squad car had been cruising by the apartment building and poor Edward had been arrested using a Keep Lake Michigan Clean leaflet as a fig leaf subst.i.tute.

She'd heard all about it from her neighbor Julie, who kept a video camera running from her third-story window in hopes that she'd get something worth airing on her brother's independent cable show, Not So Shy Chi-Town. That clip made it on the show, no problem. To avoid legal repercussions, Edward's features had been scrambled so no one except Julie and Anica knew who it was.

"You're frowning," Jasper said. "Anything wrong?"

Good thing he wasn't a mind reader. "No, no. Sorry." She smiled to prove that everything was hunky-dory.

He reached for her hand. "What do you say we get out of here?"

Whoops. She wasn't quite ready to be alone with him. Better to reveal her witch status in a public place, where she could resist the urge to prove that she had special powers.

That had been her biggest mistake with Edward. He hadn't believed her, and she'd worked one teensy spell to convince him and had been inspired by what was at hand, so to speak. He'd left before she could explain that his p.e.n.i.s would return to its normal color in a few hours.

"I'm fine with leaving," she said. "But there's chocolate mousse on the dessert menu. Let's get some to go. Mousse could be . . . a lot of fun."

"Mm." His gaze grew hot. "I like the way you think."

As he signaled their waitress, Anica searched for the least-threatening way to explain her unique gifts. After her experience with Edward, she dreaded broaching the witch situation. Maybe she should retreat to a quiet place for a few minutes and ask for guidance.

She pushed back her chair and picked up her purse. "I need to make a trip to the ladies' room."

He stood, a perfect gentleman. "Hurry back."

"You bet." All the way to the rear of the restaurant, she thought about how gorgeous he was and how much she wanted him. She imagined how his eyes would darken during s.e.x. So far his lips had only touched her mouth and neck, but she could mentally translate that delicious sensation to full-body kisses. She longed to feel his dark chest hair tickling her b.r.e.a.s.t.s as he hovered over her, poised for that first thrust.

Despite her parents urging her to find a nice wizard boy, she'd always been attracted to nonmagical guys. Because they couldn't wave a wand or brew a potion to create what they wanted, they had to make it through life on sheer grit and determination. She admired that.

She'd noticed Jasper the minute he'd stepped into her downtown coffee shop. What woman wouldn't notice six feet of gorgeous male with a physique that did great things for his Brooks Brothers suit? She'd become his friend once she'd learned he was suffering from a broken heart. Sure, he probably had the ability to recover on his own, but she wanted to help.

They'd progressed from conversations at Wicked Brew to a lunch date. That had been followed by two dinner dates, and after the last one he'd kissed her until she'd nearly caved and invited him upstairs, rule or no rule.

He had a right to know the truth before the kissing started again, though, and most likely he wouldn't believe her. If he didn't she had to let him go. No clever little tricks to convince the guy this time. But letting him go would be very difficult.

The bathroom was empty, which pleased her. She'd been hoping for time alone to prepare. Jasper was special and she didn't want to muck this up if she could possibly help it.

Closing her eyes, she took a calming breath and murmured softly, "Great Mother and Great Father, guide me in my relationship with this man. Help me find the best way to tell him of my special powers. May we find a kinship that transcends our differences. With harm to none, so mote it be."

The bathroom door squeaked open. Anica quickly opened her eyes, turned toward the mirror and unzipped her purse as a tall brunette walked in. Moving aside the eight-inch rowan wood traveling wand she carried for emergencies, Anica pulled out her lipstick and began applying another coat of Retro Red.

She expected the woman to head for a stall or take the sink adjoining Anica's to repair her makeup. Instead the woman clutched her purse and watched Anica. Weird. Maybe this chick needed privacy, too.

Anica capped her lipstick, dropped it in her purse, and closed the zipper. Turning, she smiled at the woman, who didn't smile back. Instead her cla.s.sic features creased in a frown. Troubles, apparently. She looked to be in her late twenties, about Anica's age.

"It's all yours." Anica started toward the door.

"d.a.m.n, I can't decide what to do."

Oh, Hades. Anica tended to invite confidences and she was usually willing to listen and offer whatever help she could. But now wasn't a good time. "I'm sorry. I have to get back to my date."

"Jasper Danes."

Anica blinked. "You know him?"

"Yes." The woman sighed. "I stopped by here for a drink, hoping to run into him, because he comes to this restaurant all the time. I should have realized by now he'd be involved with someone else."

Antic.i.p.ation drained out of Anica so quickly she felt dizzy. She looked into the woman's soft brown eyes. "You're Sheila."

The woman nodded.

In the spot where hope had bubbled only moments ago, disappointment invaded like sludge. If Sheila was having second thoughts about breaking up with Jasper, then Anica should step aside. What Anica shared with him was mere l.u.s.t, which might disappear once he found out she was a witch.

She made herself do the n.o.ble thing. "We're not really involved." Yet.

"I was afraid to ask if it was serious between you two, because it looked as if-"

"We were heading in that direction, but when I first met him he was devastated over your breakup. If you regret leaving him, then maybe there's still a chance to start over." Anica wanted to cry. Jasper was the first man she'd had any real interest in since Edward and she was giving him back to his ex. n.o.bility sucked.

"Excuse me, but did you say I left him?"

"Yes. He said that he begged you to reconsider, but you-"

"Oh, my G.o.d." Sheila gazed at the ceiling. "It's deja vu." She closed her eyes and let her head drop. "I thought I was smarter than that. Guess not."

"I don't understand."

When Sheila opened her eyes to look at Anica, her gaze had hardened. "I didn't understand, either, until now. Tell me, did he say that I broke his heart?"

"Sort of. You know how guys are."

"Apparently I don't know enough about how guys are, but I'll learn. Let me guess what he said." Sheila deepened her voice in a pretty good imitation of Jasper. "I thought we had something special. I was all set to take her home to meet my folks in Wisconsin when she lowered the boom. Maybe I should have seen it coming. Maybe I dropped the ball somehow, didn't live up to her expectations. I tried to get her to reconsider, but she was finished with me."

Uneasiness settled in Anica's stomach. Sheila had quoted Jasper almost word for word. What if this woman was a nutcase who'd been lurking in the coffee shop behind a newspaper while Jasper spilled his guts? "That's . . . approximately what he said."

"I'll bet a million dollars that's exactly what he said. Because that's the speech he gave me about Kate, his previous girlfriend. It touched my heartstrings, which appear to be directly connected to my libido. A few dates, and we were in bed, where I could mend his broken heart." She blew out a breath. "I didn't leave Jasper. He dumped me three weeks ago."

Three weeks ago Jasper had walked into Wicked Brew for the first time and she'd elbowed her employee Sally out of the way so that she could personally serve him a latte. Jasper had shown up the next morning, and the next, and on the third morning he'd announced that his girlfriend had left him.

But Sheila couldn't be telling the truth about that breakup. Anica prided herself on her ability to read people, and Jasper had been one forlorn guy three weeks ago. If he'd made up that story-no, she couldn't believe that he'd do such a thing.

"I want to hear Jasper's side," she said. "I don't see any reason why he'd-"

"Don't you? He's figured out that women are suckers for a sob story. He hangs with a woman until he finds somebody he likes better. Then he dumps the current girlfriend and works the heartbreak-kid angle with the new one. I fell for it. And the worst part is, if I could have him back, I'd take him, even knowing what I know."

Anica shook her head, still unwilling to accept what Sheila was saying. "I'm sure there's an explanation. Maybe you two misunderstood each other." That still left Anica out in the cold if Sheila and Jasper reunited, but she'd rather see that happen than discover Jasper was a louse.

"It's hard to misunderstand when someone says, 'It's been lots of fun and you're amazing, but it's time to move on.' That's pretty d.a.m.ned clear, don't you think?"

"Did you two fight about something?"

"No. All was peaches and cream. I'm guessing he met you and decided to trade up."

Had Jasper lied to her? Anica couldn't believe it, but there was only one way to find out. "I'll talk to him."

"You do that, and if you decide you don't want him after you find out the truth, let me know." Sheila thrust a business card in Anica's hand. "He might bounce back my way."

Anica stared at her in disbelief. "You'd still want him, even if he lied to you?"

" 'Fraid so. I shouldn't, but . . . he's just that good."

Jasper tried not to be worried. He'd noticed Sheila sitting at the bar when he'd first walked in with Anica. He didn't know if Sheila had spotted him or not, but he'd asked for a table quite a distance from the bar, just in case. She'd seemed to take the breakup reasonably well, but there was no point in flaunting his new girlfriend.

Sheila was alone, but he told himself that she was probably meeting some guy here. A woman who looked like Sheila wouldn't have any trouble finding dates. She deserved to hook up with someone who appreciated her more than he had.

For a while he'd tried to tell himself Sheila was everything he needed in a woman, but then he'd looked into Anica's startling blue eyes and experienced a zing of excitement he hadn't felt in years. Immediately he'd made a clean break with Sheila. It was the only fair thing to do, and he prided himself on never cheating on a lover.

Sheila had seemed fine with parting ways-no tears, no drunk dialing, no trumped-up visits to the brokerage house where he worked. He hadn't run into her again until now. He was relieved that she'd remained at the bar and hadn't wandered over during the meal, which might have been awkward.

Anica's suggestion about the chocolate mousse in a to-go box had fired his imagination, and he could hardly wait for her to get back from the bathroom. Her apartment was within walking distance, a happy coincidence that meant they could have a romantic stroll to build the antic.i.p.ation.

Weather conditions weren't ideal for a stroll-icy March winds still blew down Chicago's streets-but the breezes were subtly different these days, a shade warmer than they had been even a week ago. Spring was hovering, ready to swoop in and transform the city. Jasper planned on having s.e.x with Anica tonight, but he'd thought way beyond that.

Spring was a perfect time to start a relationship, with buds opening, sap rising . . . yeah, the sap was rising in him, all right. This time, though, s.e.xual attraction wasn't the only emotion driving him. He admired her body, but he also admired her intelligence and business savvy.

She'd opened a downtown coffee shop in an area Starbucks hadn't mined because there was nothing to draw a nighttime crowd. Anica kept Wicked Brew open weekdays only from seven to four and made a killing from the office workers who didn't have time to walk several blocks to Starbucks.

Admittedly, though, he hadn't been thinking much about her business smarts tonight. Tonight he wanted to peel the clothes from her luscious, long-limbed body. He wanted to take the pins out of her blond hair.

The image of undressing her made his c.o.c.k hard. Because he'd have to wait a while before doing anything about that, he distracted himself by concentrating on the bill. As always, he gave a generous tip in honor of the nights during his college career when he'd held down this kind of job. G.o.d, had it really been ten years ago?

As he signed his name to the credit card slip, he glanced up to check Sheila's seat at the bar. She wasn't there. So maybe she'd left.

Or not. A woman was heading into the restroom. The light was dim back there, but he had a bad feeling that woman going into the door marked with a stylized W could be Sheila.

That might not matter, though. Anica was due back any second, and besides, she'd never met Sheila. The woman in the bathroom probably wasn't Sheila, anyway. He was getting paranoid.

He knew why, too. Anica had given him a whole new lease on life, both s.e.xually and mentally. He'd even imagined sharing an apartment, which was major because he'd never spent more than a long weekend with a woman. As serious as he'd thought he'd been about Sheila, he'd never created a mental picture of what their combined lives would look like, which should have told him they weren't right for each other.

Here he was already thinking about living with Anica, and they hadn't even had s.e.x. He pictured eating microwave popcorn and watching old episodes of South Park on Friday nights, flying kites over Lake Michigan on Sat.u.r.day afternoons, battling for sections of the Trib on Sunday mornings. The scenes rolled in his head like a chick flick accompanied by a perky sound track.

Of course it was only their fourth date. They had plenty to learn about each other and he wasn't making any stupid predictions at this stage of the game. But he had a special feeling about this particular woman. He wouldn't be surprised if . . . but that was jumping the gun. He'd let things unfold as they were supposed to.

He sure wished she'd get back from the bathroom, though. Women did all sorts of mysterious things when they disappeared in there. One of them involved girl talk.

That was the part bothering him at the moment. Having an ex-girlfriend talking to a current girlfriend was never a good idea. He prayed that wasn't going on.

At last Anica came out and started toward him. He stood, smiling, and picked up the take-out carton of chocolate mousse. When she didn't return his smile, his anxiety level shot up about a thousand percent.

"We need to talk."

He groaned. When a woman said that to a man disaster was in the air. Now he was virtually positive Sheila had followed Anica into that bathroom. "Would you rather sit down and eat dessert here after all?"

"No, let's leave." She headed toward the restaurant's foyer.

Jasper had no choice but to follow, but suddenly he craved the protection of other diners. He didn't think Anica was the type to make a scene in a nice restaurant. Then again, he wouldn't swear to it. He didn't know her that well.

When Anica reached the front door, she paused to take her black wool coat from where it hung on a garment rack. Jasper helped her on with it. He'd admired this coat the first time she'd worn it because it was so unusual; more a cape than a coat, with a generous hood. Contrasted with Anica's blond hair, the black coat and hood made quite a statement.

Once she'd settled her hood over her golden hair and was ready to step outside, he handed her the mousse so he could put on his tweed topcoat. Then he took the mousse back before walking with her into the chilly night.

The night was balmy, though, compared with Anica's tone as she faced him on the sidewalk. "Your ex-girlfriend came into the bathroom while I was in there."

"Sheila?" He'd hoped to sound vaguely interested, but the word came out as a croak of alarm.

Anica clutched her hood when the wind threatened to blow it off. "She made some pretty harsh claims, and I need to know if anything she said is true."

"Okay." Jasper turned up his collar as he tried to imagine what complaints Sheila might have had about him. He'd thought that he'd pleased her in bed, but maybe she'd been faking those o.r.g.a.s.ms. That wasn't really his fault, although maybe he should have- "Sheila says that you dumped her."