New Year’s Blog Hop

Happy New Year Everyone!

Welcome to 2011.  It will take me weeks to remember to write it that way LOL.  Thank you so much for joining us for the Romancing the New Year Blog Hop.  As always if you came across the post and were not on the tour, don’t miss out on all the wonderful things other authors had to say.  Use this link to get on the tour.   And if you fall off the tour at any time use the link to go on to the next blog.  Now on to what you all came here for.

This hop we decided to do something a little different.  Alanna found a picture for us to base a flash fiction piece on.  I can’t wait to see what the other authors come up with.  I myself went back and forth for days on whether to use a paranormal or romantic suspense theme.  I finally decided on a paranormal theme.  So I hope you enjoy this little piece of flash fiction.

(c) Aaron Rohde

What a New Year this had turned out to be.  Megan Grimes repressed the sigh that rose up inside her as she waited for the glass of champagne she’d ordered from the bartender.  A dark haired woman sat on the barstool in front of her, looking as about as thrilled as Megan felt.  Yep, just two more members for the lonely club this year.

            The bartender had a cuteness about him and had even winked at her after taking her order, but he wasn’t Kyle Smith.  This time the sigh escaped her lips as she thought about the man who’d become her boss a little over a month ago.  She had felt an instant attraction to him when they were introduced and recently she’d had the feeling he felt the same way.  But her secret side life put the brakes on pursuing any type of relationship with him.

            A couple to her left exchanged heated whispers, distracting her from her inner pity party.  Both were blond, attractive and clearly irritated with each other.  As their disagreement picked up a notch in volume, Megan made out the words mother, dinner, and I don’t want to.  She rolled her eyes.  Really people, it’s New Years Eve, minutes before midnight and you want to argue about having to go to her mom’s for dinner tomorrow.

            If only she could have their problems.  Instead she got to be a witch whose mother would curse any man less than a full blooded warlock if she brought him home.  Nope.  Suzanna Grimes would have no less for her only daughter, even though Megan had argued with her several times about it.  Warlocks were very rare.  It had something to do with genetics.  Her mom had tried to explain it to her once, something about the way color blindness effected more males than females, but the charmed gene effected more females than males.  All Megan had heard at the time had been she couldn’t date David Janson in high school and that had sent her right into pissed off teenage tune out. 

            The bartender held out her glass with a smile and she accepted it as the couple next to her began arguing in earnest.  Multiple voices chimed in as the verbal countdown to the New Year started.  “Five. Four. Three. Two. One.  Happy New Year!”

            Auld Lang Syne sung by the mass filled the air as Megan finally had her fill of the arguing couple.  She waved her hand in their direction as a few words in the old language came from her lips along with “Make up already,” in English.

            The blond man pulled the blonde woman into an embrace and covered her lips with his.  Megan hid her smile with the rim of her champagne flute.  Much better.  At least someone would be getting lucky tonight. 

            “Megan,” a deep rich voice called out to her.

            She knew before she even turned more fully to the left who had called her name.  A tingling of awareness traveled over her body as she looked at Kyle Smith, who had extended his glass toward her in toast.  She extended hers as well, trying to shake off the effect his presence seemed to always have on her. He still wore the blue button up shirt and dark coat he’d worn at the office today.  She figured he must have worked late as usual.  His dark hair fell across his forehead in casual disarray that worked for him.  The smile spreading across his face caused butterflies to flutter inside her lower belly.  

            He closed the distance.  “I’m so happy I asked your personal assistant where you planned to be tonight.” 

            She felt her brows lift slightly as she stared at him.  Had he really cared what her plans for the evening had been?  “Well I’m glad you did too,” she replied unsure what else to say.

            He leaned in closer.  “In fact I think I am going to give your personal assistant a raise.”

            She gave a half laugh.  “I’m sure she will be overjoyed with the news, but I hardly see why finding me by myself in this bar is reason for a raise.”  As he came closer she found herself closing her eyes.  She could feel his breath on her neck and then his lips next to her ear.  She bit into her bottom lip.

            “Because if I hadn’t found you at this exact moment I would have never known,” he whispered.

            Surly he wasn’t talking about the little bit of magic she’d just used.  “What would you have not known?”

            Megan shivered as he pulled back from her and gestured to the couple by them, who had surpassed kissing, and moved into a full on make out session.  The blond man’s hand slid down to squeeze the woman’s backside.  Megan winced as she realized she might have transferred some of her own longing into her spell.  But that’s what she got for not clearing her mind first.  All that aside, why had he indicted the couple?  She turned to face him, but didn’t get the question out.

            “I think we might want to tone down the lust a bit though.  No need for these two to go to jail,” he whispered as he gave a small wave of his hand in the couple’s direction. 

            She watched as his lips formed the words in the old language only loud enough for her to hear.  The couple pulled back slowly from each other and caught their breath.  Megan couldn’t help but to stare.  No way had that just happened.  Another smile appeared on Kyle’s face, but she dared not to hope.  Her gaze moved to her champagne glass.  Yeah, she’d had a few drinks before this and her ears held that pleasant warm feeling, but no way had she drank enough to imagine this.

            “I can see you’re in shock.  Why don’t we take a walk,” Kyle suggested as he plucked the flute from her hand and sat it along with his on the bar.

            She let him steer her out of the bar and into the crisp night air.  Gooseflesh appeared over her arms and legs and she shivered, wrapping her arms around her waist.  Most of the snow had melted leaving them a clear path to walk across the road and into a small park.  He draped his coat around her shoulders, still warm from his own body heat.  The smell of his cologne mixed with the familiar scent that was unique to him.  She found herself turning her face into the collar and taking a deep breath.  Could this really be happening?

            He halted her steps with his hand at her elbow, turning her to face him.  “Megan I wanted to say something sooner, but I had to be sure.  When I hired you I had a feeling you were charmed.  But day after day I noticed you didn’t use magic, and I had decided tonight I no longer cared.  I wanted you whether or not you were charmed.  But when I saw you do that spell I…I can’t tell you how happy that made me.” 

            She placed her hands on his chest as he slid his arms around her.  The muscle beneath her hands felt solid and warm.  Her gaze rose to meet his as a smile spread across her face as well.  “I can’t believe it.  You’re a warlock.  How did I miss it?”

            “You didn’t.”  He pulled her closer and brushed a dark strand of hair behind her ear.  “I could see your attraction to me in the way you looked at me.  In a way, your own magical side had been trying to tell you all along.”  His head lowered.

            She felt his heated breath caress her lips a second before he closed the last bit of space between them.  His lips were soft against hers and she found herself parting her own a moan as he slid his tongue into her mouth.  Spirals of need coiled inside her as she titled her head back, allowing him to deepen the kiss.  His embrace tightened and he pulled her flush against his body.  She whimpered as he pulled his lips away from hers and she barely made out the words as he spoke them against her lips.  A mist began to form around them as she realized he’d recited a transport spell.  Then a feeling of weightlessness overtook her and she clung to him as they floated to the destination he’d chosen. 

            The mist cleared and she found herself standing in a very masculine bedroom that held his scent.  As he pulled down the zipper of her dress she had one last fleeting thought.  It would be only one member for the lonely club, because tonight she was getting lucky.

I hope that everyone has a very happy New Year!

I found this one for Gem 😉

Best Wishes,

Virginia Cavanaugh