Irish Enchantment
Ellora's Cave
Genre: Paranormal/Light Bondage/Fantasy/Anthology
ISBN #1-84360-780-8
Book Length: 3 Person Anthology
Buy the eBook | Buy the Print

Kissing Stone
Kit Bauman has lusted after Jax for as long as she's known him but she knows she'll never act on it. She refuses to risk their friendship for a few nights of what promises to be really great sex. When a little man in an Irish knick-knack shop sells her a "magic rock", she finds herself saying things she never thought she'd say, and doing things she'd only dreamed of doing-all of them with Jax. But the magic will wear off.



Excerpt:
"Jess. Kit. It was fun, as always. I've got to get to class."

Kit, in mid-bite of her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, nodded as Jackson Knight, Jax to his friends, grabbed his shoulder bag and stepped away from the table.

"What time are you getting out of here?" he asked Kit.

She swallowed quickly, peanut butter clogging her throat. "I've got some kids coming in at six. I should be done by seven."

"I'll be in my office until then. Stop by on your way out. It's Wednesday. McGill's is calling my name."

Again she nodded. In the six months that they'd known each other, it had become tradition. Wednesday nights. Beer and corned beef at McGill's. Jax and Kit. It was like a bad buddy movie.

"See ya later. See ya, Jessie."

Jax turned and walked away-his pale khaki pants highlighting the exquisite male butt and long strong legs.

Kit tried to pull her eyes away, but like almost every other woman in the room, she had to look. Had to watch that deliciously curved tush walk away and think about giving it a light pat, a gentle squeeze. Still, the man was her best friend. She shouldn't be lusting after him. She took a deep breath and once more dragged her thoughts away from sex.

As he turned left out of the dining room, Kit heard Jessie whimper softly beside her.

"I know you said you two are just friends and there's nothing romantic between you-" Jessie spun in her chair and nailed Kit with her eyes. "But sometimes, don't you just want to grab him, throw him on the floor and bounce on him for hours?"

The man was as near to physical perfection as Kit ever expected to see. Tall, with sandy blond hair, a muscular chest, well-ripped arms and a tight ass. And damn it, he was a nice guy.

"Almost constantly," Kit moaned before collapsing onto the table.

"What?!"

Jessie's shriek of laughter drew the room's attention, forcing Kit to straighten and shield her eyes. Though most of the students ate at the other dining hall during lunch and the room was half-empty, Kit hated to be the center of attention.

"Keep it down," she hissed.

"I'm sorry," Jessie said between giggles. "I just wasn't expecting that. You've always professed an undying, platonic relationship. But you're secretly lusting after him. This is so great. It renews my faith in single women." Jessie, married for fifteen years, liked to believe that Kit lived a wild and crazy life-filled with wild and crazy sex. Until now, Kit had been a major disappointment.

"Very funny." Kit sipped her soda and tried to think of a way to steer Jessie off this conversation. "Are you ready? I've got some students coming in soon." In reality, no one was scheduled for an hour but Jessie didn't know that. Kit stood up. Jessie followed suit.

"So, why don't you go for it?"

"Go for what?"

"Jax. Mister Tall, Dark and Gorgeous. Not to mention Mister Rich, Nice and He Likes You."

Kit let her book bag fall to the floor. "Jessie, Jax and I are friends. I want to keep it that way. Even if I could persuade him to-" fuck me silly "-uh, be interested in me, it wouldn't last. I've seen the kind of women he dates and they don't look like me." She made a casual wave toward her less than voluptuous body. "And I don't want to risk our friendship for a few nights of-" Really, really hot sex. "-Uh, you know, romance."

"Who cares about romance? Go for the sex," Jessie said, practically reading Kit's mind.

The tinny ring of a cell phone interrupted Kit's strangled groan. She silently sent a "thank you" to the heavens when she realized it was hers.

She flipped the phone open and waved goodbye to Jessie all in the same motion. She didn't care who was on the phone. It got her out of the conversation about Jax and sex.

"Hello?"

"Kit? So glad I got a hold of you."

It took only seconds for her to run through her memory and attach a face to the feminine voice on the other end. Alison Doyle, the publicist hired to promote the book Kit had written with one of the other professors.

"Listen, we've run into a snag with the America Today Show."

Kit ignored the panic in Alison's voice. Alison surrounded herself with drama and made a production out of everything. But Kit knew that she would work through it. She usually needed a few hours to rant and rave before the perfect solution presented itself. No reason to get her own blood pressure up.

"What's wrong?" Kit asked patiently as she headed out the door and into the beautiful spring air. She took a deep breath as Alison once again reminded Kit how important it was to be on the national morning talk show, how it would provide much needed publicity for the book she and Tim Tyler had written.

"So, they've scheduled the interview for Friday. And Tim's in Greece."

Kit's co-author for "Living Myths and Legends" spent his free time traveling the world supposedly researching local myths. But since Kit had done most of the research for this book, she wasn't sure what Tim did during his travels. Not that it mattered. Tim was a great co-author. His writing style matched hers. He was clever and, best of all, Tim loved the press and the public. If it involved a crowd, Tim wanted to be in front of it.

Kit froze up in a group larger than three people.

They worked well together.

"Don't worry," Kit soothed the ruffled promoter. "Tim's scheduled to be back tomorrow morning. Plenty of time to get ready for Friday."

"No. It seems Timmy T. decided to bring home a few souvenirs that the Grecian government views as national antiquities. He's in a jail cell until they figure this out."

Kit sighed. Tim had a knack for getting himself into situations like this. He also had a knack for getting out of them. She didn't doubt he would be back in a few weeks.

"Reschedule." She shrugged even though Alison couldn't see her.

"You don't understand. We can't reschedule. No one reschedules for America Today. It's just not done."

Kit felt her own heart start to pound. This wasn't good. The panic underlying Alison's voice was coming to the forefront. And sounding decidedly real.

"So, what do we do?"

"We have to send someone else."

The silence between them was ominous. Dread the likes she hadn't felt in years crept into her stomach.

"Who?" she asked though she could predict the answer.

"Kit."

"No, you can't be serious. You can't mean it."

"It has to be you. They want one of the authors. That's you or Tim and it's unlikely they'll give Tim a weekend pass out of a Greek dungeon." Alison's voice was starting to squeak.

"But.you don't understand."

"I do understand. I do." The sympathy in Alison's voice did nothing to calm the churning in Kit's stomach or the rapid increase in her heartbeat. "But it has to be you. There isn't anyone else. Listen, hon, I've got another call. You'll be great. We'll talk soon. Plan on being in the city at six AM on Friday. Ciao."

The connection ended before Kit had a chance to protest. Or to beg Alison to call 911 because she was going to have a heart attack. She stared at the ground a full minute-listening to her heart pound.

Her chest began to bellow. She had to hide, run, escape. Still clutching her phone, she looped her book bag over her shoulder and took off in a full-length stride. Gut-wrenching, skin-peeling fear chased her across campus. The rapid pace seemed to draw off the excess oxygen her body was consuming and her breath calmed to a normal rhythm.

She couldn't do it. Flat out. There was no way she could talk on national television. No matter how much she loved her book, this hadn't been part of the agreement. She couldn't even speak in front of a class of students. That's why she'd ended up tutoring instead of teaching. The thought of twenty-five faces staring up at her ignited panic attacks that no medicine could quell.

Turn those twenty-five students into twenty-five million viewers.

She couldn't even think about it. She concentrated on walking-putting one foot in front of the other. Distance disappeared. She was vaguely aware of leaving the campus and heading toward the business district. She found herself walking down a street, lined with gunmetal gray warehouses. The scenery was easy to ignore and her mind did so, dragging her back again and again to the reality she was trying to avoid.

It has to be you. Alison's voice haunted her, increasing her speed.

A clap of thunder stalled her turbulent thoughts, scattering them as she looked up. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. No predictions of rain. The thunder rumbled again.

And rain started to fall. First in light layers, then with growing strength. Drops splattered onto her cheeks and spilt into her eyes, stinging her skin.

Blinking the water from her lashes, she searched for shelter and spotted a little shop crammed between two warehouses. The sign swaying in a nonexistent breeze declared it The McMac Shop-Fine Irish Goods.

Kit didn't care how fine the goods were. She just needed a place to escape the rain.

The storm was at her back, almost as if the rain was driving her in that direction. She ran across the street. Water dripped from her hair, soaked through her shirt, and shivered down her back by the time she opened the door and lunged inside.

"Whoa. That was weird," she said to the empty room. Or it appeared empty until a little Irish man popped up from behind the counter. That he was Irish there was no doubt. He looked like a leprechaun. Complete with pipe, beard and mischievous eyes. Bigger than she would have expected a leprechaun to be, but still, there was no mistaking the image. Well, the costume fits the store, that's for sure.

"Good afternoon, lass. Welcome to the McMac Shop."

"Hi." She whipped her hair back. The chin length strands clung to her face like slimy claws.

"How can I help you today?"

"Oh, I really don't need anything." She looked around at the sweaters and silver that decorated the store. And there's probably nothing I can afford. "I just ducked in to escape the rain," she said, a bit sheepishly.

"Well, that's fine then, but I'm thinkin' I can interest you in something that might change your life."

That seemed like a mighty big goal for an Irish knick-knack shop but Kit smiled.

"Come in and tell Murphy what brought you here today."

"Uh, nothing. I mean I was just out walking and." She let her voice trail away as she wandered toward the counter and the little man behind it. She tried to smile but it was a half-hearted attempt.

"Now, lass, you look like a woman with troubles. You can share them with ol' Murphy here."

Even knowing he couldn't possibly care about her troubles or that ranting about the situation wouldn't help, she found herself telling him all that had happened.

"So, what does your young man say about all of this?"

"My what?" She shook her head in confusion. "Oh, a boyfriend. I don't have a boyfriend, or anything."

Murphy stepped back and stroked his chin as he observed her. "That's odd because you have the aura of someone in love. Or on the verge of love."

Kit choked on the thought. "On the verge of love? I just want to be on the verge of not making a fool of myself on national television."

He stared at her for another long, penetrating moment.

"I think I have the perfect thing for you."

He ducked down behind the counter. Soft crashes and thuds reached her from the other side. She looked at the door. The rain had stopped. She could make a run for it before he stood up. But he had been kind enough to listen to her ramble.

"Here it is. I was afraid I'd lost it and then I'd be in a world of hurt now, wouldn't I?" He straightened. Dust covered his hat and the tip of his nose. "This will be fixin' all your troubles."

This turned out to be a piece of.rock. Green rock, appropriate for an Irish store, but still, it was just a piece of rock.

"Uh, thanks, but you know, I don't need any rocks right now."

"This is no ordinary rock." He leaned forward and his voice dropped to a whisper. Kit found herself leaning in to hear him. "This is a piece of the Blarney Stone. The real Blarney Stone, not that one tourists smooch all the time." He leveled that strangely observant gaze at her. "Do you know the legend of the Blarney Stone?"

She smiled. "I do, actually. I deal with legends every day. I believe the tale goes that a man-" She waved her hand vaguely in the air. "I can't remember his name, kissed the stone and was able to keep the queen from taking his castle."

"Not just that. He was able to persuade her, convince her. That's what this stone does." He held up the green rock. "You kiss it and you're given the gift of gab, persuasive eloquence." He kissed the rock and placed it on the counter. A strange glow surrounded it for a moment but when Kit blinked, the light was gone.

Great, now I'm hallucinating.

"Now, as you can imagine, I wouldn't sell this to just anyone."

Kit had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. The man was really getting into this sales pitch. Well, she wasn't having it. She didn't need any more knick-knacks cluttering up her house.

"Believe me. It's a special prize for a special person. Someone who will use it wisely. It's a powerful stone but used properly, you can find the most powerful gift."

As she listened, she couldn't help but stare at the stone. His words settled into her head. The stone was pretty and it wouldn't hurt to have it around the house. She could use it as a talisman-to give her confidence when she needed it. Like that feather they gave the elephant to convince him he could fly.

"I think it's made for you, lass. The stone itself is calling you."

She could almost feel it. Something deep inside her wanted that stone. Kit nodded. "I'll take it."

Murphy's smile contained a whiff of triumph but Kit ignored it.

"How much?" As she said the words, a soft voice reminded her that she wasn't going to buy this stone. Somehow that didn't seem to matter now.

"Fifty dollars."

For a chunk of rock he probably picked up in the street? She ignored the logical sentiment and opened her purse. Mentally slapping herself for being silly, she wrote a check for the amount and collected the stone.

"It will bring you what you most desire." He looked around, his head snapping side to side as if he was sure he was missing something but didn't know what. He clicked his fingers and disappeared behind the counter again. He popped up almost immediately and slapped his hand on the counter. "And you'd better take those."

Kit looked at the four cellophane wrappers.

"What? You give out free condoms with every purchase?" That was taking promoting "safe sex" a little too far.

"Not every purchase but this is special." He reached beneath the counter. "Take these as well." Two more condoms joined the pile.

Six condoms? Why would he think she needed one, let alone six? "Uh, I haven't used six condoms total in the past two years."

He winked at her. "I have a feelin' that'll be changin'."

Not sure what else to do, she gathered the condoms and slipped them into her purse along with the rock. Her fifty-dollar rock. "Well, thanks." She walked to the store window. The rain was gone. The sun dominated the sky again. Weird storm, weird man, weird day.

She replayed the encounter as she walked back to campus. And each time she came to the same conclusion.

"He scammed me." She grimaced as she entered the tutoring lab and took her place behind the desk.

She had four hours to go. As she opened the lab, students began to wander in searching for help on every subject from English (her specialty) to math (not her specialty). She did her best to help and logged the questions that required answers. It was a busy afternoon with midterms only a week away. Every time she had a break, her thoughts went back to Alison's phone call and the terror of potentially being on television. Kit looked at her watch. Another hour and she was done. Then she could meet up with Jax. He would know how to get her out of this.

* * * * *

"I don't think you can get out of it." Jax shrugged and took a sip of his beer. "Your publicist is right. It's a major deal to get on America Today."

He would know. He'd spent years working for promoters and public affairs groups around the country. He'd taken the job teaching Communications at the University because he was ready to leave the fast lane but he knew the ins and outs of publicity.

"I know it's a major deal, but there has to be a way that someone else, anyone else, could do it."

"Kit, it's you or Tim and it doesn't sound like Tim's going to make it back in time."

"And I'm going to kill him when he does."

Jax chuckled and picked up his corned beef sandwich. "I'll call him and tell him he's safer in a Grecian jail."

"Do that." She picked up her own sandwich and munched down. "It's just that-don't they realize this won't help? Having me on that show won't make people rush out and buy the book. In fact, it will make the people who have bought it, return it."

"Kit, you're going to be fine."

"Are you nuts? In a crowd of more than two people, I lose all ability to speak."

"Kit, you've got a secret weapon."

She put down her sandwich and waited for him to finish.

"Me. You've got me."

Kit casually scanned the room then leaned closer to Jax. "How is that going to help?"

"This is what I do. What I've done for years. I train people to talk to the media," he explained. He reached across the small circular table and covered her hand with his. "I can help you."

It was difficult to tell which was stronger. The comforting thought that Jax would help her. Or the lust that spun through her stomach as he touched her. She stared at their hands for a long moment and decided to ignore the lust. As she had done many, many times before.

"Don't worry, Kit. I've handled much more difficult cases than you."

Kit raised her eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Okay, well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I think we can do it. I see it as a personal challenge." He lifted his beer.

Resigned, Kit raised hers and tapped his glass. In unison, they tilted their heads back and drained what was left of their pints.

"Kit, Stone, you want another round?" McGill called from behind the bar.

Kit shook her head. Jax did the same.

Kit set her glass on the table. "Why does he call you Stone?" she asked. She'd been curious about that for a while. The hint of a blush on Jax's cheeks made her even more curious.

"It's a stupid high school nickname."

Kit could only think of one reason to call a kid "Stone"-if he was always hard. The idea made her insides all hot and gooey.

"Uh, what brought it on?" she asked, hoping her voice didn't shake with unrequited lust.

"Oh, you know kids. My name was Jackson. We studied Stonewall Jackson and people started calling me that. Eventually, it got shortened to Stone. I told you it was a stupid nickname."

Kit stared for a moment then nodded in agreement. She liked her explanation better-that he was always hard.

"I'm going to run to the ladies room," she announced, standing quickly. "You going to wait?"

"Have I ever let you walk home alone?"

"Uh, no."

Jax smiled and waved his hands toward the bathroom.

Kit grabbed her bag and left the table. She finished in the stall and stepped into the open area, facing the mirror. Her plain brown hair stood out at odd angles, highlighting the sharp, spiky ends. I look like the wicked witch. Great.

She opened her purse, there had to be a comb somewhere in her bag. Now that she knew what she looked like, she couldn't go back outside looking like this. What would Jax think?

She stared in the mirror. Her plain face-sprinkled with pale freckles and dominated by large green eyes-reflected back. Why would Jax care?

He was her friend. Tall, gorgeous and sweet. But still her friend. Even if he wasn't her friend, there was little chance he would look at her at all.

Still, vanity prevailed and she dug to the bottom of her purse. Her hand closed around the rock she'd purchased. Pulling it out, she held it in her palm. The stone warmed her skin and for a moment she thought she saw the eerie green glow she'd seen in the store.

"Fifty dollars for a rock. I'd better have my head examined." She was about to drop it in her bag when Murphy's voice came back to her.

It will bring you what you most desire.

Jax.

Yeah, right. Kissing this rock would make Jax drag her off to bed.

She tossed the stone in her hand but didn't put it away. She looked in the mirror once more. Was it possible to feel any sillier? It had to be the beer but it didn't matter. She was going to do it. She held the stone to her lips and planted a kiss on the smooth surface.

The rock turned hot. Like a lightning strike, her lips began to tingle. The shiver skittered from her lips through her body, stopping to make her nipples rock-hard and speeding down into her sex. The tiny tingle exploded into a sharp ache. Kit slapped her hand low on her stomach, trying to contain the shock. She stared into the mirror, watching her cheeks redden and her chest expand in a long, deep breath.

She held the rock up to the light. This is supposed to give me the gift of gab, not make me orgasm in the bathroom.

With a dazed shake of her head, she dropped the stone back into her purse and fluffed her hair. The boring brown color seemed to capture some of the light giving it a hint of gold. And the ends didn't look scary now-they looked wild but sexy. As if a man's hands had been running through her hair. During sex. Tousled.

I've got sex on the brain, she decided as she left the bathroom.

Jax waited for her at the front door. He smiled as she approached and Kit felt another tingle deep in her sex. She felt empty inside. Empty and waiting to be filled.

She couldn't shake free of the sensation. Where normally she was able to push the desire aside, it lingered, building with each step. She stopped inches in front of him. The pulsing between her legs made it difficult to concentrate.

"Ready?" Jax asked with the same friendly smile he always gave her.

"Oh yes." The simple response came out of her mouth soft and breathy. And alluring. She blinked and stared at Jax to see if he'd noticed. His eyes widened for a moment, then the corner of his mouth kicked up in a half-smile. Good. He thought she was teasing. She could still get out of this without embarrassing herself. "I have an early session." Almost as if it was beyond her control, she took a step closer, until she was inches away from Jax's body. Suddenly, those inches were too much distance. She wanted to be right up against him, rubbing her breasts against his chest. She leaned even closer and stared at his mouth. "I think it's time for us to go to bed, don't you?" The strange, husky, "come fuck me" voice was something she hadn't known she possessed.

Jax's eyes narrowed. "Kit, are you okay?"

"I'm great," she sighed, breathing deeply and inhaling his masculine scent. The smell settled into her chest. The words landed on her tongue, screaming for release. "Mmmm. You smell so good. Like wild sex and warm breakfast muffins." She couldn't believe those words were coming out of her mouth but she also couldn't stop them. "Like hot bodies on cool clean sheets."

What are you saying?

The mental reprimand and the surprised look on Jax's face were enough to stifle her suddenly loose tongue.

She stepped away.

"We should probably go," she mumbled as she reached for the door, and stalked outside, silently cursing herself. What was she thinking? She'd just plastered herself against one of her best friends and practically begged him to take her to bed.

It wasn't like her. She didn't behave like this. She was saying things that.well, to be honest, she'd thought about for a long time but never expected to say aloud. Seducing Jax was not on her agenda. Not that she had to worry. He hadn't exactly grabbed her and thrown her to the ground when the invitation had tumbled out of her mouth.

Jax shook his head and followed Kit more slowly out the door. Was his imagination fucking with him? What was going on with her? Comfortable, quiet Kit was exuding some strange pheromones that made him want to throw her onto the grass and mount her like a bull in rut. She'd come back from the bathroom looking wild and sexy, her nipples pressing hard against her shirt as if she'd been pinching them. He licked his lips. He could spend days worshiping her nipples, loving them, biting them. Sucking them deep into his mouth.

He pressed his lips together and concealed a groan. Too bad the hard-on he was rapidly developing wasn't as easily hidden.

The sensation wasn't new. He'd had similar thoughts about Kit for months. Almost since they'd met. But Kit had made it clear she wasn't interested in anything more than friendship and he could accept those boundaries.

Until she started lowering her voice and standing close to him. Practically rubbing her nipples against his chest. This wasn't the Kit he knew so well.

He wouldn't mind knowing this version of Kit better. He'd always suspected there was fire buried beneath the sweet, shy English tutor. The way she ate gave it away. She ate with passion, savoring each bite like it was the first exquisite taste. It made him hard every time he watched her. But tonight was different. Tonight, when she'd returned, the fire hadn't been hidden. It had been humming across the surface of her skin.

He sighed. It didn't make sense. If she had been bent on seducing him-why the hell did she run away just as it got interesting? He'd probably imagined it all-the sexy whisper, the full lower lip pushed slightly forward, just begging for his teeth. All the late night fantasy sessions were causing him to be sleep deprived. That, along with being sex-deprived, was probably making her voice sound deeper and her eyes hotter than reality.

"Kit, wait up. This isn't a race." He hurried along the street.

She slowed her steps. "Sorry. I just needed some air."

Though it was dark outside, he knew she blushed. He could hear it in her voice.

"I know the feeling." He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with cooling, calming oxygen.

Kit did the same. Unable to stop himself, his gaze dropped to her chest, watching those still tight peaks rise and fall. It wasn't cold outside but it looked like she'd been rubbing her nipples with ice cubes.

Damn, when had her nipples become so fascinating to him? He'd thought about them before, but never like this.

"Let's walk," he said, spinning her around and setting off at a rapid pace. The walk would do them both good. It would get his mind off fucking Kit and get her mind off.well, whatever, whoever she was thinking about.

"So, what's your schedule for tomorrow?" he asked focusing on her upcoming interview. It would get his mind off sex.

"Huh?"

"What's your schedule? We need some time to work before Friday. That only leaves tomorrow."

"Jax, I really appreciate it." Her tired chuckle was so familiar, so Kit, that his erection-while it didn't begin to fade-maintained a consistent level. Now he just needed it to go down before she noticed it. "But there is no way you can train me, in just under thirty-six hours to be coherent, much less interesting on national television. I'm a researcher. I spend my days reading old legends and hiding in library stacks. That's what I'm good at and that's what I like." They turned down the street where they both lived. Kit's house two from the corner. Jax's three beyond that. "It's not that I'm not thrilled with your offer but it won't make a difference."

"You don't seem to understand who you're dealing with, Kit. I'm a master at media training. I've trained politicians and CEO's of major corporations. I've trained people who were incredibly bright but couldn't put a decent sentence together if they were given a dictionary."

"Yeah, but-"

"I've trained oil company execs to the point that they've been standing on an oiled beach and the press still declared them heroes. I can help you."

They turned up Kit's stone walkway. It was tradition, like their Wednesday night dinner-he waited at the end of the sidewalk until she was safely inside. He turned and took her hands in his, holding them gently but firmly. Kit looked at their connected hands and then slowly raised her eyes to his.

An unfamiliar heat glowed in the green depths-unfamiliar but similar to the one he felt burning in his own chest. The fire was back, bright within her.

"You're pretty persuasive." She reached up and brushed the tip of her middle finger across his lower lip. "Can you do anything else with that silver tongue?"



Reviews:
"Hot, hot, hot best characterizes this friends-turned-lovers story by St. Clare. The chemistry between her characters is intense and the sex scenes smoke."

Sensual Romance Reviews


"The love scenes between Kit and Jax are breathtaking and scorch the pages. Tielle St Clare writes forthright and passionate scenes that are ripe with steamy sex as well as deep emotions."

Fallen Angel Reviews