Summon the Wind by Abby Wood Page A

the switch and headed to the nonfiction area closest to the exit door. She paused with her hand on the wall. He must be reading a good book.
    A man sat in one of the upholstered chairs with his back toward her. She cleared her throat and waited. Lifting her brows, she walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.
    “Excuse me, the library is now closed. You’ll have to leave.” She stepped back from the chair, prepared to follow him out the door, but he didn’t even acknowledge her. “Sir, the library is closed. You can walk out with me, but I need to lock the doors now.”
    “Sit down, please.” He remained in the chair.
    She cocked her head. “Pardon?”
    “I’d enjoy it immensely if you’d sit down and talk with me for a few minutes.”
    Not understanding why he wasn’t getting up or turning around, Alexis walked around the chair to tell him to his face that he must leave. “The library closes at—”
    “Hello, Alexis.”
    She stepped closer and studied the man. Something about his blue eyes seemed familiar. He grinned, and she gasped. Oh Goddess, Lance Garvis.
    “Aren’t you going to say hello to an old friend?” He motioned for her to take the seat across from him. “What’s it been? Ten…twelve years since we’ve seen each other?”
    “Fifteen. It’s been fifteen years.” She plopped down in the chair. “Y-you look great.”
    She closed her mouth and swallowed. He’d grown up. No lon g er the ten-year-old boy she and her sisters palled around with all summer at Camp Enchantment. His cheekbones were higher, and he’d lost the pug nose. The Lance of today had regal features, longer blond hair, and a dominant chin. He could have doubled for a Norse god.
    “W-what are you doing here?” She inhaled and clamped her bottom lip between her teeth.
    “You haven’t guessed?” He uncrossed his legs, leaned forward, and placed his elbows on his knees. “I’ve waited for the day when you are ready to find a man to love, hoping…” He paused and smiled. “I never told you, but the summer we were the best of friends, I had asked the Goddess to let me know if you ever asked for love to come to you. I didn’t want to cast a spell that would tie you to me if it wasn’t your choice, you see.”
    Lance stood up, stepped in front of her chair, and held out his hand. “It seems like I have waited my whole life for the day I could finally show you how much I love you.”
    She sat in stunned silence. Shaking her head, she glanced away from his mesmerizing gaze. This wasn’t what she had asked the Goddess for. Oh sweet mercy. He’s even cuter than he was as a child. She pushed away all thoughts of Lance the man and concentrated on what was important.
    Lance was a witch.
    Not only that, he’d asked for her in a spell?
    Her gaze ran the length of his body. Goosebumps broke out on her arms, and her nipples hardened to rock-hard nubs. She followed the line of buttons on his shirt back up to his face, and it seemed as if every erogenous zone on her body fluttered in pleasure.
    She swallowed. He’s using magic on me. It’s not him that is affecting me like this.
    “You are even more beautiful than I imagined.” The pink tip of his tongue came out to wet his bottom lip.
    Stifling a moan, she stood up. “There’s been a mistake. We were not meant to be together. You can’t manipulate me with your ma g ic.”
    He nodded his head. “I’d never do that, and yes, we are destined to be together.”
    “No!” Crossing her arms, she turned away from him, unable to resist the power he had over her. “This is not…”
    Lance placed his hands on her arms from behind. She flinched. An incredible urge to lean back and let him wrap her in his embrace washed over her. I can’t do this. This is my spell. He took away my co n trol over my destiny by interfering with his magic. Oh Goddess, help me. This isn’t right.
    “Don’t you see? We both wished for the same thing.”
    Alexis flung her arms out and turned,