Spellbound: A magical sequel to Bewitched Read Online Free Page B

students in my way.
    I climb the steps, skipping every other one to get to her quicker. When I scoop her into my arms, her eyes widen. Today’s cold snap reddens her skin but my bold move adds another layer of pink blush.
    Hugging her, I bury my nose between the collar of her coat and her neck, inhaling. Unlike the one time she smelled like a roasted chicken, her typical scent is sweet vanilla and spice. Not pumpkin spice, although she drinks enough of them.
    “Hi to you, too.” A giggle follows her words.  
    Tightening my arm around her lower back, I run my nose along her neck. “I’ve missed you.”
    “He’s downplaying what a miserable asshole he’s been all morning.”
    “Hi, Tate.” Madison peeks over my shoulder at him.  
    “Ignore him.” I kiss the soft skin of her neck before releasing my hold and balancing her back on her feet. “He’s high on the power of becoming the new president of the Pumpkin Preservation Society.”
    Madison stares at me. “Please tell me that isn’t a real thing.”  
    “I wouldn’t rule it out. This is New England. We have a society for everything.” Tate stops next to me. “Including secrets.”
    “I think I’ve had my fill of secret societies lately. With Sam dancing around in the woods with candles to … Halloween, I think I’m at capacity for revelations this month.”
    Tate stiffens beside me, causing me to face him. “You didn’t tell her about the super-secret initiation ceremony?”
    “Initiation? Ceremony?” Madison’s voice is a squeak.
    Resting his hand heavily on her shoulder, Tate leans close to her face. “Don’t let the blood part freak you out.”
    “Blood?” The bloom of color fades on her skin. Her hair swings across her cheek when she spins toward me. “Andrew?”
    My best friend’s obnoxious mule braying laugh stops when I slug him in the shoulder. “Stop touching her.”
    “Ouch.” He rubs the spot where my fist made impact. I didn’t hit him that hard. “Sheeshesus. Was your sense of humor trapped in one of those pumpkins you smashed?”
    “You’re smashing pumpkins?”
    “The alt rock band from the ’90s? No.” I tuck her hair behind her ear and grin at her. “See? I still have my sense of humor. Tate’s teasing. The coven hasn’t used blood in our lifetime.”
    I peck her lips to show her I’m kidding. As my mouth makes contact with hers, goose bumps break out along my arms. My chest rumbles with a snarl of possession.  
    A possessiveness takes over me. I cup her cheeks with my hands, needing to kiss the hell out of her here in front of Tate and the quad full of students so they know she’s with me and unavailable. She’s off-limits. They don’t deserve to look at her, let alone touch her.
    Tate does that annoying thing of clearing his throat by fake coughing. I hope he chokes on his tongue. The distraction is enough to break my kiss with Madison. She leans back and blinks her eyes open to stare at me.  
    I’m expecting to see lust, maybe a spark of love, and maybe awe in her eyes. Whatever a swoon is, she should have it displayed all over her face after that kiss.
    Instead, I’m greeted with shock mixed with a blaze of anger.
    Confused, I go in for another kiss. Bad idea.
    She presses her palms into my chest. “Andrew?”
    I dip my head, avoiding her stare.
    “Man, you’ve gone from invisible to campus spectacle.” Tate adds his unsolicited two cents.
    “It was just a kiss.”
    “Um.” Madison shifts her feet and I realize my hands are no longer on her lower back. They’ve drifted south and I’m not so gently cupping her ass. On the library steps. In front of the quad.
    I glance around us and spot several people who are staring with open mouths. This rankles me. “What are you staring at?”  
    My shout startles a short guy in a Patriots hoodie and cap emblazoned with a B. He skitters away down the steps.
    “What’s going on with you?” Madison sounds worried as she tugs on my sleeve. “Stop