Beautiful Souls (34 page)

    
              “Speaking of clothes, what happened to ours?” I took a step closer to him.

    
              “Gone,” Leo answered quickly. “They sorta rip to shreds when we shift. There’s a spell to keep them intact and reappear when you shift back to your own body, but I was a little too preoccupied today and it slipped my mind.”

    
              “Convenient,” I stated sarcastically.

    
              “For me, yeah. Not so much for you.” Leo smirked as he nudged my arm with his.

    
              “Uh, huh. So, Mr. Plan-Ahead, how are we going to get all the way back home through these woods…at night…barefooted?”

    
              “I propose we revisit the sleepover idea,” Leo said with the world’s largest grin spread wide across his gorgeous face.

    
              “Leo!” I let out a frustrated giggle. He was way too tempting for anyone’s good. Still playing the roll of good girl, I shot Leo and eye roll and my
‘get-serious’
glance.

    
              “Just kidding, Bec. There are some boots inside. I’m sure one pair will be close enough to your size to work for tonight. Besides, were not walking anywhere.”

    
              “All right, spill it,” I demanded. “How are we getting home?”                   “Wouldn’t you just love to know,” Leo put his arm around my waist, leading me into the cottage.

    
              We stepped through the threshold and I felt the warmth hit my face as the smell of cedar and smoke rolled through the air and rose to my nose. Leo must have started a fire while he had been in here collecting clothes for me. I thought back to when I’d come here that first time with my parents and my dad had built a fire in the blink of an eye, too.

    
              “There wouldn’t perhaps be a trick to building a roaring fire like that, would there?”

    
              “Ha, you noticed, did you?”

    
              I nodded. “My dad did the same thing.”

    
              “Ah, well, this cottage is enchanted so anyone inside can start the fire. Any other time it’s just a simple incantation. All you need to do is blow some of your sweet Natural breath onto a spark or two…and viola.” Leo gently caressed my lips with his fingertips as he spoke.                   I tried to ignore the heat from his touch spreading throughout my body. “How do you know such much more than I do?”

    
              “I’ve been studying and practicing for an entire year longer than you have, Bec. Besides, you have way more talent than I’ll ever have.”

    
              “Yeah, I don’t know about that.” I shook my head, lowering it to focus on my fidgeting fingers.

    
              “Trust me,” he leaned close, almost whispering the words.

    
              “Right, trust a Warlock, huh?” I teased. “A hormonal, teenage Warlock that has me all to himself, locked up in a magical cabin that’s conveniently buried deep in the dark woods?”

    
              “Point taken.” Leo winked and flashed a crooked smirk. “We only have about twenty more minutes until we need to get back to your house, why don’t you come sit down with me for a few minutes before we go.” He wrapped my hand in his and led me to the couch. We snuggled in front of the blazing fire.

    
              “Why do we need to go back so soon?”

    
              “You’ll see,” he answered, as he brushed a stray hair off my forehead. Leo gently ran his fingers through my loose hair, resting on my shoulders. “You really are beautiful. Have I told you that lately?”                   “A girl can never hear that enough.”

    
              “In that case…you’re beautiful…” He kissed my forehead. “…and smart…” He kissed me on the tip of my nose. “…and funny.” He moved my hair, cupping the back of my head as he caressed my neck with his warm, moist lips.

    
              I tilted my head to the side, relishing in Leo’s soft kisses.

    
              “You're sweet and kind…” His lips moved to my ear, giving it a tiny, pleasurable nip. “…and I love that you shape-shifted into that gorgeous, black panther…”

    
              “Is that was I was?”

    
              “It was hot!”

    
              “I know the feeling.” I nodded my head ever so slightly.

    
              Leo continued, “…and I love that you cuss like a sailor…”

    
              “I do not,” I protested.

    
              “Okay, sure you don’t.” He kissed my cheek.

    
              “I don’t,” I insisted.

    
              “Okay.” He kissed the other cheek. “…and I just love you.”

    
              Leo’s words hit me with welcome shock. I was confused at first. Had I heard him correctly? I gave the bombshell a moment to sink into my brain, while flashes of memorable moments and images of Leo over the years flooded my mind. I was overcome with the emotions from all the years we’ve spent together. I suddenly felt like I had been waiting for this moment my entire life, and my heart ached with the realization that I needed Leo, in my life and in my soul, always and forever.

    
              Leo sat very still. We were incredibly close, face to face, reading each others' expressions. We gazed into each others' watchful eyes.

    
              He was awaiting my response. I visibly watched relief flood through his tensed muscles, releasing his tight lips into a grin when I finally said, “I love you too, Leo…always and forever.”

    
              “Forever and ever, babe.”

    
              At that moment our lips locked, and nothing else had ever felt more right. I ran my trembling fingers through Leo’s short, blonde hair as his hands worked their way under my/his baggy shirt and they sizzled my nerve-endings along the small of my back. I inched closer. Nothing I did felt like I could get close enough to him or take in enough of him. Leo seemed to take his cue from me, and while one warm hand remained pressed against my back, his other found it’s way into my hair, pressing my head closer to his, deepening our kiss.

    
              Leo broke the kiss and breathed in deeply. “Only one problem.”

    
              I didn’t want to stop kissing him. “What’s that?” I asked, as I attempted to pull his head back toward mine.

    
              He gave me one more kiss to appease my wants, “It’s time to go back.”

    
              “Back where?” I was still lost in Leo, my head too foggy to clearly process his words.

    
              “I’ve arranged a little surprise for you back at your house.” Leo still panted with each word.

    
              The fog began to clear. “But, Leo, you know I hate surprises,” I protested.

    
              “No, you don’t.”

    
              “Okay, no I don’t. I love surprises!”

    
              I giggled in anticipation and Leo laughed at my giddiness.

    
              “How are we getting back to my house, again?”

    
              “These.” Leo grinned mischievously and held up something dark that he had grabbed from underneath the chair --- our flying cloaks.

    
              “Really?” I asked excitedly. I loved to fly. “Are we allowed?”

    
              “Allowed, schmowed. We’re the family Wizards now and it’s our decision to make.”

    
              I had a feeling my parents wouldn’t have approved, but Leo had a way of talking me in to just about anything. I simply couldn’t tell him
‘no’
.

    
              “Here you go,” Leo tossed me the cloak and a pair of boots that had been sitting on the rug next to the front door. “Let’s get going.”

    
              We both pulled on our boots and slipped into the silvery, black cloaks. Leo glided over to the stone fireplace, his cloak flowing gracefully behind. He bent down, blowing his breath toward the licking flames still spiking from the hearth. The fire was snuffed out instantly, only smoldering embers and curls of smoke where left as evidence of the roaring blaze that existed mere seconds before.

    
              “You have to teach me how to do that.” I shook my head, baffled and impressed.

    
              “One thing at a time.” Leo grinned.  “Right now, it’s surprise time.” Leo’s eyes danced in anticipation.

    
              “You’re making me crazy. You know that, don’t you?”

    
              Leo shot me his crooked grin. “I know.”

    
              “Good or bad?” I asked even though I was ninety-nine point nine percent sure of the answer.

    
              “Huh?”

    
              “The surprise…good or bad?”

    
              “Oh Becca, Becca, Becca,” Leo laughed. “You’re not going to get any hints out of me…but it’s good, of course. Now, no more questions.” He caressed his lips lightly over mine. “You’re going to make us late, and I really don’t think that you’ll want to miss this.”

    
              “Really?” I asked excitedly. “What is…?”

    
              Leo cut me off, “Ah, I warned you no more questions.” He grinned wickedly. “Now, you must pay.”

    
              I let out a squeal as Leo hastenedly grabbed me around my thighs, lifted me off the ground, then swung me over his shoulder. I protested loudly, but of course to no avail. I eventually gave in to his antics and laughed uncontrollably while I enjoyed the ride.

The flight home didn’t take nearly as long as I had expected, and it passed even more quickly than the run out to the cottage in our shift-forms. Once we had landed, Leo took my cloak and we lazily walked hand in hand across the cornfield toward my house. I wasn’t aware whether our slower walking pace was due to exhaustion or simply a result of the relaxed atmosphere, but I savored it just the same.

    
              The closer we came to my yard, the more I noticed something was off. I could see, by the yellow glow, there were lights on inside the garage. That fact wouldn’t have necessarily been strange except coupled with the glare from each and every flood light illuminating my backyard, and the fact that both my parents were waiting for us on the back steps,  it made the scene downright peculiar.

    
              “What’s going on?” I asked Leo.

    
              My parents waved cheerfully, relieving some of my anxiety.

    
              “Ah, I said no more questions. You do remember the consequences for that, don’t you?” Leo smirked.

    
              “No…not here.” I panicked.

    
              Leo laughed, “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

    
              My parents walked down to the driveway and greeted us.

    
              “Everything set?” Leo asked, as my parents nodded.

    
              “What…?”

    
              “Ah,” Leo interrupted me and I closed my mouth, shooting him a frustrated glare. “Stand right here.” He held my shoulders and squared me off in front of the closed garage door. “Now wait. Don’t move an inch.”

    
              Leo took off through the side door into the garage, and I heard clattering and rustling echo out into the night from somewhere inside. I turned to question my parents --- Leo couldn’t hear me or threaten to throw me over his shoulder now --- but the surprise of seeing Leo’s dad next to my parents held up my words. Mr. McMyllin grinned toward me and held up one hand. I waved and smiled in return.