Monday, February 11, 2008

New Release: A Little Bit Bewitched

You know what I love? Threesomes. That should come as a shock to nobody. So when we saw the "Three to Tango" pax at Amber Quill Press, we knew we had to do it.

A Little Bit Bewitched is a hugely sensual read, with strong m/f and m/m elements. Every time I re-read it, or even bits of it, I'm struck with how sensual it is. It's definitely one of my favorite novellas.




It’s nearly love at first sight for Professor Daniel Meyers when he meets his associate’s American assistant, Lucy Hensen. Not only does she enchant him, but he soon learns that when it comes to Lucy, enchanting is not merely hyperbole. A very powerful witch, she’s more than just Charles Cowling’s assistant. She’s his initiate in his coven...and his lover.

If that wasn’t complicated enough for Daniel, he also finds himself fantasizing about Charles—and Charles’ mouth—at the strangest times.

When Lucy and Charles invite Daniel to a coven meeting, his curiousity compels him to attend. There, he discovers his own latent magical abilities, yet he also wants more from Lucy and Charles than a night of magic. In fact, he’s more than a little bit bewitched by both of them...

Genres: Fantasy / Magic / Witchcraft / Ménage [M/M/F] / Group Sex / Bisexual [M/M] / Voyeurism / Exhibitionism / Public Places


And an excerpt

"We're doing more of the apportioning tonight. Did Leela tell you that?"

Daniel's mouth immediately went dry. "No. No, she didn't. Is it going to be like the last meeting?" he asked carefully.

Her cheeks pinked slightly at his question. The effect made her freckles stand out even more. "Kind of. Mostly. But you're here, which mean there's a difference tonight. Or there will be once we've talked about it." When Lucy smiled this time, it surprised him to recognize her embarrassment. "And I'm babbling again, which, you know, is never good."

"I kind of like it when you babble," Daniel admitted. "What's different about tonight?"

"You." Her eyes glowed, and her smile vanished. "You can't just watch tonight."

"Oh." Daniel tried to swallow past the constriction in his throat. "You mean I'll have to participate? How?"

A tiny line appeared between her brows. "What do you mean, how? You saw what happened."

"I mean..." Daniel felt his face warm. He hadn't felt so much like a fumbling thirteen-year-old boy in his life. Not even when he was thirteen. "Would I be...participating with you or with somebody else?"

Her mouth made a tiny o, and he had to dig his nails into his palms to keep from staring at it. "Well," Lucy breathed, taking a small step closer, and were her fingers moving against his arm? "With me. For tonight, at least. I'm the one who found you, and I'm the one who invited you to come back. That kind of makes you mine."

That wasn't what made him Lucy's, but he wouldn't correct her now. "I don't know what to do." His eyes widened as he realized what he said. "I mean, I know what to do. But what if I do it wrong? The ritual. What if I do something in the ritual wrong?"

"That's another reason you're with me tonight. All you have to do are the concentration exercises I showed you for controlling your power. I'll pick up the slack on the parts you don't know. If it's something you want to continue after tonight, you can learn exactly what to do for next time." She faltered, her eyes questing. "If you want to. You can still back out, Danny. I know...I know all of this is still a little overwhelming."

Daniel licked his dry lips. "Can I make a request?"

Lucy laughed nervously. "As long as it doesn't involve broomsticks or, you know, me driving anywhere in this country."

"No, nothing like that." He touched her arm gently. "I was just wondering if I could kiss you. Now. Before we...participate in the ritual."

His eyes were caught for a moment by the fluttering of the skin in the hollow of her throat. "Yeah," Lucy whispered. "I'd like that."

Daniel dipped his head, seeking out her warm mouth. These were not the most ideal circumstances for a first kiss, but everything disappeared when he touched her. He didn't know how he would deal with having sex with her in front of fifteen of her closest friends. He didn't know why he even wanted to. He didn't know what they would think of him, or how he'd be able to look her in the eye the next morning. Not to mention how he'd deal with Charles. He didn't know what the magic would do to him.

But Daniel knew he never wanted to stop kissing Lucy. She opened to his caress without hesitation, the tip of her tongue barely brushing against his. She tasted as sweet as he thought she would, and her mouth was so warm, so soft. She took a half-step closer, and he naturally wrapped his arm around her, holding her as he moved to deepen the kiss.

A throat clearing behind him made both of them stiffen, though Daniel was the first to break away--albeit reluctantly--from the kiss. Lucy remained in his arms until he glanced back and saw Charles standing in the doorway, and then he quickly let her go.

"I see Lucy has talked to you about tonight's apportioning," Charles commented, the corner of his mouth lifted in amusement.

Charles's mouth wouldn't be soft like that.

Daniel averted his eyes quickly, hoping Charles would think his discomfort stemmed from the unexpected interruption, not the increasingly common desire to touch Charles in ways he never wanted to touch other men.

"Yes, she...explained that I was...hers."

Charles cocked a brow, his gaze sliding to Lucy. When Daniel glanced at her, a furious blush had overcome her cheeks.

"Really? Is that how she...explained it?"

"Not quite like that," Daniel said quickly, worried he had already said the wrong thing. There seemed to be a short circuit between his brain and his mouth, and for a moment he couldn't remember what she had said. "She told me my part in the ritual with her because she invited me."

"For tonight," Lucy said. "We haven't talked about anything else yet."

Charles nodded. "I'd hardly expect you to. There's a time and place, and right now, Lucy, yours is in the other room."

Pulling away from Daniel, she cast him one last glance before rushing past Charles, though when Danny attempted to follow her, Charles held up a hand to stop him.

"A moment, if you please." He closed the door and blocked it to prevent Daniel from leaving. The hazel eyes boring into Daniel's were solemn and direct, no spectacles to refract and diminish the intense effect. "I'm aware you're here for Lucy," he said, though the soft tone contradicted the evenness of his words. "What I'd like to know, Daniel, is are you also here for yourself?"

"You're asking if I'm here because it was easier than just asking Lucy out on a date?" Daniel shook his head. "No. I mean, it is easier than asking Lucy out. But she showed me how to control the...glowing. I've been practicing since then. And it's been really amazing."

"Control is only the first step, you know."

"I want you to show me the other steps," Daniel said, meeting the other man's eyes. "I know there's a lot you can teach me."

Charles advanced the few steps it took to stand directly in front of Danny. Though they were approximately the same height, the way Charles pinned him with his gaze reminded him of the power the other man possessed.

"Make no mistake about what you ask for," he said quietly. "Lucy might be the fulcrum of our power, but this is my coven. Becoming an initiate is not as simple as taking part in the ritual tonight with Lucy."

Daniel didn't think that would be the extent of the process. "What else would I have to do?"

"You'll know. When the time comes." There was a soft knock at the door behind them. "Our signal that things are about to commence. Shall we?"

2 comments:

Cathy M said...

Loved the excerpt, and it covers some of my favorite genres, so what's not to like!

Bryan said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.