For the rest of the week, I couldn’t have focused on my blossoming love life even if I wanted to. All the professors had decided this was the week to get into lots of homework like they were our only class, and I spent most of the time after dinner working through projects. I also sparred with Jade and Thalia because I didn’t want to spend the second term getting my ass beat in Combat—either physical or magical. Direct combat wasn’t my favorite. I found that I preferred get in, cast the spells, and get out before my opponent knew where or who I was. Thankfully, the school’s gym had combat cubes, and the three of us spent two evenings in them, sparring against one another without magic. It was time to get back to who I was.

  Nevertheless, I was so happy that Friday finally came, so that I’d have a chance to relax. Sort of.

  Tomorrow was date day.

  When Jade and Thalia came over after dinner, I found that that I was nervous just thinking about tomorrow.

  “So what’s your plan?” Jade asked as she set a bag onto the bed.

  “With what?” I asked.

  “What you think you want to wear?”

  “Can’t we watch movies before we get into this?” I asked, feeling desperate.

  “Nope,” Jade said as she turned toward my closet.

  “Let’s get the work out of the way,” Thalia said with a smile.

  We all stood in front of my closet. “Nothing looks right,” I said.

  “Well, you can’t go far,” Thalia said. “So it has to be around here. You can be casual.”

  We eventually picked out a top that was sort of sexy, and sort of all business. A dressy tee shirt was the best way to describe it. Comfortable jeans, and my favorite boots.

  “This feels like it should be more,” I said, frowning.

  “That’s just because you’re nervous,” Jade said. “This is perfect.”

  “No more thinking about guys,” Thalia said. “Movie time.”

  I agreed, but my mind kept wandering to Matty, and honestly, to Silas. I found both of them very attractive, and I couldn’t decide which one I liked more. Then I stopped myself. I was going out with Matty tomorrow, and that is where I was going to keep my head.

  The rest of the evening was fun, and casual, and it felt like it did before I found out about everything. It felt… normal.

  And while I knew such a state couldn’t last, I would take it.

  I smiled as I got into bed that night.

  The next morning I was up just after sunrise, and I took advantage of the early hour to take a long shower, and spent a lot of time getting ready. I dried my hair fully, even though that was an exercise in and of itself, since my hair came down to the middle of my back. Normally, I braided it, or pulled it up, but today, I let it hang loose. It felt strangely feminine to feel it brushing against my shoulders.

  Stepping into the hallway of our pod, I listened. I was the only one up. Partly disappointed, I made my way to the dining hall. There weren’t many students up this early.

  But there was one in particular. Matty slid onto the bench next to me.

  “You’re up early. Your hair looks nice,” he said.

  I smiled and felt heat rush through me. “Thanks,” I said. “What do you have planned for today?”

  “I thought we might go for a hike,” Matty replied.

  I looked down at my bowl of oatmeal. “To where?” His choice surprised me.

  “Somewhere that I want you to see,” he said.

  We talked easily over breakfast. I ordered some fruit because if we were hiking, I’d probably be starving by midmorning. As a girl who’d grown up in the city, we didn’t go hiking a lot. The beach? Yes. Hikes? No.

  Matty looked under the table and came up grinning. “Your boots will work,” he said. “Even though hiking boots would be better.”

  “There are shoes for hiking?” I asked.

  He rolled his eyes dramatically. “There are shoes for everything, Olivia. I just wanted to make sure that yours will be comfortable.”

  His thoughtfulness touched me.

  “I’ll take your word for it, “ I said. “Do you hike a lot?”

  Matty nodded. “I love it. The whole family does. Mom loves to camp, so she was taking us out into the middle of nowhere from the time we were really little.”

  “That’s me and the beach,” I said.

  “Makes sense, water mage,” Matty grinned at me.

  “I didn’t know I was a water mage until recently.”

  His eyebrows went up. “Really? You’re very comfortable with it, from what I can see.”

  I laughed. “I’m not, because it didn’t show up before I came to school, so I studied all the elements. It’s sort of hard getting used to favoring one.”

  “Don’t fight it,” Matty said as he stuffed the last corner of toast into his mouth. “If you accept that this is your specialty, so to speak, things kind of settle down for your magic.”

  “I hadn’t looked at it that way,” I said.

  “That’s me, here to expand your mind,” Matty replied, his eyes meeting mine.

  The moment stretched on, and neither of us looked away. The heat I’d felt when he sat down with me returned, blossoming up from my core and spreading out to the rest of my body. My face felt hot, and I wanted to reach out to him and kiss him.

  Matty’s cheeks were turning pink. He blinked, and then said, “I really… “ he stopped, and looked down at his empty plate.

  A smile broke across my face. I looked away, not speaking. It was good to know I wasn’t the only one.

  “It’s like there’s magic in the air?” I asked quietly.

  There was a moment of silence, and I wondered if my appreciation for bad jokes was about to ruin the rest of the day.

  Then Matty burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that the other students in the hall glanced over at us. Which didn’t seem to bother Matty at all. He laughed and laughed, and when he calmed down, he said, “That is probably the worst thing I’ve ever heard. I didn’t expect it from you.”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Because you’re all serious, and put out major kick your ass vibes,” Matty replied.

  “I do?”

  He nodded. “Why do you think it’s taken me a whole term to finally ask you out?”

  “I’m glad you did,” I said.

  He reached out and covered my hand with his. The warmth of his hand, the feel of his skin next to mine, made me ache to touch him. Holy hell. I’d never felt this way with anyone before.

  “You want to get out of here?” Matty asked, his voice almost harsh. He stood up, his movement abrupt. He snatched up a backpack that was next to him, shrugging it onto his shoulder.

  “Sure,” I said.

  He took my hand as we walked out of the dining hall together. Neither of us spoke, and I tried to keep the sparks that jumped all over my body at the feel of his hand in mine from becoming an inferno. How did he do this to me when it was just our hands touching?

  And what would it be like if there was more? Because there would be more. I wanted it. If I wasn’t completely off base, so did Matty.

  I saw Jade and Thalia walking toward the dining hall and gave them a small wave.

  Jade blew me a kiss as Thalia gave a thumbs-up sign. I’d have to report in detail once I got back.

  Oddly, I could feel eyes on me as we were leaving. Probably Jade and Thalia. The strength of their gossip was hitting me from the dining room.

  “How far is wherever we’re going?” I asked as we left the grounds of the school.

  “It’s about two miles.” He glanced at me. “Is that all right?”

  “I guess. I’m not the hiking guru,” I said.

  “It’s not hard,” Matty said. “I wouldn’t do that to you on our first date.”

  Something about the way he said ‘first date’ warmed me all over. It suggested that he wanted more.

  Good.

  That made two of us.

  In less than an hour he led me up a small incline through woods. “We’re almost there,” Matty said over his shoulder.

  We walked out of the trees and I gasped.

  Chapter Ten

  In front of us lay a meadow, and while there were no flowers, it was smooth and ended in a small lake.

  “How did you find this?” I asked, charmed by the whole scene as I was by the man with me.

  “I did a lot of hiking first term,” Matty said. “I’m in the old dorm.”

  “You’re not in a pod?” I asked. I wouldn’t want to share a room. All the rooms in the older dorms were two person rooms.

  He shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I like being outside.” He grinned. “You like it?”

  “It’s gorgeous,” I said.

  “I like being near the water. I thought you might like it, too,” Matty said shyly.

  ‘Shy’ wasn’t a term I thought of when I thought of Matty Pearce, and I found it endearing.

  “It’s beautiful, and peaceful,” I said, turning my face up to the sun. When I opened my eyes, I found Matty staring intently at me. “What?”

  He shook his head. “You look beautiful,” he said.

  “So do you,” I said.

  His face reddened, and he reached out and took my hand once more. “I love coming here, because when I’m working on a water based spell, I have all the water I need to practice with.”

  “We’re going to be practicing spells?” I asked.

  “No. You’ve already kicked my ass enough this week,” Matty said with a laugh. “I actually brought a picnic.”

  “Didn’t we just eat?” I asked.

  “There’s never too much to eat,” Matty said, walking closer toward the edge of the lake. He took off his backpack and started pulling things out of it.

  First came a blanket, which he spread on the ground. Then he brought out small bags, and bottles of juice and water.

  “You planned all this?” I asked, touched. This wasn’t only our first date, it was the first first date I’d ever been on.

  He nodded. “Well, we really can’t go anywhere outside of our homes, and I didn’t think you wanted to go home and meet my parents, so… “ he spread his hands. “Picnic it is.”

  “It’s perfect,” I said happily.

  We sat down, and Matty sat close to me, his hand in my lap, fingers twined in mine.

  “Tell me about you,” he said.

  “What do you want to know?” My feeling of ease vanished like it had never been there. This was dangerous ground for me.

  “What’s your family like? Do you have brothers or sisters? Where do you live when you’re not studying your brains out here? That kind of thing,” he said.

  Great. Right into family. I noticed that people did that here, though. Who you knew was important, and while my parents were respected, they weren’t part of the families that had scads of people who’d attended Nobledark.

  I took a breath and squared my shoulders. I had nothing to be ashamed of in regard to my parents. And I wasn’t going to be ashamed of my birth. Although I found that easier said than done. I’d have to fake it until I could make it real. “My parents are both witches, and we live in New York city. I spent a lot of time at the beach, because they loved it, but that’s it,” I shrugged, thinking of what I’d recently learned.

  “You’re missing out,” Matty said.

  We talked for a while as the sun warmed me. It smelled like water and trees and I kept closing my eyes and tilting my head back. I hadn’t been this relaxed since I’d first met that damn Raven girl.

  Not that I was relaxed. Regardless of whether my eyes were closed, I was intently aware of every move Matty made. He smelled like bergamot, which I recognized from my mom’s garden, and lavender, and sunshine.

  He let go of my hand and slid an arm around my waist. I let my head fall onto his shoulder without even thinking about, letting out a sigh of contentment.

  “I knew it,” he said.

  “Knew what?”

  “That your head would fit perfectly next to my shoulder,” Matty replied.

  I thought about that for a moment and then sat up.

  “I didn’t mean you needed to move!” He laughed.

  Without speaking, I brushed my hand along his jaw, and he closed his eyes. Then my hand went into his hair and pulled his head toward me.

  His lips crashed onto mine, and his hands went around my waist, pulling me to him. I was half in, half out of his lap.

  Matty’s hands tangled into my hair. I could feel the scrape of his fingers on my scalp. I made a small noise, and his fingers tightened. I could feel the energy coming off him, and my entire body went up in flames.

  We kissed, and kissed, and kissed some more, our hands moving over one another, my hands sliding up his shirt against the bare skin of his back.

  Matty moaned.

  I felt my nipples tighten in response. I turned so that I could wrap my legs around his waist.

  His cock was hard against my center, and I pressed myself against him.

  His kissed me hard, his need matching my own. Then he abruptly pulled away.

  “What?” I asked. I knew that I probably looked dazed—I certainly felt it.

  “We need to stop,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  “Why?”

  “If we keep making out like this, I won’t be able to,” he said.

  I just looked at him, not sure what to say to that.

  “You make me crazy,” he said. “I want to kiss you all over, never stop touching you. I feel like I’m on the edge of losing control.”

  A bubble of joy rose in me, even as I felt my panties get wet at his words. I smiled, making sure to look right into his eyes. “Good to know I’m not the only one.”

  He smiled back, and kissed me again, a hard kiss, one that claimed me as his. “That’s the best thing I’ve heard all week, Olivia.”

  I laughed. “Glad I could help.”

  “Oh, you did more than that,” he growled as he leaned in for another kiss.

  We talked and kissed—although not as intensely—for another hour or so. I got the impression Matty held back, and while part of me wanted, no demanded, that we rip our clothes off and be naked together, I respected that he wanted to go a little slower.

  How long that would last, I wasn’t sure, but I could live with it for now.

  We walked back toward the school, holding hands, stopping to kiss frequently. When the school came into sight, Matty sighed. “Back to reality.”

  “What, you don’t think this is real?”

  “How the hell am I supposed to focus on bending water when I want to focus on you?” Matty asked.

  “Multitask,” I teased.

  He groaned, clutching at his heart in an exaggerated fashion. “You have no pity. You’re a hardass,” he said.

  “Name calling already?” I laughed.

  Matty’s only response was to smile and bat his eyes at me.

  Which only made me laugh more. “I had so much fun today,” I said. “This was perfect.”

  Matty smiled, all silliness gone. “That makes me really happy to hear you say that.” He leaned down and kissed me, a quick kiss. But it was different from the other kisses, and I knew that we were really back at school now.

  I could almost feel the eyes of people in the school on me, and the idea made my skin itch. I didn’t like the idea of anyone watching this. Us. This was just for me, and for Matty.

  We said goodbye, our hands lingering together, and he left. I watched him walk away, a smile on my lips, and my entire body simmering with heat and the hunger that he’d awakened in me. How had I ignored this part of life for so long?

  I hadn’t met the right person, I thought, answering my own question.

  Matty disappeared into one of the dorm buildings. With a sigh, I turned to go back to my own dorm. If Jade and Thalia were there, I’d be expected to give a full report. The thought of recounting the day made me smile.

  I walked along, lost in my thoughts, and bumped right into a large chest.

  “Holy hell!” I shouted.

  Chapter Eleven

  Silas Tomberle put out his hands to steady me as I jumped back. “Easy,” he said. His grin was enormous. “How are you, Olivia?” He leaned forward and sniffed me.

  Sniffed me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, pulling myself away from him.

  “Pearce, huh?” he asked, smile firmly in place.

  “That’s none of your business,” I flared.

  “Oh, but it is, Mystery Girl,” he said, referring to what he called me when we met, when I wouldn’t tell him my name. “It is totally my business.”

  “No, it isn’t,” I said. I took another step back.

  Silas came close and his grin changed, moving to a look more predatory, feral even. It was definitely possessive. He looked at me like he wanted to gobble me up.

  The thought made heat race through my body, and I cursed said body for being a complete traitor. I’d just had the most amazing first date ever with someone else.

  “Everything is about you is my business. As for Pearce, I’m totally good with it.” He gently flicked my chin with his forefinger and then eased around me. His movement was graceful and fluid. Like a predator.

  Which he was.

  “What does that mean?” I demanded as he walked away.

  Silas turned around, his grin back in place. “It means I’m good with a pack, Olivia of Mystery. In fact, I prefer it. So no problems from my end.” He winked, and turned his back to me, sauntering away like he had just won a medal.

  What the hell did he mean, he was good with a pack? I blinked, trying to decipher his strange statements. Maybe he’d inhaled something in a potion class?

  But it was Saturday.

  I shook my head and continued toward my room. Whatever had happened with Silas, I’d made a commitment to Matty. While we hadn’t actually said anything, for me, a commitment had been made. So Silas would need to keep his cheeky grins—and hands—to himself. A part of me sighed with regret at the thought, but that’s how it would have to be.

  Now I was dying to talk to my friends. Silas had added something to today that needed to be dissected with a committee. I smiled at the thought.