Play Thing
by Rena Marks
Coming Soon from Ellora's Cave
Author's note: Play Thing follows Boy Toy, released one month afterward, yet can be read as a stand-alone.
Jessica Caywood is superstitious. Her college friend Silver Scott has never admitted to being a witch, but all the evidence points that way.
For Silver was one of three strange sisters. An odd family of females who named had their daughters colors. Silver, Scarlett, and Ivory.
Whispers always ran around, wondering what happened to the men in the family. It was rumored that the witchline killed their husbands once they got what they wanted.
Impregnation.
For some strange reason-females were always born to the Scott bloodline. Never a male, giving more credence to the vicious rumors of witchcraft.
Each one of the sisters owned her own bar in a different city. She has no idea why she agrees to help Silver's sister Scarlett, but something sends her off to a strange city.
When Jessica's friend Nina shares the story of Silver giving her a magical pendant that controls a boy toy for one month during his birthday, Jessie wants the same. But voodoo creeps her out, for you can't trust it.
But then she meets Levi Garrett, the resident boy toy. Mr. Alpha Male to a fault, Jessie would love to tell him where to go after telling him exactly how to please her.
Unfortunately, things go awry and Jessie finds herself a Play Thing instead of having a boy toy.
Excerpt
She heard the footsteps when he bounded up the stairs to her apartment the next morning. The sun was shining, she sat on the window seat of her living room to enjoy the warmth of the rays against her face as she drank her coffee.
He never knocked. He slipped his key into the lock and turned, pushing her door open.
"You know, that macho routine can get old real fast," she said.
"What routine?" His grin was slow, bordering on impudent. "Good morning, darlin'." He leaned down to press his lips to hers. His tongue flicked out for a taste. "I brought you the phone," he whispered. "Your friend Nina is calling from Scarlett's sister's bar."
He handed her the phone and she jumped at it. He held it away, behind his back. "A kiss for trade."
"You just got one."
"You kiss me. Hard enough to show me how much you want it."
"That's long distance," she pointed out. "Silver's bill."
"You can cost her a lot, or you can cost her a little. Pucker up, little girl."
Hell, she'd show Texas. She reached out and felt the ridges of hard abs under her wandering fingers. Lightly she skimmed upward, to reach around his neck. She pulled him to her, settling her lips over his.
Flicking out with her tongue, she tasted him. Sensuously she moved against him, seeking and loving as she kissed.
She was getting lost in the passion, moisture gathering between her thighs, her heart racing, her breathing deepening.
Something poked her in the chest.
Bemused, she looked down at the phone he offered. Before she could look up, he turned and walked out the front door, as unaffected by her kiss as she was flustered.
Bastard.
She snapped into the phone. "Hello."
"Whoa there, tiger. Someone pulling on your tail?" Nina asked.
If only she knew.
"Ugh. Sorry. Yeah, someone actually is. A boy toy that refuses to know his place."
Whereas Nina would have once joined her in a man bash, there was a hesitant silence on the other end of the phone. Jessie knew what it was.
The newness of her relationship with her husband, Tristan.
Whereas Jessie would have once sighed with frustration, she decided to move on emotionally. She popped a piece of bubblegum into her mouth. Chewing loud enough to be obnoxious ought to relieve her stress. "So how is married life?" Jessie asked her casually, while blowing a bubble. Not that she really cared, but it would be better for her friend if the conversation continued to go well.
"Fabulous! I should thank Silver every day of my life."
"For owning the bar where you met him?"
"For hexing me. Remember?"
Jessie almost choked on the gum. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember the conversation we had? You said we couldn't trust that voodoo crap and that you betted I got stuck with a whammy. I said Silver would never hex us. You seemed really scared about it."
"I did?" Jessie was truly confused. She didn't remember any of this conversation at all.
"Which, by the way, blows my mind that you turned around and agreed to help Scarlett. Hell, if you were worried about Silver and voodoo when she's our friend, how could you go to some other city alone?"
"Nina," Jess whispered. "I don't remember any of this."
Complete silence met her statement. "I know what you're thinking. But if they are into witchcraft or voodoo or whatever, Jess it's not bad. Look at what it got me. A perfect man, perfect love."
"How did she do it?" Jessie whispered.
"The pendant."
Jessie's hand flew up to the sapphire around her neck. "What pendant?"
"Silver gave me a magic pendant. It was a peridot."
Jessie clenched her eyelids shut. "Tell me it didn't match her eyes."
"Why, exactly." Jessie could almost hear the grin over the phone. "In fact, I didn't even recall what color a peridot was until she gave it to me."
"So what did the necklace do?"
"I guess I can tell you since I own it now, but that is kind of personal information-"
Jessie was almost ready to snap, to rip her own necklace from her neck in a panic. "Nina," she warned.
"Oh, all right. It's kind of weird, though."
"Will you get on with it?"
"For one month out of the year, the month in which Tristan was born, whoever wears the pendant will control him. He's obligated to obey her every command."
Jessie perked up. "You're kidding me."
"Oh, no."
"Well, I'll be damned," Jessie muttered softly. "Guess what Scarlett gave me?"
"Not a pendant?"
"You got it. Sapphire."
"That's great. Have you met the man connected to it?"
"The maintenance guy."
"Is he hot?"
"He's amazing."
"Well, there you go. Your own boy-toy. You have one month of unlimited sex, any way you want it."
"Except," Jessie said with a smile she knew Nina couldn't see. "I won't make the mistake of marrying mine."
Nina simply laughed. "Well, girlfriend, Silver's motioning. She wants to talk to Scarlett, so I'll call you later, ok? Love you."
"Love you back. I'll take the phone downstairs to her."
