He ran a hand over his chin. "I got everything on your list. Your soap and shampoo, some clothes that will probably fit you better, new underwear. Got you a few other things I thought you might appreciate, too, some perfume. I noticed you wear rose-scented stuff." He cleared his throat. "Got you some gunk for your hair, junk like that. I hope you don't mind.”

That was awfully thoughtful. How had it occurred to him to do that? She raised her eyebrows. "Really? Thank you. Do you have a sister or something?”

"No, but I've had my share of—”

"Girlfriends." She gave him a thumbs-up. "Gotcha.”

She reached into a bag, pulled out a sexy black thong, and let it dangle from her index finger. Mira looked up at him with a raised brow. Why did Jack buying her lingerie seem more intimate than having him go through her underwear drawer?

He cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't know what kind you normally wear. I bought a few different styles.”

"I'm kind of a bikini-cut girl. I don't enjoy the dental floss look. Nice thought, though." She dropped the lacy bit of nothing into her lap and sighed. "How much was all this? Right now I can't afford a lot.”

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, the Coven has agreed to cover your expenses in order to keep you away from Crane.”

"Well... thank you." She'd still pay them back every penny when she could.

"Not a problem." His mouth twitched a little. "What are you wearing?”

Mira felt herself flush. "Sorry. I went through your drawers." She bit off the end of the sentence and winced at the double meaning.

"They're huge on you. You look like you're drowning." A note of amusement tinged his voice.

"I needed to find something more comfortable. I hope you don't mind.”

"No, I don't mind." Jack walked toward his bedroom.

"Jack?”

He turned.

"When you said that our magick had a kind of... attraction. What did you mean?”

"Air and fire have a natural affinity, as do water and earth. They always have a magickal attraction. But sometimes there's an intensification of physical attraction too, if both parties are so inclined.”

"So inclined?”

"If they would've been sexually attracted to each other without the magick being present, there is an intensification. It's what's happening between you and me.”

Mira's mind fumbled for a moment. Her draw to him was because of their magick. Just the magick. Only the magick. That made sense. Everything fell into place.

She stood and walked toward him, with the panties still in her hand. Mira licked her lips and twisted the silk, forcing herself to not look anywhere but at him. "I just wanted you to know that, uh, about what happened in the kitchen." She glanced away. "You proved things to me by doing ... that.”