Meave (Naughty Witches Book 1) Read online

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  Leaving NYC and a troubling past, Meave Washington is starting over. She has a good plan, but she’s probably bit off more than she can chew. So she embraces the chance of fate that lands help at her feet—and if he’s smoking hot, all the better.

  Distracted by a text while driving, Ashton Perry injures Meave. He’s horrified that he could have killed someone, and steps up to make it right… And not just because she’s the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen.

  Sparks immediately start flying and the desire is undeniable but it’s not that simple to take the leap. But Ashton’s barely a man, and Meave is hiding something important. When the woman is older, age isn’t just a number and Meave isn’t sure Ashton can be who she needs.

  Ashton steps up to prove he’s not just a man, but the man his bewitching lady deserves. He doesn’t care what she is—only who she is. And he’ll do whatever it takes to prove it.

  Naughty Witches is a burning paranormal romance novella series with strong female leads, fun so sexy it raises the temperature, and mismatched people who find HEAs that give us all hope fate won’t forget us. Each book is a new pairing in the same world, with an overall series arc.

  1

  Meave

  I caught something in my peripheral and that was the only way I moved in time. I jumped away from the mower and spun just to make sure I got enough distance—twisting my ankle on the slope of my front lawn in the process. I blinked and watched the pickup plow over my lawn mower and into my mailbox, finally jerking to a stop.

  Un-fucking-real.

  Adrenaline and worry coursed through me. I looked to the driver as he jumped out.

  “Oh fuck, are you okay?” he yelled as he raced over.

  I started to nod, but then shook my head, my worry turning to rage as I locked on what was in his hand. He reached for me, but I moved and grabbed what he was holding.

  “You were on your cellphone?” I seethed. “You could have killed me because you were fucking with your phone?”

  At least he had the decency to wince, going pale as he looked at the damage he did… And where I’d been standing. He tried to say something, but simply did an impression of a large fish.

  “What was so important that you almost killed someone?” I pushed, looking at his phone, upset for a whole other list of reasons. I swallowed a bitter laugh when I saw the tits on the screen. Arrowing back , I read the string of texts to see who they were from. “These aren’t even her tits.”

  “How can you say that?” he asked, giving me a confused look.

  Because they’re mine. But I didn’t say that, giving him a look like he was dense. “The little girl in this picture does not have these tits under her shirt unless these are the after-surgery photos.” A new wave of anger flowed over me when he opened his mouth, glancing at the phone. “You’re still focused more on this picture instead of what you’ve done?”

  “What? No, I just… Shock,” he muttered as he glanced from his truck to where I was awkwardly not putting weight on my ankle. It was in the same eyeline as his phone in my hand, so I was even willing to accept he might not have been looking at the phone.

  I tucked it in my back jeans pocket and took a step towards my house. I flinched when he was immediately there, taking my arm and helping me.

  “I’m so, so fucking sorry,” he whispered. “I swear I’m not some asshole who fucks with his phone while driving. I got—my mind’s been…”

  I actually believed him. We’d all made that mistake: that one quick glance at the GPS or startled when we shouldn’t have been distracted. Still, my ankle throbbed, and I had another unneeded mess to clean up.

  And now my mower and mailbox were toast. Great.

  We got inside through the garage and reached my kitchen before he finally moved away. I reached for my phone, but he moved his hand over it, surrounding me from behind, making me realize he was rather large. His hand completely covered mine.

  “Please don’t call the cops,” he practically whimpered.

  And I liked hearing that sound in my ear. Shit.

  “You don’t want me to report the crime you just committed?” I snapped, elbowing him hard in the gut so he stumbled away.

  He rubbed his stomach and gave me an imploring look. “Please, my dad’s an attorney and—”

  Steam practically came out of my ears as this overprivileged asshat tried to pull the shit overprivileged asshats always try to pull.

  “You’re threatening me?”

  His eyes went wide. “No, no, he’s an asshole. I’m warning you and—can I just—please, I’ll fix this. I’ll—I’ll do whatever you want. I fucked up; I get that.” He started pacing, rambling and begging me to not make the call, and giving me a chance to really study him.

  He was delicious. Abso-fucking-lutely delicious.

  About six-two with broad shoulders and lean hips, looking like he still needed more time to fill out—but what he had so far was working for him. The floppy blond hair hanging in his face gave him a sexy All-American vibe, and the ice blue eyes probably made all the girls swoon.

  I licked my fucking lips. He was so well put together while begging me.

  “Undress,” I demanded.

  His eyes went wide as he froze.

  “I’m sorry?” he whispered, glancing around as if thinking I was fucking with him because other people were there.

  I smirked at him. “You’re so into naked photos that you’re going to give me some as collateral.” I held up my hand to stop him when opened his mouth, and he promptly shut it. Good boy. “I know this game.

  “I let you leave with promises you’ll pay for whatever and fix what you broke, but I didn’t call in a report. So there’s nothing stopping you from denying it all later when it’s time to pay up.”

  He opened his mouth, then closed it, blowing out a harsh breath. “I wouldn’t do that, but you don’t know that, and I know guys who totally would do that so I can’t even blame you for thinking that.” He started pacing again, stopping a few times to try and say something else.

  Oh, he was fun to fluster for sure.

  I chuckled when he tried again. “My street isn’t that remote, so I’d decide fast before someone else sees it and calls it in, or the cops drive by.”

  He winced, glancing in the direction of his truck even if he couldn’t see it from the kitchen. He looked back at me with worry. “You promise no one will see these pictures if I pay off what I did?”

  I gave a slow nod. “We’ll just ha
ve to trust each other to behave, won’t we?”

  He swallowed loudly and then sighed. “Fuck it. I did it.”

  Good boy.

  I watched with interest as he started yanking off his clothes. Damn, he was nicely built and well defined. Apparently, someone had been feeding these Colorado boys something good. My voice got a bit husky as he hesitated at his belt. “Keep going.”

  He swallowed loudly again and nodded. I decided I wanted more than pictures, opening the camera app on my phone and quickly taking video of him undressing for me.

  I bit back a groan as he pushed his jeans down his hips, showing his toned thighs and the naughty V on men that I loved. And he had a good one.

  So much I got damp where it matters.

  “All of it,” I pushed, smirking when he did as I said.

  And then I was shocked at what the All-American boy was packing. It grew as I stared at it, taking shots of him… Until I realized his hand was shaking.

  I glanced up to meet his eyes and found his face completely flushed, all the way up to his ears and over part of his broad chest.

  Shit.

  “Tell me you’re legal,” I muttered, realizing how young he was. I’m going to be arrested for kiddie porn, and then I’ll vomit the rest of my life from licking my lips at a child.

  He gave a slow nod. “I’m eighteen.”

  Oh, thank fuck. I glanced back at his cock and enjoyed the view again. “I bet you’ve stuck that in a few girls, haven’t you?”

  “Um, yeah,” he admitted, clearing his throat. “Two.” He cleared his throat again when I didn’t say anything. “One didn’t really fit, and she dumped me.”

  I chuckled softly. “Well maybe you need a woman’s pussy, and not a little girl’s.”

  His gaze snapped to mine instead of looking at the kitchen island, and his eyes went wide. He did another great impression of a fish, but his dick gave the only response that mattered as it twitched and leaked a bit.

  And then I knocked the privileged All-American off his pedestal. “Alright, get dressed. We’ve got an agreement to make.” I bit back a smirk as I turned away and heard him muttering that he couldn’t believe he’d just showed his dick to the random woman he almost ran over.

  Yeah, idiot.

  Once he dressed, we went back outside, and I took a few photos of what happened, just in case he tried to screw me over later.

  “I’m so fucked,” he whispered. My gut knotted at what I heard in his voice. I followed his gaze and saw that his truck had taken damage.

  “Yeah, well, not to add to it, but mailboxes are considered federal property, and fucking with them is way more serious than the mower,” I replied.

  I almost felt bad when he went extra pale, but he needed to understand the severity of what he did.

  “Think being run over by a truck is covered in the extended warranty I just got on that fucking mower?”

  He winced. “No.”

  “Yeah, me neither,” I sighed, glancing around. “So, we need to get your truck fixed without your dad finding out too?”

  His head whipped around, and he blinked at me with shock. “Seriously?”

  I shook my head at myself. I’m such a sucker. “Yeah. This is so going to bite me in the ass, but yeah, fine.”

  “I’ll figure out a way to pay you back, I promise. I’ll get a job after football or—”

  “You’ll work for me,” I declared, giving a firm nod when I met his gaze before gesturing to the house. “I bit off slightly more than I could chew, and could use the help anyway, so we’ll keep this really between us.”

  He glanced over at the house and nodded. “Yeah, this place has been empty for a while. I didn’t even know anyone moved in.”

  “I just did. Like yesterday,” I drawled, giving him a wry look. “You’re my first contact with the neighbors, and a hell of a welcome.”

  He winced. “Sorry.” He glanced from me to the truck to the house. “I’ll do whatever I can, but what do we do now?”

  “Now, I act an adult,” I sighed. “Do you know a place where they’ll fix your truck fast and not call your dad? I’m new here.”

  “Yeah, I…” He blinked at me. “I don’t even know your name.”

  I snorted. Right. I extended my hand. “Meave Washington.”

  “Ashton Perry, Ash,” he muttered.

  I raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t comment on the name. Ashton was the name of someone who was expected to wear a three-piece, thousand-dollar suit one day and, from the way his cheeks flushed slightly, I bet he’d been told that.

  His hand was rough and calloused, and I had a flash of what it would feel like on my body.

  My dry spell has been way too fucking long.

  I went for my purse and keys, locking up the house before I followed him to the place his older cousin worked at. It took me two seconds to get a lock on the manager.

  “What kind of collision?” he asked, looking from my vehicle to the truck and raising an eyebrow.

  I sighed. “It’s my fault. I was guiding the moving truck back out of my driveway and messed up. It’s fine, but it backed right into Ash’s truck.”

  He glanced over at Ash. “Were you in it? Your dad will be pissed if he could squeeze money out of someone for an accident and didn’t get the chance to.”

  Ash flinched, shaking his head. “I wasn’t in it, and I shouldn’t have parked so close to the driveway like that.”

  I saw the glint in his eye as the manager opened his mouth to push. I moved my hand to his arm so Ash didn’t say anything that could give the manager a chance to hold it over his head.

  “Let’s just get it fixed and move on with our lives. I’d like to unpack and test out my new kitchen.” I gave the manager a seductive smile. “Would you want to taste my muffins?”

  The manager blinked at me. “Excuse me?”

  I practically batted my eyelashes at him. “I make great muffins. Every single woman needs a way to de-stress. I make muffins and share them. I’m sure you’ll do a good job, and deserve some of my muffins.”

  “Um, yeah, no, yeah, I love—who doesn’t love homemade muffins?” he muttered, clearing his throat a few times.

  “Do you like them sweet or with a bit of tang—salty tang?” I knew I had him when he adjusted the way he stood. Men. They were so easy.

  We quickly went over what he was going to do, and I signed everything along with running my card. Ash blinked at me as I walked over to his cousin, who was trying not to die of laughter.

  “If his dad asks, he blew a tire, and you had to keep the truck until the right one comes in,” I told the cousin.

  He slowly nodded. “Yeah, I’d do it anyways for Ash, but fuck, watching you wind that dick up is worth just about anything.”

  I winked. “Be a good boy, and maybe I’ll let you bring him more of my muffins when he gets cranky.” I headed for my car, not surprised when the cousin groaned from behind me.

  “You shouldn’t be walking on that ankle,” Ash said as he caught up to me.

  “I’ve got a brace at…” I trailed off, sighing. “No, it’s in my boxes that aren’t coming for a few more days. Fuck.”

  He reached in his pocket, then realized I still had his phone, and gave me a worried look.

  I pulled it out of my back pocket and saw it needed a code. “Give me the code. If I ever find little high school girls sending you pictures of tits, I will not be happy.”

  He nodded. “I can’t help if they send them. It was the first time.”

  I pursed my lips, knowing that was fair and not even sure why I cared.

  “Give me the code.” I punched it in as he did and deleted the picture before showing him I had blocked her number. “Tell the little girl that she shouldn’t use such infamous pictures if she’s going to try and pass off tits as hers.” I smirked at him when his eyes went wide. “Yeah, she’s that dumb.”

  He shrugged. “She’s been pushy since I got noticed by some college scouts. Kinda tur
ned me off to anything with her.”

  I quickly put in my number and connected the call, so I had his number too, before glancing up at him. “Tell me you’re the star quarterback or something completely cliché.”

  He didn’t say anything, but the answer was all over his face—along with a cute blush.

  “Alright, quarterback, let’s go get me a new mower and mailbox.” I handed back his phone and got in my SUV. It wasn’t until about halfway to Home Depot that I groaned. “Please tell me there’s a Lowe’s here too. I cannot go back to that Home Depot and buy another mower hours after I bought the first one.”

  He snickered, giving me an apologetic look when I glared at him. “Yeah, it’s right by my high school. It’s a nice one.”

  I sighed in relief, letting him guide me to where we needed to go.

  Once parked and inside, I headed to the lawnmowers, wishing I was doing this in the spring—when there would be more of a selection—instead of fall. I bit back a growl when they were all different brands, and I had looked up what I needed from Home Depot.

  “Don’t you have a few acres?” Ash asked as he moved next to me. “That place was a hobby farm, right?”

  “Yeah—apparently the ‘hobby’ cost too much, or it wouldn’t have been a foreclosure sale for next to nothing,” I muttered as I checked over specs.

  “Right, so getting a push mower is a bit nuts,” he replied quietly, like he didn’t want to embarrass me.

  I huffed, standing and giving him an annoyed look. “Right, but it’s good exercise, and I don’t know how to use a riding mower.”

  He eyed me over and glanced back at the display. “I do. I’ll teach you. You’ll still get a workout emptying the back, I promise.”

  “That’s not the mower you crushed though.”

  He shrugged, focused on the riding mowers down the way. “Add it to the tab as interest for not being able to do it all now. I mean, if you can spare the extra cash now.

  “Trust me—it will be worth it when it’s hot as fuck, dry, and with the sun burning down at this elevation. I’d rather you have a better mower and pay it off working for you than killing yourself with a push mower.”