Magic Steals Read Free Page A

eat. Look at you, you’re skin and bones.”
    â€œMother, I’m perfectly fine. I’m twenty-seven years old.”
    â€œYes, you are. Your sink smells funny, your refrigerator is empty, and your trash is overflowing. And!” My mother pulled two dirty wineglasses out of the cabinet.
    How did she even know? It was like she had radar.
    â€œWhat is this? Have you been drinking?”
    Help me.
    â€œDrinking alone? That is not healthy for you. Look, you couldn’t even bother to wash the glass. You just got another one and then stuck the dirty one in there. That’s what alcoholics do.”
    â€œI’m a shapeshifter, Mom. I can’t get drunk even if I tried.” Technically I could. If I drank an entire bottle of whiskey, I would be buzzed for about twenty minutes or so, and then my body would metabolize the last of the alcohol and I would be sober as a baby.
    â€œDrinking, not eating, messing with stray cats.” My mother shook her head. “You know what you need? You need to meet a nice man. You need to get married and have lots of healthy children . . .”
    I put my hands over my face.
    Something thudded above us again.
    â€œThat’s it.” My mother marched to the stairs. “I’m going to see this cat.”
    â€œYou’ll scare him!” I chased her up the stairs. “Mother!”
    My mother opened the door to my bedroom. It stood empty.
    â€œPuss, puss . . .”
My mother bent down and glanced under the bed. “
Puss, puss
 . . . Does your cat speak Indonesian?”
    Actually he does. He learned it just for me.
    â€œI told you, he’s hiding.” Maybe he went out the window.
    The door to the closet stood open. The tomato red lingerie I had left on the carpet was missing.
    â€œKitty, kitty,
puss, puss . . .”
    Jim was still here. I could smell him. I edged into the closet and raised my head. Jim stood above the door, legs propped up on the top shelves of the closet, his back pressed against the wall. The stupid lingerie hung from his fingers.
    I wished I could fall through the floor.
    Jim shook the lingerie at me and raised his dark eyebrows.
    My mother turned around. “Why are you blushing?”
    I had to get her out of my bedroom. “I really have to go and look for Eyang Ida,” I said. “I’m going to get dressed now.”
    My mother looked at me.
    â€œMay I have some privacy?”
    â€œFine.” She shook her head and went out of the room. I heard her walk down the stairs, locked the bedroom door, sagged against it, and let out my breath.
    Jim stalked out of the closet, moving completely soundlessly across the carpet and leaned against the door next to me.
    â€œHow much did that thing cost?” he whispered.
    â€œNever mind,” I whispered back at him. “You did that on purpose.”
    â€œDid what?”
    â€œDropped things. Are you a jaguar or an elephant?”
    â€œI’m a stray cat, apparently. And your mother wants to neuter me.”
    â€œShe wouldn’t want to neuter you if you stayed quiet.” Neutering was the last thing he had to worry about. If she found him, she’d be overjoyed and run out of the house so we could get busy making grandchildren.
    He grabbed me and picked me up. His eyes sparked with an amused light.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” I whispered. “I’m mad at—”
    His mouth closed on mine. His lips brushed me, teasing, coaxing, and I melted, opening my mouth. He brushed a single sensual lick across my tongue and I shivered. His scent swirled around me, amber and musk, and tangy sweet citrus, carrying me away to a secret place, where there was only Jim, my hot, crazy Jim, with his strong arms locked around me. His kiss grew intense, passionate, then possessive. Every stroke of his tongue said, “I want you.” I wrapped my legs about his hips and let him kiss me. Our tongues