Second Chances: A Romance Writers of America Collection (Stark World 2.50)

He put his mug down and stood. "Remembering anything as insignificant as wishes didn't matter to me one damn bit."

She stood, captivated by the power of his words, the emotion in his voice, and the truth in his gaze. "But--"

"Your name," he insisted, with a touch of Power in his voice.

"Donya Falling Star Sherazelle," she whispered, before she could strengthen her defenses against his magic. Now he'd have power over her.

Now she was in serious danger.

A slow, dangerous smile crossed his face, and fear pounded a rhythm in her heartbeat. She raised her chin and glared at him. "I warn you--"

"Donya Falling Star Sherazelle, my first and only wish is that you will now and forever be free of the curse of the Djinn."

Lightning sizzled a blinding strike on the surface of the lake in front of them, thunder crashed and destroyed the dawn's silence, and suddenly she was--for the first time in three thousand years--free.

Free.

And then she fainted.

Not even Irish ...

JAKE DROPPED TO HIS knees on the wooden deck and managed to catch his Djinn before she hit the ground. The last thing she needed was to start off her new life with a concussion. At least he'd known that she'd retain her magic, so she wouldn't be helpless--

Wait.

His Djinn?

When did that brain fart happen, that he'd even think about claiming her?

She was a Djinn, and she'd been one for a really long time, so the last thing she'd want is to be caught up in a relationship with a human, let alone a human who also happened to be a wizard. He'd wanted her and missed her and dreamed about her for too damn long.

Sure, his head told him to forget her, but his arms tightened around her, and he caught himself inhaling a deep jasmine-scented breath. She was warm and soft and curvy in his arms, turning his memories into his present reality, and he didn't want to let her go. Dumbass realization to have after he surrendered his wishes.

He could have wished for an evening of holding her again--just holding her couldn't violate the "no perviness" rule, right?

He sighed. He was losing his freaking mind. Right there on the porch of a rented cabin, during the Cardinal family vacation that he'd been blackmailed into attending.

At least he'd put his foot down when Astrid, his borderline nutcase sixteen-year-old cousin, had tried to move into his spare room with her four suitcases, two computers, and a little pug dog named Ninja. She would be staying in the cabin three doors down with her sister and their crazy grandmother when they all arrived tomorrow afternoon.

Granny. Now there was a story.

Donya stirred in his arms and then opened her enormous blue eyes.

"Hey, there. You left me for a minute." He smiled at her because he couldn't help it. She was just so damn beautiful and felt so good in his arms.

She started to speak, but then swallowed, hard. "Free? Just like that? You didn't even use your other two wishes first?"

"I didn't want anything as much as I wanted you to be free of that lamp. Did a bit of research on that, too."

She sat up and then quickly stood and backed away from him. He tried not to feel the sting of that, and instead of reacting he headed indoors.

"How about we go get that breakfast?"

"Is that a ..." Her voice trailed off, and he realized that it would probably take a long time for her to stop expecting wishes. To stop seeing every person she encountered as a greedy jerk who wanted more and more and more.

Hell, he wanted more and more, himself. More time with her. More of a chance to get to know her.

Less of the sequins, though, if he had to be honest.