I tugged Beck’s shirt out of the waist of his jeans and reached under to rub my hands up his back. His body radiated heat as I clawed and clutched, and enjoyed the movement of muscle under my fingers. Roaming around to the front of him, I thrummed my fingers across the solid wall of his chest and down his stomach.
With a thump, my head dropped back to hit the wall behind me, and I arched my back as he palmed both breasts fully. Waves of pleasure rolled straight from my tightening nipples down between my legs; liquid heat burned up my insides for him.
“Beck ...” I murmured, a desperate need sounding thick in the tone of my voice. In answer, his mouth crushed mine again, his hips grinding against my own as he pinched both my nipples between his thumbs and index fingers. I squirmed in delight.
Before I realized what he was about, he had his shirt off, breaking contact with my mouth just long enough to pull it over his head, then crushing my lips again even as he pressed his chest against mine. I ground my hips to his, realizing in my sex-drugged state that even if our upper bodies were bare, our lower bodies were not. That was entirely too much clothing.
Later I could chide myself for getting so carried away, but in that moment, I needed Beck—had to have him— and couldn’t wait any longer than was absolutely necessary. So I shook my right hand to summon my wand. He was still kissing me, oblivious to my magical machinations as I tapped my wand to my thigh. In an instant my jeans were discarded in a pile with my other clothing on the floor.
I briefly considered doing the same with his pants, but before I could make a move, he stepped back and had his hands on his button, removing the last bit of clothing separating us. He must have been reading my mind.
Finally! my mind screamed. Before coming back to me he rummaged through his back pocket, emerging with a condom, giving me a moment to make my wand vanish again. I bit my lip in anticipation, rubbing my left hand on my opposite shoulder, yearning and throbbing in every single pore of my body.
As soon as my hands touched his skin again, we both came alive with desperation, his arms grabbing me up and slamming me hard into the wall. I took hold of his shoulders as Beck looped his hands under my knees to lift my legs and I wrapped them around his waist.
When he entered me in one swift motion I growled with pleasure. Our movements were fast and rough, and I wanted nothing less. In that moment, this man was as essential to me as the air I was gasping into my lungs. The more I got, the more I needed, and the tauter my muscles became in anticipation of the explosion just on the edge of my senses.
I answered each of his thrusts with frenzied abandon until tremors of rapture blinded me. My entire body shuddered with release, and I clung to Beck, riding with him while he worked his way to climax. When he finally groaned into my neck, pressing me against the wall so hard I couldn’t breathe, contentment settled over me.
My legs felt like they were made of rubber and I was glad Beck somehow had the strength to hold both of us up because I knew I would have melted to the floor without him to cling to. He nuzzled my sweaty neck, kissed my ear and dropped his head back to look down at me with a pleased smile.
“Well, the kitchen is officially christened.” I murmured, gazing up at him with love-drunk eyes.
“Why, Lynlee Lincoln, are you saying that’s the only reason you invited me here to your new house? I’m shocked.”
I laughed, then rolled my bottom lip between my teeth. “So you’re shocked... but are you sorry you came?”
“Hell no!”
Chapter 9
BECK HAD A STEAMING bag of popcorn in one hand and a box of crackers in the other. My arms were laden with two cans of soda, a package of sliced cheddar and a tray. I led the way up the stairs towards the upstairs bedroom that I called my own, acutely aware of the fact that my new lover was following me and probably watching the movement of my backside. As if to prove my very thoughts, he issued a suggestive whistle and I tossed him a stern look over my shoulder.
“Hey, not my fault you’ve got great curves,” he excused with a wink.
Just about the time I led him into my bedroom, the phone on my nightstand rang, and I jumped. With a wave of my hand, I motioned him into my bed and took a moment to watch him casually prop some pillows up against the headboard before making himself comfortable.
He was wearing only a pair of sweats, retrieved from his duffel bag after our second round of lovemaking. I glanced down at the oversized t-shirt I had on— his— which he insisted on helping me slip into just before we raided my cupboards for a snack to feed our grumbling stomachs.
“Gonna answer it?” He cut his eyes at me.
I reached for the phone, then issued a childish whine. “Oh, no...it’s my parents.”
Instead of picking up the receiver, I grabbed my television remote, stuffed a handful of popcorn in my mouth and slid into the bed beside him.
“I guess that’s a ‘no’ then,” he murmured, kissing the top of my head and putting an arm around my shoulder. “Don’t want to talk to Mom while you’ve got a half-naked man in your bed?”
I snorted, a very unladylike sound and started flipping channels. “She wouldn’t believe I had a half-naked man in my bed even if I told her. She wanted me barefoot and pregnant years ago.”
“Ah ... well, maybe she’s just calling to wish you a Merry Christmas.”
I tossed the remote down and started arranging crackers on the tray, placing slices of cheese atop each one. “I’m sure that’s true, but I’m over that part of our relationship. I’m much happier when I’m not in contact with them.”
A little shiver spread down my spine when I felt his fingers comb through my hair. I looked over at him, trying to decipher the things in his eyes and his expression. I felt open and raw emotionally and it made me very uncomfortable.
Beck smiled, winked and tapped his finger to my lips. I kissed the pad of his finger, then picked up a cracker and held it to his mouth. He took the entire thing in one bite, nibbling my thumb a bit in the process.
“This is totally not a dude movie,” he commented, his eyes focusing on the television.
For some strange reason, someone thought it was a good idea to schedule The Craft for viewing on Christmas Eve night. It made no sense to me, and I was sure if I looked I could find some sappy holiday film instead. But at the moment I didn’t want sappy. With my emotions so near the surface, I was terrified that sappy would make me cry, and I wasn’t about to let that happen.
“I’m sure this is better than Reindeer Games.”
He rolled his eyes, moving around on the bed so that he could reach over for one of the sodas I’d left on the nightstand. “Well, at least this has Robin Tunney. She’s pretty hot.”
I scoffed. “She plays a teenager in this movie!”
Beck’s low rumble of laughter instantly eased me, and I playfully slapped his bare chest.
“Even if she’s playing a teenager, she’s gotta be at least twenty in real life. Ugh, who comes up with all of this magic mumbo jumbo anyway?”
So much for relaxation. The censure in his voice when he said, “magic mumbo jumbo”, made me acutely aware of the fact that he was human, and I was a witch, and that combination just might not work out. First of all, MAUCs were supposed to be very careful about alerting people to all of the paranormal things in life. I would be taking a big chance by letting Beck in on my secret life, and if that went bad, Tig would not be very happy with me.
More than that, I wasn’t sure how Beck could handle knowing I was a witch. Would he think I was a freak? Would he run off and never speak to me again? As I stared at the television screen, unseeing, a knot of worry developed in the pit of my stomach. Still, I had no choice. I needed to feel him out about the subject.
“What if magic is real?”
“Lord, I hope it’s not. I mean, seriously. Think about it. The world would be a pretty screwed up place if magic were real.”
I bit my lip, unsure what to say.
“Let’s take this m
ovie, for instance. That poor guy in the film ... what’s his name? Chris? She puts a spell on him to make him fall for her. And that sure turns out well for him. I mean, if magic existed, how would someone ever know if something is real or isn’t? How would we know if love is true or just some obsession brought on by a spell?”
All the muscles in my body wound uptight, and I was afraid to say anything. I didn’t do emotional. Emotional made me lose control, and that made my magic go haywire. If haywire happened, it would surely make all of the things Beck was saying a self-fulfilling prophecy.
To buy myself some time to calm down, I grabbed a cracker and popped it into my mouth. My chewing was robotic, and when I tried to swallow, my stomach immediately protested, but I managed to force myself anyway.
I was relieved when my cell phone started ringing. Beck laughed and patted my leg. “Your mom’s insistent.”
When I retrieved the telephone, I saw that it wasn’t my parents’ number, but Teddy’s instead. He should be enjoying his time in Aspen with his family now, so a call from him was not a good sign. Still, I was ready for a diversion.
“Actually, this is a client. Give me a sec.”
I stepped out into the hallway to answer.
“Lynlee, get me the hell out of here. I can’t take this anymore, please help me.”
Chapter 10
I ORBED TO TEDDY’S location, which turned out to be the center of a huge mountain lodge. About two dozen pairs of eyes surrounded us, and without even looking at him, I could feel Teddy step closer to me as if seeking protection.
“Merry Christmas, guys.” I put on a plastic smile, eyes sweeping side to side to keep an eye on everyone. Judging by the looks on their faces, I figured Teddy’s pack wasn’t ecstatic about me being there.
“Let’s go, Lynlee. Let’s get out of here.”
One of the weres took a step towards us, an older female who I quickly guessed to be Teddy’s mother. I wasn’t keen on being surrounded by angry werewolves, who at any moment might shift and pounce me, so I pointed my wand at the floor. A shining metallic circle appeared around Teddy and me.
“Stay clear, everyone.” I advised the pack, raising an eyebrow and tossing them my best “don’t mess with me” expression.
The circle looked enough like silver to give the weres pause. It wasn’t silver, of course. If I could conjure precious metals out of thin air, I could set myself up for life and wouldn’t need to work so hard at becoming a Neutralizer.
“I just want to get out of here,” Teddy growled, leaning in close to me. He hadn’t told me what the problem was over the phone, but he sounded upset enough that I’d given in and rushed to rescue him. The fact that I was anxious to get away from discussing magic with Beck might also have had something to do with my willingness to get here so quickly.
“Don’t do this again, Teddy,” another woman pleaded, her hands stretched out to him. She was pretty, with delicate hands and waves of golden-brown hair reaching to her waist.
When she got close to the circle, Teddy stiffened and shook his head wildly. “Ruth, stop.”
Clearly, he was worried about her stepping onto the “silver”. Which, had it been real, would have seared her feet and poisoned her blood. I didn’t have the chance to wonder about his concern for her, because a group of weres to our right crouched low and started shifting into wolves.
It was time to get out of here. I said as much to Teddy, and he nodded his acknowledgment. In my pocket, I held the keystone to my grotto. I grabbed it tightly with one hand and took Teddy’s wrist with the other. In a matter of seconds, the world turned colorful and sparkly, and my body tingled with magic until we were back in my orbing cave.
“Shit, it sure took you long enough to get us out of there,” he fussed, snatching his arm away and sitting down on a huge rock a few feet away from me.
“You know, a simple thank you would work, too, Teddy.” He frowned, then growled, his eyes flashing red at me, a sure sign he was getting worked up enough that he might shift into a wolf if further agitated. “And you’d better cut that crap. If you turn wolfie on me, I’ll lock you in a silver cage for Christmas. Understand?”
He made a sound like a puppy but nodded his head. I waited for his eyes to stop glowing, then took a seat on a rock across from him.
“Don’t look at me like that, Lynlee. I didn’t do anything wrong. I just didn’t want to be there anymore.”
A deep sigh escaped my lips, and sympathy overtook my irritation. “What happened then, Teddy? I mean, I don’t even know how you came to be in Tig’s charge. There must be a reason you ran away from your pack and your family.”
He shrugged, averting his eyes from mine. “I’m the alpha’s son. I’m supposed to take over the pack. That’s not what I want, though.”
“Being pack alpha is a huge deal.” I offered.
“Not to me, it isn’t. It isn’t me. I just wish people could get that. I wish they could get that I’m different.”
Damn, that struck a nerve. I had a pretty good idea how Teddy felt based on my own parents’ reaction to my magic. I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when he shook his head.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Where do you want me to take you, then?”
His brown eyes were big and sad when he gazed up at me. “Can’t I just come home with you? I won’t bother you. I just need a place to hang until school starts.”
I stood up quickly and shook my head. “Oh, no. Not a chance, Teddy. You can’t come home with me. We’ll find you a nice hotel near campus so that you’ll be there and ready when the dorms open again.”
“C’mon, Lynlee. It’s Christmas.”
“I already have a guest, and he won’t exactly appreciate me bringing a stray puppy home.”
Teddy looked so forlorn that my cheeks flamed with guilt. I wondered not for the first time how I always ended up getting myself into so much trouble.
Chapter 11
TEDDY AND I ARRIVED back at my house in the early morning hours of Christmas day. The light in my upstairs bedroom was off, so I figured Beck was probably sound asleep. Unlocking my front door and stepping into the foyer, I was immediately taken aback by the scent of cinnamon wafting on the air.
About a split second after that wonderful aroma entered my nostrils, the blinking of lights to my left caught my attention. I was so surprised when I looked and saw my entire living area done up with Christmas decorations that I might have been knocked over by a feather. Or a werewolf ....
Teddy barreled into the room like a bull in a china closet, and I had to reach out to grab the wall for balance.
“Wow! I didn’t take you for a person who got into the Christmas spirit.”
He was right. I was fairly certain that I didn’t own a single Christmas decoration, and yet here in my house was a 4-foot Christmas tree, sparkling with multicolored lights and red, green, blue and white bows decorated throughout. A garland was draped in two big arches on the fireplace mantle with a single stocking in the center. In the windowsill was situated a small nativity. I was afraid if I looked at the single gift resting under the tree that it would probably have my name on it.
All I could do was stare in awe.
After a few minutes, Teddy nudged my arm, yawning big for effect. “I sure am tired.”
Rolling my eyes, I motioned for him to follow me and walked him down the hall to the room I originally had planned for Beck. I was relieved when I noticed Beck’s bag was no longer there, indicating he had taken it up to my room.
“I’m sure you’re strong enough to lay that mattress and box springs down and make yourself comfortable?”
Teddy yawned again, his head bobbing up and down in a nod. “Yeah, I can handle it.” I tossed him the sheets from the bathroom counter, in a hurry to get upstairs to my lover.
When I got to my room and opened the door a sliver of light crossed over the bed, bathing the room in a soft glow. Beck looked perfect in my bed. His usually perfe
ctly coiffed hair was tousled and mussed. The lines of his face were softened, but the sprinkling of dark stubble on his face still gave him a sexy edge. He had one arm sprawled up above his head, the other with fingers splayed wide across his chest.
I wanted to curl in there with him and wrap myself in the warmth and safety of his arms.
But first I needed to breathe. I tilted my head back and sucked in a soft gasp of air, my heart thudding wild in my chest. I was falling for this man so damned hard I was afraid all of me would shatter into pieces. He turned on a sensitive part of me that I always kept buried and hidden.
What I found with him exposed my soft underbelly and made me vulnerable in a way I’d never experienced. I needed him. I wanted him.
But more than that, I needed him to want me. The real me. The kick-ass witch, the Neutralizer-wannabe, the woman with a mushy side and a penchant for bringing home waifs. I wanted Beck to learn to love that Lynlee Lincoln.
And I was terrified that he couldn’t.
“Hey, you,” he murmured in a gravelly voice, gazing at me with sleep-laden eyes.
“Hey, yourself. You’ve been busy this evening.”
He grinned, looking a little sheepish. “Maybe it was stupid, but hearing what you said about your parents and all... I just thought it would be nice for you to have a more traditional Christmas set up when you got home tonight.”
“You did, huh?” I approached the bed, biting my lip and slipping my fingers into his hand still resting above his head.
“I even got frozen turkey dinners for tomorrow.”
A sob rose up from my chest and somehow turned into a broken laugh by the time it escaped my lips. Beck grinned and lifted the blankets, beckoning me to get into bed with him.
Hopping under the covers with him shouldn’t have taken any thought at all. This man was unbelievably handsome, and he turned all my senses on fire. He was sweet and caring; his simple act of giving me Christmas meant more to me than I could have acknowledged without turning into a blubbering mess of tears.
Trolling for Trouble (The Lynlee Lincoln Series Book 1) Page 10
