Taking her free hand, he pressed it to the hard bar behind his fly. “Almost like the real thing.”
Lane gasped as his cock jerked behind the soft denim. She’d had him so many times before, but never enough.
“Tell me, Laney. Which would you rather suck? My thick meat or the thick silicone in your hand? Maybe you’ll give me a smokin’ hot visual and tongue them both.”
Her heart jackhammered in her chest so hard she could barely form words. “The wards.”
“I placed wards when I put the basket here. We’ll have to strengthen them, but to do so we need to raise your power, and the only way to do that is for me to make you come.”
She couldn’t think as he lifted the hem of her spring dress, running his fingers between her legs.
“You’re so wet, love. I can feel your slick sex through your panties and your clit is throbbing.”
He slid the tips of his fingers under the top lace band and over her damp mound. “Against the tree, no one will see you groan and clench as my fingers work your wet slit.”
He spread her slick folds, curling his hand deep. Two fingers, then three. Lane moaned at the rough feel, her breath catching when he circled her clit with his thumb, pumping his hand slowly.
Pinned against the trunk, Lane struggled for traction, trying to grind her sex deeper, harder into Gareth’s hand.
He took her mouth, teasing her tongue and her lips with gentle kisses to match the gentle strokes on her pussy.
“Gareth!” she ground out.
He smiled against her lips. “I’m feeding your hunger, love, but obviously it’s not enough. What do you want?”
A choked moan left her throat, raw and low.
“Say the words, Lane.”
Jaw tight, she exhaled. “More, Gareth! I want more! Hard. Deep. I need it! Give it to me, please!”
Taking the dildo from her hand, he slid it between them, but she stopped his hand. Shaking her head, she held his wrist off.
“I want more, but I want you. Not synthetic flesh. Your flesh. I want you to fill me. Your cock. Your cum. In me now.”
She took the dildo from him and tossed it toward the bag on the grass, not caring who saw or who came.
Gareth’s eyes never left her hungry gaze as he unbuttoned his fly, freeing his member. Lifting her hips, he pushed her back against the tree, spreading her wide. Lane locked her ankles around his back, and he impaled her slick flesh with a single thrust.
Driving his hard length balls deep, she ignored the sting of the rough bark through her top. There was nothing gentle or slow now.
Gareth buried his head in the hollow of her neck, kissing her throat and the tender flesh of her jaw as he drove higher, deeper. He found her mouth and crushed his lips to hers, devouring her lips and tongue.
Their auras tingled, merging and flooding in and around their entwined bodies. Gold sparkles glinted as power rose between them and through them the closer they climbed toward climax.
With a sharp breath, he tore his mouth from hers. “My cock is ready to blow. Quickly, Lane! Reach for the knife in my back pocket. It’s time!”
Not knowing what he meant, she fumbled blindly, sliding her fingers into the denim slit. Finding it, she wrapped her hand around the shaft and pulled it free.
Small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, she blinked at the ornate lettering on the handle.
“Open it and cut my palm. Do the same on your hand. The same as we did at the Red Veil.”
“Why?”
His voice shook and sweat broke out on his forehead. “Do it, Lane!”
Every muscle in his body went rigid, so she dragged the sharp tip across his palm the same as she did the previous night.
“Now you. You have to trust me.”
She did as he asked, and Gareth took her hand, pressing palm to palm. His leaned in, pressing his forehead to hers. His warm, sweet breath tickled her nose and mouth, and it tasted of power, of magic. Like honey sizzling on the tongue.
He pulled back, and his eyes found hers and locked. “Root of my root, star spun lives. Bound in flesh and spirit light. Blood of my blood, bone of my bone, I claim thee now as we are one. United in life, transcended in death, the claim is cast on Danu’s breath.”
Their blood flowed together, and his words teemed in her mind, expanding, shimmering like the golden force surrounding them.
Magic hummed in the air and in their flesh. Lane held tight as they spun, the world falling away. Body light, she floated with senses on fire.
Gareth filled her body and soul, and with a cry everything swelled. They moved together, seamless, boneless, climbing higher and higher until sheer power overwhelmed, and they exploded, climaxing into spasms.
Magic flowed, a river encircling them, pulling them under until it ebbed, leaving them panting as they clung together, the world returning.
Lane opened her eyes, expecting to see the earth spinning below then, only to find the sun winking through the leaves and her back still pressed against the bark.
Gareth lifted his head, still clasping their joined hands. “You okay?”
She exhaled a stunned breath. “Okay? What the hell was that?”
He let go of her hand and she jerked it close to see what caused such a tumult. “What the—”
The cut had healed, and in its place a white scar had formed at the center of her palm. Not a thin line as expected, but an intricate Celtic knot intertwined with the symbols for love and eternity.
“Don’t worry. I have one, too.” Gareth held up his hand. “It’s a claiming sigil. It means you’re safe now, no matter which plane we decide to roam.”
She shoved at his shoulder. “Claiming sigil?!”
“Laney, you agreed. In the library, remember?”
“In the library? That was last night, Gareth! You could have warned me that’s what was happening. I thought we died or something!”
He gaped. “More like died and gone to heaven. That was the single most intense sexual experience of my life. I can’t believe you’re saying it wasn’t the same for you.”
This time she punched his shoulder. “I never said it wasn’t! It was fucking amazing. Fourth of July, Yule and Halloween all rolled into one. Fireworks and starbursts. But YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME!”
“You agreed. Caitlan told you. The only way you’d be safe from Leith’s master plan was for you to be claimed. You seemed thrilled when you realized she meant me. Happy even.”
She exhaled. “I didn’t say I wasn’t. It’s just—I would have liked to have been ready.”
He laughed, pecking her lips with a quick kiss. “Trust me, love. You were more than ready. Dripping ready. It wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t. As for what to expect, how would I know?” He shrugged. “I’ve never claimed a mate before, so how could I tell you what would happen when I didn’t have a clue?”
“Asking for a heads up in this isn’t like ruining a surprise birthday party. It’s a claiming. You could have warned me you were going to perform the rite. You knew the words. You must have looked them up or something.”
“Those words aren’t written anywhere except my heart. The only thing necessary for a claiming is sexual climax and the words, ‘I claim.’” He shrugged. “The rest was all me.” Taking her hand, his gaze dropped before he looked up again. “I’m sorry, Laney. I should have told you what I planned. I suppose I wanted it to knock your socks off.”
Lane’s heart squeezed. Gareth was her equal in everything. Her lover, her friend, her partner in crime and everything in between. How could she hold a Type A personality against him when she was the same? His actions and his words reflected something so beautiful, so surprisingly tender, and the feeling behind them far outweighed the rest.
“I’m sorry, too, Gareth.”
“Sorry we’re mated, or sorry for being such a pig-headed Raven about it?”
She punched his shoulder again.
“Hey! Ouch!”
“You knew what you were ge
tting when you signed up for this rollercoaster. No backsies. I’m yours and you’re mine. End of sentence. Just promise me you’ll give me a heads-up next time something important happens that affects us both.”
He kissed the end of her nose. “Deal.”
“Good. Now let’s get cleaned up before we really get arrested.”
He stepped back, letting his still thick member slide from her body before gently helping her to the ground. “Careful, Lane. Get your legs first.”
“Oomph.” She wobbled, holding on to his arm. “You’re not kidding. That was really one wild ride, Mr. Toad.”
“Please tell me you are not telling Caitlan to turn me into an amphibian simply because I claimed you sort of on the sly.”
She laughed, snorting a little. “No, dummy. It’s the Disney classic. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride?”
He shook his head.
“You have so been gone from this plane for too long. Once this is over, we are taking a trip to Orlando and the Magic Kingdom.”
“Sounds like just the place for two Fae halflings.”
Once she found her feet, she turned, showing him her back. “How chewed up are my shoulders and my dress?”
“Not at all, why?” He brushed a little crushed bark from her dress.
“I thought I’d be a scraped, bloody mess for sure.”
He grinned, pulling Tupperware out of the picnic basket to hide the sex bag underneath. “We need to get back and fill Caitlan in on what happened, and then get the vampires onboard.”
“Wait.” She bent, stopping him from packing the food again. “There’s hungry and then there’s hungry. This is forever our spot, so why not spread the picnic blanket under our tree and enjoy the sunshine? Caitlan can wait. We joined ourselves in front of nature and the whole universe. I think this calls for a little happy before the hell begins, don’t you?”
He straightened, pulling her into his arms. “Never a little happy. All happy. All the time.”
Chapter Fifteen
“You sure Caitlan filled the vampires in on everything? What about the three rogue fangers involved in this mess?” Gareth asked, checking his watch again.
“She told them the whole story. In fact, she said they were already well aware of what happened on that macabre merry-go-round.”
He exhaled a dubious breath. “I hope they’re coming to help, and not just to take their pound of Fae flesh. Vampires are fickle, yet exacting creatures. In the absence of the true culprit, guilt by blood association suffices for them. I hope Caitlan took that into account when she arranged for us to meet them here of all places.”
“If concrete could talk,” Gareth added with a low breath, glancing at the stained walls outside the side entrance to the Red Veil.
Lane followed his line of sight. The discolorations on the wall and the asphalt below could be anything, but the look on Gareth’s face wasn’t wrong. It could be old blood. “I doubt we were asked here for a nefarious reason. The vampires specified this entrance because it’s the only way into the Red Veil during the day. The others are sealed off for obvious reasons.”
“Considering how much time you’ve spent here, if anyone knows the odd hours kept by the undead, it’s you.”
Lane’s brows knotted at the obvious dig. “Wow. Snarky much? I thought you said my time here was a turn on.”
“I did. And I meant it. But I’m back now, so—” He shrugged off the last bit as if it was taken as fact.
With a hand on her hip, Lane raised an eyebrow. “So, you’re insinuating it’s no longer acceptable for me to come here because you’re back. Is that the subtext of what you just said?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Good. Because if that’s what you meant, I might have to practice my dick shriveling spells on your private parts.” She looked at him, hoping the attempt at levity defused a potential argument.
“Gareth, picking up where we left off ten years ago is one thing, but regardless of how we still feel about each other, we’ve grown as people. If we have any hope of going forward, you have to accept I’m not the naïve headstrong girl I once was. I’m an adult, with ten years of living without you. I never was, nor am I now, the kind who likes to be told what I can and cannot do. Now…” she moved to put her hand on his arm. “If you meant you’re back, and that you’d like to accompany me to the backrooms whenever the urge presents, that’s another story.”
He grumbled a response, and Lane bit the inside of her cheek not to laugh. Gareth may have come into his Fae power, but he was still Gareth when it came to her. Gorgeous, eager, and altogether endearing for being such a caveman, sometimes. Not that she’d ever tell him. Still, she was as much an alpha female as he was alpha male, and it made for interesting sparks all the way around.
“We should be meeting up at the Botanical Gardens. That’s ground zero for us.” He crossed his arms. “Hells bells, do you know how long it’ll take us to get to the Bronx from lower Manhattan?”
At his ruffled posturing, she stifled a smirk and let her hand drop from his arm. “My guess is not that long, considering the time of night and the fact certain vampires can fly.”
“Fly?” With a disbelieving look, he put up two hands. “Hell no. Undead Uber is not happening tonight.”
She cracked a smile. “Whichever way we get there, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
Mollified, his forehead relaxed, and he loosened the vise grip on his arms. “I shouldn’t be so cynical about the fanged set. You’re right. They have a stake in this, too.”
“Hey, that was my pun.” The smile on her face faded after a moment. “All joking aside. My Spidey senses are buzzing, but it’s not from the vampires. I can’t help but feel the fates are fucking with us from a distance. Maybe that’s what you’re picking up on.”
“Fucking with us how?”
Lane lifted an uncertain hand. “I’m not sure, but something’s blindsiding us. I can taste it.”
“Because the Rose Garden is under renovation and closed to the public?” he asked. “We knew this was going to be tricky, Laney, but to be honest, all that tarpaulin blanketing the gazebo at the site might be a good thing. It gives us cover. Besides, every lesser Fae in that garden knows we’re here. I caught them peeping at us all this afternoon. Even at the most inopportune moments, if you get my drift.”
His look left no room for guessing, and she had to laugh. “Peeping. As in Peeping Toms?”
“More like Peeping Pixies, and brownies, and even a few phookas. At least I didn’t sense any boggarts or sluagh. Gnarly buggers. The idea of those ill-begotten creatures watching us have sex is enough to cause erectile disfunction. We should be glad they don’t show much during the day.”
She burst out laughing. “Sloo-ah? That sounds like something you hack up after a chest cold.”
“They’re haggard and ugly, so you’re not that far off. They usually skulk in the shadows and have been known to be the eyes and ears for the Dark Court, but the truth is they’re more mercenary than that. Their aim is ripping souls from unsuspecting humans.”
“Wonderful. The idea of Faerie just keeps getting better and better.” She paused. “Wait. If they’re mercenary, then they can be bought.”
He nodded. “Exactly. While commerce with the Sluagh is always distasteful, it might come in handy at some point. And since the undead involved are at the mercy of a dark Sidhe, meeting the Sluagh’s price might be an ace up our sleeve.”
“I don’t know, Gareth. I’d rather not bargain like that with Eve at stake. Or me for that matter. I’d like to keep my soul intact.”
Shrugging, he checked his watch again. “Then we’ll let the vampires negotiate with them if necessary. They’re soulless, so it won’t be an issue. I think we need to rally all supernatural species involved. Strength in paranormal numbers.”
“I couldn’t agree more, but I do argue the point that the undead are soulless. We are, in fact, not so.”
Gareth wheeled around, instinctively pushi
ng Lane behind him. Standing in the shadows across from them was an imposing vampire. Mysteriously beautiful, with long gold hair and one side of his face ruined.
“I apologize for startling you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Rémy Tessier. Elder, and acting head of the Vampire Council. You must be Gareth Fairfax and Lane Alden, Fae halflings.”
An elegant female vampire approached, rounding the corner as Rémy finished his introduction. “Ah, good. Right on time, as usual,” Rémy said, lifting a hand to her.
The vampire smoothed the front of her vintage Chanel suit before moving to where Rémy stood with two strangers. She got within five feet of them and stopped. “Witch!” Her eyes flared crimson and her fangs descended.
Rémy’s hand shot forward, grabbing her before she attacked. “Abigail, let me introduce our guests.” He stressed the word. “Lane Arden and Gareth Fairfax. True, they are witches, but they are also Ravens.”
She blinked, her eyes narrowing. “Ravens, as in the Circle of the Raven. As in Fae-kissed?”
He inclined his head. “Yes. They are halfling Fae to be precise, and they’re here to help with this unfortunate situation. It seems an initiate of the motherhouse was taken last night from the Red Veil. The unfortunate Were we found dead was used to draw her to the backrooms. We believe the act was premeditated.”
“Premeditated?” she questioned. “Bette told me the Were in question was found drained in the Carousel room. If he was part of a planned conspiracy, then why is he dead?” Abigail looked at the two witches.
“I saw what happened to him,” Lane replied. “I don’t mean I witnessed his death firsthand. I have second sight. I can’t tell you much about him, other than his name was Mason. He was supposed to be a one-night stand for a stressed-out student.” She looked to Rémy. “I’m sorry, but I have to agree with your vampire friend. I don’t see how Mason was a part of this. Eve used a compulsion spell on him, so he’d take particular interest in her.”
Abigail exhaled a cutting breath.
Bewitch Me: The Red Veil Diaries: A Witchy/Fae Romance Page 12
