WarlocksAngel

by Marly Mathews

  “I don’t know how you ride around the village on that contraption. I’d rather ride around on a broomstick than on that thing, and I almost failed broomstick training when I was at the academy.”

  “You fly freely on broomsticks back on Vanguard?”

  “If we want to.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal. “Vanguard Prime is very much a world for witches and warlocks, not a mixed populace the way Earth is. Non-magical humans are by far in the minority. However, we vary in strengths. Some can barely make a potion let alone cast a spell.”

  “Maybe that’s why Vanguard had such a troubled history.”

  He eyed her warily. She shouldn’t have said it. She knew how his father’s family had been involved in that terrifying unrest back on Vanguard known as the Bloodbayne Terror.

  “The humans on this planet weren’t exactly kind to those of us blessed with magic hundreds of years ago,” he mused, making her concede his point.

  “You are right. Ignorance always breeds evil.” She gazed to the distant waves crashing against the rugged shoreline. A few moments of uneasy silence stretched between them.

  “I have never condoned what my father’s family did during that particularly ugly part of Vanguard’s history, Dallas. I can’t begin to imagine what would galvanize them into taking that course of action just because they could, but they did. No matter what happened during that dark period, Vanguard has come a long way. We’re a much more civilized planet now.”

  “And how do you feel about your father finally having to pay for his crimes?” News of Raymond White’s incarceration and trial had been plastered across every magical newspaper and magazine, and even the nightly news broadcast from Halifax covered it. Earth was very much invested in justice being served to those who had been the driving force behind the darkness that had befallen Vanguard all those years before. And though Raymond had been a very young man at the time, he had still been a warlock who had knowingly taken part in the suffering and slavery of many witches and warlocks­—her Aunt Angelica being one of those unfortunate souls.

  He looked away from her curious gaze. “My father can rot for all I care. He made too many bad decisions in his life by choosing to follow in his father’s footsteps. He could have broken the chain, but he chose not to, and now he must deal with the consequences of his actions.”

  “I guess that’s how I must look at what I did to my mother,” she said, sighing heavily as she opened the picnic basket.

  Cold broiled chicken legs and thighs along with potato salad and fresh tomato and cucumber salad awaited them. For dessert, she’d made some sinfully chocolaty brownies as she’d discovered Oliver had a weakness for anything chocolate.

  He reached across and gripped her wrist, pulling her toward him. “You didn’t do what you did knowing what would happen to your mother. You have to stop blaming yourself for her death. No one else blames you, so you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

  “My father and brother don’t think that way. Why do you think they left me behind? They probably can’t even stand the sight of me anymore.” Her voice strained with emotional hoarseness and before she could react he’d pulled her to him and pressed his lips softly against hers. The intimacy of the moment made her senses reel. He could be so terrifying with his enemies and so very gentle when it came to handling her. She sank into his embrace and allowed him to deepen the kiss. It went from being comforting to highly erotic.

  Oliver was hungry for more. She could sense the want rolling through him and as she reached up to stroke her fingers through his hair, she realized that she wanted more from him as well. They were in a nice, quiet, isolated spot but they could still be discovered if they decided to take their romance to the next level. She would rather have the privacy of her own home, and yet, she didn’t want to break this moment, didn’t want to give him a chance to cool his ardor.

  Never in her life had she dreamt that a man like Oliver would want her. He was a god of a warlock. His looks were unparalleled, his magic unmatched and he had a winning personality to go along with his power. He was a hell of a catch and she couldn’t figure out how he still remained unhitched. Surely many witches had tried to hook him?

  He broke off their heated kiss and sprang to his feet. “I think we should forget about lunch and move to a more private spot.”

  She groaned and got slowly to her feet. “We’ll have to bike home, because there isn’t anywhere private in this area.”

  He eyed her impishly. “What’s that over there?” He pointed to a spot directly behind her. Slowly, she turned with apprehension building in her gut.

  “Oliver, what did you do?” she asked, as her gaze settled on a quaint cottage not twenty feet from them.

  “I didn’t do anything. I merely used my talents to make us a little love nest. I hope it didn’t upset you. I know most warlocks and witches haven’t reached the level of conjuring dwellings like that one but I figure if you can do it, you might as well—do it.”

  “You need a zoning permit, a building permit and, and… You didn’t go through the right channels, Oliver. They might go after you for this— If they allowed every witch and warlock this sort of carte blanche, well…”

  His laugh rumbled through the clearing. “Has anyone ever told you that you worry too much?”

  “I’m not fretting needlessly. You might get into hot water over this.”

  “I’ve bought this tract of land, Dallas. When I came to Earth I knew I wouldn’t be able to squat at Redgrave House forever so I used what money I had and I bought this portion of land right by the sea. I loved the area and it seemed perfect for what I needed. I might improve the house a bit in the future but for now, it should do us just fine.”

  Her heart thrilled at his words. He’d just said “us”. Her face bloomed with redness.

  “Well, Dallas, I do believe you are blushing. At least I hope you’re blushing. You’re not angry about my plans for our future, are you?”

  Slowly, she shook her head. She couldn’t say anything because a huge lump had formed in her throat, choking her up. He had accepted her into his life.

  “I love it,” she said, flinging herself at him. He picked her up and swung her around. “Will it be as strong as any house built from the foundation up?”

  The sun was setting. Soon it would be pitch-black out here.

  “I did build it from the foundation up.” He chuckled.

  “You know what I mean,” she said, as they both regarded the house that was, for all intents and purposes, theirs. “Why don’t we go in and see if the bed works?” she asked mischievously. “That is if you conjured a bed?”

  “Are there shape-shifters on Vanguard?” he asked in a matter-of-fact tone, earning a puzzled look from Dallas.

  She tilted her head. He chuckled again. “That’s a yes,” he said. “To both statements.” He gave her a wink and scooped her up into his arms. “We should cleanse inside the house by carrying you over the threshold.”

  She rolled her eyes. “That’s just an old wives’ tale.”

  “Are you sure of that?” He kicked open the door and carried her into the small homey interior, shutting the door behind them. Though the house was small in comparison to her family home, the ceilings were high enough so he wouldn’t have to stoop to stand upright or go through doorways, as his six-foot-three frame usually overwhelmed most small spaces.

  “I guess we’ll be able to stay here when Anya arrives. This way we won’t get on each other’s nerves.”

  “Let’s talk about my sister later,” he mumbled. “Right now, I just want to focus on you.” He carried her through the living room to the first bedroom and gently plopped her down on the bed. Quickly, she rid herself of her leather jacket and tossed it across the room. She reached for him. He tumbled toward her and kissed her again, making her drunk on the passion sizzling between them. Her clothes felt heavy against her skin. She knew she wanted them off as fast as possible. He pulled away from her and stared at her intensely. She shive
red beneath the scorching heat of his gaze and became a bit self-conscious. He was looking at her in such a strange way.

  “This spot does have some gorgeous views.”

  He smiled at her, the kind of dazzling smile that made her warm from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She wanted him so badly and, though she’d never been this intimate with a man before, she had absolutely no reservations. She wanted to pounce on him like an animal in heat—she yearned that much to have him close to her.

  “You are perfect. I’m just relishing this special moment in time. For many years I never thought I’d meet a witch like you. You are unlike any other woman or witch that I’ve ever met, Dallas, and sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve such a blessing from above.”

  Her heart melted at that confession. He wanted to know what he’d done to deserve her and she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why he wanted her.

  “I think the same thing, Oliver. You must have had scads of girlfriends back on Vanguard. Why I’m quite certain that if I knew about all of them, I’d be green with jealousy.”

  He shrugged. “Not as many as what you’d like to imagine, sweetheart. I was all about my profession. I never had the time to woo and win any ladies of substance, and those I did date were not wife material, let me tell you that. They also liked to dabble in the dark arts a bit too much for my taste so those relationships inevitably ended badly.”

  She boldly started to unbutton her blouse. His mouth shut and his gaze dropped hungrily to the cleavage she’d just exposed for him. At least it didn’t take long to get his mind back on track. His hands went to still hers before she could unbutton the second to last button.

  “Let me,” he murmured huskily, his eyes blazing with his ardor.

  She shivered again beneath the heat of his gaze, and with trembling hands she gripped his wrists and thrummed at the delightful sparks of energy that shot between them. Dropping her hands to her sides, she allowed him to finish what she’d started. Her breath was ragged and her heart was racing. She was going to die and go straight to heaven and she felt high as if she’d been drugged by something wonderful.

  With deliberate intent, he unbuttoned the last button and his eyes feasted greedily on her bare skin. Her very unsexy bra stood before him. Had she known today was going to be the day she would have worn a prettier brassiere for him. Instead she had on one of her practical-but-not-pretty numbers.

  Her mind whirled once more as she realized she had on undies made for riding a bike, not looking sensual for her lover. What would he think when he saw the granny underpants? That just might turn him off from going any further.

  He slipped the blouse off her and brushed his fingers against the skin on her arms. Goose bumps pebbled along her flesh, making her inhale sharply and close her eyes as she waited impatiently for more. All he had to do was look at her and he made her feel all warm and gushy inside. Now that he was touching her bare skin, she felt quite out of this world. He was being so tender with her she still marveled at how he could deal so wickedly with those who would do her harm and yet, his manner toward her was so chivalrous. He was like a knight from the Medieval period.

  “Before we go any further,” he said, his voice husky. “I have to tell you that I’ve loved you since we first met, Dallas. My heart will always be yours, and I want to build a life with you here on Earth.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes, and she knew if she tried to speak her voice would shatter with emotional turmoil. She could never have dreamt that someone like Oliver would sweep into her life and turn her world upside down in a good way. Never before had she believed a man such as him would actually lose his heart to her. If she started to get all teary-eyed on him, he might get uncomfortable and leave. Most men didn’t like crying women.

  “I return your love, Oliver. I love you with every single fiber of my being.” She finally managed to get out the words with her voice shaking tremulously. “I never dreamt that the Gods would grace me with such a fine gift as you, Oliver, and to have my love for you returned in kind is almost too good to be true. I keep hoping I won’t wake up one day to find out it was just a dream.”

  “Never,” he murmured. He unzipped her jeans and the noise brought her back down from the cloud they’d been floating on. He seemed buoyed onward to continue their lovemaking, almost as if he wanted to prove his love for her, wanted to claim her as his own and never ever let her go.

  Before she knew it he had pulled off her pants and tossed them across the room. She laughed as he stared down at her the underwear he’d exposed. “Well, I do like a sensible woman—they actually look quite becoming on your dainty derriere.”

  She’d never had anyone refer to her butt as dainty. In truth, she was a small stature but her hips and her butt always frustrated her to no end. She had that curvaceous, hourglass feature and no matter how skinny she was her hips and butt were always well pronounced.

  “You are so gorgeous,” he murmured, the deep timbre of his voice affecting her deeply. Their touch was electric and she could only imagine how profoundly the joining of their bodies would impact her. If someone had told her two weeks ago she would meet the man of her dreams and have all her heart could ever desire in such a short space of time, she would have told them they had taken a trip to the funny farm. If only a vision had told her Oliver would one day come into her life. It might have made all those dark and lonely days that much more bearable.

  “Come with me, angel. Let’s make magic together,” he said, joining her on the bed. His hands roved over her body, eliciting the most heavenly sensations within her. She had spent so many frustrated nights alone, wishing for someone like Oliver. Now that she had him, she could only hope her innocence wouldn’t be a turn-off for him.

  She put her hand on his arm, stilling him as he kissed a trail down to her breasts. He removed her bra and tossed it aside. Her breathing hitched in her throat.

  “I’ve never done this…”

  “Shush, just let it flow,” he murmured huskily. “We were meant for each other, Dallas. Everything will be fine,” he assured her, making her uneasiness subside. She trusted him and she wanted him. Nothing could be better than this. She was right where she wanted to be—she was with the love of her life.

  Her heart raced as he traced the globes of her breasts with his fingers. He added his mouth and kissed the spot between her breasts, and then cupping one breast, he kissed the other and sucked lightly on her nipple. She almost bucked off the bed as more strange sensations flowed throughout her body. She didn’t want to be anywhere else right now. She could stay like this with Oliver for an eternity.

  Oliver looked up at Dallas. Her eyes snapped with the passion crackling inside her. He wanted to kiss every single beautiful inch of her body. Slowly, he pulled off her rather boring-looking underwear and put one of her legs up on his shoulder. She’d kicked off her shoes earlier and now only wore socks. He pulled off her sock and kissed the sole of her foot, causing a shiver to travel up her leg. He rubbed her smooth calf and marveled at the muscles in her legs. She must bike every single day, because her legs seemed stronger than most of the women he’d met. Most had little sticks that had no sight of muscle in them.

  Gently, he placed her leg down and reached for the other, doing the same to it. She was laid bare for him now, and he would readily take what she offered.

  He didn’t feel like taking the time to remove his own clothing, so he used his magic to speed up the process. She laughed as his magical light lit up the room.

  “You truly are a rare talent. That’s some kind of skill to be able to do that kind of magic,” she said, a teasing tone in her voice.

  He chuckled and climbed up toward her so his body was over hers. He took a moment to cherish the way she looked. The love in her eyes would haunt him until his dying day. He’d never had anyone look at him in such a way before. It thrilled him to his core and made him want to take this moment and bottle it for posterity.

  Then he moved again
, back to give attention to her legs.

  He kissed his way down her body and stopped when he arrived at his destination. “So, you are a real blonde. Interesting.”

  She laughed as he kissed her there and moaned deeply when he started to pleasure her with his mouth. She was wet and ready for him but he wanted to take it slowly. They had all night, and this was a moment for her to remember for the rest of her life.

  From the way she started to squirm, he could see that she wasn’t exactly comfortable with what he was doing. “Don’t you like it?”

  “I…well, yes…but…”

  “But what? Let your inhibitions free, Dallas. You’ve been caged up in your predictable existence for far too long. It’s time to walk a little on the wild side and no one does wild quite as well as me.”

  She reached down and raked her hands through his hair. “I’m ready, Oliver. I want more than just your mouth down there—not that you’re not using your tongue properly and all that, but…”

  He used his abilities to open the cottage so that the early evening stars were now upon them, basking them in their natural kind of magic.

  She sighed in awe. “You can put the roof back on in case it starts to rain, right?” she asked.

  He laughed and raised himself above her. Taking his hand, he entwined his fingers with hers. With her focused entirely on him, he took that moment to thrust into her. She wrapped her legs around him, and succeeded in pulling him deeper inside her. He used his magic to dull her pain so she would only feel the pleasure that their joining would create for her. The small bit of healing magic he knew was actually coming in handy for him.

  As he pushed her toward her climax, an emotional wave hit him with the impact of a punch to the gut. He closed his eyes against the unsettling sensations that rocked through him. They were bonding to each other in more ways than one. He could hear voices from the past and voices from the future.