HotHardHexing

by Mari Freeman

  She reached for his stomach, gently grazing her fingers across his heated skin. His olive complexion was a stark difference from the ivory skin of her hand. His muscles tightened under her touch. His hips moved. It was beautiful. She’d never had anyone respond to her that way. She was dripping wet but afraid the vision would disappear again.

  He moaned. “Please.” The sound of his voice, gravely and needful, pushed her over the edge. She reached out and grabbed his stiff cock. No care for being gentle. If it was her vision, she wanted everything to be her way.

  She stroked him, squeezing his length, knowing he liked it a little rough but not knowing how she knew. He bucked. She pulled away. She heard the rush of air leave his lungs before he turned his head toward her and opened his eyes. Those intense, beautiful eyes. He didn’t speak. He was begging without begging.

  She leaned over him, got on her knees and ran her tongue the length of his cock. Tracing that fat vein just as she had imagined. She circled around the head and back down his shaft. He’d quit moving, letting her control the experience. She took him into her mouth and slid down his shaft as far as she could and rested there, feeling the thickness of him against her throat. The scent of fresh soap teased her senses. He remained unbelievably still.

  She wanted a reaction. Sonja lightly moved her tongue back and forth along his heated skin while he was still deep in her mouth. That worked. He jerked, trying to push in farther. She relaxed and let him, holding her breath. It wasn’t much, but he was deeper.

  In her eagerness, she gave him only a moment to enjoy the sensation. Sonja wanted to be fucked before the vision faded like the others. She was aching with need. Teasing with little flicks of her tongue, she pulled away slowly until he slipped from her lips.

  She eased herself over his splayed body, admiring the shape of his thighs, the way his chest had just a sprinkling of hair despite the thick beard. When her gaze made it to his face, his eyes were open. He had the slyest little grin on his face. She reached between her spread legs and grabbed his hard cock. His eyes fluttered and then he blinked to focus back on her. She rubbed his smooth head over her folds to slick his shaft…

  Then her body started floating.

  “No!” She screamed with her lungs but her body cried out in unison. She wanted him. She needed him. Her surroundings swirled and twisted into a melted array of confusing colors. The laughter she heard earlier seemed louder as it reverberated off into the abyss.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  She was back in the tub. Sweating from the heat and the racking need her body was fighting. Her fingers were buried deep in her folds—and someone was banging on the door.

  She had presumed the “further instructions” would be a phone call, but what did she know? In old movies, bellhops delivered messages. She tried taking a few deep breaths while attempting to pull tight jeans over wet skin. Her senses were still reeling from the vision. At least she knew it wasn’t a premonition now. No way would Ray ever sleep with her. Not after she’d whacked his head and stolen his stuff. She snickered at the thought.

  Three more sharp knocks filled in the room. “I’ll be right there.” Her arm got tangled in the shirt as she yanked it over her head. She’d worry about a bra later. Someone rapped again. Hard. “Jeez.”

  She stopped short of the door. Bellhops delivering messages might not bang like that. Her heart skipped a few beats. Unless he was really busy. But then why not just shove the note under the door?

  If the kidnapper had shown up, she so wasn’t ready. Now she wished she’d taken that shotgun Ray loved so much. She looked around the room. Not much to use as a weapon. There was a set of three ornate, metal candleholders on the floor by the bed. The smallest was as tall as her waist. She gently set the pretty rose-colored candle on the nightstand and held the huge candlestick like a bat. It was heavy.

  “Who’s there?” she barked at the door as she tried to sneak up on the peephole afraid of giving herself way. All she saw was the back of someone in a black shirt. Didn’t all bad guys wear black shirts?

  “Sonja, open this door.” The man turned and Sonja dropped the candlestick.

  Ray. How the hell? She turned and leaned back against the door. Wait. She spun to take another look.

  The beard. The hair. All gone. And a black cowboy hat.

  “Oh my,” she breathed. She had been attracted to him when she couldn’t see his face. Now? Even through the contortions of the peephole she could tell he was drop-dead gorgeous.

  “I mean it,” he growled.

  “I bet you do.” She huffed. How was she supposed to cope with him now? She was still wet from mounting him in her vision. She had no clue what to do. He wouldn’t go away. She knew it. If they saw him here—

  “You have a delivery, Ms. Ambercroft.” His voice was sweet as syrup. “You better open the door and tip this young man.”

  Nell looked out and, sure enough, there was now a smiling bellhop by Ray’s side with an arrangement of yellow daises in a small vase. She grabbed the doorknob and steeled herself for what was coming.

  It was a grand opening of the door. She flung it wide and stepped back so the bellman had to come into the room. She wanted him there for a moment so she could get her bearings before being left alone with Ray.

  The young man made his way past both she and Ray, placing the flowers on the little table under the huge window that overlooked a garden the likes of which Sonja had never seen. He spotted the candlestick lying on the floor and quickly righted it and replaced the candle.

  “Thank you,” Ray said to the boy. “Saved me a concussion there, I believe.” The bellman gave him a strange look and then stood straight and eager in his navy uniform with sharp, gold trim.

  Ray gave her an exaggerated well? expression. “It seems I have no wallet at the moment. Maybe you should take this one.”

  Oh, yeah. Sonja rushed to fish several bills from her pack as Ray looked around the suite, ducking his head into the bedroom. “Thank you,” she said to the boy.

  “This too.” He handed her a small, cheap-looking cell phone. “It came with the flowers.”

  Sonja took it with trembling hands. This was it. She looked at Ray. His grim expression softened just a bit. Without the beard covering half his face, somehow his eyes were even more expressive.

  “Thank you,” Ray said, indicating the open door to the bellhop.

  She grabbed the card off the flowers as Ray closed the door and tossed his hat on the small sofa. “There’s only one number,” she read aloud. “Call it.” She flipped the phone open. There was indeed just one name on the screen—Q. It was right there when she opened the phone, as if it had been recently dialed.

  She didn’t want to press that send key. Hesitating, she looked at Ray. “Why are you here?”

  “You stole my wallet.” He sat in the mauve recliner by the table, his legs stretched impossibly long out in front of him. He crossed his arms. “You need to get the Prime involved.”

  “I can’t. Did you see this room?” She motioned in a circle with the phone. The opulent room was beautifully decorated with things her budget would never allow. “The bathroom sink is hammered stainless steel.”

  “I get it, Sonja. But the fact this guy is well funded only proves my point. We are in way over our heads.”

  He was right.

  “I have no choice. If I call in help, she’s dead. And you have to leave now. If they’re close… You’re a cop.”

  He winced at her statement. “I was a cop. Now I’m a mechanic. Or I was until you stumbled onto my property, broke the law and then robbed me.” He stood to peer around the edge of the closed curtains.

  “It sounds bad when you say it that way.” The facts were correct. It was the delivery she didn’t like. Why? Because she’d almost slept with him in her mind and it mattered what he thought.

  Oh Goddess. That was the most ridiculous thing ever. She had feelings for him now? How was that possible? She spun away from him and breathed deeply.
r />   “Is this better?” He changed his tone. Sam Elliott had nothing on that voice. “You borrowed from me…”

  The sexy in his voice made her turn to tell him to shut the hell up, but the words died in her throat. He was all serious eyes and smoldering stance, his hands on his hips, chest puffed out like a bodybuilder in a show pose. He sauntered a step or two closer.

  “And you snuck your cute little butt up and whomped me in the back of the head.”

  That just made matters worse. “You can stop that. I know what I did. I’m sorry, okay? My cousin’s life is on the line.” The hitch in her voice made his eyes soften.

  “Exactly. And you keep trying to handle that all on your own.” He gripped her shoulders. “You cannot do this by yourself.”

  Sonja pulled away and went to the window to look out. For what, she had no idea. The gardens were beautiful. A couple was strolling hand in hand up a stone path. She wanted to be down there. Be here on vacation instead of here in desperation.

  “I have to.”

  The cheap cell phone rang.

  Ray moved closer so he could hear the conversation as she pushed the button to answer the call. She didn’t shoo him away. He was hoping that was a step toward acknowledging she needed his help.

  “You were supposed to call.” The voice on the other end was a bit too deep. Like a real bad human actor trying to play a Vampire in a low-budget film.

  “I…um…was about to. The phone was in my hand.” Sonja swallowed hard.

  “Are you alone?”

  Ray nodded for her to answer. “Yeah.”

  “Ms. Ambercroft, it’s obvious you don’t follow instructions very well. You were to be here by three. You were late. You were to be alone. You have a friend. You were not to play with the merchandise and lose it.” He let a second of silence pass before going on. “I will not hold the use of the talisman against you, however, because it wasn’t specifically forbidden in my letter.”

  Sonja’s jaw was moving as if to say something, to deny or argue, but Ray gave her a flip of the wrist, a signal to let him roll. He mouthed, Trust me. To his surprise, she remained silent.

  “Moving forward, you now have an issue. The box is singing across time and space, looking for those who have a deep lust for power and no scruples for how they get it. That is now your problem. So it’s a good thing you have mountain man’s help. Things seem to have a way of working themselves out, you know. You two are to get the talisman to New Orleans.”

  “New Orleans?” She stomped her foot. Ray had to give the girl some credit. She has some chutzpah. “But you said to bring it here!”

  “I did. And now I say to take it to New Orleans.” He cleared his throat. “Put me on speaker and tell your friend to get a piece of paper.” Ray grabbed a hotel notepad from the nightstand.

  “Now. Tomorrow night, midnight, you two will show up at the Paradise Private Club. It’s at Canal and Exchange streets in the Quarter. You’ll have to ask a local exactly where it is, as there’s no real sign at street level. Request the presidential room. Have some cash to grease the doorman.”

  Ray scribbled the directions as Sonja watched nervously.

  “Not only is the box calling out because of your attempt to find me, but your mind has been left extremely open—to Dreamstalkers and such.” He let out a very taunting laugh and Ray watched as Sonja paled considerably.

  Ray had heard of the Dreamstalkers. They were rare and very dangerous. They could enter people’s minds, manipulate dreams and even influence decisions. The Council closely monitored all known Dreamstalkers.

  “Thus the very evocative images I’ve been able to share with you,” the Q person continued. “Not such a torment, as you seemed to have enjoyed every minute of them. I know I have.”

  If she was susceptible to him, it could be dangerous to her on several levels. Sonja’s sanity was in as much danger as her cousin.

  “That’s just disgusting.” Her words were crisp and forceful but her face looked as if she were ill.

  He laughed again. “Ah, well. I can change the content of those images, if you prefer. But I’m enjoying the game we’re playing now. I felt you push for more, you know.” He cleared his throat again. “I shall see you in New Orleans. No more heroics out of you or your dream lover there.” There was a few seconds of silence. “Oh. And I’ve already had Kara moved. The little fox is not very happy. Understood?”

  Sonja only nodded. Ray didn’t understand much of the last part of the conversation but he didn’t like the look on her face. The line beeped as the kidnapper disconnected the call.

  Chapter Seven

  “Looks like you’re stuck with me,” Ray said as he plopped back into the big chair. He looked over the notepad in his hand. “Now, fill me in on the rest of it.”

  Sonja had no idea what to say. Well, let’s see. I’ve been having fantasies about having sex with you since before I ever laid eyes on you. And there’s the issue of a very creepy guy named Q being onsite in my brain, as it happens.

  She felt a bit faint. Nope. Not going there. “Irrelevant to this situation.” Not a good enough answer, but it was all he was getting for the moment. “We need to make arrangements to get to New Orleans.”

  “Huh. I think not. He’s got some kind of power over you. You turned white as a ghost there at the end. What game was he talking about?” He crossed his arms and gave her a look with a very sexy raised eyebrow that would have melted her in any other situation. But right now the thought of sex with him was icky. Well, not that having sex with him would be icky, but having sex with him while Q rattled around in her head would make her feel violated.

  No way was she telling Ray about the visions Q had thrust on her. She wanted to be sick. She wanted Ray to leave so she didn’t have look at him, but she was also doubly thankful to have someone to help her get the box all the way to New Orleans. Exhaustion and a headache were taking over. When was the last time she’d had any sleep?

  “I’m tired. I’ll go make flight arrangements and then I’m going to bed.” She dug into her bag and retrieved her own cell. It barely had any power left. She fished out her charger.

  Ray leaned over and picked up the room-service menu. “You’re not paying the bill, are you?”

  Sonja’s stomach growled. It’d been longer since she’d eaten than since she’s slept. She shook her head.

  “Sweet.” He flipped through the long menu. “Too bad he didn’t get our plane tickets,” he added.

  Sonja just grumbled as she looked up a travel agent’s number.

  * * * * *

  Food arrived while she was still on hold. The travel arrangements were almost complete. Last-minute flights were expensive and it was hard to manage two seats on overbooked flights. In the process, she’d discovered from Ray’s ID that he was five-eleven, weighed one hundred and eighty-five pounds and was only thirteen days older than Sonja. She studied the picture on the card. The beard was so thick. The same as it had been in her visions. She liked his clean-shaven look, but was missing the beard that she’d grown accustomed to in her fantasies.

  Oh dear Goddess. She needed to find a way to block this Q weirdo from invading her mind. And fast. She was going nuts.

  As the room service waiter uncorked a bottle of wine, she slid into a chair across from Ray. “You need to get your own room.”

  He didn’t answer, instead sending the waiter on his way with a signature to the bill. Ray lifted the covers from the food. The wonderful aroma that rose from her steak and potato elicited another loud growl from her stomach.

  Without a reply to her comment, he cocked an eyebrow. “Where’s the box, Sonja?” He cut into his steak. “I don’t feel the blood magic at all. It can’t be here.” He popped a big bite into his mouth and chewed with a groan that made her clench her teeth. “Goddess, that’s good.”

  Sonja cut into her meat. It was perfectly medium rare, just as she liked it. With closed eyes, she savored her own mouthful, the tender texture and rich flavor. H
e was right. This had to be the best steak ever. She followed the bite with a healthy sip of wine. Okay, it was a gulp, but she needed it. Maybe it all tasted so good because she was starving and beat.

  “It’s safe,” she answered once the rich red was warming her from her belly outward.

  “Where could possibly be safe for that thing?” He dug into his broccoli.

  She shrugged. “The only place I could think of that other creepy things already reeking of blood magic might be is the train station. I was right.” She took another big sip from the glass. “There were all kinds of bottom dwellers hanging around that place. Addicts were everywhere.” Addicts were just that, rogue Vampires who preyed upon human addicts, sharing the drugs circulating in their blood stream. The sticky magic of strung-out rouge Vamps was really close to the vibes the box put off.

  He nodded as he chewed.

  “It’s in a locker.” Several more bites and another swig from the glass and Sonja was feeling the effects of the wine and food. She felt lighter. His approval made her feel confident that she’d done something right for a change. Seems since the ransom note showed up, she’d been running in panic mode. It was very unlike her, really. Most the decisions she’d made in the last few days had been unlike her. “I didn’t want it here. I had no idea what I was getting into at the hotel.”

  He took a drink. “Bargaining power. Good thinking.” He rubbed the back of his head.

  The compliment meant more to her than it probably should have. “Sorry about hitting you.” She finished off her broccoli in an oversized bite. “I was desperate. Are you okay?”

  “I’ll have a headache for a week, but I’ll manage. I won’t press charges.” He poured more wine, gave her a wink. “And you’re not desperate now?”

  That was a good question. Ray was interrogating her. Asking questions that would eventually lead up to what he really wanted to know as he tried to figure things out. She’d read enough mysteries to catch that. Who could blame him? “No. It was stupid to try and use it. I know that. That’s what caused all the desperation. If I use my wits, I’ll be okay.”