by Leela Ash
“…or the most important one!” Paige finished.
“Exactly. And if these weren’t in the top tote, they’ve got to be something special.”
“So, what exactly did he grab?” Rex asked.
“Buncha crap,” the Dragon replied.
Bree scowled. “They’re not crap. They’re all magical.”
“I stand corrected,” Finn grumbled. “Buncha magical things that look like all the other crap.”
His wife rolled her eyes. “I admit, we can’t tell why these pots are special. But they must be.”
“Unless totes got moved after Paige left,” Rex added. “Sorry to rain on the parade, but it’s possible.”
“It is,” Bree admitted. “The Sedona Warren offered to do a more formal examination of the items. If it’s okay with you, Finn and I will rent a U-Haul and cart all those relics down to them. Maybe someone can find a clue.”
The offer seemed to puzzle Rex. “Why are you asking me? They’re not my artifacts.”
“Because if I don’t get somebody’s permission,” Finn said with a hard grin, “every Shifter gossip will sputter about how the awful First Flight swooped in and stole our relics. You called the Shifter meeting. This stuff was found in your resort. In my book, that means you make the call.”
“Take ‘em, then,” Rex said. “And if anyone bitches, send them to me. By the way, do we have any idea what the Fangs are up to? What do defaced kivas and a blob monster have to do with stolen pots?”
It was a question that worried Paige too.
The Donnellys hesitated, and it was Bree who spoke first. “We do. Paige, the Hare you captured spilled her guts in exchange for a more merciful sentence. As we suspected, the Fangs are snatching up as many relics as they can find. They brought them to that safe house, where she ID’d the magical ones. Freeman took those to Novak, who, she believes, shipped them on to the Worm in charge of this operation.”
“And the blob?” Paige asked. “The vandalism?”
“Practice.” Bree’s face grew pinched and worried.
“For what?”
“Sipapus aren’t Wellsprings. They’re not meant to summon things into this world. In fact, on their own, they help spirits from this world pass on to the Other Side. The Fangs are trying to change that. To figure out a way to pry them open and twist them in ways their makers never intended.”
Rex winced. “So, they’re trying to turn sipapus into Wellsprings?”
“No.” The Hare chose her next words carefully. “They’re trying to turn them into temporary gates through which they can summon…things.”
“I get it,” Rex said. “Like that blob.”
“Something much worse.” Even the big Dragon lowered his voice. “That blob was only a test run. The Fangs’ true goal is to summon one creature. One big, ugly thing.”
“What is it?” Paige whispered.
With a grimace, the Dragon shrugged. “That Hare didn’t know. But whatever it is, it’s bad.”
And the Fangs of Apophis wanted to summon it.
In their back yard.
Chapter 15.
After dinner, they all toasted marshmallows over the fire pit. The kids made sure Rex knew every single thing that had happened while he was out. How Eden made soup for him all by herself, with totally no help at all from Paige. How Jake came up with the idea for the blanket fort and what Sam did to make it ‘betterer’. All of the little ones swore that they were going to stay up all night. Yet, time and food proved them wrong. One by one, they dozed off and were carried to bed.
Which left just Paige and Rex, alone by the fire.
It should have been pure romance, a perfect, intimate moment. Instead, she found herself floundering in awkward silence.
Oh, she felt passion’s siren call. Moon and fire cast long shadows across Rex’s face. He lounged on his chair with the casual ease of a man in his den, confident and in control. How she longed to join him. To slip her hands around that broad, powerful chest. To snuggle close and feel his arms weave around her, protecting her from all the world.
Yet there they sat, him on one side of the fire, her on the other. Proper. Polite. Cool. A world apart.
Rex was the first to break that uncomfortable ice. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, thank you. I’m not a big fan of whiskey.”
“Got some nice wine too.”
“Sorry,” she said with an apologetic smile. “I’ve tried that too and wasn’t fond of it.”
“You ‘tried’ wine?” For some reason, that seemed to amuse him. “What kind?”
“Both of them. Red and white. Didn’t like either. Too bitter.”
Rex’s lips twitched. “Hang on. I’ve got one that isn’t ‘bitter’….” When he returned, he held two enormous glasses. “Humor me, okay? Try one sip.”
One couldn’t hurt, right? Especially, a small one.
Paige knew, vaguely, that there were things you did before you drank wine. Sniff a cork, wave the glass around, that sort of stuff. The cork was nowhere to be found, so she gave the goblet a little waggle and then poured the tiniest bit into her mouth and gulped.
The taste that filled her mouth startled her. Light yet earthy, touched with a hint of raspberry. Rex was right! Not bitter at all! Paige took a second, larger, sip and held it in her mouth, letting that smooth, velvety flavor surround her tongue.
He leaned back to enjoy her confusion. “Good?”
“Actually…yes!”
“That’s what I thought. You don’t hate wine. You hate bad wine. This is a pinot noir, and it’s very, very good.”
At first, they sat in a comfortable wordless peace. Sipping wine, watching the moon, and listening to the crackle of the blaze. Yet, slowly, gently, the wine worked its magic. Paige started talking. First, about simple things. His beautiful home. How much she adored his children. The wine’s glow spread through her, loosening knots deep within her soul. Freed, she spoke of other, deeper matters. Leonard. Her hopes for Cortez. The fear—and yes, joy—she’d felt since learning about Shifters.
For the most part, Rex just listened. Now and then, he tossed out a question. She asked a few of her own. About his wife and his parents. Each time, he deftly changed the subject. If she wished to bare her soul, he was eager to learn. His own past, however, remained a secret.
When the bottle stood empty and she drained the last drops from her glass, he smiled at her. “Probably time for us to go to bed.”
Paige beamed at him. Why, yes! Yes, it was! Rex was so damned clever!
“A real bed this time?” she asked. “Or the pool again?”
“The pool? What do you… Oh.” His mouth opened into a perfect ‘O’ of surprise. “Shit, I’m sorry. I actually meant ‘bed.’ As in, sleep.”
“You want to go to sleep? Now?” Her disapproving stare was only slightly unsteady.
“Yes, I do.”
“Well, I don’t!” she chirped, the words slipping out before she could catch them.
“Paige.” Laughter and exasperation warred in his voice. “I’m not taking advantage of you when you’ve had too much wine.”
“I haven’t had too much wine!” she protested. “I’ve had…enough!”
“Enough for what, exactly?”
“Enough to stop running.” Under her somber gaze, his amusement died away, fading to something far more serious. “Enough to dare tell you, Rex Fairburn, that I want you. I don’t care if you’re out of my league….”
“Who said that?” Indignation lit his face. “Tell me you don’t believe that!”
She didn’t bother to answer. “I don’t care if I’m just a housekeeper and you’re a millionaire. I want you. Now. Tonight.”
“Paige,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I can’t. You need to go to bed.”
Tossing her nose in the air, she threw her arms wide. “Well, if you think I’m so darned drunk, I guess you’ll have to carry me to bed, won’t you?”
Finally, her teasing wo
n a sly grin from him. “Is that supposed to be a challenge?”
With no more warning, he crouched beside her. Strong arms wrapped around her and suddenly, she was flying, tossed into the air. Paige shrieked with delight as he caught her tight against his chest. Rex tried for a frown—but he couldn’t quite pull it off. “And now, to bed!” he growled.
Which gave her a couple of minutes to work on her plan….
She wove her own arms around his neck, cuddling close. With her cheek against his throat, she could feel the beat of his heart. A rhythm that grew quicker, hungrier at the feel of her breasts pressed against his chest.
As he kicked open the door to the living room, she kissed him on his jaw. Letting the warmth of her breath whisper against his ear.
“Paige…,” he groaned.
Lower her lips moved. Down, tasting the taut muscles of his neck. Nuzzling beneath his collar to savor the hidden planes of his shoulder. A pause and then her mouth rose to his throat again. Teasing, delighting in the hard pulse that her touch roused. As he reached the stairs, her mouth rose too. Her lips closed around the lobe of his ear, sucking, and his breath grew ragged. Playfully, she nipped him and was rewarded with a low moan of desire.
At the top of the stairs, he paused. Her seduction was a delicious honey that slowed him, trapped him. A snare his body welcomed.
“Paige... I shouldn’t….” His words, heavy with the longing that sang in his blood, struggled vainly against his desire.
“Why not?” she whispered with a kiss. “Why shouldn’t we take what we both want?”
“But what will−”
“Hush.” A finger across his lips silenced him. “Forget the future. We’re here, now.”
And neither of them doubted what they wanted at that moment. The last of his reservations crumbled as he held her.
“You’re right. Tomorrow can take care of itself.”
Passion spurred him fast, bold, down the hall. The door to his room lay open, moonlight flooding through its floor-to-ceiling windows. There, before the desert and the night sky, he carried her to the bed and laid her down upon its soft linens.
Drained of color by the moon’s cool light, he stood above her, painted in black and white like a hero from some old movie. Slowly, he pulled his shirt off. Chiseled abs appeared and thick, curly chest hair. Each movement made those muscles flex and gave her another, fuller glimpse of his tantalizing body.
When he tossed the shirt aside, she repaid him. One by one, she popped open the buttons of her blouse. Teasing him, inch by inch, with glimpses of her bra and breasts. As the last button surrendered beneath her fingers, she arched her back. The shirt slid across her skin as he stared, intoxicated by the first hints of her nakedness. Up her breasts rose, and she tugged the shirt off. With a flick of her wrist, she sent it flying to join his forgotten clothes.
And then, it was his turn. Back and forth they went, each peeling off one piece of clothing. His pants, revealing the hard, firm curves of his butt. Her bra, releasing her eager breasts to the moon’s kiss. Every pass stripped away another piece of cloth, another barrier that kept them apart.
The last veil was thrown aside, leaving nothing to hide them. Her laying on the bed, eager, the swell of her hips and breasts echoed by the pillows that propped her up. Him standing tall, hard and sculpted, his cock beginning to jut with arousal.
He settled beside her, propping himself up on one elbow. One hand stroked her flank and stomach. In its wake, her skin tingled with anticipation. Under its caresses, she felt herself grow damp. Soon, their union would be complete.
And yet….
And yet, Paige found herself wanting more. Yearning, longing for this moment to last, for her need to grow hotter, fiercer. Years with Leonard had taught her the rhythm of sex. How it ended too soon, before she’d known the heights of true pleasure.
Kiss me, she almost begged him. Keep this passion alive for just a few minutes longer!
But no. With firm hands, he slid her legs apart. Her plea died unspoken as he lowered himself and kissed her breasts. Soft, warm lips circled her nipple, sucking. Delicious, wonderful…if only she didn’t know that this signaled the end of their love-making.
Lower he slid, kissing hips and flanks. And then, Rex Fairburn did something that Leonard had never dared in all their years together. Crouched between her thighs, he bent down over her womanhood and kissed it.
A bolt of purest pleasure—hot, fierce—coursed through her body. She could feel the heat of his breath against the short fuzz that covered her most private parts. Hinting at exquisite pleasures yet to come.
Higher he kissed her, along the bottom of her belly. Lips teasing, so close. Then his hand stole between her legs. Another rush of excitement swept over her as his fingers explored her damp hair. Stroking, rubbing.
A low moan escaped her as those fingers pulled away. And immediately, his mouth answered her wordless plea.
His face pressed against her pussy, kissing, suckling closer. Beneath its touch, the folds that hid her clitoris slipped apart, admitting him. His tongue flickered out, lapping at that hidden treasure.
Shudders swept through her with each sweet, wet stroke. Paige wailed, her fingers knotted in the tangled bed sheets, writhing against him as her helpless body tossed. And when his lips closed tight around her nub, sucking….
“Stop!” she gasped. “Stop! I can’t….”
Sweet agony as the pleasuring ceased. She struggled to keep herself from being swept over the edge, from being swallowed by her own desire before he had been fulfilled.
But her cries, the delirious, animal movements of her body, had roused him fully. Rex raised himself above her. Hard, eager, hot. And then he plunged into her welcoming cleft.
Teased to the edge of rapture, she cried out as he filled her. Driven by their shared need, she wrapped her legs tightly against him. Riding each stroke. Holding him within her for one moment, until his powerful legs broke free. Only to drive in, again and again, until, with a pure, wail of joy, she came.
Another thrust… a second, as she floated, caught in the waves of pleasure. Then, with a moan of wild delight, he came, joining her in release.
Panting, he collapsed beside her. Paige curled against his chest and together, they cuddled, beneath the moon’s approving gaze.
Chapter 16.
The morning sun rose over a scene that the Fairburn family had not seen in years. For once, there was no sign of the traditional insanity of breakfast.
Rex surveyed the dining room, numb with shock. Toast, pancakes, eggs and juice all appeared at the same time. All hot—and all unique. Big flapjacks for him and Micah. A plate of small animal-shaped pancakes for the little kids. And the eggs! Sunnyside up for him, over-easy for the kids. Plus, ‘baked into shoe leather’ for little Sam. There was even a plate of no-crust toast, which Nate happily dunked into his egg yolks, to his brother’s disgust.
Paige, the author of this miracle, finally joined them. “How did you manage this?” he murmured. “I’m lucky if one thing is warm by the time I get it to the table.”
“Magic,” she said, then burst out laughing at the look on his face. “I’m joking, silly! It’s just practice.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Personally, my money’s on magic!”
Another bite of pancakes, thick with maple syrup. A chunk of crisp, buttery toast. A gulp of sharp, rich coffee to wash it down. Rex fell silent, lost in the simple pleasures of a perfectly prepared breakfast.
This was heaven. Let other men drown themselves in the luxuries of New York and Los Angeles. For him, this was as good as life got. Food, warm and tasty. His children surrounding him, happy and chattering. And his… his….
MATE!
…woman beside him. The last echoes of the night’s passion lingered in his body.
It was perfect. For the first time since Ashley’s death, he felt truly happy. Not ‘content’. Not ‘strong enough to face tomorrow alone’. Not ‘good enough not to bum th
e kids out’.
Happy.
Today, he dared to hope that tomorrow might be more than ‘endurable’—it might be wonderful and special. A dream lost to him these four long years.
All because of her. Paige Hall. Over his steaming mug, Rex studied her. The soft lines of her round, sweet face. That one wayward bang that kept flopping down in front of her eyes. The graceful curves of her long neck and the supple strength of her tanned body.
Our Mate, his Bear rumbled, filled with simple delight.
For once, he didn’t have the heart to disagree. He could make a life with this woman. Together, they could weave another thread into this large, blended family. With her by his side, the future would be a promise—not an enemy that needed to be defeated or survived.
If that was what she wanted.
He knew she wanted him. Last night left no doubts on that score. She loved the children already, with the open heart of a simple, pure soul. She even loved him, despite his temper and awkwardness. He believed what she told him during Jake’s rescue (even if he hadn’t had the time—or the courage—to admit that he, too, felt something deeper than friendship).
In fairy tales, that would be enough. True love always led to happily ever after, right?
Unfortunately, they lived in the real world. Here, love didn’t always sweep you away to a shining white castle. Sometimes, it dragged you to the twisted, burning wreck of a car on Route 491.
That memory cast a bitter chill across the morning’s peace.
Stop it. Ashley would kick your ass if she heard this whining. She’d tell you to move on. To keep living. To find a Mate, a mother for her children. Someone to love them and care for them when she couldn’t.
Someone to care for him too.
A hand stroked his arm, drawing him out of that brooding. “Hey. You okay?” Paige asked.
“Yeah. Just thinking. About, uh, this mess.” Better a lie than to admit he’d been meditating on his dead wife. He was about to apologize for letting the food she’d cooked grow cold. When he glanced at his plate, though, he realized that he’d wolfed it all down.
Good thing I’m a man who can brood and eat at the same time.
