Constant Cravings

by Tracey H. Kitts

  “Exactly,” the men answered together.

  I stood up and put my cup in the sink. “Let me make sure I’ve got a grasp on all of this. You believe that the grim reaper of magical beings is in town for some unknown reason and you plan to just go have a chat with him?”

  “Why not? He isn’t after me,” Liam said.

  “How do you know?” I asked.

  “Because I’m not hard to find.”

  “What help could he be to us?”

  “Remember all those random hunters I mentioned? Well, if one of them is loose in the city, he’ll know about it. There is still a possibility we might be looking for a werewolf or something similar. Marco wouldn’t know about wolves that belong to the Hunt. Many of them are centuries old, pledging their lives and their souls to the service of Cernunnos. Who knows how they might have changed in all that time?”

  “So you’re saying it’s still possible that I saw a werewolf with glowing red eyes?”

  “Maybe.”

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  Chapter Eleven

  I listened while they shared stories they’d heard about the Wild Hunt. I was beginning to wonder if talking to this Cernunnos was worth the trouble. I still hadn’t worked up the nerve to ask what he looked like.

  “Why are you being so helpful?” Liam asked Nym. “Not that you haven’t helped me out in the past, but this goes above and beyond on gathering information.” The elf shrugged. “Curiosity. The whole thing is just so fucking bizarre. I mean, something out of nowhere ate her friend and now it looks like the Wild Hunt is in town.” He shivered as a smile spread across his face. “Isn’t it exciting?” He looked at me and added quickly, “Not that getting eaten by a strange monster is exciting. I’m really sorry about that.”

  “Me too,” I said. It was nice to be able to offer him a smile. Thanks to Liam’s potion I was no longer grieving; I just wanted to know what the hell happened to Rachel and why.

  “Besides, it isn’t like my schedule fills up that quickly,” Nym said.

  “Don’t you work?” I asked.

  “Nym is independently wealthy,” Liam answered.

  The term “independently wealthy” brought to mind my favorite superhero and his multitalented butler. I moved to stand beside Nym’s chair and pinched the tip of one pointy ear. “Just a rich little elf looking for a good time?” I teased.

  He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me onto his lap so fast all I could do was squeal.

  “You know where I can find one?” he asked.

  “Probably not with Cernunnos,” Liam said, laughing. “But I suppose that all depends on your idea of a good time.”

  “What’s your idea of a good time?” Nym asked me.

  “Having two sexy men clean my house.”

  I was only joking, but as I watched them a few minutes later cleaning my house I had to admit I liked what I saw.

  “Is there somewhere I can spread these out?” Liam asked. He was holding a handful of wet clothes, including his leather pants.

  “I’ll put them in the back room,” I offered. And clean up the remnants of that love spell before anyone finds it. I wasn’t touching him when I thought this and Liam gave no indication of realizing what I was doing.

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  I took the clothes into the back room and cleaned the table, putting the dried herbs and melted candle in the trash. When Nym walked in I jumped and tried not to look guilty of anything.

  “How about some Chinese?” he asked.

  An hour later while I finished my steamed rice and veggies, my house was cleaner than it had been in months. I had a very small “laundry room” in what was barely more than a closet in my kitchen. Liam used the steam vacuum I kept wedged in the corner to shampoo my carpet while Nym did my laundry. Normally I kept the place spotless, especially if I expected clients to come by for a reading. Lately though, I’d been distracted and for me it had gotten messy.

  “I can’t say thank you enough,” I told them once we were all back in the kitchen.

  “You’re welcome,” Liam said. He kissed my forehead and then went back to eating sweet and sour chicken. “I knew you were kidding, but I did track mud all down the hall and into the bedroom.”

  I laughed. “Are fairies the last polite men left in the world or what?” Nym cleared his throat.

  “And elves,” I added.

  “Energy flows more freely in an organized space,” Liam said. “So by cleaning your house, we’re actually making you feel better.”

  Come to think of it, I did feel better. I cleared away the empty takeout cartons and poured myself a glass of water.

  “What are we going to do about Cernunnos? I mean, if he doesn’t want to be seen, how are we supposed to talk to him?”

  “Easy,” Liam said, wiping his perfect lips. “We summon him.”

  “What he means is you summon him,” the elf corrected.

  “Me? What am I supposed to do?”

  “Cernunnos is drawn to certain types of offerings,” Liam said.

  “Like naked women,” Nym butted in.

  “But I wouldn’t worry about that now,” the shaman finished. “Now you need to get a good night’s sleep.”

  “What the fuck? I’m supposed to summon this guy naked in this weather and you expect me to be able to get a good night’s sleep?” Liam put his arm around me. “It’s nothing to worry about, really. As for the good night’s sleep, I would be more than glad to help with that.”

  “I think that’s my cue to say good night,” Nym said. “Unless you want me to—”

  “Good night, Nym,” I said, cutting him off.

  “Well, that answers my question.”

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  He left, seeming unfazed by my reply, and kissed us both on the cheek before departing.

  I turned back to Liam and despite my exhaustion found my desire rekindled by just the sight of him.

  “What did you have in mind?” I asked.

  His smile was wicked. “A potion. One of the ones in that basket there.” He pointed to the basket he’d sent. “But I’m open to suggestions.” Even without shoes he towered over me as I moved closer. “I’m not sure what’s going on or if I’m in any danger. Are we safe here?” He reached for me and I opened the front of his robe.

  “You are safe wherever I am. No harm will come to you in my presence.” After the way he handled those werewolves I no longer doubted Liam could protect me.

  My fair skin seemed lightly tanned next to his as I ran my hand over his chest. I could feel his desire but any other emotions were out of reach. Liam had his shields in place once more.

  “You could have easily blocked me from your feelings before, but you didn’t.

  Why?”

  “I saw no reason to hide; I wanted you to know.” Wanting me to know his feelings was one thing. By his silence it appeared that being ready to talk about them was another. I didn’t mind. I wasn’t ready to talk about what I felt for Liam either. To tell the truth, I was frightened too. I’d never started to fall for someone so fast or been afraid of hitting the ground so hard.

  “What I told you before was true—I don’t mind a little craving. I enjoy the way needing you feels, the hunger that lies just beneath the surface when I look at you. I hope that doesn’t sound desperate.” It did sound kind of desperate to me, but Liam seemed to understand.

  “Not at all. I know what you mean,” he said. “Ever since we met I seem to need you too.”

  I pulled back enough to look up at him and was surprised to find his eyes full of both compassion and desire.

  “It’s a little unnerving,” he said, a slow smile curling his lips. “I haven’t needed anyone for a very long time.”

  “So why now? Why me?”

  He moved closer, his lips hovering above mine as he replied, “I have no idea.” Liam kissed me and with the soft touch of his lips any remaining fear was forgotten. Rach
el’s death and the possibility of summoning Cernunnos were barely more than a cobweb in the back of my mind as I ran my hands up and down Liam’s arms. I could feel the power flowing through him, not just the raw power of his body but his magic.

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  Liam pulled me against him, lifting me so that I could wrap my legs around his waist. In a moment our kiss became a tangle of lips and teeth and tongue. I always felt a little lightheaded when he kissed me, and glanced at the floor to make sure his feet were still on the ground.

  He walked over to the sofa and tossed me gently onto the cushions.

  “Wait,” I panted as he ran one hand up my thigh. “I want to see you by the firelight, all of you.”

  I’d seen him by the firelight before, but never completely naked. I watched as he moved gracefully toward the electric fireplace and turned up the flame. He flexed his right hand and a small purple spark floated above his palm.

  “If we did this at my place, I could light the fire myself,” he said. “But here I think I might short-circuit something.”

  He smiled and with a flick of his wrist the spark was gone.

  “Does it frighten you?”

  I suppose my lack of response could be taken that way. “No. I like it. As a matter of fact, I think a man who has the power to electrocute me is kind of sexy.” He raised a brow and his eyes ignited with purple flame. “The fact that I could or that I choose not to?”

  My heart fluttered. “Both.”

  His hair began to rise from his shoulders, almost like it was full of static electricity.

  Liam moved back to me slowly and I was both frightened and aroused by the sight of him. There is much to be said for the aphrodisiac effects of danger and power. I was never afraid that Liam would hurt me, but I had no doubt that he could. Something about that turned me on.

  His hair billowed about his shoulders as if it were blowing in the wind and his eyes sparked with electricity when he smiled.

  “I want to press you back against that couch and bury myself inside you,” he said.

  The deep rumble of his voice and the bluntness of his words made me instantly wet. I’d never had a lover who would talk to me the way Liam did.

  Something inside me rose to the challenge of his words, even as I rose to my feet.

  He reached for me and I took a step forward as I replied, “Who said you could be on top?”

  His laughter was a sexy, wicked sound that seemed to wrap itself around me. I hungered for the feel of his body against mine and I was growing impatient. I reached out and pulled the sash on his robe. As it fell open I resisted the urge to look down and instead focused on his eyes. They had darkened to a deep, hypnotic plum and reminded me of the color of his bedsheets.

  I pressed both my palms against his chest as he continued to look down at me, hungry and waiting. His skin practically burned into my hands and I knew it must be 83

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  due to his magic, because it was cold in my apartment. I also noticed that his heart was racing. It fluttered beneath my palm like a wild thing captured.

  I ran my hands up and over his shoulders, causing his robe to fall to the floor. His hair still crackled with electricity as I touched it tentatively with my fingertips. My touch seemed to soothe him, to tame the storm I saw in his eyes. Liam took a deep breath and everything changed. His hair became like silk in my hands and as the firelight played across his features I could no longer resist my desire to see the rest of him.

  Even though I’d seen him naked before, the sight of his bare flesh in the firelight was breathtaking. He was beautiful in a way that words could not describe, though every time I saw him I tried. Every curve was where it should be, every chiseled feature was exquisite in its placement. I also noticed that though his cock was as impressive as ever, he was not yet aroused.

  “You first this time,” he purred, answering my unspoken question.

  I slid out of my robe and tossed it onto the chair by the fire. The shock of cold air against my skin reminded me I wasn’t wearing anything underneath. Still, the fire was warm and so was the look in Liam’s eyes. Having no fear of freezing, I kicked off my slippers as well.

  He took a step forward but did not touch me.

  He gestured toward himself and for an instant his power was once more evident, so much so that he glowed. “This is one of the reasons we do not often mingle with humans and why Oberon so strongly disapproves.”

  “And why is that?”

  He ran his hand down my throat to my collarbone and I trembled. “Because when I truly unleash my power you will be bound to me in a way only a potent spell could ever break.”

  I looked up and felt myself falling into his eyes. “What about death?”

  “Death cannot stop this,” he said. “It can only delay it for a while.” My throat went dry and I found it difficult to swallow before I finally gave voice to my biggest fear. “But I’m mortal. Someday I will die.”

  “You don’t have to,” he said softly.

  He trailed one hand across my breast and images came to mind, erotic thoughts like paintings in my head. My, Liam was creative.

  “The bond I offer you is a sacred thing and you do not have to answer tonight, nor should you under the influence of my magic. Once everything is settled I will give you two weeks without me to decide.”

  “You mean you plan to remove the craving?”

  “It’s the only way to be sure. I don’t want to frighten you away with talk of forever.

  But I do want to continue whatever it is we’ve started here. I’ll only do that if you want me. Just me. Not the magic in my touch, but the man behind it.” 84

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  “I understand.” I really did. What he said made perfect sense. I was thrilled to hear we were in agreement. I wanted to continue whatever it was we’d started too.

  One moment I was waiting for him to respond and the next I was in his arms. Liam trailed kisses down my throat before burying his face against my breasts. His lips wrapped around one nipple, pulling it gently between his teeth. I cried out and he asked, “Is that pain or pleasure?”

  “Both, don’t stop.”

  Even as my mouth went dry, I felt my pussy becoming wetter with his every touch.

  He sucked harder, drawing more of my flesh into his mouth. I ran my fingers through his hair as I pressed him against me. I’d never wanted anyone so much. No touch had ever brought me so much pleasure.

  I was so wet I could feel the juices running down my thighs. He moved slowly down my body, kissing each curve as he moved lower. When he finally knelt at my feet, Liam looked up at me. His eyes were still dark and something within their depths made me weak.

  He continued to look at me as he ran one hand up my thigh and one long finger inside me. I moaned and threw back my head as his mouth claimed me. He pulled my flesh into his mouth, just as he had done with my breast, sucking until the point of pain, but not quite beyond the realm of pleasure.

  His tongue found my clit and I growled, “Fuck yes.” With Liam there was no such thing as inhibition, no way to hold anything back, even if I’d had the desire. I wanted this so badly. I needed to be possessed by him completely. I craved his hot mouth on every inch of my skin, to feel his touch not just on my body but within my soul.

  Liam lifted me from the floor with a hand on each side of my butt and lowered me onto the couch. His tongue never left my clit and now his rhythm grew faster. I ached to have him enter my body and I wouldn’t be satisfied until I felt him splitting me in two.

  He lifted his head from between my legs and his body trembled.

  “Liam,” I panted. “There are condoms in the drawer beside my bed.” I hated myself for the reality check, but part of me was just too damn practical to forget.

  He smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

  One good thing about a small apartment, he didn’t have far to go. As he came back toward me I said, “Let me do it.�
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  Liam knelt in front of me again and lowered his head to my breast as I stroked his cock, rolling the condom down.

  “Damn.” Every time I touched him I was impressed.

  He sucked harder on my nipple and I arched upward, pulling him closer. If he didn’t hurry up I was going to come and I wanted him inside me when that happened.

  Liam spread my legs wider, pressing himself against me. I could feel his cock growing harder as he spread my labia. He began to slip inside me and I moaned, but he 85

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  wouldn’t penetrate me fully. He moved to kiss my throat, licking across my pulse while he teased me. He moved slowly, only allowing about two inches to slip inside my soaking pussy. Then, just when I thought I couldn’t take any more, he thrust into me deeply and I screamed.

  He grew still for a moment as he buried himself deep inside me. Then, slowly, he began to move. My back arched as I ground my hips against him, rising to meet his every thrust. It felt so good I cried as I dug my nails into the smooth skin of his back.

  “Make me come,” I commanded.

  With these words Liam pulled out almost completely. Next, he bent forward to kiss me and this time I did see a spark. The instant his lips touched mine he began to press back inside me and release like I had never known flooded my body. I felt my muscles spasm around him, gripping him, pulling his cock deeper inside me with a ferocity I had not expected.

  He lifted his head and smiled, his sultry lips swollen from so many kisses. I pulled him to me regardless, plunging my tongue inside his mouth, mimicking what his body was doing to mine. I lifted my hips higher, wrapping my legs around him.

  “Say my name,” I whispered hoarsely against his lips. “I want you to say my name when you come.”

  He pulled my head back, wrapping my hair around his hand as he whispered,

  “Luna,” against my lips.

  Several minutes later after we’d both caught our breath, Liam spread some blankets in front of the fire. He sat on the floor and rested back against the couch. I sat beside him and smiled when he began to rub my back.

  “How did you know I needed that?” I asked.

  He laughed softly. “That was an awful lot of back arching you did.”