He walked back over to her, dumping some massage oil in his hands, and warming it up. The sweet flowery scent filled the room. She startled when his hands touched her back. “You all right?” He always checked before they got going.
“I am. What’s on your hand?”
“Warming massage oil.” He intended to run his hands all over her body, leaving no spot untouched.
“Boy, you came prepared.”
“Boy Scout training.”
She snorted, which turned into an ahhh as he pressed on a pressure point at the end of her spine. He smiled at the simpering sounds she made. To think he’d almost lost this. Lost her. Never again. He’d do whatever it took to keep her. “How about magician’s training?”
She didn’t answer as he pressed fingers into her spine all the way up, then back down her spine. His hands rubbed, gently kneading the muscles, the oil making them glide across her skin.
“Ummmmmm.”
After his hands had traveled her back many times over, pressing into every pressure point, he rubbed her ass, pressing into the globes with his thumbs.
Her breathing quickened.
“Chloe?”
“Ummmm.”
“I still owe you.” He brought his hand down, smacking her bottom lightly.
“Drake!” She wiggled, trying to get away from him.
He smacked her softly again. “I told you I’d pay you back.”
“Beast.” She wiggled more, her ass shaking with her efforts.
He placed one hand at the center of her back. “Now that you’ve been repaid, I’ll continue.” He massaged her muscles, leaning down to sooth where he’d smacked with kisses and a bit of tongue.
She relaxed, her body slowly stilling as he administered more massages and kisses until it was time to move on to more parts of her. “Turn over.”
She hesitated before testing the bonds and doing what he said. His eyes feasted on her breasts. How he loved those rosy peaks, which were pebbled. Yeah, sex with her was better than any mountain sightseeing. He squirted more of the oil from the little bottle onto his hands, before starting at her collarbone and working his way slowly down her torso.
He paid particular attention to her breasts, kneading them, rubbing in the oil ever so slowly. His thumbs brushed across her nipples, causing her to jerk. He squeezed them tightly in his fingers, wringing them back and forth.
He skipped the center of her body, going low to her legs and caressing them, before beginning his massage. She let out a deep sigh.
He reached her calves, doing a slow thorough massage of her toes and feet. He slowly dragged his thumbs up her heels and arches, sliding in between toes before starting back up her leg. He used his thumbs to squeeze on the sides of her legs. When he reached her upper legs, he slid his hands over to her inner thighs.
She straightened with a gulp, trying to spread out her quivering limbs. His hands kneaded her legs, squeezing gently, but not touching her innermost parts. A musky scent reigned in the air, telling him how much she’d been enjoying this. It told him how wet she’d be. His fingers itched to play but he kept them away.
His thumbs met in her center, grazing downwards across her sensitive skin but only slightly, little to no pressure applied, nor did he get near to her sweet pussy. Her breath stopped before starting to wheeze.
He went back to her inner thighs, massaging, still leaving alone her pussy and clit. He didn’t have long before her protest.
“Drake.” She tried to twist her hips to put his hand nearer to her center. He moved away but she followed as much as she could.
He placed one hand on her stomach. “Stop.” He was at the limits of his control. All he could think of was being inside her. And he wanted this to last a while longer. He needed to find some measure of willpower to get him through the moment. That wouldn’t be found inside her sumptuous pussy. The only thing he’d find there was pleasure. Not a bad deal, but dammit, he wanted more. He wanted it all, her pleasure, his pleasure. Her love.
“But ...”
He continued his torture of her and himself. After a minute, when he’d gained some control of his libido, his fingers began a game of going closer and closer to where she wanted them, then pulling back. He would almost touch her clit, then back off, usually to her grunt or keen of protest.
Her hands had clenched into tight fists by the time his thumb pressed in to stroke her. Her whole body rocked to the sensations in rhythm to his touch. He increased the pressure, sliding one of his fingers into her channel. Her pussy clutched at him, drawing him into her wetness. He’d never witnessed her so eager, and it drove his own hunger. He wanted to drive her mad, as mad as she drove him without even trying. Soon her hips lifted with a wild bucking motion, the orgasm sweeping over her.
He kept his fingers with her until her cries settled down, then swooped up her body to give her a lingering kiss.
Gasping for breath, she kissed him back with fervor. “You better have a great place to hide the body.”
“Body?” He gently kissed along her collar. His cock rubbed between them, thrusting against her stomach.
“Yeah. I saw stars. I think you killed me.”
He chuckled softly. “I’ll be sure and do that again.” She groaned, her body wracked by a shiver. He rubbed one hand up her arm. “Flip back over.”
With a contented sigh, she did just that, her bound hands in front of her. He ran his hands all over her back. She shifted up to get on her knees. Yes, she knew what was coming. With a grin, he planted himself in back of her. His hands lingered on her hips before testing her willing pussy, which was more than wet, more than open. She was ready for him. His cock jerked, more than ready for her.
Widening his knees, he reached down to help aim and thrust into her. He gently urged her forward more. She shuddered as he popped fully inside her. Her sheath was so tight around him, stretched over him. There was so much wetness surrounding him.
His legs trembled with the force of his passion. He wouldn’t last long. He thrust his hips as his balls swung forward. She moved her bottom back against him, taking him as deeply as she possibly could. Four thrusts, and he came, with a loud groan rocking his body along with the words, “I love you.” He rocked against her several more times, his orgasm pouring out of him.
Huffing a breath, he pulled out, lying down beside her. She immediately snuggled into him as much as she could, like a cat seeking a nuzzle.
He’d never felt about anyone the way he did Chloe. The words he’d said a few minutes ago, the love ones, he meant wholeheartedly. They weren’t simply a byproduct of a great orgasm. Had Chloe heard them? And what would she do if she had?
* * * * *
Chloe zoned in the place that only a super great orgasm could provide. Her hands were still bound, her pussy was all juicy and stretched. She blew out a small breath. Yes, this had been just what she needed.
She’d needed it, wanted it, with Drake. No one else would do.
As he untangled the knotted scarves holding her to the bed, she lay in the stillness of the room. A bird chirped right outside the window, breaking the silence. He wrapped his arms around her, threaded his legs through hers. Yet another thing she’d missed about being with Drake was the time after the loving. She’d lie there in his arms, as safe and secure as could be. He’d drift off after only a few minutes. She’d hear the moment when sleep claimed him and fall asleep herself to his soft little snores. It was her favorite way to achieve slumber. God, she’d missed it.
In the throes of his orgasm, he’d said the love words. Not something he’d often said out loud to her during their marriage. It had probably been the orgasm glow that had prompted it. Had he meant it?
“I meant it.” His words were muffled against her hair.
Her eyes drifted closed to shade her eyes. He knew her so well to know what she was thinking about. Either that or he’d lied and magicians could read minds.
She shoved that thought back where it came from, clenching he
r fists by her side. But it was the root of a more serious problem.
She still didn’t trust him.
He’d lied to her for so long about something huge. It would take time for any amount of trust to build up in her again. If it ever did. Hopefully, it would.
Until then everything he said would be put to a litmus test of truth. She wouldn’t like living that way. He wouldn’t like it either. But it couldn’t be helped.
Opening her eyes, she responded, “I know.” His body sagged down. It wasn’t the response he’d wanted, that much was obvious. She bit her lip, snuggling into his warm chest. Silence took over the room, both of them lying there in it not daring to speak until she took a deep breath. She had to be honest with him. It was only fair. “One day at a time.” Maybe, sometime soon she’d be able to say it, but not right now. Yes, she loved him, but love hadn’t been enough once. And it seemed so binding, so final to say it back. She stroked his washboard stomach, her fingers gently rubbing across the ridges.
“That’s O.K. We’ve got time.” He swallowed harshly. His action moved muscles underneath her. It wasn’t O.K. but he was doing his best act to reassure her. He was good at acting, at a performance, but she knew him too well. He’d hoped she’d say it back to him. She smiled, warm mushy feelings invading her and pooling down low in her stomach. He’d done so much to win her back today. And it did count, it just wasn’t enough yet for her to go all the way. He swallowed again, stroking up her forearm. “Say it when you’re ready.”
Now that she would do. “I’ll do that. I promise.”
They’d started taking some of those baby steps to getting back their relationship. It would be a long road to walk, but each step would take them closer to being together fully, closer to her being able to say words of love back to him.
And that’s when Drake’s cell phone rang.
* * * * *
“Hello.”
The female voice that answered on the other end of the phone threw him for a moment. Rob had expected to get Marsters, not the ex-Mrs.
“Hellooo?” she said again with exaggerated emphasis. That spurred him to speak. She was probably about ready to hang up, thinking it was a wrong number.
“Hello, Mrs. Marsters.” Dammit, the woman probably didn’t know how to work the artifact. He’d been messing with the damn thing for hours. He was no closer to knowing how it gave Drake magic than when he’d started. He’d wanted to contact Drake infused with Drake’s own magic to show off, but it hadn’t happened that way.
Instead, he was going to have to make Marsters tell him how to make the magic work. He’d had a helluva of a time finding another number for Marsters before stumbling on the second listing under his name, a cell phone. Gotta love the internet. He’d even found a second address for Drake, and a handy mapping program would tell him the fastest route to get there. Not that he intended to go to him, assuming that’s where he’d gone. No, Marsters would come to him. He’d see to that.
Maybe he could use her. Yes, he could use her to get what he wanted. They hadn’t gone up to a mountain cabin hideaway to hike and explore the mountains. That wasn’t Marsters’s style. No, they’d gone up there to fuck. To get their rocks off each other, not the mountainsides. He’d talk to her, not Drake this round. He’d make Drake nervous by telling him exactly what Gray had taken. That would make Drake crazy.
Her voice caught in her throat. He heard the fear in her voice. She didn’t know what fear was yet, but before it was over, she would. He’d find her after it was over, show her the way to Gray. “Who is this?”
“My name is Rob Gray. I know that he’s sitting there right beside you.” They’d probably finished fucking and Marsters was sleeping. Stupid bastard. Doing a woman and sleeping while the source of his magic was being stolen. Seems like something would have clued him in when Rob had taken it. But Drake was probably too simple to even notice any signs that would have told him his magic power had been stolen. Yet another indicator Drake wasn’t worthy. But Rob was.
“Do you want to talk to ...”
“No. No, you can pass this message on to him. He’s ... a friend of mine, see.” More like an enemy, but he was finessing this. The whore wouldn’t know who Drake’s friends were and weren’t. She’d been out of his life for four years. “You might remember me. I’m a magician, too.”
“Ummm. Rob Gray, you said? That name doesn’t ring a bell.” His fists clenched so tightly his nails bit into his hands. Bitch. After he showed her magic, she’d remember his fucking name. “O.K. I’ll pass any message along.” He heard Drake’s voice drone softly in the background and the murmured “Shhhh” from Chloe.
“Tell him I have the object.” He sought for a better description. “The crystalline phallic one.”
“What?” Her voice became infused with ice. Before it had been suspicious; this was downright cold. “What object?” What had prompted the change in tone?
“The smooth one. The one he’s been having checked out by historians. He’ll know which one I’m talking about. It sat in his study.”
More ice tumbled from her lips like a glacier tumbling free in the Artic. “You have my artifact.”
So Marsters had promised his ex-wife the source of his magic, probably for a good fucking. He shook his head. Idiot. He’d been led around by his balls instead of his head, like most men were.
But he could use this. The woman sounded like rage was bubbling up after the ice. Suppose she thought that Gray had taken it for Drake, even though he’d promised it to her. That would cause a lot of mischief between the loving couple. “Just tell him I secured it like he wanted me to. I’ll be in contact later to give him more information on where to get it.” A stroke of genius hit. “I made it look like someone had broken in.”
“You bastard. You never intended to give me the damn totem.”
That wasn’t directed at Rob. He heard Drake’s protest and “give me that.” Rob clicked off hurriedly, though he’d have enjoyed hearing the reaming that Drake would get from the Mrs. He’d let Drake sweat for a little while. It was only fair for the man who’d stolen Gray’s rightful position.
Chapter Eight
Drake watched sparks fly off of Chloe as she stood there holding his cell phone in one hand. It was a cliché, but he swore he saw them flicking from her. “What?” he asked, still trying to get the phone from her hand. What the hell was Rob Gray up to? What had ironed Chloe’s flame up so high?
“Hello? Hello?” She clicked off the phone, tossing it on the floor. “Gray hung up.” She smacked his shoulder with the nearest hand. “You never intended me to get it. You rat fink asshole.” She continued to rail against him, questioning his parents’ marriage and tossing out several insults about his manhood. He looked around, making sure there was nothing to throw at him. He’d seen her mad, but never quite this angry.
His hands captured hers, pulling her closer to him in an attempt to calm her down. “What? Talk to me. What did Rob Gray say?” He hadn’t thought of Gray in years. Rob had been on the junior circuit and seemed to take it so much more seriously than other magicians. After he’d retired, Rob had come to him, trying to bring him out for a magician’s duel. Not that Drake would have done it; he’d been ready to step out of the limelight and hadn’t wanted to go back. Gray had seemed fixated on them competing as if they’d win some crown or something for being the best. And that was nothing Drake needed, even if it would happen.
She stopped struggling in his arms, going limp as though the fight was out of her. Her eyes had teared up, the underneath suspiciously damp. “He said he got the item. He’ll contact you later on where to get it.” Her lip trembled, eyes now overflowing with tears. “You lied. You never intended to give me it.”
“Chloe, I don’t know what he’s talking about. What item?”
“My totem. He stole my artifact, the one you promised to me. No wonder you didn’t want it to come with us. You set it up. Me up. He described it, Drake. In detail. And said he’d secured it
for you.” Her shoulder shook along with her whole body as if she were a plate of jello. “Like you told him to.”
“He didn’t take anything for me. Why would I want him to steal it? I promised it to you.”
“Bullshit. You got him to take it so I couldn’t have it. To make it look like it was stolen. So you wouldn’t have to give it to me.”
Shit and shinola. This was going downhill quickly. He did know the importance, how vital it was for her to secure the item beyond even the money she thought that she’d needed. He’d sensed how important it was to her to collect it. “I never told Gray to take anything, much less the totem.” He released her hands, trying to look her in the eyes. “You have to believe me. I intended to give it to you.” So she could deliver it as she’d promised. And they could live happily for the rest of their lives. So much for that happening. He let out a growl.
“Like you told me everything about you? Huh? When we were married?” She turned from him, refusing to meet his eyes, wrapping her arms tight around her middle. He managed to keep himself from reaching back for her to comfort her. She didn’t want that. Didn’t want him right now. “Like you told me you could do real magic instead of parlor tricks?”
“That’s different.” He rubbed his face with his hand, scrubbing the slight beard growth. “I’d never steal from you. Never.”
“Is it?” Her laughter was as brittle as her voice. It sounded as if she were breaking. And it cut him down to know he was the cause. “You stole years from us, Drake. Years you could have come clean and didn’t.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter. I have money ...”
“It does matter! I don’t want your damn money. I’m not your whore, and you can’t buy me. Get back what you stole from me so I can do it on my own.”
“I didn’t get Gray to steal that thing so I didn’t have to give it to you.” He clenched his hands tightly together. His irritation rose. “If I hadn’t wanted to give it to you, I wouldn’t have made the offer.”
“Then why’d he say that to me?” She rubbed away some tears, then pressed her arms tightly back where they were. “Why’d he say he took it for you if he didn’t? That doesn’t make any sense.”
THE COLLECTOR 1 - Magical Chances Page 8
