by D. D. Miers
“Do you really want me to stop?” Jaxon asked, his voice a teasing purr as his tongue rolled against the hollow of her throat. His burning gaze rose to hers, making her bite her lip as she tried to overrule the desire pulsing between her thighs.
She groaned, knowing she'd lost, and pulled him into another kiss, tugging at the front of his shirt, her fingers fumbling with the buttons. He laughed against her lips, pulling away.
“Say it,” he demanded, his hands sliding up her legs to her hips, tracing the curve of bone with a tantalizingly delicate touch. “I want to hear you say it, Alana.”
Alana cursed into his kiss instead, which only seemed to amuse him more.
“No,” she finally said, trying to give it the force of an order so that it would feel less like begging. “Don't stop.”
She gave up on the stupid buttons of his shirt and dragged it over his head, letting it fall. He caught her in another burning kiss as soon as his mouth was free. His hand ran under her shirt to graze her ribs and find the underside of her bra.
“I didn't think so,” he chuckled, kissing his way down to her collarbone, sounding both smug and simultaneously relieved. He wanted this as badly as she did and knowing that only excited Alana more. Still, she couldn't resist dragging her nails down his chest in a teasing half punishment, loving the way he hissed through his teeth at the flash of pain. She couldn't hold back a moan as he nipped at her throat in retribution. The press of his teeth against her skin sent thrills of almost-fear through her that only made her more desperate for his touch, rough or gentle, whatever he would give her.
His hands roamed beneath her shirt, groping her breasts through her bra, the touch tantalizing but unacceptably dulled by the lace and padding in the way. Jaxon felt the same and she gasped in breathless appreciation as he shoved her inconvenient shirt up over her breasts and dragged the cups of her bra down beneath them. Her nipples were rosy points in the cold air, but Jaxon's breath quickly warmed them as he kissed his way down the valley. His thumbs flicked over the blushing points as he squeezed her breasts together, the better to bury his face between them.
“Perfect,” he practically sighed. “I knew they'd be perfect.”
Alana almost laughed, thrilled and flustered at how much he'd clearly been anticipating this.
The first swipe of his hot tongue against a flushed nipple had her quickly forgetting her amusement, biting her lip to suppress moans as he kissed and nibbled his way around the curve of her breast. But she wanted more.
She tightened her legs around his waist, rolling her hips up against him, a breathless noise of excitement escaping her as she felt the bulge in his pants press against her. He choked off a curse, grabbing for her hips, though whether he originally meant to stop her or just to hold her in place so that he could grind against her harder was unclear. She felt his heat through his pants and the thin fabric of her underwear. More importantly, the size of the outline rocking against her was enough to make her heart race faster. She pushed against the grip of his hands on her hips in order to grind back against him, her skirt riding up over her hips. He cursed again, lifting his lips from her breasts.
“You're playing with fire there, Alana,” he warned.
She laughed, low and rough, a hand sliding down to squeeze the hard shape of him through his pants. His breath caught and his hips jumped forward into her hand almost involuntarily. He lunged forward to kiss her hard, lips punishing, probably in a bid to hide his own moans as she stroked him through his pants.
He caught her by the head, a cheek in his large hand, the other sliding into her hair, his grip possessive, his touch demanding. His teeth grazed her lips, then bit hard enough to send a flash of heat through, making her ache. Her patience was almost gone.
She caught the hand on her cheek, kissed the palm, then dragged it down to her mound. Even feeling him through her underwear was enough to make her tense with need.
“Here,” she said, trying to hide the tremor of need in her voice. “I want you here.”
Jaxon laughed under his breath, the sound warm against her lips, rumbling deep in his chest. “Demanding little thing, aren’t you?” he said, and his hand pressed harder against her, the heel of his palm grinding against the top of her mound.
She almost whined, arching up into his touch. She had no intention of being teased. She wanted everything, hard, fast, and right now.
“Just shut up and give me what I want,” she said, popping the button on his jeans to push her hand inside. Her breath caught as she wrapped her hand around him, hot and heavy against her fingers. “Holy fuck, you're bigger than I expected.”
She instantly regretted her confession when she saw the smug grin on his face.
“Scared?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“You wish,” she scoffed, and gave him a little squeeze just to see him lose his focus for a moment, eyes glazing. But he shook it off and planted a hand between her breasts, pushing her back down on to the desk, her skirt bunched up around her waist. She vaguely registered the sound of office supplies scattering on the floor.
“Take it from the guy you trapped in a magic prison for what could have been eternity,” Jaxon said, spreading her legs and pushing her underwear aside. “Patience is a virtue.”
The first kiss he pressed to the inside of her thigh was enough to make her head drop back against the desk. Then his tongue spread her open, followed by his fingers, sliding in and curling against her walls. He found her clit and lavished it in toe-curling attention, ignoring her bitten-off cries and the way her hands pulled at his hair as he buried his fingers deep within her, adding a third as she bucked her hips up into his every touch, all but riding his mouth and hand.
“Jaxon!” she gasped as he pushed her toward orgasm, his fingers and tongue relentless.
“Now that's a pretty sight,” he murmured, pausing and kissing the curl of dark hair on top of her mound. “You under me, moaning my name.”
Alana wanted to say something snarky in reply, but she was too busy smothering the waterfall of moans and whimpered cries of his name that tried to escape as his fingers curled against the perfect spot within her, his thumb rubbing hard over her clit. He grinned, knowing she was putty in his hand.
“Keep hiding that gorgeous voice and I'm going to have to give you something else to do with your mouth.”
“Promises, promises,” Alana choked out, her entire body shuddering as pleasure washed over her. She tensed, legs squeezing him tight, as she felt herself getting close, only to feel him stop. She opened her hazy eyes to demand he put them back, only to realize he was unzipping his pants, releasing his trapped cock at last. He groaned as it fell against the inside of her thigh, and Alana's pulse throbbed inside her, racing with eagerness. He rocked gently against her, heavy cock sliding against her slick folds.
“You ready for this?” he asked, his voice almost as breathless as hers and his pupils wide, making his eyes look dark and hungry like an animal. “I don't think I'm going to be able to be gentle with you.”
“Good,” Alana said instantly. “I don't want gentle.”
His dark eyes met hers for a moment in mutual lust and understanding.
Boom.
The table shook underneath them and they both froze.
“What was that?” she asked.
Jaxon pulled back and she groaned. She'd been so close.
“I’m not sure. But it doesn’t sound good.”
Screams and shots echoed outside the closed door to the study and another blast sounded, causing a vase to fall off a side table with a crash.
“I think you should put your shirt back on.” Alana pushed him back, pulling her bra back into place and sitting up.
Jaxon dipped down, snatching his shirt off the floor and covering up his drool worthy chest. She licked her lips, frustrated that something was getting in the way of their play. Her head was too heady with desire to give a damn about right or wrong right now. Whatever it was, it had better be fucking good or she was goin
g to take out some pent-up energy on whoever was being a dickhead.
The rhythmic tap tap tap of shots firing out of an automatic weapon reached their ears and they locked gazes.
“I know that sound. It’s the mages.” Alana hopped off the table and looked around the room. Nothing but stacks of books and old knickknacks. “Shit. We’re not even supposed to be here.” If they found her there, she was fucked.
Think, Alana. She ran through the escape routes in her head as she pulled up her underwear and struggled to smooth out her skirt, all of them involving having to sneak past the mages undetected. Which was highly unlikely. “If they find me here, there will be hell to pay. Let alone finding me here with you.” She ran her hands through her hair, getting caught in a tangle and cursing.
“What’s so bad about being seen with me here?”
“Oh, let me think. We’re at an illegal magic party full of humans who are aware of our magic, using it for recreational purposes, and you’re the brother of the warlock we’re trying to catch.”
“Solid point.” He nodded. “You got a plan?” Jaxon grabbed his holster off the floor, securing it back to his belt. When had she even removed his belt? Or his holster?
Alana shook her head. Focus. “Yeah, I’ve got a plan. You’re not going to like it though.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because we’re not going to make a run for it. We’re going to hide.”
Chapter 9
Jaxon snorted. “I don’t hide.”
Alana growled under her breath. “Listen. I don’t have time for your alpha-male bullshit right now. We can hide until the bullets stop flying or you can go try to catch one with your chest.” She threw her arms up in the air, backing away from him and toward the spiral staircase leading up to the second floor of the library. “Your choice, Jax.”
“Son of a bitch.” He cursed under his breath but followed her.
“Thought so.”
“Do you always have to have the last word?” he asked between clenched teeth.
“Um, yeah. Added bonus—it annoys you.” She bared her teeth at him in a semblance of a smile. The shouts and sound of shots fired crept closer to them and she waved a hand at him. “Come on. Move your ass. We will have to find somewhere to hide up here until they search the room and mark it as cleared.”
They hustled up the stairs and searched for a place to hide. There were rows and rows of books with only a few nooks and crannies they could hide in if they’d like to get spotted the minute someone walked up there.
“Shit.” She puffed out a breath, looking up at the ceiling.
“You got a Plan B?” Jaxson placed his hands on his hips.
Alana noticed the clearance above the tops of the bookcases and the ceilings and smirked. “Actually, I do.” She pointed to the seemingly tight space above the shelves, and Jaxson shook his head.
“There is no way my ass is fitting up there.”
“Like there’s a choice here?” she asked.
“Goddamn it.” Jaxson walked over to the bookcase in the corner and looked at it before cupping his hands together and nodding his head upward. “You first, I’ll give you a boost.”
Alana didn’t waste any more time arguing and stepped into his hands, jumping at the same time that he pushed her into the air. She pulled herself up, slithering on top of the wooden structure until she was belly down and out of the way.
She peered over the side. “It’s actually a bit roomier than we thought. Come on up. Plenty of space.”
“You better not be just saying that,” he grumbled.
He jumped up, huffing and hawing as he got situated. Jesus, he was huge. She pressed flat against the wall and made herself as small as she could, yet he was still so close to the edge, if anyone was directly under them, they’d see him immediately.
“See, not so bad.” She tried to make her tone light.
“I don’t like small spaces,” Jaxon admitted.
“Well, we can talk about how my bosses are here, and raiding the same party we showed up to if that will help?” She wasn’t sure how they knew where to look there, or how to even find the party. It was by invite only.
“How do you think they got in?”
“Someone probably tipped them off. They wouldn’t make such a public display of force without evidence. It could just be a regulation raid for illegal magical substances. I won’t know until I can report in and find out who ordered it.”
The door to the library opened and they both fell silent, their bodies tensing against each other. She tossed up a prayer to whoever was listening and hoped that the team didn't think to look up there.
She choked on her tongue as Nolan and Mason entered the study, both carrying weapons, but neither fully geared up.
“What is it?” Jax whispered.
“That’s my boss, Mason. And that douchey-looking guy next to him is Nolan. The head of the Order of Magique.” She left out the part about Nolan being her ex for now.
Jax’s eyes widened and he turned to give the search party a second look. The team cleared the bottom level, not even bothering to come up to the second. Fucking idiots. But Alana wasn't about to complain.
“All clear!” The leader of the team waved a hand in the air, and the rest of the team moved out while Nolan and Mason stayed behind.
“How did we miss him? Our intel was from a good source,” Nolan questioned harshly, his ire directed at Mason.
“Don’t look at me. Damon is a slippery bastard, and it wasn’t my source.” He shook his head.
“This was a waste of our time. He could have easily escaped right under our noses. We should have brought offensive mages with us, not defensive ones.”
“I made the best call I could with the factor of humans involved, Nolan. You know the protocol. Hell, you helped write some of it.” Mason shrugged. “Let’s go. We’ll check the rest of the penthouse and keep looking. He won’t evade us forever. Not on my watch.”
They left the room and Alana let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. What a cluster-fuck. “You know that Nolan doesn’t come out in the field often, right?” she asked Jax.
“I assumed he was a desk jockey.” He rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t want to mess up his pretty face, I’ll bet.”
He wasn’t far off, but she ignored the jibe. “You know, speaking of unusual things, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
“Yes, we can finish what we started earlier.” His gaze dropped to her lips and desire tightened her insides.
“Yes. I mean no.” Alana stuttered the words and he chuckled, his body pressed against hers. “That’s not what I wanted to ask.”
“Well out with it then. It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”
“Why didn’t you fight me that day?”
“What day?” Jax asked, his harsh face softening in confusion.
“That day in Que Theran’s tomb. Why didn’t you fight me like Damon did?”
“I don’t believe in everything my brother does, you know. Just because we’re both warlocks don’t mean we’re the same person.” His tone was defensive, and she shifted away from him to get a better look at his face. His body tensed again, his mouth in a firm line.
She’d hit a nerve there.
“I didn’t say that . . .”
He shifted next to her, his side pressing into hers. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to jump down your throat.”
"It’s okay. I get it. We all have family issues.” Like Alana’ sister. Who thinks she’s crazypants.
The door to the library banged open and they both became still, slowly looking to see who’d joined them. A disheveled-looking human male, eyes wide as he peered around, his pallor stark white.
“If he’s running around, the mages have probably left.” She waited to see what the human would do. He plopped into a seat, pulling out a pack of cigarettes and lighting up. “We should get out of here before they send a unit to watch the area for any stragglers.”
; They slithered out from the crevice above the shelves and stayed alert, ready for a mage with a gun to pop out at any moment. They remained close to each other, crouched low as they headed toward the back entrance into the penthouse, the maids' entrance.
Alana pressed the button for the elevator, rocking back on her heels. She bit her lip, eying Jax out of the corner of her eye. He seemed relatively calm, his arms crossed over his chest, his body otherwise relaxed.
The elevator dinged and they stepped inside the small space, their shoulders brushing. She ignored the tingle that went through her at the contact and focused on getting out of there. Why was it always awkward as fuck after you have sex? Or well, in this case almost have sex. Crazy hot, angry, hungry, sex. But it was still an almost.
The numbers softly chimed lower and lower and Alana twiddled her thumbs.
“You know the best way out of here?” Jax asked.
“I’m taking the alley behind the building. I’d rather be unseen right now.”
“Good plan.”
“What way are you taking?” she asked out of curiosity. “You know that they’ll be looking for you, right? So walking out of the front would be a bad idea.”
“I was going to follow your lead.”
She frowned at him. “You can’t come with me. I’m not headed to a safe house. I’m headed to my sister's.”
“What do you mean? We haven’t found Damon yet. We need to keep looking.”
“Do what you want. I have to make sure my sister is safe.” Taylor may not understand Alana’s odd ways or actions, but they were still family. And Alana would protect her over everything else.
“So, you're just going to give up because we didn’t catch him tonight?” He held the door leading out to the alley behind the building open for her, and she slipped through.
“If you hadn’t stopped me, I would have caught him tonight.”
He growled. “I did that to protect you.”
She nodded, picking up her pace to get farther away from him. She needed some space to think and to figure out what the hell happened back in that library, and what the fuck she was going to tell Mason when he asked her why she wasn’t there for the raid.
