“You had to know I was still planning to seduce you after my confession earlier,” I pointed out.
“I did,” he admitted. “We won’t need them. This was just about taking care of your needs.”
Chapter 11
Gryph
Julia’s brow creased as she regarded me, like I was speaking some strange new language.
“What if I told you I need sex? Sex with you?” she asked.
“That’s not what you need,” I assured her, sliding my fingers out of her body and sucking on them. My dick and wolf both thought I was an idiot for turning down Julia’s invitation to take her upstairs and lose myself in her body. When thinking with my dick, all that mattered was satisfying the aching lust I’d been dealing with for months. At the moment, it was no exaggeration to say it was painful. I’d need to jerk off at least three times in the shower to get my body under control. My wolf knew taking her would mean marking her, but he didn’t care. My wolf wanted to mark Julia and make her ours in every way. It was the wolf that coaxed me to test her reaction to my teeth on her flesh. Her reaction had nearly sent me over the edge.
“What do you need?” she asked after a long pause.
Her question surprised me. I’d expected her to insist I had no right to tell her what she needed.
“I just need to take care of you,” I assured her, laughing when she glared at me. “What exactly are you asking me, Sass?”
“I want to help you,” she began. “I want to make you feel good, just like you did for me.”
Several images involving her hands and mouth ran through my mind, forcing me to bite back a groan. They were all bad ideas. Each would strip away what little restraint I had left.
“Not this time,” I replied gruffly, getting to my feet. My dick throbbed against the zipper of my jeans, and it only got worse when Julia’s delicate hand settled on it and squeezed gently. My breath hissed through my teeth. “Please, Sass,” I ground out. “If we let things go further, we’ll both regret it. This has to stop. Please, just let me have a little space.”
“I don’t understand, Gryph,” she said helplessly. “Why is this a bad idea? Just let me take care of you.”
“I can’t. When you understand more about werewolves, you’ll thank me,” I insisted. “Now isn’t the time for me to explain it to you.”
She nodded and pulled her hand away from my dick. I had to fight the urge to put it back on there. We needed to talk more about what Julia being my mate meant before I let things go further. She wasn’t ready to let me claim her or to even hear what being my mate meant to us. She’d probably demand a different bodyguard immediately if I admitted to wanting to bite her neck, leaving behind a scar that would forever mark her as mine.
“I’m going for a run,” I told her. “Why don’t you get settled in and explore while I’m out. Maybe you can even come up with a list of people who could be behind the threats to you.”
“Okay,” Julia agreed, looking unsure. I wanted to hold her and reassure her, but first, I needed to let my wolf work off some of his aggression. He wasn’t happy about being denied his mate. With any luck, a good run would also alleviate my throbbing erection.
“Thank you,” I said softly.
“For what?” Julia asked, her eyes wide as she regarded me.
“Letting me taste you,” I replied. “I’ve been fantasizing about that for months. It was even better than I’d imagined.”
“I can’t believe you’re the one thanking me,” she mused with a laugh. “I’m the one who got the incredible orgasm. If I had to guess, I’d say you’re not very comfortable right now.”
“It was worth it to taste your release,” I assured her before slipping out the veranda doors and into my yard. As I stripped out of my clothes, I felt Julia’s eyes on me. I’d never cared much who saw me naked, but I was preening like a fucking peacock with Julia watching me, even knowing she couldn’t make out much in the dim lighting. She wasn’t ready to see me shift. I also didn’t trust myself as much in wolf form, so I slipped out the back gate before changing for my run.
At first, I struggled with my instinct to return to my mate. My wolf didn’t understand why we couldn’t claim her now, but the further we got from Julia, the easier it became for him to accept that we needed to wait. If her reaction was any indication, we wouldn’t have to wait too long.
Chapter 12
The Gentleman Warlock
With the right resources, it was easy to find information on anyone. In my case, I had more than just the right resources; I was able to assume the shape of someone with easy access to all the information I needed. It hadn’t taken much to learn that the police were doing nothing to investigate my email. I’d lucked out when it had been assigned to this particular department. The only officers who weren’t lazy were corrupt. No one wanted to put any effort into investigating one threatening email, so they’d insisted it was nothing to worry about. The laziness and corruption also made it easier to blend in. No one cared if I did a half-ass job.
Days had passed since I’d sent the email to Julia Dupree. She’d likely convinced herself there was nothing to worry about by this point. With no new threats, she probably felt safe. Her guard would be down, making it easier for me to get to her. Soon, I’d get to savor the look of terror in her eyes. I’d get to enjoy her sobbing and begging me to spare her life. I’d decided to use a knife. Few people really appreciated the knife. Even limiting oneself to only stabbing, there were ways to draw out the pleasure of the kill.
“Let’s kill her quickly,” Katya cooed from my side, having gotten over her anger at me as soon as I’d told her we were going to kill Julia tonight.
As I’d planned out Julia’s death, I’d been tempted to find a way to go without Katya. In the end, I hadn’t been able to come up with a way to leave unnoticed. I’d even considered killing another so I could enjoy a more intimate kill with Julia. After adding a burn to my arm earlier that day, I’d decided against it. I didn’t want to be forced to add another scar so soon.
“Desmond!” she whined, pulling me out of my own thoughts. “You’re going to kill her as soon as she opens the door, right?”
The shade had no patience, a common trait among her kind. In this case, I couldn’t completely blame her for wanting to rush things. Her inability to take on a physical form would seem like hell to someone who thrived on physical pleasure the way Katya did. It wasn’t just sex she loved. Katya also enjoyed food, fine wine, and many other sensual delights.
“We can’t rush these things,” I insisted, hoping no one was around to hear me since I was the only one who could hear Katya. I didn’t want to look crazy.
“You can enjoy a kill later,” Katya snapped at me. “I need a body now.”
“And since I’m the only one who can make it possible for you to have one again, I suggest you stop pushing me,” I warned in a cold voice.
“You’re the one who did this to me. You owe it to me to fix this situation,” she hissed. “Kill her quickly.”
My temper snapped. “You betrayed me,” I hissed back. “Your betrayal was just as bad as Julia Dupree’s. No, your betrayal was worse because you claim to love me. Perhaps, I should leave you like this. It might be what you truly deserve.”
“You wouldn’t dare!” she shouted. “You love me, and I’m the only one who accepts you just as you are. I don’t care that you aren’t a well-respected warlock on your stupid witch council. I’ve always been there for you.”
She was right; that had never mattered to Katya. Her acceptance of my position among the witches was another reason I was tempted to leave her this way. It might be best to find a demon to help me end her existence once and for all. I hated my lowly birth and low ranking with the Council of Witches. In many ways, I looked down on Katya for failing to see it as an unforgivable flaw.
When I didn’t respond, she eventually spoke again, her voice sounding sad and desperate. “You love me. I can give you things that frigid witch, Tatiana
, never could.”
“I love you as much as someone like me is capable of loving,” was my cold reply. No matter what I felt for Katya, she had to know I loved myself most. If she’d ever believed anything to the contrary, I needed to make sure those beliefs were snuffed out.
“You are such a bastard,” she accused. “If I had a body, I’d be begging to ride your cock.”
My lips curled into a slight smile. “My coldness turns you on, doesn’t it?” I demanded.
“It would if I had a body,” she replied. “I remember how you used to make me feel. I miss the ache between my legs. Don’t you miss having me pleasure you?”
“Be patient,” I told her in a bored tone. She was trying to manipulate me with sex. It was laughable, considering that tactic hadn’t worked even when she’d had something to offer me. At the moment, she was just a ghostly shrew.
Standing on the porch of Julia Dupree’s home, I smiled, anticipating the fear in her eyes when she realized what I had planned for her. In my latest disguise, she’d open the door for me. Then all I had to do was force my way in and use the readymade tranquilizer spell in my hand to subdue her. It was almost too easy.
I rang the doorbell and waited. After a short time, I rang it again, but no one answered.
“Why isn’t she answering?” I muttered to myself.
“She’s not here,” Katya told me, sounding more amused than angry.
“She has to be here,” I insisted. According to my research, Julia Dupree was predictable in her routine. The bitch rarely went out when she had to work the next day. Bliss was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. It was a Wednesday, so she should be home. “It’s possible she had to run an errand, or she went for a walk,” I mused mostly to myself.
“Maybe your email scared her off,” Katya suggested.
“Impossible,” I scoffed. “I looked over the police report as soon as I took this form. The bitch didn’t believe she was in any danger. She must have gone out. We’ll wait in the car until she gets back.”
“Someone might have already beaten you to it,” Katya suggested. “It could be you’re not the only one who wanted her dead.”
“She’s not dead,” I snapped.
“How do you know?” Katya asked. “What difference does it make if someone else killed her, anyway?”
“It’s my right to kill her,” I growled. “I’m the one who has to punish her. That bitch should be here waiting for her punishment.”
“You know what would make you feel better?” she purred.
“What?” I snapped.
“Killing,” she replied innocently. “Let’s go find someone to kill, just in case this witch is already dead.”
“No,” I ground out. “You’ll just have to hope I find Julia Dupree soon.”
“But you said you’d fix this tonight,” she whined.
“Shut the fuck up!” I snapped.
As I made my way back to the car, I took several deep breaths to get my temper under control. I was disappointed that I’d have to wait a little longer to punish the bitch, but I refused to let it keep me down. Sitting in the driver’s seat of my car, I mouthed the words to a spell to screen me from view and unzipped my pants. Freeing my dick, I began to stroke it as I imagined the events that would soon play out. After I had Julia transported to my cottage, I’d be able to have some real fun. She’d scream and beg me to spare her life. She’d probably even try apologizing for her many sins, but it was too late. Naturally, I’d let her believe she could sway me with her pleas. It was more fun when they still had hope.
My dick got even harder as I pictured the blonde bitch begging for her life, promising to do anything if I didn’t kill her. When I tired of taunting my prey, the real fun would begin. I came hard as images of the knife penetrating her pale flesh filled my mind. With a contented sigh, I cleaned myself up and waited for the bitch to return.
Katya remained silent, so I decided to enjoy the rare moment of peace.
Chapter 13
Julia
I’d expected my evening with Gryph to be tense after he’d gone down on me in his kitchen and then refused to let me return the favor. At the very least, I’d expected some awkward moments where neither of us were sure how to act around the other. Neither had been the case. After returning from his run, Gryph had been in a more relaxed mood. We’d gone over some details related to the threat against me, and then we’d watched television with Oliver. It had been the most relaxing time we’d ever spent together. We hadn’t talked more about why Gryph refused to have sex with me, and he’d made no attempts to join me in my room. That would have made the evening better, but I was still happy with how things had gone.
Lying in bed, I was trying to decide if I should get up early. I didn’t have any appointments until eleven, but I could always go in to do some paperwork and finish unloading shipments. Gryph had been moving around the house for the last twenty minutes, but I wasn’t quite ready to get up. I’d always been one of those people who needed more time to wake up in the morning.
The rustling under the covers indicated Oliver was finally stirring. Normally, I didn’t allow him to sleep with me because he was a restless sleeper. I’d made an exception since he needed to be close to me while he was adjusting to the various smells at Gryph’s house. I smiled when I saw the outline of his body moving up toward me under the covers.
Oliver’s head popped out, and he let out a huge yawn.
“What have you been eating?” I asked my familiar, prompting him to move even closer so I could get a better whiff of his foul doggie morning breath.
“You don’t like the way I smell?” he asked, and even though he was trying to sound hurt, I clearly caught his amusement.
“No, I most certainly do not like your breath,” I told him, reaching over to the side of the bed where I’d stashed a couple of his breath freshening treats. They were the same ones Mr. Whiskers used. After Oliver had tried one while I was watching Mr. Whiskers, he’d become hooked on them.
“Treats for me!” he exclaimed happily, fully emerging from under the covers to bounce around the bed.
“How am I supposed to give you a treat if you don’t sit still for a minute?” I asked.
Oliver stopped and took the treat before gobbling it up and plopping down onto his back. “I wish Gryph could live at our house instead of us living here,” he lamented.
“We don’t live here,” I reminded Oliver. “We’re just here so Gryph can keep us safe in case someone really is trying to hurt me.”
Oliver rolled over and gave me his sad puppy-dog look. Beagles excel at that look. I expected him to start begging me to live with Gryph since Oliver clearly loved him. Instead, Oliver’s voice sounded small when he asked, “Why would someone want to hurt you?”
Reaching over, I scratched behind his ears. “No one really wants to hurt me,” I soothed.
“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he insisted. “I love you, Julia.”
“I love you, too, my sweet boy,” I crooned.
A knock on the bedroom door interrupted our discussion.
“It’s Gryph,” Oliver told me.
I laughed at his announcement. “I’d assumed that since he’s the only other person in the house.”
“Come on in,” I called out.
Gryph opened the door and froze when he saw I was still lying in bed in my pajamas. I almost laughed at his reaction. “It’s okay, Gryph,” I assured him. “I’m fully covered, and these pajamas are far from sexy lingerie.”
He stepped the rest of the way into the room, carrying a plate with far too much food on it. “I figured you’d want to have breakfast before I drive you to Bliss,” he explained.
His sweet gesture both touched and surprised me. Looking at the plate, I was curious to know how he expected me to eat that much food. “Is that for me to share with Oliver?” I asked.
Gryph shook his head. “I left his plate in the kitchen.” His gaze shifted to Oliver before he began speaking again. �
��After seeing you eat last night, I decided you’re much too messy for breakfast in bed, my friend.”
When I looked at my familiar, he seemed unsure if he wanted to argue that he wasn’t a messy eater or just rush downstairs to eat. Finally, he scurried off the bed, chanting, “Breakfast. Breakfast. Breakfast,” as he raced out of the room.
“I guess he doesn’t mind eating in the kitchen,” Gryph remarked as he stepped forward to hand me my plate.
“He’ll complain about it later,” I told Gryph. “For now, all he cares about is eating.”
“I’m the same,” he admitted.
It took some maneuvering to get the pillows in place so I could eat in bed. “Breakfast in bed always sounded much simpler,” I remarked.
“You mean to tell me you’ve never had breakfast in bed before?” he asked with a grin.
“No, have you?” I asked.
“Not many werewolves were willing to enter my home when I was still with the pack,” he admitted.
“I take it they were all afraid of the big bad wolf,” I teased as I took a bite of my eggs.
“The smart ones were,” he replied. “You should be, too. It wouldn’t take much for this big bad wolf to devour a sweet little witch like you.”
With our relaxed mood, I decided to be daring with my humor. “I quite enjoyed being devoured last night,” I said with a playful bat of my eyes.
Gryph chuckled at my response. “I noticed, and if we weren’t in such a hurry, I’d devour you again.”
“Why are we in a hurry?” I asked, grabbing my phone to check the time. I figured I must have read it wrong the first time. “It’s only eight, and I don’t need to be at Bliss until eleven today.”
“I have some people coming by to do a little work on the Bliss security system,” he explained. “I want to get this handled as soon as possible. Sorry about making you go in early.”
“It’s all right,” I assured him. “I’d already been considering going in early to handle a few things. Thanks for making breakfast, Gryph.”
Seductively Spellbound (Spells That Bind Book 3) Page 6
