Raven and the Rose

by Knight, Charisma

  without arguing among ourselves? Out of respect to our ancestors?”

  “You’re right, Aunt Shawn,” Dehlia agreed as she loaded the last of the dishes into the

  dishwasher. “You know where to find me,” she stated to Rose before leaving the kitchen.

  “Just let it go,” Jasmine said quietly. “How bad can it be for a McQueen witch to date a

  vampire, anyway?”

  Rose shrugged. “Depends on his intentions. I’ll leave her alone, but I’m definitely keeping

  an eye on Niall.”

  “You know, he’ll approach you soon about the potion.” Shawn’s voice sounded uneasy.

  “I’m worried he may do something to you for betraying him.”

  “I’m protecting my own and the entire town. Until he proves himself to be trustworthy and

  not a threat to this town, then I’ll consider allowing him to walk the day.” Rose held her head and leaned against the marble countertop.

  “To bed,” Shawn told her. “You’ve got your powers and some of Viola’s swirling around in

  your body. You must let the adjustment phase run its course, or you’ll feel like crap for the next week.”

  “And you’ll need your strength,” Jasmine prompted. “The kitchen’s fine. Let some of the

  men do the work.”

  “I’m good, thank you. I’ll see myself upstairs and will wait for Storm.” With that, she

  headed to her chambers.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dehlia stared at her computer for several long moments before switching it on. It’d been a long night, but she couldn’t let family business ruin her position at Cowan Industries. Although, she had a thing for the suave vampire, she loved her job. Her profession was the one thing that separated her from being a McQueen witch. Allowing her to have an identity all her own.

  The office was generally quiet during the night shift, much to her satisfaction. Day shift

  teamed with shifters, humans and other creatures living in Raven’s Falls. She began typing a

  document when movement out of the corner of her eye captured her attention.

  With a gasp, she looked up to find herself staring into the steely blue eyes of Niall Cowan.

  “Niall, you startled me.” She smiled.

  He continued glaring at her in an emotionless way she’d never encountered before. He wore

  a wrinkled white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his arm. Apparently, he

  must have stayed the entire day in the office. He crossed his arms and arched a blond brow. “A

  word with you now, Dehlia.” He turned on his heel and left the entrance to her cubicle.

  “Thanks, Rose,” she whispered to herself and followed his lead across the work area, down

  the hall and into his office to the right. She breathed sharply, knowing full well what the vampire had in store for her. It thoroughly pissed her off that he would speak to her in such a manner, and she made a mental note of telling him so, once they were behind closed doors.

  Niall sat down at his large black lacquer desk just as she closed the door for privacy.

  Her heart thundered against her chest as the man continued casting her an icy stare.

  “Have a seat.” He motioned to one of the cushiony black leather chairs in front of his desk.

  “I’ll stand, thank you.” She folded her arms and strolled over to Niall’s desk, placing both

  hands on the smooth polished finish. “And don’t you ever speak to me in that manner again,

  Niall.”

  The vampire’s lips remained in a cruel, hardened, thin line and a flash of anger lit his eyes.

  “I see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Despite his anger, Niall remained calm. “That’s why I have decided to let you go.”

  “What?” Dehlia straightened and stared at the vampire in disbelief.

  “Don’t act so surprised. Rose made a fool of me and that is an action I refuse to forgive.”

  “So, you’re taking it out on me?” she retorted in a dry voice. “Niall, I don’t appreciate being caught in the middle of you and Rose’s feud. Furthermore, you’re acting like an insolent child

  when he doesn’t get his way.”

  Before she batted an eyelash, Niall stood in front of her, his large hand gripping her throat.

  His eyes glowed a lighter shade of blue as he backed her against the wall to the right of his desk.

  She’d been this close to him before, and enjoyed every minute of it. On several other

  occasions, they’d engaged in deep passionate kisses and dry humping, but she never allowed it to go any further than that. Tonight, however, she wanted him to spread her over his desk and take what he wanted.

  Purposely, he pressed his erection against her, making her suck in a breath. His chest heaved

  in robust lust as he bared his fangs and leaned in to graze them against her neck.

  “Niall.” She trembled at the strength in his hand and the mixture of pleasure and regret

  lingering in his blue depths. His hot breath fanned against her skin, heating her with desire as her knees knocked and her body yearned for him to do more than back her against the wall. Her

  pussy wept with need when he reached down with his free hand and slowly hiked up her metallic

  blue knee length skirt to her ass. She released a breath while staring into his hooded gaze.

  His nostrils flared as he tightened his grip around her throat. “Funny, how the flow of your

  juices increases when I squeeze,” he whispered. “You like this.” He rolled his hips forward, pressing his dick against her body.

  “Release me now,” she said the words, but didn’t truly mean them. Drunk with lust, her

  breasts were heavy with need and her nipples pressed against the silk fabric of her bra. She

  pretended not to enjoy this type of treatment, but her damned body had already betrayed her.

  “If you were so dissatisfied by the way I’m treating you, you would have already used your

  powers against me. Do you take me for a fool, witch?”

  She reached up, encircling his forearm with her hand when he shook her once, loosening and

  tightening his grip around her neck. Her chest heaved and she struggled for air. Indeed, she was enjoying this moment with him.

  “I’m going to taste you,” he breathed as he roughly forced her panties to the side, grazing her slickness with his long, slender fingers.

  “Oh, Niall.” Dehlia spread her legs for him to gain access. Her nipples throbbed and ached,

  with need and her cunt creamed in anticipation. Releasing a moan, she closed her eyes and arched into his touch when he bathed her engorged clit with her juices.

  Releasing the hold on her neck, he lightly brushed his fingertips from her collarbone to her

  breasts, making her body writhe in ecstasy. Just when she thought she’d explode, he slipped a

  finger inside her and gently twisted it counter clockwise. Slowly, he slid it out near the entrance, stroking her vulva before inserting another finger along with the first deep inside her.

  “Unnh!” She shivered and groaned with need as the vampire pumped his digits deep inside

  her, quickening the pace.

  “Come for me, Dehlia.” he demanded.

  His deep voice teetered between angelic and demonic, invoking fiery carnal passions within

  her that desperately needed to be addressed. She gasped when he leaned down, clenching the

  delicate skin of her neck between his incisors. Playfully, he licked at the sweet spot on her neck, daring to penetrate as he retrieved his fingers from her dripping pussy.

  She gasped in sweet anticipation, surrendering her blood to Niall, like a lamb to the

  slaughter. Only a lamb wouldn’t be so quick to willingly give its life over. “Oh, God,” she

  murmured, her head spinning and stars exploding in her mind. Rem
embering what would happen

  should a vampire ever indulge in McQueen blood, she placed her palms against his chest.

  Immediately, he was flung clear across the office.

  Panting heavily, Dehlia straightened her skirt and moved toward the exit of Niall’s office.

  He glared at her with a mixture of hurt and anger as he picked himself up off the floor and

  strode over to halt her. “What kind of game do you think you’re playing?” His lips twisted into an angry scowl.

  “I’m not going to let you use me as a pawn against my family.”

  “You enjoyed that as much as I,” he reminded her sharply. “Be done with it. Allow yourself

  to revel in the passions that only I can offer you.”

  She shook her head. “We can’t and we shouldn’t. Besides, I’m fired, remember?”

  Niall’s eyes softened, if only for a fleeting moment as he stood facing her. Slowly, he

  reached out, caressing her oval face with a strong palm. He ran a lone finger across both her lips before capturing them in a sweet, dark kiss.

  Dehlia struggled free, pushing him away.

  “Do you really think I’d hurt you?” He stared deep into her eyes, as the muscle in his jaw

  twitched.

  “I don’t know anything anymore,” she told him regretfully.

  “You’re fired, Dehlia. Perhaps this is for the best. Get your things and get out,” he growled,

  backing away from her.

  “No problem.” She inhaled sharply, opening the door and returning to her desk. Biting her

  lip, she snatched pictures from her cubicle wall and from her desk. Lucky for her, she really

  didn’t have too many personal belongings in the workplace. Powering down her computer, she

  flung her brown leather hobo back across her shoulder, and walked calmly out of the office.

  Something urged her to look back, and when she did, Niall stood by the large potted plant,

  his hands shoved deep into his pockets, his eyes glazed over in sadness. Despite that, she turned her head, quickened her gait to the large frosted double doors and to the elevators that lead to the lower parking level.

  Fumbling for her keys while in hot pursuit of her car in the parking garage, she began to

  slowly break down, knowing full well she shouldn’t have these feelings for the vampire. She

  pressed the remote and unlocked the doors to her red Maserati, then slipped into the leather seats.

  Now she was free to have her personal meltdown.

  Tears flowed freely as she gripped the steering wheel and struggled to regain her composure

  for the drive home. Was she crying because he fired her or crying because she knew there was no possible place for him within the McQueen family? Perhaps it was all for the best, she thought to herself as she pressed the ignition of the car and slowly backed out of the parking spot.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Storm circled around the manor to make sure everything was as it should be. Nothing out of the ordinary captured his eye, so he headed for the stone terrace leading to his chambers. When he landed, he swiftly transformed into human form, then walked through the double doors.

  He smiled when he saw Rose lying beneath the silken covers, and he slipped into bed beside

  her. When she stirred, he kissed her on the cheek.

  Her eyes opened quickly and she gasped. “Storm? You’re back?” She sat up. “Is Aunt Viola

  okay?”

  “Take it easy,” he chuckled. “She’s fine and very happy,” he assured her as he touched her

  forehead. “How are you feeling?”

  Rose glanced at the clock over near the mantle. “I’ve been asleep since nine o’clock, and it’s

  four in the morning? I’ve had more than my share of sleep. She clung to him. “I need you now.”

  Her thighs were so saturated with her excitement she began to squirm and parted her thighs for

  Storm, giving him easy access.

  “Finally,” he whispered. “But are you up to this?”

  “Of course, I am.” Rose licked her lips in anticipation of what was about to come. Her

  arousal increased, pooling between her thighs. Her nipples elongated and tingled as she imagined his mouth upon them, bringing her to the edge of climax. Her breathing intensified and her hands became clammy. His masculine scent filled her nostrils, making her crave him even more.

  “My beautiful Rose.”

  Fire ignited within her loins and his deep baritone voice caused her to pant heavily. She

  squirmed at the sticky wetness and wanted nothing more than to have him between her thighs,

  tasting her. She rolled over onto her back and stretched her arms toward him. She sucked in a

  breath as she became lost in his mystical eyes.

  “I’ve missed you Rose.”

  Those words rolled off his sweet lips like a warm summer breeze, cascading along her

  sensitive skin. His presence alone enveloped her, like an angel’s wings. “Storm.” Rose’s voice

  caught in her throat and anticipation drilled through her, as his engorged member pressed against her. Rose’s body burned for him, and only he could quench her insatiable thirst. “I’ve missed you too.”

  Storm ran his fingers through her hair with tenderness and admiration, then he brushed his

  lips against her neck, causing her to stiffen with desire. A soft moan escaped her when he

  caressed the area with his tongue, then his lips again. With a finger, he traced a trail of fire from her jawbone to her collarbone.

  “Storm!”

  “Yes? Speak the words, my beloved—tell me what you want.”

  “Make love to me now. I swear if I wait any longer, I’ll burst.”

  “You’ll burst only when I tell you to.”

  Rose shuddered at those words before he dipped his head to worship her full aching breasts.

  She groaned with pleasure as he suckled and teased her diamond hard tips. “Fuck, Storm!” She

  tossed her head back, allowing him to run his tongue over the erect buds, gently biting and

  kneading them.“Storm, stop your teasing,” she hissed through clenched teeth and tightened her

  grip around him.

  His hands were talented, patient, providing her with unforgettable pleasure. She opened her

  eyes, wanting to take in every inch of him. Passionately, he slid his way down her body, flicking his tongue against her belly, eventually reaching the hot pool of her desire that only he could extinguish.

  Closing her eyes, she trembled beneath his touch.

  “Look at me.”

  She opened her eyes to find his burning with love for her, making her swoon. “I love you

  more than myself. I hold you in my highest regards, for you are my everything, Gypsy Rose.

  Woman, you’re making me lose myself within the sweet abyss of your eyes as I speak.” With that

  said, he dipped his head, helping himself to her sweet nectar.

  Rose’s back arched, and she fisted the pillow beneath her head. A wounded cry departed her

  lips as Storm continued working the tender bud with slow, sensuous strokes of his tongue. Fire

  coursed through her veins as he reached for a nipple, squeezing it as he continued to devour her slickness.

  Quickening his pace, Storm darted his tongue in and out of her, causing her hips to lift off

  the bed to meet his demanding tongue.“Let it go, baby.” He stopped momentarily, just to mouth

  those words, coaxing her to give him all that she had.

  Rose’s muscles contracted as he slipped a finger deep inside her, continuing the sweet

  assault of his tongue on her flesh.

  “Take me, please,” she whimpered and begged as she creamed all over his fingers. Her body

  contorted immensely at the seemingly never-ending orgasm. His tongue eagerly gathered
her

  essence, and her high-pitched cries broke the silence. She continued to ride the strong waves of pleasure her man invoked within her.

  Slowly, he crawled up her body, spreading her legs apart with his knee. His hair fell over

  them both like a veil as he pressed his aching rod against her wet, satiny flesh.

  He pressed the thick swollen head against Rose’s slick opening, causing her to arch her back

  with need. She ran her nails lightly along his back, down to his tight buttocks. They held one

  another’s gaze, feeling the sheer electricity coursing between them

  Storm slowly pushed inside Rose until he filled her. With a shudder, her eager hands pushed

  against his ass, and she raised her hips to meet his demanding thrusts. Raising her thighs in the air, she brought them around his body, sensually brushing her legs against his hot flesh. Her

  muscles gripped his cock with every thrust. “Harder!” she demanded.

  Storm’s thrusts quickened and Rose shrieked as her lover panted against the curve of her

  neck. A hot river of excitement gathered within and her insides began to clench with the need for release.

  His punishing strokes were deep and demanding, sending them both over the edge. Lights

  danced before her eyes as she rode each wave of pleasure. The harnessed power seemed never-

  ending for both.

  Mesmerized by his loving gaze, she released a guttural cry, along with Storm’s. Spiraling

  like a brilliant white light from Heaven, the two remained entwined together as they floated to earth, their world turned upside down by the glorious experience.

  Kissing him, Rose enjoyed the taste of herself on his tongue and lips. The couple savored the

  moment, gazing into one another’s eyes. They never spoke to each other after their passionate

  lovemaking. There was no need. They communicated strictly on a psychic level, becoming lost

  within one another’s gaze. The love they shared was infinite.

  Epilogue

  Queensville, a few days later

  “Where the hell is it?” Veruca McQueen’s shout resonated through the forest when she

  couldn’t sense the portal to Raven’s Falls. “Dammit!”