by Anny Cook
It dawned on her that he’d been worried. She bit her lip to hold back a smile. “No, you’re not. I still love you anyway.”
His head jerked up as he stared at her. “What?”
“I love you. Even when you’re cranky. Finish your breakfast. Take your shower. When you’re ready, we’ll talk.” She finished the last of her pancakes and took her dishes to the sink. “The coffee’s nearly gone. Shall I make another pot?”
Though he honestly wanted to growl and grump some more, Seb nodded his head. “Michael and Suko will be here around ten o’clock for a meeting. They’ll want coffee.”
“All right. I think I’ll walk over to Momma’s about then. We need to plan the tree decorating party for tonight. When I come back, I’ll drive my car over here so we have our own transportation. Did the shop ever finish with your car?”
“No. They’re waiting for some part to be shipped from Detroit. I swear that it would probably be cheaper to buy a new car.” He shoved back from the table and carried his plate to the sink. “I’ll go take my shower. Just leave my coffee mug. I’ll have another cup after I get dressed. Maybe then I’ll be awake enough to sort through the mess Quill dumped on me at the crack of dawn.”
She washed and rinsed the plate and set it in the drainer. “Want to talk about it?”
“Maybe after my shower.” He wrapped his arms around her waist, sliding them up to cup her breasts. “No bra. Ummm.”
“Shower. Unless you would like me to join you?” she asked, leaning back so her head rested on his shoulder.
Curious, he slid his hands down her pants, delightedly discovering her lack of panties. “Oh yeah. You can join me and explain why you’re running around in the woods with your pussy open and ready.” His hand slid down between her thighs, gently exploring the damp slick folds. “You’re wet.”
“I was planning to wake you up by stuffing your cock in my pussy and going for a ride.”
Her breathing was speeding up as his fingers slowly circled the outer edges of her opening, spreading her cream, preparing her for the thrust of his fingers. His other hand was burrowed under her sweatshirt, busy tugging and pinching her tight nipples in turn. When her knees wobbled, he swung her up in his arms and carried her to the rumpled bed where he swiftly stripped her bare. “Ride now. Then we’ll play in the shower,” he groaned as he dropped his jeans to the floor and rolled on the bed until he was sprawled on his back next to Zip.
She captured his hard cock with her hand, stroking it lovingly. “Missed me, huh?”
“Ride me.”
Getting to her knees, she straddled his thighs, teasing him by slowly dragging her wet pussy over his cock before lifting to take him inside.
“Stop.”
“What?”
“Condom.”
Their eyes met in a silent clash of wills. Then she twisted until she could reach the foil packets on the night table. She plucked one from the pile, ripped it open and unrolled it over his penis.
He covered her hands with his, clasping them around his cock. “No child of ours will be an accident,” he explained quietly. “When we’re ready, we’ll create our children with joy and purpose and love. We’re not ready for that, are we?”
“No,” she admitted.
“In the meantime, I anticipate making love with you on a daily basis, maybe even on an hourly basis, because I can’t keep my hands off you. Now quit teasing us both and put my cock in your pussy.”
“Oh well, if you’re going to be like that…” She lifted up, positioned the tip of his cock at her slick opening and slid down his length like a warm welcome home. When they were joined together as deeply as possible, she laid down on his chest, sliding her hands under his arms so she could hold him close.
He lifted his knees and wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head beneath his chin. “I love holding you like this,” he whispered. “I could stay this way all day.”
Zip could feel him pulsing high up in her pussy. She clenched around him in response. For long moments those were the only movements they made, deep internal questions and answers, a silent discussion that satisfied their souls.
Finally, Seb lifted his hips, thrusting hard, demanding a different response from her. She met his demand with her own, rocking, straining to take him deeper, harder, as though they could become one entity. He cupped the back of her head as he took her lips with his, nibbling, licking before conquering with his tongue. It wasn’t enough.
Even as he realized his need to possess her as completely as possible, she tore her mouth free long enough to plead, “Stick your fingers in my ass!”
He dabbled his fingers in the slick cream that surrounded his cock before carefully pressing them against her tight opening. She was ready, easily taking them inside, joyously accepting his possession. They forged together, reluctant to separate in any way. Wordlessly, they urged each other on, reaching for that peak together until he cried out, “Now! Come with me!”
And she surrendered to his call, shuddering, tiny internal convulsions tugging and milking his cock so that he yielded control in a scalding jet of seed. Still wrapped in each other’s arms, they dozed for a little while, luxuriating in their mutual climax.
Eventually, she lifted her head, smiling down at him and chided, “There’s no time to take a shower with you now. Your team will be here pretty soon.”
With his eyes shut, he groaned. “It was worth it. Every single second.” His arms tightened around her waist. “Wasn’t it?”
“Definitely.” She sat up and cautiously crawled from the bed before lightly slapping his muscular thigh. “Up and at ’em!”
“Do I have to?” he whined.
“Somehow, I suspect that Michael and Suko wouldn’t find your nekkid form nearly as enticing as I do.” She picked up her sweatpants, shook them out and stepped into them before slipping her sweatshirt over her dark tousled head. “I’ll make the coffee while you’re in the shower. Then when you’re dressed, I’ll take my turn. That way, if they get here early, you’ll be ready.”
He opened his eyes and shot her a considering look. “What time is it?”
“No. There is not time to play in the shower,” she firmly declared before scooting out of reach.
“We’d save water. It’s our duty to conserve whenever we can. Why in some parts of Australia they’re only allowed to take four-minute showers!”
“Uh-huh. Well, if you want to conserve water, don’t let it run while you shave.”
He stood up and looked down at his flaccid cock. “There is nothing sadder than a used condom,” he observed mournfully.
She smiled at him over her shoulder. “Oh I don’t know. It could be worse.”
“How do you figure that?”
“You could have a hard-on with no condom available. That might be sadder yet.”
“Not if you gave me a BJ special.” He shuffled into the bathroom and shut the door.
Zip chuckled when she heard the toilet flush and then the shower started. Seb was such a guy.
Chapter Seven
By the time Zip hiked through the woods to Jericho Hollow, it was nearly noon. As predicted, Michael and Suko had shown up early, anxious to pick Seb’s brain while they slurped down fresh coffee. Zip happily escaped, leaving them with a plentiful supply of sandwich fixin’s, the use of her computer and two boxes of homemade Christmas cookies.
When Suko’s eyes lit speculatively on the bed, Zip was glad that she’d taken time to strip the sheets and stuff them in the washer while she remade the bed with fresh linen. Gingerbread-scented tart burners simmered on the mantel, banishing the last earthy tang of sex. Surely they would assume that Seb was having sex with her but advertising that fact with a cabin that smelled like a bordello was something else. Seb had just rolled his eyes and clucked like a chicken at her when he strolled out of the bathroom, damp and naked, and surveyed the neatly made bed.
From the pile of folders Suko’d unloaded from his briefcase, they had plenty to keep them busy fo
r the next several hours. Zip banished thoughts of Seb from her mind, concentrating instead on the list of chores ahead of her as she helped her momma prepare for their annual tree decorating party.
Over the years, the party had morphed from a simple event that centered around decorating the Jericho Christmas tree to an all-out Christmas celebration that included a contest for best outdoor tree decoration, a Christmas cookie swap, caroling at the county rest home and the cherished tradition of Pentecost reading the old familiar passage from Luke that reminded them of the reason for the celebration. Dinner was a potluck meal of wonderful food provided by the guests.
Thank goodness that Ellie had volunteered to supervise the outdoor tree decorating contest. The only rule was that everything on the trees had to be homemade and edible for the wildlife. That rule was instituted after a deer choked on a plastic ring one year.
As she trotted up the back steps, stomping the snow from her boots, Zip noted the crates and boxes of Christmas decorations piled on the back porch. It certainly looked as though Rack and Cage had been busy. She opened the kitchen door and burst into warm yeast-scented chaos.
“Zip! Finally! Here, stir the frosting,” Delilah directed absently.
Zip peeled out of her coat and tossed it on the hook by the back door, kicked off her boots, leaving them on the snowy doormat, and aimed a kiss at her momma’s cheek while she took over the stirring of the decadent fudge frosting. “What’s the plan?”
“Um, finish frosting the cake, eat lunch, vacuum and clean the living room, make a fast run through the rest of the house.” Delilah squinted in thought while she nibbled at her bottom lip. “Then we need to set up the kitchen for the buffet.” Her eyes flashed open. “I forgot the paper plates!”
“Send Rack.” Zip swirled the spatula through the frosting one last time and turned off the fire. Lifting the pan, she carried it to the table where the cake was sitting. With a practiced twist, she poured the liquid fudge over the prepared cake, watching as it flowed down the sides.
“He’s at Quill’s watching Unity. So’s Tate.”
“I thought Tate was going to sleep in today. He’s still awfully tired from driving straight through from Arkansas.” Zip set the pan back on the stove. “What happened to him in Arkansas, anyway? He’s been acting weird.”
Ellie chuckled while she finished cutting the last of the biscuits and lining them up on the pan. “A woman happened to him. Name of Louella.”
Zip turned around to face her, planting her hands on her hips. “A woman? Never. Just wait until I get my hands on that weasel!”
“Leave him alone,” Delilah said firmly. “She sent him away. Couldn’t deal with the shifting.”
Zip sat down at the end of the table. “Oh no.”
“Speaking of shifting, how did Seb handle it?” Ellie asked.
“He didn’t. We never got around to talking about it. First we, uh, were sidetracked and then Michael and Suko came over for a meeting so…” Zip sighed. “Maybe later this afternoon.”
“Uh-huh.” Ellie slid the biscuits in the oven and set the bowl in the sink, squirted a few drops of dish soap in it and filled it with hot water. “The longer you put it off, the more chances that he’ll find out on his own. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Keeping one ear on their conversation, Delilah tapped her chin as she scribbled down a list for the grocery store. “Napkins. Cream of tartar. Toilet paper. Must have missed that aisle the last time I was there,” she muttered. “Paper towels. Paper plates. I was going to have Cage take me shopping but I don’t have time to run to the store right now. I wonder if he would take the list? Zipporah, if you don’t tell Sebastian, it will definitely backfire on you. Trust me on this. Hand me the money jar.”
Zip shrugged into her coat while she stomped on her boots. “I’ll go to the store. I need to start my car anyway because it’s been sitting here for the last few days. And since Seb is eating me out of house and home, I need to stock up on a few things. Give me the list. I’ll settle up with you when I get back.”
“I’m sure Cage can go,” Delilah protested. “He’s acting kind of strange the last couple of days. Maybe he needs to go to town.”
“Maybe he had a fight with Penny. Let him work it out, Momma. I’ll go.” Zip snapped up the list, stuffed it in her pocket and went out the door before her mother could think of another reason to keep her there.
Over two hours later, she parked next to the back porch and sighed. The grocery store was insanely busy for a Tuesday afternoon. She supposed that it could be because of the surprise snow storm but jiminy, there were a lot of people in line. By the time she slammed the car door and went to the trunk, Pentecost and Ellie were there, ready to help carry the groceries in. “Leave the three bags in that corner. Those are my groceries.”
“Got it!” Pentecost grabbed the last of the bags and slammed the trunk lid shut.
Inside, Delilah quickly put things away while Zip shrugged off her jacket. “How much do I owe you?”
“Not enough to worry about.” Zip shook her head and smiled. “It’s not like you haven’t been feeding and clothing me for most of the last thirty years.”
Pentecost slapped his hand down on the counter. “Think of it, Del! We could have been mooching off the kids for years!”
Kissing his whiskery cheek, Zip slipped an arm around his waist. “I love you too, Pa. Now, what do we need to do to finish up the party preparations?”
“Everything is pretty much done since you took so long to shop,” Ellie snapped as she set the paper plates on the table. “Why don’t you take your groceries home and check in with Seb? Maybe you can squeeze in a quickie.”
“Elisheba Jericho!” Delilah frowned at her youngest daughter. “Don’t be snotty.”
Zip lifted her coat from the hook and slipped it on. “That’s okay, Momma. Someday she’ll understand. I didn’t get it myself until I met Seb.” Her lips brushed her mother’s soft cheek. “We’ll be back in time for the party.” She went out the door, halting on the porch to take a deep breath of the cool air. Then she grinned. Actually, a quickie sounded like fun. With renewed zest, she ran down the steps to the car.
As she opened the door, her head jerked up in shock when Cage’s mental roar of rage blasted her mind.
They’ve taken Penny!
Pentecost and Ellie burst out the kitchen door. Pentecost pointed to Zip’s car. “You wait for your momma. Ellie and I will go pick up Quill,” he yelled as he urged Cage to calm down long enough to get some answers.
Zip didn’t question his decisions. Delilah was already hustling down the stairs as she struggled with her coat. When one of her gloves dropped to the ground, Zip swooped down to pick it up before nudging her mother into the car. Doors slammed shut. Zip turned the key and shifted into reverse.
Where are we going, Pa? She backed up far enough to turn down the bumpy driveway.
Chamfers farm.
At the road, she turned right and picked up speed. Did anyone call Seb?
He’s on his way, Quill chimed in. Wait at the end of the Chamfers turnoff for him.
Okay. What happened? Zip asked as she slowed down for the turn onto Stonycreek Road.
Cage said that Cyrus sold Penny. Pa’s still getting answers.
Zip turned onto the wider road and speeded up. “Quill’s not sure what happened yet and Pa’s still talking to Cage,” she reported.
“Well I’m sure we’ll find out when we get there.” Delilah was the picture of placid assurance as she sat with her hands clasped on her lap. “Your father no doubt will have it all sorted out by the time we arrive. In the meantime, Cage will know that we’re all on our way to help however we can.”
* * * * *
While Michael steered his bright yellow Fiesta over snow-covered roads, Suko called out the turns on the GPS unit and Seb listened to Quill’s fragmented report over his cell phone.
“Turn left here! There’s Zipporah and Mrs. Jericho.” Suko unfastened
his seat belt as Michael stopped next to Zip’s car. “Someday you’re going to get a real car instead of this dune buggy,” he grumbled as he opened the door.
“I love this car,” Michael protested. “This is the car I learned to drive with. It was my mom’s car!”
“Yeah, well, maybe you should baby it, you know?” Seb climbed out of the tiny backseat. “Keep it in the garage so it doesn’t get scratched up. And get a nice big SUV for work.”
“Are you kidding? The gas would cost me a fortune!” Michael pulled over in front of Zip’s car and parked. “Now what?”
“Zip’s going to lead us up to the barn. We’ll decide what to do once we see the layout. Mrs. Jericho’s going to wait with the cars.” Seb and his men followed Zip through the woods until they reached the back of the barn. She led them inside and pointed out the study window. “That’s where Cage said they were.”
“Speaking of Cage, where is he?”
Up in the barn loft Cage yanked his shirt over his head, stomped on his shoes and slid down the ladder and seized Seb by the arm. “They’re in the study! Cyrus told Joe-Bob that he sold Penny!”
It was clear to all of them that Cage was walking a very fine line. If they didn’t move quickly, Cage might take things in his own hands. His hands shook as he shoved his disheveled hair back from his face. Zip slipped her arm around his waist and hugged him close. “We’ll get her back.”
“They might be hurting her,” he burst out angrily.
“Cage.” Zip grabbed his jaw and tugged until his eyes met hers. “Let Seb do his job. Come on. Let’s go upstairs and sit in the loft.” She urged him up the ladder in front of her. When they were comfortably settled on a bale of hay, she led him through the events that led up to his presence in the barn.
Slowly, he explained that he had finally concluded that Penny needed to know about his shifting abilities. They had agreed to meet at the waterfall on the creek but when Penny didn’t show up, he knew something was wrong.
From the details he provided, Zipporah thought that Penny hadn’t been taken very long before Cage arrived and that gave her hope. The sooner they found her, the less likely she would suffer permanent damage.
