by Lynn Tyler
Sloan let out a breath and clenched his fists. “Why? Why can’t you let me in?”
The truth came tumbling out before she could stop it. “After my parents died, I grew up in a series of foster homes. But the foster families always decided I was too much work to handle, and I always got transferred to another home. Or locked in the psych ward because they were convinced there was something behind my behavior.”
She took a breath as the feelings came flooding back. “Do you know what it’s like to have your stuff piled in garbage bags, like you’re trash, and dropped off at another strange place?”
She hadn’t even been aware of the tears rolling down her cheeks until one dripped on her hand. She wiped them away angrily, irritated because she’d let herself get this worked up over something from the past. And the soft look on Sloan’s face didn’t help. She didn’t want to be pitied, damn it. Sunny turned away and scrubbed at her face.
Sloan didn’t take the hint. He turned her around again and pulled her into his arms so her head rested on his chest. She tried to hold herself stiff, to not give into the comfort he offered, but the warmth of his hug chipped away at her resolve and she found herself reluctantly relaxing.
“Every time you got used to something, started caring for someone, it got taken away from you. Am I right?” he said, summing up her entire childhood with one simple sentence.
How could something that felt so complicated be put so simply into words? “No,” she said stubbornly.
Sloan pulled away slightly and bent down a little until she was forced to look him in the face. She didn’t look him in the eye though, instead staring at his chin. “Sunny, sweetie, you know we’ll never abandon you, right? You belong with us. You belong with me.”
She blinked and fought back another wave of useless tears. She knew Sloan really believed his words. She just couldn’t get over her fear of having someone she loved taken away from her again.
She didn’t want to think about it anymore. Sloan had gone out of his way to show her he loved her. If he left her, it wouldn’t be his choice.
And the thought of losing Sloan made her tremble.
She linked her arms around Sloan’s neck and pulled him close, needing to be close to him. She needed to feel his skin, needed to have him deep inside her. She needed to feel like she was one with him. “Let’s take a break,” she murmured.
Sloan’s eyes showed his hesitancy, his desire to keep prodding at her issues until they were resolved, but she caught his lower lip between her teeth and tugged it gently.
Groaning, Sloan picked her up and carried her to a soft, unblemished patch of grass. The ground was spongy at her back, comfortable. Perfect for what they were about to do.
She reached for him, needing him close. He kissed her, slow and sweet, like he had all the time in the world. Maybe they did have all the time in the world. His mouth coaxed hers gently as she gave in to his unspoken request without hesitation. She loosened her arms from around his neck and skimmed her hands down his back. His skin was hot, the heat radiating from under the thin cotton of his T-shirt. His muscles rippled under her touch, a shiver working its way through his body. “Sunny,” he said with a sigh.
Their clothes seemed to disappear like magic. She looked up at Sloan, about to comment, when she noticed the little smirk playing at his lips. “Neat trick,” she said. “You’ll have to teach me some time.”
“I just didn’t want to stop kissing you.”
Sunny shuddered when Sloan began planting warm, wet kisses down the side of her neck. “Please tell me you didn’t magic away the condom.”
Sloan raised his head slightly. “I’ll never be caught without a condom again.” He reached over her head and fumbled in the grass for a moment before pulling his arm back and waving a shiny foil packet in her face.
Satisfied, she wound her fingers tightly in Sloan’s hair and used her grip to pull him back down. “Now where were we?”
The water handler laughed but returned to his explorations easily.
He feasted on her forever, sucking and nipping at her sensitive skin until she could barely remember her own name. She was sure her body would be littered with hickies and the occasional bite mark, but she didn’t care. What he was doing felt too damn good to stop, and besides, it wasn’t like everyone in the castle didn’t already know they were sleeping together.
She was far from still. She arched, shifted, in an attempt to get closer. She clawed at his back when he kissed a particularly responsive spot. She pulled at his hair when she wanted him to repeat something. “Enough.” She was afraid she would burst into flames if he didn’t get in her soon.
Instead of crawling between her thighs, like she expected, Sloan rolled off her and urged her up. “On your hands and knees, baby. I want to take you from behind.”
A bolt of electricity shot to her clit as she obeyed his order. She hadn’t been a virgin when she’d met Sloan, and she’d done more than missionary sex before, but something about being taken like that by Sloan was enough to set her dancing on the fine edge of orgasm.
Almost instantly, she felt him nudging at her pussy. She pushed back so the tip of his shaft popped in. A moan worked its way up her throat, and she started rocking back and forth, too impatient to wait for him to move. The position made him feel bigger, thicker, and taking him like that bordered on pain. But the small bite of discomfort only served to highlight the pleasure she felt.
He moved slowly, and she groaned with frustration. She wanted to feel him pound into her with a raw urgency that told her how much he needed her. “Faster,” she demanded.
The hands on her hips tightened. “The lady’s wish is my command,” he said before drastically increasing his pace.
Her fingers scrabbled at the ground as she tried to steady herself. Her lust wound tighter, spiraling impossibly higher. She needed something…more. “Sloan,” she cried, tossing her head.
He let out a sound, part groan, part growl, and she looked over her shoulder at him. His head was bent, and he concentrated fiercely on something. She gasped when she realized he was watching his dick slide in and out of her body. How hot was that? “Sunny,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m close, sweetheart. I need you to come now.”
“I can’t,” she wailed. “I’m so close but…I can’t.”
She was beyond herself. She had no idea what she needed, but apparently Sloan knew.
He slid one hand from her hip around to her front and ground his finger against her clit. The dual sensation of having him in her and on her broke through her wall, and she tumbled into orgasm.
It was spectacular. Her entire body throbbed, and Sloan never slowed, letting her ride her orgasm right to the end. Finally, he froze and his cock kicked inside of her. She could feel the pulse of his release into the condom, and it wrung yet another small orgasm from her electrified body.
When it was over and she was sure she could still feel her legs, she found herself face down on the grass, fighting to draw enough oxygen into her lungs to survive. “Holy shit,” she whispered. “That was fantastic.”
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” Sloan agreed.
They lay there for a few minutes. “Hey, Sloan? Can you magic our clothes back, please? I’d rather not walk back to the castle with my bare ass hanging out.”
A look of horror crossed his face. She suddenly had a bad feeling. “Sloan?” she said, trying to make her tone as ominous as possible. “Don’t joke about things like this.”
She relaxed when he smiled. “Just kidding. Well, not really. I can’t make them come back. I never figured out how to reverse the spell. It was a miracle I even learned the part that I did. We handlers aren’t known for our magical abilities outside of manipulating our element.”
She opened her mouth to shriek at him when he held his hand up. “I sort of hoped this would happen one day, so—” he crawled over to a hollow tree “—I hid a change of clothes for both of us a couple of days ago.”
The sweatp
ants he handed her pooled around her ankles, and she swam in the T-shirt. Of course, he hadn’t thought to bring shoes. There was also a conspicuous lack of underwear, but she had a feeling the last omission were on purpose.
Everyone would know what they had been up to, but it was better than sneaking back into the castle like a teenager.
He put his arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. “Come on.”
The happy smile on his face dispelled any misgivings she had about the wardrobe choices he’d made. It was really the first time he’d looked so happy, so carefree, since she’d met him.
Wrapping her arm around his waist, she let him lead her toward the castle. She was determined to do whatever it took to keep that look on his face for as long as he would have her.
Chapter 22
Since their dinner of macaroni and alfredo sauce, Sloan had taken to arranging little surprises for her. Sometimes, a single rose would be waiting on her dresser when she got to her room.
Once, he’d arranged for them to have cooking lessons at one of the restaurants in town.
Twice, she’d come to dinner to find a newly released book she’d been talking about waiting at her plate. Then he’d read it with her.
Tonight, he’d surprised her with a midnight picnic.
The night was beautiful. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the moon was full and the stars looked like diamonds pinned to black velvet. It was perfect for a romantic picnic.
Sunny guessed the ideal evening was the reason Sloan had decided they should blow off their training and do something fun instead.
She was quite impressed with his plans. He’d packed a huge wicker basket with all her favorite finger foods. There were chocolate dipped strawberries, tiny squares of brownies, fruit tarts, and even a tin of peanut brittle. It was nutritionally lacking, but so what? The bottle of champagne made up for it. At least, that’s what she told herself.
A cool berry pressed to her lips and she opened her mouth, accepting the treat. “Having fun?” Sloan asked, wiping away a bit of juice that had escaped the corner of her mouth with his thumb.
She nodded as she swallowed. “I am, thanks. It’s nice not to have to think about magic for a few minutes.”
Sloan shifted until their shoulders were touching and played with the ends of her hair. “You’ve been working so hard. I thought you deserved a break.”
“Well, you’re a great teacher. I can’t believe how much I’m able to control my power now.”
Sloan smiled proudly. “You’re doing great. God, I love you so much,” he blurted.
Her throat tightened, and she looked away from him. It hurt, not being able to give him back those three words. Because she was in love with him. Deeply and completely. But the fear of losing him was lodged too deeply in her heart. What hurt most was the fact she knew that in order to be with him, she needed to let go of her fear. But knowing it and doing it were two entirely different things.
Sloan, apparently catching on to her distress, sighed and tugged on her hand until she had no choice but to stretch out on the blanket they’d laid on the grass. “Let’s not think too hard,” he said as he sprawled next to her.
It was the best idea she’d heard all day. She scooted closer to Sloan’s warm body and rested her head on his outstretched arm so she could stare up at the night sky. Lazily, she raised her hand and started tracing shapes in the air with her fire. “How long can you hold the fire there?” he asked.
Smiling, she wrote Sloan’s full name in the air, making the flames burn much brighter than normal. She traced two little hearts on either side of his name and forced them to flare red. Maybe she wasn’t ready to voice her love, but she could at least show him a little.
She held the flame for a full minute before letting it flicker out, only to write his name again and enclose it in a giant heart.
Sloan laughed and kissed the top of her head. Reaching straight up, he summoned a palm full of water and threw it in the air, manipulating it so it also held the shape of a heart.
They played until the wee hours of the morning, giggling like little kids and stopping to make out every once in a while.
Finally sitting up, Sunny stretched her arms and shoulders. “This was so much fun. Thank you for tonight.”
Sloan sat up beside her and kissed her temple. “Well, hopefully, we’ll have many more nights like this in the future. No pressure,” he added with a sheepish smile.
“Just give me time,” she whispered.
He nodded and stood up. “We should get going. Raven’s going to want us to train tomorrow afternoon, so we should get a couple of hours of sleep at least.”
“That slave driver,” she joked, standing up and brushing off the seat of her jeans.
Sloan waggled his eyebrows at her and cupped her hips. “Want some help?”
She pushed him off with a laugh and bent down to pack up the basket. “You’re insatiable.”
“What?” he asked in an innocent voice. “I haven’t had you since this morn…”
The frisson of unease that shot up her spine told her exactly why Sloan had trailed off. “What is that?” She could hear the fear in her voice.
Sloan looked around carefully and her uneasiness increased dramatically. “We’re sensing a sudden increase in the amount of magic around us.”
“Could it be Anna or Raven coming to look for us?” she asked. She already knew the answer, but was hopeful Sloan’s would be different than what she expected.
Sloan starting tossing things into the basket with much more haste than the way he’d taken them out. “No. Any magic coming from a MacAlister witch would be recognizable. This magic is pretty unfamiliar. I’ve only encountered it a couple of times.”
He didn’t have to say where he’d encountered it. She could already sense the familiarity of the magic. It brought her back to the pub. The Takahashi handler was somewhere nearby. And the amount of magic crackling in the air told her he probably wasn’t alone. “Let’s leave the stuff,” she said urgently. “We can come back for it later it if anybody really cares about it.”
The magic nearby increased and Sunny was surprised she didn’t actually see sparks flying. It felt like she was pushing through a static field. The fine hairs on her arms stood on end.
“Fuck it,” Sloan said, abandoning the basket. “I’ll buy a new one if anyone misses it that badly.”
“We should call Raven before we leave,” she said.
Sloan grimaced. “Did you bring your phone?”
She shook her head. “I left it in my room. I didn’t think I’d need it.”
Grimacing again, Sloan sighed. “I was holding out hope you’d brought yours. I left mine in the car.”
“God, we’re so stupid,” she said.
Sloan took a deep breath and shook his hands. “There’s nothing we can do about it now. Besides, Raven and Leith will probably feel the increase of magic too and are probably already looking for us. Let’s go.”
They made their way as silently as possible through the field, but there was little to give them any type of camouflage. “Maybe we should get down on our hands and knees?” she suggested. “The grass might be tall enough in some parts to hide us.”
Sloan considered it for a second but quickly shook his head. “I think we need to focus on speed. Besides, I can’t see them.”
Sunny didn’t bother to point out that it was the middle of the night. She grabbed his hand and quickened her speed. “How did they find us?”
Sloan shrugged and moved faster, tugging her along behind him. “We didn’t do anything major with our magic, but we did use it a lot,” he said. “Maybe they tracked it, and because we’re so far away from the castle, they decided to try and ambush us.”
She cursed herself for playing with her flame so much to amuse Sloan. She’d drawn pictures in the air with it for close to three hours. “I’m sorry,” she said.
Sloan shook his head but didn’t look at her. He was too busy scanning their s
urroundings. “If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine. I knew the Takahashi handler was in the country, and I still brought you here.”
She didn’t say anything, not because she agreed with him, but because his car, which they’d left at the side of the road, came into view. The fact that they had yet to see anyone was more than a little creepy. It felt like they were being hunted by some kind of top tier predator. Was this what a deer felt like when it was being stalked by a wolf?
“Just a little farther to go,” Sloan whispered.
It could never be that easy, of course. As soon as they were within sprinting distance, a lone figure stood up from where he’d been crouched by the hood of the car. He lifted the car in the air and spun it around. “It took you long enough,” he said casually, as though lifting a car with his mind was a daily occurrence. Then again, maybe it was.
“We’re in so much shit,” Sloan murmured.
“Yes,” the handler agreed, and threw the car at them.
Sunny summoned as much fire as she could, hoping to melt the entire car before it hit them. Getting hit with a mass of melted metal wasn’t much better than getting hit by a solid piece of metal, but at least she was doing something.
Sloan, however, beat her to the punch. He summoned a jet of water strong enough to push the car off track so it hit the ground to the right of them with a deafening crash.
Frustrated, scared and angry, Sunny lost control of her temper. “What the hell is it with you and cars?” she screamed.
Despite the situation, Sloan started laughing. What was more startling was the fact that the Takahashi handler started laughing too. “I wish you were a Takahashi,” he called. “I bet life is never boring with you around.”
“She’s mine,” Sloan growled, his chuckles disappearing immediately.
Sunny frowned, a little unsure as to what was going on. Were they seriously having a pissing contest? And, she would really have to have a talk with Sloan about the whole “she’s mine” thing.
The Takahashi handler’s laughter died too. “It’s a shame we have to say good-bye. I think we could have been good friends if we’d been in a different situation.”
