More aroused than he had ever been in his life, Nicolai wrapped his arm around Zoe’s waist, pulled her closer, and smashed his lips to hers. The kiss was hot, deep and passionate as their tongues battled for control and their desire for one another intensified.
When Zoe’s mouth parted with a moan and welcomed the invasion of his tongue, he pulled her even closer and deepened the kiss, exploring every part of her mouth. She tasted like rainbows, sunshine, longing and his.
Not wanting the moment to end, he slowly blazed a trail of hot kisses down her neck as he scraped his teeth across the sensitive flesh behind her ear. Zoe moaned and pressed herself tighter against his chest, almost passing out from the sensation of his lips as he took her mouth in another searing kiss.
Once their lips parted and some of the sexual haze had lifted from the room, Nicolai cleared his throat and murmured, “You are so damn beautiful you take my breath away.”
“Nicolai, we shouldn’t be doing this right now,” she whispered against his lips.
“Say it again.”
“Say what?”
“My name. I love the way it rolls off your tongue.”
“Nicolai,” she whispered teasingly.
“You’re driving me crazy woman,” he growled, giving her a soft kiss on the lips. “Listen, I apologize for being a jerk, but when Alaric hit you with that fireball, I feared I might lose you. I’ve waited for you my entire life and I’ll be damned if some asshole like Alaric is going to take you away from me. You are mine, Zoe. Mine to love. Mine to protect. And I always protect what’s mine.”
“Aw. My big brother’s in love,” Stefano said, playfully. But as he began clapping, fireballs started exploding around the room. Zoe was in full witch mode determined to take out the new threat who had teleported into the kitchen.
“Hey, I come in peace,” Stefano yelled as he deflected several bolts of shimmering gold lightning rods.
Nicolai knew he should help his smart ass, baby brother, but it was mesmerizing to watch his woman wield magic without an iota of fear. She was definitely a natural, he mused. “Zoe. Sweetheart. Stop.”
“Can’t, I’m a little busy right now.”
“Zoe, listen to me. He’s my mangy ass brother, not a threat.”
“Hey, I heard that,” Stefano objected as he dodged another of Zoe’s lightning bolts.
Finally registering what Nicolai had said, Zoe slowly ceased fire, after she zapped him in the ass for good measure.
“Ouch! That hurt!” Stefano exclaimed, rubbing his butt with one hand while at the same time smiling at his brother like a buffoon. “Damn she’s feisty bro.”
“That she is and don’t you forget it,” Nicolai beamed with pride. “What are you doing here?”
“Mom thought you could use a little extra help, if you know what I mean.”
Nicolai nodded in ascension and introduced Zoe to his twin brother. “Zoe, I’d like you to meet my fraternal twin, Stefano.”
“Wow, I bet your parents had their hands full with the two of you,” Zoe replied and then slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she whispered as her face turned several shades of pink from embarrassment.
Stefano laughed before saying, “No worries. We get that all the time.”
The brothers may have been fraternal twins, but it was obvious there was no shortage of hotness genes and testosterone running rampant through their family line. Both men occupying her kitchen were gorgeous in their own right, but when standing side-by-side, they were lethal to any woman’s senses.
Where both men were tall and sported jet black hair, Stefano’s eyes were a pale, wintery blue instead of vivid green that sparkled like an emerald. Both men had a body made for sin; however, Stefano’s frame was bulkier, as in I want to climb you like a tree, bulkier. There was no question that both brothers sported the most sensuous lips, she had ever seen on a man.
They must’ve been like catnip to all of the felines attending their high school, she thought. Zoe could only imagine the number of claw fights that ensued over them… or more like because of them.
“Now that I’ve interrupted the two of you sucking face, tell me the plan,” Stefano said with a grin that would melt the panties off any woman.
“Huh?” Zoe asked, dumbfounded.
“The plan you’ve devised to take out the warlock trying to kill you?” Stefano inquired.
“Oh, that! I’ll let Nicolai tell you while I go upstairs and change into something more appropriate for training,” she responded using air quotes with her fingers.
“Okay! We’ll see you in a few,” Stefano replied mischievously. From his brief interactions with Zoe, he could already tell the feisty witch was going to be a handful for his brother for years to come. Lucky schmuck.
CHAPTER 7
As Zoe came back downstairs, she realized the living room had been transformed into a gym and sparring area. Nicolai was letting out his frustrations on a punching bag as Stefano held it steady.
“Take it easy, bro. She’ll be fine.”
“The next time a warlock’s trying to kill your mate, I’ll be sure to remind you to take it easy,” Nicolai replied as he hit the bag several more times with as much force as possible.
“Thanks for the reminder that I’ve failed miserably at finding my one true love,” Stefano said with an edge in his voice that made Zoe stop dead in her tracks.
“Shit! I’m sorry bro. You know I didn’t mean anything by what I said. I’m just worried about what Alaric is going to do next. You didn’t see how he taunted her and Viola. This is all a damn game to him.”
“Look, I get it. But you need to get your emotions under control for Zoe’s sake if nothing else. If she’s an Empath like you said, you’re doing her more harm than good.”
“You’re right. I’m just terrified of losing her. We barely know one another and there’s already ass-hats in the magical community gunning for us.”
“I have a feeling you better get used to this because that little lady is going to be a handful. Like it or not.”
“Oh, I like it. In fact, if we’re being honest, I love it,” Nicolai quickly replied.
“Look at you… all young and in love,” Stefano said teasingly.
“Damn straight and I’m proud of it. That woman rocks my world on more than one level.”
“That’s good to know,” Zoe said joining them near the punching bag. “Just remember that when I’m knocking you on your sexy ass later on.”
“Dude, she just threw down the gauntlet.”
“I’m not worried, Stefano. Put your money where your mouth is Red and show me what you’ve got.”
* * * * * *
Zoe sashayed to the center of the sparring area, closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and began chanting, “Ohm! Ohm! Ohm!”
The brothers looked at one another dumbfounded before Nicolai said, “Sweetheart, what in the Hades are you doing?”
“I’m warming up. Finding my center, so I can kick some warlock butt,” she replied as she began bouncing around on her tiptoes like a wannabe MMA fighter.
Nicolai was more afraid she was going to throw out her back than knock out a warlock by the way she was swinging her arms. “Honey, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, maybe we should start with the basics. Do you even know how to throw a punch?”
“No, but I always defeat my boxing opponent on the Wii. How hard can it be?” Zoe replied as she danced around Nicolai several times.
“Stop bouncing around like a kangaroo. You’re making me dizzy,” Nicolai said, quickly pulling her into his chest.
“Hey, that’s not fair. You cheated,” Zoe retorted, right before his lips came crashing down on hers. She couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips as Nicolai took control of the kiss. His lips were soft, succulent and demanding. She had never felt such an intense, physical attraction to a man.
The way he played her body like a violin melted away any thoughts she had entertained of rejecting him. When their bodies m
olded together as one, she couldn’t resist exploring his taunt muscles with her hands. From his intoxicating smell, to the sweet taste of his luscious lips, to the way his hands caressed the curves of her body, Nicolai elicited every raw, passionate, lust-filled emotion there was from Zoe just short of leaving her weak in the knees and hungry for more.
It quickly became obvious to Stefano that the lovebirds had forgotten he was in the room. Therefore, in an effort to gain their attention before things went too far, he cleared his throat and said, “Awkward.”
When the two finally came up for air, Nicolai made a mental note to zap his brother with a few extra energy balls during practice for making Zoe blush. “Come on sweetheart, I’ll show you the proper way to punch my annoying brother in the gut and make it hurt.”
“Hey, not nice. I’m telling mom when I get home.”
“So what else is new, mama’s boy?”
“Call me a mama’s boy one more time, and you’ll find out.”
“Ooh! I’m shaking in my boots.”
“If you two are finished acting like kindergarteners on the playground, can we get started?” Zoe asked, mockingly.
* * * * * *
Nicolai spent the next fifteen minutes showing Zoe how to throw and deflect a punch without breaking her wrist. While it seemed simple enough, she wasn’t quite sure she could pull it off, but she was determined to give it the old college try. There was only one problem, she’d never attended college.
“Why do I need to learn how to punch when I can just throw a few energy balls at that slimy warlock and be done with it?”
“Because in order to get your aunt’s powers back, you’re going to need to get up-close-and-personal. If Alaric realizes that you have no experience fighting hand-to-hand combat, then you’re at a disadvantage and he will kill you. Make no mistake about it.”
“Alright! Alright! I get your point. I just have one more request.”
“Okay, shoot!”
“For every punch I either land or block, I get to ask you a personal question about yourself.”
“I’ll take that bet and raise it. If by the time we’re done, you’re the victor, I’ll answer whatever questions you have left and I’ll take you to dinner. If I’m the victor, I take you to dinner and then to bed.”
“Not a chance in Hades, Bill Clawsby.”
“Afraid of a little competition, sweetheart?”
“Fine. You’ve got a deal. Bring it on, Simba,” she said as she started shuffling her feet in an attempt to distract Nicolai.
Zoe was the first to draw blood, metaphorically speaking. She hit Nicolai. Hard. In the gut. The blow immediately knocking the wind out of him.
“You stated earlier that the kitty disguise was your mom’s idea. Why?”
“Several months back, she had a vision that my mate was in danger and needed my help. She thought it would be easier to approach and protect you as a cat,” Nicolai wheezed in a raspy voice as he quickly regained his balance in time to block Zoe’s next jab.
Unfortunately, she overextended and lost her balance, which allowed Nicolai the opportunity to put her in a headlock. The more she struggled, the tighter his embrace became and the harder it was for her to speak.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? A birdie got your tongue?”
“This is one birdie you’ll never get to eat,” Zoe said right as she elbowed him in the solar plexus, stomped on his instep, elbowed him again in the nose and socked him in the nads for good measure.
“What in the Hades was that?” Nicolai wheezed, as he remained bent over holding his family jewels.
“SING!”
“What is SING?”
“It’s what a woman does when an attacker is holding her like that. She hits him in the solar plexus, stomps his instep, elbows him in the nose, and socks him in the gonads. Have you never watched Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality? I was channeling my inner Gracie Hart.”
“I thought you said Sandra Bullock. Who in the Hades is this Gracie Hart person?”
“She’s the character Sandra Bullock plays in Miss Congeniality. Duh! They never mentioned in the movie that hitting a man in the head would affect his head, if you know what I mean,” she said to his brother with a wink.
“Um… bro. Maybe you guys should take a fifteen minute break?” Stefano suggested as he burst into laughter.
Nicolai glared at him unamused, but nodded in consent. He needed ice. Lots and lots of ice, but he wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of knowing how much pain he was in. Suck it up and take it like a man, Nicolai thought as he retreated to the kitchen for a glass of water.
“Red, you’re a natural,” Stefano said when his brother was out of earshot. You have no idea how much pleasure it gave me watching you kick Nicolai’s butt. I’ve been trying to accomplish that for years when we spar.
“Glad I could lend a hand. Are we done for the day?”
“Not quite. Let’s see how you do when it’s two against one.”
“Hey, that’s not fair.”
“First rule in battle, bad guys never play fair.”
“What’s the second rule?”
“Always know when to retreat so you can live to fight another day.”
Shrugging her shoulders, Zoe said, “Okay. Bring it on Mr. Bigglesworth.”
“Oh, I intend to Red, Just as soon as Nicolai returns.
* * * * * *
Twenty minutes later, Nicolai returned from the kitchen in less pain than when he went in. The color had returned to his face; his voice had lost that raspy sound; and he was no longer walking hunched over. There was a part of Zoe that was a relieved he was okay and a part of her that felt bad for pulling the SING technique on him, but only a little part.
She had almost come clean about her years of training in marital arts and self-defense until Nicolai opened his mouth and implied she had gotten in a couple of lucky shots her first time out. Now, it was GAME ON and she had no intention of losing to the two men she now dubbed as Tempurra and Twinkle Toes.
Zoe slowed down her breathing, found her center and decided to do what she does best as both men went on the attack… kick ass and take names. It was a heady feeling that left her exhilarated and anxious for more.
The first punch was a feint, quick jab that glanced Stefano’s chin. Unfortunately, he realized this after Zoe had landed the second punch that had him doubling over in pain and expelling his last bit of chocked air like his brother had earlier. It was a sweet shot that left him a bit dazed and confused.
“That was for making me blush earlier,” Zoe said, sweetly.
Fortunately for him, Nicolai came to the rescue and went on the attack before Zoe could go in for the kill. The two sparred back and forth as though they had been doing it for years. Their attack and counterattacks were flawless… neither of them giving any hint of vulnerability.
When Nicolai upped the stakes and launched his first energy ball that Zoe easily deflected, Stefano had a feeling things were about to get ugly. His big brother had transformed into full battle mode and Zoe wasn’t backing down, which made him admire her all the more.
“Nice shot Pico de Gato,” she said, trying to distract Nicolai so she could get a better vantage point, but he was having none of it.
He quickly countered with a roundhouse kick and then tried to sweep her feet, which she barely avoided before he landed a blow to her right thigh.
“Don’t be tense, be ready. When you see me expand, you contract. If I contract, you expand,” Nicolai said as he threw a left hook that Zoe dodged. The two continued throwing and counteracting one another’s punches until Nicolai found an opening, grabbed Zoe’s left arm and flipped her until she was laying on the floor in a vulnerable position.
When his big brother went in for the kill, she distracted him by saying, “If you wanted to be on top, all you had to do was ask nicely,” which made Stefano laugh.
Clapping, he said, “Finally, someone who doesn’t take your crap lying down. No pun intend
ed Zoe given your current position. Since it’s obvious to everyone in the room, mainly me, that you two have some frustrations you need to work out, I’m going to leave you to it and check out those chocolate chip pancakes I saw in the kitchen earlier.”
“Are you kidding me? This is not a time to be worrying about food.”
“Maybe not for you, but I missed lunch. A large stack of pancakes with some crispy bacon and an ice cold glass of milk sounds like Heaven right now. Wait! Do you hear it? Pancakes. Pancakes. We all scream pancakes,” Stefano countered in a singsong voice as he headed toward the kitchen.
“UN-freaking-believable!” Nicolai ground out through clenched teeth as Zoe burst into laughter. When he was momentarily distracted, she wrapped her legs around his waist, distracting him further, and rolled them so that she was on top.
“If you wanted to be on top, all you had to do was ask, sweetheart” Nicolai said, mimicking her words with a shit eating grin on his face.
If the bulge in his pants was any indication, he was definitely enjoying the new position, which made it harder for Zoe to focus on the task at hand. Heart pounding, breaths coming out too fast, Zoe closed her eyes and exhaled deeply before she asked her next question.
“Tell me about the weird chick in the 80’s leotards who calls herself Babalicious.”
Trying not to laugh, but failing miserably, Nicolai finally said, “Her name is Baba Yaga and you better be careful because she sees all and hears all. Why you may ask? Because she’s the most powerful witch of all time. She maintains the balance of Magic.”
“Okay, so she’s a force to be reckoned with. I get that, but what’s with the 80’s outfits. Speaking of outfits, do you think Aunt Hildy was telling the truth?”
“About what?”
“The reason my dad is taking yoga classes and wearing women’s leotards. I mean, when you were a cat, did you enjoy licking your nads that much?”
Magic and Mayhem: A Witch Possessed (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5
