“With all due respect, sir,” Hayes said, stepping up beside her and slipping his arm around her waist. “If he touches her again with the intent of physical harm or exactin’ his price for a favor, I will do whatever is necessary to protect the woman I love.”
Her mouth dropped open. Did he actually say that? To a stranger? The officer nodded as he put his hat back on, not at all rattled by the warning.
“Just try not to mess him up too bad and let us handle the rest. Have a good evening, folks. Don’t hesitate to call if Day shows up again.”
“Thank you, officer,” Chance said, shutting the door behind him. She rested her forehead against the cold wood and sighed.
“You need to eat and then rest.” Hayes tugged her into his arms, wrapping her in warmth she didn’t ever want to leave. “It’s been a long day with some extra unnecessary excitement.”
“I’ll get supper started,” she muttered against his chest. Really all she wanted to do was curl up in bed with Hayes and get lost in him for a while.
“No need.”
Hayes snapped his fingers. Suddenly she heard the snapping and popping of a fire in the living room as the aroma of pot roast and potatoes filled the air. The table had been set with candles and wine. Having a genie around sure did come in handy.
After dinner they sat sipping wine for a moment when Hayes handed her something wrapped in a rag. She unfolded it, gasping in awe at the hand-carved figurine of herself and him. “Exquisite,” she whispered. “I love it. Thank you, Hayes. It’s the best gift anyone ever gave me. I’ll treasure it forever.”
Her fingers skimmed over the carving of him behind her, his arms open wide as if ready to take her in an embrace. Her likeness held his bottle close to her heart and she knew without a doubt no matter what happened between them, he would forever reside there. How had he managed to capture so much in such a small carving?
“I can feel the passion in it.” Maybe his magic had something to do with it, or perhaps, and she’d love to believe this, he’d poured everything of himself into each scrape of the wood. Either way she felt a warm, loving vibration holding it.
“No matter what happens,” he whispered in a thick, emotional voice, “know that I love you.”
Tears welled and when she gazed at him through blurry eyes, she saw his honesty. How had she gotten so lucky to find a man who touched her soul and heart so deeply? There had to be a way to save him. If it cost her everything, she would find it.
“I have another surprise for you.”
Hayes took her hand, gently tugging her from the chair. “I’ve never done anything like this before.” He led her toward the hall, stopping in front of the bathroom. “I hope you like it.”
When he opened the door, Chance gasped. Her tiny, plain bathroom had been transformed into a vast, sprawling meadow complete with chirping birds, wildflowers, brilliant green grass and the smell of nature. The sun shone down on a pond with a towering weeping willow tree next to it. Unable to look away, she took it all in, but when she finally did gaze up at him she could tell he was anxiously awaiting her response.
“It’s, Hayes, it’s breathtaking.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say. How many women were treated to such natural splendor in November with the cold air beating at their door, much less in their home?
“Come on.”
He led her through the door. Immediately she felt the touch of the sun on her face. Nothing fake about any of this. Even the grass gave way under her feet and sprang up again. Beyond blissful, she ran ahead of him, reaching down to let her fingertips brush against the pretty flowers, twirling like a giddy schoolgirl. Hayes laughed as he strolled carelessly toward her.
“It’s perfect. I love it.” She ran toward him, launched herself and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”
“I have more to show to you.”
His husky voice sent thrilling shivers down her spine. Instantly her body responded to him. The only thing she wanted to see right now was his naked body.
Hayes scooped her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing, carrying her toward the pond. As they got closer she could see how beautifully blue and clear the water was. The limbs of the weeping willow tree swayed gently as if welcoming them.
He set her down at the edge and she dropped to her knees, eager to dip her fingers into the natural beauty made especially for her. To her surprise it wasn’t cold, not even chilly, but warm and inviting.
“Wanna go for a swim?”
“Are you kidding?” Chance jumped to her feet, jerked her sweater off over her head and began shedding her jeans. Hayes stood there grinning like a fool with his thumbs hooked through his belt loops. “Are you afraid of a little water?” she teased, unhooking her bra and tossing it at him.
His eyes went from beaming with happiness to smoldering with lust. He took her bra, rubbed the material between his fingers and then caressed his cheek with it. Chance physically shivered at the promise of unbridled pleasure in his gaze.
“Not at all. I’m enjoyin’ watchin’ you undress.”
“Well, you watched, now how about returning the favor.”
His fingers went to his shirt and started working the buttons free. Anticipation tickled her stomach as a fine sheen of sweat popped out over her flesh. It had nothing to do with the warmth of the sun. No, he made her hot, the kind of heat that consumed her from the inside out, leaving her internal organs quivering with excitement.
Hayes stripped off his shirt, tossing it aside. Chance couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering over his body. As he unfastened his jeans she marveled at the way his muscles rippled beneath his taut flesh. When he bent over to remove his boots she moaned at the way his abs bunched. Power. It emanated from him and not because of his magic. Hayes exuded strength all on his own.
With his boots tossed aside, he returned to the task of ridding himself of the jeans. The anticipation grew inside her. Her breasts ached, her clit throbbed, even the muscles in her thighs quivered. When he lowered his jeans, exposing that delicious V that ran from his hips to his groin, she licked her lips. She genuinely wanted to run her tongue along that sexy line.
“Keep that up and we won’t make it in the water,” he growled.
Was that a bad thing? Not to her. Hayes shucked his jeans down his thighs, freeing his erect cock. She didn’t bother stifling the moan. No point in hiding her desire, he clearly wasn’t. His soft flesh pulled tight over his steel shaft and head, beckoning to her, causing her inner muscles to ripple with need.
“We have all night,” he said, taking two steps toward her.
He quickly swept her up in his arms, cradled her against his chest and walked into the water. Each step took him deeper until she felt the warm liquid touch her bottom. She moaned and he stopped.
“If it’s too hot or too cool I’ll fix it. You only have to say the word.”
“It’s perfect.”
He carried her farther in until the water lapped around them. Hayes let her go until her feet hit the bottom. Instead of gooey mud as she expected, it was smooth, solid but soft. Like a pool but better. He’d planned for her every comfort. All the residue of her day melted away, the hectic pace of work, stress and anxiety of the fire, gone.
“Thank you,” she whispered on a sigh.
Hayes pulled her tight against him. His hard arousal cushioned against her belly as he massaged her shoulders. She let her head fall against his chest, enjoying the moment of being utterly content for the first in her recollection. Sure, she’d been happy, but the need to be ready for anything always simmered below the surface. Not now.
After a few moments of complete attention she pulled away, tossed herself back in the water and sank below the surface. When she emerged, Hayes was smiling. Feeling playful, she splashed some water at him. Next thing she knew they were in a game of chase.
Their laughter echoed through the meadow as she halfheartedly kept away from him. They moved from one end of the pond to the other seve
ral times before Hayes disappeared. She looked around, dunked under the water, searching, but he was nowhere to be found.
“Hayes?” She stood still, listened and shouted again. “Hayes!” Panic rose fast, causing her heart to palpitate out of control. Had it happened? Did they run out of time? “No,” she whimpered, working her way to the center of the pond. “Hayes, where are you?”
He couldn’t have vanished that fast. He would have said something, alerted her to the fact that it was happening. Wouldn’t he? An enormous chasm opened in her chest, threatening to swallow her. “Hayes!” she shouted once more. “Not again.”
Frightened more than she’d ever been, Chance splashed her way toward the edge of the pond. A terrified, painful sob ripped from her chest. “Hayes! Damn it, don’t leave me.” He’d been gone a matter of minutes and already she wanted to curl up in a ball and stop breathing. “Don’t leave me,” she begged. Annie’s hurt, confused feelings added to her own, mixing and churning until she wanted to vomit.
As she clambered her way out an arm slipped around her middle, tugging her back. A scream tore from her throat as she fell against a hard body.
“It’s okay,” he murmured in her ear. “I’m here.”
She struggled, splashed and twisted in his arms until she faced him. He hadn’t vanished. He was here. She held his face in her hands, letting the feel of his flesh convince her she wasn’t dreaming.
“It’s okay, darlin’.”
“I thought you were gone,” she managed around her heart wedged in her throat.
“I’m sorry.” He took one of her hands and kissed the palm.
“Don’t ever do that to me again,” she pleaded and then pressed herself against him, holding tight.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
The flood of relief had tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn’t get close enough, feel him enough. “I thought I’d lost you forever. I thought we ran out of time. God, Hayes, I wanted to vanish too.” The reality that she’d become so attached to him frightened her slightly, but not nearly as much as the thought of living without him.
He picked her up and she clamped her legs around his waist while nearly choking his neck with her arms. He could try to put her down but she wouldn’t go, not until she knew for certain this wasn’t a dream. Carefully he walked them out of the water and into the warm sunshine. Out of nowhere a mammoth, lush bed appeared covered in a white sheet.
Hayes pried her legs from his hips, lowered her down on the bed and kissed his way up her tummy, between her breasts, up her neck, across her jaw until he found her lips. Desperation overcame her. She assaulted his mouth, dug her fingers into his biceps and devoured him. He let her, returning the frantic kiss with scalding heat.
It wasn’t enough, never enough. Chance pulled him to the bed. Using all her strength she rolled him on his back, straddling his body where she began a hungry exploration of every inch of his flesh. In the back of her mind she knew she must look pathetic but Hayes allowed her to do what she had to do.
Teeth and lips scraped over hard muscles on his pecs. She licked the water from his nipples, sucked the hard little peaks before moving on. Beneath her Hayes groaned, fisted the pure white sheet and dug his heels into the soft mattress. Each desperate, agonized sound rolling from his chest drove her on.
She devoured his taste, inhaled his scent deep into her lungs and committed every hard plateau and rise of his body to memory. Whimpers, gasps and grunts accompanied writhing but she never relented. As she reached his hips she groaned when his rock-hard cock rubbed between her breasts.
This time she would do what she longed to. Digging her fingers into his thighs and bracing them so he couldn’t squirm away, she trailed her tongue along the sexy V toward his groin. Hayes bucked, shoved his fingers into her hair and tugged.
“You’re killin’ me,” he grunted. “Fuck, Chance, you feel too damn good.”
Skillfully moving around his bobbing erection, Chance licked her way up his other hip and back down again. Even under the weight of her body he managed to thrust his hips forward. She knew what he wanted but in her mind he deserved a little more retribution for scaring the hell out of her.
Ignoring his most eager cock, she kissed her way down his thighs, moved to the inside and was rewarded with another round of curses. She wanted him to tell her what to do. She needed to hear him plead with her for it. Her tongue lashed out, caressing his tight balls as she brushed her sensitive nipples over the fine, thick hair on his thighs.
“Chance,” he growled.
She ignored him, ran her tongue around the base of his cock and returned her attention to his sac. Very gently she sucked, causing Hayes to damn near fly off the bed.
“Suck me,” he shouted. “For God’s sake, please, suck me.”
His words set fire to her womb. A rush of hot liquid surged forth, pooling between her legs. Chance wasted no time. She swallowed him with one eager plunge. Hayes’ upper body came off the bed, his finger tightened in her hair and when she pulled back, making sure to let her tongue slide along his shaft, he fell back onto his elbows.
His salty, musky taste filled her mouth, making her hungry for more. She lacked finesse as she plunged him to the back of her throat and withdrew but he didn’t seem to notice. Hayes pulled her wet hair to the side so he could watch as he thrust his hips in rhythm with her pace. Each hard suck drew another drop of pre-cum onto her tongue and she quickly swallowed.
“Enough,” he snarled, lifting her head away.
She didn’t want to stop but when he grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her over to the side of the bed, she had little choice. Hayes positioned her rear at the edge, nudged her thighs wide and dropped between her legs. He wasted no time sealing his lips around her pussy, devouring the hot juice gathered there.
His rough, hot tongue lapped at her, probed deep and gathered every bit of moisture he could find. Nerve endings screamed for release. Her muscles quivered and her clit throbbed. If he didn’t allow her to come soon she’d disintegrate into a pile of ash.
“Hayes, I’m so close.” She could barely breathe from the pleasure.
He bolted to his feet, gripped her ankles again, lifting her legs into the air. Beneath her the bed rose until she was at the perfect height. With one forceful thrust he filled her, spearing through her clenched muscles and rubbing raw nerves. She could tell he’d conjured a condom and looked forward to the day they didn’t need one. All thought of anything was blown out of her mind as he withdrew and rammed home again.
“So tight,” he groaned.
“So big,” she responded, clutching at the edge of the mattress as her breasts bobbed back and forth from the force of his thrusts.
He held her legs straight up, giving him all the room he needed to bury himself to the base. His sac slapped against her ass, making the moment hotter. The heat exploded when he draped her legs over his shoulders, licked his thumb and then reached down and brushed her clit.
That act ignited the fuse to her release. Sparks sizzled over nerve endings from the top of her head, spreading through her limbs and promising a detonation of epic proportions. Hayes hammered harder into her body. Even through her bleary eyes she could see the strain on his face. Beads of sweat ran down his temples and if he clenched his jaw any tighter his teeth would shatter.
One more time he brushed her clit and then pinched lightly. Those sparks racing through her body collided there. Her inner muscles clamped down hard and then began a nearly painful spasm. Everything went white as her body convulsed. The first hard throb of his cock sent ecstasy racing through her. Wave upon wave of mind-numbing pleasure crashed and rocked her soul. They even came in time with each other. He would throb as she would spasm.
It went on forever until all she could do was lie there letting it take her. Finally the last pathetic pulse of her orgasm eased away. Hayes lowered her legs and came down over her.
“Don’t ever scare me li
ke that again.” She wrapped her arms around him, reveling in the feel of her man’s body heat.
“I won’t. I’m so sorry, darlin’. I only meant to play with you.” He lifted up, removing his weight from her body and rolled to the side and nuzzled her breast.
Chance sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair. “I guess everyone needs a good scare once in a while to show them what truly is important in their lives. In the span of seconds, I didn’t want to exist without you.”
“I’ll make it up to you. Would you like to spend the night here?”
“That would be heaven.” Just like that the sun lowered, enveloping the meadow in darkness. Beautiful, diamond-like stars glittered against the black sky. “It’s beautiful.”
“Believe me, you outshine those stars.” Hayes stood, lifted her in his arms and carried her back to the pond.
After a good dunking to wash away the sweat, he took her back to the bed where they snuggled in the plush comfort of the mattress.
“This bed would go perfectly in your room,” he hinted.
“Yes, it would and it’s our room. I’m afraid it’s a little too big though.” Still, she could do without some space to have this.
“I’ll expand. A nice addition wouldn’t be hard to do.”
Chance yawned. “Good, while you’re at it, make the bathroom a little bigger. I’d like a nice garden tub in there.” Her eyes fluttered as sleep tugged at her. Before long she succumbed to the peaceful darkness.
Chapter Fifteen
Hayes woke before Chance. He took that time to return her bathroom to normal and placed the bed with a sleeping Chance in it into her room. He surveyed the small space, decided exactly how many feet to add on and made it happen. Instead of the tiny path to get around now, she could host a party in there. Next he went to the bathroom. He wasn’t sure exactly what a garden tub was, so he created his own version. Wide, deep and surrounded it with a ledge.
He had no time to stand back and admire his work. Weakness crashed down over him. He could barely stay upright, wobbling around like a newborn calf trying to stand for the first time. The weight of his body seemed to lighten as if he’d lost almost three hundred pounds. He held tight to the sink, afraid if he let go he would float up in the air.
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