Two days later she prowled through the house repeating it like a mantra. Just sex. Just sex. If that was true why hadn’t she used the spell? Stepping into her small kitchen, she eyed the book lying open and waiting on the table. Sighing she pulled a chair out and sat. She could break the bond, but it wouldn’t change anything. She was in love with Trey Williams. Did it matter how they’d come together? Only to her pride.
She smiled and looked around, thinking about his big empty house, and dug the yellow pages out of a bottom kitchen drawer. An opportune cancellation opened a slot the next day and she went in search of boxes and newspaper. She even knew what to do with the spell. She knew it would probably piss Summer off, but this was about her and Trey and Summer was doing just fine avoiding her mate.
Chapter Thirteen
By the third morning, Trey had had enough and decided to go get her. He was going crazy from her absence. He needed her in a physical sense of course, but he’d also gotten used to her being around. He missed her. He had to find a way to convince her to come home. Besides, he'd warned her he wouldn’t let her go. She should be expecting him.
But when he turned on her street and saw the moving van backed up in her driveway, fury consumed him. Where the hell did she think she was going? He’d given her space to come back to him, not take off. Parking in front of the house, he stalked up the path and inside. He was forced to dodge two men carrying a sofa and it stoked his anger. His wolf growled for release and got a grip on it ruthlessly. The key to this situation was control.
He followed the sound of rustling paper and music, and found her placing a wrapped plate in a cardboard box in the kitchen. The cabinet doors all stood open and the shelves were empty. She was making fast work of it, whatever her plan was. He stopped, blocking the archway and crossed his arms over his chest, feet spread wide. He knew it was an aggressive stance, but he couldn’t seem to help himself. A low, almost inaudible snarl escaped his lips. It didn’t faze her a bit. She looked up and smiled, reached for a roll of packing tape and attacked the box.
“Hey,” she said. “I expected you earlier.”
“You did, did you?” he ground out through clenched teeth. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“Excuse me, ma’am?” a male voice said behind him. “We’re almost done. Did you have anything in here you wanted on the truck?”
She grabbed Trey’s hand and pulled him out of the way. “Yes, this is the last box here.”
She hefted it over, and the mover turned with it and left the house. She released Trey's hand and moved to the opposite end of the table. He looked with curiosity at the open book and small cauldron with another smaller box on the floor at her feet. It was the first sign he’d seen she was really a witch.
“I know how they did it.”.
He closed his eyes and reached for calm. He had the feeling he’d walked into the middle of the wrong conversation. Wanting to get to the her-coming-home-now part, he decided to push her. He was surprised when the wrong question came out.
“How who did what?”
She ripped a page from the book. On closer examination it looked like an old journal. The paper was yellowed and appeared brittle. Waving it in the air to get his attention she pulled a lighter out of the box.
“This is one of Tinnie’s journals. It's part diary and part grimoire."
He vaguely remembered hearing that was a spell book.
"She and Jack didn’t like each other,” she continued and snorted. “That’s an understatement. They couldn’t stand each other. It took her a few years, but she found a way to break the mate bond.”
Ice ran through his veins. She was talking about destroying the best thing that had ever happened to him. Calmly. Serenely, damn it, like she didn’t see him falling apart in front of her.
“It doesn’t matter if you break it, Tara. I won’t let you go. It won’t change the way we feel about each other.”
A beautiful smile spread across her face and he fought the urge to pull her to him and hide her damned book.
“I know. So I have a gift for you.”
She set the lighter to the bottom corner of the page and flicked it. Fire raced up the side and she dropped it in the black pot in front of her. Blue flames shot up in the air and the fire poofed out as quickly as it’d started. It took him a minute to realize what she'd done, or more importantly what she hadn't done. The bond was still there, and she'd destroyed any chance of breaking it later. His relief was staggering. It made his knees weak.
“I won’t use it,” she said softly stepping around the table. “And no one else will either.”
He grabbed her, unable to bear another moment without her touch, and crushed her slight body against his.
“You’re mine and you're coming home,” he demanded in a whisper.
She relaxed into to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Nodding, her answer was muffled but clear against his chest.
“Yes.”
He practically dragged her out of the house. He would have worried about being too rough but she laughed thank god. He was desperate to get her home. To get her in bed. Unfortunately he'd forgotten the damned movers, but Tara stopped long enough to give them directions. Not that they needed it. The truck was behind them the whole way. Once there, they unloaded it quickly. Probably because of him. He had to stop himself from growling the whole time. He didn’t like strange men in his house, and he wanted to be alone with his mate. They finally finished after he pitched in to help and he saw them off.
After securing the house, he went searching for Tara and found her hanging clothes in their closet. He leaned against the doorway and drank her in, relaxing in a way he hadn’t since they'd met. She turned and met his gaze with a smile.
"This was my room growing up. Did I tell you that already?"
He shook his head. She hadn’t said anything but he could guess why. "Bad memories."
She approached him slowly, pulling her shirt off as she moved, followed quickly by her bra. She pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his neck, and he set his palms on her back. Smooth, silky, warmth, and all his. Somehow he got the rest of their clothes off, got to the bed, and stretched out over her. For the first time, he felt no urgency. She was where she belonged, had chosen to be there.
"You're smirking," she whispered.
"Am I?" he countered.
He pushed into her slowly. Her fingers dug into his shoulders and she wrapped her legs around him, holding his gaze. He watched as with each thrust into her wet sheath her eyes widened and hazed until she began to tremble under him and he knew it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge.
"Wait for me," he whispered.
She gave him a slow teasing smile and squeezed his cock. "Move faster."
Damn, he loved her but he realized he hadn’t told her. She slid her hands up his neck and into his hair. "Why do you suddenly look so fierce?"
He kissed her instead of answering, and gave her what she wanted, thrusting harder and faster. Gasping, she broke the kiss and tilted her head back, and he took the opening to scrape his teeth over the mate mark he'd put on her shoulder. She shuddered, and he felt the connection between them grow stronger. She was part of him, part of his heart and soul and he belonged to her just as much.
"Trey, I don’t have a block on my gift anymore. I feel what you haven’t said. Say it."
She twisted her fingers in his hair and tugged until he looked up to meet her gaze.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" he said instead.
She grinned. "Absolutely."
He groaned, thrust harder, almost violently, and claimed her lips. She came, her pussy clenching his cock in a wild rhythm that shoved him over the edge with her. The sensation was almost painful. Intense. Exquisite. He rolled over before he could crush her and she propped up on one elbow, staring down at him with one arched eyebrow. She was flushed, pretty, satisfied, and clearly waiting for him. He didn’t continue to tease her.
"I love you. You know that. Even without your gifts you'd feel that because we're bonded."
"That doesn’t mean you don’t have to say it."
"Every day," he promised.
"I love you, too," she said with a tender smile.
He pulled her down. She laid her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, held her tight. Right where she belonged. He heard the smile in her voice when she spoke.
"Don’t worry. I'm not going anywhere, baby."
He didn’t let go when she tried to get up.
"I thought you weren’t going anywhere," he growled.
"I have a sudden craving for a chocolate éclair."
He laughed and let her up, knew his eyes glowed when she pulled on his shirt, and followed her to the kitchen without bothering with his jeans. Sitting at the table, he watched her work.
"I am so damned glad I met you," he said after she put a pan in the oven. He took her hand and pulled her to straddle his lap. He was hard, slid into her easily.
"So I am," she panted, riding him leisurely. "I didn’t know I needed you until you walked into my bakery and turned me into a klutz."
He gripped her hips but didn’t take over. She stared down at him.
"Tell me again."
"I love you, Tara."
"Every day?"
"Yes."
Then she took him over the edge with her, whispering his name and promising her love. Every day.
MORE FROM LORIBELLE HUNT
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Lunar Mates
Under Cover Of The Moon
Bad Moon Rising
Chasing The Moon
Delroi Connection
Invasion Earth
Leaving Earth
Stolen Earth
Claiming Earth
Delroi Prophecy
Freedom
Irresistible
Redemption
Absolution
Delroi Warrior
Shadow Warrior
Dark Warrior
Delroi Novellas
Galinn
The Varangian Chronicles
Viking's Heart
Viking's Dream
COPYRIGHT
Loribelle Hunt
Copyright 2016 Loribelle Hunt
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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