“I’d rather take the stairs.”
Wes’s ice blue gaze scrutinized my face, but he eventually nodded and steered me toward an inconspicuous door just past the elevators. We started to climb. By about the third floor, I reevaluated my decision. But I pressed on, infinitely relieved when Wes shoved open a door and guided me into a long, open hallway.
“I’m at the other end,” he said.
Of course, he was.
It seemed to take a long time to traverse what had to be only a hundred feet. I leaned heavily against the wall while Wes released the wards and unlocked his door. He ushered me inside. I kicked off my shoes and slid them under the edge of the deacon’s bench in the entryway before turning to take in the rest of his home.
My jaw literally dropped at the massive, open space that stretched out before me . On the far side, several doors led to bedrooms and a bathroom, I assumed. Only the grouping of furniture and a breakfast bar designated separate spaces. The ceiling had to be at least twelve feet high, and exposed pipes and ductwork lent to the reclaimed industrial feeling of the building. Huge windows led me to imagine how gorgeous the city would look at night, all lit up. It was perfect, and I was immediately envious of his home.
“How do you feel about Thai?” Wes’s deep voice startled me out of my admiration. He bore that indulgent smile again. “I was thinking Thai peanut chicken. You game?”
I grinned. “I love peanuts.”
“I’m aware.” He tossed his blazer over the back of a dining room chair, then unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled up his sleeves. “Come talk to me while I cook.”
“I can help,” I offered, trailing after him.
He started pulling ingredients out of the cupboards and refrigerator. A cutting board, a ridiculously sharp-looking knife, and a wok joined the pile. Lastly, Wes retrieved a can of peanuts. He set it down in front of one of the bar stools and motioned for me to sit. I did, and he leaned close enough that his breath tickled the short hairs around my ear and down my neck.
“You can help by not eating all of those before I need them.” He kissed the shell of my ear and straightened. “I’ve seen the empty peanut containers littering your office.”
I shivered and chuckled. I couldn’t stop myself from opening the lid and peeling back the protective foil. I managed a bit of willpower and took only one handful before purposefully closing the can and pushing it out of my reach. I started eating my handful one by one. “Really, I can help. Chop or mince or whatever.”
Wes shook his head, a hint of a smile on his lips. “I got this. It won’t take too long. Just talk to me.”
When he reached into a bottom cupboard to retrieve a pot, his pants stretched tightly across his rather spectacular backside. I choked on a peanut and coughed a little before I could breathe regularly again. Wes straightened fast and frowned concernedly as he got me a glass of water.
I took it gratefully. “Thanks.”
“You all right?”
I nodded. I wasn’t exactly all right, but I could breathe just fine. Wes wanted to talk. I had no idea about what. I wasn’t great at small talk to begin with, and it felt weird doing the get-to-know-you dance after everything we’d already experienced together. I watched him fill the pot with water and set it on the stove to boil.
“Julian?”
“Talk about what?” I blurted.
He shrugged one big shoulder and set to work deseeding and chopping a red bell pepper. “Whatever you want. I’m an open book. Ask me anything.”
I squinted at him, trying to figure him out. He paused in his preparation to let me look my fill, his face open and inviting. I figured now was my chance. “What is it, exactly, that you do? In Investigations, I mean.”
“Well,” he said, resuming his slicing. “That’s kind of complicated.”
I blushed, reaching for my water glass and taking a long drink just to have something to do. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. It actually is complicated. I don’t know if I can explain it.” He scraped the sliced pepper to the edge of the board and reached for the green onion, his movements quick and skilled as he minced it, then pushed that to the side as well. Wes still appeared at ease, but his brows scrunched together.
I decided to try and make it a little easier for him. “What did you do today?”
He smashed a clove of garlic with the flat of his blade so he could get off the skin. It seemed he’d used a little more force than necessary, and his voice sounded low and disgruntled when he answered. “Chased dead ends, mostly. Max and I have a lot of—” He scratched at his chin with the hand not holding the knife, then shrugged. “I guess you could call them ‘unsavory contacts.’ We were trying to figure out if any had heard dark rumblings about what’s going on.”
I nodded even though I wasn’t exactly sure what that meant. “And, um, have they?”
Wes shook his head before dumping cups of brown rice in the boiling water. Then he added oil to the wok before turning his attention back to me. “Seems no one has heard anything. Though it does appear that anyone who has, uh, darker leanings isn’t experiencing the same kind of power boost sweeping the nation.”
“That’s good, though, right?” Unconsciously, I reached for the peanuts again, straining a little to get my fingers on the can. Wes made a point of pushing them farther away. I grinned, and so did he.
“It is, yes,” he said, answering my question. “Not sure what it means, though. In theory, everyone should be powering up. But whatever is causing this is taking into account a person’s proclivities? Doesn’t make sense.”
He was right about that. Magic in and of itself wasn’t light or dark, only the practitioner who wielded it. It was all about the choices a person made, the spells they used and for what purpose they used them, not about the magic itself. So if the magic in the world was increasing, it should have been doing so evenly across the board.
“So,” I mused thoughtfully, absorbing that information. “Is someone somewhere somehow directing it?”
I thought Wes hissed, but then I realized he had dropped raw chicken into the heated wok. It sizzled loudly for a few moments, then grew quieter. Wes stirred the chicken pieces with a wooden spatula. “If that’s the case, then we’ve got bigger problems than anyone suspected.”
I frowned. I thought that magic acting unpredictably was a big enough problem on its own. Wes seemed to think that the worst was yet to come, judging by the pensive look on his face. Something curled in the pit of my gut and it took me a moment to recognize the feeling as dread. I swallowed hard.
“How are—how are you going to find out if that’s the case?” My voice shook a little. I downed the rest of my water, hoping to steady myself.
“Not my job. That’s for someone above my pay grade to figure out.” Wes shook himself, like shaking off whatever bad thoughts swirled around in his head. He turned to me with a smile, though it looked a little forced. “Ready to eat?”
I let the subject drop for now.
Chapter 8
Wes hadn’t been kidding when he said he was a good cook. Dinner had been fantastic, and he’d even had peanut butter swirl ice cream to feed me for dessert. I insisted on washing the dishes, but Wes dismissed me and shoved everything into the dishwasher except for his state-of-the-art knife, which he wiped clean and put away. He retrieved a couple of bottles of local microbrew and herded me into the living room. We settled on the couch. We started with an entire cushion between us, but without even realizing it, I shifted closer as Wes flipped through TV channels. By the time he settled on something to watch, I was practically leaning on him.
His arm pulled me close. I stiffened, not sure if I wanted this. I mean, I knew I wanted it, but I also knew I was giving Wes mixed signals. Back at the office, I’d insisted I wasn’t that guy. That I didn’t jump into a sexual relationship without knowing the man first. I’d told him that everything was moving too fast for me. But now I was
practically sitting in his lap.
His hand cupped the back of my head, his fingers scratching my scalp. I tried not to melt, I really did, but when he leaned in to rumble, “Stop thinking. Just relax,” I did exactly that. Wes made a satisfied sound and settled back further into the corner of the couch until I rested fully against him.
The heat of his body soaked into me. I could feel his heartbeat against the back of my shoulder, feel his breath as it stirred my hair when he exhaled. He was solid and warm, and just sitting quietly with him, letting him hold me, made the tension leech from my body. I closed my eyes and reveled in it. He shouldn’t feel this good. I should be home in my own bed, alone. Only I couldn’t exactly remember why, not with his comforting presence keeping me grounded right here. It felt good and right to be with him like this, but we didn’t know each other and it was too fast to—
“Julian,” Wes murmured in my ear, his voice low and gravelly.
“Hmm?” I cracked open my eyes a fraction, but I stared at nothing. I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. If I did, I’d lose this fight with myself.
“You’re overthinking things again.”
I sighed. “Yeah.”
Wes rested his hand against my belly. “Stop it. What does your gut tell you?” He kissed my neck even as he rubbed my stomach. Then he placed his hand on the left side of my chest. “What does your heart say?”
I took a deep breath and faced him. Honesty was best given with eye contact. “My heart still says it’s too fast. But my gut?” I let out a self-deprecating laugh and shook my head. “My gut says I can trust you. And my body, well…” I trailed off, incapable of completing that thought out loud. He hadn’t asked about that, even though the wicked gleam in his eye told me he wanted to know.
Wes pressed his advantage, shifting his closer and taking hold of my upper arms. He stared at me, waiting, but when it became clear to him I wasn’t going to say another word, he grinned. One of his hands smoothed up my shoulder until he cupped my jaw and kept me from looking away. He leaned closer until all I could see was his eyes.
“What does your body say?” he whispered, his lips a scant inch from mine.
He’d been open and honest with me when we talked. He’d made no secret that he wanted me for more than just a quickie or a one-off. I was getting to know him a little better with every passing moment. I knew I could trust him. I just had to decide if I would take that leap.
“Julian,” he murmured with a voice like sandpaper, “what does your body say?”
I told him the truth. “Fuck me.”
His lips crashed down, biting, sucking, licking, as his body covered mine. I wrapped my arms and legs around him, holding on for the ride, while I let him devour me. He set my blood on fire. Lust and adrenaline raced through my veins. My fingers clawed his back, cursing the shirt in the way, wanting to feel skin. That fast, I was totally turned on and ready. I would have let him put me over the back of the couch and pound away, I wanted him that badly. When he pulled away, I whimpered and tried to tug him back.
He chuckled, the sound low and dark. “Let’s do this in a bed this time, okay?”
The words didn’t actually register until he managed to untangle himself from my grasp. I lay panting, taking in his lustful gaze. He licked his lips and I unconsciously mirrored the action. Gods, he was handsome. And he was looking at me like he wanted to eat me. I was totally on board with that.
“Come on, Julian,” he coaxed in his rumbling voice. He lifted me from the couch. “Let’s take this to bed.”
It was hard to walk while kissing, but I couldn’t seem to make myself stop. I just hung on to his wide shoulders and trusted that he’d keep us from crashing into any furniture. I stepped on Wes’s foot, and he grunted without lifting his lips from mine. I smiled into the kiss and did what I’d wanted to do practically since I met him. I climbed him like a tree.
He took firm hold of my ass as soon as I had my legs wrapped around his waist. I had the leverage now and kissed him for all I was worth. I slid my tongue into his mouth and explored. He tasted like the Thai food and a little hoppy from the beer, a heady combination on my tongue. He tasted so good I never wanted to stop kissing him.
When we made it into his room, I glimpsed his huge, decadent-looking bed. I tore my mouth from his to stare. The ornate wrought iron bedframe fit perfectly with what I knew of Wes. I sort of loved that he hadn’t made the bed this morning. The dark navy sheets looked soft, rumpled, and slept it, and I knew that if I lay down, I’d be able to smell him there.
When Wes set me on my feet, I started removing my clothes. Sure, it was sometimes fun to undress a lover, but I didn’t have that kind of patience now. I wanted to be naked and on that bed with Wes buried as deep inside me as he could get. I actually whimpered at the thought and moved faster. I tore my shirt, pants, socks, and underwear from my body as fast as I could manage. I heard him chuckling and turned to glare at him. While I’d been getting naked, so had he.
I sucked in a fast breath, awed at his well-muscled, but not overly defined body. Like he went to the gym but wasn’t obsessive about it. His shoulders looked even better naked, and my gaze traveled downward, taking in his flat belly, heavy thighs, and perfectly formed calves. Even his feet were sexy, and normally feet didn’t do a thing for me. With a rueful smile, I let my gaze finally wander to his groin, which I’d purposely skipped on my first perusal because I knew I’d get distracted once I allowed my gaze to settle there.
Just like the first time, I couldn’t get over the beauty of his dick. It wasn’t overly long or thick, thank goodness, but perfectly shaped. It stood out proudly from a nest of dark blond curls, ruddy at the tip and leaking a bit. I gave a breathy moan. I wanted it inside me. Thinking about him stretching and filling me made my cock even harder, and I wrapped my hand around it and squeezed. If I didn’t get myself under control, I’d come as soon as he pushed inside, then all the fun would be over.
Wes reached for me, and I went into his arms. He pulled me in tight, molding his body to mine. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing our chests together. I loved the rasp of his sparse chest hair against my nipples. I shuddered, then moaned, when my length slid against his. I could come just from this, from letting him hold me as I rubbed against him. Another time, I’d have to try that. Right now, I focused on other things. I grinned as I pulled back, tugging him toward the bed. He came with me willingly, a salacious grin lighting his face. When he gave me a gentle nudge, I fell back on the mattress. I wiggled because the sheets felt so good against my skin. His smile turned indulgent, and I rolled my eyes.
“Get the lube,” I commanded. Gods, my voice sounded almost as deep as Wes’s.
He raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking. “No more foreplay?”
I laughed. “The whole day has been one long session of foreplay,” I said honestly. Now that I had gotten to this point, all I wanted was to have him inside me. “Come on, Wes.”
I groaned, and he chuckled. He reached for the drawer in the bedside table, and I flipped onto my stomach. A moment later, his big body covered mine. My moan sounded wanton, but I loved that feeling. I loved being covered and consumed. I loved his weight on me, pressing me into the mattress. I loved that I could feel every inch of him against me.
Teeth nipped my shoulder. “You hiding from me?”
I shook my head fast, then peered over my shoulder at him. “I like it like this. I want it like this.”
“Good,” he said. “Do we need this?”
A foil packet caught my attention. For a second, I couldn’t believe he would ask. Practitioners were immune to communicable diseases since the magic in our blood fought off all bacteria and viruses. But then I understood—some people preferred the easier clean-up a condom afforded. I wasn’t one of them. I loved the messy parts of sex, even if it meant I was ready to jump in the shower when it was over.
“I’m good without it,” I answered.
Wes unceremoniously tossed aside the packet
. I laughed and buried my face in the pillow, spreading my legs and begging with my body for him to get going. His hands and lips seemed everywhere, rubbing muscles and sucking on skin. My arousal ratcheted even higher, and I whined. Wes’s laugh sounded as sexy as hell.
He sucked and nibbled my earlobe. “What do you want, babe?”
Of course, he used endearments, too. There was no way I’d get out of this with my heart intact. I wasn’t sure I even wanted to anymore. I hissed as he delivered a particularly hard bite to the back of my neck, which skirted the edge between pleasure and pain.
“Tell me, Julian,” Wes growled. He thrust his cock against me, sending shivers down my spine. “Tell me how you want it.”
I lifted my face from the pillow. “Lots of lube.”
He settled his cock in the split of my ass. He rubbed, and I shuddered and groaned, arching back to meet his thrust.
“And go slow.”
“Anything you want.”
He proved as good as his word. Once he had us well-slicked, I felt the head of his cock at my entrance. He pushed in so slowly, I almost screamed for him to hurry up. But it felt so good, that languid slide of his flesh, my body gradually opened to accept him. I spread my legs further and lifted my ass a fraction to make it easier. It burned a little, but it was so intense, all I could do was whimper and shake. When his hips met my ass, I released a deep breath and tried to relax into that full feeling.
For a long moment, neither of us moved. Finally, I lifted my head for a second, took a deep breath, then pressed my face against the pillow and arched. Wes pulled out, slow and easy, then pressed back inside.
“Yesssss,” I hissed.
Wes’s pleased grunt made me smile, happy that I was getting to know his noises. But when he adjusted his angle and pressed in again, my breath caught. No doubt about it. The man certainly knew what he was doing.
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