by Anna Abner
Very true. She stood and swiped the dust from her hands and knees. “Okay. What do we have?” She thought back to the groceries she’d ordered and already stowed in the freezer.
Cole rushed ahead and fished out a box. “Frozen lasagna.” He slid the dinner tray in their shiny, new microwave with a clunk and set the timer.
“Sounds…” Maybe she should’ve rethought a few of her purchases.
“Adequate?” he supplied with a warm smile. “Yeah. That’s what I was thinking, too.”
“Do you eat a lot of frozen dinners?” Talia asked.
“No. Never,” he said. “I love to cook.”
“You don’t seem like the cooking kind,” she said, hoping he didn’t take offense. He was such a book nerd, cooking didn’t seem like a pastime he’d enjoy.
“It’s a talent I picked up while recovering from my transplant,” he said. “My meals for the first few months had to be low fat, low salt, and low carb. To make veggie and tofu plates taste good, I taught myself to cook.” He shrugged as if it was no big deal, but she was impressed. “With everything going on, though, and not having a stove,” he said, checking the microwave’s timer, “frozen meals are simplest.”
“I know how to cook a few things,” she said. “Mostly I eat out or have cereal for dinner or something easy like that.”
“You?” he teased, the corners of his mouth twisting up. “The medical professional?”
She couldn’t help returning his smile. “I get it. Irony.”
Cole opened his mouth to argue, but the microwave buzzed loudly, and he snapped his jaws closed. With abrupt movements, he served them each a plate of steaming red and white glop that smelled like wet shoes.
Talia wished she’d thought ahead and cooked something from scratch. Even if it were salads or canned soup. The lasagna was crap.
She focused on her meal, poking at the noodles and sauce. Cole, she noticed, didn’t dive in right away either.
“I’ll be brave.” She separated a bite and popped it into her mouth. She chewed, and regretted it. Forcing herself to swallow, she said, “It tastes like a plastic tarp smothered in pork fat.”
Raising his eyebrows at her, Cole tasted a bite for himself. And immediately spit it back onto his plate.
“Okay. New plan.” He gathered both their meals and stuffed them into a trash bag. “Sandwiches okay with you?” He tore open a bag of cheese-dusted popcorn and handed it to her.
“A sandwich would be great, but I didn’t order any cold cuts.” Talia ate a handful of popcorn. “And I know you don’t like peanut butter.”
“No,” Cole said, his head in the cupboards over the microwave. “After you were done I ordered some more groceries. Just so I’d have stuff I like.” He reached around bottles of warm sports drinks. “Here it is.” He gathered his supplies and laid out slices of wheat bread.
“What are you making?” she asked, devouring another handful of popcorn.
“Chicken spread sandwiches.” He finished the first one and handed it to her. “Try it. It’s good.” He smiled encouragingly. “Better than the lasagna, I promise.”
“Chicken spread?” She glanced dubiously at the can he’d scooped the spread from and then peeked at the mixture in her hand. “What have I got to lose?” She took a dainty bite, and then a larger one. “Mmm,” she said, her mouth full. “I have no idea what it’s made of, but I love it!”
Chuckling, Cole reached across the counter and liberated popcorn from the bag in her lap before starting his own sandwich.
“You’re beautiful when you smile,” he said.
Startled, Talia took the last bite of her sandwich and pushed her paper plate away. “Thanks.” She wiped her mouth and fingers with a paper towel, oddly wary all of a sudden. She snuck a look at Cole and found him finished with his lunch and staring at her.
The temperature in the room rose by several degrees, and she fidgeted with her collar.
Cole’s gaze flickered down to her feet and then inched up toward her face. When his stare finally met hers again, there was a newly lit fire behind his eyes, and a matching blaze leapt to life low in her belly.
Her breath escaped as a husky whisper. “Cole?”
“Come here.”
Suddenly shy, she inched toward him. When he reached out a hand for her, she took it.
“Your poor face,” he said. “I want to make it better.” Keeping a hold of her hand, he drew her through the foyer and out into the yard. “I can’t believe she tried to choke you.”
He released her only long enough to draw a spell circle in the dirt, and then he beckoned her nearer. She moved within the radius of the circle, but it was tight quarters, and she was forced to press her body against Cole’s in order to fit.
“I can do it,” she said, thinking with Hugh’s help she could heal the stinging wounds on her face.
“Let’s do it together.”
Talia’s mouth went dry, and she wet her lips. “You know what happened last time. Are you sure you can handle it again? I may not be able to control myself.”
His nostrils flared. “I can handle it.”
Oh, yes he could. And just like that, her body came to life. Her skin flushed, and an achy need revved up between her suddenly sensitive thighs.
“Okay.” She laid her hands on his biceps. “If you’re sure.”
“It’s my fault you got hurt. I underestimated her power.”
“I went with you willingly,” she reminded him.
He shook his head, and then said over his shoulder, “Steph, do you mind?”
“I’m on it,” the spirit said.
Cole cupped Talia’s face, and his eyes were forest-green pools giving her comfort and confidence. Gentle as a breeze, he wiped the last of the gritty beach sand from around her nose and under her chin. His breath was a warm, sweet puff against her cheek.
“Medeor,” he said.
His power whirled between them, a vortex of sensations. Heat crawled up from her fingers and toes, leaving tingling trails behind. She closed her eyes, inhaling the healing spell like it was her last gasp of air. Her skin sealed, the pain disappeared, and the swelling faded.
She still had her eyes closed, was still enjoying the lingering vibrations of his magic, when Cole kissed her.
Talia’s eyes popped open, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, without even thinking it through, her fingers clamped onto his shirt, keeping him locked in place, and his shoulders were strong beneath the soft fabric. Strong like metal. Like carved wood.
His mouth, though, was tender and warm. She rose up on tiptoe to capture more of it. Cole tipped his head to the right and deepened the kiss.
“Talia, sweetheart, I want you,” he growled. “And it has nothing to do with Milton Couser.”
“Shut up,” she said, “and take me inside.”
Chapter Twenty
Cole didn’t hesitate. In one swift move, he lifted Talia onto his left shoulder and carried her over the threshold. She squealed, her equilibrium spinning, but he didn’t stop, just thundered up the wooden staircase.
With a light tap on her rear end, he set her gently upon the mound of fresh smelling blankets and pillows atop her mattress in the master bedroom.
The moment she was right side up, she yanked him close for a brutal, needy kiss.
“Whoa,” he said, grinning. “Slow down, honey.” His eyes raked up and down her body. With a rustle and a swish, her blouse found the floor. He seemed thrilled with the fact that she’d gone bra-less that morning. “I want to enjoy this.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to argue that she couldn’t possibly do this slowly, but she settled for a frustrated groan.
Still chuckling, he grabbed her knees and flipped her onto her stomach. As she struggled to turn over so she could touch him, he held her in place with a firm hand between her shoulder blades.
Being so out of control felt dangerous. “Cole,” she breathed.
His answer was to yank off both her shoes and s
trip her pants down to her ankles.
Talia gasped. Cool air feathered over her bare flesh, and she squirmed.
“No fair,” she moaned. Though she wasn’t very concerned about the clothing inequality once his warm lips began a journey at the base of her spine.
Her eyes rolled back in her head as he pressed soft, sweet kisses around her left cheek, pausing at the point where her rear end met the top of her thigh. With a groan of desire, he bit her. Just a little nip. She leapt like he’d branded her.
Between her legs moisture bloomed, begging him to enter her.
Instead, he turned her over and straddled her thighs, drinking in the sight of her bare breasts. She glanced down at her own pink nipples straining for his touch. Luckily, he was happy to oblige. He suckled, pulling sensitive skin into his warm mouth.
Talia fidgeted, unable to touch him the way she wanted. When she reached for him, her fingers discovered only clothing and blankets.
She was so turned on by every part of him she didn’t know how much longer she could wait to begin her own exploration. Just the memory of his long, hard length inside her had her kicking her legs in helpless need.
“Cole, please,” she said.
He brought his head up, and his eyes lit with a passion she knew must be mirrored in her own.
He shifted, drawing her left knee up, opening her cleft. She threw her head back and fisted the blankets. Instinctively, her hips rose into the air.
But he refused to satisfy her. His head dipped between her legs to drop feathery kisses along her inner thigh. Her toes clenched.
“Enough,” Talia panted. “I can’t take any more teasing.” She reached for Cole’s head, running her fingers through his hair and holding tight.
Finally, finally, his mouth tickled her core. He melded his mouth to her, rubbing her with his tongue. She lost track of time or space as his warm breath and warmer lips brought her to the very precipice.
Two blunt fingers entered her, and she came with a jolt, sparks skittering up and down her limbs to settle in her belly. She melted into the bedding, her arms and legs drooping.
“Oh,” she breathed, coming back to herself slowly. “Cole.”
He stood, his motions herky-jerky, tossing his clothes and shoes into the air.
For a moment, she simply absorbed the splendor of his naked body through half-closed eyes. All lean muscle and jutting erection. God, he was beautiful.
“You are so sexy, Talia,” he swore, kneeling between her legs. “I cannot believe how sexy…”
Gently, he lifted her knees to accommodate him and then entered her in one, smooth thrust, stretching and filling her.
He began an easy rhythm, and the world faded away to the perimeter of their bed.
She just held onto him, so overwhelmed with sensation and emotion she didn’t feel human anymore. More like free-flowing electricity. Like starlight. Like a force of nature.
Cole came with a shudder, and then cupped her face to kiss her sweetly as the spasms slowly faded.
“My sweet, sexy girl,” he groaned, rolling off her, but keeping her tight to his chest. “Thank you for saving my life today.”
“You would’ve done the same.” And Talia thought he might have said something else, but she was already asleep.
* * *
Talia’s buzzing phone woke her sometime after dawn. “Oh, God,” she moaned, lurching away from Cole to find her clothes.
But he pulled her back into his arms. “What’s your hurry?”
He was right. The text wasn’t from her mom or sister. They both called. And they weren’t even doing that anymore. So, why worry about it?
“I can’t believe I fell asleep.” Smiling, she pressed her cheek to his warm chest. “And slept for fourteen hours.”
“You were tired,” he agreed, his voice a rumble between them. “Yesterday was a lot to deal with.”
Flashes of memory had her squirming nervously. Dirt in her mouth. Cole out cold. The white, flickering face of the wraith when she called her full power.
“My handler was right,” she said, shaking her head in wonder that they’d escaped alive. “You’re stronger than most casters.”
He grunted, the noise vibrating through his chest wall into her cheek.
“What was it like?” she prompted, so curious about his magic she couldn’t control the tumble of questions inside her mind. “Discovering you were a necromancer?”
He shifted, wrapping an arm more securely around her. “Surreal.”
She tilted her chin up to see him better. “Tell me.”
“My curious little kitty,” he teased, and then, “I was seriously ill before my operation and not much better directly afterwards. I was on a lot of drugs. I saw spirits walking through my hospital room, and for a long time I assumed it was a side effect of the drugs.” He smiled sorrowfully. “And then when I got better and kept seeing them, I assumed brain damage had occurred during surgery.”
“That is so weird,” she said, grinning. “I can’t even imagine.”
“It took a long time to understand my new condition,” he said. “As you can imagine. I was too distracted by getting better to mess with a few hallucinations. But then I met Steph.”
“She was your first spirit companion?”
His fingers drew circles on her bare shoulder, distractedly, as if he didn’t notice he was doing it. “She wandered my street during the day, a cross between a vengeful Victorian spirit and a housewife out for a jog.”
“Soccer mom,” Talia murmured.
“She caught my attention, that’s for sure. After seeing her for weeks, I finally started a conversation.”
“It must have been so strange.”
His fingers stilled, but they remained against her flesh, small dots of heat. “It was. She didn’t know much about casters, either. We did all our learning together. And then I discovered the Raleigh coven.”
Her phone buzzed again, and this time Cole didn’t fight as she rose and reluctantly dressed in yesterday’s rumpled baby tee and jeans.
The text was from her student, McKenzie. Again. Talia ignored it.
When she glanced back, Cole was staring at the blue spell marks she’d drawn on both his hands.
“Did you see Holden’s arms?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “What was wrong with them?”
“To defeat Derek Walker,” he explained, “Holden cut spell marks into his skin.”
She blanched. “That’s a little extreme.”
“He did what he had to do to protect the woman he loved and to shut down an evil necromancer.”
“Still,” Talia said, slipping into her shoes and finger-combing her soft curls. “What would make you want to do that to yourself?”
“Well, getting our asses kicked for one. But I wouldn’t cut myself anymore than I already have.”
“Good.”
“However a tattoo might be the answer to our problems.” At her inquisitive expression, he added, “Holden’s power was amplified by the marks. So, I was thinking a tattoo might do the same thing. And be more permanent.” Cole’s gaze returned to the glyphs she’d sketched on his flesh to break his invisibility spell and save his life. “He took away the need for drawing a spell circle.”
“He scarred himself.” The moment the words tumbled out of her mouth, she wished she could stuff them back in. If there was anyone in the world who knew about scars, it was Cole. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“He outsmarted a more powerful necromancer.” Cole glanced up. “I want to get tattoos today.”
Her eyebrows arched. “Are you sure?”
“Very, very sure.”
“There are at least a dozen tattoo parlors in Auburn,” she said. They were popular with the military stationed in town. “Do you have a place in mind?”
“There’s one near my shop.” He stood, still naked and just as glorious in the warm morning light as he’d been the night before. He grabbed his clothes. “I�
�ve talked to the guy a couple times.”
Talia scurried after him. “We’re going now?”
“No time to waste.” He paused with his shoes in his hands. “Or did you have something else you wanted to do?”
“No,” she assured. “I’ll get ready.”
“Are you hungry? I can make coffee and set out some muffins downstairs.”
“Sounds yummy.” She grabbed her overnight bag and locked herself in the bathroom.
When she met Cole in the kitchen thirty minutes later, he had made coffee and set a blueberry scone on a paper plate. Under his arm, he carried a wrapped bundle.
His eyes darkened at the sight of her, and she flushed in response. “You look lovely.” But the way he said it made her think what he meant was, You look fuckable and sexy and addictive.
Rather than scare her, though, his expression excited her.
“Do you mind stopping by my shop?” he asked, as she took her first bite. “I want to see how Justin is handling things.”
“Of course, but you’re not invisible anymore.”
“I brought a disguise.” He patted the bundle.
The coffee was hot and delicious, so she decided to take it along. She carried her cup out into the yard.
“Nervous?” she asked.
At the Honda, Cole hurried to open the door for her. “A little.”
“You’re too much,” Talia said, laughing. “Thank you.”
At his shop, she discovered his foolproof disguise was a coat with a high collar, though the temperature was in the eighties, plus a ball cap and a pair of aviators.
“You should be a double agent,” she said. “Seriously. Or a ninja.”
Shaking his head, he strutted ahead of her into The Repository, which was full of browsing customers. Manager Justin waved at her, but he was swamped at the front register and didn’t come talk to her. He didn’t recognize Cole in the crowd.
“Things look good,” she whispered to Cole as he browsed the first rack of comics. A couple jumped out at her, and she flipped through them.
“Easy with the merchandise,” he teased.
Her favorite was an indie graphic novel about alien-hunting schoolgirls. She lifted the first two volumes and tucked them under her arm.
