“This is what you get for teasing a werewolf.” He leaned in and brought his lips crashing down on hers. She met his first advance by thrusting her tongue inside his mouth. He refused to let her take control, even if her initiative went strain to his groin and pushed his arousal painfully into his fly. Xavier devoured her lips, slowed the kiss as he nibbled and nipped them, then changed the tempo once more by claiming her mouth hard. He bent her body over his arm for greater access, touched his tongue to hers, wooed it, made love to it, and finally sucked on her bottom lip to finish the embrace.
Sophia grew pliant. A soft sigh escaped her. She clutched at his lapels, her knees buckling. “Mmm.”
Desire swept through his body, as much from her reaction as from the tiny sounds she made. He returned to kiss her swollen lips with no margin for error, wishing to leave her with such an undeniable example of his feelings, she wouldn’t forget it for months. She sagged against him, limp in his arms. If he let go now, would she fall to the road in a boneless heap of flesh?
“We’re running late. I wouldn’t want to miss the rainbow for a simple kiss.” His lips twitched with amusement as she attempted to right herself.
“A simple kiss, huh?” Her chest heaved with her labored breathing, but her eyes sparked a brilliant blue. “I’d hate to ask you to demonstrate a complicated one.”
“I’d be happy to, just not at this time. You’re not ready for that.” He tilted his fedora at a rakish angle over his left eye. “Come along, woman. We have a date with destiny.”
“Woman?” She made a sound of annoyance or frustration, he wasn’t sure which, and charged ahead of him on the road without a second glance at him.
“I meant no disrespect.” He gave a playful smack to her rounded backside and growled. He ached to bury himself inside her warmth once more, but they needed to finish the quest. There’d be plenty of time during the years ahead to mate with her. “I’m certain you know in what spirit I issued the word.”
“Never fear, werewolf, I’m beginning to understand you and take no offense. Be warned, there will be paybacks.”
“I look forward to it.” His gaze caressed the soft curves of her back, the slight nip of her waist, the flare of her hips. Pride swelled his chest. She was his, and he’d do everything in his power to keep it that way, if not for his sake then for hers. Wolves mated for life. He could never survive without Sophia.
I love her.
So deep in thought, he didn’t become aware Sophia had stopped until he crashed into her. His arms automatically closed around waist, pulled her close. “Is there a problem?”
“Not with me.” Her lips parted in a smile. “What’s the deal? Contemplating the meaning of life back there?”
“You could say that.” Reluctantly, he released her and looked up the road. “It would appear we’re at the rainbow’s end.” Astonished the quarter of a mile passed with ease, Xavier assessed their new location.
On a slight hill before them, the tip of the rainbow had crashed into the ground. Freshly turned dirt marred the perfection of the hillock. The multi-hued curve itself was more magnificent than anything he could imagine, sparkling and shimmering as if it had a life of its own. Perhaps it did.
“It’s wonderful.” Sophia’s words were low and breathy, putting him in mind of her whispered comments following sex. He stifled a groan but kept his gaze trained on her joy-filled face.
“I told you this wouldn’t resemble your storybook tales or pictures.”
She bestowed a bright grin on him as she fiddled with her glasses. “I had no idea a rainbow could be more substantial than refracted light through water.” She slipped her hand into his. “Can I touch it?”
Xavier nodded and tugged her forward up the rise. “Let’s find out.” He glanced at her damp hair and the thin wet shirt that clung to her breasts. His mouth watered, and again he wished for more time, sure the Fates mocked him.
A low pitched hum emanated from the rainbow, audible as they approached.
Sophia gasped and pointed to a spot near the rainbow’s end. “Xavier, look. I told you there’d be gold.” Not only were there gold coins, there were loose gemstones in every color imaginable, strands of pearls, diamond tiaras, gold and silver goblets. She moved closer to the fortune. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Forget about the baubles. They’re meaningless in the vastness of the Universe. What you should really gawk at is the vessel.” His voice was low pitched and full of awe. Xavier dropped her hand. “Your so-called treasure rests in the trunk of a 1957 Aston Martin.”
He took an involuntary step forward to caress the gleaming navy blue fender. “It’s in pristine condition. Do you know how much this is probably worth?” He poked his head through the open driver’s window on the right hand side of the car. “I’m impressed. It features a 140 bhp, 2,922 cc inline twin cam six-cylinder engine, and four-speed manual transmission, just to name a few of its attributes. It’s also a DB2/4 MK II coach.” He withdrew his head with some reluctance. “It’s the most beautiful object I’ve ever seen.”
Sophia cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Uh, that is apart from you, of course.” He grinned at her obvious annoyance. “But then I don’t consider you an object.”
“Right. I have no idea what any of that car jargon means.” Glancing down into the wealth of riches, she smiled. “I never thought I’d see you salivate after something as simple as a car.”
“A simple car is a dirty slur on a wonderful machine such as this.” He trailed his fingers over the door handle before he drifted to stand next to Sophia once more. “What I wouldn’t give to acquire this piece of art.”
“Now I’ve seen it all. You have automobile lust.” She snickered. “Come on. Help me load some of this loot.”
“Wait.” The hair on the back of his neck prickled, signaled alarm. He pivoted slowly, surprised to see another woman standing there, anger deeply etched on her face.
“Keep your hands to yourself and no one gets hurt.”
*****
Unconsciously, Sophia stepped behind Xavier. “Who are you?” She leaned close to the werewolf and whispered in his ear, “I really hope I don’t know her.”
Platinum blonde hair hung to her shoulders in a thick bob, swinging each time she moved. A swift pang of jealousy cut through Sophia’s stomach. She’d always wanted to have hair like that. Two inches shorter than Sophia, the woman possessed voluptuous curves that bordered on old Florentine decadence and gave plenty of places for her silvery-white gown to cling.
“My name is Alexia. I’m the defender of the treasures of the rainbow.” Her light, melodious voice floated on the air like a child’s bubbles. “I must ask your intentions.”
Sophia narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean?” She stepped out of Xavier’s shadow. “Why don’t you tell us why you want to know?”
“Kid gloves, Sophia.” The werewolf planted his left hand firmly at the small of her back, the other he offered to Alexia. “My name is Xavier Leighton.” He tipped the brim of his fedora. “I’m here to ascertain if you’d part with three ounces of magic dust so I may complete a potion.”
“Look, I don’t care what you’ve got going on in your life.” Alexia crossed her arms under her curvy bosom. Her full lips turned down in a pout. “Do you plan to stick around for a while?”
Shrugging, Sophia inched closer to the Aston full of loot. “We hadn’t planned on it.” She frowned and scanned the immediate area. “Shouldn’t there be a leprechaun here?”
“You’ll have to excuse her.” Xavier reeled her back to his side. “Sophia is under the assumption she would see a bearded man in green.” He gave Alexia a disarming smile. “Perhaps you should explain a few things first.”
She sighed. “You’re right.” Twirling a strand of hair around her forefinger, her silvery blue eyes rested on Sophia. “You look familiar. Have we met?”
“I hope not.” The knot in her stomach reminded Sophi
a of its presence. “Uh, I see so many people. It’s hard to say.” She slid a glance to Xavier, but he only had eyes for the car. “You wouldn’t happen to know a guy named—”
“Sterling Abbignon.”
“He’s my boss.” Sophia clutched Xavier’s hand, glad for his comforting, if distracted, presence. “Which one were you?”
“The unicorn.”
“The one who escaped.” Sophia’s heart pounded a frantic beat. She remembered Sterling’s rage when the woman had given him the slip. “He was mad for three days after you left, refused to talk to any of us. He broke quite a few of the office windows before Astral finally calmed him down.”
A ghost of a smile parted the unicorn’s lips. “I went into hiding.”
“Things weren’t all that bad. I got my first vacation in ten years out of it.”
“Oh, you think those three days were idyllic and stress free for me?” Alexia advanced toward them a few steps. She clenched her pale hands into fists, the three silver bangles on her wrist tinkled. “Sterling sent his Enforcement Unit after me. I only avoided them because I stumbled across a rainbow.”
“Really?” Sophia kept Xavier between the angry unicorn and herself. They were a rare and evasive breed of people, who harnessed unusual magical powers. She didn’t know what to expect from Alexia since unicorns were good at hiding but very rarely studied because of their proclivity for keeping out of sight. “Well, what do you think he did to me, the Gatekeeper whose job it was to haul you into his office? He’s not a pleasant man to cross.”
Alexia snorted. “Once the goons left the area, I decided to settle down here. What was the point of continuing to run?” She circled around them as if they were a Maypole. “When I found the rainbow’s end, I stopped to ask the leprechaun directions to the nearest town.”
“Ah ha!” With a cry of triumph, Sophia jammed a finger into Xavier’s ribcage. “I knew there was a leprechaun.”
“You win this time.” He wrapped a strong arm around her waist and easily hauled her to his side. “You both need to remain stationary. I grow dizzy watching you move about.”
When Alexia grinned angelically, Sophia stiffened. If it weren’t for Xavier’s hand on her waist, she would have rushed the unicorn. “Fine.” Pinching his arm, she drew in a deep breath.
He growled but kept his hold firm. “Please continue, Alexia. I’m sure Sophia will behave herself from this point forward.”
“At least you have manners. I didn’t really expect anyone working for the Portal Master to be polite.” She ignored Sophia but batted her eyelashes at the werewolf. “Marvin was the resident leprechaun who travelled with the rainbow guardians.” She edged away to sit on the shiny hood of the Aston. “He asked me to stick around for a few minutes so he could run down the road for something to eat. Like an idiot, I agreed. How was I supposed to know he could only be free of this pathetic job if someone showed up to replace him?”
The werewolf ran a hand through his curls. “Then you feel Sophia is at fault because you’re now the keeper of the treasure? To be fair, she had no direct interference on your current situation. She’d never harm you intentionally.”
“Oh, Xavier.” Her heart lurched from his defense. She stopped trying to be free of his grasp. “Thank you.” She teetered at the edge of those golden pools of his eyes. “It’s about time someone believed me.” His lingering fingers warmed her waist.
“I’ve never doubted your word without just cause.” He chucked her under the chin. “And I’ve met Sterling, so, with enough information from both sides, I can form my own opinion.” He gently set her aside then took a few steps toward the ticked off unicorn. “Alexia has no reason to trust you yet, so your earlier anger is misplaced, Sophia.”
So much for my champion. “Fine.” She leveled a semi-patient look at the unicorn. “Why are you pissed at me?”
Alexia gazed at Xavier as he draped himself against the driver’s door of the car. “Because this job is so boring!” She clasped her hands together. A tiny, dreamy smile tugged at her lips. “What I’d really like to do is go to Hollywood and host my own talk show.”
“A talk show?” Sophia closed her open jaw with a snap of teeth.
“What? Have you seen some of those hosts out there? I can do a much better job, but I’ll never get the chance to try because I’m stuck here.”
The sparkling stream of the rainbow’s beams beckoned, recalling to Sophia’s mind the reason why they came. “Have you tried to get away? I mean, did you sign a contract, which prevents you from leaving? Did the leprechaun explain the rules?” She met Xavier’s amused gaze. When he winked, prickles of excitement careened through her stomach. “I’m just asking because the magical world is oftentimes very literal.”
“She’s correct, Alexia.” Xavier pushed away from the car. “There’s no evidence of a ward binding you to the rainbow.”
“Uh…” Sophia forgot the unicorn’s plight as Xavier strolled in her direction, his stance slow and intent as a jungle cat on the prowl. “Good luck on the Hollywood thing.” She licked suddenly dry lips, anticipation crawling over her skin at the hungry look in his eye. Raw charisma oozed from him to smack her in the head. At the last moment, she stifled a sigh. “Damn.”
“Hey, sexy.” He’d closed the distance between them and stroked her cheek. “Ever thought about making love in one of the most awesome vehicles created?”
“Oh no.” Alexia shook her head so violently her hair swung. “You two aren’t going anywhere.” Taking a slim dagger from the folds of her skirt, she waved it in a menacing fashion. “I’m not taking any chances. You’ll remain here as the rainbow’s guardians because I’m leaving.”
“Can we have our three ounces of magical dust?” Sophia bit her bottom lip. Xavier met her gaze, his golden eyes shuttered. “I mean, that’s why we came in the first place.” Her heart thumped as Alexia slammed the Aston’s trunk lid shut.
A shrug lifted her plump shoulders while a pout decorated her ruby lips. “Sure, but you’d better do it soon. The rainbow only lasts for thirty minutes at a time before it moves to a different location.” She glanced at a silver watch on her wrist. “Five minutes left.” With a grin, she wrenched open the driver’s door of the car and flung herself behind the wheel.
“The least you can do is let us have the treasure.” Sophia’s steps faltered. Alexia revved the engine and turned the car around. “Dammit.”
“No, I could kill you.” She stuck her head out the window. “I’m taking the treasure with me. I’ll use it to create a new life in Los Angeles. The Aston alone should fetch a half million dollars.” She slithered back into the car. In a flurry of grass blades and pellets of dirt, Alexia peeled out of the clearing.
Two seconds after reaching the road, she disappeared from view. “Fuck.”
“Indeed.” Xavier stroked his goatee, his voice sad.
“I’m sorry.” Sophia squeezed his arm, felt his muscles tighten. “It’s my fault.
“Nonsense.” He brought her hand to his lips. “I’ll feel the loss of that Aston for some time to come.” He sighed and gave her a wobbly grin. “Unfortunately, there’s no time to mourn, especially without a good glass of wine. Let’s gather the dust before the rainbow disappears as well.”
Sophia dug the leather pouch from her blazer pocket then tossed it to him. “The scale and tooth are in there. Don’t lose them.”
“Give me some credit. I’ve been dreaming of this moment all my life. Now that it’s so close, I won’t let anything stop me.”
“Sorry.” She followed him to the rainbow’s shaft. The vivid colors shimmered and beckoned, almost danced. When she poked a tentative finger into the beam, pleasant warmth not unlike tepid tap water greeted her. “How bizarre.” Plunging a hand into the green stripe, she giggled as the fine grains flowed through her fingers. “It’s alive.”
“Of course it is. Did you think someone flipped a switch that lights the rainbow?” His eyes twinkled and a grin creased his tire
d face.
“I guess I didn’t really think about it outside of the scientific explanation.” Cupping her hands under blue, green, and yellow, she watched in fascination as the sparkling dust flowed into the cavity she created. “It’s amazing.” The tiny crystals emitted a faint high-pitch humming. “It’s awesome.”
Xavier undid the strings of the leather pouch. “Watching your reaction to something as mundane as a rainbow is refreshing, makes me rethink my life.” He held the open bag into the red beam until the glittering dust overflowed the confines. “When you let your true self crack through that hard outer shell, I admire that woman the most.”
Sophia’s gaze faltered. She ran her fingers through the whole of the rainbow as if it were a water fountain. “Thanks.”
The vivid colors faded until they were only a shadow of themselves. Reluctantly, she pulled away from the rainbow then sighed when it vanished altogether. “That was the single greatest experience I’ve ever had.” Shaking the remaining dust from her fingers, she rubbed them on her skirt. “Too bad we have nothing to show for chasing it down.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“Why?” Sophia held her breath as Xavier bent to retrieve an object from the flattened grass where the Aston once rested. “What is it?” Flutters of excitement skipped in her stomach. He held a gold coin between his thumb and forefinger.
“Let’s call it a souvenir.” With a flick of his thumb, he sent the coin sailing through the air in her direction. “Keep it close. It might come in handy.”
Chapter Twenty-one
Two hours later, Sophia and Xavier stood on the sidewalk outside the strip mall where Madame Mirela’s office was located. They’d had to wait a whole day until she could clear her schedule and fit them in. Sophia suspected she only delayed to vex the werewolf due to familial differences. It was fine since they’d filled the bulk of the lost day sleeping and making love. At least they were here now.
“Can’t you go in by yourself? Why do I have to go?” She hated the kindergarten tone that crept into her voice, but couldn’t help it. They teetered on one of the biggest moments in Xavier’s life, and while it would be the start of great things, she worried about the ramifications in the paranormal world. “Just run in, exchange the items for the potion, and run out. It’s Halloween. We’ll spend the day together in case things don’t go well tonight.” She drew in a deep breath, willing herself not to dissolve into tears. She’d already shed enough in the last few days.
Charmed by the Werewolf Page 23
