“There was nothing the hospital or the police could do for ya.” Rory was slower to stand. He also looked at the weapon lying on the ground and put himself between her and the blade. “I wanted to tell ya, but…”
He lifted his hand. She expected to see the blue light erupt.
“Magick is real.” Jennifer took a deep breath and held it. “Out of all the explanations for what I’ve been feeling, I don’t know if that one makes me feel better or worse. If not magick, then I have some real psychological issues. But if it’s real, then, well, I’m not sure what then.”
“Run!”
Jennifer jumped in surprise as a Raibeart burst through the trees behind her and took off up the drive. He had his hands cupped over his manhood.
“Raibeart!” Murdoch leaped from the trees and chased after him. His shirt was ripped, but he still wore his kilt and boots.
“They’re after me dangly jewels!” Raibeart cried. Instead of going to the front door, he ran toward the side of the house. He disappeared around the corner.
Murdoch darted past his son. “Run!”
“Gremahdamma.”
“Damma-damma.”
Rory’s eyes widened at the monstrous chatter. He shot toward her and grabbed her hand. “Run!”
“What?” Jennifer tried to look into the trees, but Rory hauled her toward the house.
She heard the patter of tiny feet behind them. Rory led the way to the side of his car.
“Down,” he ordered as he tugged her to the ground. He wrapped his arms around her, shielding her with his body as he held her against the tire.
“Damma-damma,” a creature cackled.
Jennifer watched Murdoch from under Rory’s arm as he disappeared from view chasing after Raibeart.
Heavy thumps landed on Rory’s car seconds before a hoard of knobby little creatures jumped over their heads and continued after Raibeart and Murdoch. She’d never seen anything like it, at least not outside of a horror movie.
As the thumps on Rory’s car ended, he slowly pulled up to check.
“Damma!” A straggler came over the car, brushing over Rory’s hair.
“Oh, ow,” Rory grunted as the creature used his hair to control the trajectory of its landing.
“What is that?” Jennifer whispered as the tiny creature faced them.
“Gremian,” Rory said.
“Gremlin?” Jennifer kept her back pressed against the wheel.
“Gremian,” Rory corrected. He put himself in front of her to create a shield between her and the small attacker. His fingers began to glow, and he cocked his arm back. “Close.”
The gremian chattered as it ambled toward them. It sniffed in her direction. Its tiny eyes widened, and it screeched as it hurried after its friends.
“What the…?” Jennifer stared where it disappeared.
“Huh, he seemed scared of ya,” Rory observed.
“Of me?” Jennifer shook her head in disbelief.
“They’re gone, come on.” Rory pulled her to her feet. “Let’s get inside.”
Jennifer looked to make sure there weren’t any more coming for them. The driveway was clear. She glanced at Rory’s car. Dents dotted the hood.
She stumbled a little to keep up with him. “They wrecked your car.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s just a car.” He steadied her elbow and escorted up the stairs.
Jennifer’s heart beat frantically, and her chest was beginning to hurt. The stress of going from rage to lust to terror was taking its toll on her. She pushed her hand to her chest and didn’t fight Rory as he pulled her back inside the mansion.
Euann and Margareta appeared to be waiting for them near the main entrance. The second the door opened, their conversation stopped.
“You’re back,” Margareta said. “Good.”
“What happened to ya two?” Euann asked, his gaze moving to the top of her head.
Jennifer self-consciously reached for her hair and began smoothing it.
“I think it’s about time we cleared the gremian problem out of the woods,” Rory said. She noticed his hair was a little messy from the gremian, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“Why? They’re harmless, mostly. The humans can’t see them,” Euann said, pulling out his phone as if not concerned. “Plus, they usually only torment Uncle Raibeart.”
“They’re multiplying,” Rory said.
“Are ya sure Raibeart’s not the father?” Euann held his phone toward them and laughed as he walked closer so they could see it. A video played showing a gremian with a miniature wedding dress snuggled next to a passed out Raibeart. “I think one of them has a crush.”
“What?” Margareta snatched the phone. “Who gave that hideous thing a—is that Cait’s antique doll dress?”
“I’m human,” Jennifer interrupted. “You said humans couldn’t see them, but I saw them.”
“Well, ah…” Margareta frowned and looked at Rory.
“I am human,” Jennifer insisted.
“Ya look pretty human to me,” Euann said. “Now, Rory, not so much. Ya know, Jenn, I have other cousins if ya are in the market for—”
“Aunt Margareta, Euann gave the gremian the doll dress,” Rory interrupted, clearly to get his cousin into trouble.
“I did not,” Euann protested. “Ma, he’s lying.”
“Why don’t ya show your friend someplace to lay down,” Margareta told Rory. “She looks like she’s about to fall over. We can sort everything out in the morning.”
Jennifer liked the idea of getting away from Margareta the cheese ball pusher, so didn’t protest when Rory motioned for her to go upstairs with him. She also didn’t want to go back outside in the dark with those creepy little monsters running around. As they reached the second story, she whispered, “Seriously, though, I am human. They know that, right?”
Rory led her down a hall and opened a door. “Ya can stay in my room.”
At that, she looked inside to see a king-sized bed. Jennifer arched a brow. “I’d be suspicious that this was your intention all along, but I don’t think there was any way you could fake those gremlins.”
“Gremians,” he said. The smile that curled his lips invited her back for more kisses. “I’ll sleep elsewhere if—”
Jennifer pulled him by his shirt to bring him into the room with her. “There is no way in hell you are leaving me alone in this place. If those gremians come back, I’m feeding you to them and running for my life.”
“And here I was worried ya didn’t like me,” Rory teased.
Chapter Twelve
Jennifer more than “liked” Rory. Liked seemed too tame of a word. When it came to Rory, her emotions ran hot—rage and lust. Neither state of being lent itself to rational decision making. Until she dropped that knife on the driveway, anger had been winning. Now with it dissipated, passion took over.
The world no longer made sense. Before Rory, she’d settled into a mundane routine of survival. She worked to pay bills. She paid bills to live. She lived to work so she could afford to pay bills. Round and round it went—paycheck to paycheck. Jennifer focused on what needed to be done right in front of her. In that way, her world had become very, very small.
Rory’s world was enormous. Family money clearly took away the live-work-bill cycle, but it was more than that. He had different responsibilities. He had family and magick and gremians to worry over. After seeing those hideous creatures, she wondered what else was out in the woods that she didn’t know about. The possibilities seemed endless.
“Why are ya looking at me like that?” Rory stood in front of the bedroom door. The polished wood contrasted the white of the walls. That single bedroom was bigger than her entire trailer. A private bathroom could be seen in through the shadows of an opened door. The overhead lights’ low-watt bulbs added to the intimacy, which would only be romantically outdone if he lit the fireplace.
The mattress was high off the ground, and she had to give a little hop to sit on the foot of his bed. “You
don’t find it weird that your parents live in the same house as you?”
He shook his head. “Why would I? Many extended families live together.”
“I meant when you bring women home.” Jennifer gave a nervous laugh.
“I don’t generally bring women home,” he said.
“I wasn’t fishing about your dating life.” Even so, Jennifer liked hearing he wasn’t in the habit of entertaining women in his bedroom.
“Fish all ya like, love.” He grinned, closing the distance between them. His voice dipped with meaning. “I’m sure you’ll catch something.”
Jennifer’s tone matched his. “I don’t think that’s as seductive as you think it is.”
His smile didn’t falter. The man did not lack in confidence. He traced the tip of his finger along her jaw.
Jennifer felt a shiver work its way over her. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll try to hurt you again?”
Rory leaned in and shook his head in denial. His eyes stared intently into hers. “I’m more afraid of what will happen if I don’t kiss ya again.”
“That sounds like a line,” she whispered.
“It is,” he agreed. “Is it working?”
Jennifer nodded. It was working. She wanted to kiss him again.
No, she needed to kiss him again.
At first, the depth of her desire frightened her, and she worried that it might be like the anger—something put inside her by magickal forces.
And yet, this felt different. When he touched her, she felt every nerve stand at attention. Her skin tingled with anticipation. All other concerns fell away until there were only the seconds flickering past as his mouth pressed against hers. Her eyes drifted close. His hands cupped her face.
Unlike on the driveway, this kiss was gentle, probing, testing. Rory brushed his lips along hers several times before parting them. With each stroke, the kiss became more profound. The tip of his tongue swept her bottom lip, enticing hers to join him.
“I should take a shower,” she whispered against him.
His hand left her cheek seconds before she heard the water running in the bathroom.
Jennifer broke the kiss and turned her attention toward the noise. “How…?”
He lifted his hand and wiggled his fingers. Blue lights wove over them before disappearing. “Magick.”
“What else can those fingers do?” Only after she said the words did she realize just how provocative they sounded.
“Do ya want me to show ya?”
How could she say no to the promise in his eyes? The idea of magick both thrilled and terrified her. It was those warring emotions that caused her heart to beat faster. There was danger here, but she didn’t care. She wanted to jump into the deep end.
Jennifer nodded. “Show me.”
Rory brought his glowing finger toward her neck. She felt the warmth and energy flowing from him into her, connecting them as it penetrated her. Slowly, he drew his hand down the front of her work shirt. The material appeared to melt from her body.
Her initial reaction was to gasp and cover her chest as if that could stop the reaction. She heard the sound of her shirt dropping on the floor beneath her feet.
“Shall I continue?” He looked down to where her arms crossed her breasts.
Slowly, she nodded, eager to see more of his magick. She lowered her arms.
He ran his fingers along her waist. The pleasurable warmth of his touch spread over her hips, settling erotically in her belly. The pants slithered onto the floor to join the shirt. Realizing she still wore shoes and socks, she kicked them off her feet and then knocked them with her heels under the bed.
Rory had left her in her bra and panties. The bedroom air felt cool compared to his magickal touch and the heat from his deepening breaths tickling her shoulder.
“Impressed?” He caressed her naked hip, hooking a finger in her panties.
Jennifer chuckled. “Hardly.”
It was a lie. Of course, she was impressed. The guy melted her clothing off.
“I can do the same trick,” Jennifer said. “Close your eyes.”
Rory instantly obeyed. Jennifer studied his handsome face as she reached for his shirt and pulled it up over his head. He laughed as she tossed it on the floor.
“Ta-da!” She lifted her arms over her head as if she’d just performed a carnival magic trick.
Rory tilted his head back and laughed. The sound rained over her in pure delight. “Impressive.”
As her hands lowered, she let them rest on his naked shoulders. Strong muscles moved beneath his warm flesh. Even without his magick, he was something to behold.
The sound of the shower caught her attention, and she pushed his shoulders so that he stepped back. She slid off the end of the bed. “I worked a double. I need that shower.”
Jennifer walked toward the shower, reaching behind her back to unhook her bra as she moved. She dropped it on the floor.
Steam filled the bathroom. The shower curtain hung over a clawfoot tub. She reached behind it to test the water against her hand.
Rory touched her hip, startling her. She hadn’t heard him step up behind her.
“Are you joining me?” she asked, not turning to face him.
“If ya are inviting me to,” he answered.
Jennifer pushed her panties from her hips and stepped into the tub. There was something special about the first blast of hot water after a long day. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“We just met,” she said, hearing him come in behind her.
“Doesn’t feel like it to me.” Rory ran a finger down her spine, causing her to shiver. “But if ya want, I can sleep in the other room and come back tomorrow to take ya out on a proper date.”
Jennifer did not want that. She turned to face him. He was completely naked, and she couldn’t help glancing down at the thick arousal standing tall between them. It didn’t appear like he wanted that either, but it was sweet that he respected her enough to offer.
“What? You don’t think my losing my mind and trying to stab you is a proper first date?” Though she teased, she managed to keep a serious expression. “So far, I would say it’s in my top five first dates.”
The hot water hit her back. It cascaded over her shoulders and down her chest. He watched his hand slide against her breast to disrupt the flow. They might not have known each other long in the measurement of time, but somehow that didn’t matter. She felt him on a deep, intimate level. She looked at him, and she just knew he was who she was meant to be with. The certainty of such a thought should have scared her, but it didn’t.
“Top five?” His eyes darted up to hers as if finally processing what she said.
“Top three,” she amended. “Number two was in the third grade. Joey Antonelli and I were forced to be study buddies. He serenaded me with country songs, and then after I checked ‘no’ on the little note he gave me asking me out, he told everyone I had warts and tried to kiss him.”
“Smooth play, Mr. Antonelli. The night is young. I bet I can still beat him for that number two slot.” Rory smirked, nodding. “And number one?”
“Blind date right after high school, Jimmy Jones. I remember because of like Jim Jones, the cult leader. Asshole ordered the most expensive thing, halved the bill to make me help pay for his meal, and then hit me with his car when we were leaving the restaurant.”
“Was there a lot of damage to your vehicle?” Rory asked.
“He hit me with his car, not my car. He backed into me and knocked me on my backside. Left me with a bruised tailbone and a torn dress.”
Rory leaned closer and let his hand glide from her breast down her side, only to snake around to cup her ass. “Feels like it healed all right, but I’ll happily hex this Jimmy Jones for ya.”
“You can do that? Hex people?” Jennifer was more curious than worried.
Rory nodded. “For ya? Anything. Just say the word.”
“That’s a sweet offer, but karma already got him. The woma
n he married ran over his foot.”
He drew her body against his. Their naked flesh slid against each other in the water. Each tiny movement brought with it a myriad of sensations. Jennifer lost all thoughts as pleasure and temptation flooded her. She wanted this, him, more than anything else in her life.
“This is a bizarre conversation to be having at such a moment.” Rory’s lips brushed against her temple.
“What should we be talking about?” She found it hard to concentrate when she’d rather be kissing him.
“Soap.”
“Soap?” she repeated, leaning back to study his face.
“Mm.” His lids fell heavy over his eyes as he reached his hand between the curtains only to return holding a bottle. “Definitely soap.”
Rory squeezed a large amount on his hand and instantly brought his palms together to create the start of a lather. Magick glowed from his fingers as he brought the soap to her chest and began washing her. The soap glided while the magick tingled. The unmistakably male scent of the body wash smelled like him. When his hands slid around her hips to pull her against him, he washed her chest with his. The erotic play made it impossible to think beyond the moment.
Jennifer soaped her hands on his chest and drew them over his shoulders to his neck. She offered her mouth for a kiss. At times, she couldn’t tell if he was washing her or caressing her, but either way it was gratifying. By the time his hands found their way between her thighs she was ready to scream from sexual need.
The tingling touch of his magick-laced fingers was unlike anything she’d ever felt. When he touched her, there were no doubts or fears. When he kissed her, she felt safe and protected. This is what perfection felt like.
No, not perfection. Love. This is what love felt like.
The concept seemed strange, to love someone without the history, the type of connection that usually took time to build. And yet, Jennifer felt love for him, and part of her thought maybe he could love her too.
A finger stroked along her sex, tingling and rubbing, sliding in her body’s natural response. It didn’t take much for an orgasm to flow through her. She gasped, forced to grab hold of his arms to keep from falling in the tub.
A Dash of Destiny (Warlocks MacGregor Book 8) Page 10
