While he licked the walls of her pussy, his fingers stayed busy rubbing her cheeks, his thumbs tweaking the plump orbs. Her palms grew damp and she flattened them against the wall again.
She was close. Her scalp started to tingle and her vision became hazy. Every muscle in her body drew taut, constricting into one tight knot before exploding into a burst of sweet bliss.
Her hands slipped down the wall while she rode out the orgasm, screaming Jaxon’s name and rocking her hips back and forward. Every nerve cell reacted, sweeping her away into a powerful vortex.
Just like that it was over, leaving her weak, breathless, replete.
Jaxon lifted her up and stood. “You taste like sweet wine.” He kissed her, allowing her to test the veracity of his words. With a groan, he lifted his head. “We must go back.”
The bubble rocked again and Tess looked around, noticing for the first time that the frenzied movement of their glass cell had drawn several spectators. With a laugh, she touched the wall and the sea creatures moved closer. “It’s beautiful here.”
“We can come back anytime.”
“Good, but next time, it’s my turn on the floor.”
* * * * *
“The Coven will not wait much longer. Even now I can feel their impatience.” Falcon crossed his legs, waved a hand toward an empty chair.
Jaxon sat opposite his mentor, one hand tapping a rhythm on the dark wooden table separating them. “How much longer do you think we have?”
“Days maybe, a week if we’re lucky.”
The old wizard’s eyes rested on Jaxon. “I will need you here.”
Eyes closed, Jaxon drew in a breath. He’d felt that one coming since his arrival. And now would come a speech about the all-important requirements of the Assembly. “I can’t leave Tess.”
“Your strength is needed here.”
“You have Andion and my father as well as my uncle. Their combined strengths are enough. I will be here when I can.”
Falcon rose, never in a rush, strolling around the circular meeting room. His soft-soled boots made little sound against the marble floor. Only the swish of his robe could be heard. “You are next in line to take my place as leader of the Assembly.”
An invisible hand seemed to close around Jaxon’s throat. “That’s impossible! My father is the second oldest wizard. The right of passage should fall to him.”
“The leader is not chosen simply because of age.”
“I cannot rule over family members older than I am. Besides, this is a moot conversation considering you are going to live forever.”
Falcon smiled and waved away the comment. “No one lives forever, Jaxon.”
“You’re an immortal.”
“But even an immortal can choose not to live forever.” The meaning was clear.
Jaxon got to his feet, shoving the chair out of the way with the heel of his boot. “Why would you choose not to live? You are needed here. You would never turn your back on the Assembly.”
“No, that I would never do. But I have trained you for this purpose, to assume the role of leader. When next we face the Coven, we shall need a strong commander to take charge. You have the power now.”
“Leading was never my choice.”
“Who you are makes you a leader, Jaxon. There is no choice to make. The authority will be yours.”
Palms against his temples, Jaxon backed away. “Tess is waiting for me. I have to get back.”
“If you insist on keeping her with you, you should prepare her for what lies ahead.”
“It is too soon.”
“The Coven will not wait for you to gain the courage to enlighten her.”
The warning followed Jaxon, weighing heavily on his heart.
* * * * *
Tess took her time inspecting the house. She wasn’t quite sure what she was looking for, a hidden passage maybe, a secret library. Her reading skills were admittedly lacking when it came to wizards and fairy tales but perhaps it wasn’t too late to brush up on the subject.
Jaxon had spared no expense in decorating the home. Filled from brick end to brick end with tastefully framed art, solid antiques and vases from the Ming Dynasty, the house was a picture peeled off the pages of Home Beautiful. The banister was lined with gold, the doorknobs twenty-four karat. Belgian lace covered the windows and imported carpets graced the floors. Ornate chandeliers hung suspended from intricately designed chains woven with mother-of-pearl and gossamer silk. Each room screamed wealth and class. All of this from a South Carolina contractor. Tess descended the staircase in her search for more of Jaxon’s secrets.
The library wasn’t too difficult to find. Books called to her and with floor-to-ceiling shelves lining the walls, she could move into the room and never leave. She whirled around in the center of the plush area rug, her arms open wide. She loved everything about libraries, the old smell, the quietness but especially the feel of the books in her hands.
She poured over a thick novel, an escapade involving a worn hero’s daring attempt to save his lover from the hands of a wicked warlord, when a shadow fell across the room. For a second, she couldn’t breathe. The air tightened, thickened. Jumping to her feet, she twirled around in a circle, looking for an intruder but she was alone. The room was empty and she could breathe once more.
Tess closed the book and pushed it back from the edge of the desk. “Jaxon?” Her voice was a whisper, fear tapping her on the shoulder, making her aware of the possibility she had a visitor other than Jaxon. A visitor who wouldn’t be welcome in his home.
A movement caught her eye and she shot out of the library, racing out into the hallway in time to see an apparition float against the wall. A dark, hazy shadow, it reached gray fingers to disturb the art as it moved. Doorknobs turned and chairs moved as it glided down the long stretch of hallway.
Tess followed, more than slightly hysterical. In the past twenty-four hours, she’d faced hurricanes, walls of water held still by the whim of a hand, her body disintegrating into thin air, a wizard and now a spirit. Her head spun while her world tilted crazily.
“You must be Jaxon’s little girlfriend.” The apparition solidified into a beautiful woman with flowing black hair and eyes the color of midnight. Her skin was so pale, it was almost translucent, her voice a musical cadence which mesmerized her victim.
Tess blinked at the spirit woman and fisted her hands in the pockets of the robe she still wore. “Who are you?”
The laughter was a tinkle of sound. “You mean he hasn’t mentioned me? How disappointing. I never imagined Jaxon would be so misguided. I mean to actually believe he could fit into the world below. It’s clearly a place he doesn’t belong.” Long fingernails scratched the light switch plate as the cold gaze raked over Tess’ body. “I can’t imagine what he sees in you. You’re not exactly his type of woman.”
“I don’t know who you are but I’m sure I don’t want to have this conversation with you.”
The gauzy material of the long, blue dress floated around her ankles as the spirit crossed her legs in midair. “No, I can’t imagine you would. It would appear Jaxon is keeping you firmly ensconced in the dark.”
Tess’ irritation climbed another notch. She had had just about enough of these spirits, wizards and faeries. She thought she’d been open-minded enough. But she had to draw the line somewhere. It appeared she’d have to draw it with the ghostly visitor. “Get out.” She made her voice firm.
More laughter greeted the instruction. “You think you can just order me out and I will obey your commands? You cannot force me to leave here. I am part of the earth, part of the sky. I go where I want to go, stay as long as I want to stay.”
“Until I tell you to leave.” Jaxon materialized beside Tess, taking hold of her arm. The words whipped out of him, saturated in fury. Power and darkness swirled around him. His face was implacable, his eyes twin darts of rage and as the air grew heavy, Tess could only watch as the wizard and the ghost squared off.
“You
are back soon. I thought you would be with your little buddies for at least another hour or so. You know how they like to drone on.” The spirit observed her fingernails before dropping her hands back to her sides. “I’ve missed you, Jaxon. It has been a while since you and I have played one of our little games. Haven’t you missed the challenge?”
“You will leave my house now.” His hand swept up, opening the door. “Don’t make me send you out.”
“Such theatrics. Fine. I shall go but I think I shall have another conversation with your little friend in the future. You will make sure she understands about my conversation, won’t you?”
A low growl of fury, a blast of wind and Jaxon had sped forward, his hand closing around the apparition’s throat. Tess didn’t have time to think how he could actually capture a ghost. She backed toward the stairs, horror lodging in her throat. Who was this woman? This ghost? And how had she gotten involved with a man who was born a wizard?
“You will leave my home and you will not return. To do so would be at your own peril.” The words simmered out of him, low and deep. Tess could barely make them out. She saw a flash of fear in the spirit’s eyes. Seeing firsthand Jaxon’s tenuous hold on control, she understood why even the ghosts would be afraid of him.
Shimmering blue light encapsulated the spirit and then she disappeared, fading into the night. Jaxon’s hands fell and his breaths came in hard, struggling gasps. “Tess, are you all right?”
She continued to back up the stairs before stopping on the third. “Actually that would be no. Not right at this point, I’m not. In fact I don’t think I’m going to be all right for some time. I’m going to go upstairs now and try to absorb what just happened here. You know you just scared off a ghost.”
“She wasn’t a ghost.” He walked toward her. “Her name is Athena and she is a witch, a very powerful witch.”
“Oh, of course.” Tess nodded slowly. “A witch. Because you can’t have wizards without some witches being in the mix. Of course. I understand perfectly now.” Her hand bit into the banister, her only link to reality.
“If you will let me explain—”
She held up one hand. “Don’t bother. I’m not interested in half-truths and you won’t tell me the secrets you don’t think I should know. It doesn’t matter because I’m not interested in learning more than I already know. I want to go back to my own life, Jaxon. I just want to go home. Can you please tell me how I can get home?”
In two strides, he had joined her on the stairs, his arms reaching out for her, drawing her into his embrace. He held her tightly, her head pressed against his chest. His intention was to comfort but his words graduated the fear to terror. “Tess, you are home.”
Chapter Five
Tess didn’t want to waste her energy arguing but her pride made her push him away. “What do you mean? I’m not going to be allowed to return to my home now?”
The look on Jaxon’s face gave her the answer she really didn’t want even before he spoke. “Did you really think I’d be able to send you back after all that you’ve seen?”
“And it is all about what you want, isn’t it?”
“There’s a lot more at stake here.” He reached for her again but she held up one hand, unwilling to hear his explanation.
“What is at stake is my life.”
“Your life will be here.”
“And I don’t get a choice?” She wanted to hit him. “I suppose you think a few fucks entitle you to run my life now. Why am I not surprised? Except for the magic, you’re just a typical male!”
With a sigh, Jaxon managed to take her in his arms again. He nuzzled her neck and brought her closer to the warmth of his body. “Look, I’ll be happy to debate this with you later but for now…” His words trailed off.
Moving her head to evade his lips, she fisted against his shirt, drawing his gaze down to her face. “I have another question for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“What happens now? Now that I’m here, I mean? Do your people not have laws against kidnapping?”
His knuckles brushed her cheeks. “It’s not kidnapping.” His eyes seemed to burn into hers. “And do you really want to leave?”
Her teeth worried the inside of her cheek. “What are my options?” When he didn’t respond, she frowned. “Why did I even ask that question? And why are you asking me if I really want to leave? You already know the answer! Do you enjoy fucking with peoples’ lives, Jaxon? Do your people get a thrill out of moving us around like pieces on a chessboard?”
Jaxon fisted his hands in her hair and met her studious gaze with a hard look of his own. “This is not a game to us, Tess.” He shot a curse up at the ceiling. “I have to go.”
“Let me guess. You have to rush off to vanquish something.” Bitterness coated her voice.
He slid one hand along her spine. “I’d much rather stay here with you. I want you to understand…and maybe one day you will.”
Tess pulled back to see his face. “I was kidding about the vanquishing something but you obviously aren’t. You’re going off to kill something or someone, rather. Should I ask? Do I want to know?”
Jaxon kissed her to interrupt the flow of words. “I don’t have much time. All I can tell you right now is that Athena has four sister witches. Together, they are called the Coven of Allesandra and they have a plan in mind that, left to their own devices, will change the course of the world.”
Tess slapped a hand to her forehead and stumbled back against the banister. “Oh, here we go. World domination and all that. You know, I was wondering when this was going to come into play. Do you realize how utterly bizarre this sounds?”
His hands framed her face. “I can only imagine. I have lived with who I am my entire life. You’re getting slapped in the face with it far too quickly. I wish I could slow things down a bit but there isn’t a lot of time.”
“Are the witches planning their bid for world domination tonight?”
“Probably not.”
Tess sighed and took hold of his hand, her anger diminishing. Each time she touched him, she lost a little of what she’d left behind. The magic was all too real, the man even more so. Nibbling at her lower lip, she brought his hand to her cheek.
“Then you can stay with me tonight.” She heard Jaxon’s breath catch and she smiled a little. One point for the home team. “I don’t want to be alone in this house again, Jaxon. What if Athena comes back? I mean ghosts I can handle but I think I’m a little out of my league when it comes to dealing with witches.”
His palm rasped against her skin. “You might be for now.”
Tess didn’t ask any questions. There would be plenty of time for that later. For now she wanted to concentrate on surviving one day at a time. “Is my life ever going to be the same?”
Jaxon walked up the stairs, taking her with him. He paused long enough to answer her question. “There is one way.” He continued up the stairs, reaching the top landing before he faced her again. “I can erase your memories or, to be more accurate, rewind the clock.”
“You can change time?”
“Something like that. You would have no memory of me, this house or anything I’ve told you. Your life would resume as it was before we met.”
Tess blinked, considered his words. “You can’t just rewind it to before the hurricane? I don’t think I want to go back before I met you.”
He smiled at that. “I’m afraid it’s either all or nothing. The Assembly would not be willing to risk your discovering this information again. And I’m not so sure I could stay away from you.”
She walked past him and into the bedroom. “And if I choose not to go back, what happens then?”
He moved so fast he now stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. He pressed her against him, leaning her against his strength. “Then we’ll be together for a very long time.” Ever so gently, he moved his hands upward to cup her breasts and Tess felt a long sigh leave her body.
“How long is a
very long time?”
“Forever.” Lips traveling across the back of her neck, he began to massage her breasts through the thin material of the robe. “And that really wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”
Tess’ heart began to thunder. How did he expect her to think when he was touching her like this? “Jaxon, you can’t expect me to just accept this. I barely know you. I mean we’ve slept together and I do feel a connection but to expect a relationship is unreasonable.”
One hand left her breast to travel over her stomach. The heat of his palm burned her skin and Tess arched beneath it as it moved to caress her between her thighs. “Our way is much different from the ways of mortals. When a wizard falls in love, he knows immediately. There is no question in his mind. He just knows. We have no doubts, no fears and usually the woman doesn’t either.” Clever fingers pressed against her clit, causing little electrical shocks to travel from her pelvis to her toes.
Indigo Spell Page 12
