by Brea Viragh
Yielding to him, she felt rather than heard Leo chuckle, his mouth working on her. The tease of his plump lips combined with the skill of his tongue and thumb drove all coherent thoughts from her brain. Her body turned to putty beneath his ministrations, long liquid pulls shooting from her core to her belly.
He took what he wanted, rolling her between his lips and teeth until all thought left her head. There was only pleasure, surrender.
Soon her blood boiled and her head felt dizzy, climbing a mountain higher and higher until she stood at its peak. She recognized the precipice, appreciated the view, and then plunged over at the final flick of tongue and teeth. A shockwave tore through her and she lay stunned, spots dancing in front of her eyes. She swallowed the cry, the way her body ached to bow and twist at the madness of it all.
She’d never imagined things could feel so delightful. So delicious. The release he’d been right about. Even more astonishing? She’d let him. Relaxed enough to let herself go.
Trusted him enough to come with her.
Astix shuddered as she clung to him, and his name escaped her lips on a breathless sigh. Instantly a smile rose on his face. Dazed, she watched him rise above her, his body glistening with a slight sheen of perspiration.
She was grateful now for the candles, because Leo looked amazing in candlelight, the burnished glow gilding his skin and hair.
Astix knew she would rather die a thousand times over than be without him. The way he touched her, tasted her, made her feel like a normal human. Like a natural woman.
When he pressed her into the mattress, taking hold of her hands, she peered at him with a question in her gaze.
“You don’t want—” she began.
“Later.”
His would come, after he had her, after he took their moment to the edge for all it was worth. There would be more opportunities to come, so no reason to be greedy now. One hand held her arms over her head while the other traveled down past the metal of her belly button ring to push her legs apart.
“I want you, all of you. I want to slide in deep and feel you make room for me.”
“You seem to want a lot from me.” She reached up for him, her body open and accommodating, already demanding more.
“Are you ready?”
Astix had opened her mouth to answer when he pushed inside. She swallowed the urge to cry out with the suddenness of the intrusion, her control lost as her legs wrapped around him.
Leo took his time plunging deep until his pelvis rested on hers. Her muscles relaxed to house his girth.
“Everything okay?” he asked when she lay still.
“Never better.”
Then he held nothing back. He kept his eyes on her as he moved, lazy at first until the sharp edge of need brought him to the end of his tether.
Together they flew, thrust for thrust, stroke for stroke. Needy, wanting, their mouths sought the other’s in a hard kiss. He pulled her close, his arms like bands of iron refusing to release her. Astix clung to him desperately.
They raced to the finish line, rolling over when Astix took control. She rode him like a Thoroughbred desperate to win. Her knees tightened around his hips. She arched back, feeling his fullness inside of her. Her senses scattered. She couldn’t think, couldn’t feel anything except Leo. The glow of every crystal in the place escaped her notice as the house lit up like a fireworks display in July.
Leo increased his tempo, his hands digging deep into the skin of her waist as he prepared for the end. Satisfaction came with a bang and he carried them both overboard.
CHAPTER 13
Later, Astix would wonder how she found the strength to push her hair away from her face. Or how she managed to move her body at all when her limbs were leaden and heavy with exhaustion.
She’d fallen asleep somewhere along the line, waking up only when Leo shifted and turned his attentions once more to her breasts, her hips, her legs. Her body recognized the desire even as sleep clouded her mind. Together they flew until daybreak loomed on the horizon.
Leo cradled her close in the warm afterglow of their lovemaking, sheets tangled between them in a sweaty mess.
She turned to him and nuzzled his chest, curling closer. “What do we do now?”
“Now we figure out why your house smells like a rotting corpse.”
“Excuse me!” she screeched, bolting upright in bed.
“Shh.” Keeping his eyes closed, Leo squeezed her once before releasing. “No talking. Probably a mouse died in the wall. I didn’t want to mention it before.”
“I’m afraid I’m not very good at relaxing after sex, and you telling me my house stinks doesn’t help matters.” She jerked her shoulder. “It’s not a mouse.”
“Sure it is.” Leo wanted nothing more than to waste the day away with her, shirk all duties on his calendar and stay. It wouldn’t be a waste, not really. Not when he’d finally gotten the one thing he wanted most.
Her.
It had been a jolt for him to realize how much he wanted to please her. To love her. He knew from the beginning she was important to him in some unfathomable way. Relationships had never been a top priority in his life, especially not a lasting one.
At his core, Leo believed in the fairy tale. He wanted the wife, the children, the dog, and the house to go along with them. After a time, reality taught him those things were simply not practical, not genuine.
Now he stared at a woman who may be the answer to those dreams. He held her close, breathed her in, and hoped to God that she would be willing to love him once he gave up his skeleton in the closet.
He rolled over abruptly and got to his feet with regret. “We’ll find it.”
Stretching his arms over his head, Astix thought he could almost touch the ceiling. Her eyes roved over his back, down to the magnificent buttocks and strong legs. Damn, had she really gotten to sample those wares moments earlier? He was a rock of a man with a sensitive streak hidden beneath ropes of muscle. She would have never guessed.
Too bad he’d mentioned the smell.
“I’m going to take a shower. Can I persuade you to join me?” he asked.
Looking at him, her mouth went dry. Naked in the doorway, he resembled a Greek god with all the power of Olympus at his disposal. A sliver of worry worked its way into her heart and it was all she could do to shake her head. “I’m fine.”
He strode back to the bed and bestowed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back,” he told her. “And if you change your mind, then you know where to find me. I’ll be the guy taking a long, lonely shower.”
The tenderness was utterly unexpected. And she feared for her heart’s fate.
Padding to the bathroom with his pants over his arm, Leo left her to her own devices.
Astix let out a whoosh of air and pushed her hair back, flopping onto the pillows. As far as good sex, Leo Voltaire had set a new standard with her. He would be a very tough act for any man to follow, if anyone could.
He’d want breakfast. But she had no appetite because the smell hadn’t lessened one bit. She had a feeling it wouldn’t go away until she’d solved the problems with her family. It was a reminder of her failure and the clock ticking down.
Tick, tock.
“Do you mind if I put on a pot of coffee?” Leo came around the corner, towel-drying his hair. “I’m going to need a little liquid courage to face work.”
“Sure. No problem.” Coffee would be safe. Right? No demons hiding in the dark roast grounds. “Make yourself at home.”
She followed him from the bedroom.
“What did you do to me last night? I’m going to need a week to recover,” he called out over his shoulder. The towel around his hips hug low and Astix couldn’t help but focus on the sight.
“A week?”
“I mean, half a day. Because I have a good turnaround time.”
“I’ll take your word on it.”
It seemed odd the sort of instant intimacy the night together had created between th
em. Astix never let men stay overnight as a rule. Ever. She needed the control, to oversee the situation and make sure her heart remained untouched. When a woman let a man inside, she lost part of herself. Made it too easy for hurt to creep up and take over.
Yet here he was, after a good night of very little sleep, grabbing the coffee can from the countertop and muttering something about her lack of sugar.
Astix reached underneath the island and retrieved a can of sweetened condensed milk. “Here, Golden Boy. This should help.”
He stared at her. Then his eyes focused on the can. His mouth turned down.
At once self-conscious, Astix shifted and continued to hold out the can. “What?”
“I think I love you.”
“You don’t have to do this, you know.” Astix tossed the can, hoping he’d catch it. He did. “It’s just sex. Not an invitation to stay for the rest of your life.”
He held up his hands as a shield, one hand holding the canned coffee and the other holding the canned cream. “Sorry for making a joke.”
“We both know it wasn’t a joke.”
“I was expressing my gratitude. Again, sorry.” He finished prepping the coffee pot, and they both watched, mesmerized, as the machine began to gurgle and produce a steady drip. Leo spared a glance at the clock and groaned. “I’ve got to get going. I hate to shower and run.”
“Don’t go yet,” Astix said lightly. “Stay a little longer, at least until the coffee is done. You can call in to work. Tell them you’re running late. Better yet, it is the weekend. Don’t go in at all.”
“I wish I could. If I don’t check in, then the whole office is going to throw a fit.”
“You mean Sir Spine-chilling will be upset.”
“I told you not to bring him up. Not while I’m half naked.” Leo tugged his towel higher to hide her view of his pubic bone. “A man has to be able to express himself sexually without the cloud of his parentage looming overhead.”
“What time do you go in normally?” she asked.
Leo hurried to grab a mug and poured. “Eight. I’m up before then anyway. Damn it, my clothes.” He ran from the room and returned moments later, shrugging into the slightly rumpled white button-up shirt, his pants unbuckled. “I really don’t want to go.” He carefully moved each button into place before attempting to wrangle his tie into submission. “You know I want to stay.”
His lips found hers and danced there.
It felt deliciously good to share her bed with him. Her kitchen. Her time. To have him stay through the night and feel the heat of his body next to hers, knowing he would be there when dawn found them.
“There’s work I’ve gotta do,” he told her, breaking the spell. “And a stalker to catch.”
“You’re looking for him? The man from the club?”
Why was it hard to believe?
“Of course.” Leo finished dressing before donning his trench coat. “What do you think I’m doing while I work? Certainly not filing paperwork twenty-four hours a day.”
“Well, I’m glad. Maybe between the two of us, we can get to the bottom of this.”
She was glad, truly glad. She’d come to the conclusion that this thing was too big for her to tackle alone. She needed someone on her side. Someone who was willing to help her out instead of dismissing her visions as delusions or trying to pin her as a suspect.
“There are a few things I need to look into, and some reports that, if I don’t do now, will snowball until it’s too late and I’m buried. I’ll try to hurry things along and be back here before tomorrow morning. Sound good?”
Staring at him, standing there so tall and handsome, had Astix’s mouth going dry again. She swallowed. She’d never felt the need for sex on a regular basis, especially not with the same man, but seeing him, she wanted to jump his bones. Repeatedly.
“What are you planning to do?” she wanted to know.
“I’m sure I can figure something out. Give me a little time. You’re already aware of my prowess in the kitchen, and in the sack.” Leo waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I believe I’ve proven both without a shadow of a doubt. My sleuthing falls along those same lines.”
“I love the way you talk.” The sickening thing was, she actually did. “So manly.”
“Good.” His face dropped, gravity replacing his humor. “Are you sure you’re going to be fine here? I can have someone from the office come by and check on you throughout the day while we search for this guy.”
“Oh jeez, no. No. That is the opposite of what I want, and I think you know it.” Her fingers knotted together. She hadn’t told him about the dreams. If she had, Leo would probably insist on sending someone over. “I’m going to be busy doing some mixing for the next show. Don’t worry about me.”
“I can’t help it.” Leo shot her a final grin and crossed to give her a hug, giddy when she held on tight. “Hey, maybe when all of this is over, we can take a vacation and go somewhere nice. Somewhere where no one knows who we are.”
“And white sand?”
“Absolutely. Unlimited drinks with little umbrellas…” The answering twinkle in her eyes made his heart flicker.
“I don’t believe you know a place like that. It doesn’t exist.”
“Maybe it’s my little secret. Would you want to go there with me?”
“I might. If you catch me feeling mushy, I might go anywhere with you.” It was the truth.
“See you tonight.”
Astix made herself stand still until she heard the front door close. “Girl, what are you doing?” She went back to the bedroom and plopped down on the mattress, turning to her side and running her hand along the sheets. “What are you doing?”
Oh yeah, she had it bad. Despite her better judgment, she’d let him in, oblivious as he wormed his way around her heart.
Not good.
She flopped down on her back, closing her eyes and listening to the hum of the furnace. Soon music notes filled her head, a creative spell where the song propelled her into action. Her fingers ticked in the air along with the melody and she itched to get to her recording station. This was going to be a hit, she told herself, running down the hallway to her music room and reaching for her headphones.
Before she had a chance to react, the headphones shot across the room. They slapped against the wall and cracked into four neat pieces. Astix stared at the mess. Shocked. Then the door behind her slammed closed by itself.
Her heart thudded against the confines of her ribs.
Hello…
The voice rebounded off the inside of her skull with enough power to force her to her knees. She grabbed the sides of her head.
“Get. Out,” she managed through gritted teeth.
Won’t you come out to play?
The voice had no gender. Only power. More power than she’d ever felt from a single living, breathing entity. It would have been easy to blame it on the man from the club. The man from her dreams. Somehow this wasn’t the same. It was almost as if this…this entity was separate.
This was a whole other level of fucked-up.
Wind suddenly began to howl around her, every window and door in the room opening and closing by itself. It was another direct attack. On her this time, instead of her family. She had no choice, she thought, and realized she’d have to reach for her magic.
It was ludicrous and a sign of the end if she used the whole of her magic. With the windows open, the winter breeze blasted through, sending her songs and paperwork into a whirlwind.
What’s the matter? the voice asked.
Astix had had enough. With a silent scream, she grabbed every bit of energy stored in her gemstones and formed it into a protective shell. The entire house lit up like a Christmas tree, her nerve endings thrumming and vibrating as she fought to sustain it, but it held against the outside force.
The power surrounding her, inside of her, winked out with a pop. The voice inside her head had disappeared and left a black hole in its wake.
&nbs
p; She drew in a shaky breath, forgetting how to work her lungs. Her ribs felt cracked. Bruised and broken. She staggered and fumbled for the nearest wall.
That was a taste of raw magic. A taste of what lay on the other side of the veil. Of what would infect their world if the Harbinger didn’t stop the thinning before the eclipse.
Fuck.
Maybe she should have gone for the Claddium escort Leo had offered.
She needed answers from a source more powerful than herself. She only hoped he could forgive her for what she had to do.
CHAPTER 14
“You want us to help you do what? Are you kidding me?” Aisanna flicked her irritated gaze toward Karsia. “Are you hearing this? Like, seriously hearing it? I think someone took crazy pills today and the rest of us can’t keep up.”
“I think it’s dangerous, intriguing, and insane. I’m in,” Karsia said.
Aisanna fixed her with a look, fists balled on her lap. “You’re insane. She,” she gestured with her nose, “is insane. I won’t do it.”
The three sisters had gathered in a bookstore buried in the middle of downtown. Thousands of books in rainbow colors lined mahogany shelves. Vintage pieces littered the light oak floor, all for sale, with refurbished kitchen cabinets serving as a checkout counter. Stairs curved to a second story café complete with glossy wood tables and glass displays holding a variety of pastries and baked goods. A peek at those confectionary delights ensured an extra couple of pounds on the hips. Consumption not necessary.
There, they could talk without being disturbed, the store public enough to be anonymous.
Astix had chosen a trio of comfortable leather chairs toward the rear of the store, their privacy assured. Traffic seemed light, the foul weather ensuring the masses stayed within the confines of work, school, or home.
She didn’t trust speaking to her sisters in her own house. There were too many threats, and she didn’t trust the walls. There may be ears ready to ferret out her plans. Call her paranoid, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She couldn’t afford to tip off any interested third parties before the fun began.
