by Mary Martel
"Damn," I whispered. "It would have been nice."
I felt his lips brush across my hair in a sweet kiss. "I know, girl, I know. But you don’t want to see your mother like that. Hell, you don't even want to think of her being like that. Let us hope that after death she moved on and went to wherever it was she was supposed to go."
I could see why he thought this was a good idea. Totally.
"Tyson," I called softly.
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think we should be sleeping out here? I mean... it's kind of..." Don't say creepy. "Open."
There. That was better.
"Yeah," he whispered back without hesitation. "I think this is exactly where we should be right now. Something big is coming, I can feel it. But for now, while we wait for whatever it is to get here, we need to spend time with each other and enjoy every little moment. This is us enjoying it. Relax. Sleep. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I'll even fight off the ghosts if I have to."
Guilt threatened to consume me while I lay frozen in his embrace. He was right, of course, something big was coming and I knew all about it. I wasn't surprised that he could feel it. They probably all felt something coming but just didn't know what it was.
As much as I wanted to confess everything to him, I would not. Tyson would insist on going with me and he'd put himself in danger in order to protect me. I couldn't allow that.
He must have sensed some of my emotions, because he replied in a hushed voice, "Everything will be okay, Ariel. I promise."
That only made me feel even worse for keeping secrets.
Tyson's hand left my hip and moved up to my face. His fingers tapped me under my chin and tipped my head up toward his. He was already looking down at me, waiting.
"I think you need a distraction," he told me with a cocky grin. "Something to take your mind off of ghosts and all the other bullshit that's clogging your mind and making it so you're unable to settle and sleep."
Yeah, I didn't see that happening. And I wished he'd stop talking about ghosts like he thought they were right there with us, watching from the shadows.
My hands slid up his stomach to rest on his chest. "Tyson," I whispered. "Maybe we should just go ho—"
Before I could get the second half of the word “home” out, he was on me, pushing me onto my back and laying me flat on the blanket. He covered me with his body, chest to chest. Hips to hips. My legs parted for him slightly and he pushed his thigh into the space I opened up for him. His fingers at my chin slid back and up. They pulled my hair back from my face.
He held me in place as his mouth came down on mine. He kissed me with urgency, and I knew that whatever came of this it would be fast, and as his tongue took ownership of my mouth, I knew I would enjoy it no matter what.
His hand on my hip slid up and slipped underneath my hoodie and my shirt. I shivered at the first touch of his fingers against the skin of my bare stomach. Feeling someone else's skin against mine in a non-violent manner never got old. I craved it and I craved more. Always more.
He kept kissing me as his hand slid up my stomach, stopping just below my bra. I lifted my leg and wrapped it around his hip, wrapping him up tight and holding him to me.
I had been wrong, Tyson definitely knew how to distract me from all the bullshit clogging up my head.
He broke the kiss and his mouth moved to my neck, his tongue ran down the column of my throat and his bottom teeth scraped over my pulse point, sending a delicious shiver through me.
"If I take off your clothes are you going to freak out because a ghost might see one of your tits and get a phantom hard-on?" Tyson murmured against my skin between pressing kisses against my overheated body.
I laughed. I couldn't help it, he was funny. And I was ridiculous. Somehow we fit together.
"I'll take that as a no, you're not going to freak out."
He sat up and his hands moved faster than I'd ever seen him move before. He dragged my hoodie up my body, my arms went up with it, then swoosh, it was gone. He tossed it aside and I was too busy being impressed by his smooth move to be concerned about ghosts or where the hell my clothes were going. He wasted no time in getting my shirt off and it followed the hoodie, going somewhere I did not know. Nor did I care.
My bra stayed in place, and I knew he left it for me because he didn't want to make me uncomfortable in any way. Tyson could be very sweet.
The blanket remained over us, but I didn't think it would matter because his body gave off so much heat his skin practically scorched mine everywhere he touched me.
His hand slid up my side and his mouth came back to mine. We kissed and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. One hand slid up his back, past his shoulders, and up the back of his neck. I pulled the hair tie out and slid my fingers through his long, soft hair. I sighed happily. I could never resist running my fingers through his hair whenever the opportunity arose.
My fingernails scraped lightly against his scalp and he moaned into my mouth. He tore his lips from mine, breaking the kiss while he hummed in the back of his throat. Greedily, his lips ate up my skin as they made their way down my throat, kissing, biting, sucking, licking. I shivered in delight as my nipples hardened and I felt myself begin to get wet in my special girl place between my thighs.
He pushed the cup of my bra down and his mouth latched onto my nipple, and he sucked hard and deep.
I groaned as my hands left his hair and slid back down. My back left the blanket as I arched my chest, trying to get as close to him as I possibly could.
He hummed again, sounding happy, and the noise vibrated against my nipple, sending a delicious tingle straight down, making me squirm and rub my thighs together in need.
It was time. I didn't care where we were anymore or who—ghosts!—might be watching. Tyson and I had fooled around a lot, but for whatever reason we'd held off on taking that last step. I hadn't worried about this because our relationship was always solid, and I knew it would happen eventually. Looked like that time was now, or I was going to make that time now. Tyson would give it to me because he always gave me what I wanted. And if he didn't, I'd take it for myself and he'd let me do that too.
He was the bestest best friend ever.
My hands dipped under his hoodie and shirt and I smoothed them across his deliciously hot and hard skin. My fingers splayed wide and I scraped my fingernails lightly up his back as I dragged his clothing up.
I felt his shiver right before he sat up. His hands went to the back of his hoodie and he yanked it up his body. He whipped it off and tossed it to the side. He pulled the same move with his t-shirt, and then that was gone too.
Nothing but delicious, warm skin for me to feast on.
Nice. So damn nice.
My greedy fingers trailed down his back, around his hips, and up his ribs. I couldn't get enough of the feel of his skin. It was intoxicating.
Tyson moved down my body, leaving kisses everywhere his mouth landed, nipping at my stomach as his tongue flicked out, tasting me.
I trembled beneath his touch as his fingers fumbled with my belt. He got it unbuckled, the button on my pants undone, and the zipper went down. His hand moved in almost immediately, sliding inside my panties. His fingers slipped through my wetness and my hips jerked.
"Yes," I whispered huskily. "Keep going."
Don't ever stop.
I felt his lips smile where they were pressed against my skin.
He found my clit and circled it relentlessly. One of my hands left his skin and dropped down to where his hand was. I wrapped my fingers around his wrist. Not to pull him away, but in order to hold him in place and keep him there.
His finger left my clit and I whimpered, "Please."
His finger slid inside and my back arched off the blanket. "Yes," I moaned, no longer upset about him abandoning my clit. This was good too. Definitely.
He slid another finger inside and began pumping them in and out of me. My hips moved with each thrust, chasing after his fi
ngers and the happy tingles they were creating.
He came back to me and his mouth came back to mine. My lips were already parted, waiting for him. His tongue thrust into my mouth and his thumb brushed against my clit. He kissed me wet, deep, and with an extreme amount of urgency.
I felt myself clench around his fingers and it hit me. It was huge, shattering me apart. My nails dug into his wrist as my legs shook, my body trembled, and I turned my head away from him, breaking the kiss. I cried out as my orgasm tore its way through me.
Tyson buried his face in my neck as he held himself still against me. "Damn, girl," he murmured against my throat. "I love it when you come apart for me. It feels fucking great."
Yeah, he was absolutely right. It felt fucking great. But I knew what would feel a whole lot better.
It took a lot, but I finally let go of his wrist. My shaking hands went to the front of his jeans, and with my thumb, I flicked the button through the little hole and dragged the zipper down. Like he had with me, I wasted no time and stuck my hand down the front of his boxers.
And I found treasure.
The best kind.
Smooth, burning hot, hard, freaking velvet skin.
Yummy. I got a full body shiver as I wrapped my fingers around his cock. I gripped it tightly and moved up, stopping at the head and sliding back down. I was feeling happy, turned on in the extreme, and ready to play with him.
He didn't want me to play with him, I learned, when he yanked my hand out of his boxers and forced me to release him. I made an angry noise in protest and he sat up abruptly.
His hands went to my hips, and his fingers curled into the waistband of my skinny jeans and tucked under my panties. My body jerked in surprise and I let out a shocked gasp as he yanked both down my hips. My ass came up off the blanket as he jerked my pants down my thighs, down my legs. He cursed under his breath harshly when they got tangled up around my ankles.
He bent down and lifted one of my boot covered feet. Quickly, he unlaced my boot and pulled it off. He chucked it to the side and moved onto the other boot.
The blanket fell to the side and the cold, frigid air hit my sweaty skin. I wrapped my arms around my middle and called out softly, "Ty." The cold was starting to draw me out of my lusty haze I'd fallen into the moment he'd stuck his tongue in my mouth.
"One sec," he muttered.
It took longer than a sec to get off his own boots and pants, but I didn't freeze to death while I waited for him to come back to me. That was because he flicked the blanket back over me before he got down to undressing himself.
I snuggled into the blanket while I waited for him. He didn't make me wait long and he slipped back under the blanket with me.
I held my arms open as he climbed over me. His mouth came down on mine. This kiss was different from the last one, slower, far sweeter. That was not to say the others hadn't been sweet because they had, this was just different. I melted beneath him. His knee pressed between my legs and I didn't hesitate to spread them wide for him. His hands went to my thighs as his hips fell into mine and the space between my legs. I felt his hardness pressing against my wet folds.
I was ready for it. Boy, was I ready for it.
Come to mama.
His hands on the back of my thighs slid down to the backs of my knees. He pushed my legs up with my thighs pressed up tight to his sides. I wrapped my calves behind his back as my hands went to his shoulders. I held on tightly, as if my life depended on it.
Tyson shifted his hips slightly, and I sucked in a sharp breath as he slowly slipped inside.
He broke our kiss and shoved his face into my neck, groaning obscenely. "Fuck, Ariel, babe, you feel so fucking good."
My lips tipped up in the ghost of a smile. Babe. That was a new one. I liked it. Almost as much as I liked the feel of his cock moving inside me.
His head came up out of my neck and he looked down at me with burning eyes. One hand slipped around my hip and underneath me, then it traveled down. He cupped my ass cheek and his fingers dug in. His other hand came to my face. He cradled my cheek, just like he did my ass, and his thumb slowly traced across my scar. His mouth moved until we were sharing the same breath, but he didn't kiss me.
He held me there while his eyes burned into mine and he moved his hips, pulling back until just the tip remained only to thrust back inside me. I held him tight, wrapped up in me, and there wasn’t anywhere else in the whole world I'd rather be than here with him in this moment.
I got off in a big way and so did Tyson.
We fell asleep wrapped around each other, and in the morning we were forced to scramble around and put on clothing damp from the morning dew.
I didn't mind.
And I absolutely did not give a shit if a ghost had gotten a phantom hard-on while watching Tyson and I get down and dirty for the first time.
Worth it.
That was for damn sure.
Chapter Ten
Past Your Fucking Curfew
Facing the firing squad wasn't something I'd ever wanted on my to-do list when it came to the things I wanted to actually do before I even had a single cup of coffee to start out my day. Yet, here I was, doing exactly that.
Tyson and I stood side by side, hand in hand, while we faced off against those standing in line before us. Tyson, bless his soul, didn't seem intimidated by this in the slightest. More points for Tyson.
My twins weren't standing with the others. They were sprawled out on the couch. Their eyes were closed and there was a good chance they were sleeping. I knew those two would not have a problem with me being gone overnight with Tyson, and I knew they'd think this was all kinds of stupid. Trust, it went both ways, and my Salt and Pepper twins trusted me just the same as I did them.
Damien and Julian were seated side by side on two of the stools at the kitchen island, removed from the others. Now this was a surprise. Not that Damien was sitting over there, but that Julian was beside him and not standing at his usual place beside Quinton. I half expected to see Dash with them, but found him standing with the others. Well, that was a new development. And not one I particularly liked seeing. Dash usually kept himself removed from the others until he had to step in and drop some serious wisdom on everyone, usually on my behalf.
Dash, Quinton, Rain, Trenton, and Simon all stood together with their arms crossed over their chests, each one wearing their own versions of disappointment on their faces. All except for Simon, I noted. His face was carefully blank, and since I hadn't seen it like that before, I had no clue what it meant for me. It was expected from Quinton. From Rain, though, it hurt to see. I didn’t think he'd ever been disappointed in me before. Coming from Trenton it just made me feel like shit because I'd worked so hard to earn loyalty and friendship from him and his brother.
My heart sank at the same time I knew deep in my heart that whatever this crap was I absolutely did not deserve it. I'd done nothing wrong and I owed no apologies. If it had been one of the guys who'd taken off for the night, no one would have so much as questioned them.
Yet, here they all were for me.
Tyson gave a tug on my hand at the same time he took a step forward and slightly to the side. The new position I found myself in put Tyson slightly in front of me with our clasped hands held out behind us. I put pressure on his hand until he let me go, but he didn't move anything else.
Both protective and sweet, and still he was smart enough not to stand all the way in front of me. He knew I would abhor him blocking me completely. I had come a very long way, but even before meeting my coven I was able to stand on my own two feet. I got back up every single time after being knocked down. I was a survivor, and I absolutely did not need anyone to stand in front of me and act as a shield.
It was better than having him stand across from me, that was for damned sure.
"How nice of you two to return home," Quinton said in a nasty voice.
I had thought he'd be mad, but it appeared he was in a far worse state than mad. He'd gon
e off the deep end and was stewing in his rage. I'd left him to marinate overnight, and maybe I'd let him be for far too long. Now he looked ready to blow and I was in the line of fire.
Not good.
Any of it.
"Well," I drawled out, "we do live here, so you had to know we'd be home eventually. Though, I don't understand why that requires a meeting with the entire house plus my father. That seems a bit extreme if you're asking me. Then again, you're not asking me for my opinion, like usual, you're simply trying to force yours on me. Also, like usual."
Quinton's eyes shifted from his nephew and slid to the side, landing on me. The look he dealt me was so harsh I almost flinched the moment it landed on me.
"I'm not speaking to you right now, and you do yourself no favors by speaking to me," he ground out in a voice so low, so deep, so full of a dangerous emotion, that it sounded like each word had been ripped out of him in a way that was incredibly painful, so painful you could hear it clear as day in his voice.
I was right.
I'd let him be for far too long.
But I was also wrong.
He might blow, but this was his way of keeping me out of the line of fire. I should have known better. With Quinton, he could be an asshole, which he proved as fact by the way he’d just spoke to me, but he'd work his ass off to make sure I didn't get hurt when he exploded.
I had a feeling he was going to give the gift of that mess to his nephew. Which would be unfortunate for him, because I never held back when I exploded and I had no problem aiming that mess directly at him because I knew he could take it. I also knew that most of the time he even deserved it.
This was going to be one of those times. I could feel it coming over me and I didn't have the power to stop it.
Quinton freed me from his stare when his heated gaze slid back to his frozen nephew. He jabbed a finger angrily at him and leaned forward aggressively. "You've got some explaining to do," he ground out in that same painful voice.
I shook my head in frustration and opened my mouth to probably say something unfortunate, but closed it immediately when Quinton's eyes came back to me. He lowered his finger, leaned back so he was once again standing up straight, and barked out, "Don't even think about it."
