She nudged my elbow. “I’m teasing. Can I read with you?”
I nodded. The text was as impenetrable as the last time I’d tried to work my way through it. Beth pulled the book half onto her lap and turned the page much sooner than I was ready to.
“How come you can read this so fast?” I finally asked.
Beth shrugged. “My dad had a thing about old books. They were all over the house. When I was a kid, I was so bored, I read anything I could get my hands on.”
“Even cursive?”
“Sure. My grandmother left me a bunch of diaries. I read some until my dad thought they were getting a little… grownup for me.”
Her shoulders slumped at the mention of her dad. I kept forgetting he was gone. I’m a terrible friend. Reaching out my hand, I grabbed hers and squeezed.
I didn’t know what to say to her. She sent me a sad smile. “It’s okay. It still hurts to talk about him, but I need to move forward. At least I’ve got you and Luke.” Not Kenzy. Kenzy is also gone. She didn’t say it out loud, but she didn’t need to.
As if eager to change the suddenly somber mood, she turned the page. On the next double-spread was the detailed drawing of a cloth sack surrounded by various plants and stones. Written below was something I couldn’t decipher.
Beth read out loud, “To Protect the Wearer When Lying With Another.”
I burst out laughing. “Is that what I think it is?”
Her grin spread from ear to ear. “Oh, darling, I think we found a way to get you sexed up properly.”
My ears were going to set the air on fire as hot as they got. I mumbled, “Shut up, you horrible person.”
Beth elbowed me until I fell over to the side. It took us a while to stop giggling, but then we went to work.
The hex bags, as Beth called them, were easy to make. All we needed were sprigs of thyme and rosemary and several crystals. I stared at the page. “Thyme and rosemary are easy, I think. Would dried be okay?”
Beth shrugged. “Don’t see why not? The girls in the next room are big into crystals. I’ll see if I can’t borrow the ones we need.”
She grabbed a pen and paper. “So hematite times four for grounding. And then aquamarine for water, onyx for earth, smoky quartz for air, and fulgurite for lightning.”
Beth hesitated. “The last one might be difficult.”
“What is it?”
“It’s a stone formed when lightning strikes sand. It looks like quartz but is super rare.”
Without saying anything, I got up and opened my desk drawer. “What about this?”
I handed her the result of last term’s final exam. Kiernan and I had created a beautiful piece of glass when we’d combined his earth and my lightning power.
Beth grinned. “Oh, yeah. That’ll do nicely. I’d forgotten you guys made this together. Looks like we’ll be able to assemble everything. Last thing we need is some cinnamon for shielding. By the way, that’s also an enhancer with erotic properties, or so I heard.”
And off we went again, giggling like little girls. When we were done laughing and had wiped the tears from our eyes, we got to work.
After an hour, we had four hex bags finished. I’d cut up an old pillow case, so they didn’t look very mystical, but they’d have to do.
“Intent is the most important ingredient anyway,” Beth said wisely.
“Believe me. Intent won’t be a problem.”
Beth bent towards me and kissed my cheek. “Have fun, sugar. You deserve it.”
33
When I arrived at the boys' dormitory the following night, my hands were sweaty with excitement. I'd shaved my legs and made sure to wear a clingy top and my tightest jeans. Kiernan opened the door. He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Damn, girl. You clean up nice."
His gaze swept from my face to my feet and back up again.
"Are you going to let me in?" I asked, my voice trembling with nervousness. Clearing my throat, I fidgeted on the spot.
"Let her in, you big bully," Julian said from inside the room. Kiernan grinned and stepped aside. I strode past him into the boys' joint bedroom. My mouth dropped open as I looked around. The room itself was about the same size as the one I shared with Beth and Sharon. But they'd gone through a lot of trouble, making the space look totally different.
Somehow, they'd procured indirect lights that were situated around the periphery. Fabrics with Middle-Eastern patterns covered the beds, and in the center of the floor, they'd set up cards, some board games, and snacks. Colorful throw-pillows were strewn to create a den, a cozy area to have fun in.
"Wow. You did all this in a day?"
Julian shrugged. "We had help."
Before I could ask more, somebody knocked on the door. Kiernan opened. “Hey, Lance. Come on in.”
The tall boy looked a lot better. The shadows under his eyes were gone, and there was some color in his face. The sugar and nap must have done him a world of good.
I waited for him to enter, but Lance didn’t move, his eyes darting from Kiernan to Julian to me. He swallowed visibly, apparently as nervous as I felt. In his hands, he carried a covered container.
I walked up to him, touching his arm. “Are you okay? You were pretty out of it yesterday.”
He nodded, still not saying a word. His face was closed off, but his eyes betrayed him. There was a flicker of hope and a whole lot of apprehension.
"Lance? I’m not angry anymore. I know you didn’t mean to do what you did. Let’s just forget about it and have a great evening, the four of us. You're in?"
He held my gaze for a moment before responding, "Are you sure?"
His expression showed what he really wanted to ask. Have you forgiven me? Are we good?
I nodded, answering his unspoken question. "Yes, I want you to be part of the group."
I pointed at the small container in his hands. "What’s that?”
He blinked. “I… ehm. I brought some guaca."
Kiernan opened a bag of tortilla chips and filled some bowls with them. Then he pulled a six-pack of beer out of a tiny fridge underneath his desk. "Let's get started. Grab a drink, everybody, and sit. Are you up for a game of poker?"
Now they’re speaking my language. I used to play with my dad all the time. Damn, that’s a painful thought. I closed my eyes and quickly rubbed my chest to dispel the ache. Hoping nobody had noticed my quick trip down memory lane, I sat down and grabbed a bottle of beer. "Where did you get the booze from?"
Kiernan shrugged. "I've been drinking since I was sixteen. Irish, remember? I smuggled a stash in after Christmas. It's only a six-pack. Not like we get slaughtered from that."
I grabbed the open bottle he held out to me. Then I took a deep sip, closing my eyes as I tipped my head back. When I removed the bottle from my mouth, hot lips covered mine.
"Cold and bitter. Delicious," Kiernan murmured.
"Hey, are we playing, or are we playing?" Julian had raised an eyebrow and looked amused. Kiernan shrugged. "Both?"
And just like that, a shiver ran through me. Three guys, all focused on me. That was a lot. But it was exciting at the same time. I lifted the bottle again, drained it, and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "Right. Let's go. I can't wait to beat the pants off you."
Lance grinned and lowered himself onto a pillow next to me. Kiernan and Julian sat opposite us. Julian shuffled the cards, and within minutes, we were deep in our first game of poker. It was the most fun I'd had since I’d gotten here. We were concentrating fiercely on our hands, bluffing and outbidding each other, without any of us gaining traction.
After an hour, Kiernan dropped his cards and sighed. "Okay, I'm getting bored. How about we spice it up a bit?"
The atmosphere in the room changed from one heartbeat to the next. My eyes widened at how the boys' eyes were suddenly focused on me. I put my cards down and wiped my palms on my pants. "What do you have in mind?"
Kiernan got up and got me anot
her beer. When I put it to my lips, he said, "Strip poker."
I should have expected it. Instead, I inhaled my swallow of brew and was lucky to not spray it all over the room. Lance slapped my back until my coughing was back under control. Kiernan had waited patiently. When I could breathe again, he asked, "You in?"
Three pairs of eyes were glued to my face. The flush on my skin must have dropped from my head all the way down to my chest. I took a deep breath and said, "Yes. But before we do, I have a present for each of you."
My boys recognized the protection bags immediately. Wordlessly, they tied them around their necks, waiting for me to elaborate. While I was still struggling with how to explain the bags would protect us during sex, Julian asked, “Did Mrs. Palmer tell you how to make these?”
I shook my head. “No. The librarian gave me a book that explained what to put in the bags.”
His eyebrows shot up. “The librarian? Mr. Denholm?”
Seriously. Why is everybody so surprised? The man has been nothing but nice to me. Out loud, I responded, “Yes. He guessed I was being drained, so he gave me this really old book. I found a recipe for how to make the bags and fill them full of herbs and crystals.”
Julian asked, “Do you think it’ll work?”
I shrugged. “We’ll find out, I guess.”
Kiernan winked at me, and I blushed again. We all knew where this was heading.
The room temperature rose steadily as we played. Nothing much happened during the first couple of rounds. Other than losing our socks and jackets. After another hour, it became more interesting.
First, Lance fell for Julian's bluff and literally lost his shirt. As he shrugged off his button-down, the muted light painted shadows on his long upper body, only interrupted by the silhouette of the protection bag. Kiernan and Julian exchanged grins. Then they both looked at me as if to say, "You're next."
But Dad had taught me well. I might have shivered internally, but on the outside, I was cool as a cucumber. Lance had a good poker face, but also a bit of a temper. He was quick to raise the stakes and lose his temper. Another round, and he was taking off his pants. Standing on one leg, he was pulling at the ridiculously tight jeans leg. There was no way he could make hopping on one leg look sexy. I laughed so hard, tears were rolling down my cheeks.
"Glad I'm a joke to you," he grumbled, sitting back down. I pushed him with my hand, and he cried out in mock-pain. "Hey, don't damage the merchandise."
Once we were done snickering, we picked up the cards again and carried on. Julian had a run of bad luck and was down to his underwear within a few rounds. Then it was Kiernan's turn. Suddenly I was the only one still fully dressed, surrounded by three gorgeous males.
Kiernan's muscular shoulders and golden skin were a striking contrast to Julian's whiteness. My gaze wandered from one near-naked guy to the next, and back again. Kiernan's thighs looked huge compared to Julian's lean runner's legs. Lance sat upright and proud, while the other two leaned against each other, comfortable and relaxed.
"I'm feeling a little left out," I muttered to myself. The boys exchanged amused glances, then stared at me.
"What?" I held my cards against my chest, nervous under the attention.
There was a moment of total silence. Then they pounced.
34
From one moment to the next, everything changed. The three boys descended on me all at once.
Kiernan grabbed the cards and moved the dishes out of the way. Julian pushed me backwards gently. My body went lax under their ministrations. One of them opened my pants and pulled them off. Another set of hands opened my bra as I arched my back. And the whole time Julian's tongue explored my mouth.
I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience. My eyes were closed, and in the blackness inside my eyelids, mini explosions went off in bright starbursts. There were no sounds other than lips sliding over skin, palms catching on fabric, all underscored by tiny gasps and moans. My mind focused in on the place where somebody touched me, only to move on immediately to the next stimulation.
Their voices murmured instructions to each other. Shivers rolled through me, and my body moved without my input. Hands held me down gently, fingers flitted over erogenous zones. They were working together, sharing what they'd learned about me.
"Kiss under her ear. Yes, right there."
"Run your palm up her side."
"Suck behind her knee."
I was helpless, putty in their hands. Lips latched on to my nipple, sucking lightly, the top of the tongue circling the sensitive skin. Another mouth did the same on the other side. A hand brushed over my tummy, slipping lower.
Already on the edge, it didn't take much to tip me over. My groans grew louder, my muscles tightening as the sweet sensation between my legs roiled, swelled, until the wave broke. I threw my head back, my mouth open in a silent scream, as the climax spiraled through my limbs. Finally, my eyes opened slowly, staring up at the ceiling. Wow. Somebody's hand rubbed calming circles on my stomach, grounding me, and bringing me back to earth.
"Whoa, that was intense," Julian said quietly right next to my ear. "Wanna go again?"
Again? I was still twitching with tiny aftershocks as I caught my breath. They gave me a few seconds before their attention returned to my body.
I lifted my head and watched as Kiernan kissed his way up my inner thigh. His tongue lapped lazy stripes before his teeth nipped gently at the skin. He paused and grinned, his green eyes sparkling. Then he buried his face between my legs, and, oh God, there was his tongue right between my folds. I felt sensitive down there and tried to wiggle away, but Kiernan held me in position and continued licking me until the pleasure returned.
My neck gave out, and my head fell back onto a pillow one of the boys had placed under me without me even noticing. Julian suckled on my nipple, teasing the bud, and using his fingers to pull on it. I glanced at him from underneath heavy lids.
He seemed fascinated by the way my nipple stretched before letting go and watching it rebound. Every time he did that, a jolt of pure sexual excitement traveled to where Kiernan's tongue swirled and circled my pussy.
Teeth nibbled on my ear lobe, and a body stretched out next to mine. I had my eyes closed, but it had to be Lance. He must have shed his underwear because his erection was pushing against my hip. His fingers played with my other nipple, and he turned my head to the side so he could kiss me.
I hungrily welcomed the intrusion. It was getting hard to stay still. Between Kiernan's continuous licks, Julian's playing with my breasts, and Lance's steady devouring of my mouth, I felt another orgasm rise. My legs opened wider, and my hands pushed against the ground as my back arched.
Moaning wantonly, I tried to tell the boys to not stop, to keep going, to... to... Kiernan sucked on my clit, and that was all I needed to come again. Except he didn’t stop. He licked and moved his tongue to lap up my juices, and sucked again, until another wave swept over me, robbing me of all conscious thought.
It took me even longer to recover this time. The first thing I became aware of was several voices moaning continuously. I opened my eyes and looked around me. I inhaled sharply as my eyebrows hit my hairline.
My skin glowed with an eerie-blue light. Where the boys touched me, their skin buzzed like downed power lines. But it didn't seem to hurt them. On the contrary. All three of them writhed where they lay, their faces distorted with expressions of ecstasy. Their moans and sighs filled the room.
I lifted my arm and touched Lance's face. His mouth dropped open, and his eyes rolled back in their sockets. Something hot and wet seeped against the side of my body where his pelvis was pushed against me. Had he just...?
He had. Lance trembled and shivered through his orgasm as another spurt hit me. Had I done that, just by touching him? Whoa, that was pretty cool. Julian was lying on his back alongside my other side. I turned my body toward him as much as I could with Kiernan still pinning down my legs. My black-haired Goth seemed in a world of his own
, the lightning power playing up and down his long, white body. His cock was fully erect, a dark-red rod resting on his pale stomach.
Every time Julian shivered under the onslaught of the arousing electric shocks, his cock bobbed temptingly. I couldn't reach him with my mouth, but stretching as far as I could, I was able to grab his erection. The moment my fingers touched his skin, tiny white sparks danced up and down his cock.
Silently, Julian's body bent backwards, pushing his cock into my hand, begging me for release. I didn't even have to move. Just holding him was enough to trigger a massive orgasm. His muscles tensed painfully for a second, then another, while his jaw clenched, and his body tightened like a bow. Then he screamed, and his cock erupted.
When it was over, he relaxed as if somebody had cut his strings. It had been an incredible spectacle, and my core tightened, ready for more after witnessing two of my boys losing themselves in ecstasy.
Kiernan had watched both Julian and Lance from between my legs. Now he pushed his body up over mine. I widened my legs to give him space and wrapped my arms around him. I was ready to have him penetrate me, but he shook his head as if he could read my mind.
"I'm so close, acushla. Your sparks are incredible. Every single one feels like it's hitting my balls. I just need another second—"
I'd never appreciated more that he was nearly the same height as me. Shutting him up with a kiss, I stretched out both hands and grabbed his ass, pulling him tightly against me. As my tongue battled with his, I consciously connected the circuit between my lips and my fingers and sent a stream of sparks down his spine. Within a few moments, he groaned helplessly into my mouth as my magic tore the orgasm from him.
His cock twitched against me, soaking my pussy with his warm stickiness. God, he felt so good, I couldn’t help rubbing against his still-hard shaft. Witnessing my boys come like that and smelling the heavy scent of their release had pushed me toward my own. It didn't take long before I was right at the edge. All I needed was a little more.
Kiernan's hand slipped between our bodies, and his fingers rubbed firmly against my clit. That was it. I trembled through my third orgasm as my pussy clenched and shuddered under his fingertips.
Second Chance Soul: a paranormal reverse harem steamy slow burn academy adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 2) Page 17
