by Renee George
Before he could grab it, I stopped him. "I'm wearing the MAN. Maybe I should be the only one to touch the stuff until we know what's going on."
Brita nodded. "Smart." She gestured to a place in front of her on the bed. "Put the bottle here." She looked me up and down. "Cute nightgown." She cast a wicked glance at Monty. "How much of a honeymoon has this bottle of water ruined?"
I crossed my arms. "We're strictly business."
"Uh huh," Brit said. She wiggled her fingers over the bottle. "I'm not sensing much. I would say the majority of the hex went inside you."
That wasn't good news.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a clear crystal, a small vial of salt, some powdered sulfur in a snack-sized press and seal bag, and a box of matches. She sprinkled salt around the bottle. "Can you make an indention in the bottle?" She pointed to the side.
I pushed with two fingers until it crumpled a little. "Is that okay?"
"Perfect." Brita took a pinch of sulfur out of the baggie and piled it on the surface of the bottle.
"What are you doing?"
She pulled a matchstick out of the matchbox and struck it against the scratchy side. It flamed up. "I can't undo the hex. Only the original caster can, but I might be able to remove and trap it, rendering it harmless."
"Cool, but since the bottle isn't going to die of the curse, doesn't it seem like a better use of your time to remove and trap the hex inside me?"
"Wouldn't you prefer I practice on the bottle just in case it doesn't work? Because if we remove the nullifier and the death curse takes hold once more, there's a good chance it will kill you if I'm wrong."
"Uhm..." I glanced at Monty, who couldn't hide the slight upturn at the corner of his mouth. I sighed. "Fine. Carry on," I told Brit. "I defer to your expertise."
"Awesome," she replied, then touched the flame to the sulfur. The powder caught fire and burned blue. The stench of eggs stunk up the immediate area. Thanks to an overactive gag reflex, all three of us gacked at the putrid scent.
Brita managed to work through the ickiness, and when the flame went out, she held the crystal an inch above the smoldering powder. The clear crystal appeared to absorb the smoke, turning a murky gray in the process then violently cracked as the gray disappeared. Brita tucked her chin and let out a quiet noise of surprise as the remaining water in the bottle began to bubble.
"Is it working?" I asked, anxiously rotating the MAN on my wrist.
Brita frowned. "I think we should all move a few steps back."
So, we did. The bottle began to bounce around as the bubbles grew more rapid, and the dent popped out as the plastic expanded.
"Maybe we should move to another time zone," I said. "Or, at least, to another room."
Brita nodded, her worrying expression doing nothing to alleviate my growing anxiety. "Good idea."
"The time zone part or to another room?" Monty asked.
Brita was already fast walking to the living room. "We should definitely move to another room," she sang out.
Monty grabbed my hand and yanked me out of the bedroom and tackled me down to the floor as a loud Pop! Hisssss! sounded behind us.
His body ran the length of mine, his naked firm chest pressed to my breasts, and his warm breath fluttering against my neck. For a moment, I was too stunned to move.
I pressed my palms against the carpet, my pulse jumping in my throat. "What just happened?"
"Sorry, Monty," Brita said. "The hex has a tampering spell attached to it. When I tried to remove it, it triggered a self-destruct kill switch in the death curse.
He pushed himself up and stared down at me, his expression astonished. He had his knees between my legs, and I noticed, my slip was pushed up over my hips, revealing my lacy panties. Once again, I was grateful Fate hadn't chosen a thong.
I scrambled back from him, pulling my satin slip down as I got to my feet. That was the second time he'd jumped on top of me, during a dangerously explosive situation. I didn't know whether to be irritated or pleased. Right now, I was leaning toward irritation.
Monty turned his attention to Brit. "Are you saying that if you try to remove the spell from Gigi, she's going to wind up like the bottle?"
Her mouth tensed. "If I can undo the booby trap, I can remove the hex safely."
"And if you can't?" I asked.
She shrugged apologetically. "Pop. Hiss."
"Can you do it?" I asked.
Brit gave me a frank look. "Now that I've seen it work, I can reverse the failsafe trigger. However, if there is a second one on there, then the results could be just as bad."
"Death," I said.
"Death," she agreed.
"Then this mission is over," Monty proclaimed. He clenched his fists as his frown etched deep lines into his face. "I won't risk Gigi's life for a damn job."
"I'm pretty sure that's my call," I said, scared that I could die, but angry that Monty seemed to think it was his choice as to whether I risked it or not. Fate had talked about the extinction of witches if I didn't stop the power source from being called forth. She said it was in my hands, specifically. I didn't want to die, far from it, but I didn't know how to live with myself if our community ceased to exist, and I could have done something to prevent it. "I want Brita to try and remove the spell from me. It's the only way to finish what we started." I stared at Monty, hoping to convey my utter resolve. "We have to see this through."
"No." Monty shook his head, his eyes pleading. "We can't take the chance."
Chance? Fate had mentioned chance and free will playing their part. "Maybe chance is exactly what we need."
"We need an object to drain the hex into," Brita said. "I only brought one crystal with me. I would have been strong enough to hold all of the curse if the secondary spell hadn't trashed it. Do you have anything we can use? Any gemstone, as long as it's clear, should work."
I shook my head. I'd warn pearl earrings with the bridal gown and no necklace. Our rings were metal. "I left my good jewels at home."
Monty snapped his fingers. "I know." He walked into the bedroom. When he came out, he was holding the gold Ankh encrusted with rubies and diamonds he'd pinned to my dress camisole. He held it out to Brita. "Will this work?"
I remembered the look on his face as he'd given it to me. The pin meant something to him. It was his past. His heritage. Maybe the only thing he had left of his mother. "If it doesn't," I said. "Your family's heirloom will be destroyed. We can't use that."
"It's a trinket," Monty said. "I would gladly break it into a million pieces if it meant saving you."
The irritation drained from me, and a big part of me knew why. Monty had wiggled his way into my affections. He wanted to protect me, and while, I was a big girl who could save herself, it didn't mean that my heart didn't rejoice that there was someone aside from me who cared whether I lived or died. "I think you should go out on the balcony. That's as far from me as you can get in this suite. I don't want you here if things go bad."
He crossed the floor to me and stood so close it made my heart stop for a second. "I'm not going anywhere," he said with a fierceness that rivaled a Shifter.
I gulped the knot in my throat. "It's your ass," I said, trying to make a joke.
He smiled as if to say, it's not funny, but I'll reward the attempt. "Do it, Brita."
"Are you sure?" she asked him.
A zing ran through me when he wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. "I'm sure."
Chapter Eight
"This is so dumb," I told Monty. But I didn't try to escape his embrace.
"Stop talking," he said, mashing my face to his yummy chest, which frankly, in this situation should have been the last thing I was thinking about. But since death might be right around the corner, I didn't see the harm in distracting myself with something more pleasurable.
Brita, who was in the process of sprinkling salt around our feet, said, "Can you both be quiet. I need to concentrate here."
The imminen
ce of death made me bold. "I can think of one way to occupy our lips that doesn't include any conversation."
Now his smile was real. He dipped his head to mine, his mouth pressing gently against mine. "I like the way you think, Wise."
"A good leader knows her strengths," I teased.
"You both are still talking," Brita complained.
Not for long. I kissed Monty, nipping his lower lip. I slid my tongue inside his mouth, and he gave it a quick suck between his teeth. My tingle-want-to-mingle throbbed between my thighs as my desire grew stronger with every sweep of his tongue against mine. His arms tightened, drawing me in even closer as a soft moan passed between us. His groin jutting against my stomach told me my desire wasn't the only thing growing, and if this would be my last act on this earth, I planned to make it a gratifying diversion from the harsh reality.
Monty nibbled his way to my ear. "You're so beautiful," he said, then held me up as a shaky sigh escaped me and my knees began to wobble.
"You both know I'm in the room, right?" Brita asked. "I'm not sure this is less distracting than when you were talking."
"Sorry," I said, on a short breath. I gazed up at Monty and mouthed, "I'm not sorry at all."
He smiled, and when he kissed me this time, it was tender, with so much care, the sweetness nearly melted me to a puddle. "Me either," he told me.
"I'm just about ready," Brita said. "Are you? Or should I give you a few more moments to make out some more."
"I know where my vote is going," Monty said, his lips brushing my cheek.
I laughed, tempted to take Brita up on her offer, but the pro in me said, "Let's just get it over with." I glanced at Monty again. "You really should go out to the balcony."
"I have faith that Brita is going to get this right. Walking away now might lessen her confidence."
"Gee. Thanks, Boss. No pressure," she said.
He squinted at her. "You got this, Brit. Just make sure you take cover after you complete the skill. Cas might not be a warlock, but I don't think that will stop him from raising the dead to tear me apart if things go wrong." Which meant, he wasn't as confident as he claimed.
"Why are you staying with me?" I asked him. "I don't want you to die with me."
His eyes softened as he stared down into my face. "Do it, Brit."
"You'll have to remove the MAN," she said. This one work unless the magic is active."
"Are you ready?" Monty asked.
No, not at all, I thought. If I could freeze time, and hold a moment forever, I would do it right now. "One last kiss?"
His hands traveled my back as his lips alighted on mine, his mouth melding over mine, sending a rush of warmth through me. His fingertips danced down my arm until--
The breath sucked from my body. I threw my head back as I clawed at my throat for air.
"Now," Monty demanded, as he flung the nullifying bracelet across the room. "Do it now, Brit!"
The lack of oxygen had been so sudden, I hadn't taken a last inhalation, and my eyes bugged as I stared into Monty's frightened eyes.
"Hurry," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper as he cupped my face. "Hold on, baby," he said. "Hold on."
I could barely hear the words Brita incanted. Something about snaps and traps and stick and tricks. Then there was the acrid taste of burning sulfur on my tongue. Suddenly, I could breathe again, but my blood was on fire. I screamed as a searing heat raged through my entire body. The spell hadn't worked. Monty. I couldn't let Monty die too.
"Get away from me," I roared.
His arms tensed around me. No. I couldn't do this. I couldn't take him with me. It mattered too much. He, I thought. He mattered too much.
Pink and blue light crawled along my skin. Magic. I had my magic. "Away," I tried to say, but the pain stole the words. I gazed into his eyes, hopeless as burning turned to numbness. This was it. I was dying, and I was taking Monty with me.
I squeezed my eyes shut as the last of the blazing pain left my body and waited for the inevitable explosion. After a few seconds, I opened my eyes. Monty stared at me, his eyes brimmed with tears.
"We're alive," I said.
He nodded. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he licked his lower lip. "We're alive."
A different kind of heat poured through me, one that was filled with molten desire. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around Monty’s waist, wound my fingers into his hair, and kissed him as if my life depended on this one thing.
His fingers grazed the nape of my neck as he deepened the kiss and carried me to the bed, and he stripped the bed of the wrecked blanket before tossing me onto the mattress and stripped his pajama bottoms off. His erection sprung out at me in a way that chanted, you, you, I want you.
"Don't mind me," Brita said from the other room. "I'll just see myself out. No need to thank me or anything."
I giggled when the door slammed. Monty climbed onto the bed, his body covering mine and he slipped his tongue past my barely parted lips. The kiss grew fiercer as his hands pushed up my slip until his palms were on my breasts. I matched his passion, looping my leg around his thigh, grinding my wetness against his hard shaft.
"Goddess," he groaned. "Keep doing that, and I'm going to come quicker than I want to."
Since when did coming fast matter to a warlock? I'd been with one or two before, Doyle for example. They tended to be selfish lovers, really only interested in their own pleasure when it came to matters of the bedroom, so it both surprised and delighted me when he started kissing down my neck, my chest, and his lips latched onto my breast. He teased the rigid nipple, sending rapturous sensations through me.
There was too much clothing between us, and all mine, so I tore at my satin panties, trying to wriggle out of them. Monty chuckled, the vibration tearing at the edges of my sanity as it wrapped me with pleasure.
"Help," I said.
He glanced up at me and ran the tip of his tongue over his lip before scooting down the bed and taking my panties with him. I gasped as he spread my thighs, lust heavy as he took in the sight.
"I'm going to enjoy this," he said then kissed my inner thigh, crafting a trail that ended where my pleasure began.
I moaned, as his hands slid under my buttocks as his mouth slid over my home, sweet, ho-- "Oooooooh!" My legs quivered. Tight tension coiled itself inside me—the sharp bullet of an orgasm ricocheting through my abdomen. His tongue moved incredibly fast, sliding in and out, flicking against me, while his teeth grazed my sensitive flesh.
“Goddess! Yes!" I encouraged, grabbing his hair with both hands as I rode the wave of his expertise.
He paused, his hands gripping my ass tighter. “I want to taste you when you come.”
“Holy fairy tits,” I groaned as his tongue went back to work. My brain blanked as ecstasy detonated inside me, and I cried out until all the little explosions that followed subsided.
After, Monty kissed me in the throbby bits then crawled up my body where he kissed me full on the lips. "So, sweet," he said. "I knew you'd taste so sweet."
His words stirred my desire again, as the ache inside me returned. Goddess, how I wanted this man.
As if his body could read my mind, his erection sprang forward like a compass pointing due bliss. “I want you, Gigi. I want to be inside you.”
"What are you waiting for? Because I don't think I can wait for the engraved invitation to arrive."
His smile, feral and possessive, electrified me. He lifted my legs and thrust his hips forward and slid deep inside me. He kissed me as we moved together, me taking as much as he was giving. I could feel every inch of him as if he were a part of me, an element that had been missing. How could I have not felt its absence before now? Our joining made me feel more real and present than I'd felt in my entire life.
"Monty," I whispered. "Monty, yes."
He growled in a way that would put a Shifter to shame as he increased the pace of his thrusts, moving against me with such delicious force that when the second orgasm took me, it tore a cr
y from my throat. His climax followed, as his hips jerked, and he finished on a low moan.
He collapsed half-on and half-off me, as we panted, sweaty and satisfied. I laughed after a few moments. "That was..."
"Unexpected," Monty supplied.
"That," I agreed. "And awesome."
He grinned, and, in a rapid move, rolled me on top of him. "Give me a few minutes, and I could be up for another round.
I straddled him, considering how to say "Hellz, yes," without sounding too eager, but then caught a glimpse in the mirror. Crap. I looked like Pepper Rain. Without the MAN, the DNA magic had once again taken ahold.
"Stop," I said, looking away from my reflection.
I tried to get up, but he grasped my thighs.
Monty frowned. "What's wrong?"
"This." I pointed to my body, the one that was no longer mine. "Me. I look like her."
"I don't see her," he said. "I haven't seen anyone but you since you got here."
"How can you--"
The suite's phone rang.
Monty ignored it. "What were you going to ask?"
The phone rang again. "It could be important."
"This is important."
But was it? We were here for a job. One that could potentially save or end our kind if we didn't get it right. "Our personal drama will have to wait. The mission," I said.
He nodded and let go of my legs. "It comes first."
I scootched off of him, and the minute my skin wasn't touching his, I felt an overwhelming sadness. I shoved it down as I did with most of my feelings when they interfered with work, but the melancholy wouldn't go away.
"Fake it until you make it," I told myself, then picked up the phone on the next ring.
"Hello," I answered.
"Divine Virgo, we call on you to claim your rightful place," a woman said.
"Huh?"
The woman sounded irritated when she sighed, "Goddess, Pepper. Don't be thick. Now that you've ridden the magic pole. It's time to add you and Monty to the mix. You know, officially."
"Rode the what?"
"Had sex. Goddess grant me sanity," she said with an exasperated note.
How in the world could you know that? The room had been sealed against surveillance spells.
