by Shona Husk
It was lust, pure and simple. She knew that. Right now that was all she wanted. To want and be wanted. Her nipples brushed against his chest. If it weren’t for his clothes and her underwear, she’d be on him already. Her pussy tightened at the thought. Twice in one day. That was twice more than she’d had in the last year.
With a twist of his body he flipped her onto her back. She gasped as he pressed against her, hip to hip. Then he was stealing her breath, again, with a kiss as he moved, rocking his hips so his shaft rubbed against her. She slid her hands down his sides, wanting to get her hands into his jeans so she could feel the heat of him in her.
“Not rushing this time,” he murmured against her neck, his lips and tongue and teeth on her skin as he worked his way lower.
She lost the delicious feel of his shaft pressed against her pussy as he drew her nipple into his mouth and gently sucked. Then his teeth raked the skin, making her back arch and sending sparks of heat into her belly. She’d like for him to rush and be there, filling her, resting over her and kissing her as she came. Her hand slid between them, felt the waistband of his jeans, then eased in, her fingers brushing the smooth heat of his cock. She almost shivered with delight. She’d forgotten how good it could be to feel a man—and have one feeling her. One who seemed actually interested instead of doing it for his own pleasure.
Noah pulled away and drew her panties down. He kissed her inner thigh.
Oh god, it had been a long time. As his breath tickled her pussy, she almost threw caution to the wind. Instead she propped herself up on her elbows and shook her head. “That’s not safe.”
She hadn’t asked his history before, and the horse had already bolted on that conversation. She should’ve asked him afterwards, straight after. They should have made time for this talk, but she hadn’t really expected it to happen again.
He looked up at her. “I know, I’m not asking for anything but a taste. I haven’t tasted a woman since Louise.” He kissed her belly. “I’ve always used a condom. I haven’t been careless.” He kissed a little lower. “Just don’t ask numbers because I wouldn’t be able to tell you.”
He knew he was a slut and, while he wasn’t apologizing for it, he was well aware of how it must appear. Her stomach flopped over. She didn’t want to know, either, but she was guessing it was more than her pathetic three. When Cory had stopped sleeping with her she’d gotten tested, just in case he’d been sleeping with someone else.
“Tell me you’ve been tested sometime.”
“Yes. But six months ago.” His fingers brushed the lips of her pussy, her skin was slick and she was aching for his touch. Her resistance was melting. “I don’t usually do this. But you said it had been months, and since you’re asking the questions, I figure you’re safe…and I’m hungry for a taste.” His lips pressed against the crease in her thigh. So close. Just the idea of him sliding his tongue over her clit and dipping into her folds was making her belly tight with need.
“I am.” Her eyes fluttered closed as he ran his tongue over her sex.
He spread the lips of her pussy, his finger sliding into her core as his tongue danced over her clit. This was not a Band-Aid fuck. This was something else. He gave her clit a suck and her hips jerked off the bed. Pleasure spiraled through her blood until she felt like she was floating, every thought focused on what he was doing. Her fingers scrunched the sheets and her legs were doing an undignified tremble. He’d found a rhythm and was sticking to it, as if he knew that would make her come.
She bit her lip but the moan slipped out as her belly contracted and her pussy clamped around his fingers. She needed him in her now. She grabbed his arm and tugged him up. He wiped his mouth on his arm and moved over her.
“Still need that first aid kit, honey.”
Fuck. She rolled over and reached over the bed, tearing open the front pocket and yanking out the kit. His teeth raked over the curve of her butt, his fingers were doing things inside her that weren’t helping her coordination. The lid sprung open and she grabbed and packet.
She rolled over and refused to hand it over when he held out his hand. “I can do it.”
He rocked back on his heels and undid his jeans, shoving them and his jocks down. His cock jutted forward from a nest of dark hair. Guys that looked like Noah didn’t just fall out of trees. It was no wonder he was never short of partners. Don’t think about being older and plainer and softer. He had abs…she wasn’t sure she had any. She rolled the rubber on, feeling like a teenager again with all the old insecurities. Did he want her or was she just here? Convenient and easy? Shut up. He just begged to go down. And she’d let him. Because of who he was or because she’d wanted it bad?
He pushed her back onto the bed as soon as she was done, a smile on his lips and his shaft nudging her pussy. She tilted her hips and he eased in, her body quivering, every nerve already sensitized. Oh, that felt so good, the slow, rocking, deep thrusts.
His lips brushed her cheek, but she turned her head to catch his mouth. Her leg hooked over his hip, allowing him to go deeper. She moaned into his mouth.
“Come for me again.”
Oh, she would. Her eyes closed and she met every thrust, urging him faster.
“Like that?” His voice was deep and rough and sent a shiver through her. He was determined to make this good for her.
“Yeah.” The climax rippled through her, tearing away all thought. His beautiful body above hers as he ground into her, taking himself over the edge with a groan before resting over her, his weight on his elbows, his mouth only a whisper away from hers. That she’d made him breathe fast brought a smile to her lips.
This time he didn’t pull away immediately. His fingers toyed with her hair and they lay together, their bodies cooling.
“I’ll get tested.”
“That’s what you’re thinking of right now?”
“I’d forgotten how good it can be.” He eased away and walked out of the bedroom. The tap ran in the bathroom, then he was back. “You can’t sleep across the bed.”
Maybe not, but she didn’t want to move, either. Her limbs were boneless. He picked up her legs and swung them around, then got into bed. He wasn’t kicking her out or moving to her bed. He was going to sleep next to her. She swallowed. What did that mean?
She wanted to ask, the words were on her tongue, but whatever was going on felt as fragile as a glass bubble. One wrong move and it would shatter, sending shards everywhere, cutting both of them.
She liked him…liked him because he was trying to save her? Because he was hot? Because he made lust into something to be explored not denied? It didn’t matter when her life could be counted in days. Her eyes began to burn.
“Don’t think about it.” He pulled her close, tucking her against him, her back to his chest.
“Demons or sex?” She tried to keep her voice light and failed. A tear traced down her cheek and then she sniffed. Guys loved girls who cried after sex.
“Both. I don’t know the answers for either. Let’s just see what happens.” He moved and the light went out.
But she couldn’t just switch off her thoughts. It wasn’t that easy.
Chapter 14
Noah woke, and for a moment he wasn’t sure where he was or who he was with. He never slept next to someone. Or at least he hadn’t in the last five years. Rachel was curled up against him. Her honey-colored hair spilled onto him. If he was smart, he’d get out of bed and go and shower and get ready to move, and stay moving. It was bad enough he’d slept with her twice, now he’d woken up with her in his bed; lingering would only make it worse.
What would be worse: hurting when this all went south or the regret of not making the most of what time he had with her? He had the horrible feeling it was the latter. He didn’t want to even consider what that meant. It was one thing to get busy, quite another to accidently go from being an item on her list to being her lover.
He was definitely becoming her lover. The taste of her was still on his tongue. T
he way she’d wriggled and squirmed. He’d enjoyed making her gasp and groan. It had meant something because he knew her. He cared about what happened to her, and not just because of what it meant to him. She deserved a chance to be happy and have a life away from her dick of a husband.
He looked at the curve of her back, the way her ribs moved with each breath. Peaceful. Not like last night when she’d been hungry and sweaty and urging him on. He carefully rolled over and slid his arm around her waist. A few more moments. He could steal a little happiness. Take a line from her list for himself and live like it could be his last day.
Despite risking his life on a regular basis, he lived as though each day was a trial to get through, a test he had to pass, instead of something to enjoy. He placed a kiss between her shoulder blades. He’d blamed everyone else for taking his life and leaving him with nothing, which wasn’t true. He’d never bothered to find a new life. He’d just gritted his teeth and hoped for the best, and that wasn’t enough. Living was about finding those moments that made you smile between the fights.
Rachel had shown him that in a few short days. Whatever happened, she’d live on in his memories, and he’d honor that by remembering to find something to enjoy every day. Maybe he’d make a list of all the things he wanted out of life. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a few, but all he came up with was stopping Cory from killing Rachel because he wanted to take her to the Icehotel. He didn’t even like snow. However, it would be fun to be there with her, sipping champagne.
But that was her goal, not his.
Get tested. He knew he’d said that last night, and he meant it. The idea of being inside her without a rubber, and of having her tongue circle his shaft, was almost too good to be true. He wanted that. He wanted to wake up with her again.
It took a moment, but he knew what that meant and what he wanted.
A relationship.
That was almost enough to make him throw himself out of bed and scrub away last night in a hot shower. He took a couple of deep breaths and didn’t move. This was already messy and he was expecting to get hurt. Hell, he knew he’d get hurt. So there was no risk. He was already standing in the middle of the mess and he was enjoying it. For the first time in years he didn’t feel guilty for living. He’d been fighting the guilt about surviving by going after demons. Guilt was the personal demon he’d been in danger of getting…not one brought on by anger intent on destruction.
He closed his eyes. The scent of Rachel’s skin filled his lungs. He felt the spark as he held the fire spell in his mind. The lighter was weighty and full. He wanted to test it out, make sure that he could light something up, but he didn’t need to. That kind of thing couldn’t be faked. His lighter was full of the need to live, not just go through the motions. It was full of Rachel and their time together.
“You’re tapping again,” she mumbled and covered his hand with hers.
He hadn’t realized he’d been doing it. He let the spell dissipate and opened his eyes. “It’s probably time to get up and get moving.”
“That’s your grand plan?”
“At the moment.” He needed a better one, but he wasn’t ready to stand and fight. “I have to find a way to help Cory.”
“Wait, what?” She rolled over and faced him, blinking her eyes as she woke up fully and fast. “You want to help him?”
“That’s the best way to save you. Help Cory shed his demon.”
She touched his cheek. “He doesn’t like help, sees it as weakness. He hated going to physio.”
“And that’s why he has a big, bulky demon with horns to prove how tough and scary he is.”
“How do you get him to shed his demon?”
Very few people gave it up willingly; sometimes the demon could be tempted away and the new host would give it up. Most of the time it all went bad—or the ones he’d read about had. He’d never tried it, but then, he didn’t usually get called early enough. Quite often, man and demon were one when he saw them. That hadn’t happened yet, so there was still a chance to save Cory. “By having a demon intervention.”
“You are kidding. Aren’t you?”
He wished he was. “We tell him he’s possessed, and if he lets it go it will be okay. If he doesn’t let it go, the demon will consume him.” That Cory already knew about his demon didn’t give Noah much hope, but it would give him a chance to learn more. The question he wanted to know was what had Cory deliberately done to invite the demon in to the crack in his soul? He may not have used magic to summon it, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t welcomed the demon.
Perhaps Tahlia had also prayed for revenge and had let the demon slip into the crack. Most people would resist the invasion, a few would succumb and suffer—like the woman on the train. But what if the invitation was what made the demon dangerous? Accidental manifestation versus deliberate manifestation. Even if that was the answer to his demon riddle, it didn’t help him solve his immediate Cory problem.
“And then?”
This was not what he wanted to talk about first thing in the morning. Or maybe he just wasn’t used to it as no one had ever known what he was before. “If it gets that far, we’re all dead. The demon gets what it wants, then it kills Cory and the cops are left wondering what the hell happened.”
And all the witches that had been involved made sure they had alibis that were water tight. He wouldn’t need one this time because he’d be dead. He was almost one hundred percent sure about that.
She smiled, her hand cupping his jaw. “This is about helping people for you, not revenge.”
He kissed her palm and got out of bed, glad she understood the difference. One of them had to make the first move or they’d stay there all day, and he wanted to be the one setting the time and place of his next meeting with Cory. “He’s an addict pumped on demon juice, without realizing how dangerous that is.”
“Let’s hope he realizes what’s going on and gives it up, but knowing Cory, I don’t like your chances.”
“Neither do I.” After his last encounter, he suspected Cory would rather die than give up his demon, but he was willing to try to save an unnecessary death. “I’m working on plan B.” He glanced at her, could he kill to save her? He wasn’t ready to answer that yet, and he didn’t know how to kill a demon. “Did you want to use the bathroom before I shower?”
“Are you going to be half an hour?”
He shook his head. “I want to be out of here in half an hour.”
“Okay, I’ll wait. What’s plan B going to be?”
“Stand and fight.” Which he knew from experience never went well, although this time they knew what was driving Cory. How did he make a spell to counteract the jealousy?
Chapter 15
The coffee wasn’t helping Noah think, but it was warming him up. He was over winter and rain. Rachel didn’t seem bothered. She was walking down the sidewalk as though she knew where she was going, her bag slung over her shoulder. She wasn’t acting like a woman living her last few days. He admired that; plenty of other people would’ve been a blubbering mess. For the moment, he was happy to follow, as long as they were moving and sticking to the busier streets where they could blend in with the other shoppers, tourists and locals.
They had to keep moving until he knew where he wanted to stop and what he was going to do. He checked his watch again. He’d call the coven shortly and that would help. In the meantime, he was just concentrating on confusing their trail. By the time he was done running with Rachel, he’d have covered New York in flour—although he was almost sure he could do the spell without the prop. Now, however, wasn’t a good time to test that theory.
“Wow.” Rachel had stopped and was looking in the window of a shoe shop. But not any old shoe shop. This was the Serulean she’d mentioned. Shoes with a name like that wouldn’t be cheap.
“You have got to be joking.” There was no way he was going in there, especially not with a demon searching for them—he tried not to imagine the carnage a demon attack wou
ld do in a shop like that.
“It’s on my list.” Her eyes were wide and her voice was a little awestruck.
He tried to steer her away from the store; shoe shopping wasn’t on his list—his really short list. “You are going to survive and have one massive credit card bill. Let’s get you a passport instead.” That would be infinitely more useful, and maybe it could be rushed through and they could get out of America and buy some extra time. But even as he thought it, the idea of being in a foreign country with no coven and no backup when the demon did catch up lost its appeal. It would go a hell of a lot worse for them overseas.
She shook her head, strands of her hair falling around her face. “I want a pair of these before I die.”
“We aren’t dressed for this.” They were in jeans and jackets. Maybe they looked like tourists, but they certainly didn’t look like a wealthy couple looking to make a chip in the credit card. One look at them and the sale assistant would be thinking they were there to steal shoes, not buy them.
“I don’t care.” She pulled away and walked in, leaving him in front of the window holding his lukewarm coffee.
He feigned nonchalance and finished his drink before tossing it in a nearby trash can. The demon string around his wrist wasn’t as cool as he’d have liked, but it wasn’t hot, either. He casually scanned the street, but there was no sign of Cory, not yet anyway. Shoes, and then they were getting a cab across a few blocks before the string got hot and they made eye contact with Cory. They could zigzag across the city and make Cory run to keep up. It was a stalling tactic, but it would also piss off the demon that was stalking them like a bloodhound on crack.
With a final glance up the street, his gaze catching on any person whose head was above the average, he turned and walked into the shop. Rachel was chatting to the woman, talking shoes.