by L. A. Boruff
"Callie," he whispers against my skin.
My eyes flutter closed as his fingers dance up the inside of my leg.
"Touch me," I rasp. "Please."
Will doesn't hesitate and nudges my legs apart. His hand trails up the inside of my thigh and the most delicious shiver runs through me. I grasp the back of his neck and pull him back into a kiss as his fingers explore my entrance.
I buck against him, but he doesn't give in to me. Instead, he draws his fingers back and forth, teasing me and sending me higher into a state of bliss. As he moves his hands, my desire works into a frenzy. If I didn’t get a release soon I’d explode into a million pieces.
The moment he slips his fingers inside, I tip my head back and let out a guttural moan. It's no longer me in control of my body—or my cat. He has me completely at his mercy, and I don't even care.
Will pulls back so he can look at my face as his thumb rubs against my clit, and it’s all I can do to keep myself from falling apart in his arms. Pleasure coils in my belly. I don't think I've ever considered danger an aphrodisiac before, but right now it seems that way.
"Will," I whimper.
He puts more pressure on my clit. Stars dance behind my eyes.
"More, please, more." I have no idea what words I'm saying, just that my mouth is creating words and sounds of pleasure.
Will leans in and nips the soft skin above my breasts.
It's too much. The pleasure wants to be released, and there's nothing I can do to stop it. My whole body shudders, but Will doesn't let up. Nor do I want him to. I need more. This is never going to be enough.
My whole world turns black as the pleasure racks through me. I think I cry out Will's name, but being sure of that would involve control of myself.
I come back down to earth before I'm ready, but Will catches me in a searing kiss that distracts me. Another moan slips from me.
"Can we get ice cream?" a child's voice cuts through my orgasm-induced haze.
Eek. Maybe not words I should be thinking in the same breath.
We both freeze, our gazes locking.
And then we laugh. Huge, bellowing laughs that we can’t stop. It's safe to say there won't be more orgasms while we're still under the pier.
"It's almost dark, we should be getting back," Will says.
"Is that normally what you say after making a woman call out your name like that?" Damn.How many times has he done that before? Surprisingly, all the practice he’s had doesn’t bother me. It’s made him good at it.
He chuckles. "Definitely not. But we'll have more privacy back at the firehouse."
"Mmhmm." Somehow, I doubt that's true, but children being around always ruins the mood. At least, according to every parent I’d ever known.
"Fine, let's go. But I owe you an orgasm."
"Believe me, I plan to collect," he responds dryly.
Oh, Will. I hope you do.
Chapter Three
Will
There’s something wrong with me. Really wrong me. I don’t even care that I just made a beautiful woman orgasm, but my dick is still hard and aching. The second, I’d seen Callie I’d been so relieved. All I wanted to do was hold her and touch her until I was sure she was real.
But now, when reality should be setting in, instead I’m hyper-aware of Callie’s every move.
Holding her small hand in mine, I take her the long way away from the water, heading for our firehouse in the most roundabout way possible. I tell myself to focus on the world around me, to keep an eye out for any sign of danger, but I’m struggling. Every few seconds, I find myself looking at her.
Callie is stunning. Her strawberry-blonde hair is wild about her face. The way she clings to me says that she trusts I can keep her safe. It makes me feel more manly and capable than I’ve ever felt in my life.
“Are we almost there?” she whispers into the darkness.
My chest aches at the exhaustion in her voice. We’re very close to the firehouse. I took us around so we’re approaching it from the rear. A few more feet and we’ll be out in the open area between the trees and the back porch of the house. I can also see her back porch if I squint.
“Come here,” I say, tugging her behind a tree.
Pressing her against the bark, I place my hands above her and stare down at those blue eyes. Even though the moon conceals some of the brilliance of her irises, I think they’re burned into my memory forever.
“Things are going to move quickly when we get back,” I say, needing her to be prepared.
“How so?” she asks, and the innocence in her voice makes my groin tighten. Who knew protectiveness could be such a turn on?
“Dangerous people are looking for us.”
“I know that,” she says, and her hand lifts to slowly stroke my chest.
“And there’s an old witch, a powerful woman, who wants us to bring you to her.”
I feel her stiffen beneath me. “Why?”
“We don’t know.”
I can almost sense her heart beating faster. “But you’re going to bring me to her?”
It takes me too long to answer. “Yes.” And before she can ask me, I continue, “We believe she’s one of the good guys. Not only can she protect us, but she might have the answers to a lot of your questions.”
Her breath comes out in a rush. “So you trust her?”
“In this situation, yes.” Not that we’d want to be mixed up with that family any more than we had to be.
Sensing her tension, I move closer, holding her between me and the tree. Her body relaxes as her head falls onto my chest.
It’s strange. I never imagined I’d ever meet a woman I enjoyed being around so much. Unfortunately for me, history seems to want to repeat itself, but I’ll be damned if I let the witches kill Callie.
I won’t make the same mistakes as before.
“Will?”
“Yes,” I murmur, glancing down at the woman in my arms.
“Why are you guys helping me?”
There are so many answers to her question that would make sense, but every time I open my mouth to speak the words, I stop. The idea of saying any of it makes me feel oddly vulnerable. And if there’s one thing I hate, it’s feeling vulnerable.
“If you want to be complimented, just ask.”
She punches me lightly in the chest, but there’s amusement in her voice. “I’m not kidding!”
“Well, to begin with, you’re beautiful.”
Her little fist strikes me again. I know she’s got more power in her muscles than that. She’s playing with me. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
“And you’re kind of funny… at least funny to watch.”
“Will!”
“And when you orgasm you say my name in the hottest fucking—”
“Will! Stop. Just stop. Forget I asked.”
I can’t help, but grin. “What? You don’t like me talking about the noises you make while I’m stroking your pussy, pussy cat?”
She makes a frustrated sound. “That is absolutely not fair! You—”
And then she stops speaking.
I frown. “Callie?” Did I make her mad? I only wanted a moment of levity to brighten her mood before things get dark again.
“It’s not fair,” she says, and there’s a note to her voice I don’t like. “Life’s not always fair.” Her hand slides down to the button on my jeans. “But there are ways we can even the playing field.”
Fucking hell. I glance around in the darkness of the woods on this side of the town. There’s nobody around, and even if they were, they wouldn’t be able to see much.
Still…
“That’s not a good idea,” I say.
She flicks open the button on my pants, and I hear the sound of her drawing the zipper down as I feel her hand press against my erection.
“I think it’s the perfect idea.”
Suddenly, I’m having a hard time catching my breath. “We’re supposed to be getting back.”
“Fuck,” I whisper.
“Because your massively hard erection says you might just want to see where this is going.”
I brace myself against the tree and wait.
Slowly, she pulls my boxers down. The cold night hits my dick for only a second before Callie wraps her hands around my length and strokes.
“Damn it all to hell,” I groan, trying like mad not to lose control and start thrusting into her hand.
“Does that feel good, Will?”
I nod my head, panting.
Her hand tightens, and a string of curses explodes from my lips. “And that?”
“Fucking hell, you know what you’re doing!”
She moves closer, and I lean down so she doesn’t have to stand on her tiptoes. Her lips run along my neck, straying to my ear, where she bites my earlobe gently.
“I’ve had a lot of practice,” she says.
I stiffen and my words are almost a growl. “My dick better be the first one you’ve touched.” My skin heats from inside, but I’m nowhere near losing control of my fire.
She laughs, a husky little sound. “Is that what you want to think? That I’m yours and only yours?”
A shudder rolls through my body, and my cock swells in her hands. “You are now,” I grit out.
Her husky laugh comes again, and she strokes me faster.
I try and fail, to hold still, to show some self-control. Instead, I thrust into her tight, small hand, my nerves screaming in pleasure as she squeezes me like she owns me.
When I’m on the edge of coming, I shift and kiss her. The smile on her lips fades. Her mouth meets mine harder and with more abandon. My tongue sweeps into her mouth, and she moans, tangling her tongue with mine.
The way she seems to sink into me, to give herself to me, turns me on in a way I never expected. Shifting my hips to aim to her right, I come all over the forest floor with a groan of pleasure and don’t stop coming as she pumps me faster and faster.
It isn’t until I’m spent that I collapse against her, breaking our kiss. Where, to my surprise, she continues to hold my dick.
“Now, we’re even,” she whispers into my ear, as she fondles my softening cock.
It takes me a minute to calm down enough to respond. “Not completely.”
“How’s that?” There’s a smile in her question.
“A man’s job is to make his woman feel more pleasure than he feels, so next time I’m going to lick that pussy of yours until you scream.”
She tenses beneath me, and her breath quickens. “I bet you say that to all the women who jerk you off in the woods.”
I smile as I brush a kiss against the top of her head. “Only you.”
I’m about to say more when I see a lone figure coming around the side of the firehouse. Tensing, I push her hand away from my cock and arrange my pants and boxers back into place. She pulls away, and I hear a rustling sound. The moon has gone behind a cloud, so I can’t see what she’s doing.
As the person draws closer, I hear a familiar voice say, “Callie? Is that you?”
I turn to Callie. “You ready to face reality?”
“Now that I’ve cleaned my hand off on some leaves, yeah.” I can tell she’s trying to be funny, but the nervous tone in her voice shows me just how worried she is.
“It’s going to be okay,” I tell her, entwining my fingers with hers. “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
As we go out to greet Hank, a strange feeling comes over me. I’ve always been a little reckless. I’ve never really cared if I pissed off the witches or made myself enemies. But for the first time in a long time, I can see a future stretching out in front of me. A future with Callie.
The reality feels strange like I’m living someone else’s life, but it also makes me realize something else. I need to find a way to make peace with the witches, if not for Callie’s sake, then for mine.
Because I want a future spent with Callie on her back screaming my name, and I can’t exactly do that if I’m constantly running for my life.
So, first to the old witch’s house, and then to make peace.
Chapter Four
Callie
I step out of the woods with my hand in Will's, trying to figure out how to free it. As fun as our sexual encounter in the woods and under the pier had been, I don't want to flaunt anything in front of Hank or James. All the guys have been so nice to me. I can't let a moment of passion ruin my friendship with them.
Hank helps by pulling me into his arms for a hug, which I gladly return. I have to let go of Will's hand to do so. "I'm so glad to see you," he says. "Where'd you find her?" He looks over my head at Will.
"Hiding under the pier," Will replies. "Let's get inside. It's dark, but we're still exposed."
"We can't stay here, anyway," Hank says as he curls his arm around my shoulder and turns to walk me into the firehouse. "They've been by twice."
"What?" Will stiffens beside me. The light shining from the windows is enough for me to see the panicked look on his face.
"When?" I whisper, looking around. “Who?” Did he mean the people from the castle or the old woman who had made me so panicked I’d shifted and run away?
"Some of the King’s witches. It's been about a half-hour since the last time. They walked up to the open bay doors and stared inside. They didn't come in or say anything."
My breathing intensifies as I think about what that means. They’re after Will, surely, but I was at the castle too. They probably know who I am by now and where I live.
"What did you two do when they came?" Will opens the back door to the station, and Hank stands back so I can walk in first.
"Nothing. We stared back at them. They were either trying to distract us from someone else looking around inside, or they were using a magical means of seeing if you or Callie were here."
No way I'm staying in the firehouse. Not even for a minute. I stop inside the door. "Do they know I live next door?" I ask, debating my options. There aren’t many.
"No, we don't think so," Hank replies. "Are you coming in?"
Shaking my head, I back out the doorway and onto the back porch. "Can you do a witchy thing to see if anyone is nearby?" I ask as I look around. "Is that possible?" I can't see shit out here, so I don't know why I'm bothering to try to see if anyone could be hiding in the woods like Will and I had.
I shiver as I remember exactly what we did in those woods. I'll never be able to look at a small forest or a pier the same way again.
"Yes," Hank says from behind me. "James and I already did. That's how I knew you were out here. I couldn't tell exactly where, but I knew you were within a reasonable distance. Nobody else is around right now."
"Couldn't they block themselves?" Will asks as he takes my hand again. "Wherever you want to go, I'm with you," he says tenderly.
"I want to go home." Since Hank said the coast is clear, I head toward my house. My cat twitches in approval inside me. She wants rest, too. “I want answers, about the King, and the old woman outside the portal to the castle. And a nap. And maybe food.”
"Hang on," Hank says. "Let me tell James, and we'll be right there."
I keep walking.
"Meet us over there," Will says. He doesn't let go of my hand as I head across the back yard.
"First thing is a shower," I murmur as we climb my front porch steps.
I stop and move a piece of fake wood inside the porch railing. A key to the front door is hidden underneath. Hiding a key outside had been one of my first chores after moving in. Too often in the past, my cat has gotten outside and left me locked out of the house as a naked human. As soon as the door is unlocked, I replace it and go inside.
Stopping dead, I look around my foyer. The doors to the living room, dining room, bathroom, and kitchen are all visible from the entryway, and they're all closed. Which is not how I left it. My heart rac
es.
"Who's been here?" I asked, looking at Will.
Shit. If they've found me, some witch or wizard could be hiding behind any of those doors.
Will doesn't reply, but he tugs me out the door again. I look back at him and the light from my entryway illuminates his face. He's got his free hand held up to his face with one finger over his lips in the universal hush gesture.
"What's going on?" Hank whispers behind us, making me jump out of my skin. I gasp and yank my hand from Will's, falling into a defensive crouch. In the next instant, I relax as I process that it's Hank, and he's not here to hurt me.
"All my doors are closed, and I know I didn't leave them that way," I whisper.
"Oh," he says, laughing. "Sorry. I did that. I wasn't sure if you came back here in cat form or not, so I searched the house and shut the door to all the rooms I was sure I'd checked and knew your kitty wasn't in."
I nod, relieved, then stand once more. "Thank goodness. Come on, let's get in before anyone sees us."
James walks up before we shut the door and slips inside with us. He looks at the doorknob and concentrates.
"What are you doing?" I ask, watching him focus on the doorknob.
"A simple locking spell. It won't keep anyone out for long, but might give us a few seconds if we need it." He turns to the rest of us. "What are we all doing standing here?"
It was all too much. It’s been the longest day of my life, I’m pretty sure. I need a time-out.
"I don't care what you three do," I reply. "I'm taking a shower."
Stomping up the stairs, I call back down. "You can come up, and we can talk about what the hell is going on if you want. I'm not shy." I don't have to walk around naked in front of them, but I'm determined to shower and put on my own clothes. That doesn't mean we don't need to urgently discuss our next move.
When I reach the top, I look back down at them and they seem to be having a silent conversation. Hank grins and starts up the stairs, but then Will launches after him.
I stand with my mouth hanging open, watching as they wrestle their way up the stairs.