by King, Thayer
“Damn it,” she panted. She’d come, thinking of him. Had called his name as though he were responsible for the incredible bliss running through her body. Forcing languid limbs into motion, she got out of bed and went to the bathroom to clean up.
What could have brought on such a dream? She never had wet dreams. Residual desire continued to strum through her veins despite her recent orgasm. Imani washed her hands and then splashed cool water on her face in an effort to cool down. This was not acceptable. She’d never be able to look Keith in the eye again. Hopefully, he’d be just as eager to avoid her since she’d turned down a date with him.
Chapter Two
Keith Savage growled in frustration. Imani had booted him out of her dream, the abruptness of which jolted him out of a deep sleep. She didn’t like sex? She could have fooled him. Her response to his touch had been explosive, their chemistry every bit as incendiary as he’d known it would be.
Yet, he didn’t doubt her declaration. Her aversion to sex had to be strong in order for her to have kicked him out of her dream. Wooing Imani and making her his mate had just become more difficult. Wasn’t it enough that she was human and he was a warlock?
He’d known from the moment he met her that she would be his. One look into her copper eyes had told him all he needed to know. That instant of recognizing a soul mate was hard to describe and impossible to ignore. She drew him. Over a year ago he’d visited Montesano as part of research for a book. He’d wandered into the library simply because he liked any place where he could be surrounded by books. Stephanie, the head librarian, had gushed over meeting a published author. And then he’d caught his fateful first glimpse of Imani. Their gazes had locked for seconds but for him, time, his heart, and the world stopped. Only when another customer had passed between them, breaking the eye contact, was he able to breathe. But he was forever changed. He no longer felt complete. Completion would come when Imani was his in every sense of the word.
Since then, it seemed like one event after another had intervened to keep him from claiming her. He’d had a deadline to meet. There was his book tour. His brother had needed his help with his mate. And of course, Keith couldn’t refuse when Sean had asked him to be his best man at his wedding. Then Harlow had popped up, as she had a habit of doing every few years. She was a brilliant witch and he enjoyed talking with her as a friend and conferring with her about spells. It wasn’t until it was too late that he realized that she had a crush on him. He’d totally missed all the signals. Well, except for when she’d come out of her bedroom completely naked. That had been an awkward and embarrassing turn of events. Though Harlow was beautiful and smart, he wasn’t attracted to her. Harlow was too detached and passionless. He felt like being with him would be nothing but an experiment for her. That the two of them coming together was simply what she felt was logical.
Logic. Maybe he should apply it to his non-relationship with Imani. He needed time to analyze the factors and decide on the best course of action to win his mate. But first, he had a more pressing issue to handle. His cock throbbed painfully. Keith pressed a palm to his aching erection. Giving in to temptation with a grunt, he kicked aside the sheet and freed himself from his pajama pants and underwear. He ran his thumb around the tip, gathering up the moisture there. Closing his eyes, he thought of Imani. During the dream, she had shielded her body from him. It didn’t matter. He could, and had come, from memories of her beautiful face alone. He stroked himself, imagining his cock buried deep in Imani’s sweet pussy. Would her full lips part, emitting moans with each hard thrust? And her lovely copper eyes, how would they look when she reached fulfillment? Would the color darken, grow more intense?
Keith sped up his strokes. It wasn’t long before he was arching his hips and crying her name as his come shot from his dick. Gulping for air, he turned on a bedside lamp. He was a mess.
After a quick shower, he changed into fresh briefs. It was dark out. Keith settled back into bed and the sound of rain along with the pleasant buzz from his recent release lulled him into sleep.
In the morning, he still had no more answers about what to do concerning Imani than he’d had when he’d gone to bed the night before. Giving up was not an option. She was his.
He got out of bed. As his feet hit the floor, his dog Bear raised his fiery red head in anticipation. Bear was predominantly Chow. He had thick red fur, a black tongue, and the straight back legs indicative of the breed. His lack of pure breeding showed in the imperfect curl of his tail and his floppy ears. Keith thought it also caused Bear to have a sweeter disposition, but he realized that he was more than a little biased. He gave Bear a good rub and a scratch behind the ears. “You’re such a good boy, Bear.” He seemed to agree with this, taking Keith’s adoration as his due. Keith put on his robe and checked Bear’s dog dishes. He tossed the water and replaced it with fresh bottled water. Bear lapped the new water as it splashed into the dish as if it somehow tasted better in motion. He sat once this was done, his black tongue hanging out, as he waited for Keith to fill the food dish. Keith scooped out some dry food and then covered that with half a can of gravied glop that claimed to taste like London Broil. He patted Bear’s broad forehead as he began to eat.
For his own breakfast, he prepared bacon, eggs, and coffee as he mulled over the situation with Imani.
He’d moved from Seattle to Montesano for her. Teleporting himself to the town on an almost daily basis was taxing, even on someone with his honed abilities. There was also a risk that he would be discovered each time he travelled that way. He wished he could say that the move had helped to advance his attempts to woo Imani Tolliver, but that wasn’t the case.
Every time he went to the library, Stephanie had interjected herself into the conversation and sent Imani away. Keith, tired of her interference, had handled Stephanie with a small spell yesterday afternoon. With a few words, he’d convinced her that it was of supreme importance that she offer her assistance to other customers. It was risky, but he was confident in his magical skills. Most witches couldn’t have performed a persuasion spell without so much as waving a hand or having their eyes give them away with a telltale glow. But Keith could. He’d perfected the ability to hide what he was.
He’d met women like Stephanie before and they held no appeal for him. They were interested in him because they hoped to be introduced to his brother Sean, or because he looked like Sean, and occasionally because he was famous in his own right. But whatever the reason, it had nothing to do with Keith himself.
Oh, he knew he was handsome. But he was more comfortable with magic and books than women. Those he could make sense of. People, attractive women in particular, weren’t his forte. He never knew what to say, where to put his hands, or how to act natural. Thus, his problem with Imani.
He sipped his coffee, despair at ever winning over Imani causing his stomach to revolt. Pushing away his half-eaten plate and full cup of coffee, he slid off the stool. He rounded the bar separating the kitchen from the dining area. Saving the bacon for Bear, he emptied the remainder of his food in the trash and poured the coffee down the sink.
Since the day of his twelfth birthday when his father had revealed to him that he was a warlock, he’d reveled in being different, special. As a teen, he’d studied magic with a passion. The more he learned, the more he wanted to know. Fuck normal. He wanted to learn to fly. And he had, at the early age of fifteen. His parents had been so proud.
Since meeting Imani, he wished he could be more normal. He was assailed with doubt. Assuming he could even get her to go out with him, how would the two of them live together? She was a human and he loved being a witch. It had taken him a while to come to terms with her humanness. He’d even considered not claiming her because of it. That foolish notion lasted about a minute. The yearning for her was an emotional need as well as physical. A need, and not a want. It wouldn’t be put off or ignored. Not giving in to his baser, caveman side and dragging her kicking and screaming to his lair was a daily struggl
e.
He dropped the bacon into Bear’s dish and then walked outside to gather his thoughts. The sky had cleared but the ground was still wet from last night’s rain. The spacious backyard was the reason he’d purchased this house. He’d already begun to plant his beauties. They were growing at an astonishing rate. Well, astonishing for an ordinary gardener. While he had a passion for plants, Keith knew that without magic, his plants tended to die. He touched a green leaf tinged with black and it perked up and strained towards the sun. At the center of his garden was a birdbath. He’d surrounded the cement fixture with angel’s trumpet and moonflowers. Night phlox lined the cobblestone walkway. Another darkened leaf drew his attention. A mere brush of his thumb and it was better.
Straightening, Keith realized he was going to have to do something he didn’t want to do… something horrible and unthinkable.
He entered the house and located his cell phone. His brother answered on the first ring. “Keith, I’ve been thinking of you.”
Keith arched a brow. “Really? Your new wife and your hectic movie schedule not keeping you busy?” Sean had married his soul mate last June. Prior to his marriage, Sean had been such a playboy that tabloids were still expecting him to return to his philandering ways. One had even offered a reward for anyone who could come forward with solid evidence of his cheating on his new wife, Mystique. They would be disappointed. Keith knew that Sean was head over heels for Mystique. And the two shared the bond of mates, an unparalleled closeness. The tabloids were treading on thin ice. Sean was ready to sue at the slightest provocation. Yet Keith couldn’t help but envy his younger sibling. Sean hadn’t been looking for love when he found Mystique. Indeed, if he’d known she was his mate, he probably would have gone running and screaming in the opposite direction.
“Of course. This is actually business related. I read your latest novel. I was wondering if you’d mind if I adapted the trilogy into a screenplay.”
Keith knew what his editor and his agent would have him say. It would propel his career to that next status level. Yet he hesitated. He wrote for himself and his fans but not necessarily for fame. He liked that he wasn’t mobbed when he went out in public. He was more likely to be mistaken for Sean than recognized as himself.
“You know I’d be respectful towards your work, Keith.”
“I know that. It’s not that.”
“Then it’s the fame? You gotta get over that.”
“Just give me some time to think it over. Listen, I didn’t call you to discuss my book. I’m, uh, kind of stagnating on the dating Imani thing.”
An impatient sigh reached his ears. “The bookkeeper? Did you ask her out yet?”
Keith didn’t bother correcting Sean about Imani’s profession. He wasn’t likely to recall. Sean had a selective memory for details that didn’t interest him. “Yes. She turned me down cold.”
“Then ask her again. Keep asking until she says yes. Trust me,” Sean said, his tone flat. “I know something about rejection. If I can marry the heir to a witch-hunting dynasty, you can marry anyone you want.”
Chapter Three
Imani suppressed an irritated sigh as Keith walked through the library doors. He’d been haunting their library every day for two weeks. For some reason, Steph was never available when he needed assistance anymore. The oddness of that had her puzzled. Steph was always willing to drop whatever she was doing to help a handsome man. Yet of late, she was perpetually otherwise occupied. And when Keith was gone, Steph seemed surprised to hear that she’d missed him. Imani began to dread his visits more than ever. For every time she helped him, he ended up asking her out to lunch or dinner. Refusing him was growing more difficult by the day. She hated seeing the hurt expression on his face, his bright blue eyes dimming somehow. It only made matters worse that in her dreams each night he got closer and closer to fucking her. She feared that if it happened in her sleep, she would be weakened enough to allow Keith to seduce her. That would be disastrous.
Pasting a smile on her face, she tried for a polite tone. “How can I help you today?”
He unfolded a sheet of paper. “It’s a book on botany.”
She took it from him, glancing at it for a brief second before leading him to where he needed to go. As often as he visited, he should know how to find any book as well, if not better, than she. He followed her closely. When they were alone, he cleared his throat. “Imani, I was wondering if you’d reconsidered my dinner invitation.”
Lack of sleep, owing to those damn wet dreams, had made her irritable. She’d been turning his offers down as gently as she could. But today she snapped at him. “Keith, trust me, I’m not the girl you want.”
“Imani, I don’t think you can even begin to fathom what I want from you.”
His words were spoken with such depth of emotion that it gave her pause. She shook it off. “You want the same thing all men want,” she replied in a dry tone. “It’s no great mystery.”
“And that would be?”
She sighed. “Sex.” She ran her fingers over the spines of several books before plucking the one he requested off the shelf. She turned to hand it to him.
Keith stepped closer, so close she had to tilt her head back to meet his bright blue gaze. “I want you. I won’t deny it. But if all I wanted was sex, I could get that anywhere.”
Imani bit her lip. They needed to talk. He wasn’t going to give up on her until she told him about her aversion to sex. If all else failed, that was sure to send a man packing. She pressed his book into his abdomen so that he was forced to back up. “Come by my place tonight for dinner at seven. After we talk, if you still want to date…we’ll do it.”
His eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Don’t get your hopes up. You’re not likely to agree to my terms.”
***
“I’m not going to sleep with you.”
Keith put down his fork and wiped his mouth with his napkin. He frowned. As far as he could tell, the date had been going well, but admittedly, he was no expert. He mentally reviewed their evening. He’d arrived at seven sharp with a box of chocolates, and flowers he’d picked from his own garden. She’d seemed surprised yet delighted by his gifts. Her reaction had been encouraging and just the ego boost he needed. It also helped that he’d spied one of his novels on her coffee table. Up until that moment, Imani had not been exactly receptive to his attentions. She’d taken off the ugly sweater she wore at the library, but the pants with the high waist and the beige blouse that could have doubled as a garbage sack proclaimed she’d taken no pains with her appearance for this date. Her hair was pulled back in the usual curl-defying bun at the back of her head. Hell, jeans and a t-shirt would have been an improvement. Yet she persisted in hiding her figure from him. She’d removed her glasses but he had already surmised that they were merely decorative and not for any corrective purposes.
Dinner conversation had been going well. They’d discussed their work, their favorite books and their pets. And then apropos to nothing, she’d given him this announcement. He’d heard somewhere that within moments of meeting a man, a woman knew if she’d sleep with him or not. Had he fucked up their initial meeting that badly? He didn’t think so. He’d been too stunned by her to speak. But he hadn’t needed to. Stephanie had stepped between them and dominated the conversation.
Maybe she was suffering from the misguided notion that he was only interested in sex. Not that he would decline if she offered. It had been over a year since the last time he was with a woman. And he wanted Imani very much. He cleared his throat. “Have I said or done something to make you uncomfortable?”
“No. That’s one of the conditions of dating me. I won’t sleep with you, and I don’t expect you to pressure me to do otherwise.”
“Imani, I want to get to know you. I don’t expect you to become intimate with me right away.”
She sipped her water and then used her tongue to catch a drop of water on the edge of her full bottom lip. “I don’t just mean tonight. I
mean ever.” Her gaze locked on his. “It’s one of my conditions.”
He frowned. She couldn’t be serious. He counted to ten before asking, “Care to explain? Are you waiting for marriage?”
“No.” She sighed. “You might as well know this going in. I don’t like sex. No, I hate it … and if it never happens to me again, I’ll be happy.”
Shit! What did he say to that? Keith wouldn’t lie. He wanted her. He studied her face. She tried to downplay her looks, but she was damned beautiful. Her skin was flawless milk chocolate. The contrast of her gold eyes was arresting. He could only guess at what her body was like due to her ugly clothes, but he knew that she was well endowed and curvy.
Her cat came through the room. It was so quiet that they could hear her lapping at the water in her dish. Was she expecting some sort of agreement from him?
An ugly possibility occurred to him. Keith cleared his throat and asked as gently as he could, “Were you attacked or hurt in some way?”
Imani emitted an impatient noise. “I wasn’t raped or molested. Can’t a person simply dislike something without having a reason?”
He supposed it were possible. But hating sex? She’d said that the first night she’d dreamt of him. Each night as they’d gotten closer to making love, he’d begun hoping her statement was a meaningless dream aberration, akin to spotting a pink and blue cat. Though relieved that she’d never been assaulted, he was even more confused. He continued to probe. “When was the last time you had sex?”