It took a long moment before she answered, so long he was afraid she’d fallen asleep. “Okay, Jonah. Okay.”
He smiled and held her until the storm was over.
Chapter 10
It was a beautiful day out, the rain-washed sky so blue Carol had to smile. As much as she hated thunderstorms, the smell of damp soil and the blue of the sky was always a pleasure for her.
“Focus, Carol.”
She turned away from the window to where Jonah sat. Well, sat might be the wrong word. Jonah was hovering about three feet off the floor, his legs crossed over one another. A ball of light surrounded him, glowing with faint magical symbols. He was meshing their magic, testing their bonds to figure out where they needed to be sturdier. Carol was supposed to be doing the same but had gotten distracted by the beautiful view outside the windows.
Carol shivered as his magic wrapped tighter around her, practically stroking her skin. “Mm.” Her anima reached out, shoring up his animus, amplifying it and filling in any gaps that existed. It was how it was supposed to be, one of them being what the other needed. Her innate magic, the power that allowed her to shift into a wolf, meshed seamlessly with his. Where his was a golden glow, hers was more amber, closer to the color of her eyes as a wolf. As they swirled together, the ball surrounding him began to resemble a beautiful marble. Striations of amber infused the gold and shadowed the runes, giving them a three-dimensional effect. The colors enchanted Carol, calling to her, calming her. A peace she’d never experienced before filled her, as if she’d finally found a place where her soul could rest in utter safety.
Her wolf grumbled in contentment, curling up inside her as it acknowledged that Jonah was the stronger of the two. The sensation that they were protected from all harm so long as Jonah was there was so strong she relaxed into it, allowing her anima to flow freely. The marble around Jonah brightened as the amber and gold began to mesh even closer, the edges of the colors blurring together, darkening the gold as the amber lightened.
She noted the color change absently, her mind wandering as thoughts of Jonah filled her mind. The realization that Jonah was her alpha, the only one she’d bare her belly to, almost shattered the sphere.
Her anima spiraled out of control, sending the blended colors back to separate swirls.
“Concentrate,” Jonah muttered, shoring up the weak spots that had appeared, shouldering her part of the magic while Carol scrambled to correct her mistake.
At least she hadn’t broken the connection completely, but Jesus. The thought of Jonah stroking her belly, and points in between, made her shudder with desire, once again distracting her from the task at hand.
She’d forgotten how closely they’d meshed until Jonah’s eyes went wide. Their intertwined magic must have taken her desire and transmitted it to Jonah. His expression changed, his eyes becoming heavy-lidded, his skin flushing. “What were you thinking of just now?”
Carol’s cheeks heated. She bet she was the color of a cooked lobster. She cleared her throat, fidgeting with her hands. “Nothing.”
He shook himself and stood, the marbled bubble popping with an audible sound. “Carol.”
“Jonah.” Wow. She could smell his desire, musky and strong, filling the room. She stood and took a step back as he stalked toward her. She cleared her throat, aware that she’d just become prey. “Aren’t we supposed to be practicing magic?”
“Hmm. I bet together we could find some practical uses for it.” His skin still glistened with sweat, amplifying his aroma to the point where the idea of baring her throat to him became less about submission and about more fuck-me-now. “What do you think?”
“Eep,” she squeaked, backing up farther. She’d never withdrawn her anima, so their magic was more closely entwined than it usually was. Now, beyond their mingled fragrance beginning to fill the room, his desire caressed her senses through their link.
He snickered, still stalking her. “Oh, sweetheart. Our magic really wants to join.”
Carol’s back hit the wall next to one of the windows. “Maybe they can go out for coffee? Pastries, even?”
“Coffee.” His head tilted, the gesture almost wolf-like. “You mean like a first date?”
She nodded furiously. She might want him in more ways than one, but she wasn’t someone who went tail up that easily.
Maybe.
God, he was hot. Her palms were beginning to sweat, and the lump in her throat was the size of a boulder. Her heart was racing at his nearness, his scent overwhelming her senses. And the way their magic blended had her panting like a dog in heat.
Crap. Would she be able to resist him if he made a move on her? She wasn’t sure, but maybe he’d go with her request.
He stopped when there was barely a half an inch between them. If she took a deep breath, her breasts would be pressed up against his chest. “Do you trust me?”
She blinked. Did she? After last night, when he’d held her throughout the storm and offered her not only comfort but protection, she did. Not as much as she trusted her brother, but that was all right. Trust took time to build, and he was off to a great start laying the foundation of their relationship.
“Yes.”
“Good.” He cupped the back of her head and kissed her.
His lips were softer than she’d thought they would be. His magic caressed her as the kiss deepened. Jonah tasted her languidly, touching her as if she were precious, as if they had all day to do nothing but slowly sink into each other.
She’d never been kissed with such care. He cradled her body against his own, his hand on her hip, gently pulling her closer. Their magic coiled around them, giving her goose bumps. She couldn’t stop herself from wrapping her arms around his neck, moaning into his mouth as the kiss heated.
It wasn’t until her breath was coming in gasps that he lifted his mouth from hers. He didn’t go far though. He rested his forehead against hers, their noses brushing together, their breath mingling. He was breathing just as hard as she was.
“Fuck.” He closed his eyes and shuddered against her.
“Not on the first date,” she muttered, trying desperately to stop herself from throwing him on the ground and mounting him like a polo pony.
He chuckled, the sound rough and husky. “Yes, dear.” He kissed the tip of her nose, then surprised the hell out of her when he hugged her tight. Their magic slowly began to separate while they stood there just holding each other. Her breathing evened out, her body going lax against his. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t stop myself.” He quivered, shuddering in her arms. “The magic between us is stronger than I’d thought.”
“In more ways than one,” she muttered, trying to calm her racing heart.
“You’ll tell me if I ever go too far, right?” His eyes closed, his expression close to pain. “I never want you to feel I’ve pushed you into something you don’t want.”
She pushed his hair away from his forehead. “I have some pretty big teeth, Jonah. If I want you to stop, believe me, I can stop you.” She took a deep breath, the heat of the moment finally leaving her veins. “I’m hungry.”
Jonah gave her one last squeeze. “Want some coffee? Maybe pastries?”
She snickered, aware he was referring to her offer to date. “I’d love some.”
He let her go, his movements reluctant, his expression the same. He sighed as he stepped away from her. “You’re so tempting, but I promise I’ll be good until you tell me I can be bad.”
Her brows rose. “I’m almost afraid to find out how bad you can be.”
He smirked. “I can’t wait to show you.” He took her hand and tugged her after him. “C’mon. Let’s get that coffee, then we can get back to work.”
She whined in the back of her throat. “Do we have to?”
“Honestly? I think we can get our magic to blend even more.” He sat her down at the kitchen table, kissing the back of her hand before letting her go. He walked to the coffee maker and began running a pot of the blessed brown liq
uid. They’d found out their first morning together that neither of them functioned well without coffee. “This was our first attempt at doing magic, so let’s find out how far we can take it.”
“If it blends any tighter it’ll get pregnant.”
He almost dropped the tin of coffee. She watched as he fumbled it onto the counter before he turned and stared at her.
“What?” She tried to appear innocent but wasn’t sure how well she was pulling it off. Think fluffy bunny. I’m just hopping through, trying not to get eaten.
It must have worked because after a moment he shook his head and turned back to the coffee maker. “Evil woman.”
She kept her amusement to herself as she watched him make the coffee. When he placed the steaming mug in front of her, she took a sip, moaning at the taste. “God, I needed that.” She licked her lips to catch a drop of the yummy goodness that had tried to escape its fate.
He grunted, staring at her mouth as he took his seat.
“Something wrong, Detective?” She licked the edge of the mug, aware that she was playing with fire.
Jonah cleared his throat. “Nope.” He took a sip of his coffee, but his gaze was still glued to her lips.
Carol smiled and took another sip. “So, Mr. Sound, tell me a little more about yourself.”
He chuckled, his gaze finally leaving her lips. He sat back in his chair. “Like what? We’ve done the family thing already.”
She tilted her head. “What made you decide to become a cop?”
“My family has always been giving back to the community in one way or another. My maternal grandfather was a cop, and he used to tell me stories about all the people he’d helped.” Jonah put the mug back on the table and folded his hands over his stomach, his pose utterly relaxed. “He took me to the precinct a few times, and the cops there talked to me like I was one of them.” He smiled sweetly. “My mother was so pissed about that. She wanted me to be a lawyer or a doctor or, hell, a baker, anything but a cop. She didn’t want me playing with guns.”
“But you decided the best use of your talents was finding the bad guys and putting them in the hoosegow.”
“Hoosegow?” He shook his head, grinning at her fondly. “Where do you come up with this stuff?”
She shrugged. “Internet.” She sipped her coffee as he sputtered out a laugh.
“I can’t wait for you to meet my family.” His grin became lazy, sensuous. “They’re gonna love you.”
Now it was her turn to choke on her coffee. “Um. I’ve never met anyone’s parents before.” Including her own.
“Trust me. They’re going to want to adopt you.” Jonah’s easy smile turned into a frown. “I’d better talk them out of that. I’m not into incest.”
Carol shuddered. “Dear God.” She sipped her coffee again. She’d have to meet Mr. and Mrs. Sound if she was planning on bonding with Jonah long-term. The thought terrified her.
What was she supposed to do with parents?
Jonah’s hand covered hers. “You’ll be fine. I have every faith in you.”
It was good that one of them did, because Carol wasn’t so sure she’d survive leaving Jonah if the Sounds decided they didn’t like her. After all, what could a throwaway child offer their son beside herself?
Chapter 10
A week later, Jonah couldn’t believe how relaxed he was around Carol. He’d had familiars in the past who’d made living with them so miserable he’d almost rented them apartments rather than have them in his home but couldn’t because of the distance restrictions on early bonds. Just because magic might mesh didn’t mean the people did. While some could be as far away as fifty yards, others he’d tried to bond with had to be within twenty. That didn’t allow for much wiggle room when it came to housing his familiars, let alone working with them.
But Carol, she fit in ways he was having a hard time defining. He already loved watching her hum as she did the dishes. She’d offered since he’d made breakfast, arguing that while she lived there, they should share the chores. He leaned back in his chair, checking out her ass and hoping she wouldn’t catch him.
“So, I want to head back to the college and confirm whether or not they have any surveillance cameras facing the area where the body was dumped.” They’d been working other cases during the week and had been forced to let this one drop while they awaited the tox reports. MCU, just like any other department, didn’t work like they did on TV and in movies. They often had more than one case on their plates. In Jonah’s case, they had three other magic-related crimes they were trying to solve.
The murder had made the papers, and the public wanted answers. So far, Jonah had nothing for them, so he let Captain Ford handle the press while he went over his and Carol’s notes.
Nothing had turned up on the radar for their victim. He got good grades, about a 3.0 average, and had several friends. He was friendly, outgoing, and so far, had no enemies that Jonah could find.
The kid was practically a saint.
She glanced back at him over her shoulder, and he quickly raised his eyes. He was pretty sure she’d caught him, though, because her expression was mildly amused. “Sounds like a good idea. I’d check the rest of the cameras as well. Maybe he was murdered on campus, and the cameras caught something.”
“Not a bad idea. We should also stop off at the station. They should have your familiar badge ready.”
“I’ll need to take a photo for the employee badge, right?”
“The one that lets you in the building?” She nodded, and Jonah continued. “Yeah. We can take care of that tomorrow though. Your police badge should be ready for you at the front desk.”
“Huh. They work fast.” Carol put the last mug in the dishwasher and washed her hands.
“Familiar badges are always fast-tracked so that the sorcerer doesn’t have to explain why someone who isn’t necessarily a cop is allowed onto a crime scene. We’ve had issues with newbies giving familiars grief, so they have the F-Class badge within a few days of familiar registration. Your normal badge will be issued once the year and a day are up and you get your assignment.” Hopefully, she’d be allowed to remain by his side, but he somehow doubted it. With the warning Ralph had given him, she’d probably wind up working as a rookie uniform just like everyone else.
Carol shrugged. “Works for me.” She started the dishwasher and headed for the front door, where she’d left her shoes. “Ready to go?”
He needed to take her clothes shopping. Her wardrobe so far consisted of nothing but some T-shirts and tank tops, worn jeans, and canvas sneakers. He’d been startled at the small suitcase that had been delivered to his residence a week ago. She needed to be pampered, and he was just the man to do that. First things first though. “Ready.”
They made their way to the LAPD building. Carol’s badge was waiting for her at the front desk, but no police-issued weapon. Until she received her official assignment on the force as a cop instead of just a familiar, she wasn’t allowed to carry a police-issued firearm. Even when after she became a cop, as a large predator, it was considered optional by the higher-ups. Their theory was that, if necessary, she could shift to defend herself. Jonah believed it had more to do with budget concerns than anything else.
Jonah didn’t consider it a sidearm optional. If necessary, he’d teach her how to shoot. The more weapons she had at her disposal, the better.
While she waited for her badge, Jonah called the college. He was passed around from line to line until he was connected with the secretary of the provost, Dr. Hill. “Hello, my name is Jonah Sound, and I’m a detective with the LAPD’s magical crimes unit.” He rattled off his badge number. “I’d like to speak to Dean Hill about viewing any videos of the crime that occurred there a week ago.”
The secretary cleared her throat. “Of course, Officer. When do you think you’ll be here?”
He glanced at Carol and noticed that Officer Bob had taken over the front desk. “In about thirty minutes.”
“I’l
l inform Dean Hill. She’ll make the arrangements with our head of security, Chief Rivers, and his boss, Dean Anthony.”
“Thank you.” Jonah said his goodbyes and hung up.
Officer Bob cleared his throat. “Hey, Carol.” The moment he’d spotted Carol, his gaze had gone to her breasts.
He’d definitely teach her how to fire a gun himself. No one else was going to help her but him. Especially Officer Bob.
Maybe he’d teach her on a Bob-shaped target.
“Hey, Bob. Bye, Bob.” She waved goodbye as she hung the badge from the chain lanyard he’d given her. He’d had each of his familiars use the chain, and she kept sniffing at it and wrinkling her nose. “Why does this smell like hedgehog?”
Jonah chuckled as he led the way back out of the station. “Joan. She was a cutie, but we didn’t mesh properly, so she moved on.”
Carol stared at him, her lips curling back in a snarl.
Jonah risked his hand, patting her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, she’s married with a kid on the way. Her sorcerer is named Julia.” Just like that, the snarl disappeared, a chagrined expression replacing it. “We’ll go to a cop store and pick up something you like, okay?”
“I want one of those that has my ID in it as well as the badge.” She scowled. “And make it faux leather, not the real stuff.” She stopped sniffing at the lanyard and focused on the street ahead of them, the scowl disappearing quickly.
Jonah smiled. He could just picture what she’d pick out if left to her own devices. “They don’t sell pink sparkly ones.”
The scowl returned. “Asshole.”
“Or leopard print.” He ducked quickly. “Don’t claw the driver!” He huffed at her as he readjusted himself in his seat. “That’s bad. Bad dog.”
She whined at him, the canine sound odd coming from that cute little face.
“No. No biscuit for you.” Jonah chuckled as she slid down in her seat with a whimper.
The rest of the ride to the college was uneventful, the silence only broken by the static-y sound of the police scanner. He’d already called in where they were headed, informing Miles that they were working the university case. It was standard procedure, one he was going to teach Carol. As shotgun, she’d be calling Miles in the future when they were in the car. He’d have to make sure to introduce her to him as soon as possible.
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