by J. R. White
Staring up into his sad blue eyes, Meredith was only able to hold out for so long and he had apologized after all. So maybe he did understand. Reaching her arms up and draping them over his shoulders, she said, “I love that you see me as me and not just some path to power. I want you to think of me as more than the head of my family, Malcolm. I should have restrained myself. I can’t go running off just because something piques my interest. It’s not all on you.”
Warm fingers inched their way under the hem of her shirt and flattened over her lower back. “You’re so much more than just the head of your family. You’re beautiful…” Here, Malcolm dropped a quick kiss on her left cheek. “Sexy…” Another kiss, this time on her right cheek. “Smart…” A peek on her nose. “And perfect.” The last part was whispered against her lips.
Malcolm’s mouth caressed hers slowly, as if he was giving her the chance to push him away. Returning the kiss, Meredith kept it gentle. She wanted to prolong the feeling of apology. When at last their lips parted, she lowered her head and nuzzled her nose over the hollow of his throat. As she took in the honeyed earth rich scent that he always seemed to wear, he asked, “So, are you still mad at me?”
Tickling the back of his neck, Meredith moved her mouth up and forced his chin to lift as she dotted his neck with small kisses. “No.”
Meredith felt his entire body relax at the simple word and grinned when he said, “Good. It was killing me.”
Pulling back just enough to look up at him, Meredith lifted up on her toes to rub her nose playfully against his. The motion pressed her body more firmly against him, connecting them from thighs to chest. “You going to do it again?” she asked as he started kissing a slow path across her jaw.
Malcolm paused, his lips just above her skin. Meredith held her breath, waiting for him to answer. After a second, he whispered, “I promise I won’t drag you into trouble anymore.”
Meredith knew it was the best she was going to get. Malcolm Blackwood wouldn’t be his charming self without getting into trouble. It was just a part of the whole package. “Good enough,” she said and his mouth brushed over her neck.
His hands tightened over her hips and pulled her tighter against him. Meredith would be lying to herself if she said she wasn’t happy to have him touching her again. It had only been a day, but a day with him so close and yet not was a day too much. They’d held each other when they traveled, but that was nothing compared to the heat that was sparking between them now.
This was just a tease compared to the passion that would come next.
As if proving her inner dialogue, Malcolm asked, “Would you be more comfortable on the bed?”
Smirking, Meredith glanced down at the carpeted floor. “It might save me from rug burn.”
Nodding, Malcolm gave her a knowing look, and loosened his arms. Giving her one last quick kiss, he said, “Then you best hurry, little mouse, or I might pounce on you no matter where I catch you.”
Meredith pulled away from his arms and flashed him a “come and get me” look over her shoulder before hurrying for the door. She tugged her shirt off as she made her way through her apartment and knew that Malcolm was close behind when he tossed his own shirt ahead to the couch.
The light touch of Malcolm’s fingers on her side made Meredith turn and side step to avoid him. Smiling back at him, she quickened her pace and hurried to the bedroom. Letting out a joyful laugh, he teased, “I almost caught you, Babe.”
Her bra was off by the time her bed came into view. She pulled her hair free from its pony tail and shook it out over her shoulders.
He caught her at the edge of the bed.
Meredith gasped as his hands took quick hold of her hips and drug her back against him. The tug sent her shoulders forward and her hands flattened on the mattress as Malcolm rubbed his pelvis against her backside. She could feel the hard bulge trapped behind his jeans and groaned as his fingers pressed into the sensitive notch at her hips.
Turning her head to look at him over her shoulder, Meredith smiled and leaned back into his hold, putting more pressure against him. The effort drug a groan from his lips and his hands tightened, digging into her flesh.
Skillful fingers moved from her hip down to her belly and onward to the snaps of her jeans. When the pressure of her pants popped open, Meredith felt herself tense with anticipation. Malcolm quickly took hold of the hem and in one jerk had her butt bare. She started to reach back and help remove her pants, but he already had them around her knees.
Between her legs Meredith could see Malcolm use one hand to lower her jeans. The other was hidden from view, but a second later she knew exactly what he’d done. His hands went back to her hips and pulled her back again. They mirrored what they’d been doing, only now the full length of his naked cock was pressed against her.
Malcolm snaked one hand around and with gentle fingers stroked her core. Meredith nearly let out a scream when one finger slipped over her clitoris. Her hands fisted in the thick blanket and she wiggled her hips against him, encouraging more. He didn’t disappoint her. The digit flicked back and tease her clit with every other breath, sending her into jerking shivers of delight.
Throughout, Malcolm pressed his hips forward, letting her squirm against him. At one point Meredith jerked forward and the tip of his erection fell forward, rubbing over the hypersensitive flesh he’d been teasing. Letting out a startled gasp of pleasure, she couldn’t stop herself from rubbing over his length again.
That must have been Malcolm’s breaking point too, because after just a few seconds of the contact he pulled away and Meredith felt him tugging her legs out of her pants. What happened to my shoes? It was a shattered thought that was blow away when he pushed her forward onto the bed completely.
Now, with all the clothing out of the way, Malcolm rolled her and started to crawl up over her. With hot kisses and the searing glide of his tongue, he worked her body from hip to breast. By the time he was leaning over her and catching her mouth in a deep kiss, she was ready to snap from desire.
Meredith nipped at his bottom lip playfully as she put her hand to his chest and gave a push and lifted herself up. The roll onto his back was smooth and their lips barely parted as she climbed on top of him.
It was a masterful powerplay between them. Sometimes Malcolm took the lead and drove her over the edge, but other times Meredith wanted that control. Lifting herself up, she rolled her hips and looked for the perfect spot. Rock hard met slippery wet and she jerked with the sudden pleasure that shot through her.
Flattening her hands on his chest for support, Meredith rolled her hips and felt the press of his as he lifted to meet her motions. She watched as his head fall back against the pillow and his eyes closed. With his lips slightly parted, it was clear he was enjoying her fun as much as she was.
When Malcolm’s hands found their way to her thighs, Meredith slowed and rocked her hips forward and back. His thumbs dug into her inner legs as she stroked the entire length of him like this. The sensation of her clit dragging along had her nails digging into his chest and soon she felt like she was going to burst from the tense buildup of need that was coursing through her.
The sound of their heavy breathing echoed around her as Meredith rode him, climbing higher towards her release. How she wanted the screaming climax to shake her world right then, but she stopped just shy of hitting it. Instead, she lifted up, giving Malcolm just enough room to reach between them and position the head of his cock at her entrance.
Still lifted, Meredith rotated her hips and Malcolm let out a longing moan from the sensation. She lowered herself slowly at first, teasing him, and then when half his shaft was buried she dropped down. So close to her release, it was more than a snug fit as his cock stretched and filled her. Both of them caught their breath and for a second were frozen, enjoying the connection.
Falling forward, Meredith moved her hands to support her above his shoulders. Her breasts barely grazed over his chest as she leaned forward and captu
red his lips. As their tongues flicked and tangled together in a heated battle, she started the slow bouncing rhythm that would drive them over the edge at last.
Malcolm’s hands roamed up her legs and around to her butt. His fingers tightened, claiming handfuls of her tush as Meredith drove her hips up and down. Lifting her mouth from his, she watched him as she rode him.
He was a beautiful sight laying under her, lost in the tidal wave of passion.
It didn’t take long before Meredith tensed and her rhythm faltered. The muscles in her thighs went tight and the pressure blew. She stopped the bouncing of her hips and started grinding against him. Easily taking over, Malcolm started thrusting his hips up and his hands tightened their hold on her ass. The combination was explosive and had her forgetting to breathe as she lay against him. Her body burned with the fiery orgasm that he was dragging out of her.
Her arms had long ago gone weak and her breasts were flattened against his chest. The steady thump of his heart pounded in almost the same cadence as his thrusts. Meredith was lost in the frantic tempo, riding the surges of pleasure as they came.
Then Malcolm’s hands moved and he stopped beneath her. Lifting her hips, he pulled out and let out a low groan of release as she dropped down to his side. She watched his eyes close and his head tilt back. The sight didn’t last long, but she loved it. For a few seconds neither of them cared about anything outside of the bedroom and just enjoyed each other.
There were other times that happened without the sex; cuddling as they listened to the rain or laughing while the played a game. But that fraction of a moment when Malcolm lost all thought was one of Meredith’s favorite moments.
Moving her hand and trailing her fingers over his shoulder, Meredith smiled. “I’m going to have to get mad at you more often if the sex is this good after.”
Turning his head and lifting an eyebrow at her, Malcolm asked, “How about we skip the mad part and just keep having good sex?”
“That works too,” Meredith agreed with a laugh. The man was so much trouble, but Meredith supposed that was one of the reasons she loved him so much.
Suddenly exhausted, Meredith settled herself. Malcolm moved his arm around her shoulders and offered his shoulder to her. Draping her arm across his chest, she let out a happy hum. The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was Malcolm maneuvering them under the blanket. With the warmth of the soft cotton and the pillow of his shoulder, she was sure to have good dreams.
Chapter Five
Pulling away from Meredith, Malcolm slowly removed himself from the bed. He kept an eye on her peaceful form. She was sleeping so soundly that she barely let out a weak groan at the loss of his warmth. He had to play it careful from this point until he made it out of the bedroom. Even if she was deep asleep, she could still wake up at the oddest sound.
Malcolm felt horrid sneaking away from her, cautiously collecting his clothing as he retreated from the room. He did, but still felt it was best. Meredith would be angry when she woke up, but at least she wouldn’t have to deal with this mess anymore.
Finally out of the bedroom, Malcolm pulled the door closed with a soft click. He stood frozen for a second, listening for her to wake up. When the coast was clear, he started pulling his clothes on and headed towards the study. Meredith had acted like she put the maps away in her safe, but he knew better. Standing in front of the fireplace, he pulled the picture of rolling English hills from the safe and flipped it over.
That’s where he found the neatly folded maps, tucked into the edge of the frame. Malcolm hadn’t meant to find out about her little hiding spot. He’d just noticed her doing it one day and realized that she was worried. Even though she no longer kept her family’s Dragon Eye in the safe anymore, there were other family treasures that she didn’t want taken.
Meredith knew Malcolm wanted the maps and instead of putting them in a safe he might be able to crack, she’d slipped them into her hiding spot. He wasn’t offended. He would have done the same thing if she wanted something he didn’t want her to have.
He quickly found a scrap piece of paper and jotted down a note for Meredith to find when she did discover what he’d done. Guilt started knotting its way deeper in his gut as he sat the picture back onto the mantle and taped the note just under the safe.
Malcolm stared at the travel candle she’d let him place on the shelf after they’d started dating. Glancing back at the open study door, he knew it would take a miracle to keep her after this. He swallowed back the knot and pulled a match from his pocket.
Lighting the candle, Malcolm whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Then Malcolm blew away like ash and appeared in his apartment.
Back in his cluttered, chaotic home, Malcolm finally closed his eyes and let his head fall back. Swiping his hand over his face, he muttered, “She’s going to kill me.”
Tightening his hold on the maps, Malcolm took one last second to consider going back, putting the maps back in the frame and crawling back in bed with Meredith. A second was all he needed, and then he was focusing in on the next step of his plan.
Something was going on, and it was bigger than Malcolm really wanted to believe. Over his life he’d learned to follow logical steps and track the evidence. In the last few months he’d started learning something else too. Meredith’s tendency to go with her gut was staring to rub off on him. With the ley lines and the stolen spells, he was dealing with a combination of intuition and a hard line of clues pointing to trouble.
Meredith had clearly pointed out the blocked ley line. All Malcolm had to do was track down the spot and transport as close as possible to it. He was just going to check it, feel around for whatever magic might be in use and then come back. Coming back with some idea of who was doing this was the goal of the plan.
Maybe if he was able to give the library a name they could work more quickly to stop whatever was going on. Malcolm was sure it had something to do with the ley line opening that evening. The sooner whoever was behind all of this was stopped the better.
Clearing off the counter, Malcolm made room for what he needed to do. The modern map just fit over the area. Carefully setting the new map of ancient ley lines to the side, he made a mental note to not lose it in the clutter of his apartment. The stacks of knowledge seemed to swallow things whole sometimes and it could take him days of digging just to find the missing item.
His finger made the trip up the Ohio River and over into the Midwestern states. The ley line wasn’t there, but the instant Malcolm’s fingertip touched the place where it should have been, he felt the same spark that Meredith had earlier.
Zeroing in on that tiny dot of nothingness, Malcolm drew a circle of magic in the air above it. The tracking spell was only the size of a coaster. No need to have a big one for just tracking. He’d learned that lesson already. He searched for the feel of the magic that had shocked him. The tingling electric spark was like a signature or fingerprint. No witch could change the way their magic felt.
They could, however, shield themselves from being seen that way. So in this case, he was looking for a ward or barrier that was made up of that magic. It would take an enormous amount of magic to shield a dam blocking an entire ley line, which defeated the point of trying to shield it in the first place.
The spot came into view in Malcolm’s little tracking circle and slowly the fuzzy sight cleared up. There were large trees and that was about it. The magic was there, but it wasn’t blocking him from seeing the place. “Hell yeah,” he said in triumph. If there was nothing blocking him from seeing the spell, that meant he could travel directly to it.
Twitching his fingers to the left, Malcolm moved the tracking spell over to get a good view of the area. Nothing but trees and a few large rocks. There didn’t appear to be anyone near the place. He found one set of trees, twins growing almost on top of each other. Those would be his focus point for travel.
Etching the spot into his memory, Malcolm waved the tracking spell away a
nd quickly folded up the stolen map. After putting it safely to the side with the other one, he grabbed up his shoulder bag and searched out one of his candles that would hide his presence.
A quick strike of a match sent Malcolm to his destination. He could smell pine trees and hear his feet crunching on dried and dead foliage. Looking around, he didn’t see anyone close by. As he sent out his magic to search the area, he quickly snuffed out the candle and shoved it into his bag.
To his surprise, Malcolm’s magic stopped short just a few yards away. A thick, oppressive wall of magic was pressing in on him and only his personal power stopped it from crushing him. He had to suck in a breath and wrap a protective cloak around himself before he could start walking around. Slowly, one step at a time, he started moving through the woods.
An eerie silence surrounded Malcolm, and even though the forest was lit up by the midday sun, everything outside of his protective bubble was out of focus. It was clear the entire place had some major spell work going on. The magic tingled against his own, and something felt familiar to him.
Suddenly, a spark shot through his bubble and Malcolm jumped up to catch whatever had come in contact with his magic. The rustle of leaves and the sudden appearance of his brother brought his hands up defensively.
Joshua mirrored his appearance, throwing his hands up, ready to fight if he had to. After a tense second, Malcolm lowered his hands and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“Looking for the thief that you let get away,” Joshua snapped, dropping his hands to his sides.
Scanning the area around them, Malcolm asked, “What? How did you even find this place?” Taking a few steps away from his brother, he tried something. When Joshua spoke but no words came out, Malcolm nodded and held his hand up and stepped forward. “Okay. Try again.” Whatever spell was restricting the ley line was also stopping sound from traveling. That at least explained the odd silence.
Rolling his eyes, Joshua took an extra step forward and answered, “Father tracked the magic left behind by the knife the thief used.”