by test
feet.
Unlike my previous eight tries, I felt a wave of love and joy wash over me as I got closer to the shimmering water. The river was so beautiful and seemed to call out to me and more than anything I wanted to touch it. I wanted to jump in and bathe in it's golden radiance. All my worries would disappear once I was held in it's warm embrace ….
With a painful thud I came back to the beach and looked up into Gage's worried face,
“Stop at the river, understand? Don't touch it and don't go too close to it or you will never come back!”
He looked almost frantic and kept running his hands over my hair and face in a nervous way. I kinda liked having his hands on me again, so I didn't say anything. With an embarrassed frown he dropped his hands and backed up a step.
I smiled blissfully and he laughed shakily, “You did good, real good. I think you're ready to learn a few basic spells now.”
“Great, wonderful, brilliant, aren't I the lucky girl?” I muttered. But he had already started walking towards a large duffel bag he brought with him for our practice session and didn't hear me.
“This is a useful spell, it isn't really a first level one. But, I think you will really enjoy it; Invisibility,” he said this last with a real flourish, like a chef pulling the cover off a rack of lamb for his amazed guests to ooh and ahh over.
I think my problem was that just a few days ago I worked all day, went home and
watched TV before crawling into bed too late at night and then started the whole thing again the next day.
As boring as it made me sound, I'd been content with that life. I liked knowing what to expect from each day. I liked making plans for the weekend, such as buy a plant for the kitchen window or picking up the new Naomi Novik at the library. There was something to be said for a simple, predictable life.
I knew that it was over, I could never go back to that, but I wasn't willing to give up everything for Gage, who at the moment was really pissing me off with his little treats and revelations.
I made myself concentrate on what he was saying and was unwillingly intrigued at the thought of being invisible. We rehearsed the spell a second time and then he stood back and with a sweeping gesture of his arm he urged me to complete the spell alone.
The spell was a simple one and involved a draw of ley line power and a potion. A small portable camp stove was set up on a low table on the beach and I carefully measured five nigella seeds, three drops of bay laurel oil, a scraping of cinnamon bark and three daisy petals, gave it a good stir with a copper spoon five times widdershins and then I tipped it all down in one go.
Ack! The taste was bitter and rotten and I felt an unwelcome urge to vomit overcome me. I lifted my hand to my mouth hoping I could stave off the nausea with a few deep breaths when I noticed that I couldn't see my hand anymore.
I held my arm out before me and gave a small shriek of horror, my arm was gone too! I knew the spell was for invisibility, but now I knew that I had done the spell not really expecting it to work. There was a part of me, the rational part that couldn't accept magic, not even after seeing my brother fly, my mother make flowers rain from the sky and Gage juggling fireballs.
Magic just wasn't a part of a rational universe.
“Anna, it will wear off in a few minutes and you will be just the same afterward.” Gage WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 73
said soothingly from behind me.
I nodded my head and laughed when I realized he couldn't see me and was staring at a spot about five feet to my left. This was so strange. Being invisible was exciting and liberating and I had an insane urge to sneak up on Gage and give him a tickle, not good, the man didn't need any encouragement from me to get closer.
I walked around the beach in circles enjoying the way I cast no shadow and watching as Gage's eyes stayed firmly stuck on the ground watching my footprints to keep track of where I was going.
Watching him follow me gave me the idea that I could lose him by walking into the ocean and then following the beach a ways until I got to a more inhabited area, but the moment I walked into the water I felt a strange tickling sensation and suddenly I could see my body again.
“Water and salt negate any spell. Any kind of running water or salt makes spell casting impossible. That's important to keep in mind if you are ever in danger. Rule number one of witch safety: stay away from water.”
I thought about that a moment and remembered the dousing that colonial peoples had given suspected witches. Maybe some of the women had been witches but the water kept them from doing anything to help themselves. I shivered with fear at the thought of those women, helpless and drowning, how terrible.
I walked out of the water. The bottoms of my pants were soaking wet and I felt a bit bedraggled and tired now. We had been practicing for several hours and it was surprisingly draining. My head ached a little and my eyes felt gritty from the strain.
I saw Gage check his watch and with a smile in my direction he began to pack up the practice supplies. I moved to help him and our hands collided as we both reached for the long, copper spoon I used to stir the invisibility potion. I tried to pull my hand back but he was faster and he pulled my hand up to his mouth and gave the center of my palm a gentle kiss. I felt a blush heating my face and when I met his eyes he had a wicked grin on his and he ran a gentle finger across my cheek.
“You're a shy thing aren't you?” He said looking me over with a heated expression.
I pulled away so quickly I landed on my butt in the sand. I ignored his hand and scrambled to my feet alone.
Why did he have to try so hard? Just when I started to feel easy around him, he did something like touch my face or kiss my hand. He made me want to get closer to him. When I put it that way it seemed pretty ridiculous for me to get so upset about him, but I was so on edge with him around. I had the feeling that even if I had never had a single dream about him I would feel the same way.
“No. I am not shy. You're supposed to keep your hands to yourself, remember?” He gave me a mock chastened look but stepped closer, too close for comfort.
“I said I would leave you alone during practice.”
I felt the blood rush to my face with anger as I watched his smile turn wicked. I turned to walk away, but he was faster. I felt his hands on my shoulders, but I didn't want to struggle away from him. I was curious about what he would do and I couldn't stop thinking about what happened upstairs on his bed, would he do it again? Would I like it as much as the last time?
Would I want him to stop?
His lips were hot as they traveled along my neck and with a moan of longing I turned into his embrace. His shirt was unbuttoned and I gave into my longing and pressed my lips against WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 74
the skin that was exposed by the collar and was elated to hear him groan with pleasure at my touch.
His hands were rough and gentle at the same time as I felt him pulling me to the large rug he had spread out for the table and camp stove. I felt the silken fibers against my back as he spread me out carefully on the ground and then settled at my side.
His hands traveled the length of my body as he carefully measured my waist, skimmed along the sides of my breasts and then down the length of my legs before coming to rest on my cheek. With a sigh I turned to him and his hot mouth covered mine in a kiss that was wet and desperate. Our tongues twisted around each other and I moaned as I felt his warm hands sliding up under my shirt to cover my peaking breast.
His mouth pulled away and I watched as he tried to undo the buttons of my shirt, and finally, with a muttered oath, he grabbed both sides and with a wrenching pull, the buttons flew off and my shirt was pushed to the sides revealing my lace covered breasts.
The bra was one that Taryn bought for me in London and I was fiercely glad that he was seeing me in it instead of my monoboob inducing sports bra. It was a delicate nude colored lace and the cups gently molded my breasts without giving them an unnatural squashed look. It was sexier and prettier th
an what I was used to and I could see by the slight grin on his face and the way his eyes widened, he liked what he saw.
His long fingers danced along the tops of my breasts, gently teasing my nipples through the fabric and driving me insane with longing. More than anything I wanted his mouth on my nipples again, but I was suddenly mute and couldn't get a word out. I looked into his eyes silently telling him what I wanted and with a wicked twist of his mouth he continued to touch everywhere but where I most needed him.
My head rolled back and I gave a helpless moan knowing that there wasn't anything I could say that would make him hurry to his goal. With gentle hands I felt him undo the clasp and cool air touched me causing my nipples to ruche tight with excitement. Next I felt his hot mouth covering my breast, sucking lightly at the tip and I wiggled with delight.
I pushed at the fabric of his shirt wanting to feel his chest pressed against mine and he sat up and pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Then he was next to me, his body was warm and smooth and powerful and I wanted him closer still. I slid closer and it wasn't enough.
His hands were against my lower abdomen and I felt the zip slide down on my pants and I lifted my hips a little so that he could pull them down. He stopped when my pants were at my ankles and gave me a serious look.
“I won't be able to stop this time,” he warned me.
I sat up and pushed my pants the rest of the way off and he reached for the waistband of my panties with eager hands and with an inarticulate cry I grabbed his hand to stop him and my legs clenched together in apprehension.
He gave a half laugh, half groan and then with a look of resolve hooked one finger under the top of the elastic, tickling the sensitive skin it covered and leaned down to carefully kiss first my belly then my fabric covered mound. I squirmed in delight and fear at his touching me in such an intimate place. I was too aware of his finger under the waistband and as much as I tried, I couldn't relax my legs enough to allow him to lay between them like he had before.
I watched as he kissed me again and this time his tongue slowly darted out and traced the small indent in the fabric. His tongue lapped at the fabric and pushed inward until I could feel pressure against my throbbing clit and my juices slowly dampened the fabric making it cling in WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 75
an enticing way.
I hardly noticed when he peeled the panties down and his finger replaced his tongue. I was moaning and making mewling gasping cries that I never would have thought could come out of my mouth. With a sob of excitement I felt him drag my panties down my legs and then he shoved my thighs apart to make way for him to lie between them.
I moaned eagerly as he used both hands to spread my plump labia apart baring my
throbbing clit to his eyes and with his tongue he licked and sucked and penetrated my throbbing slit in a primal rhythm making my legs shake and my throat hoarse from moaning as he brought me to a screaming orgasm with his mouth.
I was quivering with aftershocks and a relaxing feeling of lassitude swept over me as I felt one finger slide gently into my tightness. I gasped in shock realizing that while I had climaxed, gloriously in an earth shattering way, he was still partially dressed.
I watched as he withdrew his finger and with unhurried hands unzipped his pants, pulled his boxers down and proudly bared his lower body to my avid gaze.
He was big, too big. The head of his cock glistened with silky moisture and the shaft was thick enough that I would have a hard time getting my fingers around it. I wasn't sure what the normal size was for a penis, but I was sure that his wasn't it.
The shaft was delicately curved upward and ropey veins ran along the sides and under my interested gaze I saw it grow longer and thicker. Uh oh, I didn't like to think how much bigger his cock was than his finger as he moved to lie between my thighs again.
He spread my legs wider and with a gasp I realized the time had come. Fatalistically, I had always known that there was no one I wanted to make love with but Gage, but now that I was about to I was nervous.
“Um, Gage, I don't think this will work. Maybe we should slow down, have some lunch or something …. ”
His face was tight and fierce with longing and I felt the head of his cock bump alarmingly against my widespread softness. I tried to bring my legs together, but with a laugh he pushed them apart again with his knees and said, “Look at me while I fuck you.”
I couldn't look away and I didn't remember when I had shoved my arms up between us, but with an equal mix of excitement and fear I gripped his upper arms as he began to press into my body.
At once I tried to relax as a feeling of fullness stretched my opening wide. Gage's mouth was open in a rectus of pleasure and I felt relief that it wasn't as painful as I had been told it could be.
The head of his cock was fully inside me and the feeling was of delicious tightness and friction. I let my breath out in a rush and waited to see what would happen next. His hips rocked forward slightly and I felt him slide against my engorged clit as he slid further inside of me. I moaned in reawakening pleasure.
This was nice, very, very nice. For a few moments more I relaxed as I felt Gage slowly rocking back and forth starting up a delicious rhythm and making me moan with delight.
Then, he said so softly, I almost didn't hear him, “You're so tight angel. It will only hurt a moment.”
I had a moment to wonder what he was talking about, he was inside me, the
uncomfortable part I had been so worried about was over and frankly, it hadn't been as painful as some people said. Then he thrust forward and I felt a tight stinging pain as his cock speared into WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 76
my delicate flesh wringing a surprised scream from me. He was deeper than before and I gasped at the feeling. His eyes were locked on mine with a look so carnal it made my sheath spasm around his hardness. He groaned and his arms shook as he hovered above me, unmoving for several seconds.
Just when I was feeling that I wanted him to move, to do something, he slowly pulled almost all the way out and then I felt his long, hard length slide all the way in again. With each thrust he stretched me anew and I moaned at the tight pain of it.
I felt invaded and overwhelmed and I watched as Gage's face became tight, his eyes glassy and pupils dilated, his cheeks flushed from his exertions. The pain faded but the feeling was so strange, not at all what I had expected from sex.
I felt his hand reach down and in a gentle rhythm he rubbed my clit in time with his thrusts. Soon a rising feeling of pleasure began to pulse inside of me and I realized in amazement that I was close to orgasm too.
I could hear him whispering encouragement to me, telling me how good I felt, how tight and wet and how much he wanted me to come with his cock buried deep inside me. His words tipped me over the edge and with a hoarse cry I climaxed, spasming around him in waves of joy and felt him explode a moment later.
He pulled away carefully and I felt him slide out of me and I felt strangely sad to be apart from him again.
His back was turned to me as he dug through his bag and finding what he wanted zipped the bag closed again and turned around with a small silky cloth and used it to gently wipe away the wetness from my thighs and crotch.
“Any regrets?” He had a strangely vulnerable look on his face as he waited for my answer.
“No.” I said slowly. I didn't, at least not now, with my breasts tingling, my mouth kiss sore and a mellow pulsating feeling between my legs.
I felt pretty good actually. I wanted to run on the beach, fly a kite and eat a gallon of chocolate truffle ice cream all at the same time. I was restless, excited, the sensations were so strange that I wasn't sure what to do with myself. Usually, I was a pretty calm person, but since meeting Gage my emotions were all over the place, it was exhilarating and terrible at the same time.
He smiled and gave a relieved laugh. It was weird to think he had been worried. The man was gorgeous and I knew about a dozen women who w
ould pay a month's salary for a fraction of what I just experienced with him. As a matter of fact, I had seen over a dozen women's gratitude for his sexual prowess, my mouth turned down at the thought.
“How many women have you been with Gage?”
His stare was direct as he took in my focused gaze and tightly clenched fists.
“Why do you want to know?”
“I just do. Don't say you wouldn't have asked me how many men I was with if you knew I wasn't a virgin.”
“I wouldn't have. Whatever you did with other men is in the past. All I care about is that you are with me now.”
I was surprised by that. His behavior so far had suggested a certain caveman
possessiveness and to find out he didn't care what I did before meeting him seemed out of character, but kinda nice too.
WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 77
I didn't know what to say now, it seemed churlish to want to know about his past lovers.
I should let sleeping dogs lie as the saying goes, but I still felt uneasy not knowing. I wanted to hear it from him.
“Were you in love with any of them? Did you want to marry anyone before me?”
He threw his head back and laughed and then leaned forward to give me a quick, hard kiss. My lips clung to his as he pulled back. He stood up and pulled on his boxers with a quick movement and I looked him over with a proud eye, he was really something to look at. Like a living statue of David, all muscled and firm, even his knees were manly and beautiful.
“Careful angel, you sound like a jealous wife. I liked them. They were all very kind and generous women. There, is that enough for you? I don't really want to talk about the past. I think we should start planning for the future.”
Jealous? Of course I was! I had seen my first and only lover with dozens of women.
Worst of all, they were all the complete opposite of me. I was so jealous of them my stomach burned and my throat felt tight with suppressed emotion.
I didn't want him to talk about the future with me. The future was the one thing I didn't want to think about. Today was a little detour to fantasy land. I figured I had a few days with Gage, learning to control my magic, and, hopefully having more mind blowing sex, then it was back to my safe, boring life. I wasn't bitter, I just wanted to enjoy what time I had with him before leaving him behind.