A Changeling For All Seasons Vol. 4

by Changelings

  Julia felt more alert. “They told him that?”

  “Madeline overheard their conversation. They knew about my little gift to you so I’m guessing it was tampered with. That would explain why it damn near killed you.”

  Julia snorted. “Where did you get it?”

  “I asked Dmitri to fetch it from the market from a vendor…”

  Why did he look so sheepish now? “Vendor? And?” she prompted.

  “I’ve used him before,” Rick admitted.

  “You’ve plied other women with aphrodisiacs, have you?”

  Rick grinned. “I wouldn’t have if I’d seen you first.”

  Julia shook her head at him.

  His expression grew grim. “I’m surprised they haven’t tried this before now, Julia. The Lycans must be getting desperate since Maddox ruined their last attempt to acquire the secret of immortality. They haven’t forgotten you.”

  “I don’t understand why they think I can help them.”

  “It doesn’t matter why,” Rick said. “We need to be more watchful.”

  “What happened to the ones who broke in?”

  “Dead.” Rick grinned again. “Madeline ate one of them apparently. Maddox will never let her live that down.”

  Julia had to laugh at that too even though it was her kind they were referencing. “It will give me a nice break from what he calls humor.”

  “You’ve had a break anyway. Ever since he changed Madeline into one of us, he’s completely fascinated by her. Well, more fascinated I should say.”

  Julia stretched, her body sore in ways that would take days to mend.

  “Would you like me better if I were one of you? A vampire?” she asked.

  Rick kissed her gently. “I wouldn’t change anything about you, Julia. I love you.”

  Julia kissed him, urging him to open his mouth to her. Their tongues twined and impossibly her body stirred. She snuggled closer to Rick, nudging suggestively.

  Rick pulled away, shaking his head. “This will be the only time I’ll probably ever tell you no. So, no. Your body needs to recover, love.”

  “You were there too and you’re hard as a rock right now.”

  Rick’s cock jerked beneath his slacks and her hand.

  “No,” he repeated. “Sore and tired are different for us. We recover a little more quickly. But since I know you like to watch now…”

  “What?” He had her interest now.

  “We could, ah, watch our friends clean up their mess.”

  “The intruders?”

  “That was their intention anyway, to get rid of the bodies since we gave the servants the day off. But it sounds like they got… distracted.”

  “And you want to watch?” Julia was getting turned on.

  “Do you?”

  “Hell, yeah.”

  Rick’s teeth gleamed like his dark eyes in a mischievous grin. Scooping her up in his arms with care, he headed for the door with her. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  If Madeline enjoyed one thing about her new vampiric life, it was the fact that she could make love with Maddox for hours without fatigue. She could enjoy hours of wicked delights beneath his mouth and hands without needing to rest or addressing any other human needs. It was magnificent.

  Her hands sank in his sleek blond hair as his mouth pressed against her pussy. His tongue was a tormenting devil that lashed her clit in a way that made her want to scream and slid down to tease the opening of her body that wept for him. Her leg tightened around Maddox’s shoulder as her other leg struggled to hold her up.

  Her small cries echoed in the huge hallway, empty except for the bodies of the Lycans they were supposed to be dealing with. They were dealing with it all right. Her back pressed harder against the wall as her belly tightened. Madeline gasped as the orgasm washed over her, sending heat through her body with slow comfort. It was good and Maddox didn’t speed up, just kept pleasuring her with his mouth and infinite patience while she trembled and moaned.

  When Maddox rose to stand before her, he kissed her. The taste and scent of her own arousal smeared across her mouth and it pushed her desire higher. Madeline clung to him, twining around him like a vine. His hand slid between their bodies and his fingers teased her throbbing clit in delicate circles. That combined with his powerful kiss left her struggling to breathe against him.

  “Want to take a break and take care of those two?” Maddox tipped his head in the direction of the Lycans’ bodies only a few feet away.

  “No,” she whispered against his lips, while she undid his slacks and reached inside for the hard length of his cock. With slow, experienced strokes she tried to drive him as wild as she felt.

  Maddox pulled back, flashing her a smile that had her insides melting. “Then what do you want?”

  “You.” Madeline kissed his lips, caressed him in her hand. “I want you. I’ll never get enough. Please.”

  Because he was much older than her and so incredibly strong, he lifted her up as if she were weightless, hooking her knees over his hips and impaling her on his cock in one smooth stroke.

  Madeline sighed in sublime pleasure as he filled her completely. Gathering her against him, he lightly pushed her against the wall. Flexing his hips, Maddox began an easy, gentle glide within her. Her pussy walls clenched around him as she hung on to him, gasping and crying out as his thrusts gained in strength and speed.

  “Is this what you wanted?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Yes.” It came out a breathy, broken word.

  Maddox claimed her mouth in a searing kiss as he continued to drive inside her. His breath came as fast as hers. The smile on his face as he pulled away from her made her heart race.

  “I love this,” he managed as his cock filled her again and again, his taut balls meeting her sensitive flesh each time. “I don’t have to worry about hurting you. I can love you as I always wanted to.”

  Madeline smiled as she came, her inner walls quivering around him as she screamed down the hallway, thrashing against him as pleasure seared every inch of her body. The world spun away and she gave herself over to it.

  When she opened her eyes, Maddox was there, brushing the hair away from her cheek. He still filled her, not done by a long shot. Yet somehow, his perception of her moods and feelings never failed to amaze her; he realized she was having a moment.

  “What are you thinking?” It came out in one shuddering breath.

  “That I love you, Maddox.”

  And she did.

  Later they could worry about the bodies in the hall and those beyond the mansion’s walls who would do any of them harm. Tomorrow she’d tease Rick and Julia for watching them make love from the staircase above. Or maybe not because if she were honest, she’d have to admit that having them as an audience made her feel more lusty.

  No, she was going to enjoy right now. It was Christmas Day and she was with him, her lover. Her Maddox.

  Isabella Jordan

  Isabella Jordan is the alter ego of an otherwise stressed out web designer, programmer, and internet junkie. When she’s not trying to perfect her own personal caffeine IV drip, she enjoys spending time with her family, doing volunteer work, and writing. She loves creating new stories of all kinds and chatting with readers and friends.

  Isabella would love to hear from readers! Visit her on the web at http://isabellajordan.com. Find more titles by Isabella at http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=28.

  Make the Yuletide Gay

  Lena Austin

  Dr. Gary Lord was comfortable and out in his homosexuality anywhere but his southern hometown and certainly not at his parents’ house. But, in Yulee, Florida, secrets are very hard to keep when the folks across town know how you season your greens the minute you say, “Pass the salt.”

  And there’s an old high school classmate who’s been waiting patiently for Gary to come home… and he plans to crash Gary’s Yuletide celebration in a big way.

  Beware the cowboy bearing gi
fts… who may make Dr. Gary Lord’s Yuletide much gayer than he’d planned.

  Chapter One

  Gary Lord slowly stirred his coffee and eyed the nearly empty diner. Yulee, Florida, wasn’t a large town in any case, but with only two days until Christmas, those few who weren’t raiding the discount stores were home spending time with friends and family. Thus, he was the only customer at 9 PM, in a town that was no longer his home, and hadn’t been for ten years, but he still called it that.

  Mom and Dad’s home was where he’d been, until he’d had enough of his parents’ unsubtle hints regarding his lack of a feminine companion and their lack of grandchildren to spoil. Gary sipped the slightly burned coffee, sighed, and swallowed frustration. After all, he’d been too cowardly to ruin their holiday with those fateful words, “Mom, Dad, there won’t be any grandchildren. Ever. I’m gay.”

  Yeah, erudite double-doctorate maritime archaeologist Dr. Gary Lord was gay, and the whole fucking academic world knew it, but no one in Yulee ever gave a damn about what happened in the exciting -- yeah, right -- world of people who put on wetsuits to work.

  Gary stretched out his long legs and smiled when Georgia Woods, the owner of the diner since he’d been in short pants, bustled over and refilled his cup without asking.

  Georgia slid him a double-sized slice of her famous pecan pie, with whipped cream that had probably been in the cow the day before. She winked her big brown right eye at him. “You jus’ eat that there pie right up, you hear? Don’t give me no lip, or I’ll call your mama and tell her where you’re hiding.”

  Gary blinked up at his unexpected partner in crime. He saw sympathy in her dark face as well as wisdom. Georgia was no fool, and never had been. “Am I that obvious?”

  “Hell no!” She picked up the fork and handed it to him. “Eat. Don’t they feed you good in Egypt?” She leaned closer. “You always did come here when you was troubled, that’s all.” Her eyes flicked up, and then back down. “Oh, I get it. Your mama’s been matchmaking. Here comes Harriet McPhearson, and her eyes is pinned on you like a hunting rifle on a deer. You needs a rescue.”

  Gary just closed his eyes and sighed. Even the prospect of Georgia’s famous tooth-rotting dessert couldn’t sweeten the prospect of sharing a table with the divorcee who, it was rumored, was looking for husband number four.

  Georgia straightened up and shook her finger at Gary. Her voice was deliberately loud. “Now you just eat that up, you hear? You’re too skinny, swimming around all the time. You forget to eat or something?” She tightened her apron and smiled when the bell rang over the entrance. “Well, hello, Ms. Harriet. What brings you out tonight?”

  Gary filled his mouth with a generous forkful of pie so he wouldn’t have to do more than politely wave at Harriet, but that one gesture was more than enough to encourage the blonde tigress.

  Before Gary could swallow the mouthful, Harriet was seated across the booth from him, flipping back her perfectly highlighted tresses. She barely gave Georgia a glance, but did answer the question. “Just coffee, Georgia. I was out doing some last minute shopping.” She sighed dramatically and stuck her foot out from the table so she -- and, ostensibly, Gary -- could admire her bright blue heels. “My feet are killing me!”

  Gary took one glance at the impossibly high platforms and bit the inside of his lip to keep from laughing. Even a camp drag queen wouldn’t wear the tastelessly gaudy blue patent leather with -- ugh! -- fake plastic shells for ornaments. He choked a little on the last bit of crust in his mouth, and crushed a napkin to his lips to hide his smile. “Those heels certainly do make a statement. I can’t imagine the local Payless selling those. Where did you get them?” He winced when his voice slid back into the drawl he used when surrounded by his friends back at the local Metro Lounge, two hours away in distance and a million miles in tolerance.

  Her bright blue eyes, enhanced by the latest Botox and a pair of aqua contacts, gleamed. “Why, the Internet, of course! I love shopping in my nightie!” She batted her eyes like she expected his cock to rise at the very thought of her sitting in front of her computer in some frothy lingerie, but the image he got was her hair in rollers, a ratty chenille robe falling off her shoulders, and a tattered pair of bunny slippers on her feet. Nope, not sexy.

  Rather than try to come up with an answer that might encourage the huntress, he shoved another forkful of pie in his mouth. “Mmm!” Seemed like a noncommittal enough comment.

  Harriet grinned, showing off her perfect white teeth. Rumor had it she’d beggared husband number two with her trips to the dentist and plastic surgeon until he’d run out of money, then she’d dumped him. With the Barbie doll looks she’d acquired, she’d had no trouble latching on to husband number three. No doubt she’d used him to death, too. However, she’d been a nice kid in school, so Gary tried to give her the benefit of the doubt.

  Georgia brought over a cup of coffee and a bowl of whipped cream. “Sugar, do me a big ol’ favor and use this up in yo’ coffee. I wanna close up without wastin’ it, and I think y’all will be the last customers of the night.”

  Harriet eyed the gleaming white mound greedily and unwrapped her spoon from the napkin. She dug in and plopped a third of the mound in her coffee before reaching for the pink packages of sweetener. “Yum! Thanks, Georgia!”

  Georgia grinned down at them both. “Y’all make do for yourselves for a few minutes. I gotta make a phone call back in the back. You know where I keeps the coffee. Git it yourself ‘til I come back, you hear?” Without waiting for an answer, she marched off, wiping her hands on her apron.

  Gary put another forkful of pie in his mouth and tried to come up with a subject suitable to discuss with his unwanted guest. He just couldn’t think of anything he had in common with her.

  For her part, Harriet sweetened her coffee to her liking, sipped delicately, and put down the cup. She kept her eyes focused on the lipstick she’d left on the rim, but her smile turned slightly wry. “Don’t worry about having to talk to me, Gary. I’m here to please your mama, and then I’ll go home.” She lifted her gaze up to wink at Gary’s startled expression. “I’m not as stupid as most would like to believe, and I know my reputation ‘round here. I’m leaving after the holidays. You see, I’ll be graduating from online college in January. That’s when my degree in Internet Marketing should arrive in the mail, anyway. Then I’m going to shed this tawdry persona I’ve been hiding behind and live like I’m meant to, without a man around.”

  “Congratulations, Harriet. Do you have a job yet?” Gary was so pleased for her that he completely forgot the awkwardness of the past few minutes.

  She nodded coolly and her chin notched up another half inch with pride. “Yep. Soledad Corporation. They’re small, but they make wind turbines.” Her eyes gleamed with true humor and purpose. “My presentation was accepted, and I got the offer letter today. I’m moving to southern Colorado. There’s a huge wind farm on the Comanche Grassland, you know.”

  “Not my area of expertise, Harriet.” Gary shrugged. “If it’s not wet, I’m probably not fam… um…” Gary blushed. He knew the joke he’d just made.

  “Hari. Just call me Hari.” Her lips twitched, aware of how her name sounded.

  At the same time, they both burst out laughing. For several minutes, they both laughed every time they looked at one another.

  Hari wiped her eyes with a napkin, carefully blotting her mascara. “Just my luck. I finally find someone to share my good news with, and I end up looking like a raccoon.”

  “Nope, you’re good.” Gary shrugged and acted like he didn’t care, but he knew more about makeup than he cared to admit.

  His last lover had been a professional drag queen with a real singing voice, so he didn’t have to lip synch when he was “Chesty Barnes.” Unfortunately, Charlie needed someone who stayed home more than a few months out of the year. Their parting had been amicable, but final.

  A battered and rusty Silverado pulled up to the diner, and the headlights glare
d directly into Gary’s eyes. Whoever got out was bundled up against the chill evening in a denim jacket and a black cowboy hat. He kept his head down and sprinted inside.

  Hari chuckled under her breath, and sipped her coffee until the newcomer had sauntered over to have a few words with Georgia. “Well, now. That’s a mighty fine ass.”

  Gary turned to look before he realized what that revealed. Quickly, he turned around and ate his pie.

  Hari mimed shooting at Gary with her fingers. “Gotcha. Thought so.” She winked again to let him know she wasn’t offended or likely to blow the whistle on his closet door. Her aqua gaze slid back to the newcomer, and then she grinned up at the approaching man. “Well, hellooo stranger.”

  “Yeah, and they don’t get any stranger than me.” The deep, graveled voice was familiar. “Hiya, Harriet. Gary. Mind if I join you? Georgia says y’all have all the cream.”

  Hari shook her head. “I’m leaving. You can keep Gary company.” She tottered upright, gained her balance, and clapped a hand on Gary’s shoulder. “Nice seeing you, Gary. Stop by Springfield if you ever get a chance.” She slung her purse onto her shoulder and left.

  The new guy slid into her place and picked up her coffee cup. He used the napkin to wipe away her lipstick, and then sipped without raising his head so Gary could see who his new guest was. “Blech. She always did use too much sweetener.” He raised his head until his brown eyes laughed at Gary’s surprised expression. “Long time no see.”

  Gary’s heart skipped a few beats. Adam Crider had been the focus of more than a few of Gary’s adolescent fantasies when Adam had been captain of the football team, Homecoming King, and all around guy most likely to succeed at anything he wanted. Even now, the weathered tan was a few shades darker than it had been in school, but the face was still just as handsome. “Hi, Adam. How have you been?”

  “‘Bout the same. Nothing much changes around here, if you haven’t noticed.” For some reason, Adam’s lips twisted into a half smile. “Gets damn boring, to be honest.”