by Eliza Gayle
“What's the hurry, Selene? What are you running from? Whoever this guy is to you he can’t get to you here. This house is protected.” Up close her scent drifted over him. He should let her go. His recent use of magick left him feeling restless and edgy with sexual desire. That, coupled with her soft, warm body, had him hard and ready in seconds. He needed to fuck, and she was the one woman he suddenly wanted more than anything else. His fingers kneaded her buttocks through the thin material of his sweat pants she wore as his lips crashed down on her mouth. He knew he was being rough but it couldn't be helped.
He had to stop before it was too late. Her sweet taste flooded him as her tongue accepted and tangled with his own, driving him wild. His ability to end this before it got out of control dissolved when her fingers burrowed in his hair, and when she pulled his scalp, his desire burned out of control with the painful force. But to his shock and dark delight, instead of pulling him off of her as he expected, she crushed him to her for a tighter, rougher kiss. His almost non-existent self-restraint snapped on a groan and he ground against her, desperate and needy for control.
Letting go of his hair, her hands scratched frantically down his back to his waist, leaving a trail of pain and certainty that there would be deep red marks when they were done. Without hesitation she went for his waistband, deftly unbuttoning his jeans.
No. Too fast.
Cash jerked away from her. For a few moments they stood staring at each other, sawing breath in and out of their lungs.
Squaring off for control, he dropped to his knees, yanking down her pants as he went. The sight of her damp red curls barely covering her slit pushed him to near madness as his mouth covered her sex, tongue delving between the moist lips and lapping at her body like a starved man. With the first swipe over her clit, Selene let loose a cry as her body shuddered around him. His mouth filled with the heat of her orgasm as he sucked and bit at her sensitive bud, prolonging the pleasure she endured to a point that he knew from experience would be near pain.
With no mercy he ate and ate at her, bringing her to orgasm twice more until her legs collapsed against him. “Please, Cash—please.”
He turned and placed her on her knees and arms in front of him, stroking the backs of her legs and ass in admiration. “So fucking beautiful.”
“Hurry, Cash. Now, please.” His cock bobbed with every keening cry from her. He felt like begging himself. He roughly pushed two fingers into her tight but soaking wet pussy, dragging the tips back and forth over her sweet spot. When her cries indicated she was about to come he withdrew and circled his slick fingers around the tight rosebud of her ass. He eased one finger in and she tightened around him.
“Relax, baby. Show me how much you want it.” When he felt the muscles loosen their grip from his finger, he slid the second one inside. Grabbing the base of his cock, he pushed the head inside her pussy. His head spun at the pure sensation of tight heat surrounding him—luring him… Damn she felt good. So good it was almost too much to bear.
She wiggled against him, trying to bury him deeper, and he swatted her on the ass in return. “Be still for me, babe.” When she didn't follow his instructions he delivered three more smacks across her right buttock until she stilled. When he slowly drew his fingers from her ass she whimpered and moaned for more. He pushed his cock an inch deeper, stretching and working his way in, dying to thrust his full length inside. With a slow glide he strained against her tight flesh, seating his full length inside. On her sharp gasp he paused to let her body accommodate his size.
“Damn, you are so tight, baby.” His body trembled slightly as he fought for even a sliver of control. “I'll try not to hurt you. I'll go nice and slow.”
She shook her head roughly. “No—no, don't want slow. Please, Cash. Please just fuck me.” She pulled her bottom moving slightly off him before pushing back against him again with surprising force. He pumped his hips in rhythm with hers, rubbing against every sensitive nerve ending he could until she cried out once again in release. Her muscles clamped down on him, squeezing with a powerful strength that easily broke through his control.
“So hot, I can't—I'm coming, damn it.” He groaned as his body stiffened against her ass. His release came in long spurts.
Cash draped across her back and propped the bulk of his weight on his hands while they both fought to catch their breath. “Dear Goddess, Selene, what have you done to me?” He gently eased from her body before scooping her up to carry her to his bed.
“Where are we going, Cash?” Her voice sounded satisfied and sleepy. He chuckled; she had no idea what she was in for now.
“My bed. Rest up because I'll be taking you again in a few minutes.”
Her eyes widened as she studied him before a shy smile crossed her face that she quickly hid in his shoulder.
Raven pulled into the gas station just outside of Boston to fill up on gas and find a city street map. She'd been driving for hours and needed to pee. She rushed into the store and headed toward the back, looking for the facilities. Not paying attention to the path in front of her she ran headlong into a stranger, falling hard on her ass.
“Shit.”
“Sorry about that. I must not have been watching where I was going.” A hand reached in front of her to help her up. Looking up to see the idiot who'd gotten in her way, she found herself staring into the face of a dark angel with mesmerizing green eyes. The smile on his face while he spoke captivated her for a moment until her boy reminded her of her mission.
Restroom now.
Bypassing the sexy stranger’s hand, she bounced to her feet and gruffly pushed past him into the ladies' room.
Minutes later when she returned to the main part of the store, she surveyed the interior of the store to find the customer who'd knocked her on her ass was long gone. Good. She didn't have time for chit chat with a stranger. Especially not a pretty one like that. Still, for a fleeting moment her thoughts wavered back to the intensity shining in his eyes, the depth of which would likely haunt her dreams. There had been something there.
Grabbing a few snacks along the way, she made her way to the register. “I need forty dollars on pump seven and a detailed street map of Boston.” She was always abrupt and straight to the point because she didn't believe in wasting time, and the clerk did as she asked and rang up her purchases.
Propped against the trunk of the car, Raven spread out the map before her. After using her strongest locator spells for hours, she'd been unable to locate even a hint of the witch she sought. That is, until he'd used an enormous amount of energy out in the open yesterday. What an idiot. With that lucky break she'd been able to pinpoint his location to an hour outside of Boston, but when she'd arrived there was nothing there but a strong residue of dark magick and some unexpected scorch marks. She was curious about those. The witch she sought was an air witch, not a master of fire, so she couldn't help but wonder what had happened on that isolated stretch of road the day before.
That was the last she'd been able to pick up on him. Wherever he’d disappeared to, he must be hidden behind some incredibly powerful wards. Well, whatever happened out there in the middle of nowhereville, he must have popped into a hiding place pretty damned fast and so close to Boston it only made sense he was hidden in the city somewhere.
She yanked her cell phone out of her pocket, pressing star ten. The direct line for the Reverend. He would be waiting for an update by now. She was overdue.
“Hello.” His tone clipped in annoyance,
“Hey, Rev. I've got a line on that witch you wanted me to find. Seems he used some pretty powerful magick at mile marker 14 on Route 20 just outside of Beantown. Unfortunately I think he’s gone to ground 'cause there's been nothing from him since.”
“Boston, huh? I might actually be able to help you then.” She listened to the distinct sound of papers being shuffled around. “Yeah, here it is. I have an address you can check out. A family townhome he might go to for refuge.”
She dug ou
t a pen from her backpack and scratched the address down on the map.
“It might take you a while to break through the wards on that place, but I’d bet that's a good a place as any to find him hiding.” The phone clicked dead in her ear, the good Reverend had already disconnected before giving her a chance to respond either way.
Fucking Bastard. Good thing he pays well.
She palmed the cell back in her pocket and hunted up the address on the map. Studying the geography, she surmised she could be there in under two hours. She folded up the map and stuffed it into a cargo pocket on her left leg. Climbing back into the car, she leaned over to check on the potions she had stored in the glove compartment. She'd been tasked with bringing the witch back alive, but was warned that he was on the verge of turning and would not be easily captured.
Hence the sleep and paralyzing potions. One way or another she would get him back to the Rev and collect her finder's fee. A smug smile played on her lips. Sometimes it paid extremely well to be a witch for hire.
Startled, Cash shot up from sleep. The house was still dark and a check of the nightstand clock read 5:15 AM. Sunrise was a little ways off, but something had woken him up. He eased from the covers, not wanting to wake Selene. They'd been up most of the night, unable to get enough of each other. He smiled. No matter how many times he took her, he wanted more. His cock stirred now in his pants just thinking about that pink pussy of hers welcoming him again.
A small wisp of air brushed his arm. He jerked his body around, looking for the source. Seeing nothing, he concentrated on the airflow through the house, down the stairs into the living room and towards the front door. There. A crack. Damn! The wards were broken. Someone was in the house.
“Selene,” he whispered. “Get up now.”
“What is it?” Looking like she was on autopilot, she sprang noiselessly from the bed. She grabbed clothes to cover herself and palmed one of the ritual knives from the dresser. Her movements were so effortless he was certain she was used to this kind of thing.
“Someone's in the house.”
“How do you know?”
“The alarm went off.”
She looked around the room. “What alarm? I don't hear anything.” Seconds later she was fully dressed and standing by his side ready for action.
“Who are you?” he mumbled.
“What are you talking about, Cash? You know who I am.”
“Do I?” He grabbed her hand. “After I get us safely out of here I think we need to have a long talk.”
She snorted. “After you get us out? I think we'll be doing this together.”
He hesitated, staring down at her. He sensed a fierce determination that could prove useful in getting them away. Damn, she was definitely his kind of woman. He was so screwed.
“Our uninvited guest is at the bottom of the stairs. We only have a few seconds to get to the back staircase without being seen. Stay close,” he warned.
“Is it Merc again? How'd he find us? And what happened to being safe here?” Her voice trembled slightly with fear. “I don't want him to hurt you because of me. I can negotiate with him. He just needs me.”
He looked at her sharply, pulling her close. “No, I need you and there will be no negotiating. Is that understood?” She nodded. “Besides, it's not him. It's a female. Come on, we don't have much time.” His fingers wrapped around her arm and he hauled her from the room and around the corner. Backs against the wall so they weren't visible from the stairs, they scooted along the landing. Reaching the back staircase, Selene took them two at a time. Not fast enough. When she reached the bottom she hesitated long enough to turn and look behind her at the same time a woman appeared at the top in time to hurtle a bottle towards their feet.
“Hold your breath, Selene, now.” He managed the words a breath before the bottle crashed and the inky vapors poured from the broken glass. His eyes burned as they leapt over it and hurtled towards the kitchen. He watched as Selene's hand heated and flared into a flaming ball. “No, Selene, don't,” he yelled, but either she didn't hear or she ignored him. Not fast enough to throw up a barrier, he watched helplessly as she flung it at the woman behind them still shrouded in the shadows.
Quick on her feet, the intruder leapt out of harm's way as the flare crashed into the wall behind her. The splintered drywall caught fire in seconds, spreading up and out across the room, flames licking at the pictures and paintings hung on the wall.
Fuck! Where was his brother when he needed some water?
From the corner of his eye he saw the witch had another bottle raised over her head. He grabbed Selene again and propelled her out the back door as the bottle crashed behind them in the doorway. “The garage, Selene. Your bike. I forgot the keys though, so I'll have to hotwire it.”
“No worries there. There is an extra key on the bike. I'm always prepared when it comes to the Busa. She's my savior.” They crashed through the garage door, closing it tightly behind them. Despite the lock being broken he knew he could hold off the witch for at least a few minutes with his magick. He erected a wall of energy around it, blocking the door from being opened.
“What are you doing?” She eyed him curiously.
“Saving our asses, but don't worry about me. Get that bike going and us out of here.”
She laughed and reached underneath the rear seat cover, pulling out a small box. She popped it open and grabbed a key from it.
“Let's go, Superman.”
She threw her leg across the seat and snuggled into place. Her slender fingers turned the key but she waited for him to turn the bike over. With a last glance at the dark tendrils of magick slipping through the cracks of his shield, he ran over to the bike, hopping on behind her.
“Doors, please.” The bike roared to life and he barely heard her request. He pulled a sliver of magick, forming it in his mind into a ball of air meant to blast open the garage door so they could escape. Flinging it at the larger non-shielded door, he blasted a hole through it more than large enough for them to get through. Unfortunately the witch following them must have anticipated their move and now stood in front of the opening, blocking their path with two bottles clutched in her hand prepared to be thrown. Cash knew desperate measures would have to be taken.
His eyes slid closed as he called up his forbidden magick. The magick each one of his brothers carried inside them, always fighting the constant lure and call. He embraced the dark, all too familiar slippery slope that led to his downfall. The wind outside whipped to a frenzy. Cash tried hard to bend the unleashed power to his will with little luck. It was there to save him but not necessarily with any boundaries. Bushes surrounding the garage ripped free from their roots, hurtling towards the dark haired witch who now stood transfixed, stunned by what happened around her.
The sound of breaking glass distracted Cash from his thoughts as he watched the witch drop her bottles and grab at her own throat as if someone or something were choking her. Her fingers scratched at her neck, her face already turning a darker red from the lack of oxygen. The magick crawled through him, hurting both him and the young woman clutching at her throat. He fought it trying to save the witch but it was too late. The dark was in charge, not him. Not Cash and his will to harm none.
When the witch fell to her knees, Selene turned towards him. “Stop before you kill her. She can't hurt us now.” The stark fear shining in her eyes cut him to the bone.
“I can't stop it. That's the problem. I can unleash incredible power but with no control.”
“There's got to be a way.”
“You would think, but centuries of my family have dealt with this curse, unable to fix it.” The wind blowing the hair around their faces slowed significantly while they talked. Choking noises sounded from the girl as she fell to her knees. Selene grabbed him by the arms, shaking him, pleading with him to find a way. This wasn't the first time this had happened and he doubted it would be the last.
Chapter Three
The moment she touched C
ash's arms his power rumbled through her. Her stomach heaved as nausea again washed over her. Her immediate thought was to let go and protect herself from it, but she couldn't. She wanted to find a way to stop him. No one had to die here today. Whatever they were after wasn't worth the cost of a life. It oozed through her with its emotions of anger and frustration sharply etched into it. As her body heated in defense, more of it seeped into her as if attracted by the warmth.
“Selene, what the hell are you doing? I can feel you. Stop it now before it's too late for you as well. We can't stop it. We can't help her. Please, Selene, don't do this.”
She didn't let go. Instead she worked harder by channeling all her heat and psychic energy towards the negative energy rolling from him to her, keeping it contained so it didn't spread through her. She fought for a balance, one that would prevent it from taking over her, consuming her. In her mind’s eye she puzzled through the strands of magick, imagining then like strings being wrapped in a ball. Cash moved to push her away and her skin heated, warning him a little to keep him at bay.
“Dammit, Selene, you didn't have to do that. Please listen to me. This is too dangerous.”
She opened her eyes scrunching up her nose at him. “Leave me be and shut the hell up. I can't concentrate with your yammering.”
“My what?”
Throwing him a final withering look, she closed her eyes again to focus. Sweat broke out on her brow as she generated more power and heat, wrestling the energy she'd received from Cash. Once she found the end, she released him, propelling herself off the bike and out into the open yard. She'd managed to contain it into a small, condensed ball but she couldn't hold it. Not for long. It pushed and strained against its temporary psychic bond. She called her own power, her heat bursting into flame around it.
She frantically glanced around the yard, searching for somewhere to throw it. Not the garage—her bike still stood in there and it was still their only transportation out of here. Peering down the drive, she saw only an empty street, a few cars, and some small townhomes. Nothing she wanted to destroy. But time was running out and her bindings were wearing thin. She turned back towards the house. It was already partially engulfed in flames, it was her only choice.