After a quick bite and then a lick to smooth the sting, he pulled back with nearly black eyes. “Remember our conversation?” he asked.
Trying to climb up from the ball of lust he’d left me in, I asked, “What?”
He sighed and rested his head against my chest. “I want you, Laila. I want you bad, but neither of us are ready.”
“Ugh, way to douse me in cold water,” I said and pushed at him to move. He didn’t budge.
“Let me finish,” he growled and nipped my shoulder. I stilled, and he pulled away again, his wolf pacing behind his eyes.
“We won’t have sex, not today, but there are other things we can do.” He smirked, playfulness filling his expression.
I narrowed my eyes. “What are you thinking?”
He kissed my lips briefly before rubbing his cheek with mine. His lips brushed against my ear as he said, “Make you feel really good.”
He nipped at my earlobe and then peppered kisses down my neck, making his way to my breasts. I moaned as his energy danced across my skin. One of his hands ran over my ribs and I shivered from the touch.
“Sit up a little,” he commanded, and I did. He made quick work of my bra, and when his lips wrapped around my right nipple, I arched into him, wanting more. His hand went over my ribs again before finding my sleep shorts and running along the band of them, teasing me.
“You’re not playing fair,” I said.
His response was to bite on my nipple, and I moaned at the slight sting. The pleasure of his mouth made me wet, and I knew my undies would be soaked with my need for him. Needing to touch him more, I lifted up his shirt so I could feel his hard body. He was almost as big as Davies, his muscles tensing against my touch.
“I want to touch all of you,” I whispered.
“Done.”
He leaned back and removed his shirt and pajama pants. His cock pressed against his boxers, tenting the fabric, giving me a good idea of his size. With his dark hooded eyes, he crawled up my body slowly, kissing and touching, nipping and licking. He found every sensitive spot on my body and gave it extra attention, driving me insane. His touch set my nerves on fire, my body begging for more of him as he kissed along my stomach, stopping to take care of both of breasts, and then up along my collarbone and neck.
I wanted all of him, but he’d drawn a line, and I was going to respect him. Didn’t mean I wasn’t going to have fun though. He was right, there was still plenty to do without having intercourse. I loved playing.
His lips claimed mine, and we tried to devour each other as we grew feverish. My skin turned hot and I was about to beg for more when his hand stopped playing at my waistband and slipped underneath.
With the touch of his finger running along the slit of my pussy, I gasped. His finger soaked up my need for him and then found my clit, circling it. I moaned, my body pushing against his. Tingles ran through me as the pressure inside built up and up. His fingers worked at me and when one of them slipped inside of me, my body clenched around him.
“So tight.” He moaned and kissed at my jaw. “I bet you taste as good as you feel.”
“Are you willing to find out?” I challenged.
He chuckled. “More than willing.”
Before I could reply, he slipped in a second finger, finding that sweet spot within me.
“Shit,” I panted, and he chuckled. He moved down my body, and I dug my hand in his hair, feeling the silky dark strands between my fingers. When he paused at my stomach, I pushed him, trying to get him where I wanted.
He stopped, and I propped up on my elbow to glare at him. He just smirked. “If you rush, the fun will be over before it starts.” To make his point, he flexed his fingers, and I screamed as my body shot off the bed. I didn’t reach my orgasm, but it was damn close. Venni moved down my body, now kneeling, his fingers still pumping in and out of me. His other hand fanned over my belly button.
Leaving me feeling empty, he made quick work of my shorts and undies. They disappeared, leaving me bare to him. When he knew he had my attention again, he leaned forward and kissed my inner thigh. My leg shook as the pressure built inside of me. His head was so close to where I wanted it, so dangerously close. He kissed up my thigh as his hand went from my stomach to my knee. My leg jerked when he touched the inside part of my knee.
“Sensitive?” He chuckled.
“Yes.” My breaths were haggard.
His eyes were nearly black as he hovered over my pussy, his warm breath fanning over me. While keeping his eyes on me, he leaned forward. My breath hitched, my body quivered, anticipation hot in my stomach. His tongue came out and licked along the folds, and I moaned. He lifted my leg up and over his shoulder as he went down on me.
Magic was in Venni’s tongue. I didn’t care if he wasn’t a magic-user, he still managed to make magic as his tongue swirled around my clit.
I moaned, my hips trying to lift off the bed. My orgasm built, closer and closer. When Venni gently bit my clit, I nearly came.
“Shit,” I swore and buried my hand into his hair, trying to push him further. His fingers still worked inside of me, curling and hitting that special spot while his tongue worked my clit. The pressure crested, and before I could draw in a full breath, he nipped my clit, curled his finger, and I came hard, screaming. My pussy clenched around his fingers as I unraveled.
The aftershocks of my orgasm were still running through me when Venni crawled back up my body and kissed me. I tasted myself on his lips, and when I opened for him, his tongue slipped in. Moaning, I pushed him onto his back and pulled down his boxers enough to release his hard length.
“I want to taste you too,” I whispered.
His eyes widened as I worked my way down his body. I teased him with my hand around his cock, pumping him as I tasted the skin on his chest and abdomen. When I finally made it to his cock, I took a moment to take it in. He had a wide girth, and my hand felt its pulse. The tip glistened with precum, drawing my eye.
“I’m more of a giver, so turn your beautiful ass toward me so I can enjoy myself,” he said before I could take him into my mouth.
“Really?”
He just raised an eyebrow, and I grinned. After finding the right position, my pussy hovered over Venni and his hands rubbed my ass and dipped low. He gave my ass a gentle pat before I felt his mouth against me.
I moaned and almost pressed down. Remembering what I set out to do, I pumped his cock and then leaned forward. My lips wrapped around his hard length, and he hissed. I loved giving blowjobs, and I made sure Venni knew that as I bobbed my head, taking him in as far as I could.
With a small pop, I released him and trailed my tongue along the thick pulsing vein underneath, down to his balls, then back up, wrapping my mouth around his head and sucking hard. He moaned, his hips bucking underneath me.
Using one hand to keep me up, I used the other to stroke him before cupping his balls. I sucked and kissed, feeling him getting closer and closer to his release. My own body was buzzing, ready to explode. Wanting him to reach orgasm before me, I fought to keep my body under control against his expert mouth and hands.
I pumped Venni’s cock and then leaned forward and took as much as him as I could, his girth almost too much to accommodate.
“Shit,” he said, and I smirked around him.
As payback, he nipped at my clit and my legs almost gave out on me. He pressed a finger into my ass, and I moaned around him. I had very little experience with ass play, the most being a finger. I was curious, but I’d also never liked the idea of giving myself away to someone like that. It felt even more intimate than vaginal sex, and there hadn’t been anyone I’d trusted enough.
Venni was giving me something to think about.
We worked each other over until I was screaming my orgasm around him, and hot, salty liquid filled my mouth as Venni roared his release. Neither of us were quiet, and when I came down from the high, Venni was holding me to him as I draped over his naked body. He had managed to move me arou
nd while I was lost to the intense feelings that thrummed through me.
“Are you sure you don’t want to have sex?” I asked, tilting my head up so I could see him.
He laughed briefly. “Not yet, Laila. Soon, but not yet.”
I pursed my lips and narrowed my eyes. “Just don’t be that man.”
“What man?”
I waved a hand up in the air before letting it plop back down on his chest. And if I cupped his pec afterward, well, he had a very nice chest. “You know, that man. The one with the mistress.”
He stilled under me and squeezed me closer. “No, I don’t know.”
“Those men who are always promising to leave their wife, or want to keep their relationship a secret. They promise over and over while stringing the poor woman around that they’re going to break it off and let everyone know who he’s dating. But he doesn’t.”
“Is that what you feel like? A mistress?” He sat up, bringing me with him. When I saw his expression, he actually looked appalled at the idea.
“No, not at all.” I frowned. “I was only joking.”
His expression smoothed out. “Is that so?” He glanced around briefly. “I don’t ever want you feeling like that. You aren’t some mistress I keep locked away and hidden. If I could right now, I’d drag you out on the street and howl my excitement at having you by my side. Don’t ever think you’re second to anyone else. You aren’t.”
I smiled and leaned over, kissing Venni. I pushed him until he was on his back and kissed him harder. When I pulled away, both of us were breathless. “Thank you,” I said.
He smiled, his whole expression softening. “You have a special piece of my heart, Laila, and the moment I can, I’m going to let the world know that I’m yours.”
That deserved another kiss, so I did just that, showing him my appreciation.
It took us a little while longer to get out of bed. I blamed Venni. He didn’t stop me when I needed to give him another blowjob.
Chapter Thirteen
To put my plan into motion without tipping the guys off was going to be tricky. I snuck away to my lab at Biomystic. They couldn’t complain about me disappearing if I was still within the company. Granted, Dwight had a witch put a ward around my lab to keep me from working, but it was time to end that. Not letting me into the lab to do my job was ridiculous.
I teleported in front of my lab and poked at the ward. I didn’t know why Dwight thought a ward would stop me, but I guessed he’d know where I was the moment I took it down. Maybe that was why he placed it—to act as a warning bell.
Not worried about them knowing, I reached out with my magic and took control of the ward. A dull pain formed in my head, but nothing bad, and I pushed on until the ward became mine, willing to protect me from my enemies.
No doubt, in minutes, the witch who created this was going to call Dwight and let him know that I’d torn down her ward. Hope she enjoyed her headache. I was tempted to grab a stopwatch because shortly after that, he was going to be down here. He could try to berate me all he wanted, it was time to push my boundaries with them, otherwise, they’d never let me step foot into a lab again.
I was just taking stock of everything when Dwight came into the lab.
“Laila, what are you doing?” he asked. He leaned against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest, his forearms bulging. I did a mental calculation and determined it took him three minutes and forty-two seconds. A little slow.
“You’ve had me out of commission for two weeks. I need to work, so I’m going to work.”
“You need to rest. Using magic will only make it worse.”
“I can do other things that don’t involve using magic,” I snapped back. “All of you are taking this too far. I was hurt. I recovered. Now you need to let me come back to work.”
“You can come back when you’re cleared.”
I gathered my magic and snapped it out at him. It shoved him against the door as I stalked toward him. “I’m not a child, Lombardi. You can’t keep me from doing my job just because you don’t think I’m ready. That isn’t how you work.”
“I can keep you from doing whatever I want to,” he said. “I’m the boss.”
“Then stop Ami from working.”
That seemed to catch his attention.
“When Elliot woke from his coma he was back to work in days. Not weeks. Days. And he’s human. His recovery should have taken him longer.” I glared hard at him, making my point. “Stop treating me differently just because I’m willing to share my bed.”
I released my magic, and he straightened. His jaw ticked, and his shoulders strained against his dark green shirt.
“What you don’t realize is that Elliot didn’t just hop into work. He was here for a couple more weeks, training to get his muscles built up again. He did more desk work than anyone else. He didn’t go out into the field. And when he thought he was ready, he had a lengthy discussion with a psychiatrist before he was officially cleared. He didn’t just go back to work like you think.”
My glare hardened. “Then why isn’t that the same for Ami?”
“Different situation. She was cleared. Outside of minor injuries, she wasn’t gravely hurt. I already told you we’d reassess her. And guess what, she’s been pulled from active duty too. As you requested. So you really don’t have a leg to stand on right fucking now. You have not been cleared by the doctor to work.”
“Fuck no,” I said through my teeth. “I’m working. I’m not asking you to toss me out into the field, trying to beat up the baddies. I’m asking you to allow me to be in my lab, doing what I love best. I am not the person who can sit around an apartment all day staring at my hands. I don’t do that. I work. And like Elliot, who you allowed to sit at a desk and do minor things, you need to let me do the same. I’m not saying I’ll be going around throwing heavy magic. I’m capable of using only a small amount of magic without making myself sick. I can do basic spells, build my prototypes, plan, mix potions. I’m not asking you to allow me to build some kind of impregnable ward, or to unmake a dreho, or to break shit with my magic. I just want to be in my lab.”
His expression softened, and he took a moment to consider what I said. My chest heaved, and I felt like I’d run a marathon after releasing all that pent up frustration. I still wanted to punch something, but the need wasn’t all-consuming anymore.
“Fair enough,” he said and left, leaving me staring after him.
That was a victory, right? I won, right? I wasn’t so sure.
But at least I was alone and I was in my lab. It took me a moment to get to work. I kept glancing at the door, expecting Dwight to come back for round two. Extra paranoid with Dwight’s reaction, I took everything I needed out of my bag, including a necklace. I’d make this work, I knew it. I never heard of someone tracking their memories, but it didn’t mean it was impossible.
Tracking spells were tricky. If the spell was tuned into the wrong thing, I could end up running in circles or going in the opposite direction. It was a bit of a crapshoot.
My magic was excited to be used as it swirled through my body, making my skin tingle. I fed a piece of leather through the hole of an amber stone. Amber was the mother of all stones when it came to memories and remembrance. There were also healing properties, but I didn’t care about that.
Next step was to aim the spell at my stolen memories. I mixed herbs into a bowl, grinding them together. To personalize it, I added in some of my blood, making a small slice on the inside of my arm. The sting from the cut disappeared quickly as the blood swelled. I held my arm over the bowl and let a couple of drops drip into it.
After cleaning myself up, I continued to put together the potion, all my focus on exactly what I wanted to track. Slowly, I fed my magic into the concoction, filling it with my intent. My memories. Me.
The mixture congealed into something thick and dark, giving off a scent of mint. After one last push of magic, I stepped back and rolled my shoulders. I glanced at the clock
and raised an eyebrow. Time had flown by. I was tired, but not exhausted. In fact, I felt good. Using my magic was a rush I’d missed. Ami hit it on the nose when she said that magic was more of a need. We needed to use it, and asking us not to was a form of torture. For the first time in two weeks, I felt like myself.
I laid the necklace onto the counter and then sucked up some of the concoction into an eye dropper. Carefully, I held it over the amber gemstone and squeezed gently, watching as the drop formed at the tip then dropped and splattered against the amber. The magic around the stone sharpened as it glowed a deep red. A wisp of smoke rose from the gemstone as the spell settled.
I lifted up the amber and held it to the light. Magic swirled black inside, surrounded by all the dark reddish amber. Happy with my work, I put the necklace on, the stone warm against my skin.
To use it to track my memories, all I had to do was hold onto it and poke it with my magic. Then my intuition would come alive and point me in the right direction. I could, in theory, also scribe if I had a map of the area. I’d test scribing later with a map of Springer City.
As I wondered where to get a map, I sensed his cold anger before he opened the door. Dwight stood in the door, his eyes slowly looking over my body. I had a feeling he expected the lab to have been a mess, maybe blown up.
“Are you done?” he asked.
I frowned. “Why are you mad?”
“I’m not mad.”
“Really?” I raised an eyebrow. “You look furious. And your energy hurts.”
He took in a sharp breath and released it slowly. “I’m letting you work, Laila. Everything in me says you’re not ready, and I really want to drag you out of this lab. Be happy I’m not.”
“You don’t need to worry about me,” I said softly.
“I do. Because you don’t.” He pushed off the wall and stalked toward me. “You didn’t see what turning your magic on yourself did to you. You couldn’t talk, you didn’t remember us, you were hurt, and we had no fucking clue how to help you. We had to stand there, fucking useless with our thumbs up our asses, while you suffered. We had no idea if you would come out of it or if there was permanent damage.” He reached up and cupped my face, his touch gentle, belying the anger behind his voice. “We thought we’d lost you even though you were in front of us, breathing. So don’t get pissy because we want to make sure you don’t hurt yourself again.”
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