by Nicole Hall
The sun crested the trees, but the canopy of branches above them only let filtered light through. Still, Sherlock insisted on sticking to the shade as much as possible. Her side-to-side dancing allowed Koi and Samantha to take the lead, but he only had to nudge her once to speed her along. Guiding the birds took surprisingly little effort once a destination had been communicated. For the most part, if he wanted to adjust the course, he simply thought his wish at Sherlock and she responded.
The sweet scent of apples drifted back to him, and Luc decided any conversation was better than the barrage of sexy images that were torturing him.
He pushed Sherlock to come even with Koi and bumped Samantha’s leg with his. “Tell me something. Anything. The monotony of this forest is driving me insane.”
Samantha shifted in her saddle to face him. “Did you know when you’re angry your accent becomes much more pronounced? I assume you use a similar translation spell to what I have, but I’ve wondered where your accent is from.”
Luc raised a brow. “I meant about you.”
“You said anything.”
Not what he had in mind, but he’d take the distraction. “Fair enough. Yes, I’m aware of the change. When I first came here, I was deposited in the Middle East. I can’t be more specific than that because I left for more hospitable climates almost immediately.”
“Almost?”
“There might have been some ineffectual cursing of the other lords first.”
“Where’d you go after that?”
“Britain, for a while. Too staid for my taste, so I ended up in the bright lights of New York City.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Do I even want to know how long ago that was?”
Luc laughed. He still sometimes forgot how sensitive humans were to creatures who didn’t age. “I believe there was a World’s Fair happening at the time. Late 1930s?”
“Is that when you bought your hotel?”
“It’s not hard to become a wealthy hotelier when you have diamonds at your fingertips.”
She glanced down at his hands. “I thought those weren’t real diamonds?”
He shrugged. “Those weren’t.”
“Must be nice,” she muttered.
Luc searched her face. He knew she owned her house and had a vague recollection that it had come to her through family, but she hadn’t panicked or complained about the damage the redcaps had done. Her business savvy was top-notch as well, so he’d assumed she came from wealth as he did.
“It is nice. Affluence affords me certain freedoms I wouldn’t have otherwise. The ability to travel for one, but I’ve never owned a house. Did you inherit yours through your father?”
The tinge of bitterness cleared off her face, replaced with careful blankness. “I never knew my dad. He left when I was little. My magic must have come from him because my mom definitely didn’t have any. The house, though, has been in my mom’s family for generations.”
He hated the bland façade. They’d moved past the need for false fronts when she’d let him pleasure her with only his magic and his mouth. He wanted to know how her past had affected her, wanted her to trust him with more than her body.
For now, he’d settle for teasing her out of the melancholy that had descended.
Luc gave her a sly smile. “I’ve frequented your neighborhood for decades. I wonder if I’ve come across an ancestress of yours. If they were anything like you, I think I’d remember them.”
With a pretty blush and a fierce sparkle in her eyes, the mask disappeared. “I have no doubt the women in my family would fall to your wiles, but they didn’t have one thing I do.”
He leaned toward her, tempted to close the distance and taste the sass on her tongue. “What’s that?”
Samantha bent closer with secrets in her eyes. “Other choices. I’ve had you before. There’s an entire city of attractive, available men I haven’t tried waiting for me back home.”
Luc’s blood raced at the challenge. He had no doubt she could have her pick of men, but he saw the way her lips parted in invitation. Her chest rose and fell in an irregular rhythm, and Luc nearly set out to prove her wrong right there.
Instead, Koi stumbled over a divot in the trail and jostled Samantha away from him. She met his eyes and laughed at Koi’s indignant squawk. Luc sat back in his saddle, the tension broken. He could wait a little longer. She enjoyed their sparring, enjoyed his touch, his attention, and when they returned to Terra, he’d make damn sure it was him she wanted and no one else.
Flush from winning the last words, Samantha changed the subject. “What’s it like living in a hotel?”
He smiled at her as he worked to calm his pulse. “Convenient. I never have to clean after myself, and I can order a gourmet cheeseburger at two in the morning.”
“Technically, so could I since I know a great burger place that’s open twenty-four hours. Do you have a favorite location?”
“I’ve invested in properties all over the world, but New York is home.”
She nodded slowly. “I feel the same way, but without the massive wealth and abundance of hotels. I love the energy of the city. A mad rush to do more, be more. Achieve greatness. All without help from magic—not even knowing magic exists. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”
Her wistful tone about the ignorance of normal humans struck him as odd since her power far excelled any magical human he’d met. Magic was a gift. A chaotic, messy gift, but beautiful in its unpredictability. In humans, as in most creatures, it was also hereditary. She didn’t need to achieve greatness; it was inherent in her.
For once, he couldn’t find the right words. Instead, he reached out and intertwined his fingers with hers.
They rode the rest of the afternoon that way. Even after the quinats had to stop for a short break, she reclaimed his hand once they were moving again. Luc usually skipped right over the hand-holding portion of courtship, but surprisingly, the physical connection grounded him.
Like they’d done before, the quinats continued trotting until sunset. As the trail darkened, the birds slowed and eventually stopped. Luc led them off the path in search of an acceptable clearing.
Unlike the last two nights, Samantha didn’t bother with the opposite side of the fire. She made sure Koi was happy, sent a suspicious look at the ever-growing army of squirrels, and dropped her pack next to him before sitting down herself.
As they settled down for the night, he found himself making excuses to touch her. Brushing her hand while exchanging food, helping her untangle her braid, wiping a bit of dirt off her cheek. Samantha’s breath hitched every time they came in contact. Under normal circumstances, he’d rejoice at her reaction, at his power to command her attention, but he craved her touch just as much.
They were both prey to the building need between them.
When she yawned and lay down, he took up his usual spot behind her, wrapping his arms around her. The woman loved being the little spoon. She didn’t bother raising her shields this time as he pushed healing magic through her. His magic connected them with a subtle orange glow, and the drain on her from keeping them hidden became obvious. He could fix worn out muscles, but only sleep and a good meal would replenish her.
Luc expected her to protest, at least as a show of independence, but she relaxed against him without complaint. She shimmied closer, pressing her ass against his erection. He caught her hip in a firm grip, preventing her from wiggling any more. As much as he wanted to escalate the encounter by sliding his hand down between her thighs, he knew she needed rest more than a tumble in the dirt. Instead, he curled around her and closed his eyes, making sure his magic covered her in warmth even where he wasn’t touching her.
“Luc?”
Her soft voice roused him from near slumber. “Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
He kissed her shoulder and told himself her gratitude was enough. For now.
SAMANTHA
The vision came on quickly, or at least it felt quick to
Samantha. One second, she was frolicking in a field with the squirrels, the next, she opened her eyes in the same room where she’d seen Luc die. The familiar pinching feeling in her head marked it as a vision, but the usual pain was absent.
She gripped the dagger in her hand, but she was alone in the room. Unlike the last time, she could move about freely, until a small, glowing sphere appeared on the long table in front of her. It looked like a fancy paperweight, but the swirling magic inside it beckoned her forward. Dread made her heart pound. Against her will, she moved closer and touched the smooth surface with her free hand.
A gust of wind nearly knocked Samantha off her feet as she protected her face with the crook of her elbow. When the air died down, a frozen tableau of Luc and the shifter confronted her. The woman’s crazed eyes locked on Luc, on his knees staring at the ground. The room separated them, but Samantha knew what came next.
Once again, she couldn’t move, but neither were they. Unsure of how long she’d have, Samantha tried to glean any new information from her environment, but the edges of her vision were frustratingly blurry.
As she watched, Luc slowly looked up to meet her eyes, his full of determination. She inhaled sharply as panic spiked through her. This time was different than the last, but not enough. In her peripheral vision, the shifter’s hands elongated into claws, and the woman smiled. Samantha nearly choked on the need to protect Luc.
Staring into his eyes, she heard his voice in her head. Samantha. Wake up.
Her focus fractured, and she winced as the dagger singed her palm. The fuzzy edges of the room expanded until a velvety, white light shot with prisms surrounded her. Hazy silhouettes of people appeared in the distance, but Luc’s voice broke through again.
Wake up for me, love.
Samantha’s eyes flew open with a gasp. The darkness of the forest surrounded them broken only by the flickering light from Luc’s fire. She lay on her side with rocks digging uncomfortably into her hip and thigh, and Luc’s arms tightened around her. He spoke softly into her ear, holding the hand that still burned from the dagger—which was still safely in the sheath. Tears streamed down her face into her hair, and she had trouble catching her breath past the lump in her throat.
“There you are. Just a dream. Focus on me now.”
She closed her eyes briefly as relief swept through her. His heart beat strong against her back, and his quiet voice straightened out her jagged nerves. They had time still.
Just a dream that had turned into a vision. Part of her had known, the part paying attention and cataloguing details, but the rest of her had seized up, worse than before. The idea of Luc dying at the hands—claws—of that crazy shifter tore her open.
He rubbed his thumb over her sore palm and the pain retreated. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She did, but she couldn’t dare tell him. This version of Luc who took care of her and hunted out smiles had pushed past her shields as very few people had managed. Samantha wanted to spend time with him, wanted to be close to him, but the second he discovered her status as an oracle he’d leave her.
One day, he’d leave her. The realization came too late to prevent her from being hurt. She already cared more for him than anyone else.
Luc continued to rub her palm in a soothing motion that shot heat from her hand to her chest to her core, a ribbon of sensation that pulled taut between them. Samantha wouldn’t reveal her secret, but maybe it was past time she stopped fighting her attraction.
She rolled to her back, meeting Luc’s gaze. “I don’t want to talk about the dream. I want you to make me forget about it.”
His eyes darkened to nearly black in the dim light. “I’ll help you forget, but the next time will be because you want me and only me. Not a distraction.”
Oh, she wanted him, but she couldn’t risk anything more than tonight. “There won’t be a next time.”
He lowered his head and spoke against her lips. “We’ll see about that.”
Luc buried his hands in her hair and ravaged her mouth. Samantha wrapped a leg around his waist to arch up into him. The kiss sparked hot as they strove to get nearer, but it wasn’t enough. She ran her fingers over the planes of his chest and down the sculpted ridges of his abs hidden by his shirt. When she tucked under the cloth to find bare skin, he pulled back to yank the material over his head.
When he came back to her, he lifted her shirt and bra off as well, making a rough satisfied grunt. Samantha sighed as he dragged his mouth up the column of her throat and his hands found her breasts.
He remembered exactly how she liked to be touched, when to suck, when to flick, when to pinch. She’d spent many nights with her hands on herself, wishing it was him. Imagining his tongue against her skin. Her fantasies didn’t even come close to the reality of Luc.
She writhed underneath him, lost in pleasure, as he left a glowing trail of embers down her body. His magic lingered after his touch had faded, sinking into her to ignite a new path of ecstasy.
Luc peeled her leggings down, leaving the sheath and dagger in place, and Samantha kicked them the rest of the way off. He trailed his lips across her stomach, causing the muscles there to quiver, then his mouth was on her. She clenched her hands in his hair and her head fell back against the dirt.
He didn’t give her the chance to feel self-conscious or nervous, propelling her past her reservations. Her thighs closed around him and she arched up with a whimper. Luc laughed low and the sound skittered across every sensitive place on her body. He made her shiver and ache, the sensations converging until she climaxed with his name on her lips.
Samantha took a shuddering breath, and her hands softened in his hair. Luc kissed her inner thigh then met her eyes with a knowing grin. Cool air rushed across her abdomen as he sat back to strip out of his pants, tossing them after his shirt into the darkness. He grabbed a condom from his pack and slid it on with barely a pause, and without breaking eye contact.
Samantha propped herself on her elbows and held her position as he settled between her legs. Luc skimmed her cheek with his knuckles then cupped the back of her head as he eased her down. His weight felt like coming home, but she pushed the sentiment to the back of her mind.
“When I see you at work, all prim and proper, I remember you wild like this. Only for me.” He breathed the words—desperate and hoarse—against her mouth.
He slid inside her like his kiss, slow and deep, and everything else fell to the wayside. The visions, the responsibilities, the deaths, none of it mattered, only the two of them melting into each other. Samantha smoothed her palm over his heated skin and around to his back, digging in her nails as he slipped a hand under her hip. She matched his thrusts, lifting and straining to get closer.
Ripples of magic and need joined inside her and reached out for him travelling along the subtle link they’d made with their bargain. Luc’s magic responded and collided with hers to lock into place. The connection filled the swirling, fluttering emptiness that had been deep inside her for too long, and Samantha gasped. Luc nudged her head to the side to glide his mouth over the sensitive part of her neck just under her ear.
“Let go, love.”
His whispered words triggered waves of pleasure that consumed her until there was nothing left but him.
Waking up naked in the forest wasn’t as uncomfortable as she’d feared, but only because Luc had curved around her again. Unlike the last few mornings, Samantha didn’t linger by his side. Too tempting to suggest a repeat of the night before.
She gathered her clothes and dressed, checking that the dagger was still securely attached and ignoring the usual pile of nuts and berries. The voyeur squirrels gathered in the trees past the quinats, watching her with beady eyes. Luc stirred not too long after she moved away, but Samantha wasn’t ready to face him so she busied herself with repacking her supplies and attaching them to Koi.
As soon as he’d dressed, gathered his pack, and put out the fire, Samantha climbed onto Koi and turned to face him
. “Ready to go?”
He raised a brow. “In a hurry this morning?”
She shrugged, adopting her usual serene façade. “We should reach Pasheen today. Aren’t you getting sick of dried food? Besides, I smell like I’ve been living with the squirrels.” She nodded over her shoulder where the horde waited in the branches.
Luc rubbed his chin as he studied her. “I don’t know how, but you always smell like apples, even after all this time in the woods.”
Samantha’s brows rose. The fiery look in his eyes brought the ache between her thighs to the forefront, but she ignored it in favor of his words. She’d used apple-scented lotion for years, but the scent was so subtle no one had ever commented on it. He’d noticed though.
When she didn’t respond, he sighed and mounted Sherlock. “Are we really not talking about this?”
“Which ‘this’ are you referring to?” Samantha led the way back to the trail, but when they reached it, Koi turned to look at her and fluffed the feathers around her neck. Her quinat didn’t like the distance she’d set between her and Luc. Too bad. Since she’d gotten up, her magic had been squiggly and restless, and Samantha hadn’t trusted herself not to dive right back into Luc’s arms.
He brought Sherlock up next to her, close enough to touch, but she held herself stiff. Luc took her hand anyway, linking their fingers. “I won’t badger you about the nightmare, but if you want to talk, I’ll listen.”
That wasn’t the ‘this’ Samantha expected. She frowned at him, but let him keep her hand. “No remarks about our rendezvous in the middle of the night?”
“If you mean the fantastic sex, then no. I believe I was quite clear in the moment. I’ll admit I’d hoped for a warmer reception this morning, but I’ll take what I can get.” He kissed the back of her hand, and Samantha felt the answering leap in her magic.
Unnerved, she shifted in her seat and tried to will her power back into dormancy. They traveled in silence while Samantha fought with competing urges. She’d grown accustomed to the close, easy companionship they’d fallen into the last few days, so it took a concentrated effort to try to keep Luc at arm’s length.