by Diana Bocco
“Does that mean he’ll keep coming after me?”
“Yes.”
Laurie snatched her bag from the floor and started searching for her cell phone. “I need to call the police.”
He shook his head. “Forget it. They’ll never believe you. You’re having a hard time with it, and you saw what he can do.”
“Then what?”
Alex’s eyes were fixed on hers. They looked inviting, safe. She wanted to believe he could protect her.
“I could perform the ritual.”
Laurie scrambled to her feet. He got up too and reached for her arm. His fingers felt like fire on her skin.
“Wait, it’s not what you think. I’m not going to hurt you.” And to try and convince her of that, he let go of her arm. “If I complete the ritual, he won’t be able to, and I’ll get the powers. But I need your help with it.”
Laurie shook her head. Helping him gather power from a supernatural force? How did she know he wasn’t going to use it for the same purposes Corneliu had in mind?
Alex took a step towards her. He was so tall and big. Pure muscle, pure might.
“Remember yesterday in the study? You actually heard me think the name Corneliu. I think you and I have a special connection that could make the ritual even more powerful.”
He reached for her waist and she immediately tensed up, but she didn’t pull away. His body exuded some sort of energy that made her skin feel electric.
“Relax. Let me try something.”
Before she realized what was happening, he rested his hand on the back of her head and bent down to kiss her.
There was no hesitation in the move, no tentative touch. Just heat flowing from him right into her, and his scent rolling over her and filling her throat with desire. She groaned and parted her lips, wanting more, offering more. His tongue tangled with hers, sending flashes of lighting and fire through her body. She felt her knees weaken as he pressed harder against her, molding her body to his. A growl lingered in the room as his hands moved lower, reaching for her hips.
The sounds of the room seemed to disappear as his heat rolled over her. The electricity she had felt in the air the day before was rushing into her body. It was almost as if her cells were vibrating with it. And then, without warning, her whole body seemed to light up in a flash. In the midst of it, she heard Alex’s voice dancing in her head. I’ll keep you safe, Laurie.
She broke the kiss and staggered backwards. Her chest was rising rapidly, and so was his. His eyes were dark, and she could feel the air heavy with electricity, with hunger.
“You heard me, didn’t you?” he said in between heavy breaths.
“That … that felt….”
“I know.”
She turned away from him and closed her eyes for a second, trying to regain her composure. The kiss had felt unreal. No, magical. It had felt magical.
When she turned back, she could feel her face burning red.
“Did you do anything to make the kiss feel like that?”
Alex smiled. “No. That was just us.”
Laurie looked down, very aware of the energy flowing between them and its effect on her body. Every cell in her body was alive and calling for him.
“The women Corneliu took, are they dead?”
“I’m pretty sure they are. But I’m not suggesting you let me kill you, Laurie. There would be another way to perform the ritual, as long as I had a willing participant.”
His body exuded so much heat, she couldn’t think straight. “What way?” she asked shakily.
Alex closed the distance between them with a single step. His mouth moved close to her ear, sending shivers down her spine. “Sex.”
Laurie held her breath in surprise, but she didn’t move. He moved his mouth away from her ear and close to her mouth, until their lips were almost touching.
“Don’t tell me that doesn’t sound tempting.”
Blood was rushing in her head so fast, she felt dizzy. Every coherent thought went flying out the window, and her body almost melted against his.
Alex slid an arm around her waist and brought her even closer against him, until their bodies were melting into a single form. She felt his erection pressing against her, and her pulse exploded.
She tried to focus on anything else to try and calm the rushing of her mind, but it was hard to ignore him. His fingers left a trail of fire everywhere they touched, even through her clothing.
“How…?”
“Sex is a powerful force, Laurie,” he whispered against her lips. “And you and I together?” His lips pressed against hers again, his tongue slipping in and claiming hers.
She felt the buzzing of energy picking up again, extending through her body, and she knew he was right. It would be amazing. She broke the kiss long enough to ask, “Is this a trick to get me into bed?”
His lips curved in a smile. “Does it seem like I would need a trick for that?”
No, he wouldn’t. She was about ready to undress right now.
Even before she said the words, her face went even redder. “Okay.”
Alex blinked in surprise and let her go.
“I mean, I need to know what … how … but okay.”
He smiled broadly, a flash of white teeth. “I hope you didn’t have plans tonight, Laurie. I need to make a phone call and bring somebody over to explain the ritual in detail.”
Where else was she going to go?
Chapter 6
Anton arrived just an hour later with a box full of papers and artifacts. When Alex opened the door, Anton smiled and handed him the box.
“You work fast. How did you manage to find the right woman in less than 24 hours?”
“Let’s say she found me.”
Alex walked towards the study, with Anton following close behind.
“And with your luck, she’s probably even beautiful.”
Alex stepped into the study and motioned towards Laurie, who was sitting in one of the armchairs near the desk. “You can see for yourself. Anton, this is Laurie.”
Anton froze for a second, and then his eyes turned to Alex, full of unasked questions. He shook Laurie’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Laurie.”
Alex poured a drink for himself and one for Anton. Then he turned to Laurie, who nodded. “I think I’m going to need a drink for this, so yes, please.”
Alex smiled. “Sit down, Anton. And start talking. Laurie and I are really curious about what we’re supposed to be doing in bed tomorrow night.”
Anton saw the girl’s face turn a deep shade of red. She quickly took a sip of her drink, then a deep breath.
“You told her?”
Alex sat in the armchair next to Laurie. “I didn’t have much of a choice, really. Corneliu stopped by and blew out some of my windows.”
Anton stirred in his chair, trying to find the right position. Or maybe trying to find the right words.
“How much did you tell her?”
Alex shrugged. “Pretty much everything. You did say I needed a willing participant for the ritual.”
Anton turned towards Laurie. “How well do you know each other?”
“We met yesterday,” Laurie answered. “I was investigating the women’s disappearance—”
“You’re a cop?” Anton turned to face Alex. “Even for you, this is pretty careless. Doesn’t she have a legal obligation to turn Corneliu in?”
Alex waved off the question impatiently. “She’s not exactly a cop. And it doesn’t matter anyway. She’s a child of Samhain and Corneliu ended up here looking for her, so she’s obviously a good choice.”
Anton studied Laurie for what seemed like minutes. “Can we trust you?”
“I’m still here, aren’t I?” she replied.
Anton hesitated for a second and then reached for a notebook from inside the box. “It’s not just about sex. You need to make sure you have some sort of organic reaction to each other.”
“Oh, we have that,” Alex said, and it made Laurie blush aga
in.
“What exactly are we supposed to be doing during this ritual?” Laurie asked.
“Alex needs to read some words. But the real power is in the orgasm, so you just need to make sure you both come.”
“That’s really not going to be an issue,” Alex said, his eyes focused on Laurie.
“Oh, I believe it. I can feel you two undressing each other right now.”
“Any idea of the extent of this power?” Alex asked.
Anton frowned. “Not really. This is new territory for me too. I’d expect all your senses will become more acute. Not sure what it will do to your telekinesis and everything else.” He looked at Laurie. “I suggest you stay here tonight. Corneliu is going to be looking for a woman he can use in his ritual, and this is really the safest place for you to be.”
Laurie nodded.
Alex reached over and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. He couldn’t explain why, but he felt extremely protective of her. “You can take one of the guest bedrooms, and I’ll get you some clothes tomorrow.”
Anton handed Alex a notebook. “You have a lot of prep work to do. The whole ritual has to be performed once the moon is out but before midnight.”
Alex nodded and turned his attention to the notebook.
“Alex, esti sigur?”
Alex didn’t have to look at Laurie to know the answer. Whatever connection had been awoken, he was ready to fight to keep it alive.
“I’m sure. Let’s get to work.”
Chapter 7
Laurie didn’t see Alex all day on Halloween. She woke up mid-morning to find a stack of brand-new clothes on a chair near her bed. Somehow, he — or somebody — had slipped into the bedroom while she was sleeping and delivered the items. It was unsettling that she hadn’t even realized it, and even more unsettling when she figured out that every item fit her perfectly. Either he magically knew her clothing size or he had undressed enough women that he could accurately guess what sizes they wore. She was ready to bet on the second theory.
When she headed downstairs, she found somebody working in the kitchen, waiting for her with a full breakfast. The woman wasn’t at all surprised to see her. What else happened while I was sleeping? she wondered.
“Good morning, Miss Cole. Eggs or pancakes?”
It was all so surreal, she just had to go along with it. “Eggs, I think. And a very large cup of black coffee. Where’s Alex?”
“Mr. Volman has been in the study since early this morning. He said you’re free to explore the grounds but that you should take somebody with you.”
Great. She needed a bodyguard just to leave the house.
Emily called to wish her happy birthday around noon, and Laurie told her she was taking the day off. As much as she wanted to tell her what was going on, she knew she couldn’t. Besides, every single nerve in her body was already on edge waiting for that night. She didn’t need anything else adding to that.
She had asked herself a few times if she wanted to call the whole thing off, and the answer was always the same. She wanted to stay. Not only because the idea of sleeping with Alex made her vibrate with anticipation, but also because she believed him when he said this was the best — and maybe the only — way to stop Corneliu.
And Corneliu scared her, which was hard to admit. She’d been chasing bad guys for years, and this was the first time she didn’t know what to expect of one.
She didn’t want to have to look over her shoulder for the rest of her life, and she certainly didn’t want Corneliu becoming more powerful. Accepting the idea of magical powers was hard, but she couldn’t deny the display she had seen the night before. And if one of those men was going to get even more powerful, she didn’t want Corneliu to be the one.
As the evening approached, her nerves got worse, so she took a walk outside — followed by a suspiciously tough-looking gardener — then took a bath and changed into a tight black skirt and a silk blouse. Skirts weren’t really her thing, but if she was going to wear one, this was definitely the right night for it.
She caught a glimpse of something on the pillow, a velvety black box with a card attached. The note read: “Happy birthday. Last bedroom on the left. Come over when you’re ready.”
The box held a silver necklace with a pendant in the shape of a stang. It was probably part of the ritual, but that didn’t make it any less beautiful. Strange that the item that marked the death of those women could also hold such beauty. She put it on and looked at herself in the mirror.
“Happy birthday to me.”
The absurdity of it all just made her smile. After a good night’s sleep and a relaxing bath, the events of the night before seemed years away. They also seemed a lot less real. If somebody had come in and told her it had all been a dream, she might have been inclined to believe it. It would have made sense, and she would much rather go back to believing magic wasn’t real.
If she was going to do this, she might as well do it right now, before she came to her senses and decided to take off running. Taking a long breath, she made herself relax. Or at least try to relax, because her stomach was tied up in knots and her ears were buzzing.
Come over when you’re ready.
She walked over to his bedroom and knocked on the door. She immediately realized it was silly, so she reached for the doorknob and twisted it.
The bedroom was huge. A large four-poster bed dominated the left wall, but there were also several armchairs and dark wood armoires around the room. It was a room to enjoy, not just to sleep in. Now, illuminated with just the flickering of candles, it seemed made for decadence.
Alex stepped out of the darkness. He was dressed completely in black and looked ravishing. He looked like a god. If there had been any doubt in her mind that she wanted him, it was gone.
“Come in, Laurie. I won’t bite.”
She could hear the wicked smile in his voice.
She closed the door and then leaned back against it, waiting for him to move closer. She felt like a shy teenager all of a sudden. “Sorry, the whole thing is a bit strange.”
He approached her, and immediately the whole room got warmer. God, her body seemed to pulse at the proximity. He traced her collarbone with his finger, touching the pendant. The buzzing in her ears got louder, and then she realized it wasn’t her ears. It was the whole room. It vibrated with an electric pulse of its own. Like the day before, but stronger, deeper.
“You can feel it, can you, Laurie?”
She closed her eyes, letting the heat seep in, letting the vibrations reach her and awaken every corner of her body and mind.
“Yes.”
He pushed against her body, pressing her against the door. Then he bent towards her so he could whisper. “Forget the ritual, Laurie. Right now I just want you.”
Her eyes slowly moved up to meet his, her heart thumping so loud she could hardly hear herself speak. “I want you too.”
He groaned and kissed her hard. His hands slid around her waist to pull her away from the door and against his body. And then they moved higher, under her shirt, his thumb reaching under her bra and teasing a nipple. She gasped against his mouth but didn’t break the kiss. Instead, she reached for him, searching for his skin. She found the buttons and started undoing them.
And then she was off her feet. She wasn’t sure if they were floating or if he’d picked her up, but a second later they were on the bed, their shirts off and the candlelight dancing over their exposed skin.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispered before lowering himself to kiss her neck.
Every place he touched went up in flames. His skin was like fire against hers, making her whole body cry out for release.
Laurie.
His thoughts were finding a way into her mind. Hearing him as he was kissing her made his caresses that much more erotic.
His lips moved down to her breast, his tongue flicking against the soft material of her bra. More, she needed more. As if he could hear her, his hand touched her thigh a
nd moved up slowly, stopping just short of her sex. He caressed her teasingly but didn’t touch her where he knew she needed him to.
“Alex, please.”
He stopped and moved up to look into her eyes.
“What do you want?”
“You, I want … take your clothes off.”
His smile got wider. “I was hoping you would ask.”