Enchanting Wilder

by Cassie Graham

  “Ma,” I yell. “We’re inside! Tell the postman to go home.”

  Mom peeks her head out of the kitchen. “I already pushed him out the window. It’s clear.” She laughs. “Where is everyone?”

  “It’s just me and McKenna. I’m going to show her around. The rest are in the cellar.”

  Mom’s mouth thins and she shakes her head. “Okay.”

  When she disappears back into the kitchen, I find McKenna standing at the fireplace, a picture in hand.

  “What do you have there?” I ask, taking the frame from her. As I look more closely, it’s a faint picture of me as a young boy. I’m sitting at a table with my birthday cake. My Batman shirt is loose and faded, but my eyes are bright with happiness as I stare at the seven brightly lit candles. I remember that birthday so vividly. It was the same day Dad told me what I was. What he was. And, what Wood would eventually be. Pursuers. That moment captured in time was the last picture where I was truly a kid.

  “You were cute.”

  “Were?” My eyebrows quirk and I tickle her side.

  McKenna rolls her eyes, setting the picture back on the mantle, swatting my hand away. “Still are, shut up.”

  I laugh, kissing the back of her head. She walks past the burgundy couches, to the light yellow recliners against the wall, feeling the old, worn cloth. She follows the hallway down toward the back of the house and I trail close behind her.

  Stopping at the end of the hall, she points. “Yours?”

  “Yeah.”

  Biting her lip with a smile, she traces the doorframe and cautiously walks into the room I’ve been occupying for twenty years. Her eyes light up as she takes her time looking at every little nook and cranny. Her hands skirt across the bow and arrow mounted on the wall. I picked up the habit after we ran across a hive of werewolves in Florida. I found it easier to kill them with a silver arrow than shooting them with limited bullets. Arrows are reusable.

  McKenna picks up A Tale of Two Cities sitting on my nightstand, flipping through the pages. She places the book down and takes a seat on the bed, patting the space next to her.

  “What are you doing, Mighty?” My voice comes out husky. I don’t know where that came from.

  “Just sit with me, Declan.”

  I take a breath through my nose and attempt to hold it in. The sight of her on my bed is enough for me to rip her clothes off, but add in her scent…I’m done for.

  The comforter bunches and I make myself sit a few inches away from McKenna, which produces a laugh. She moves closer, her thigh touching mine.

  “Your room is very—you.”

  I look down, her pinky now touching my hand. “Thank you?”

  “It’s a good thing. Manly.” She laughs.

  “Manly, huh? I think I can handle that.”

  “Mmm.”

  Like the changing of seasons, her eyes zone in on my lips and my heart hammers against my chest, pounding its way through my ribcage. Shifting from summer to fall in the blink of an eye, her demeanor alters. Desire thick, want palpable. She licks her lips and leans in close, her mouth opening slightly. Faint sounds of pans bang down the hall where mom is, but all I can focus on is her breathing and the way my blood pounds in my ears. Kissing has never felt so intense before McKenna.

  Her hand lands on the lapels of my jacket and she jerks me forward, her mouth crushing to mine. Like every other kiss, an electric current crackles through us, the spark almost visible. She moans, her tongue seeking mine with fervor. My hand tangles in her long, beautiful red hair, and she scoots closer while my other hand finds the skin under her shirt. Her lips taste faintly of vanilla, and the moment the flavor hits my tongue, I become ravenous. An absolute need to claim her eternally overwhelms my senses.

  “Oh, goodness,” mom says as she passes my room, door wide open. Idiot. McKenna scoots back, covering her mouth and my heart stutters as I force myself not to tease her.

  “I’m sorry, Ma.” I laugh.

  Her lips purse and she shakes her hand, the wooden spoon waving wildly in the air. “Declan Wilder, I know you’re a grown man, and I love you, but at least have the decency to close the door if you’re going to be kissing someone, yes?”

  I look to McKenna whose body is bouncing from laughter and I grin. “Yes, mom.”

  Mom reaches deep into my room, grabbing the doorknob and slams the door shut, rattling the walls. When her footsteps can no longer be heard, McKenna begins to giggle louder and I join in with her.

  “Oh my God, I can’t believe that just happened,” she sputters. “I haven’t felt embarrassed like this since I was a teenager.”

  I clutch my stomach, whole heartedly cracking up. “Don’t be embarrassed, Mighty. It could have been worse.”

  Her mouth falls open. “Worse? Declan, how could it be worse? I was practically mauling you on your childhood bed.”

  “We could’ve been naked.”

  Her laughter stops and she bumps her leg to mine.

  “I kinda wish we were naked right now.”

  “Declan!” McKenna shrieks and I boast.

  “What?”

  Her eyes squint and she bites her lip. “You’re incorrigible.”

  “Why don’t we go for a ride outside? I’ll show you around the grounds. We can kill some time.”

  McKenna’s face lights up and I pull her up off the bed and tug her down the hallway, waving at mom as we pass the kitchen.

  Opening up the garage on the side of the house, I swipe my hands and walk to the quads lining the back wall. Covered in years of dirt, I take a towel off of Dad’s workshop and dust it off. Grabbing the keys off the key ring on the wall, I heave my body onto the machine and start it. The quad grumbles to life, filling the big space with the smell of exhaust and gas.

  “Jesus,” McKenna yells, an excited smile on her face. “This thing is fierce.”

  I offer her my hand and she climbs on behind me. “You have no idea.”

  Placing one of her hands around my stomach, I take the other one and bring it to my mouth. She caresses my face after the kiss and then laces her hands together.

  “Ready?” I ask, turning my face to look at her.

  She kisses my neck and I tighten my hand, pulling the handle back toward me. The machine springs forward, racing into the woods.

  Trees are nothing but green distortions as we speed our way down the pathway to the pond. McKenna’s hands grip me tighter, and she squeals happily in my ear. The smile that overtakes my face is something new altogether.

  I take the corners fast and the long stretches of road even faster, basking in the freedom I feel with McKenna.

  Together, we race down the road, miles away from everyone. When there’s only the sound of the engine of the quad and the chirping of birds, I stop at the little pond on the outskirt of our property. Pulling up to the dock, I shut the engine down and hop off, bringing McKenna with me. Lacing our fingers together, I lead her to the edge, sitting down.

  The sounds of nature echo loud, and McKenna rests her head on my shoulder.

  “It’s so peaceful out here,” she says, looking up at me.

  “Other than behind the wheel of my Sting, this is my favorite place in the world.”

  McKenna tips her head back, letting the sun wash over her face. “I can see why.” The bright sun bounces off the water, casting beams of radiant light on her face.

  I’ll never see this place the same again, she’s forever changed it.

  “You’re so damn beautiful, you know that?”

  McKenna brings her head down and smiles. “You’re the only one to ever tell me that.”

  I shake my head. I don’t believe that. “That’s a shame, Mighty.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah,” she says softly. “Because now when you say it, it’s much more meaningful.”

  I scratch the side of my head and look out to the water, overwhelmed with emotion.

  Have you ever felt something so intens
e, it over takes your body? You have no control over your actions. You feel like your mind goes out the window and you rely solely on your heart. It shoves you forward, pushes you to the edge and makes you do things you never thought you’d do.

  That’s what being with McKenna is like. I can’t fight it anymore. Pushing her away, doubting my what I feel for her, I’m done lying to myself. Resist your wants, dad would say. I was to rely on what was needed and stay on the path laid out for me. Mission first, everything else second.

  She makes me want to throw caution to the wind. To hell with the rules.

  It’s like the one night stands I had before her were my way of weeding through the muck. I had to work my way through the mud to find the clear ocean.

  And though I don’t know what love is, at least love outside of family, I wonder if that’s what I’m feeling for McKenna. This pure, uninhibited want to be with her despite what I’ve been taught. It’s so foreign. I have this unabashed lure to throw family business and duty out the window for something more—something worth fighting for. Someone more important than every other person in this God forsaken world.

  It’s wrong of me, but it’s also sort of…thrilling.

  Raising my hand to McKenna’s hair, my fingers thread through the stunning red. Her eyes find mine, shining so bright I have to squint. My lips unconsciously part and she licks hers. Back and forth, her eyes dart from my lips to my eyes.

  She scoots closer, her legs touching mine but it’s not close enough. It ever is. I move my hands to her hips and set her on my lap.

  “That’s better.” I grin, bringing my mouth to her throat, my tongue darting out to taste her sweet skin. She moans in response.

  Anchoring herself to my shoulders, she pushes down on my jeans which are now becoming more and more uncomfortable.

  “The things you do to me, McKenna,” I say through gritted teeth.

  My lips kiss her neck and up her jaw, landing behind her ear. I take a few tiny nibbles, and the groans emitting from her throat sends chills all over my body. I feel it deep within my bones. Everything she feels, I somehow feel it, too.

  Her hands find the back of my neck and she pushes herself into me, finding my lips with hers. Her kisses are ravenous, hungry. All I feel is the brazen desire to push harder, faster, get closer.

  The freezing temperature is no match for McKenna’s warmth. She radiates good, soaking into my body, warming the deepest depths of my being.

  Every kiss is magnified. Every stroke of our tongues bring us closer together. My want for her crashes through the atmosphere, clouding my mind with plumes of McKenna. Only her.

  Always.

  My lips caress hers and I fall back against the wooden dock, taking her with me. Her hair falls, framing her beautiful face, and she smiles down at me, desire riddling her expression.

  As a kid, I’d lay here during the summer, staring at the sky, hoping to find answers in a world full of questions. And now, with her on top of me, answering every unanswered question, I wonder if I’ll ever come out of the haze. Her ability to love wipes my slate clean.

  My hand skirts up her shirt, her skin so warm.

  “Fare, canum, asa. Teum, lorieta, seria,” McKenna says low, against my skin.

  The wilderness around us fades, and the air heats. “What was that?” I ask. “What did you just do?”

  McKenna places soft kisses against my cheek, against my temple, against my neck, stopping at my ear. She breathes softly, sending shivers all over my body. I shudder underneath her.

  “I just concealed us, Declan.” She pulls back, smiling. “And, I was freezing, so I might have warmed the air around us a bit.”

  “What?” Christ, she’s amazing.

  Her eyebrow quirks and she grabs for her jacket, tugging it off her arms. She reaches for the bottom of her shirt next and I stop her.

  “Wait. Are you saying we’re going to do this here?” Because holy shit.

  Her hands stop and the sly grin on her face makes me feel predatory.

  She nods.

  “I’m so fucking there.”

  Pushing her hands away, my fingers meet her hips. I readjust us and sit up, pressing hot kisses against her stomach, up her chest, circling her breasts with my lips. She threads her hands in my hair, her head tipping back as I make my way up her skin.

  Guiding my hands up her body, I lift her shirt up and over her head, placing it beside me, careful not to lose it. Her back arches, and I find the clasp on her bra, taking my time unlatching each one. When there’s nothing left, I bring her close to my body, feeling heady.

  One button at a time, with meticulous precision, she unbuttons my shirt, tossing it with her growing pile of clothes.

  Our bodies connect, her skin brushing lightly against my chest. I don’t know if it’s because it’s McKenna, but I’ve never noticed things like that before. It was usually, bang and done. Get in, get out, and move on to the next one.

  I never thought about the little things. Like, the way her hair falls over her shoulders, cascading down her back. The way it tickles my skin when she leans down to kiss me. Or, how she grabs onto the skin on my back when my mouth touches her neck. I’d never noticed how her cheeks start out as a peach color and, as the moment becomes more intense, turn a shade of rose.

  Chanting soft, she closes her eyes, and as I look down, my jeans fizzle away. They disappear, and so do McKenna’s.

  “Holy shit,” I breathe, feeling her warmth instantly.

  She begins to rub against me slowly, panting. “I think that might be my favorite incantation ever,” she whimpers, closing her eyes.

  Me fucking too.

  My body grows rigid, feeling her anticipation as she begins to speed up. I respond with some unintelligible mumble but she’s too far gone to notice.

  My breath hitches as I pull back to look at us. At her. Her perfect body.

  She moans again and the sound that comes from my chest rumbles deep from within me.

  “Mighty,” I pant. “Baby, hold on.”

  She grumbles but stills.

  “Where are my pants?”

  She closes her eyes and suddenly, they appear next to me. Without moving her or us, I grab them and reach into the pocket, pulling out a condom. Pushing her back on my thighs, I slide it on, McKenna watching with her full bottom lip in her teeth.

  “Come here,” I say, grabbing her and lifting her up.

  When she’s finally taken me—all of me, I still for a moment, savoring every inch of her. So tight. Meant just for me. Without moving, I guide my hands up her back, and drag them down, my fingers digging deep into her skin. Her head falls back and she rocks slightly. I push into her, taking her mouth in mine. My heart pulsating ferociously in my chest, I skim one of my hands to the base of her neck, pushing her down.

  Her eyes darken, just as the sky above us. Lightning crashes overhead and thunder rumbles throughout the valley, rolling into the mountains. Any other time, the weather outside would be worrisome, but I refuse to take my eyes off of McKenna—to think about anything other than McKenna.

  I wish we could do this for hours, never leaving our bubble. I want to watch her come undone with just my touch, so I bring her mouth to mine, kissing her with long strokes, over and over. She tastes of sweet honey and vanilla. I crave her taste. Her lips are warm and soft as her body slows, cautious not to finish too quickly.

  I draw back, brushing my thumb against her bottom lip, her tongue darting out to taste my skin. My mind fades in that instant, it sizzles and static reverberates in my head. The rumbles of the storm ahead diminish and all I can hear—all I can see, is McKenna. Soft, brave McKenna.

  Eyes hooded and lips a little swollen, McKenna looks at me like I’m some sort of prize. Maybe I can finally allow myself to be her prize. My eyes devour her. I kiss her tenderly and then hungry. Never stopping on one speed. Always pushing forward together.

  Pulling away, I place a kiss just below her throat, one kiss there, another here. I can’t
get enough. My need for her is insatiable.

  She begins to rock more forcefully against me, and I fist her hair, tipping her head back. Unable to stop myself, I flip her over, the utter need to dominate her body overpowering everything inside me. And there, I find her lips and kiss her forcefully, silently vowing to never put mine on another woman for as long as I live. Every moment after this, she’ll know she’s mine. Even if I can’t say the words, she’ll know in my actions.

  Small mews of anticipation and eagerness leave her mouth between kisses and I push into her further. She groans; I moan. We’re in this climactic atmosphere, almost like we’re daring each other to win. Who’s going to get to the finish line first? We tug and pull, caressing and kneading. We savor each other feverously.

  I don’t think anything has turned me on this much in my entire life.

  My legs begin to shake and I feel her walls around me quiver.

  I know she’s close, I feel it in myself. That slow-building burn that starts at my toes and works its way up to the top of my head. It’s wonderful, all-satisfying, and completely mind consuming.

  “You’re mine,” I tell her, pressing her body to me, thrusting harder. “Mine.”

  She nods, kissing the base of my neck. “Yours.”

  Her walls tighten around me, and she spirals down the hill, riding out her climax. Watching her drown in her high, I curl my fingers around her waist and pin her hips down, plunging deeper, feeling every single inch of her. Our intimacy sprouts off in shards of blinding white light. My heart feels like it might burst out of my chest as ecstasy cocoons me, taking me as its captive.

  Observing me with her golden eyes, she smiles a half-lidded smile. With every thrust, I feel her skin grow hotter. Her hands claw at my taut back. I pulse inside her, ready and willing to give myself over to her.

  “Declan. Oh god, Declan.”

  My orgasm thunders through me. There’s nothing I love more than hearing her say my name in the throes of desire. Her sheer passion sends me over the edge and into oblivion. I clench myself to her as I come, flying out of control, flexing and moving against her body.

  Perfection.

  After a while, as we lie on the old, wooden dock, my mind clears.