Gus allowed the cuffs to dangle above her nose. “I would love a strong woman to take charge. Don’t hold back in front of me. Next time, use the cuffs.” The moment of silence lingered. “So, is it my turn?”
A nervous flutter zipped through her. “Yes.”
“Stretch your arms above your head and grab the headboard.”
“You’re not going to… What if the Wiccan fire returns?”
“No. I won’t cuff you, not tonight, but I will ask down the road, and I hope you’ll say yes. Tonight, I want you to be comfortable and see that you can trust me. The best way to build mutual trust is to take a few risks together.”
“I think we’re already doing that.”
“Bedding a Lycan can be risky.”
“How so?”
He took hold of her wrists and pinned them to the mattress. His weight pressed against her. “We’re loyal to our mates, and we expect loyalty in return.”
“I’m a Leo. I can be loyal to the right man.”
“Lycans tend to be possessive. I’d never share you, and I wouldn’t hesitate to scare another man off.”
“Nothing vengeful or illegal?”
“Nope. Just dagger-eyes and a few chilly words if I ever sense somebody getting too close to the one I care about.”
“Is that all?”
“There’s this.” Nuzzling close, he rubbed his face against the side of her throat. The light beard stubble prickled. The edges of his teeth nipped the tender skin beneath her ear. From deep in his chest rose a low growl that gradually increased in pitch and sent a sonic cascade of thrilling vibrations through the air, leaving her paralyzed in breathless awe, covered in gooseflesh, and shivering. It was like being confronted with the most primal sound imaginable. She was shaken and excited at the same time. “Wow, what was that?”
Gus released his hold on her. “That was a Lycan call. It’s the wolf in me, and it’s never far from the surface. I don’t want to hide what I am from you.”
It seemed important to reassure him, and she looked directly into his eyes as she spoke. “You don’t have to hide it—I like it. I think it’s a turn-on.” She reached toward the drawer with straining fingers, but could only graze the edges. “Let me up a little.”
Moving aside, he propped his weight on his elbow and freed her.
Fredi grabbed a foil-wrapped condom from the drawer and tore it open with her teeth. “Why are you waiting? Take those pants off!”
In a heartbeat, he unbuttoned his fly, tugged the shredded jeans down his legs, and kicked them off. He stretched across the mattress, naked and hard. “Put it on me.”
Leaning close, she brought her fingertip to her lips and delivered a kiss to the crown, slowly swirling the pad of her finger in a lazy circle. “You’re wet.”
He smiled. “So are you.”
She rolled the condom down the shaft and gave him a firm squeeze. “This is going to feel good.”
“It already does.” He pushed the knit dress from her pale shoulder and toyed with the black bra strap. “Won’t you reconsider?”
“Maybe.” She slipped the dress lower, exposing lots of luscious cleavage and the top of one lacy cup. With a single smooth motion, she reached for the athame on the nightstand, slid the edge of the blade between her breasts, and sliced through the bra. The snug lace cups parted with a snap. One fell away revealing a rosy nipple.
“Why not?” She shrugged as she set the knife aside. “I already wrecked the panties, and they were part of a set.”
He brushed the lacy fabric and bits of black thread away and cupped her breast. Adoringly, he stroked his thumb against her nipple. “You are so beautiful.”
It felt extra naughty to be half-dressed in clingy knit fabric, yet also totally vulnerable. The hungry looks Gus shared made her feel so desirable. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, toppling onto her back. He landed on top, parting her legs with his knee. For a breathtaking moment, she felt the first brush of his sheathed cock prodding against her. “Do it.” She took hold of the shaft and guided him in. Being so wet made it easy, but he was thick enough to elicit a gasp on the initial stroke.
He grasped her thigh and lifted it higher as he sank deep. Having him moving inside was heaven. She closed her eyes and allowed her thoughts to float.
Gus brushed a soft kiss against her lips. “Let go.” He seemed to have read her mind. “I’ve got you.”
She melted beneath him, sending the silent signal she trusted him. At that moment, she was completely his. He could go fast, slow, rough, or sweet, and all of it would be good. It surprised her in the best way that giving in to a lusty Lycan felt so right. Any worries that she was sleeping too soon with a man she’d just met fled. The moment was perfect and one of those things that simply had to happen.
Moving slowly, he took his time, and each stroke was satin smooth. She sensed he was struggling to hold back, and it made every ripple of his taut muscles all the sweeter. The momentum of a runaway train built between them. He was being heroic about putting her pleasure first, and she loved him for it, but she was ready for more. Sensing he needed to come hard, now, she spread her fingers across his back and felt for those crazy little dimples above his kidneys. She pinned him firmly against her. The gesture silently staked her claim on him and gave him permission to surrender.
“Oh.” He tensed, thrust faster, and came with a lusty moan. For a few moments, he lay on top of her, trembling without drawing a breath. She held him close, loving every second of it. When he kissed her forehead, she felt the slight trace of tears in his eyes, which she found incredibly touching. Neither spoke, as time seemed to stop.
Finally, Gus rolled off her and drew her into his arms. “You felt so good. By any chance, did you cast another spell?”
She readjusted the strap of her bra. “No. I’ve been a bit busy the last few minutes.”
“I meant a few seconds ago. I sensed a strange tingle of magic. Like one of your spells.”
Her fingertips grazed his shoulders. “Magic? Should I be flattered or worried?”
With eyes wide, he stared at the ceiling without blinking. “It’s weird. Now I feel like all the energy left my body, like I got zapped. How are you doing?”
Fredi tried to answer, but yawned instead. “I think the Hoodoo Blue is—”
The thought went unfinished. Even lifting her arm to grab the sheet was too much effort. She tried to marshal her thoughts, but they drifted away. A moment later, she gave up and cuddled against Gus’s chest.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. “You can let go. Just rest your eyes for a minute.” When he kissed the top of her head, he noticed her hair carried the same sunny notes as a fresh field of clover. Wishing to commit the fragrance to memory, he drew it in. Tonight was special, and he knew someday he’d be looking back fondly. As he listened to her slowing breath, he stroked her hair.
“Fredi,” he whispered. “Are you asleep?”
She snuggled against him, but didn’t answer.
“It’s okay.” He pulled a blanket over them and tried to get as comfortable as he could without waking her. Obviously, battling the weird, whirling vortex of hoodoo energy had sapped her. Her presence beside him was so warm and soft it was an honor that she trusted him enough to fall asleep against his chest.
The Moroccan-style lantern on the nightstand cast beautiful colors against the wall, but it was too much light. Without disturbing Fredi, he nearly dislocated his shoulder reaching behind himself to turn it off.
The little cottage was plunged into shadow, but as his eyes adjusted, he saw that a wide swath of cool moonlight bathed the floor. For a second, he worried he might want to bolt from the bed and roam the beach howling, but no such desire moved him. It was a pleasant surprise to realize he could look at the full moon the same way everyone else did and feel peace. It was a first.
Since his teens, he’d had a love-hate relationship with the lunar cycle. The moon was his mistress, and
he was forced to follow her like a chained captive. A new moon meant freedom to go about his business as he liked, but a full moon demanded his heart and soul with no escape offered from being Lycan. Its effects were humbling. During a new moon, he could pretend to be something other than what he was and get away with it, but the full moon always drew him out into the open and proved him wrong.
A full moon had always been a time of trial that merely punctuated his loneliness, but with Fredi at his side, he now dared to hope something good had happened to him. He almost woke her to tell her about it, but stopped. So often, he acted too soon and spoke too early. It wasn’t just he who made that mistake. Jumping the gun was a typical Lycan problem. Being too familiar too soon frightened outsiders away.
He held her a little tighter, hoping this time would be different. Deep at heart, he suspected he was already in lust with her, if not full-blown love. It was true that Lycans recognized their soul mates almost immediately, but he was also aware that a woman like Fredi wouldn’t want to feel rushed. She was independent. The smartest thing to do was to keep the possessive words like mine, lover, and mate to himself until she had the chance to get used to the fact he was going to fight to keep her and planned to offer her a lifetime of love. He couldn’t help it; he was born to be a pack member, and he was ready to have his own little pack.
Tenderly, he pressed his lips against her hair and mumbled, “I know a secret.”
She didn’t respond with anything more than a fitful roll onto her elbow.
Gus adjusted the pillow behind his head. The need to sleep overwhelmed him. His eyes shut and locked. A weird, dreamlike trance drifted over him.
Within the twilight state, he saw himself sitting beside a soccer field filled with rowdy children and realized the scene was an actual memory. He was about eight years old, and, as usual, he was not playing soccer and had been sent to a bench as punishment for unintentional rough play.
His beautiful mother, Alene, walked up to him, holding a cardboard box coupled with a look of concern on her brow. “Gus, what’s wrong? Are you in time-out again?”
He nodded, reluctant to admit he’d been scolded again for intimidating the other children, many of whom were not Lycan. The terrible part was he wasn’t even aware he’d done anything intimidating. He was just playing and being himself. He’d actually been having fun when a whistle was blown, the game was stopped, and he was pushed to the sidelines.
Alene put her hand on his shoulder. “The coach called me. That’s why I’m here.”
A sick feeling settled in his stomach. Coach Sven was Lycan, too, and a man he admired. “Am I in trouble?”
“Not with me.” Her smile warmed his chilly mood. “You have to remember you’re so much bigger than the other boys. They’re a little scared of you already, but when you bare your teeth and snap, they’re really startled. Remember, we like to keep a low profile in the community. There’s not that many of us, and being Lycan isn’t exactly socially acceptable yet. You’re going to have to learn to blend in. What’s okay in the pack might frighten or confuse outsiders. Do you understand?”
“Are outsiders always going to be afraid of me?”
“No, sweetie, you have such a good heart. But you’ll have to learn to give people a chance to get to know you before you let the Lycan out.”
“How am I going to do that? I’m never going to have any friends.”
“That’s not true.” She handed over the box. “Look inside.”
He opened the box and saw a huddled and absolutely terrified kitten with matted gray fur.
“We found the little one behind a shed this morning at my work. It took forever to catch the poor kitty, and I was on my way to a shelter when Coach Sven called. During the drive, it occurred to me that you might want this little cat as a pet.”
Cautiously, he gazed into the box. The kitten hissed. “I want him, but I don’t think he wants me.”
“He’s a her.” She laughed. “I think it will be good for you to befriend this kitten and learn to tone down the Lycan at will. My guess is that if you can win over this frightened kitten, you’ll be able to get along with almost anyone you meet.”
“Really?”
“Be gentle and give the kitten a chance to come to you.”
As if in slow motion, he reached into the box. “Like this?”
“Yes. Now, wait.”
What felt like an eternity passed. Nothing happened. He whispered, “I’m not going to hurt you.”
The kitten inched closer to his hand and he dared to pet it. The kitten rubbed against his fingers and stayed put. “She let me pet her!” he gasped in awe.
Alene beamed. “Do you want to keep her?”
“Oh, yeah, we’re going to be friends!”
Chapter Seven
Fredi lolled in the bedcovers, feeling a rare sense of peace. For once in her life, she was happy and everything was okay. Gus spooned her with his arm wrapped around her waist. His chest rose and fell with each heavy breath. She patted his hand to reassure herself he was real. The sensation of lying next to his warm body was a sweet luxury. It came as a terrible disappointment when the sound of splashing water fully woke her and ruined the elusive moment of hovering at the edge of a dream realm, neither here nor there.
Warily, she opened her eyes and was startled to see the pink tint of dawn already creeping across the bedcovers. Then she realized, beneath the sound of gurgling water, she also heard a man outside her bedroom window, humming.
She rose on her elbow and gently shook Gus. “Wake up.”
Gus’s lashes fluttered, but, otherwise, he remained unmoved by her prodding as he sprawled on his back, sound asleep.
“Someone’s in my front yard.”
Clutching the sheet, he woke with a start. “Holy shit, it’s morning!” He rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palm, as if he could burnish alertness into them. “How did this…? I don’t even remember falling asleep.”
Silently, she mouthed the words, Out there, and pointed through the open window, with its singed curtain still heaped on the floor. She tucked the sheet around her.
“Go look,” she whispered.
With a lazy shove, he rolled from the bed, fished his torn jeans from the floor, and tugged them on. His hair was bed-rumpled and wild as he strode toward the window and peered out.
“Good morning.” He addressed someone standing below the window. “It’s pretty early. Is there something we can do for you?”
“No,” a cheerful-sounding and completely unapologetic man answered. “I was just on my way.” The water was turned off with a few twists of the squeaky faucet, followed by the sound of bare feet slapping against the stepping-stones.
Fredi sighed. “Was it the naked jogger?”
Gus covered his eyes with his palms and rubbed hard. “Technically, no. This guy was wearing a red, white, and blue G-string, but he’s gone now. He’s heading across the beach. God, I wish I could un-see that. Hasn’t anyone ever complained about that guy?”
“This is California. Who would we complain to?”
He stepped away from the window and turned toward her. “Do you always look this beautiful in the morning?”
Her heart leaped. He looked gorgeous too, bathed in the dawn light with broad shoulders and a wavy mane. She wished every day started with such a stunning view. “Look where you’re standing.”
He glanced at the windowsill. “How far apart do you think we are? Ten, maybe fifteen feet?”
With a wave, she motioned toward the kitchen. “Would you get me a glass of water?”
Taking cautious steps, he headed toward the kitchen. “Look at this! I’m all the way over to the sink, and nothing’s happening on my side. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Once in the kitchen, he opened cupboard doors, searching. “Where do you keep the glasses?”
“To your left.”
He grabbed two heavy highball tumblers from the shelf and filled them from the tap. Im
mediately, he gulped one and refilled it twice. “I’m thirsty. I think the hoodoo wore off. I feel completely normal, except I’m starving.”
“We skipped dinner.” Hoodoo or not, she didn’t feel normal at all. Having Gus in her bed and then seeing him standing at her sink was incredibly intimate. A little voice in her head said, This is great. I could wake up to Gus every day.
“I have an idea.” He strolled toward the bed and delivered the tumbler into her waiting hand. “Do you have to be anywhere this morning? Let’s get breakfast at Pete’s Breakfast Shack near the pier. They have the best corned-beef hash.”
“I want pancakes, but I need coffee, now. Don’t you have to work today?”
“As a buffer. I told the homeowner I might not be able to come in today. I have to cover my ass the day after a full moon in case I wake up naked, stranded too far from my truck, or generally unable to cope with mainstream society.”
Tilting her head, she scanned the sweeping breadth of his back. “You look fine to me.”
He sat beside her on the edge of the bed. “I feel really good, better than I’ve felt for a long time. I sort of don’t want it to end, but…”
She sipped her water. “But what?”
“It’s morning. Don’t you have something you need to do?”
The sudden look of conflict on his face confused her.
“The hoodoo? Don’t you need to break it?”
“Oh, the hoodoo!” Leaning over, she dipped her hand under the bed and pulled her wand free from its hiding place. “I forgot about that. It feels like the hoodoo has long worn away, but I guess it won’t hurt to finish it off with some sunlight and focused intent.”
A hint of sadness shone in his eyes. “Finish it.”
She lifted the wand.
“Wait!” He raised a hand. “Once the hoodoo’s broken, will I go back to feeling the same way I felt before I met you and drank the Hoodoo Blue?”
“Most likely. The hoodoo can only affect you for a limited time.”
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