“Have a great time,” Damien smiled as she came over to kiss him.
“I will. And you two…take care.” She put her arms around him. “Don’t let your father get the better of you.”
He laughed. “I won’t.”
She came over and hugged Kimi. “Be good, you two.” She glanced over at Damien. “And if you can’t be good…be careful.”
He grinned at her. “Go away.”
She gave him one last look. Kimi could see the fear in her eyes. But Serena wouldn’t voice it. She waved goodbye, then walked down the corridor. They heard the front door shut, then her car starting up.
Kimi looked out at the garden as the sound of the car faded into the distance. The house was very quiet, and she could hear the clock ticking on the mantelpiece. She was alone in the house with him for the first time since he’d got his powers back. For some reason her heart pounded, and she felt breathless. She couldn’t look at him. She studied the trees surrounding the lawn, watching dead leaves flutter to the ground, thinking how they’d been golden in the spiritual forest.
“Kimi…”
Swallowing, she looked over at him.
He studied her, head tipped to the side, curious. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing.”
He put his hands on the edge of the sofa arm as if to push himself up, but didn’t move. He wore a dark blue polo shirt and jeans, but was barefoot, and his hair was still ruffled from the energy surge he’d experienced earlier. He glowed with health, vitality, and sheer happiness at having his powers back. His eyes glittered. She could feel the energy radiating from him across the room.
“Tell me,” he said, studying her.
“I’m nervous,” she said before she could stop the words coming out.
A smile slowly crept onto his face. “You should be.”
She blinked. “What?”
He pushed himself up and walked toward her. He was like a panther, all unleashed power, predatory. She backed away until she felt the window behind her, and put her cup on a nearby table, afraid she might drop it. He stopped a foot in front of her and studied her, his thumbs hooked in his jeans pockets.
“I’m carrying a bit of excess energy—you may be aware,” he said.
“Just a bit,” she said wryly, her heart thumping.
“I think I might have mentioned the best way to get rid of it.”
She met his eyes, her breaths coming fast. She remembered what he’d said to her in the car when she’d first met him, about how most people would be flat on their backs, trying to sex it out. “I think I can recall, yes,” she said, trying to sound sarcastic, but it just came out as breathless. “But I thought you could control it.”
“Oh, I could.” He stepped a bit closer and smiled. “But why would I want to when I’ve got you alone in the house?” He fixed her with his gaze, his pupils so large his eyes looked black.
“Oh,” she said weakly.
“Do you remember what I told you in the meditation room?”
How could she forget the way he’d reduced her into a pile of mush just by talking to her? “Yes,” she said, swallowing.
“About the tiny list of things I wouldn’t be doing to you, when the time came?”
She was starting to feel faint again. “Yes.”
He had a small smile on his lips. “Well I’ve been thinking of a list of things I would like to do. Do you want to hear it?”
“No.” She gave a small shake of her head. If he told her, she might explode.
He stepped closer, giving no sign he’d heard her answer, resting his hands on her hips. She put her hands on his chest, feeling his muscles hard under her fingers, meaning to push his away, but for some reason they just rested there, as if he’d extracted all her resistance.
“Number one—and these are in no particular, order,” he said. He nuzzled her hair and his hands pulled up her short skirt very slowly until he could hook his fingers in her lacy panties. “You’re not the only one partial to chocolate…”
“Mm?”
“I thought I might melt some…then drizzle it in spirals and patterns all over you…and very slowly…lick it all off.” He ran his tongue down the outside of her ear, then pulled her underwear down, letting her step out of it, before throwing it to one side.
Oh dear God.
He stood again, his hands back on her hips. “Two. Maybe straight after number one, as you’ll be all sticky, and not just from the chocolate.” His eyes glimmered with amusement as she blushed. He began to raise her skirt again, running his warm hands up her thighs to cup her bare behind. “I’m going to take you into the shower and soap my hands so they’re really, really slippery…and then wash you all over…not missing a single inch of skin.” He touched light kisses along her jawline to her mouth, so gentle it was like a butterfly brushing her lips, skimming her hips with his fingers, his right hand coming round to brush the flat of her stomach.
She was almost hyperventilating now. She’d need a brown paper bag if she wasn’t careful.
“Three,” he said, showing no signs of coming to the end of the list. His knee nudged between hers, forcing her legs apart. He slid his fingers down into her pubic hair, then even lower, into the moist, hot part of her, making her sigh. “I’m going to buy us some silk scarves, then I thought I might tie you to the bed…and tease you with my mouth, nice and slowly…until you beg me to take you.” He stroked her with his fingers, gentle, but firm and insistent.
Her knees were shaking now.
“Four…”
“Damien, stop.”
His eyebrows rose, although his fingers continued to stroke her. He brushed her lips with his. “Are you sure you don’t want to hear number four? It’s one of my favourites. It has chocolate again, and whipped cream.”
“It doesn’t sound like this list will be any good for my cholesterol,” she said faintly.
He gave a deep laugh. “It’s me who’s got to worry about cholesterol, seeing as I’ll be doing most of the licking.” He winked at her, then began to nuzzle her neck again, his fingers still stroking. “Don’t you want to hear about number eleven?” His voice had turned husky. “It has things that vibrate.”
“Damien!” Her cheeks flamed. “How big is this list for Herne’s sake?”
“I’m up to about thirty-five or thirty-six so far—I lost count.”
“Oh…” She felt wobbly all over. He was so tall and powerful, and he was emanating so much energy, he was like sexual napalm, about to blow her sky high.
“What’s the matter?” He placed light kisses down her neck as his fingers slid in and out of her. “Do you want me to stop? You only have to say so.”
“I…” She was just a pile of raging hormones. She’d lost the ability to talk, to think, to do anything except react to his mouth and hands.
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “I lied. I couldn’t stop if I wanted to.” Releasing her momentarily, he grasped the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head, dropping it to the floor. Then he caught either side of her blouse and, making her squeal, ripped it apart, sending buttons flying all over the place.
He pushed her up against the window, his desire taking over, slipping his fingers beneath her lacy bra and playing with her nipples until she gasped. He unbuttoned his jeans and, not even bothering to take them off, pulled a condom out of his pocket. Kimi watched him put it on, her heart thundering in her chest. She tipped her head back against the glass, so hot for him she was teetering on the brink of an orgasm. How come being half-dressed was even sexier than being naked?
He placed both hands under her and lifted her, wrapping her legs around him, then slid slowly into her. She sighed, desperate for him, welcoming each thrust he gave, pressing occasional hot handprints against the glass, until they both reached their climax, energy spilling out from them in a gentle pool of white light.
Afterward, they lay on the sofa, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Sorry,” he said, kissing her
hair.
She smiled against his chest. “For what?”
“You know. For being…demanding.”
She laughed and pushed herself up to look down at him. “I should think so. Talk about embarrass a girl.”
“I like embarrassing you. You turn a beautiful shade of pink.”
She glared at him, and he laughed. Then he ran a finger down her cheek. “I am sorry. I just wanted to show my gratitude for everything you’ve done for me.”
“Most men buy flowers,” she said wryly, then smiled. She studied him, thinking how beautiful he looked in the light from the fire. Beautiful wasn’t a word she would normally apply to men, and he was hardly pretty, but he was strikingly handsome, like a Michelangelo statue, or a Greek god. She felt honoured to have been with him the past few weeks. As to what would happen next, though, if they survived the invasion, which she wasn’t entirely sure about…she wasn’t sure how things were going to pan out, in spite of the Goddess’s words.
“What are you thinking?” he said. “You look sad.”
She decided to be honest. “I was thinking how lucky I have been to be a part of your life. And I was wondering what our future holds. Damien, you don’t resent me for what I did, do you? I don’t want you to hate me, for feeling like you’re beholden to me. I don’t expect anything of you. What I did—that was from a witch to a shaman, not from a woman to a man. You don’t owe me anything.”
His eyes lingered on her face, puzzled. Then he pushed her off him and got up. Taking her hand, he pulled her over to the sliding glass doors. He undid the catch and opened them, letting in the fresh October night, and stepped outside, bringing her with him.
He stood behind her, wrapping her in his arms. “Look up,” he directed.
She did so, inhaling with surprise. The sky was completely clear, scattered with a thousand, thousand stars, the Milky Way splashed across the darkness like a wide ribbon.
“Some people don’t believe in astrology,” he said. “And most of the stuff in newspapers is crap. But what they don’t realise is that the stars do show our history. Stars and planets are governed by forces like gravity but scientists don’t know the whole truth—they can’t see the bigger pattern.”
He stepped away from her for a moment and tipped back his head, spreading his arms and letting the starlight bathe him. His skin seemed to reflect it, glittering like stone inlaid with minerals. She could see him revelling in the return of his powers, as if he were reaching out and grasping the stars in his fingers. He took her breath away.
He looked down at her. “I can feel it all, Kimi—the turn of the Earth, the movement of the stars in the sky, the pull of the moon, and the rise and fall of the tides. I don’t know how, but I can. And I know, beyond all doubt, that we are meant to be together. The Goddess wanted to keep you to herself, but even she can’t go against ancient law. Us coming together is like a rare conjunction of planets—a once-in-a-millennium event. Me and you…” He stepped toward her and took her face in his hands. “We are forever. I am deeply grateful for what you did for me—and what you would have sacrificed.”
She bit her lip, trying not to cry. Seeing her emotion, he smiled. Then he kissed her slowly, softly.
Eventually, he pulled back and gave her a mischievous look. “So you’d better get used to it—you’re stuck with me.”
“Oh dear God,” she joked, wiping her eyes.
“Yeah. Good and bad.”
“Bad?”
“I hate ironing. And I’m terrible when I’m ill.”
“What man isn’t?”
He laughed, bringing her back inside. “Look, I’m going to go for a run.”
She stared at him, surprised. “You still have energy after what we just did?”
He grinned. “I could light the Blackpool tower with what I’m channelling at the moment. And unless you want to be flat on your back for the next couple of weeks, you’d better let me go.”
She raised an eyebrow as if thinking about it, and he laughed. “Why don’t you go up to bed? You look shattered. I’ll come up later.”
“You sure you’ll be okay?” she asked.
“I just need to let off some steam.” He kissed her. “Come on, I’ll come up with you and get changed and then I’ll let you sleep.”
It was only eight-thirty and she didn’t think she would be able to sleep without him, but her head had barely touched the pillow and she was off.
A while later she woke to the sound of the shower running and raised her head. She checked the clock—it was eleven, and he’d been out for two and a half hours.
There was something beside her clock. She sat up and stared at it. Gradually a smile broke out on her face.
It was a single red rose.
Chapter Twenty-Four
It was eleven o’clock in the evening on Halloween, and it was raining. Damien and Kimi sat in the car outside the drive up to The Crux, watching the water pouring down the windscreen and pooling on the ground outside.
“Is the weather anything to do with the invasion?” Kimi asked.
Damien nodded. “Energy build up affects the creation of storm clouds.”
“There must be a lot of energy building up then,” Kimi said, looking up at the mass of black thunderclouds above them.
“There is. Can’t you feel it?” Damien looked wired. He’d been restless all day, and now his fingers tapped on the steering wheel to the beat of the loud rock music that blared out of the speakers.
Kimi definitely felt jittery, but then she’d been like that for the past few days, ever since Damien had told her he’d be going back to The Crux on Halloween.
“Of all days,” she’d said, exasperated. “Why then?”
“Because that’s when the invasion will happen,” he’d replied confidently.
“How do you know?”
“Halloween is what we call Samhain.” He pronounced it ‘Sowain’. “It’s the most important festival in the pagan year and it’s an intercalary day—a day outside the normal year when the veil is at its thinnest. If the forces of darkness were ever going to invade, Samhain would be the day to do it.”
“But wouldn’t they realise we’d be expecting it then?”
“It won’t matter to them. They’ll be arriving in such numbers they won’t think it will make a difference.”
Kimi had shivered, but Damien hadn’t looked in the least worried at the thought of a mass invasion. She’d frowned. “Aren’t you nervous about it? The thought of a gazillion demons descending onto the Earth makes me feel faint.”
He’d smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. “I can’t wait. I’m in the mood to blast a few thousand vampires into oblivion.”
She was in awe at the power running through him. He’d told her that when he’d been given his powers back, they had returned to him with greater strength than before. She knew he thought he was more powerful than his father. He’d told her she was a more powerful witch than both Margaret and Rose, but still, his powers by far outweighed hers.
Now she glanced across at him, seeing him staring out of the window, lost in thought as he hummed along to the song. She studied him, desire surging through her, not knowing whether it was a by-product of the energy in the atmosphere or just general lust for the gorgeous man who now looked across at her, lips curving as he read her aura.
“Now?” he said, laughing at whatever he saw in her colours.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s not my fault—I’m not as practised at controlling it as you are.”
He turned in the seat to face her, reminding her of the time he’d kissed her here, at the entrance to The Crux. It was only a few weeks ago, but it seemed like a lifetime. “Feeling hot?” he murmured, leaning forward and brushing his lips against hers.
She suppressed the surge that flooded through her, remembering with amusement the way she’d been unable to kiss him without sending sparks flying before. However, even in spite of her tight self-control, there was a strong frisson of excitement betw
een the two of them. “Always, when you’re around,” she whispered.
He kissed her gently, softly brushing her tongue with his, then pulled away. “Good,” he said, turning back in his seat. “Keep the energy flowing. You’re going to need it tonight.”
Kimi blinked and quietly let out a sigh. He’d refused to sleep with her the last two nights, saying they were going to need all the power they could channel for the invasion, and it had been like a form of torture, lying next to him and knowing she couldn’t touch him. She glared at him, knowing he’d kissed her on purpose to get the surge running through her. The only thing that stopped her complaining was the fact that she knew he was feeling it just as bad—worse even, judging by the way he shifted restlessly in his seat, and the tapping of his fingers increased.
“Providing we make it through the night,” she said, “I’m going to screw your socks off tomorrow.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he replied, amused, glancing across at her.
“Hey, I’m five years younger than you. That’s five years more energy I’ve got.” She tossed her hair. “Anyway, I’m working on my own list now.”
“Oh?” His attention caught, he turned back to face her.
“Yep. I’m up to about twenty-five.”
He studied her, starting to smile. “Really?”
“Oh yes.” She held up a hand and started to tick off the numbers. “One—I’m going to buy every kind of flavoured condom I can find… and do a taste test, when they’re fitted, of course, to find my favourite.”
He blinked slowly, clearly taken aback by her openness. Even though saying those kinds of things made her cheeks grow hot, she didn’t stop, knowing talking in that way turned him on.
She lowered her voice, making it husky and seductive, speaking more slowly. “Two, I have a friend who’s a nurse… I thought I might borrow her uniform for a while and we can play doctors and nurses…”
Midnight Shaman, Fire Witch Page 21