The Trouble With Curses

by Anara Bella

  Rafe skimmed his hands down the outside of her legs and back up the inside, gently spreading her legs further and further apart. She shuddered, her breath caught, and by the time his fingers were only an inch away from her already moist pussy, he could see she was incredibly wet and ready for him. He leaned forward and trailed kisses along the inside of her thighs, tasting and nipping her silky skin, working his way up to where his hands now rested. “Lift up for me.”

  When she complied, he grabbed a pillow and placed it under her so she was even more open to him. “Spread your legs wider.”

  Her hesitation was endearing, but he wasn’t taking no for an answer. He positioned her himself, spreading her wider and wider until her pretty little pussy was fully exposed to his hungry eyes. “Perfect.”

  Selena giggled. Her uncertainty obvious and adorable. “I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”

  Slowly shaking his head back and forth, his gaze still fixed on her beautiful sex, he said, “Not even close.”

  Breathing deeply of the intoxicating scent of her arousal, he only hesitated long enough to murmur, “Enough talk.”

  She tasted exquisite. Like sweet, ripe fruit. Her little moans of bliss and cries of ecstasy fed his desire like nothing else could, making him feel powerful. Invincible. And so hard he had to fight the urge to just plunge his throbbing cock into her tight, moist heat in one mighty thrust. But he was determined she’d come at least once before he’d allow himself that particular piece of heaven.

  Needing to be inside her in some way, he gently worked one finger, then two, into her, moving them in and out in imitation of what he wanted to do with his cock. Continuing that movement, Rafe concentrated his attention on the nubbin that gave her the most pleasure, sensing the tension in her building higher and higher until the tell-tale fluttering started and her breath caught and held.

  When she screamed her release he removed his fingers and gave her clit a final kiss before working his way back up her delectable body. He only tarried long enough to tongue her adorable navel before moving on to lavish kisses on her pebbled nipples. Taking the ripe flesh into his mouth he laved and suckled to his heart’s content. She was so soft and luscious, he could kiss her breasts all day, loving the contrast of her soft flesh and hard nipples against his tongue.

  However, Selena had other ideas. She started squirming again, trying to get his attention. “Please. I need you. Deep inside me. Now.”

  He lifted his head and took in her flushed face and shining eyes. Was there ever a more beautiful sight? He doubted it.

  Selena begging him to fuck her was something he’d dreamt of, craved even, but the reality sent a sharp, piercing stab to his heart. He wasn’t quite sure what the feeling meant, but it almost made him come right then and there.

  Rafe threw on the condom he’d snagged from his wallet, surged forward and plunged into her wet, inviting body, surprised and thrilled to find her so tight. It was almost too much. Too intense, too perfect. Her tight core squeezed him, milked him, causing beads of perspiration to break out on his brow. He needed to slow down or this would be over way too fast.

  To distract himself and give her time to adjust to his body’s invasion he stopped moving and said, “Either it’s been a long time or your last lover wasn’t much to write home about.”

  She turned her dreamy gaze toward him and seemed to have great difficulty in understanding him. “What?”

  He loved the way her little forehead crinkled up when she was perplexed and couldn’t resist dropping a kiss there. “I’m surprised at how tight you are.”

  Selena finally focused on him and smiled ruefully. “You want to talk? Now?”

  “You’re too sexy. I need the distraction.”

  She chuckled. “Okay. Well, let’s just say it’s been a while.”

  Now his curiosity was well and truly caught. A gorgeous woman like Selena could have any man she wanted. If she’d been celibate, it had been by choice. “How long’s it been?”

  “From how I feel right now, way too long.” Her inner muscles squeezed him again, and he fought the urge to start thrusting. But when he didn’t move, she took charge of things and undulated her hips, rocking against him, causing fireworks to burst behind his eyes. Or maybe that was his brain exploding from sheer ecstasy.

  He didn’t need any more encouragement. He met her thrust for thrust, the intensity building at an incredible rate. Before he knew it, he was teetering on the very edge again, fighting to make it last, to give her as much pleasure as she was giving him, determined to make her come once more before he let go.

  Thrusting for all he was worth, he felt her inner muscles contracting. He couldn’t believe how soon her spasms had started again. She was so damned sexy. He’d wanted to take things slow for Selena’s sake, but there was just no way. Maybe next time, once the edge was off. Right now his balls felt so hard they were probably blue, and he just couldn’t hold off any longer. She was far too tempting and he desperately needed the relief.

  With one last deep thrust, he let go and came long and hard, his seed filling the condom, draining him physically and mentally like he’d never felt drained before.

  He collapsed on top of her, but quickly shifted to alleviate some of his weight. Even as he tried to catch his breath, he knew an instant of regret she couldn’t become pregnant from their joining.

  Startled by the ludicrous thought, he knew for a certainty he’d lost his mind. He rolled away from her and got out of bed, needing to distance himself from the frightening direction his thoughts were taking.

  Once in the bathroom he disposed of the condom, washed up and leaned on the counter looking in the mirror without seeing himself.

  He barely knew this woman. At the same time he felt as if he’d known her forever, or in another life. As if they’d always been meant for each other and had only now found each other.

  Ridiculous thought, one he’d have teased his sentimental sister for coming up with, but there it was in his brain. Like a neon sign declaring what must be his impending insanity.

  He could only hope he hadn’t lost his heart. Embarking on a sexual adventure with this beautiful woman was one thing, but it was way too soon to think further than that. He scarcely knew her and she knew nothing about him and who he really was.

  He threw more water on his face and headed back to the bedroom.

  On catching sight of her splayed across the bed, he stopped in his tracks. Her impossible beauty struck him as it always did, as it had from the first moment he’d laid eyes on her, making him feel breathless all over again. And damned if his cock wasn’t already stirring with interest. No other woman had ever affected him with the intensity Selena did, and that scared the shit out of him.

  He got back into bed, all the while wondering how he could make a quick exit without looking like a complete jerk.

  She turned on her side and rested her head in her hand, boldly looking him in the eye. “What are you thinking?”

  He almost choked on hearing the words every man dreaded at any time, never mind post coitus. “Why do you ask?”

  “You had a strange look on your face.”

  He could imagine. He seriously needed to practice his poker face. “Strange, how?”

  “Strange as in you’re thinking, ‘How the hell do I get out of here?’”

  The laugh blasted out of him, surprising them both. He should have been horrified she’d guessed what he’d been thinking, but strangely it had the exact opposite effect, releasing him from the desire to run.

  He took her hand and placed it on his dick. “Does it look to you like I want to go anywhere?”

  Her hand reflexively massaged his already semi-engorged cock, making it swell even more. “You have a point.”

  Her touch was incredible, sending jolts of electricity rippling throughout his entire body, setting his heart to racing and tensing his stomach muscles.

  He watched her delicate hand as it worked its magic. It was pure ecstasy seeing
her touching him this way, working his flesh for their mutual pleasure. He couldn’t hold back the groan and she smiled a knowing smile. All the while she played with him, palming his balls, tracing his length, her thumb catching a drop of pre-come and spreading it over his cock’s head, driving him insane with sensual bliss.

  “I’ve never thought of a man’s penis as being beautiful before, but yours truly is.”

  He chuckled at the ridiculous notion of anything on him being called beautiful. “It wouldn’t win a beauty contest.”

  A cheeky grin spread across her beautiful face. “Perhaps not, but it’s definitely an outstanding specimen.”

  “You think so?” He couldn’t believe they were having this conversation.

  “Oh yeah.” She licked her lips as if contemplating a delectable treat. “It makes me hot just looking at it.”

  His dick twitched and throbbed at her comment. “That makes us even then, ’cause just looking at you makes me hot.”

  With that, he reached for her. “Turn onto your hands and knees.”

  “Really?” He liked the way she sounded so intrigued by the idea.

  “Really.” He held his breath, waiting for her answer. Would she be willing to expose herself to him that way? So fully? So soon?

  Her eyes set to twinkling. “Sounds like fun.” Without hesitation she did as he asked, teasingly wriggling her ass in his direction, setting his blood to flame.

  In that moment, Rafe realized what a truly lucky man he was. A guy could live an entire lifetime and not see anything as beautiful as the sight of a warm, willing woman with her pussy positioned just so, waiting for him to have his way with her.

  He moved in behind her, fitting his cock in the crease of her ass, loving the free access this position gave to her voluptuous breasts, their fullness spilling over his hands. As he worked them with his deft fingers, her tantalizing nipples hardened into peaks that echoed how hard his cock was at that very moment.

  Skimming her silky fall of hair aside, he kissed her neck, grazing his teeth across the delicate skin of her nape, tasting her sweetness and inhaling her scent. He kept one hand on her breast, ran the other down the smooth, soft skin of her belly, past her nether curls and found her clit already hard and soaking wet for him. Slicking his fingers over the sensitive flesh elicited a deep moan from Selena, followed by her hips taking up a rhythmic movement that mimicked the very thrusting motion he was desperate to initiate.

  No, that wasn’t quite right. He was more than desperate—he hungered for it in his very being.

  He pulled back just enough to bring his cock down to run back and forth along her vaginal lips. The soft heat and wetness there almost sent him over the top. He thrust like that for long moments, savoring the delicious shudder that raced through him, savoring each and every carnal sensation, prolonging the moment when he would thrust into her. He now shook from the effort of holding back.

  When Selena’s moans grew deeper and raw, he knew she was close to coming. He was pretty fucking close himself. It was time.

  He quickly donned a condom, positioned himself with his hand and thrust home into her tight pussy. He couldn’t hold back the guttural groan of ecstasy that exploded from the back of his throat. It sounded nothing like him. It didn’t even sound human. More like an animal, and right then he almost felt like an animal. Primitive. Primeval.

  Wild.

  Selena’s answering groan sounded as if it were ripped from her throat as well and that released something innately powerful, completely untamable inside of him.

  He pounded into her, desperate to attain something. He wasn’t sure what, but he strove for it with all his being. Perhaps to get closer. Perhaps for a deeper connection. Perhaps to possess her. Yes, that was it. To possess her.

  But despite being overtaken by the all-consuming need to possess, he was still attuned to Selena. And because of that he was certain of one thing. Instead of his wild abandon frightening her, she was reveling in it, reveling in their carnal almost animalistic mating and amazingly she was with him all the way. She met him thrust for thrust, straining to get closer, her inner core squeezing his cock each time he retreated as if not wanting to let him go.

  And like the near-animal he was at that moment, he had to fight the strangely compelling urge to bite her on the neck, to mark her in some animalistic way. To show the world she belonged to him. Which was crazy since she didn’t belong to him at all, and in all probability never would. But still, he felt it. Had to fight it with every powerful thrust. Every powerful beat of his heart.

  When they came, they came together, entirely in sync, reaching life’s eternal mating song together.

  Long, hard, soul-searing, their groans of passion filling their ears, echoing in the night. Pulling their every muscle tighter and tighter, to the breaking point. They howled in unison. He could feel his seed coming and coming, draining him in mind and body and soul.

  And then it was finished. It was done.

  Totally spent, Rafe collapsed on top of Selena. He couldn’t move. Could barely breathe. It took every ion of energy he possessed to just roll onto his side, and yet he still held her tight.

  Utterly stunned by the intensity of what they’d just shared, he couldn’t think—didn’t want to think of what it might mean.

  Oddly, her neck still called to him in some primitive and elemental way. But instead of giving in to the primal urges still coursing through him, he only allowed himself to tenderly nip her neck, taste her sweet flesh, then suck the fragile skin, savoring her salty-sweetness before falling back beside her.

  Still gasping for breath, they cuddled for long minutes until their breath slowed to a normal rhythm. Stunned, Rafe rolled onto his back and wondered if it had been as profound, as earth-shaking, for her as it had been for him. As much as he didn’t want to admit it even to himself, that had been more than sex. What it was, he wasn’t sure, but it left him in awe.

  How did Selena feel? He watched out of the corner of his eye as she settled herself on her stomach, watching him with an intensity that made him think she’d felt the staggering power of it too.

  Still feeling the overwhelming need to touch her, he turned back and skimmed his hand along her hip and butt cheek. Its creamy smoothness both soothing and enticing to the urges still thrumming through him. It seemed as if he couldn’t get enough of touching her. As if he never would.

  Not willing to look her in the eyes right then, he followed the movement of his hand and something caught his eye. Something he hadn’t noticed before, or if he had he’d only absently noted it.

  He leaned in for a better look. There, high on her butt cheek was a birthmark, or a tattoo, or something. Whatever it was, he’d never seen anything like it before. How he’d missed it in the first place, he wasn’t sure, but then he hadn’t been looking this high up on her anatomy at the time. When she was splayed out in front of him on her hands and knees, the only thing he was focused on was her sweet, pink pussy and plunging his aching cock balls-deep into it. But now that his eyes weren’t blinded with lust, he couldn’t miss it.

  It wasn’t very big, no larger than a nickel, and was sort of tone on tone rather than a specific color, making it difficult to see, especially in the bedroom’s dim lighting. But it was definitely there. And he could not believe what was right in front of him.

  The shock of it hit him to the very depths of his soul, making him feel as if he’d been sucker-punched and then broadsided with a two-by-four.

  His eyes glazed over and sweat poured off his face. But that was nothing compared to the deafening pounding of his heart in his ears. His sight darkened for a moment and then cleared.

  He realized he was in some kind of shock, but it wasn’t surprising, because what he was seeing wasn’t possible, at least it shouldn’t be. But, possible or not, there it was, big as life.

  The mark.

  The mark he’d heard about his whole life. The mark none of them actually believed in or thought was real. The mark in th
e shape of a raven.

  The mark from the prophecy.

  Chapter Eleven

  Selena stared in outraged wonder at the still reverberating front door. She could swear the ear-piercing slam continued to echo throughout her apartment, stamping the very air around her with the exclamation mark of his abrupt departure.

  She shook her head in an effort to make sense of what had just happened, and flashed back to the last few hours of unleashed passion and heart-stopping sex. Sex like she’d never known or believed existed. She’d thought they were in sync.

  Wasn’t sex supposed to bring people closer together? Instead of that happening, Rafe had raced out of there as if his dick was on fire and the only way to douse the flames was to escape the confines of her apartment. And here she’d been foolish enough to hope he would spend the night. Hell, she’d already been thinking about round three, but it was quite obvious that was the last thing on Rafe’s mind.

  “Asshole!”

  Anger built in a steady crescendo till she literally shook from it, her fists clenched tight at her sides, her breathing accelerated in reaction to a fight that hadn’t happened.

  Yep. Angry and confused as hell pretty much summed up how she felt. And the more the shock wore off, the more her anger built. “What kind of jerk jumps out of bed and takes off like that? No explanation, no nothing.”

  Hell, did he even say goodbye? This just went to prove men couldn’t be trusted. They were all the same. Rafe was no different from Ambrose after all.

  She forced herself to stop staring at the door and headed for the kitchen. She needed a good stiff drink to take the edge off. Preferably one with a very high alcohol content.

  Taking a deep breath in an effort to calm down, she remembered the last time she’d seen a guy high-tail it away from her that fast. She’d accidentally bared her fangs in a fit of rage when some hapless drunk cornered her and tried to force himself on her.