Releasing his hot cock, she grinned, knowing she had annihilated him sexually.
‘Condom,’ he said in a tight voice.
She looked on the floor for his boxers and tossed them over. He dug out a condom in a pincer grip. Together, they slipped on the sheath and then he caught her up in a deep kiss, until he broke it off and whispered in her ear, ‘You’re amazing.’ It sent a shiver through her.
He grabbed her behind her thighs, easing her up. Carefully, she lowered herself down. The thrust of pleasure made her arch her back and cry out. He jerked his hips once. Her breath caught. She couldn’t move; he filled her up.
The need to feel him moving inside her built. She couldn’t remain, still so she rode him. His hardness stroked her. Putting his hands on her waist, he held her and took over, moving under her. His six-pack rippled with each powerful thrust. She put her hands on the back of the couch to steady herself as he bucked. Like an express train, her orgasm overtook her.
Jake changed the rhythm, slowing his thrusts so that she shuddered as he withdrew and then cried out when he thrust again. She caught the rhythm and moved with him, taking control once again.
Their gazes met. Free of her shyness, Elena leaned down to snatch a kiss. Releasing her mouth, he snagged a nipple and suckled hard while he kept up his hypnotic rhythm. Pressure began to build again. She was powerless to hold back her next orgasm.
He growled low in his throat as he grabbed her around the waist. Again, she couldn’t help but respond to his voice with a ripple of seduction that ran along her spine and made her heart beat faster, made her body surrender. He placed her sideways on the sofa. Holding her leg over his shoulder, he drove repeatedly into her. Elena was now being ridden hard. She was so aroused, her labia was thick and sensitive. The friction of his cock made her suck in excited breath after excited breath. The noise coming out of her mouth was unrecognisable.
The control had shifted. It was Jake’s game now. He was pushing her beyond anything she had experienced before.
He stopped, suddenly. She had a chance to suck in several deep breaths when he withdrew. Coherent thought was way out of reach. Hormones were rampant in her system.
Guiding her to a new position on her knees with her holding the edge of the couch, he speared her from behind. Taking hold of her hips, he angled each thrust until she was groaning and crying out, her throat now hoarse. He dominated her, and the deep core of her responded. Her shatter moment was approaching fast, and it scared and fascinated her.
‘Jake,’ she said breathlessly. ‘I can’t take much more.’
‘Give me a minute,’ Jake said through clenched teeth.
Tremors overtook as her mind exploded with pleasure. Jake slammed into her with a roar, folding himself over her as he ground himself deep. They collapsed together onto the sofa, limbs entwined, breathing rapid and deep, as if they’d run a marathon.
Elena dozed a little in Jake’s warm embrace. The wine had made her loosen up and the drowsy aftereffects hit home. Jake swore, jerking her out of her doze.
‘What is it?’ she asked. Reaching out, she caressed his stiff shoulders. His brow furrowed. His mouth was drawn into a thin line. ‘The condom broke. I’m sorry.’
The remains of the condom resembled a tattered balloon, hanging off his semi-hard erection. Elena laughed at the sight. ‘We must have been too vigorous.’
‘You’re not upset?’
That made her laugh some more. ‘Elena?’ His voice had a hard edge, but his expression was neutral, barely disguising his anger.
‘Come on, Jake. It was an accident. It will be all right.’ Being a witch did have benefits, which included some immunity to diseases, including sexually transmitted ones.
His brow furrowed. ‘Are you sure? We could get a morning-after pill.’
‘A what?’
‘You know, in case you get pregnant. You take a pill that stops it.’
Jake reached for a tissue on the coffee table and dealt with the condom in swift, efficient movements.
‘I see. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.’ She gave him a grin.
He assessed her and nodded. ‘If you’re sure.’
‘Of course I am.’
‘Come over here then. I want to cuddle you some more.’ She draped herself over him as he leaned back against the end of the couch. It was luxurious, lying naked together.
As I said, a very good tom. Fel sauntered past them.
‘Rotten cat,’ she said.
‘What’s the matter? It’s only a cat.’ Jake smiled, his expression sated and satisfied. ‘It’s not like it understands what we were doing.’
‘You think so? Cats are smart — that one especially.’
He hugged her. ‘That was amazing. Who cares if the cat saw us? It’s not like it can tell the neighbours.’
‘I wouldn’t bet on it.’
Jake chuckled. ‘Do you want the cat to go outside?’
‘No, it’s okay. She’ll sleep in the spare room.’
He hugged her. ‘So I get to spend the night with you? No arguments?’
‘No arguments,’ she agreed. Tomorrow, she’d put a stop to this. Tomorrow, she’d have moral fibre. In this moment she had none. She was hurting. Jake was offering to comfort her, and that was right and good. But the truth was she wanted him, even though it was going to end in heartbreak on her side, and anger on his.
Sleep claimed her. She woke briefly when Jake put her to bed. She muttered a thank you and then smiled when he climbed in and drew her close. She loved the feel of him beside her, loved the way she seemed to fit the contours of his body so well. This time, when they slept together, it wasn’t strange, it was right. She drifted off to sleep, her brain spinning from the wine.
Chapter 12
The sound of an occasional groan from the bathroom woke Jake the next morning. Elena sounded as if she had a slight hangover. He had held her the whole night, not wanting to let go of her. What an amazing evening. She had been so giving. It had been a while since a woman had truly tried to pleasure him. He hated the thought that she had slipped out of bed without him knowing. More lovemaking would have set him up well for the day.
He located his boxers on the floor and put them on. He slipped into the kitchen and put on the espresso machine, thinking to make them both a nice coffee. He’d caught the last dribble of black brew in her cup when Elena came into the living room.
‘Coffee?’ he said, and produced the cup with a flourish. He could tell there was something wrong by the way she held her mouth, and the hard look in her eyes. She shook her head, avoiding direct eye contact, as she scanned the room.
‘What’s wrong?’ He put the coffee cup down and approached. ‘Are you okay?’ he said tenderly. She backed up, putting her hands up to ward him off.
He stopped, the emotional blow from her rejection wounding deep. ‘What is it? Why are you acting like this?’
‘I’m sorry. I can’t do this. I can’t be involved.’ She dived on the sofa, lifted a cushion, distracted as she looked for something.
‘Elena?’ He hated the anguish in his voice but couldn’t disguise it.
She looked up and said casually, as if she hadn’t brushed him off, hadn’t broken his heart, ‘How much did I drink last night?’ Dark rings encircled her eyes, and her skin lacked its normal glow.
Still reeling, he responded automatically. ‘Two, maybe three glasses.’
‘Oh goddess,’ she groaned, and held her hand to her forehead. ‘No wonder my head is thumping.’
He tried approaching her again. She backed up and then darted to the desk to pick up the phone. ‘Don’t touch me, please.’
‘Why? I don’t understand.’
She held the phone to her chest. ‘I am so sorry for what I did to you last night. It shouldn’t have happened. I took advantage of you. I’m going to confess to the coven council. Request judgement.’
He shook his head. ‘What are you talking about? Last night was amazing — you were ama
zing.’
Tears leaked out of her eyes. ‘It shouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t fair to you. It was wrong of me. I should’ve been stronger.’ She shook her head and wiped the back of her hands across her cheeks. ‘Our attraction is so strong. I wasn’t ready for it. I should’ve been protecting you.’
She covered her face with her hands, shaking her head.
He edged closer, dying to reach out and hold her to him, to make her forget the terrible words she was staying. ‘It was mutual,’ he said, trying to pitch his voice at a level that would help her relax. ‘I wish you would forget all that spell mumbo jumbo. I want to be with you. I want you right now.’
As if startled, she stepped back again, bumping up against the breakfast bar. She threw up her hands, palms out, and shook her head emphatically. ‘No, it can’t happen again.’
He lunged for her and caught her around the waist. She struggled, pushing at his hands as he drew her up against his body. He tried to capture her mouth but she turned her face away. ‘No, Jake. Stop.’
And he did. It was as if she’d punched him solid in the gut. He backed away from her, seeing the truth of her words in her face. She didn’t desire him. Didn’t want him. Didn’t need him.
They stared at each other for a few moments. How could she no longer desire him? Jake had never taken anything from an unwilling woman. Her rejection ripped his heart out of his chest.
‘Look, I’ve got a lead on who placed the spell. I’m going to call Grace. She’ll come over to keep you company.’
‘I want to come with you.’ Was that even his voice? Surely he didn’t sound so lost, so pathetic. It was as if his vibrancy had been bled out of him.
‘No, that’s out of the question. I’ll be back — ‘ she checked her watch ‘ — before lunch. We can talk more then.’
He said nothing, biting down on his misery and anger.
She lifted the phone and pressed the speed dial. After a few moments, it answered. ‘I need a favour. Can you come over? Now? Sure. Excellent.’
She ended the call and placed the phone back on the table. ‘I’ll take that coffee now. You have time for a shower before Grace gets here.’ Her voice was business-like, and hard as nails. A black cloud of depression swamped him.
Jake turned around and stumbled blindly to the bathroom. Her manner was so perfunctory. He couldn’t believe it was the same woman who had made love so passionately the night before, the woman who had given of herself to please him. His impulse was to grab her and force her to come back, to be the Elena who had a smile around her eyes when she looked at him. This Elena was cold. This Elena did not love. He couldn’t bear the thought of that.
The rational part of his mind argued with him. Come on, mate. You’ve never taken rejection like this. You’ve been broken up with before, get a grip. But there was something inside of him, a rot that festered with dark emotion, self-pity, and oozed despair.
He placed his head on the wall of the shower and let the water fall about his shoulders. The emotions inside him erupted. He couldn’t live without her. He didn’t want to live without her. Only her love mattered.
Tears joined with the droplets falling from the showerhead. He wiped his cheek, surprised by them. He hadn’t cried since he was thirteen. Not since both his parents forgot to pick him up from school at Christmas. He’d spent Christmas day and the rest of the holidays alone at school, feeling as empty as an undecorated Christmas tree, knowing he’d been forgotten, not cared about, and was totally alone in the world.
Drying off, he checked his face in the mirror as he shaved. He looked the same, but there was something missing. There must be something wrong with him if she no longer wanted him. What could it be?
He dressed in jeans and a pale-blue shirt and stole into the lounge room, hoping it had been a mistake and that the Elena he loved was back. When he saw Grace sitting on the sofa with no sign of Elena, his mood hit rock bottom. It was as if his heart had been cut out and handed to him. It was all he could do to stay upright.
Emotion roiled within him. He let out a gasp. He wanted to fold himself into a foetal position and make the world go away. Pinpricks of tears stung his eyes. He blinked, fast, fighting the urge to lose it right then.
‘Hi,’ Grace said, as she turned with a smile and waved in the general direction of the kitchen. ‘I’ve made a fresh batch of coffee. Elena will be back soon.’ She flicked open a home decorating magazine and started to read.
When he didn’t answer, she put it down and looked at him sideways. He was still trying to come to grips with his inner turmoil. She climbed to her feet and approached him. ‘What is it?’
Jake did his best to appear calm. When their eyes met, her brow furrowed. ‘You look like shit.’
He nodded, not quite able to get any words out, afraid that if he said what he was thinking and feeling he’d burst into tears and wail like a girl.
Grace looked him up and down, a hand on her hip. ‘Wait a minute. Something is not right. Either you’re really hung-over, desperately ill or…let me check you out.’
Her hands hovered by the side of his head and then followed a vague outline of his body. Her eyes closed and she bit her lower lip.
He didn’t want her close to him. He wanted Elena, and that want allowed him to speak.
‘What are you doing?’ Nice as Grace was, he didn’t want her invading his space. He didn’t like the mumbo jumbo stuff either, waving hands, talking about spells. It made him cringe. He held himself still, even when his instinct was to step back. Despite how miserable he was, he didn’t want to offend her. She was in his corner.
‘Checking this spell. Oh dear. That’s not good.’ Eyes dark with concern, her mouth drew in a straight line.
His despair made his temper fray. He’d had enough of the damn spell business.
‘What are you talking about? You two are daft. There’s no such thing as magic.’
Grace chewed her lip and lifted a sardonic eyebrow. ‘I wish that were so. How are you feeling right now?’
He walked past her into the kitchen, grabbing the cup of coffee she’d prepared. He battened down all the hatches on his emotions, except a few slipped beneath his control — anger and frustration.
‘I feel like shit. I’m angry and I’m…’
‘What?’ she asked as she stood on the other side of the breakfast bar, her dark eyes seeing more than they should, her sympathy drawing out the inner tangle of his emotions. It was as if she’d found his thread and was relentlessly tugging.
‘Desolate.’
‘And?’
‘Sad. God!’ He searched for another word. ‘Empty?’
‘Uh-huh.’ Grace was nodding in a knowing way, her expression sombre. ‘And?’
‘Like I’m nothing, that life is nothing.’
Grace bit her lip. ‘That’s what I thought.’
‘What?’ He scowled at her. ‘How could you know all that?’
‘The spell. It’s gone bad.’
‘Don’t start on that again.’ He stalked into the living area.
Following, she shook her head. ‘Please, humour me. Tell me what happened.’
Emotion swamped him, and he staggered backward towards the sofa, sat down hard and dropped his head into his hands. ‘She. Rejected. Me.’
Grace’s soft hands ran over his hair as she sat next to him. ‘Tell me the rest.’
Chapter 13
Elena stepped out of the taxi and headed into Hotel Vive. Inside, it was quiet, with a few patrons taking coffee or late breakfast. She walked around, keeping her eyes out for the pimply-faced waiter. About to give up, she spotted him polishing cutlery in a dark corner of the room.
Heading straight over, she slowed as she neared him. ‘Hello. Excuse me, I was wondering if you had a minute.’
He stood up straight and put down the handful of forks he was holding, his eyes rather wide with surprise. He’d been a world away. ‘I’m sorry. Do you need something?’ he said, standing on the balls of his fe
et like he was going to dash off.
She lifted her hand as if to hold him. ‘No, only some information. The night before last, I was here with someone. Maybe you remember.’
He lifted his head, his eyes tracking down her body. ‘Maybe.’
‘I was with a tall, well-built man. I spilled my wine, which came in a cut-crystal glass.’
Recognition lit his eyes. ‘Yes, I remember.’
She nodded. ‘Now, do you remember who poured the wine?’
He cupped his chin and titled his head to the side. ‘It wasn’t me. I was on tables. There was a new guy at the bar. Yeah, I remember now. It was weird, because he quit straight away. Didn’t even last his first shift.’
Anticipation made her breath catch, her voice eager. ‘So do you remember what he looked like? Could you describe him?’
‘Is there a problem? I’m not sure I should tell you anything else. I might get in trouble.’ His body stiffened and his expression grew wary.
‘It’s all right. You won’t get into trouble. I thought it was someone I knew. You know when you have a name on the tip of your tongue and can’t quite remember what it is.’
The waiter relaxed, easing his tense shoulders, his mouth losing its thin line. He was going to tell her. Too bad her talent didn’t extend to mind reading; that way she could have taken what she wanted directly.
‘Can’t tell you his name, unfortunately. He was just under six foot, dark hair and eyes, and kind of surly.’
Rats. Sounded like Drew. Then she remembered she had a photo of him on her phone from their one and only date. ‘Wait.’ She thumbed through her images. ‘Is this him?’ She held out the phone.
‘Yes, that’s him.’
‘Thank you so much. Also, I forgot to leave a tip. I really appreciated your good service the other day.’ She dug out a $10 note and placed it in his hand. ‘Thank you again.’
Bespelled Page 9