In the Witching Hour

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In the Witching Hour Page 30

by In The Witching Hour (lit)


  “I’d met Colette when you were a young teenager. She rescued me from thugs in an alleyway.”

  Stunned, Adrian widened his eyes. “She rescued you?”

  His father chuckled, but it sounded forced. “Yes. I was beaten up and left in the alley. Colette found me and took me to the hospital.”

  “So what happened after that?”

  “I kept in touch with her, but then I noticed she would always appear at my speaking engagements. At first, I thought it was for support, but then she started hinting about the day we met. She gave subtle suggestions that she was going to make it public that I’d been beaten.”

  “Why did you want it kept a secret?”

  “Because at the time, I was acquainted with men who my father would not approve of. I owed a lot of money to one in particular. He was the one who had me beaten.”

  Adrian nodded. “Okay, so she was blackmailing you?”

  “She didn’t come right out and say it, but I didn’t want to take that chance. I eventually discovered she wanted to meet the very wealthy Lawrence Carmichael. He was a friend of my father’s, so I introduced them. And the rest is history.”

  He walked away from the window and back to the desk, picking up his coffee cup. He sipped the cooling drink and swallowed.

  “So why does Brian Crane think you tried to hook him up with Colette? Brian mentioned it didn’t matter to you that he was married.”

  Once again, John cleared his throat. “A few years after Lawrence died she appeared at one of my functions. This time, she wanted me to introduce her to more of my friends. My campaign was kicking off and I didn’t want any interference, so I introduced her to men I knew.”

  “Why Brian?”

  “Son, is there a reason for all these questions? I feel as if I’m being crossed-examined.”

  Adrian plopped down into his chair. “Sorry, Dad. I’m just interested in the woman, that’s all.”

  “Well, dump her. She’s a whore, son, and not worthy to be seen with the Robinson family. I don’t want her in our lives any longer.”

  He ground his fingers into the palms of his hands. Hearing her called a whore didn’t settle well in his stomach. “Sorry to upset you.”

  “Well, it’s understandable. You didn’t know about her, but now that you do, I’d appreciate it if you’d find another woman.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, you know me. I can’t keep one on my arm long before my eye starts wandering.”

  “True, so true.”

  “Hey, Dad. Before I forget, I’d like to ask a favor.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, I was thinking about throwing a party for my graduation a couple months ago, and since my condo is too small, I wondered if I could have it at the mansion?”

  “When is this party?”

  “How about on Halloween?”

  “I’m not sure your mother and I will be home by then.”

  “Can I have it anyway? It’ll just be a few of my college friends.”

  “Well, all right. Let me find your mother and the two of you can hash over the details.”

  “Hey, thanks, Dad.”

  While he waited for his mother, he drummed his fingers on the desktop, his mind twirling a million different ways. He’d gotten some answers to his questions, but it only made him more curious.

  So what if Colette had slept her way to the top? So what if she went out with men just for their money and power? According to the information he’d gathered, she hadn’t had a lover for a few years. She was a wealthy woman now, so why did she want Adrian? And what did she want of his father’s that was at the mansion?

  Now he couldn’t wait until Halloween to find out.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Colette paced the entryway floor, and every time she passed the door, she glared at it. Where is he? She growled and walked faster, her spiked two-inch heels echoing on the hardwood. He said he’d come tonight, well he didn’t actually say it, but his eyes had told her how much he wanted to be with her again. When she’d mentioned the garden tub his blue orbs darkened with that familiar heat.

  So where was he?

  She made a sharp turn and caught her reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t styled her hair tonight, but left it long, flowing over her shoulders and back. Adrian had mentioned last night how he enjoyed the feel of her silky hair touching his naked body. A grin tugged on her mouth. She’d have to admit that she liked pleasuring him, especially because she, in return, experienced passion.

  She donned one of her fancier silk blouses, a deep lavender one that buttoned down the front, and black slacks to complement her attire. She sprayed her favorite lilac scent over her body, knowing he liked it, too.

  Funny, that she’d get all dolled up for a man. But this man was different. The magic power of the necklace didn’t control his mind—or hers, and this strange feeling made her giddy. How long had it been since she’d experienced this?

  She sighed heavily and smiled. He would come tonight. Perhaps court had kept him longer than necessary, but he would be here.

  Turning away from the mirror, she proceeded into the living room. As she took her first step on the carpeted floor, the doorbell rang. Her heart leapt to her throat, then beat crazily. She wanted to run to answer his ring, but forced herself to remain calm as she stepped to the door. Her moist hand made the doorknob slippery, so she swiped her palm across the leg of her pants.

  Taking it slow, she opened the door. Adrian leaned against the doorframe, wearing a dark gray business suit, his tie undone and hanging around his neck. One hand was stuffed into his front pants’ pocket, the other rested on the wall above his head. Damn, he was sexy.

  He grinned. “Miss me?”

  Her heart quickened, and although she tried to keep the smile off her mouth, her lips tugged upward. “Maybe.”

  Adrian pulled away and stepped closer, his hand snaking around her waist bringing her against him. She gasped, her hands splaying over his chest. Underneath her palm, the rhythm of his heart beat as hard as hers. She gazed into his eyes, dark with desire.

  “Well, I missed you.” He tilted his head and brought his mouth down upon hers.

  She opened to him, letting his velvety hot tongue probe inside. A moan tore from her throat and she pressed closer to him, moving her hands to his head so her fingers could comb through his soft hair.

  He lifted her up enough to move them farther inside and kicked the door closed. Taking a few more steps, he sandwiched her between the wall and his hard body. She lifted her knees and hooked them over his hips, shifting the lower half of her body until it came in contact with his erection. She pushed her hips to the bulge. Fire shot through her, moistening between her legs.

  He tore his mouth away and buried his face in her neck. His breaths were quick, deep, as were hers.

  “Damn, woman. I’m not even inside your house and you’re attacking me.”

  She chuckled and kissed his ear. “Me? You’re the one who started it.”

  He pulled away, his gaze connecting with hers. He smiled. “Can you blame me? I’ve been thinking about your garden tub all day.”

  She ran her fingers down the side of his face, tracing them across his lips. “Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.”

  “What would you like to eat?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “You.”

  “I know that.” She smiled wide. “But I mean for food.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll think about food after I’ve had dessert.”

  His hands cupped her bottom at the same time he pushed his covered arousal against her. She closed her eyes and moaned. Energy speared her, igniting the flame she’d experienced last night.

  His mouth moved to her neck again, nibbling, sucking. It trailed over her collarbone, down toward the opening in her blouse. As his lips traveled farther, his hand moved away the material. He kissed over the top, wetting the silk garment covering her nipples.

  “How much did you pay for this s
hirt,” he muttered.

  She held his head, helping to guide it over her bosom. “I don’t know. Why?”

  “Because I’m going to have to buy you a new one.” His hands clasped the front of the material and ripped it open, buttons clinking to the floor.

  She gasped. Anticipation made her nipples tighten. Reaching between her breasts, she found the hook holding her bra together, and with one flick it parted.

  His hands slid over her breasts then back to her buttocks, lifting her until his mouth could latch onto one of her nipples. Pleasure washed over her, passion drowning out any other emotion.

  His hot tongue swirled around her peak before he drew it into his mouth. She moaned and held his head to her breast. “Yes … oh, yes.”

  He tightened his embrace and pulled away from the wall. With her still in his arms, he hurried into the front room and laid her down in front of the fireplace. He knelt in front of her, shrugged out of his suit jacket, and ripped open his shirt. She reached for his waistband and unfastened his pants. His erection strained against his boxer shorts, and it was all she could do to contain herself long enough to release his throbbing member. The moment she held him, he let out a deep growl and yanked her hand away.

  “Not now. It’s too soon. I’ll lose control.”

  With a satisfied smile, she laid back and waited until he was naked. She helped him remove the rest of her clothes. He stretched beside her, his long, hot body pressed against hers. Her own heat intensified. She moved her hands over his chest and down to cup him again, but he pulled her hands away and linked them above her head.

  He bent over, his mouth covering hers, sliding his tongue inside. On her thigh, his hard flesh pounded. She adjusted her hips to feel him better. But once again, he pulled away.

  His mouth trailed, over her chin and down her neck. When he neared her breasts, she arched until he sucked a nipple in his mouth. Her breathing grew heavy, and his feathery breaths upon her skin caused a delightful shiver over her body.

  His hands left her wrists and traveled over her body with his mouth—roaming her breasts, then stomach, and over her hip. With his hand, he parted her legs mere seconds before his mouth found her moist heat. She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. When his tongue pierced through her folds, she let out a ragged moan.

  He sucked her clit lightly then pulled away. She opened her eyes and he cursed, reaching for the small square package that had dropped out of his pocket. Using his teeth, he ripped it open then unrolled it over his penis.

  His eyes were dark, passionate. His lips swollen. He smiled. “I can’t wait any longer.”

  He slid between her legs and lowered himself. A groan echoed in the room. She didn’t know if it came from him or her.

  Adrian filled her completely and a foreign emotion swelled her heart. His mouth came back to hers and he kissed her while pumping his hips against hers. Together their passion heightened. Pleasurable ripples released between her legs. A throaty moan escaped her, and she cried out in ecstasy. He was the best she’d ever had.

  He pushed himself into her one last time as a deep groan rumbled from his chest. Between her legs, his erection pounded then gradually stopped. He slumped on top of her, his face resting in her neck. Together their breathing slowed and returned to normal.

  He moved his head and kissed her chin. “I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but you’ll hear no arguments now.”

  She chuckled. “I know what you mean. I’ve been thinking of nothing but you the whole day, waiting for this moment.”

  He lifted on one elbow and gazed into her eyes. “We still haven’t made it to the garden tub.”

  She tilted her head and laughed. With Adrian, they were likely to make love several more times before even seeing the tub built for two.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Sex with Adrian had been heaven. Magical. Unforgettable. Colette didn’t want it to end, but as soon as he found out about her reason for seducing him he’d hate her. Pure and simple—she’d lose him no matter what. If there were any other way, she’d do it in a heartbeat. But there wasn’t.

  Belinda had warned her not to confide in Adrian, but the more Colette was with him, the harder it was to hold her tongue. She wanted someone to talk to, and he was the only man in her life she’d ever wanted to be honest with. With the other men, she was always under the power of her necklace. But with Adrian … it was a dream come true.

  Finally, she had an honest emotion in her life and wanted to share it with the man who fulfilled her completely—but she couldn’t. She’d lost him even before she’d found him.

  It had been forty-eight hours since she’d seen Adrian and the hunger to be near him overwhelmed her. She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think, and every waking moment she agonized over her treacherous planning.

  She lay back on her sofa and tucked her feet to the side, staring out the window into the backyard. The weather had turned cooler. Time to close the pool for the year. But there were bigger problems to think about.

  She glanced at the red, black and gold invitation lying on her coffee table. Adrian’s masquerade Halloween party—the perfect function to get her inside the senator’s mansion and find her necklace. She had no clue where to look, but she’d tear that house apart if she had to—and yes, she’d tell Adrian the truth if that’s what it took.

  It’s a good thing John was out of the country. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, lifting the bulk off her shoulders. Seeing John face to face was not an option she wanted to take. The farther away, the better.

  Now … what to wear to the party? She laid her head back on the sofa. Her outfit had already been picked out from the day she was born. If she didn’t go as a witch, her Zoetan ancestors would be disappointed. Of course, if they knew she’d let a mortal take her necklace, they’d condemn her anyhow.

  The shrill of the phone made her jump, and she reached for her cell next to the invitation.

  “Hello?”

  “Hi, baby. What are you doing?”

  Her heart beat with renewed life and she smiled. “Sitting here thinking of you. What are you doing?”

  “Wishing I could be with you.”

  “Why can’t you?”

  “This case I’m working on with Brian is big. He needs every minute of my time.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah, well, I knew there would be days like this when I decided to become a lawyer.”

  She sighed. “When will I see you again?”

  “Did you get the invitation?”

  “Yes, but that’s in two days. I can’t wait that long. Can’t you come over tonight?”

  “I’m exhausted.”

  “How about tomorrow night? You have to come over then. I’m afraid of what we’ll do to each other in front of your other guests after all this time apart.”

  He laughed. She cuddled the phone closer to her ear. The deep timbre of his voice made her heart skip with excitement … and another emotion she’d never felt before.

  She sat up and gripped the cell. Love? Could it be she’d let her heart get involved? Could she love someone this soon?

  The happiness spreading through her body confirmed her suspicions.

  How did this happen? She wasn’t supposed to fall in love with a mortal. But worse was dreaming of being with him all the time, feeling his comforting arms surround her, his loving kisses … and growing old together.

  She creased her forehead. Zoetan witches didn’t grow old. She frowned, a painful longing tightened in her chest.

  “Okay, you’ve convinced me,” he said with a lift to his voice. “I’ll be over tomorrow night.”

  She smiled, but it wasn’t as full as before. “Good. I’ll plan our evening. Be ready for anything.”

  He said goodbye and she held back the words dying to be released in her heart. The words she would never be able to say to him.

  Adrian closed his cell phone and leaned back in his chair, staring at the computer scree
n in front of him. Guilt hung heavy in his chest for lying to her. Exhausted? He chuckled. He’d like nothing better than to spend the evening with her, but he had other things to do. Although he’d been helping Brian with one of the cases, on his own time, he did his own investigation—and he didn’t like what he’d found.

  His father wasn’t the man he thought. Of course, Adrian knew about his father’s round of mistresses, but he hadn’t known about this.

  He leaned his elbows on the desktop and rubbed his forehead. His father had known all the wealthy men in Colette’s life, beginning with Lawrence Carmichael. Hell, his father had been good friends with Colette’s two lovers who had died.

  He balled his hands into fists. Knowing about all of her ex-lovers made his stomach churn. Sure, he’d had his share of women, but they were not public knowledge as Colette’s had been.

  Adrian had checked the history of his father’s accounts and discovered a large amount of money had been deposited not even a month after Colette had hooked up with these men. Had Colette been his father’s main mistress all those years ago? The jealous pain in his stomach twisted. Was he using her to get money for his political gain? The information definitely pointed in that direction.

  He growled and scrubbed his hands through his hair, hoping it would remove the confusion from his head. If Colette had been blackmailing his father as he had suggested, then why was his father the one getting the payoff? A little niggle in the back of his mind told him that maybe something bad was going on … that Colette was caught in something she couldn’t get out of.

  Letting out a curse, Adrian pushed away from his desk and stood. He grabbed his cell and his briefcase then hurried from the office. In the elevator, he glanced at his watch. Ten thirty. He still had time to look in on his parents’ estate. After all, they had been gone for almost two weeks. Shouldn’t somebody make sure the house was still in order?

  Forty-five minutes later, he pulled in the long driveway, curving from the road up to the house. He waved at the guards posted at the front gate. For as long as he could remember, his father had insisted on having guards. Yet Adrian had never known anyone to threaten his father—so why were they still watching the house? Wasn’t their home security system good enough?

 

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