She shook her head and clenched her jaw, fighting the sob ready to explode from her mouth. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she swallowed the lump of fear cutting off her breathing.
“Colette, you’re going to seduce me.”
Desire spread through her from the necklace’s power, but she fisted her hands, fighting the urge to touch him. He cupped her face and tingles danced over her skin. I must make this stop!
His mouth covered hers and she was helpless to cease his kiss. She opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to enter. Squeezing her eyes tight, she held still while her lips obeyed his prompting, her tongue had a mind of its own and caressed his.
“Touch me,” he instructed.
Tears streaked down her cheeks, but her hand lifted to his chest, rubbing circles all over him. He dropped his hands and cupped her breasts. Her nipples hardened and she cursed her body—the power that damn necklace had over her.
His fingers plucked at her tips, making them rise more. On their own, her fingers opened his shirt and ran over his torso. Heat from his body blended with hers, and she sobbed. No! This can’t happen.
He broke the kiss and moved his disgusting lips down her neck and over the exposed skin between her breasts. Using his fingers, he moved the material off the points his mouth sought. His tongue stroked across a nipple, creating moist heat to gather between her legs.
His teeth nipped at her and she cried out. “John, please—” she sobbed openly.
Leaning back on the corner of his desk, he brought her between his legs. He took her hand and placed it over his bulge. She cupped him, wishing her hand would obey her mind and yank the blasted organ from his body.
“All those years,” he mumbled. “All those times I watched from afar as you seduced my friends, and I wanted you. I wanted you so much I ached.”
She sniffed. “Why didn’t you take me then?”
“Your purpose was to seduce other men for their money. I couldn’t take my pleasures on you until I had what I wanted.”
He slipped his hand over her hip, down her thigh to the opening of the skirt then pushed his hand inside, cupping her bottom and pulling her against his throbbing arousal. Her stomach churned. Too bad she didn’t have anything in it to bring up and dump over him.
Bending his head, he captured her breast again, sucking it roughly into his mouth. She cried out in pain, her tears continued to pour.
A knock pounded on the door and it opened. “Father, are you—”
Adrian! She tried pulling away, but John’s arms tightened around her. She swung her head toward Adrian. Color faded from his face as his gaze raked over her. His lips thinned, his hands balled into fists. Ashamed, she lowered her head and cried.
Anger flared in Adrian’s chest—and he wanted to strike out at something, someone. He’d been watching Colette from afar and waited for her to find what she was looking for—the reason she wanted into his father’s house. He never thought this would be the reason.
“You lied,” he ground out. “Both of you lied!”
His father had the gall to pull Colette closer to his body as if protecting her. “Son, this is not—”
Adrian held out his hand. “Don’t say it. As of now, I’m no longer your son.”
He spun on his heels, ready to depart, but bumped head-on into Lori. Her eyes were wide and filled with tears as she looked over his shoulder at the couple caught in a scandalous embrace.
She raised her shaky hand and Adrian gasped. A gun pointed in his direction. “Move inside.” Her voice was low, demanding.
He nodded and backed away. She followed into the room and shut the door behind her. She waved the gun toward his father. “Go over there.”
John had pushed Colette away and stood straight. Adrian ached to hold the woman he thought he’d loved and comfort her, but her guilty eyes kept him from following his instincts.
John slowly lifted his hand, reaching for her. “Lori, put the gun down.”
She shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
“Now, Lori, leave my son and Mrs. Carmichael out of this. We can talk about this privately.”
She belched out a loud laugh. “Privately?” She patted her round stomach. “This is what happened the last time you wanted to talk to me privately.”
Adrian cringed.
Lori switched her glare to Colette and pointed the gun at her. “I knew something was up between the two of you.” She waved the weapon. “You’re the reason John wanted me to have an abortion.”
Colette shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. “No, you can’t be more wrong. I hate him. I loathe the very ground he walks on.”
Adrian wrinkled his brow. Then why was she in his father’s arms while he slobbered all over her exposed body?
“Your story doesn’t work, bitch,” Lori sneered.
“But you don’t understand.” Colette turned and looked at Adrian, her watery eyes pleading. “You just don’t understand. He was controlling me.” Her voice broke. “I just wanted my necklace, but he controls it.” She clung to his arm. “Adrian, I love you. Why would I want your father to touch me?”
The ache in his chest grew until he couldn’t breathe. Damn, why did he believe her?
She continued. “Your father wanted you to walk in on us. He planned this for your sake—don’t you see? He wants me out of your life.”
Adrian glared at his father who now held guilt in his eyes. A bead of moisture hung on his father’s brow. Colette was right.
He circled his arms around her and pulled her close. She buried her face in his neck and sobbed. “I love you, Adrian.”
His heart clenched with sorrow and tears pricked his eyes. His throat was tight. “I love you, too.”
Lines appeared in John’s forehead, his lips thinned. “This is bullshit! You can’t believe her. She’s a whore.”
Adrian shook his head. “And you’re controlling her, so what does that make you? The pimp?”
“Shut up!” Lori screamed. “Right now I don’t give a damn about your problems.” She glared at John. “I want you dead, you bastard.” She steadied her hand and narrowed her eyes, pointing the gun at John’s chest.
Colette gasped and clung to Adrian’s arm. Although he hated his father, he didn’t want to see him killed by a jealous lover.
By the crazed, blank look in Lori’s eyes, she was going to pull the trigger.
He pushed Colette aside and jumped toward Lori. The gun exploded and Adrian clutched his chest.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Adrian fell to the ground, his hand covering his bloody chest. Colette screamed and rushed to him. Oh, no! No! Her heart beat a heavy rhythm against her ribs. She lifted his head, laid it in her lap and moved her shaky hand to cover his bloody chest.
His breathing grew ragged, pain etched in his eyes as he stared at her.
“You’re going to be all right.” She tried to keep her expression steady although her voice wasn’t.
She glanced at Lori who stood still, shock evident by the fading color in her face. John rushed to her and took away the gun. Lori’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed.
John glanced at Colette. “Can you save him?”
She nodded then paused. He had her necklace—the dreadful necklace that had ruined the last ten years of her life. If she took it back, she’d be a witch again … but she wouldn’t be able to grow old with the man she loved.
From down the hallway, the grandfather clock chimed. Bong. She glanced at the clock on the wall.
Midnight.
She looked back at John. “No, I can’t save him, but you can. Bring the necklace here.”
He hurried over to her and knelt by her side.
Bong.
“Take the necklace and rub the dragon, just as you’ve done before. Put your other hand on Adrian’s chest.”
John did as asked, his eyes never leaving hers.
Bong.
“Good. Now concentrate on healing him. C
lose your eyes and take away his pain. In your mind, picture the bullet and pull it out.”
John squeezed his eyes closed, his face tight. His lips thinned.
Bong.
She held tight to Adrian’s hands, hoping to feel the energy from the necklace. He kept his gaze locked on hers. She waited, but there was no heat.
Bong.
John looked up, his eyes filled with panic. “It’s not working.” He held out the necklace. “You do it.”
Her heart clenched. Her body shook. She had to heal Adrian, but she didn’t want to take the necklace.
“No, try again, John. Concentrate like you’ve never done before.”
Bong.
John shut his eyes, pressing his hand on his son’s chest and rubbing the necklace until she thought it would break.
Bong.
A tear slipped from John’s eyes, and moisture gathered in hers. She closed her eyes and concentrated with John. Please, please….
“Damn it!” John yelled and threw the necklace on Adrian’s chest. “It’s not working.”
Colette took deep breaths, trying to control her fear. “John, pick it up and try again. If you believe it will work, it will.”
Bong.
John’s shaky hand took the necklace again. He closed his eyes, his chest moving rapidly from his ragged breathing.
Through Adrian’s hands, heat touched her skin. She held him tighter and focused harder. John gasped. His body swayed, his face etched with pain.
It’s working!
Bong.
A moan tore from Adrian mere seconds before John finished the sound. The intense heat that had consumed Adrian’s body disappeared. She lifted her hands. He’d stopped bleeding. She ripped his pirate shirt open. The wound had closed, a bullet lay near his right breast.
Bong.
Adrian’s eyes blinked and he switched his gaze from her to his father. He licked his lips. “What just happened?”
She released a joyous laugh and bent down and kissed his lips. “You’re healed, that’s what.”
He glanced at his father, his eyes narrowing. “Dad, what’s going on?”
Bong.
John’s eyes clouded with tears and he shook his head. “All these years I’ve been using Colette’s Zoetan powers through her necklace. I never thought I’d use it to save my son’s life.”
Adrian sat up, his hands patting his chest. “I’m not in pain.”
Colette shook her head. “That’s because your father removed the bullet.”
He reached out and cupped the side of her face. She snuggled against his palm. “You’re a witch?”
The clock’s last chime echoed through the room. Colette held her breath. An invisible veil had been lifted as if someone disrobed her. She was free. Alive.
Mortal.
She looked back at Adrian and smiled. “Not any longer.”
He shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
“Your father had my necklace for ten years and had been controlling me. If I didn’t get the necklace in my possession by the stroke of midnight, my powers would be lost forever.”
“Now I’m confused.” John scratched his head. “Why didn’t you take your necklace when I offered it to you?”
She ran her finger down the side of Adrian’s face. “Because if I took the necklace, my powers would be restored, and I didn’t want that.”
“Why?” Adrian asked.
“Because I loved you so much I wanted to be with you forever. I wanted….” she paused, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. “I wanted to grow old with you.” She shrugged. “Zoetan witches never grow old.”
Adrian smiled and opened his arms. She closed the space between them and crushed herself against his chest. He placed a kiss on her forehead.
“I love you, Colette.”
She tilted her head up. “Enough to see me as an old woman?”
He chuckled. “Yes, as long as you don’t get sick of me looking like an old man.”
“I think I can handle it.”
Adrian glanced at his father, his face hardening. “What do you have to say about all this?”
John wiped his moist eyes. “I see how she makes you happy and I can’t argue with that.” He shrugged. “Son, she’s no longer the woman I’ve been controlling for ten years. She’s no longer a seductress.”
Adrian smiled into Colette’s eyes and raised his eyebrows. “Yes, she is. She’ll be mine.”
EPILOGUE
Colette’s heart swelled when her one-year-old took his first steps toward daddy. Adrian caught his son, his laughter booming through the house.
Finally—a happy family. She smiled.
Her life was now on the right path and complete. No longer did she have to worry about John. He’d actually become a different person after the shooting, and closer to his son.
Lori was taken to jail. A few days after the shooting, she’d miscarried—a relief to both John and Adrian.
“Mama.”
She glanced at little Stephen in his father’s arms. Adrian opened his other arm and she cuddled against his hard body.
Life couldn’t get any better.
The End
In the Witching Hour Page 32