“And those…people outside who are trying to get to you want to…uh…”
“Fuck me? Maybe some of them. But what they really want is my power.” And what Aengus wanted from Jamie was to see her punished for daring to question him. He couldn’t touch her himself. Not while The Morrighan protected her, so he’d merely given out information to every mage, witch, and shaman in a thirty-billion radius. Like placing a target on her back for every seeker of power to hone in on and come after. “Aengus wants to push me. To get me to cross a line that will destroy me.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“To be honest, Tully…I have no fuckin’ clue.”
Seriously. Who else got into fights with love gods? Most women daydreamed about finding one, tried to turn their spouses and boyfriends into one, or wrote fictional accounts of meeting, seducing, and living happily ever after with one. But not Jamie Meacham. Nope. She started fights with them just…because.
And Tully didn’t think he’d have her any other way. If nothing else, she was damn entertaining.
“So the short of it is…you’re in a heap of trouble.”
“Pretty much.”
“Can’t your coven help?”
“Not without Aengus coming after them next.” Did she realize she’d relaxed back against him? Did she have any idea how good she felt? “Aengus wants me going through this all on my own. Without any help from them and without any help from you.”
Tully shrugged, trying hard to look innocent. “But…he doesn’t even know me.”
How the man managed to annoy and soothe her all at the same time, she had no idea. She just knew she was glad he was here with her while at the same time she wished he would leave. She’d prefer he not be here when it all went to hell. She had enough of an audience, thanks.
“We both know I’m not leaving you to face those things alone, beautiful. Might as well face it.”
“You can’t stay, Tully.”
“Why not?”
“Because once they get in…”
“It sounds like you’ve already given up.”
“Maybe I have,” she sighed.
“Well, don’t. Come on, beautiful. That devious mind of yours must have something left. Something we can use.”
“Yeah. Sure. Sacrifices,” she spit out. “An offering to Aengus in blood from an innocent victim. Certain animals are good, humans are even better.” She rubbed her eyes with her knuckles. “But I’m not doing that.” Because she knew that’s what Aengus wanted. She wouldn’t give him that. She wouldn’t hand him her soul just to protect her body.
“Well, I don’t want you to do that either.”
The banging started again and she covered her ears, not sure that Tully could hear anything. For all he knew she was just a psychotic having an “episode.”
“But there has to be something, Jamie. Anything,” he pushed, giving her a little shake, trying hard to help her, but she was so tired and the banging…
Jamie heard the distinctive cry of Rico and looked up to see her circling over their heads.
“What’s that bird holding?”
Before Jamie could answer, she ducked as Rico released a thick book right onto Tully’s head.
“Ow! That damn bird!”
She cringed even as she tried not to laugh. “I’m sorry.” Rico really hated him, and Jamie had no idea why.
Rubbing where the book had hit him with one hand, Tully reached for the tome with the other. Jamie glanced at the book, saw the title and, feeling a sudden surge of energy, made a mad grab for it. Tully caught hold of her, his arm tight around her waist, and held the book out of her reach with that long arm.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, eyeing her close.
“Nothing. Just give me the book.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m telling you to give me the book.”
Not surprisingly, he didn’t. He had to be the most contrary canine she’d ever dealt with. He did not take orders well. Instead he flipped the book over and looked at the cover.
“Sex Magick,” he read out loud. “Now, beautiful,” and she didn’t have to look at him to know the trifling bastard was grinning from ear to ear, “you know I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help you out. As many times as necessary.”
Tully would admit that the stupid bird was starting to grow on him. And he wouldn’t worry too much about whether it could read or not for the damn thing to grab this book from Jamie’s extensive library.
He held up the book and asked Jamie straight out, “Can this work or not?”
“Yeah,” she said on a sigh. “Yeah, it can work.”
“Then why haven’t you done it before now?”
“I need a partner.”
“Well, I’ve got that covered. What else?”
“Tully—”
“What else?”
“The gods are natural voyeurs but they’re not easy to please. We would need to be”—she cleared her throat—“entertaining.”
“Nothing to worry about. I can make anyone entertaining.”
She looked at him over her shoulder, one brow up. “I was worried about me making you entertaining.”
“You don’t have to throw down a gauntlet to get me to play along.”
Jamie laughed but shook her head. “It’s a very sweet offer, Tully, but I’m still going to say no.”
“Why?”
“Because this is still magick, Tully. And you’re a nice Christian…man-wolf thing.”
“Gee. Thanks.”
“I can’t get you involved in this,” she went on. “I won’t get you involved in this.”
“Seems you ain’t got much choice since I’m not going to leave you here by yourself to deal with whatever is outside that door.” He hated having to ask, but he did anyway. “If there’s someone else in town you’re more interested in and they’re not mated, I can call ’em and see if they’ll—owwww!”
Jamie jumped. “I didn’t say anything yet!”
“Not you. It’s that damn bird. Damn near pulled the hair from my head.” He glared up at the winged bastard now glaring at him from the top of Jamie’s bookcases. “What is her problem anyway?”
Jamie briefly closed her eyes, knowing exactly what was going on. When she spoke, it was to Rico. “Forget it.”
The bird’s feathers bristled and Tully said, “Maybe you shouldn’t piss her off. I like my eyes to stay in my head, thank you very much. Besides,” he added, leaning in close, “I like how her mind works. She knows this is the right thing to do. And so do you.”
“Look, most sex magick rituals involve couples who’ve been together for a bit.” Hell, was that the best argument she could come up with? And it would really help if he moved his lips away from the tip of her ear, the sensation made her want to squirm.
“Is that required?”
“No. But couples that aren’t so well acquainted get…tests done. You know? To make sure that—”
“Yeah. I know. Well, are you adverse to condoms?”
“Not on a daily basis, but latex in my power circle? Why don’t you bring in some acid rain too?”
Tully didn’t answer and for a brief, surprisingly sad moment, she thought she’d won the fight. Until he said, “Look, do you trust your bird or not?”
Slowly, Jamie turned her head to look at Tully and asked, “Did you just ask me that out loud?”
“Yes. And I enjoyed it so much, I’m asking it again. Do you trust your bird?”
Jamie lifted her hands and let them drop. She’d completely run out of fight at this point. It had all gotten too weird—and her nipples were hard. “Yes, Tully. I…trust my bird.”
“Do you think she’d do anything to hurt you? That she’d put you at risk?”
And, for one brief moment, she kind of hated the big, dumb hick. Because he’d found the perfect counterpoint to any argument she could come up with. Her connection to Rico was beyond owner and pet. The falcon had chosen Jamie, had guid
ed her, aided her, and did what she could to protect her in all things magickal. Jamie knew, in her gut, that Rico would never harm her, never put her in a situation that would harm her.
And clearly, based on the way Rico’s feathers kept bristling, this was what Rico wanted for Jamie. Knew that it was the safest choice she could make at the moment. Perhaps the only choice at the moment that would protect her soul and…well…the rest of her.
The front door swung open and, with a healthy snarl, Jamie slammed it closed again with a swipe of her fingers.
She looked back at him and he noticed that she no longer appeared as weak, much less drawn. If arguing with him was already helping, he could just imagine what a good fuck between them could do.
“Fine,” she finally snapped, “let’s just get this over—owwww!” Jamie covered the side of her neck with her fingers.
“Lord, are you all—owwww!”
Pain shot through his neck and Tully glared at that damn bird again! What the hell did she think she was doing anyway? He wiped the spot she’d nipped with her beak and his fingers came away with blood.
“Your bird has lost its damn mind!”
The falcon dropped in front of them, outside of the pentacle, but still inside the circle. She spit a glob of blood on the floor—their blood mixed together, Tully was guessing—and using her talons, Rico dragged a line of blood around the pentacle until she’d created another circle. When she was done, she looked up at them and gave what Tully could only call a nod.
“You know,” Jamie said to the bird, “there was a much less painful way to do—”
The bird let out a high-pitched screech before its wings unfurled and it flew at them, talons first.
“Okay! Okay!” Jamie said when those talons moved a little too close to her eyes, her head buried against Tully’s chest. “Don’t yell at me!”
“It was more a squawk,” Tully observed.
“Shut up.”
“No call to get nasty.”
The bird went back to its perch on the bookshelves and watched them.
“So is that it?” he asked.
“Except for the main event…pretty much. She created a circle of protection all on her own, so I don’t have to bother. How kind,” she sneered at Rico.
“Don’t get that bird angry, woman. She’s psychotic. And can she create birth control? You know, magickally?”
“What?”
“I like ya, Jamie, but…”
“I’m on the Pill, chief.”
He reached around her and clapped his hands together. “Then let’s get this thing started!”
“First off, feel free to curb your abundant enthusiasm. You’re making me nervous.”
“Sorry.”
“And second, I don’t want any regrets from you come morning.”
“Regrets?”
“Whining. Complaining. Don’t act like I took advantage of you and do not get attached. Understand?”
“Will I have horns?” he asked.
Jamie rubbed her temples with the tips of her fingers. “What?”
“When we’re done…will I have horns?” A completely legitimate question in his estimation.
“No.”
“Will I be alive to relive this in my fantasies? Or will my mind be wiped clean, so all that’s left is an exquisite but useless shell of my former self? Wandering around town all day…drooling?”
“How’s that different from what you do now?”
Grateful to hear the cruel teasing of Jamie Meacham, he grabbed her waist to tickle her, but she begged, “No tickling!”
“And,” he went on, “will I still have all my important bits and pieces? Especially the one currently pressing into your back, since I am so fond of it.”
“Yes, you’ll have all your bits and pieces.” And he knew she wanted to add, “You asshole.”
“Then I think we’re ready to roll.”
“This isn’t a road trip, Tully,” and she sounded just like a chastising mother. “This is sex magick. That means all I need from you is a hard cock, a decent amount of stamina, and enough skill to get me off at least once.” Well…that last part didn’t sound too motherly.
“Hmm…” he said thoughtfully, trying hard not to laugh, “I think I can manage that.”
Jamie focused across the room and blew out a breath. “Great.”
Chapter Ten
Jamie didn’t know what was happening. How everything had gotten so out of control in such a short amount of time. And now it seemed as if there was only one way to get herself out of it. She glanced at the man sitting behind her.
Well, things could definitely be worse.
At least he was gorgeous and the steel pipe currently pressing into her back suggested he could handle the basics of the act. She’d have to run the show, of course, because entertaining gods was not an easy task for any mortal. After traversing the earth for millennia after millennia, they’d seen everything and seen it more than once. It wasn’t that they always needed porn-quality entertainment. Long-term couples often received the gods’ blessings because of the emotion behind the act, because of the love the partners held for each other. Since there was none of that here at the moment, Jamie and Tully would have to go with skill.
It had been at least a decade, maybe more, since Jamie had done this sort of thing but she had little choice at this point. Especially since even the bird was now in on it.
Already feeling a bit of her energy returning, Jamie decided to get this thing moving. She tried to sit up so she could face Tully, but the arm he had around her waist held her in place. His free arm came around and the tips of his fingers brushed along her cheek, her jaw. He gripped her chin and turned her face toward him. He studied her a long moment before his head lowered and his lips touched hers.
It was a sweet kiss, taking Jamie by surprise. But it also made her uncomfortable. She didn’t want to confuse the issue. They had one goal here and she was determined to see it through as quickly and efficiently as possible. She dragged her tongue along his lips and when his mouth opened, she dived in, boldly stroking the inside of his mouth.
He groaned and Jamie again tried to pull herself up and away so she could push him to his back and take over, but the arm around her only tightened. He was fighting her and she didn’t know why. She would have asked him, too, if their kiss hadn’t turned from sweet to urgent, Tully’s tongue pushing past hers and invading her mouth.
He began to move, going to his knees and bringing her up with him. His free hand slid down her chest, briefly stopping to stroke her breasts before continuing down past her stomach and sliding between her legs. Jamie let out a whimper as his fingers caressed her. She gripped his arm but didn’t try to stop him. She didn’t want to stop him. It felt really good.
If he was trying to get her wet, she was there, but again, he didn’t seem to be in any rush. One of his fingers dipped inside her, followed by another. She groaned, her hips pushing down on his hand. He pulled his mouth away from her and the hand around her waist released her long enough to move up to her hair. He took firm hold and tugged her head back. He kissed her again, then said, “I am dying to see you come.”
The grip at the nape of her neck tightened and his gaze traveled down the length of her body.
“Pull your shirt up a bit, beautiful. I wanna see everything.”
Following his direction, she grabbed the hem of her jersey and pulled it up until it was under her breasts.
“You are damn luscious, Jamie Meacham.” She might have had a response if she wasn’t so busy panting, her body rolling with each thrust of his fingers. He tugged again on her hair and she bent farther back. “Pull your shirt up higher. Over your breasts.”
Again, following his directions without wondering why, she did what he asked. “Thank you,” he murmured before his warm mouth wrapped around her nipple and began to suck.
With her hands holding her shirt and her body bent back in such an awkward position, Jamie realized she coul
dn’t do anything at the moment except feel what he was doing to her.
And, uh…what he was doing to her felt really good.
Even with his mouth on her breast, Tully couldn’t look away from the sight of his hand stroking in and out of Jamie’s pussy. He’d never felt anything so hot and wet before. So damn tight. The way she squeezed his fingers was making him absolutely insane. He wanted to make her come like this. He wanted to stand here and watch her writhe all over his hand. But it wasn’t the right time yet. She needed more.
Before he pulled out of her, he used his thumb to slowly caress her clit until he felt her legs begin to shake. That’s when he stopped.
She let out a strained moan and he felt her tense in his arms. Before she could pull away—something she’d been trying to do since they’d started down this road—he lifted her shirt up and off and chucked it outside the circle. He then spread her out on the floor before lifting up her legs and placing them on his shoulders. Rather than going down on her, he pulled her up until she rested on her shoulders. He nuzzled his nose against her clit, heard her whimper and knew she was still too close. He brought his mouth down and slid his tongue inside her. She gasped, her hands slapping down against the hardwood floor, her back arching as he fucked her pussy with his mouth and tongue. She wiggled her hips and he gripped her legs tight, not wanting her to move until he let her. He liked having her like this—trapped and wet and at his mercy.
He licked and nipped until she was clawing at the floor, then he sucked her clit into his mouth and nursed it between his lips until her body tightened again—and that’s when he stopped.
Jamie slammed her fists down on the floor. The sound seemed magnified, rolling through the room and right out of the house. He thought he heard screams from outside, but he wasn’t sure and he was too desperate to really care.
He knew when they started this they were doing it for some reason, but damn if he could remember what that was now. In fact, he couldn’t think past the woman in his arms.
Tully placed her legs on the floor and leaned over her, his hand cupping her cheek. He gazed down at her and she shook her head. “Don’t, Tully.” But he couldn’t stop himself. And he didn’t really want to. He lowered himself down, stretching out. He didn’t lay on top of her, but to the side, his right leg pressed between her thighs, his hand caressing her face.
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