“Hello there, beautiful.” A man’s voice came from behind us. Turning to look, there stood Jack, the very handsome man that had bumped into me earlier in the evening.
“Hello.” I responded shyly, taking Luke’s hand in mine.
“Lucas.” Jack’s tone sounded official as he nodded in Luke’s direction.
“What can we do for you, Jack?” Luke asked as he put his arm around me and pulled me closer.
Jack sniffed at the air. “You mated her?”
Luke looked at me for a reaction. I had none. I was confused and still under the influence of too much champagne and sex. “You need to leave, Jack.” Luke used his arm to maneuver me behind him and took a step toward Jack.
“But you didn’t mark her. So she’s not yours, Lucas. And I did see her first.”
"You. Need. To leave. Jack.” Luke’s voice became deep, throaty, and dark. Feeling a bit uneasy and fearful, I stayed behind him.
“Okay, I’m leaving. But this isn’t over.” I peeked out from behind Luke to see Jack slowly backing away. “Goodbye, beautiful,” he said. “Until we meet again.” Jack bowed to me and then walked away.
I took a deep breath and did my best to steel my nerves. I rested my head on Luke’s chest, and I felt the warmth from his body on my face.
Luke played with my hair, and my senses once again heightened. I tried to ignore the rapid beating of my heart, and the gooseflesh on my arms and back. “Jack is a real dick, born to money. I’m sorry, Jade.”
“It’s okay.” I looked up, and before I could even think, his lips were pressed against mine. I no longer cared about Jack, and I couldn’t think of anything else. Luke was my only thought. He hands were on my face, caressing me. His warm lips on mine. His tongue dancing in my mouth. Within moments, my nipples were erect enough to cut stained glass.
I placed Luke’s hand on my breasts, giving him an unspoken permission to have his way with my body.
“I want you, Jade." The sound of my name on his breath melted away all my inhibitions. I felt my body ready itself for him. The tone of his voice made me wet and my clit began to throb in anticipation. His breaths quickened and I felt the firmness of his erection growing under the material and became frustrated. There was no time to go back to the privacy of our room. I didn’t want to wait that long.
“We don’t have...I didn’t bring,” my words were lost under the touch of his hand as it moved down my side to my hip, gripping my ass, squeezing the plump flesh tightly with his fingertips. “You don’t have any more condoms,” I said, panting. “We can’t. It's irresponsible.”
He pressed his hips into me again, and he was now hard, fully erect, and ready. He growled, similar to what I’d heard from the bathroom stall early that night. I was both scared and excited, but my lustful want of his body took over every other emotion.
“Is it really necessary?” he asked, moving his mouth to my breasts.
Using his tongue, he twisted a path from between my breasts to behind my ear, never losing contact with my flesh. “I can taste your desire.”
Our gazes locked. His beautiful blue eyes had taken on a golden hue.
It’s the light. It has to be the light.
“What do you want?” His voice was soft and low. “Tell me what you want.”
I felt an odd fluttering sensation in my stomach. It was something I had never felt before. As I stared into his eyes, I felt both scared of him, and scared to be without him.
I responded without thinking. “You,” I said. “I want you.”
He grunted and I heard the sound of clinking metal. In a single movement, he slid his hands under my dress, ripped off my panties, picked me up, and slammed me with my back against the wall. I let out a sharp cry as he plunged his hard dick into me. Luke silenced me quickly by pressing his mouth against mine so forcefully his teeth scraped my lip. I could taste the blood. I arched my back and pushed my hips into him writhing once again in the erotic pain he used to bring me pleasure. My opening was tender and each time Luke thrust himself into me, his long, thick cock took a stinging bite out of my body.
He placed his hand on my neck, anchoring me to the wall and to his world of tantalizing bliss that carefully bordered torment. The pain didn’t matter. Each rough, forceful thrust left me craving more.
“Faster,” I begged him. “Please, fuck me faster.”
Luke drug his nails down my body from neck to my breasts, leaving bright pink marks behind that stung when exposed to the cool air. That is what the man I watched from outside the bathroom stall had done. I remembered how he had left marks on the woman’s back.
Leaning against me, Luke placed his hands on my ass, gripping the soft flesh tightly. Putting his mouth to my ear, I could feel his hot breath on my neck. “You’re mine, Jade,” he said, sliding in and out with long slow strokes. I didn’t want it slow. I wanted him fast and hard and he knew it.
“Yes,” I whispered back. Desperate for him to fuck me harder and faster, I agreed without question.
“Yes, what? Tell me,” he commanded. “Tell me you’re mine.” He pushed himself deep inside, and I held my breath.
“I’m yours,” I panted. “I’m yours.”
“Say it again,” he said through his clenched teeth. He put his hand on the front of my neck. “Tell me again.” He began to move his hips faster, sliding in and out, thrusting deep inside me.
I looked into his eyes. I was powerless. “I’m yours,” I said, trying to catch my breath. “I’m yours. I’m yours.” Luke pressed his long hard dick against my wet flesh until I felt his pelvic bone hit mine. “I’m yours, Luke.”
Cupping both my breasts in his hands, Luke began to fuck me fast and hard, and I felt my orgasm building quickly.
“I’m going to come,” I said, doing my best not to shout. Luke kissed me hard. I writhed under his touch and, moaning into his mouth as I went over the edge, tightened around his erection.
Luke kissed my neck and thrust inside me hard. My legs began to shake and I felt a second orgasm building. "Oh, my god, Luke."
His strokes became faster, and I leaned back into the wall. I felt him swelling inside me and I put my hands on his shoulders. I knew he was getting close, and so was I. Luke grabbed my legs, wrapped them around his back, and pulled me closer. Grabbing my waist, Luke held onto me and leaned against me, pushing me into the wall harder. I welcomed his weight, his heat, his smell. His kissed and sucked on my neck and my nipples became hard, crying out for his attention. I whimpered, suddenly feeling a sharp pain in my right shoulder as Luke bit me hard enough to make me bleed. I felt the warmth of the blood run down my shoulder, onto my right breast, staining my dress. I looked down and moaned as I watched Luke pull at the crimson-soaked material and lick the blood from nipple. It was all I needed to push me over the edge and send my body into the convulsions of a second orgasm.
Feeling the heat of my climax on his naked erection seemed to make Luke wild. As I received the erotic force of his final thrusts, I felt the wall behind me begin to crack. He moaned, growled, and bit my shoulder again. I felt a searing heat inside me as he came, causing my pelvic muscles to contract. I milked him for every sensual drop. Attempting to focus, I felt dizzy and my vision began to blur. I shook my head attempting to clear the cobwebs. Luke remained inside me, and softly pressed his lips to mine. Colors began to blur together and I felt a pressure in my head as if my mind would snap. The world began to darken and I heard a howling off in the distance. “Luke,” I said, filled with fear. I was scared and confused, and no longer felt like myself. “Luke, what’s happening?”
“Soon. I will tell you everything soon. I love you. You’re mine now, Jade,” Luke said. “Forever.”
About the Author
An Ohio native, Carma Haley is a nurse by trade and a writer by nature. Her career began writing non-fiction articles for print and online magazines in 1999. Her debut novel was released in December 2015. A recent empty-nester, Carma now spends her spare time dancing in the l
iving room, attempting to build the perfect fantasy football team, and searching for dragons.
For more information:
@carmicwords
CarmicWords
www.carmicwords.com
[email protected]
Midnight Masquerade
D. F. Krieger
Midnight Masquerade © 2017 by D. F. Krieger
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
About Midnight Masquerade
One witch, looking for love.
Anya Kindler and her twin sister are witches who own their own magic shop. Desperate for love, Anya tries to find Mr. Right by using her talents at scrying. Problem is, all she sees is a white horse and a clock with thirteen hours. There is only one night with thirteen hours—Halloween.
The Midnight Masquerade…
Every Samhain, a portal opens to the Midnight Masquerade, the one night where any paranormal creature can meet under neutral circumstances to dance the night away. The only rule is that masks can’t come off until the witching hour. Can Anya find her mate here, or did she interpret her scrying wrong?
Chapter One
Anya trailed a finger across the photo of her parents and sighed. The happiness on their faces made her heart ache. Desperation for the love they shared caused a lump in her throat. They’d loved together, lived together, formed happiness together, and died together. Granted, their deaths left her and her twin sister as orphans at the age of eighteen, but they’d also left a Wicca shop for Anya and Amber to call their own.
Her lips twitched as the door downstairs notified her of a potential customer with a merry tinkle of chimes. A flux in customers seemed to be the norm on Samhain. Most were curious people who didn’t practice, but found themselves caught up in the time of year. They usually left disappointed. Custom Crafts didn’t deal in dark arts, and while they decorated with cutsie bats and brooms, the overall theme of the store remained respectful of the true nature of the craft.
“Merry Meet,” she called down the stairs as she exited the living quarters and entered the shop area below.
Two teenagers stood there, and she choked back a laugh at their black makeup and goth clothing. Their gazes darted around the shop, and they shifted from foot to foot. Nervousness radiated from them in thick waves, and Anya dialed down her empathy until their emotions no longer overwhelmed her.
“Hmmm, the Crow and Edward Scissor Hands?” she asked, eyeing their outfits.
“What?” One of the teens peered at her with a frown.
“I was taking a wild guess at your costumes, but swing and a miss, eh?” She flashed them what she hoped was a friendly smile.
The other teenager glared at her. “We’re not—”
He grunted as the first one elbowed him in the side. The Crow lookalike turned to her. “We’re looking for stuff.”
She checked herself just before she rolled her eyes. Wannabes. The both of them. With effort, she schooled her features until she could offer them a relatively believable smile. The emotions emanating from them didn’t calm in the slightest. “Well, we’ve got a little of this and a little of that. What are you looking for?”
“An Ouija board.” False bravado filled Edward’s voice.
Anya raised an eyebrow. “And what do you think you’d be doing with that? Plan to summon some spirits on O’Hallow’s Eve, do you? Or”—she eyed them both with skepticism—“were you thinking something darker?”
Both of them turned white enough to justify their makeup.
Suppressing a snicker, she whirled to guide them to the proper section, aware of the flourish her skirt performed. “Just make sure you get all the correct casting materials to go with it. Otherwise, you’ll be sitting in a room doing nothing but reading your own shaking hands. That’s where most people go wrong. They buy the board and nothing else.”
“What else do we need, then?” Crow asked before he licked his lips. A fleshy pink started to show through on the top one where he’d almost erased the black lipstick. “How much is it going to cost?”
She paused and looked the two boys over, weighing her options. “Tell you what, I will give you a Halloween special. The board usually sells for thirty-five if you wanted one of our cheaper ones, so I’ll sell you the candles, sage, and salt with it for only forty bucks. Tax included.”
“Seventy-five dollars!” Edward sneered at her. “What a rip off. I can get salt from my mom’s cabinet.”
“No, lovely. Forty covers it all. And if you want to explain to your mom why a pound of salt is missing—cause that’s how much you’ll need—then be my guest and raid her cabinets.” This time, Anya did nothing to hide her ire. Really, she was trying to do these guys a favor. Why did they have to be jackasses about it?
He blanched, and she figured she’d gotten her point across.
“I think it’s a really good deal. Can you…can you teach us the spell that goes with this? Or is it in the box?” Crow asked. He kept his voice polite, though embarrassment blasted off him, nearly making her fidget. She held a sneaky suspicion he stepped in for Edward’s temper regularly.
“No worries. I’ll write it down, though it’s really simple.” She busied herself gathering up the supplies even as she spoke. “Light the sage and walk a circle around the room three times, asking for the protection and guidance of your ancestors. Set the board in the middle of the room, then pour a comfortable-sized circle big enough for you to sit inside with the board. Light a candle and place it in each of the four directions, then begin.” Anya set everything on the counter and flashed them a smile. “See. Super easy.”
“Have you ever done it before?” Edward regarded her with what looked like a small amount of respect. Perhaps her ability to rattle off a spell impressed him? Maybe the fact she’d proved she wasn’t some overacting, self-acclaimed soothe sayer helped too.
“Buncha times.” She tapped in the tally and took the cash Crow offered.
They no more than exited the shop before her sister stepped out of the stockroom, lips pressed in a thin line of disapproval. “You’re terrible, Anya,” Amber said. “Those poor kids have no idea what you just did.”
“Would you rather the kids actually summoned a dark spirit tonight?” she responded.
Her twin sister shook her head as Anya stepped to the bottom of the staircase. “No, but I wish I could be a fly on the wall when their dead grandmothers show up and rips them a new one for playing with the occult.” Amber snickered.
“Do you mind watching the shop for a few, sis? I’ve got something I need to check on.” Anya waited for her sister to start prying, but her twin merely shrugged in response. With no desire to look a gift horse in the mouth, she raced up the steps and to the living room where her magic work area sat.
Anya checked her scrying mirror for what had to be the fiftieth time in the past week before waving a hand to dismiss the images that shone across the surface. Her audible sigh sounded heavy, even to her.
“Still the white horse and clock?”
Amber peered at her over the edge of a rather large spell book. Anya nodded before tilting her head to read the gold embossed title that curled down the leathery spine of the book.
“Lust, Love, and Lithium?” She leveled a hard glare at Amber. “You’d better not be thinking what I’m afraid you’re thinking! And aren’t you supposed to be keeping an eye on the shop?”
Her sister lowered the dusty tome, a pout forming on her lips. “The chime will sound if we get any more customers before we close for the night, though I doubt it. Besides, I’m just looking. We’ll be leaving for the Midnight Masquerade soon. I’m sure tonight is the night in your visions. Halloween is the only day of year that has a thirteenth hour after midnight.”
Thirteen hours, like the clock i
n my visions. Anya blinked, trying to clear the thought from her head. “If it happens, it will happen in its own right. Maybe you’ll get lucky and tonight will be your chance to catch a glimpse of the mysterious Jasper.”
“I’m just trying to help things along. Leave my celebrity crush out of this.” Amber crossed her arms, her pout deepening. “I know you’re lonely, Anya. For some reason you don’t give most men a glance. I can’t help you find the right guy if I don’t know what you are searching for. I just want to make sure it happens tonight. There will be other supernatural denizens there. Guys who will understand what we are and won’t think twice about it. The kind of guy you need.”
“You’re trying too hard, sis.” Anya forced a soft smile as she leaned against the vanity that held her scrying mirror. “I’m not even sure what I’m searching for. I may not even recognize Mr. Right because I have no idea what I want. I don’t think pining for love alone is going to be good enough. I want what Mom and Dad had.”
They both jumped at the sound of Amber’s phone ringing. Amber pulled it out, answered it, and then a smile broke out on her face. The book she’d been reading floated safely back to its place on the bookshelf.
“Our dresses are ready for pickup at the shop. The bar will be opening the portal to Scotland in an hour. Go get the dresses, and I’ll finish inventory while I keep an ear out for customers.” Amber fled from the room. Her phone, suspended in midair, followed after her like a lost puppy.
Anya turned to her scrying mirror again, staring at her own reflection. Usually her visions were much more forthcoming. She understood when she’d cast the scry spell that she wouldn’t see obvious images to guide her. Any witch worth their pointy shoes knew that scrying for self-serving, personal questions made the answers less clear. But a single white horse and a clock striking the thirteenth hour wasn’t much to go on, even by those rules.
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