by King, Thayer
“Well, you won’t have to worry about me much longer. I received a call from my grandmother. I’m out of here on Monday.” She expected a volatile reaction of some sort. What she received instead was a nod. Nikita stared at him through narrowed eyes. “That’s it?”
“What?” A smug grin curling his lips, he backed into the kitchen. He ducked his head into the refrigerator and emerged with a package of steaks. The man lived on red meat. “Can I offer you a glass of wine?”
“Shove it. I tell you I’m leaving and you don’t seem to care. Despite telling all and sundry that I’m your soul mate!”
He ripped the plastic off the Styrofoam tray and dumped the steaks onto a plate. “You are.”
Taking a deep breath and counting to ten to stop herself from yelling at him, Nikita glared at him. “Listen, you-you—“
“Red-headed, warty nosed broom rider?” he supplied, glancing up as he seasoned the meat with sea salt. “It took you long enough to run out of witch slurs.”
“You’re in a disgustingly happy mood. Stop it. It’s revolting.”
“Want to know why I’m so happy?”
“I can only assume that your business meeting went well.”
He shrugged. “That was fine. A friend of my dad’s is doing a remodel on his kitchen and he wants me to do the work. He’s willing to pay me handsomely. My dad wanted me to follow in his footsteps, become a lawyer, but he never hesitates recommend me to his colleagues.” He flipped the steaks and began the seasoning process again. “But that’s not why I’m happy. Twice today you’ve shown me how much you care.” A strangled noise escaped her throat and he laughed. “Nikita, I didn’t blow my top because I’ve always known you were leaving. That doesn’t mean you can’t come back. Or that I can’t follow you.”
A spark of joy made her heart rate pick up. So he wasn’t giving up on her. It was quickly eclipsed by irritation. She should want him to move on and drop this foolish notion.
“So are we eating outside?”
“No, it’s getting chilly. But I do need to go start up the grill. You won’t mind if I use a little magic to speed things along?”
“As long as it’s not hurting anyone, I’m fine with it.” She watched him grill the steaks and prepare baked potatoes. She helped him make the salad dressing and chop vegetables. With her help and Ronan’s magic, they sat down to dinner in less than an hour.
Ronan stabbed his baked potato with his fork as he asked her, “So how long have you suffered from insomnia?”
Nikita paused, a forkful of steak on its way to her mouth. She hadn’t told anyone other than her doctor about her insomnia. Mama Skye might have suspected that she was run down but she didn’t know the cause. She should have been offended that Ronan knew somehow. She searched for the righteous indignation that she should have felt but could not find it. If anything, it seemed natural and right to talk to Ronan.
“About six or seven months.”
“Was it triggered by anything specific?”
She shrugged. “I think it was the cumulative effect of my work. Especially lately now that I’m working alone.”
His lips turned up in a sympathetic smile. “So you’re the sole witch hunter on earth?”
“No. I’m just the last witch hunter in my family. It’s a tradition that’s been passed down through the generations for hundreds of years.”
Laughing, he said, “I can imagine our progeny would be superlative at that activity. A witch tracking down evil witches? Talk about amazing.”
Nikita shook her head, but decided to let the comment slide. “It’s a job with a great deal of responsibility.”
“Do you enjoy it?”
She shrugged. “Does anyone enjoy their job?”
“I do. My father had my law school picked out before I entered preschool. I considered becoming a lawyer for about five minutes. Working with wood calls to me and I knew no amount of success as a lawyer would ever give me the same satisfaction.”
She sipped from her water glass as she contemplated her next words. “It gives me satisfaction to know that I’m performing an important service that not everyone can do. I can’t just quit.”
“But it’s literally making you ill.”
“I wouldn’t say that.”
“I disagree. Everyone needs sleep. But I do see a solution to your problem.”
“Yeah? What?”
“Last night you made love with me. And you slept the entire night.”
She arched an eyebrow. “And you’re offering your services? How generous of you.”
Ronan nodded. “I’m selfless like that.” He pushed his plate aside and reached across the table to take her hand in his. “Stay with me tonight. We don’t have to have sex. It might even be better if we didn’t. I think that for you being with me is home. It’s safe and secure and that’s why you’ll sleep better.” Linking their fingers, he added softly, “It’s the same for me.” When she would have protested, he squeezed her hand. “I know you’re leaving and you think this is pointless. I say, give me these last days. What will it hurt?”
Knowing her answer should be no, she hesitated. Nikita stared at their intertwined fingers, admiring the contrast of their skin tones. How could a few more days hurt? She couldn’t deny that she wanted him again. Finally, she gave a nod. “Okay.”
Ronan’s lips turned up in a sensual smile that made her want to dive over the table and take him at that very moment. “Yeah?” He stood so quickly that his chair toppled onto the floor.
Next thing she knew, he was rounding the table and scooping her up out of her chair. “Hey, what are you doing?”
“Skipping to dessert.” His long legs carried them swiftly through his house. Within seconds, he was tossing her onto his bed and hastily stripping off his clothes. Nikita lay back and enjoyed the show as he bared his chest. A light smattering of red hair covered his pectorals and darted down over his sculpted abdomen.
“Plan to join me?” he inquired as he attacked his belt and jeans.
“In a moment.” She kicked off her shoes and moved to the center of the bed. It was no surprise that it was a king-size. Anything less would have trouble holding him. He kept on his briefs, but the thick bar of his erection was clearly visible through the clinging black cotton. She admired his body as he crawled to her. He was all power and grace. It was like being stalked by a jungle cat. His arms and shoulders were corded with muscle from hard work. Hovering over her, he dipped his head to kiss her and she stopped him with a finger to his full pink lips. “On your back.”
Ronan growled. “You’re kidding me?”
“No.” She nudged his shoulder and he obligingly rolled onto his back. She straddled his belly before pulling her shirt from her pants. “Hands over your head. Grip the headboard.” The buttons on her shirt were small and plentiful. It parted slowly to reveal a black lace bra.
“You’ve got serious control issues.” He complied nonetheless.
She had to stand to remove her pants. Ronan groaned, bringing her attention back to him. He stared up at her with eyelids at half-mast and his irises smoky with desire. Reaching behind her back, she unfastened her bra and let it slide down her arms.
“You’re so fucking beautiful.”
Smiling, she dropped her panties as well before sitting on him again, this time right over his straining cock. Ronan’s breath hissed out of him. Nikita swirled her hips, loving the feel of him beneath her. Skin to skin would feel even better. She lifted off him only enough to peel his briefs down. When she settled over him again, his hard heat slid easily between her wet pussy lips. Her moan was barely eclipsed by his loud groan.
“You’re a sex goddess.”
“You talk too much,” she said before cupping his neck and sealing her mouth to his. She kissed him deeply, holding back none of the hunger she felt for him. Her tongue tangled with his as she slanted her mouth over his. The fingers of her right hand curled in his hair to hold him still for her assault. She trailed her left ha
nd down his chest, pausing to tweak his nipples.
It was a real turn on for him to give over his power this way. But she liked him on top, too. Hell, being with Ronan in any way was a turn on. She ground her pussy up and down his cock. She was almost embarrassingly wet for him.
Ronan ripped his lips away from hers. “You’re killing me.”
She nipped the lobe of his ear before darting the tip of her tongue inside the canal. He moaned as she trailed kisses down the column of his throat. She longed to explore him more but she tamped down on that impulse. This couldn’t be about more than sex. It wouldn’t do to become more attached to Ronan than she already was. Witch hunting was her calling and Ronan couldn’t change what he was.
Thinking to end it quickly, she reached between their bodies and grasped the thick bar of his erection. She fitted the broad head to her moist opening. An inch in and she paused with a gasp. She was still tender from last night.
Ronan wrapped his hands around her waist, restraining her when she would have continued. “Stop. Don’t rush this. We have all the time in the world.” Despite her objections, he dragged her up his chest until their lower bodies no longer connected and her breasts dangled over his mouth. He licked her left nipple as though it were low hanging fruit before nuzzling it with his stubble roughened cheek and chin. Then he kissed it before wrapping his tongue around it and beginning to suckle. Nikita gasped, her fingers closing over his shoulders. She was panting by the time he moved on to her other nipple, giving it the same treatment.
“I’m ready now,” she said, attempting to wriggle out of his grasp.
Ronan didn’t seem to agree. He hauled her up further, trailing hot kisses down her abdomen. Beard stubble abraded her skin, sending a shiver down her spine. He didn’t stop until her knees rested on his shoulders and her thighs were spread wide before him. “I’ve been dreaming of tasting you,” he whispered gruffly.
“Ronan, no,” was as far as she got before he slid his tongue through her folds. And then he groaned as though he had tasted the finest ambrosia. It was the sound of his enjoyment more than anything that kept her rooted in place. She supported his neck with her hands as he devoured her. He ran his tongue up and down her slit before circling her clit, flicking it repeatedly. And then he sucked it. Nikita cried out and began bucking against his face. “Oh, my God, yes!” His mouth was hot and voracious as he suckled her relentlessly. He thrust one long digit into her pussy and she was gone, trembling, body quaking, totally out of control. He held his finger deep, pressing against her g-spot so that the spasms continued for a long time without ebbing in strength. And his hot delicious lips continued to torture her clit until she was on the verge of collapsing.
“Now, you’re ready,” he said. He kissed her inner thighs and her pussy again before laying her on the mattress. Floating on the euphoric high of her orgasm, she didn’t object. Besides, her bones seemed to be made of liquid. Grabbing her right foot, he hoisted it over his shoulder as he rubbed the head of his cock against her opening. “You’re so hot and wet for me.”
Nikita bit her lip to hold in a moan as he began to push his thick shaft inside her. She fisted her hands in the sheets. His entry was a pleasurable burn. Impatiently, she tilted her hips up to him. Ronan moved slowly, penetrating her one inch at a time, until their hips were flush and it seemed that he could go no deeper. Past her tight nipples and her quivering belly, she could see where they were joined. The hair at his groin was a dark red. His sculpted torso gleamed with sweat. It was intoxicating to have so much power between her legs.
“So beautiful,” he murmured. “See how your sweet little pussy squeezes me tight?” With a hard thrust, he buried himself to the hilt. He hooked her knees over his elbows and elevated her bottom. When he swiveled his hips, he groaned and his eyelids lowered to half-mast. “Words can’t describe how good you feel.”
He withdrew and then plunged forward. As his cock lodged against her g-spot, she emitted a strangled moan. “Let me hear you, baby.” She was essentially helpless in this position, her spine bowed, buttocks in his lap. He sped up the rhythm of his strokes, tunneling so deep she could feel him in her belly. Cries tore from her throat as he pummeled her cunt.
Her breasts bounced with the force of his thrusts. Ronan watched her, his irises dark with passion. “God, baby, you’re so gorgeous. Look at those sweet tits. I could fuck this tight pussy all night.” Maneuvering his hand toward her core, he circled her clit with her thumb. Nikita screamed and arched until only the top of her scalp touched the mattress as pleasure shot from her quaking channel and flowed through her entire body.
She was still breathing hard, weak from her second orgasm as Ronan pulled out. His dick glistened with her juices. He rolled her over, pulled her back into his lap, and thrust home again. In this position, he felt thicker and deeper than ever. She couldn’t stop herself from crying out as he rode her hard and fast. Another orgasm was building, tightening her pussy. From Ronan’s escalating grunts, she knew he would not be far behind her.
Nikita lifted up onto her elbows and propelled herself back onto his cock, meeting his thrusts eagerly. Her nipples dragged across the sheets. She whimpered as Ronan continued to fill her pussy. She’d never felt so out of control, so completely at the mercy of a lover.
The wet sound of him entering her, the smack of skin meeting skin, and their mutual fevered moans permeated the air. And then Ronan began to come. He bucked against her in a series of jerks as his dick swelled and wet heat flooded her womb. His climax triggered hers and her pussy clamped down like a vice over his thrusting member.
Ronan collapsed to the side of her. He draped an arm around her waist and hauled her close. Pressing a kiss to her shoulder, he breathed out, “You’re mine, Nikita. Don’t deny it anymore.”
She was too exhausted to fight him or to panic. Instead, she said, “You talk too much.” She snuggled into his embrace and closed her eyes.
“I love you, Nikita.”
She ignored him. But she knew. A welling of tenderness in her chest threatened to make her cry. And she never cried. Tears were pointless. They didn’t change anything. Didn’t fix anything. All they were good for was messing up her mascara.
Chapter Nine
The persistent ringing of his phone woke Ronan from a dreamless sleep. The clock at his bedside declared it to be five o’clock in the morning. Who the hell would be calling him at such an ungodly hour? Despite what some of his customers might think, there was no such thing as a carpentry emergency. That left only family. As he fumbled to get a hold of his cell, the screen went dark indicating the phone had sent the call to voicemail.
He pressed a button to reactivate the screen and then squinted into the glaring light to see who had called. Just as he’d made out his Uncle Hugh’s name, it began ringing and vibrating again. Ronan sat up as he answered. “Hello, Uncle Hugh, is everything okay?”
“Ronan, Brian’s been arrested.”
That was no real surprise. Brian had been getting into minor skirmishes since high school. Mostly for public drunkenness and the foolishness that accompanied it. What was surprising was that his uncle sounded stressed. “What did he do this time?” Ronan asked, glancing at the empty pillow beside him. Nikita had snuck out around three in the morning, mumbling some excuse about the cat. He knew she was lying but he’d let her go without a fight. She would learn soon enough that she couldn’t run from what they had.
“He’s being held as a person of interest in the murder of Gina Farris.”
Ronan sucked in a breath. “Wait, what? Who’s Gina Farris?”
“The woman they pulled from the river.”
He recalled seeing the reports on television. Gina Farris had come to town to visit family. She’d gone for an evening stroll with friends. Somewhere between a friend’s house and her parent’s home, she’d disappeared. “Holy shit.” He got out of bed and turned on the lights. Questions ran around in his head. Did Brian even know this woman? It wasn’t a secret that
he wasn’t a faithful husband. Was it possible he’d been involved in her murder? “What do you need me to do? Have you called dad?” While his father wasn’t a criminal attorney, he could recommend someone.
“We can’t talk about this over the phone. It’s very important that I see you today. There’s something I need to tell you. How soon can you come?”
Ronan was baffled by his uncle’s cryptic tone. “Let me shower and get dressed. I’ve got one quick stop to make and I’ll be there.”
Even though they had been separated for only a few hours, Ronan ate up the sight of Nikita when she opened the door to him. The sun was still in the process of rising and it cast everything in a golden glow. Nikita glared up at him, her long hair in a disheveled braid. She wore a loose fitting white top that ended above her knees and nothing else. Her shapely cinnamon legs were bare to his gaze, making him want to back her into the house and pick her up so he could discover if she wore panties.
“What?” Her lips were swollen and reddened from his kisses.
Ronan grinned. She could act pissed. It was her default setting, but he could see the sparkle in her pretty brown eyes. She was happy to see him. He bent and captured her mouth in a slow kiss that would ensure she’d be thinking about him until he could make it back to her again.
He intended to keep the kiss light and sweet, but then she opened her mouth beneath his. Unable to resist the temptation, he nibbled her bottom lip before sucking it. She slid her fingers into his hair and molded her body to his. Mine, he thought with a smile. Her tongue slipped into his mouth to tangle with his. Groaning, Ronan reluctantly pulled back. “I can’t stay.”
“Then why’d you wake me up?”
“I wanted you to know I’m going to see my uncle. He called me this morning. My cousin Brian was arrested on suspicion of murder.”
“Who did he kill? His wife?”
She didn’t seem at all surprised. But he supposed in her line of work there was no shortage of shocking events. “No. There were reports about a missing woman on the news. I don’t know how Brian is connected to any of this.”