Witches Be Burned: A Magic & Mayhem Novel

by Stacey Kennedy

  “I need to look at you.” He gathered her in his arms, so she faced him. Grasping her bottom, he slid her body back down on his cock, groaning as her soaked body encased his. “I need you close.”

  “Please…” was all she managed.

  He strode toward the bedroom, and his cock throbbed inside her, nestled deep. Once at the bed, he lowered onto the edge with her straddling his waist. Her sweet, perfect mouth slid over his neck as she gave little flicks of her tongue, driving him to near insanity and making him moan. With eyes shut, he squeezed her bottom, shifting her hips and rubbing her clit against him, relishing that she was now the one to moan.

  His hands were everywhere, caressing her in every place he could. All the places that belonged to him. All the spots he had thought were stolen from him. All the parts of her that everyone wanted to take away from him.

  The musky scent of their lovemaking had him grasping her hips, rocking her harder, faster, deeper, causing sensations that made thought difficult. She gazed deeply at him, her pretty eyes so lost in desire holding his, his green to her soft, soulful hazel.

  “Hold me tight, Álainn,” he murmured, needing that now. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, tears suddenly springing to her eyes, emotion overwhelming her expression. “God, do I love you.”

  His heart broke wide open, locked in the hands of this guardian witch. She was strong and powerful, and that he admired, but this was when she looked most beautiful. When she let down all barriers and didn’t fight against him. When she let him protect her. Pure possession coursed through his veins, building on his desires. He tightened his hands on her hips, demanding that she take him hard and fast, ruthless.

  Their breaths deepened, and their sounds of pleasure were the echoing noises of his body smacking against hers. Gazing into eyes that made life worth living, the emotion held in his heart sent him rippling in rapture. A groan spilled from his lips as heat rushed up his spine. In that moment of his building release, her eyes widened as his cock grew even thicker and harder inside her.

  Then he was grunting with each powerful release from his groin, the heat blasting all the way through him. He bucked and jerked, and her quivering body and loud screams of release drew out his climax, taking him from everything and for all that he had.

  Even if he was breathless, sweat beading his body, and near exhaustion, he didn’t allow himself to lose focus yet. He cupped her face, wiping the tears off with his thumbs. “Swear to me that you’ll never try to protect me like that again.”

  She blinked, her eyes clearing from her orgasm. “You seriously want to talk about this now?”

  “Yes. Swear it.” He wouldn’t pass on this opportunity when he was talking with a softer Nexi, a supernatural who wasn’t fighting to prove something. A supernatural who seemed perfectly content knowing that she had someone who wanted to keep her safe.

  “Your timing is horrible, just so you know.” She wiped off the hair stuck to the moisture on her forehead. “But that’s an easy promise. I don’t plan on ever doing that again.”

  His hands tightened around her face and he did nothing to hide the surge of possessiveness he, at most times, hid from her. “I don’t need you fighting for me, Álainn. Say the words.”

  She slowly began to frown. “Vampires were going to attack you—”

  “They weren’t, though, were they?” She needed to promise him that what happened tonight would never happen again—he couldn’t live through it again. He couldn’t survive it, bear it. “The vampires were a means to get you away from the crowd so Astoria could draw you into the portal.”

  “Maybe that’s true.”

  “I understand your desire to protect me. I suffer the same desire for you.” He stared deeply at her, urging her to understand. “I can’t fault you for that, but I can’t have you putting yourself in danger for me. I won’t stand for it.” He hesitated, letting that statement sink in. “Say. The. Words.”

  She stared at him, then heaved an exasperated sigh. “Okay, you can fight your battles. I shouldn’t have tried to save you, since I totally fell into Astoria’s trap. Happy?”

  The tension that hadn’t been released from his climax slowly began to drain out of him, and he loosened his grip on her face. “We’re stronger in numbers. Don’t ever forget that. There is no reason for you to take all this on yourself.” He softened his voice, needing her to see this his way, because of their unknown future. “I don’t need you to save me unless I’m on the ground nearing death.”

  “I know you don’t.”

  He arched a brow at her. “Do you?”

  Her actions constantly said otherwise. She might be strong—Christ, he knew how powerful she was—but she was not going to use him to prove her strength. He needed her alive, and he didn’t know how many ways he could possibly explain that.

  “Yes, of course I know you can fight.” She pressed her lips against his. He didn’t kiss her back, causing her to move away with raised eyebrows. “There’s more?”

  “Yes, you have more to declare.”

  “Which would be…?”

  He wouldn’t allow the anger he felt during this mission to be forgotten. “That you will never share your blood again.”

  “Right. That.” She lowered her chin, her dirty-blond hair curtaining her face and tickling Kyden’s shoulders before her eyes lifted. “I promise to never share my totally delicious blood again for information.” She moved toward him, but his firm grip on her face stopped her. She heaved an even longer sigh. “More still?”

  Raw emotion made his throat thick. “That you’ll never leave me to wonder if you’re dead or alive.” He leaned in closer, his lips nearly touching hers. “I can swear to you I cannot endure that again.”

  Happy tears mixed with obvious relief welled in her eyes. Some promises might be harder to keep than others, but, as he witnessed in the gentleness in her expression, this promise was all too easy. Perhaps for the first time ever, she realized her life was more valuable than her need to prove herself and protect others.

  He hoped that was true.

  She brushed her lips ever so lightly over his. “I promise to never get lost again.”

  For my husband, who becomes Super Husband when I’ve got my nose in my laptop because of a deadline. I love you.

  Acknowledgments

  Sue Grimshaw and the entire Random House/Loveswept family, thank you for all that you do! I’m so very blessed to work with such a fabulous team.

  Kerry Vail, thanks for your kick-ass input.

  BY STACEY KENNEDY

  Club Sin

  Claimed

  Bared

  Desired

  Freed

  Tamed

  Commanded (coming soon)

  Magic & Mayhem

  Witches Be Burned

  Warlocks Be Hexed (coming soon)

  PHOTO: PAIGE RICHARDSON

  STACEY KENNEDY is the USA Today bestselling author of the Club Sin series. Growing up, Stacey wandered the path less traveled, and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules, and she continues to feed off emotion—always staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter, and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones, and Outlander.

  www.staceykennedy.com

  Facebook.com/AuthorStaceyKennedy

  @Stacey_Kennedy

  The Editor’s Corner

  May flowers are abloom and so are our fabulous Loveswept romances—beautiful covers and stories to fill your eReaders to the brim!

  New this month is New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff’s next Ethan Frost installment, Exposed—the more time I can spend with Chloe and Ethan the more “happy-happy-happy” I am. Ne
xt up is a new storyteller we’ve added to our list, Gina Gordon, and her risqué love affair, Rush, where a bad boy shows a straitlaced law student how to slow down and savor the good things. And what happens when you start falling for your worst enemy? New York Times bestselling author Missy Johnson and debut author Ashley Suzanne tell you all about it in Breaking Noah. The final installment of The Devil’s Den dancers by Violetta Rand also comes out this month, so look for Sin. The third book in Cecy Robson’s Shattered Past series Once Pure, will be on sale as well, where true love lands a knockout punch.

  Western contemporary fans will be thrilled to know USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard’s Last of the Red-Hot Riders will be available, featuring the toughest rodeo rider in Hell, Texas.

  And, PNR fans, never fear—Witches Be Burned, A Magic & Mayhem novel releases from USA Today bestselling author Stacey Kennedy, where a rookie guardian sworn to combat the undead risks life and love in a world of violence, witchcraft, and seduction.

  New Adult audiences will enjoy Amber Hart’s Captured by You, the sequel to Until You Find Me, in which Raven and Jospin must fight for each other in a world where love is never safe—and power is deadly.

  Meet new friends this month with Loveswept books—stories that invite you on fabulous journeys with some pretty amazing characters. Who knows, you may find a new book boyfriend, too!

  Until next month ~Happy Romance!

  Gina Wachtel

  Associate Publisher

  Read on for an excerpt from the latest book in Stacey Kennedy’s Club Sin series:

  Tamed

  Available from Loveswept

  Chapter One

  Whistles and applause echoed through the exclusive BDSM dungeon Club Sin. Submissive Kenzie Hart smiled and leaned against the pole off to the side of the stage, the scent of sex and sweat sweeping through her nostrils. There was nowhere in the world she’d rather be than right there, surrounded by leather and lust.

  Club Sin had been her kinky salvation since the dungeon opened more than four years ago. She knew for a while she needed the sexier side of life. And she sure as heck relished the Dominant men who called Club Sin home. These men could—and often did—rock her world.

  Outside of the club, she was a bookworm and simple in nature, not wanting for much. Inside the walls of the dungeon, she was Club Sin’s brat—a submissive who liked to push the boundaries between pleasure and pain, and who was known to give Dominants a difficult time. But that truly wasn’t her—she had worked hard to create the new identity for herself, because in her mind she wanted to be different from who she was in reality.

  Club Sin was the fantasy that aroused her mind, body, and soul.

  A soul that she’d known for a long time had been battered by a painful past.

  Years ago, she had discovered a way to cope, a way to reach toward happiness, and that came in the form of attending Club Sin. The welts and bruises left on her body after an intense scene overshadowed the demons in her heart that were always right on the surface, ready to threaten to send her spiraling into a deep depression.

  She scanned the members of Club Sin, glad that she had even the most observant Doms fooled. Her chin rose with pride, as the act she put on in the club made living outside these walls easier. It made her believe she was that strong woman, at least for a little while.

  Movement stirred around her as she was surrounded by submissives in lingerie and Dominants commanding the space. The exclusive dungeon, known for its forbidden desire, with some of Vegas’s finest Doms, was in full attendance tonight. Some were new members. Others, like Kenzie, had belonged since Club Sin’s opening.

  The dungeon’s owner, Dmitri Pratt, had taken pity on her at their old club, Chains. If I don’t take you with me, you’re going to end up in trouble, he had told her. Not that Kenzie agreed with him; she could handle herself and proved that time and time again, but she hadn’t argued, either. She loved playing with experienced Doms, and Club Sin had them in spades.

  The soft music drifted through the romantically lit room, setting the sensual mood. Even though Club Sin was called a dungeon, the only dungeonlike thing about the space was the stone walls. Black sofas were situated throughout the main room, with fancy chandeliers hanging above them. To a vanilla crowd, the room would appear to be a classy lounge, but the BDSM equipment set this room apart from anything so casual.

  Someone laughing drew her back into the moment. She turned toward the stage, focusing on the newest submissive to Club Sin, Ella Snow. Kenzie was surprised Ella still possessed the ability to stand. Her Dom, Club Sin Master Kyler Morgan, had sure as hell claimed her as his, putting her through an intense scene only moments ago.

  Tall, powerful, and devilishly handsome, Master Kyler approached Ella in slow strides, savoring the moment. The crowd began to whisper; the bodies that were shifting in movement went still. The light above Kyler sparkled off the diamonds in his hand, and rapid shock fluttered through Kenzie. He doesn’t waste any time collaring his woman, does he?

  Kenzie had been in the BDSM lifestyle since she was twenty-one, and she’d never been collared. Ella and Kyler had known each other for only a month, if that, and this symbol was held as strong as a wedding vow to those in Club Sin. Though Kenzie understood why Kyler acted so hastily—Ella was an incredible woman.

  She was one of those women who were naturally beautiful, with long blond hair and baby- blue eyes—Kenzie figured Kyler was making sure no other Doms could touch her. And since Kenzie had known Kyler for more than four years, she knew he waited for nothing; he simply took it. She admired and understood that because she did the same.

  Kenzie hadn’t waited around for a better life, she had created one for herself.

  Kyler drew closer to Ella, and Kenzie’s heart warmed for her friends. While she couldn’t help but be happy for them, collaring wasn’t for her. Seriously, being attached? No, thank you. Wild sex and hot BDSM kept her interested. The challenge of new Doms, while pushing against their mastery, is what she lived for—it’s what kept her sane.

  Throughout the years while exploring the BDSM lifestyle, she’d learned that nudging a Dom only made him intensify a scene. Not out of anger or punishment. Doms had too much control for that. It pushed against their authority. That gave Kenzie exactly what she needed, a higher intensity of play.

  Pain skirting the edge of pleasure made her forget her old self, past heartbreaks, and everything in between. One intense scene erased her weakness, giving her strength for the workweek, until she could return to Club Sin the following weekend for her next fix.

  The crowd went silent as Kyler settled in front of Ella and asked, “Will you kneel for me and wear my collar, Ella, as a symbol of my ownership and of our love?”

  Ella smiled and gracefully knelt before him. “I will wear it proudly for all of my days, sir.”

  Kyler’s eyes softened in a way Kenzie had never seen from him as he fastened the diamond choker around Ella’s neck. Then he became more serious, tucking a finger under her chin. “You now belong to me.”

  A tear slid down Ella’s pinkened cheeks. “Yes, I am yours, sir.”

  The crowd shifted on their feet in anticipation as Kyler offered his hand and Ella rose. He took one step toward her, sliding his hands around her face and taking her into a kiss that Kenzie thought was sweet. Intimate. Not at all dominant. Feeling like Cupid had done his work here, she clapped along with the crowd. Until Kyler deepened the kiss, and then Kenzie’s stomach roiled. She’d never been kissed with such devotion. Then again, how could anyone become invested in her when she never let anyone close enough to form a real relationship?

  Impossible.

  Cupid could keep his cute ass away from her. Lust fulfilled her, because in her mind, this ultimately kept her in control of her destiny and kept her moving forward. Every submissive chose what she wanted out of the lifestyle, and Kenzie wanted casual Doms who could deliver intense scenes. She certainly didn’t want a Dom she belonged to in every sens
e of the word. For if she went there, her façade would be exposed. That, she couldn’t allow. She didn’t want to drown in the past. She wanted to live in the future.

  A future where she was someone different. Someone stronger. Someone happier.

  Her heart, her secrets, her soul all belonged to her.

  “How is Ms. Kenzie tonight?”

  She glanced sideways and smiled at Club Sin Master Aidan Knight. His shadowy gray eyes were kind and commanding, reflecting what existed in all the Club Sin Masters—a confidence that was alluring and that Kenzie often wanted to steal. “Doing well, sir, though I’m carefully dodging Cupid’s arrows.” At Aidan’s low chuckle, she added, “A girl has to be careful of late, but I’m good at swatting them away.”

  The stony expression he typically wore softened. “I do wonder if any Dom here will ever win that heart of yours.”

  She folded her arms, scrunching her nose. “It can only be won if it were available to win, which it is not—I have no interest in that type of relationship.”

  “Yes, I remember,” he replied firmly, yet only amusement shone in his eyes. “But you never know.”

  Kenzie’s smile grew. This was what she loved. Even if she tested the Doms from time to time, she always felt appreciated and liked by them. They were good friends to her; she’d always believed that. She liked how easygoing they were around her. The distance she had wanted so desperately in the past she had achieved in Club Sin.

  Cora, Aidan’s new wife, stepped in next to him. Her long, dark hair draped her shoulder and her ocean-blue eyes all but sparkled as she smiled up to her husband. He, of course, wrapped an arm around her, holding her tight.