“So why is this time different? Why don’t I know?” Conversation was becoming more and more difficult as the pressure of Jaxon’s fingers increased. “You should stop,” she whispered.
“I will…in a minute.” His lips grazed her neck, her cheek while his fingers lightly pinched her through her panties.
“You haven’t answered my question.” Her breaths came in short gasps. And then he was touching her, warm skin against wet. Where had her panties gone? Could he have removed her clothing without her knowledge? The thought brought a bubble of hysterical laughter. Of course he could. He was a wizard, for God’s sake. He could do anything.
She tried to remember why she should push him away but his fingers were sliding in between the crease of her pussy and she couldn’t think. “M-my questions,” she managed to stutter.
“Later. For now I want to listen to you come.”
The hardness of his cock pressed against her spine and she couldn’t resist grinding her hips against it. He swore below his breath and shoved two fingers deep inside her pussy.
Tess cried out and rocked forward, squeezing the muscles of her channel. His thumb flicked against her clit and her legs began to shake. “Jaxon, please.” She didn’t know what she was begging for other than release.
“Do you like this?”
Her head fell back against his chest. “Yes, yes.” How could she not? His thumb worried her clit until it became engorged with blood. Just the slightest scrape of his finger created wicked sensations in the pit of her stomach.
“Should I stop?” The naughty whisper was meant to tease, to entice, but Tess wasn’t in the mood for games.
She clasped her hand around his wrist to hold him in place and began to ride his fingers as if they were a cock. The moist noises of her wet cunt pumping against his hand were the only sound in the room save her staccato breaths.
God, this was perfect. The thickness of Jaxon’s shaft against her back, the heat of his body and the erotic scent of his masculinity—a heady mixture of spice and earthly male—drove her nearly mad. And she wanted his cock to be inside her instead of his fingers. “Jaxon, fuck me.”
He pumped harder, alternately pinching and rubbing her clit. “There’s no time.” His teeth nipped at her neck while he worked a third finger inside her scorching channel. He was rewarded with a small squeal of delight. “Later, I’ll fuck you but now I want to hear you come.”
His blood heated to boiling levels as she pushed ferociously against his fingers, jackknifing her hips forward to press her clit against his thumb. He didn’t want to stop, wanting to spend the next few hours, days, in bed with her, tasting her, caressing her. Fucking her over and over again until she forgot all about South Carolina and the home she’d left behind.
“I can’t hear you,” he whispered.
“God, this is so good,” she replied in a broken voice that was half plea and half growl.
“Are you close?”
The words sent her spiraling, whipping her body into a vortex of feeling, powerful emotions draining her. The orgasm gripped her so tightly her entire body arched upward. She cried out, hearing only the sound of her voice but not the words. And when her muscles relaxed, she collapsed against Jaxon’s chest, melting into his strength.
He held her close against him for a moment longer before removing his hand and restoring her clothing. Kissing the top of her head, he turned her in his arms and rested his forehead to hers. “Now, in answer to your question, to date, no wizard has ever fallen in love with a mortal.”
How could he think about resuming the conversation when she was so deliciously tired? Her hands crept up to clasp his forearms. “So you’re a black sheep, so to speak?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. The gentle gesture warmed her from the inside out. “I guess you could say that. More like a renegade. But my family will come to accept you eventually. It will just take time.”
His warm breath bathed her face and Tess closed her eyes. She wanted to sink into him, to drop into his arms and allow him to take her away from her thoughts, her fears again. It wasn’t conceivable she had fallen utterly in love with him, not in such a short amount of time, but the emotions were strong, overwhelming almost. She knew him by touch, by the scent of his skin. And each time they made love, she wanted him with a mind-numbing desperation.
“I wish I could stay with you now.”
“You’re a busy wizard and now you have this witch thing to deal with.” She laughed a little. In truth, she needed some time alone. Perhaps to convince herself that what was happening was real. Or maybe to try to wake up from this dream.
“You’ll be safe here. Now that Athena has played her cards, I’ll put the proper protection into place.”
“Let me guess, a fire-breathing dragon?”
Jaxon chuckled and brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “You’re thinking too medieval. It’s a simple spell, designed to keep out the bad guys…or witches.” He winked at her and took a step back, taking hold of her hand. “If you need me, just say my name.”
“And you’ll come running?”
“Or beaming.” His hand gripped hers for one second longer before he released her.
“I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. Just go, but before you do—” She snatched him back, dragging him by the collar, captured his lips. Instantly Jaxon responded, pressing her against the wall. His hands fisted in her hair, pulling her under a torrent of desire.
She wrapped herself in his taste, the warm feel of his lips against hers. His kiss was elemental in its possession. Branded her. Claimed her. And Tess wouldn’t fight him. Couldn’t fight him. The desire to leave him vanished. She needed him. Craved him.
Jaxon raised his head and kissed her hard one last time. “The summons is much stronger now. I have to go.”
She caught his hand, feeling almost guilty. “Wait. What about…” she ended her sentence with a raised eyebrow.
He grinned, a lazy sensual grin. “We can pick this up later.”
“Tonight,” she corrected.
He chuckled. “It’s a date.” The kaleidoscope evaporated, taking Jaxon with it.
Something was wrong. Tess sensed a change in the atmosphere. The sky outside had grown dark, not the ordinary dark signaling the approach of evening but a deep, rich black that warned of impending danger. Clouds boiled overhead and thunder rippled in the air. As the storm brewed, she stepped out onto the front porch, casting her eyes toward the sky.
“What’s going on up there? I presume that is where you are.” She didn’t know if she was talking to Jaxon or to herself. She couldn’t hear him but she felt him, a sensuous whisper of his hand against her skin. The touch should have reassured her but Tess was a born worrier and as such she didn’t let problems go so easily.
* * * * *
“Your lady is disturbed,” Andion announced in a haughty tone of voice.
“She can feel the dissension,” Jaxon responded, taking up position opposite the elder wizard as if preparing for hand-to-hand combat.
“Perhaps you should go reassure her,” the older wizard sneered blatantly.
“Do we not have enough to think about without having to referee the two of you?” Rane came to stand beside his brother, giving Andion a hard look. “I thought we were here to talk about the witches.”
“And we would be able to do so if Jaxon would be so kind as to drag his mind back to the subject instead of worrying about the woman he left behind.” Andion strolled around the meeting table, his hands clasped together in front of him. “Maybe it would be better if we asked her to join us.”
Jaxon saw the wizard’s intention one second too late. With a wave of his hand, Andion had taken hold of Tess and lifted her from the safety of Jaxon’s house. Through a clear bubble, the wizards could see Tess squirming in the palm of the wizard’s giant hand as he moved it across the sky.
“Damn you, Andion! Put her down!” Jaxon’s fury consumed him, taking control. The words burst
forth out of his throat, an ancient spell of cursing, but he took no pleasure in watching the wizard’s knees buckle.
Andion smiled grimly and tipped his hand. Jaxon watched in horror as Tess began to slide across the opened fingers.
Falcon swirled into the room, his white hair standing on end. His hand disappeared into the mist and easily captured Tess’ falling body. Then, curling his fingers around her, he brought her safely in, easing her through the portal to the Assembly’s room.
Her eyes were huge in her face by the time the leader settled her feet on the floor. Jaxon went to her immediately, taking her in his arms, but she didn’t accept his comfort. Instead she pushed against his chest. “Which one of you did that?”
“Tess, wait.” Jaxon tried to control her but she’d already moved out of his embrace. She circled the room, her steps controlled. Only Jaxon read the fury in her posture, the rage clouding her eyes.
“Was it you?” Tess jabbed her index finger at his brother’s chest.
Rane smiled. “No, it was not me.”
“Oh, you think this is funny? You think it’s amusing to play with my life simply because I’m a human? Well, you don’t see me laughing, do you?”
“Tess, wait a minute.” Jaxon attempted once more to rein her in.
She held up one hand. “Stop it. Just stop it. I want to know which one of your friends was laughing at my expense. Which one thought it would be funny to dangle me from the tips of his fingers as if I was nothing more than a pesky mosquito.” Blue eyes filled with anger zeroed in on Andion’s tall thin frame. “Was it you?”
Andion tapped one finger against his chin. “It was. And Jaxon, you would be wise to control your woman.”
Jaxon grimaced as Tess’ temper exploded. “You arrogant son of a bitch! You almost killed me! Does that mean nothing to you? Does my life mean so little to you because I am not one of you? How dare you assault me and then shrug as if it were of no importance! I hope those witches find you and I hope you’re the first casualty of this war.” She thumped the wizard’s chest and gasped when he stumbled and fell to his knees. She inspected her hand as if to reassure herself it was just an ordinary hand.
Andion clutched at the back of a chair, his face growing white. “It would appear I underestimated your power, young Jaxon. Your spell seems to be taking effect.”
“It would appear.” Jaxon felt no mercy nor would he give any. Tess’ eyes touched his face and curiosity burned strong in her gaze. But he could tell her nothing.
“Is he going to die?” She touched his arm.
Jaxon continued to watch the fallen wizard. “No, but he will suffer. And he will think twice before putting your life at risk again.”
Falcon grimaced and cleared his throat. “That will be enough, Jaxon. It is time to release him. We have a visitor.” He cast a pointed glance at Tess.
“He didn’t really hurt me. He just scared me. Jaxon, that’s enough.” Tess knelt down beside the wizard, taking his shoulders in her hands. “He’s hurting. Please stop.”
Jaxon’s face cleared and in a low, gravelly whisper, he released the ancient wizard from the grasp of the spell. “Do not expect an apology, Andion. You could have killed her.”
Andion swayed as he climbed to his feet, Tess’ arm supporting him. “I would not have killed her.”
“She did not know that.” He turned his back on the shaking wizard and Tess while Falcon frowned at him in displeasure.
“Well, now that act one of our little drama has concluded, shall we move on to act two?” Rane drawled into the mix.
Jaxon spun around, sweeping a hand toward the gathered group of wizards. In a brusque, no-nonsense tone of voice, he made the introductions to Tess. “And now that you have met everyone, I shall take you home.”
“No.” She took a backward step, out of his reach. “I don’t want to go home. I want to stay.”
He held out his hand. “That is not going to happen.”
“I’ve earned the right to be here. You took me away from my family and friends and thrust me into your life. You owe me this, Jaxon. I want to know what’s going on and keeping me in the dark isn’t going to convince me to stay.”
Rane smirked. “She seems to be firmly under your spell.”
Jaxon sent his brother a disgusted look. “I did not use a spell. Tess will make the decision if she wants to stay or go.”
“If I stay,” she interrupted, “I don’t want to be your trophy wife. I want to know everything.”
“Wife?” A chorus of the word rounded the table as surprised gazes shot to Jaxon’s face.
His silver and gold eyes were trained on her face, his hand still extended. “We should go home and discuss this.”
“Wait one moment,” Falcon interceded. “Young lady, do you have any idea what is required of a wife in our world?”
Nerves jangling, she shook her head. “It would appear your friend or son or whatever he is to you has been sadly lacking in my tutelage.”
Jaxon’s jaw clenched. “Here is not the place to discuss this.”
“That is the way to keep them firmly in the dark.” Rane chuckled and tipped his chair back on two legs. “Perhaps the two of you would like some time alone since you seem to have a lot of cleaning up to do, my brother.”
“Stay out of this, Rane.” Jaxon’s voice whipped across the table. “Tess, these are pressures you do not need.”
“Don’t you want me to make an informed decision?”
He cursed in Gaelic, bringing raised eyebrows around the table. “Falcon, I shall return…alone.” He didn’t give Tess the opportunity to argue. Sweeping her into his arms, he wafted through the open window on a whisper of the wind.
By the time they arrived back at Jaxon’s house, his fury had abated. Confusion had taken root. This type of situation was new to him. No precedents had been set to guide him. No wizard had ever taken a mortal wife. So it would appear he was on his own. As was Tess.
They didn’t speak as they climbed the stairs and made their way to the bedroom. Jaxon kept his hand at Tess’ back, guiding her toward the bed. He easily turned down the blankets with a wave of his hand, switched on the overhead light with a snap of his fingers. “You must be exhausted.”
She caught hold of his wrist before he could back away from the bed. “Don’t. I’ll tell you when I’m exhausted, when I need to eat, when I need anything. I’m used to running my own life.”
He dragged a hand through his hair and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You should not speak in front of the Assembly.”
“Because they’ve already questioned your judgment about me. I didn’t need that display up there to tell me that. Okay, you’re right. I am exhausted but not because of lack of sleep. Sleep is not going to keep me from asking questions and it isn’t going to cure me. I know we made other plans for tonight but I think it’s important we get things out in the open. We were going to have to have that talk eventually anyway.”
Jaxon sighed and nodded. “It would appear eventually has arrived.”
Tess’ blue eyes filled with tears. Shards of pain pierced Jaxon’s heart. He’d never wanted to hurt her, to cause her pain. He reached for her but she held up her hands to ward him off. “I think more clearly when you’re not holding me.”
“There’s no need for you to think, Tess. You can just listen.” He opened his arms, beckoning her, relieved when she gave into the temptation, sliding into his embrace, his welcome. With her head pillowed on his shoulder, she relaxed against his chest.
It took Jaxon a few minutes to gather his thoughts, to pick out the proper starting place. But when he began, the words flowed, segued easily into sentences, paragraphs of explanation.
“I want to start by telling you I love you. I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you from the stage.” His arms tightened, thick bands around Tess’ tiny waist. “Your life will be very different than the one you’ve known in South Carolina and because of what is happening with the Coven, we canno
t leave, at least not for a long while.”
“My friends will worry.”
“I could change the time in their lives without changing the time in yours. I could make them forget you, if you think it would be easier for them.” He left the decision in her hands.
“I wouldn’t want them to forget me.”
He rubbed her back. “Being the wife of a wizard is much more difficult than being the wife of a mortal. There is only one other female in the Assembly at this time and that is my mother. She will be the only female you have to talk to.”
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