Candy Conniptions (Arbor Vitae Coven Book 1)

by Lexie Winston

  His hands slowly creep up under my shirt, stroking and caressing, lifting it higher and higher. Breaking the kiss, he lifts it up and over before throwing it to the side. His gaze sweeps over my body, the desire in his eyes and the quirk of his lips tell me he likes what he's seeing.

  “Ruby, I have been imagining you naked in my bed for many years, and let me tell you it doesn’t disappoint,” he growls before his head descends, and he wraps his lips around one of my nipples, licking and sucking like it's his favorite treat. My eyes roll back in my head, a moan escapes my mouth. Grabbing a handful of his hair, I hold on tight.

  Another growl escapes his lips as he swaps breasts, giving my other nipple the same tongue lashing. His hot wet mouth feels amazing. Panting now, my breath hitches as his mouth leaves my nipples and heads south towards my naked pussy. With no delay, he dives in, another groan escaping my lips as he licks and sucks my folds before moving to my clit, using his tongue to circle the tight bundle of nerves, ramping the fire tingling through my body higher and higher. Holding tight to the sheets of the bed and biting my lip, I try to keep the noises from falling out of my mouth, but he adds two fingers, thrusting them deep, and I can’t stop the exclamation. “God, yes! Fuck that feels good.”

  “Oh Ruby, so tight and wet.” His thrusts increase in speed, my hips rising to meet his thrusts, my hands reach down and grind his face into my pussy. He growls his enjoyment.

  “Come all over my face baby,” He thrusts hard once more, and sucks hard on my clit. Fireworks explode through my body, and I tip over the edge.

  “Oh, god, yes.” I ride it out. My hips still moving with his fingers, his tongue slowing lapping lightly, prolonging my orgasm. Slowly my body relaxes, and my hands release in his hair, running my fingers through it instead of holding on for life. He slowly pulls his fingers out, wiping his mouth on my thigh before climbing up my body. His cock nudges against my pussy as he leans down to kiss me. He kisses me lazily, leaving the taste of me in my mouth. Leaning down, he whispers in my ear.

  “Don't get too relaxed, I’m not done with you yet.” Placing a quick kiss again on my lips, he rolls off, sitting up on the bed. In my dazed post-orgasmic state, I don't realize what he's doing until I find myself flipped onto my belly leaning on my arms, ass in the air. His calloused hands are rough as he caresses my thighs before working his way up to run over the globes of my ass. Leaning down, he places a gentle kiss on each cheek before taking a bite out of one, a yelp leaves my mouth, and I turn my head to growl at him. He winks at me and playfully slaps my ass.

  “Oh, baby, the things I’m going to do to you.”

  “What makes you think I’m going to let you do more after this,” I ask him. The playful look leaves his eye, and he leans forward, I can feel his cock push against my sensitive pussy. He looks me in the eye, “Don’t do that, Ruby, not now. You don't realize how long I’ve wanted this; you're not getting away now.” He leans forward, kissing me hard and thrusts into me, seating himself fully. He holds himself there, his cock pulsing inside my tight, wet channel. We both groan at the sensations. With slow thrusts and lazy kisses, he shows me how he feels. He reaches around and runs his calloused hands over my breasts before tweaking both my nipples with his fingers. Another groan leaves my mouth. My tingles return, and my orgasm starts to build again. Sitting back up, he grabs hold of my hips, his fingers a punishing grip, and begins to thrust harder and faster. My body bucks against him, our breathing is coming more quickly, the grunts and groans filling the room, a symphony of sex and seduction. He reaches around with a hand, and with a commanding voice, he makes his demands.

  “Come on my cock, Ruby.” He pinches my clit, I detonate again. A volcano of desire erupts and flows through my body. My throat rasping with my enthusiasm, I call out to the heavens. He thrusts a couple more times, pushing through the unyielding grip my pussy has on his cock before he too finishes. His body collapses down onto mine, and having no strength left, my sweat-soaked body collapses also, getting sandwiched between him and the bed. God, the weight of him on me feels so good. He goes to get up, and I shout, “No!” He looks at me quizzically when I turn my head to him. “Don’t go yet, I like it, just wait.” He smiles softly and nuzzles into my neck. The blood pulsing through my veins starts to slow, and our breathing evens out and syncs up. I can feel him soften, and he slips out slightly. Sighing with disappointment, I say, “Okay, roll-off, I need to clean up.” He rolls to the side, allowing me to climb off and I walk gingerly to the bathroom.

  “Fuck, my legs,” I laugh, “I haven't worked them so hard in a long time.” His eyes darken again with desire. “Don't worry, Ruby, you’ll be getting plenty of practice.” I laugh at him

  “Cocky! Aren’t you?” He jumps off the bed and stalks me into the bathroom, trapping me between him and the bench. “No, not cocky, but Ruby, you’re mine now. No backsies!” He shoots me a cheeky grin with our childhood words and turns, opening the shower and turning on the taps, while he whistles a little tune. A smile slowly crosses my face, and the happiness inside my chest is overflowing. Hugging myself with joy, I join him in the shower. His grin, when I enter, promises me a lot more joy.

  After a soapy, wet, slippery tussle in the shower, we climb out and dry off. Using magic to clothe ourselves, we order some food and settle in for the evening. Room service delivers our food promptly, and we are both sitting on the couch eating when Maddock brings up Morbank Island.

  “Why do you think there are so many spells affecting Morbank Island? And what was the point of having one on me?”

  Leaning back, I finish chewing my food before answering. “This is just a theory, but I think destabilizing the Arbor Vitae Coven is the main reason. Why they want to do that, who knows?” I say, shrugging my shoulders, “but I would hazard a guess that it has to do with the portal.”

  He looks thoughtful. “You know it’s funny—Julie was always complaining that she wasn’t allowed in the portal room.” he muses. “I wonder why she wanted in so badly?”

  “Of course she wasn’t, only coven and coven descendants are allowed in the room, unless they have off-world blood.” I continue to eat my food, I’m so hungry after the eventful day.

  “Actually, that’s not true; it’s just what we tell everyone, to keep nosy people away. Regan has even thrown around an idea of off-world tours to the nicer realms. Sort of another market to attract visitors to the island.”

  I look at Maddock in surprise. “Wow, that's actually a great idea. I wonder what the logistics would be and how the realms would feel about that?”

  Maddock has finished his food and is taking a long sip from his beer. “I think Regan has spoken to the shifters, vampires, and elves. None seem opposed to it, but their biggest issue was making them not feel like they were in a zoo.”

  Finishing up, I lean back, rubbing my belly and groan in contentment. “Let's not worry about Morbank right now. I just want to enjoy this surprise short break. I thought for sure this would be a whirlwind trip, and we would be home already.” Pulling my legs up on the couch, I snuggle closer to him.

  His arm wraps around my shoulder, securing me to his side. “Best surprise ever,” he mumbles.

  “So much to do tomorrow,” I say to him, my eyes drifting close in contentment. He laughs and stands up, pulling me with him. He walks me back to the bed. With a gesture, he magically removes our clothes.

  “If you're going to fall asleep, let's be comfortable.” Lying us down, he pulls me in close, spooning me. His legs tangle with mine, the hairs on them tickling my inside thigh, and I can feel his chest rise up and down in a smooth rhythm. The warmth and a feeling of rightness surround me, and I fall asleep with a small smile on my face.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ruby

  Waking up next to Maddock, his rugged good looks illuminated in the little bit of light coming through the curtains makes this morning the best morning ever. I’m not sure how I’m going to go back to waking up next to a butt licking Sugar. Mayb
e I need to convince him to have sleepovers.

  Sometime during the night, we’ve moved. He is now on his back, and my body is wrapped next to him, my leg thrown over his waist. I can feel his morning wood, pushing against my thigh. Smiling to myself, I climb under the blankets and move down the bed. Maybe if I wake him up with a blowjob, he might want to stay over more often. I take his hot thick cock into my hand, giving it a couple of strokes before running my tongue from the base to the tip. I can hear a groan leave Maddock's mouth. He pushes back the blankets and looks down at me, a wicked glint in his eye.

  “Best way to wake up ever.” His husky voice causing goosebumps to erupt across my skin. He threads his fingers into my hair, getting a good grip as I take his hardness into my mouth, licking and sucking. His hips make little, tightly controlled thrusts, his thighs tense in an attempt to not overwhelm me. One of my hands caresses and fondles his balls, tugging on them, while the other joins my mouth on his thick cock. He grunts and groans with enjoyment. A musky taste of precum dribbles into my mouth, and he pulls me off his cock and drags me up his body. Slamming his mouth onto mine, his hand tests for the wetness of my pussy before driving deep, seating himself to the hilt. We groan in unison.

  “Best morning ever,” I mutter against his mouth. With our eyes locked and mouths fused, he makes love to me with lazy, languid strokes. When our orgasms peak at the same time, a soul-deep feeling of contentment surrounds me, and I know I'm exactly where I’m meant to be.

  After sex, we shower and order some breakfast. We spend the next few hours running around after supplies. Twenty-five-pound bags of sugar are stacked into the back of Maddock’s truck, as many as we can get in there. I also place an order to be delivered in a few days. I replace all the smashed food colorings and flavors. I also have to replace all the different chocolate molds. Lucky Mom ordered all the equipment to be delivered, because the back seat of Maddock’s truck is stuffed full.

  Since we are replacing all the packaging, I sit down with the rep and have a slightly new design made. A more modern, fresher design in the hope it attracts some new faces. We will add the new logo to the website too. After getting the last few items on my list and having a quick bite to eat, we start the drive for Morbank Island.

  Turning and looking at everything on the back seat, I say to Maddock, “I wonder what happened to Sheree? Lucky she's not here, there’s just no room for her.”

  He grunts in response, “I’d like to say good riddance, but I have a feeling that’s not the last we see of her.”

  I cross to the middle seat and snuggle into him, watching the scenery go by. With a deep breath, I approach another sensitive subject. “I missed you, Maddock. You do realize now that I didn't stay away deliberately. I had every intention of only being gone a couple of months. I just wanted to see some new things before I settled down and ran the store.” He keeps his eyes on the road. “I took that conversation we had at my twenty-first very seriously. The kiss that night meant more to me than any other kiss I had had before. But I had already committed to my trip. I didn't want to be that girl, the one who dropped everything for the boy, without seeing what’s out there for myself. And you promised you’d wait.”

  He reaches down and grabs my hand, giving it a squeeze. “When I find out who messed with us all, they are going to be very sorry,” he growls. Squeezing his hand in return, I reply, “They are not going to know what hit them. The Arbor Vitae Coven does not like it when you mess with their own.

  The rest of the drive home is spent in quiet, peaceful contentment. We catch each other up on our lives, and the things we missed while we were apart. Before I know it, he is driving the truck off the ferry and parking in front of the manor guest house. It's late, climbing out with my backpack, I head to the front door. Looking back at him sitting hesitantly in his car, a small smile crosses my face.

  “Well, are you just going to sit there, or are you going to come and help me christen my new bed?” I ask, raising my eyebrow, laughing when I see him hurry to unbuckle. He rushes up the path and tackles me, swinging me around, placing kisses all over my neck and face. Giggling like a madwoman, I push him away and open the door to the sunroom. Now that we are home, I use magic to secure his truck overnight. An anti-critter spell will keep away all the bugs insects and other nocturnal animals that may be interested in all the bags of sugar sitting in the back of his truck. Grabbing him by the hand, I drag him through the sunroom, unlocking the interior door with a wave of my hand and pulling him up the spiral staircase to the loft.

  Setting the alarm to wake me early, Maddock makes my morning interesting again, and it's with a smile he drops me in front of the store.

  Using magic to open up, the smell of fresh paint hits my nose as I enter, the tingle of the bell overhead bringing a smile to my face. The shop looks amazing. All the new cabinetry has been installed. In one corner, sit my beer barrels I’m going to use for displaying. One of the walls is lined with clear acrylic display boxes, ready to be filled with an assortment of gummy candy, Jelly Belly's and MM’s. Everything is light and bright, and with the added pop of color, the store will look amazing.

  There is a counter running down one wall with the fudge fridge on one side and the assorted chocolate fridge on the other with the cash register in the middle. But the pièce de résistance is my candy making area. Slap bang in the middle of the shop is a large square area blocked off from customers by clear plexiglass to protect them. Within the space is my heating and cooling tables, as well as a gas copper kettle boiler. They must have arrived earlier than Mom thought. There are some storage cabinets for flavors and colorings and the different tools we need. There is also a candy puller, batch roller, and wrap and cut machines for the taffy we plan to make. Everything looks shiny and new.

  Excitement floods my veins, as the doorbell rings again, announcing Maddock's arrival into the store. In his arms is a bag of sugar. Rushing towards him, I hold the door open so he can maneuver the big bag inside.

  “The old kitchen out the back is now a storage area. Just put it out there, and I’ll magic the rest inside.” He heads towards the storage room as I peer out the door. “Are there many people outside?” I ask before it closes, but the street looks deserted this early in the morning. A fine mist from the river still coating the ground.

  “I'm going to make all the hard candy and taffy today, that should keep me busy until the rest of the supplies arrive,” I tell him, still peering through the window. I feel a pair of hands on my hips, his warm breath blowing on my neck as he nuzzles close. A smile crosses my face as I leaned back into his broad body, relaxed, and content for the first time in forever.

  “I need to get going, Jandar is bringing a couple more horses to have their feet done,” he mutters distractedly while placing kisses on my neck. “Do you want to come to mine tonight?”

  “You have a house?” I ask, turning to him in surprise. A smile crosses his face as he pulls me in close, almost nose to nose.

  “Yes, Ruby. I’m an adult, I have my own place now. Did you think I was inviting you to stay at Mom and Dads?” He laughs.

  Blushing, I shake my head in embarrassment. “No, I’m just still realizing how much has changed since I’ve been gone.”

  He places a gentle kiss on my lips. “Let me know when you are done, I’ll come and get you.” Opening the door, he walks out to the truck. Waving my hand, I magic the rest of the supplies into the storeroom out the back.

  After watching him drive down the street to his workshop, I head out to the storeroom. Out back I have an enrober for covering things with chocolate, plenty of drying area for the cream centers for the specialized chocolates, and a small room to the side is designed explicitly for making starch molds for the cream centers. There is plenty of storage for boxes, wrapping, and all the other bits and pieces involved in making candy.

  A thrill runs through my veins, as I start planning today's jobs. Writing on the whiteboard that Bram has hung for me, I make a list of taffy
. We might as well get the easy stuff done first. I don’t need help with that, as opposed to some of the other treats. I make a note to call Jenna and let her know I need her. But I plan on putting it off as long as possible. Deciding to start with my favorite, I pull out the apple pie flavoring and the green and brown colors. Whistling, I gesture and magic my Bluetooth speaker from home to the store. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I load up an old school Britney playlist and start measuring the sugar, glucose, and water.

  Using magic and my handy candy making talents, I've made three batches of taffy before Mom and Dad arrive, mid-morning. The bell above the door tinkles, but I had already seen them through the window of the store. This is awesome having the candy making area out the front.

  “Hi,” I mumble around a mouthful of taffy. Hey, it's quality control. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “We just got a call that the barge with the deliveries has arrived, we thought we would come in and give you a hand. If we unpack, then you don’t have to stop.” A warm feeling fills my heart; thank god for family.

  “You guys rock, you know,” I tell them, smacking kisses on both their cheeks.

  “We’re just so happy you are home,” Dad says, patting my hand and heading outside to where the truck has pulled up at the curb.

  Turning to Mom, I see her studying me carefully. “The spell worked; I can tell.”

  Blushing again, I cock an eyebrow in her direction. “You can, can you?”

  She just pats my cheek as she follows dad outside. “Your shirt is buttoned wrong. I’m happy for you, Ruby. I knew it would work out,” her smug voice floats back to me over her shoulder.

  Looking down, I can see she’s right. Shaking my head, I shrug it off, the memory of this morning canceling out any embarrassment I feel at my mother's knowing look.