“Did you try calling the reference Lombardi gave you?”
“You mean the one he left hanging on my refrigerator?”
“Yes.”
“Silly him. I rarely go into my kitchen. I think you guys have spent more time in there than I have. It’s kind of hard to remember when I don’t see it.”
He shook his head. “I told him to pin it to your bathroom mirror or your bedroom door.”
I shrugged. “It might have worked. Or maybe not.”
“Laila.” He didn’t say anything right away, and I had to wait him out. He looked like he was working through something. After nodding to himself, he turned to face me better. “I forgive you. I understand that there are things you need to work through. Please consider giving her a call. I know Lombardi only gave you the reference as a suggestion, but I think it will help.”
“Okay. I’ll really consider it.”
“Will you?”
I loosened my grip on the steering wheel. “Yes. I will.”
“Okay. Then walk me to the door.”
Laughing, I jumped out of the truck and met him on the other side. I looped my arm through his and escorted him up the cobblestone walkway to his front door. He stopped us in front of the door and smiled down at me.
“Do I get a good night's kiss?” he asked with humor.
“Do I get to try your hammock?” I asked, a little hopeful. I felt like we were moving forward with our relationship and it was time to see how far he was going to let me take it.
I did my best to remain still as he looked me over. His mouth curled into a smile as he reached for my hand and tugged me so I pressed against his body.
“Come on,” he said, voice huskier as he led the way into his home and to his bedroom.
I eyed the contraption, wondering how this was going to work. My body tingled with anticipation as he pulled me closer. I was always up for an adventure when it came to sex.
“We are so going to fall off,” I said, chuckling.
He laughed too. “We won’t, I promise.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Do you enjoy company often in your hammock?”
“Do you really want to talk about that right now?” Alijah leaned forward, lowering his voice.
“No,” I whispered. He was so close that my lips brushed against his.
Alijah took in a deep breath, the red in them darkening. “Get naked, Laila. It’s easier to do now than after we get in.”
“Very direct, nice,” I teased him, reaching down and undoing the clasp of my jeans. After toeing off my shoes, I pushed down my jeans, revealing the lingerie underneath.
A growl came from Alijah.
“You too, big man.”
With his eyes on mine, he pushed down his pants and worked on the buttons of his shirt. Unable to hold back, I let my eyes drop, taking in the way his briefs hugged his waist and thighs. The bulge under the soft fabric had so many promises attached it, and my lower stomach clenched with anticipation.
It didn’t take long to get completely naked after that. I loved the way Alijah couldn’t tear his eyes away from me. I had the same issue, getting lost in his body.
“A hammock allows for intimacy rarely found elsewhere,” Alijah said and backed up. “I’ll get in first and then help you.”
With practiced movements, he was in the hammock. He got comfortable, undisturbed as it rocked back and forth, threatening to dump him onto the floor.
“It won’t break, will it?” I asked, eyeing the anchors holding it to the wall. The hammock sat about twenty inches off the ground. Alijah was stretched out with his hand held out. His cock was at attention, ready to get to work. A lesser being would have been intimidated by the size of him. Me? I wanted every last inch of it pounding into me. My pussy clenched at the thought of him moving inside of me.
“It won’t break. I promise. Now, nice and slow, crawl in. I’ll help you.”
Getting in was a lot harder than I thought, and there were moments that I worried we were going to tip over. We didn’t, but I managed to give Alijah a good laugh over it.
I was still grumbling as he pulled me against his chest, my back hot from the feel of him pressed against me. He spooned me from behind. It clicked then, when he said a hammock increased the intimacy. It was definitely intimate as I felt his hardness pressed into my back.
His leg slowly slipped between mine, and I gasped when his knee brushed against my core. Alijah’s hot breath fanned against my back, and I shivered. All my senses became heightened.
“This is, uh, interesting,” I said.
Alijah pressed his lips against the back of my neck and before I could consciously think about what I was doing, I was pushing back into him. His hand fanned over my stomach, and he took his time, bringing my body to life with light caresses and intense focus.
“A hammock forces us to be close like this,” he whispered before nibbling just behind my ear. “One wrong move and we’ll flip. One wrong thrust and we’re on the ground.”
His hand dipped lower until he reached my pussy, and his fingers found my clit, bring to life the little bundle of nerves. Alijah worked me slowly, refusing to go fast. He created an ember inside of me that slowly fanned out into a lick of flame. My moans filled the air as he inserted a finger inside of me and created a roaring fire that seared through my veins.
“You’re so wet for me,” he whispered.
“More,” I said.
He chuckled. “We will. There’s plenty of time.”
Damn him. And he did take his time as he stretched me, his finger curling over that spot inside me that made me burn and scream and almost beg. Almost. I tightened around him as I came closer to my release. He moaned, his other hand pulling me closer into his body so he could cup my breasts. Both his hands found a rhythm that pushed me over, and I screamed as I exploded.
I felt Alijah the moment the after effects of my orgasm calmed down. His body was pressed tight against my back, one of his hands hooked around my leg. He lifted my leg up as his hips moved against my butt.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yes,” I hissed out, ready to come again at just the thought of him inside me. He entered slowly, stretching me until he filled all of me. Then he moved.
His thrusts were slow and gentle, once again fanning the flames simmering in my body. The hammock rocked with him and increased the intensity of the whole experience as it forced us to stay close together.
I arched my body toward Alijah, and he took that as a sign that I needed more. I wanted more. His lips trailed along my neck, nipping and licking at all the sensitive spots. His touches were slow and attentive. He drew moans from me as I quivered from his touch, my body demanding more. He was finally giving me a piece of him and my greedy little soul wanted all of it.
I was screaming my release again in no time. Despite the slow build-up, the orgasm had erupted suddenly, and I was lost to pleasure. Alijah’s body tensed as he grunted and then moaned, finding his own release.
By the time my senses came alive again, Alijah was kissing my neck again, nuzzling me.
“What do you think about the hammock?” he asked.
“Love it. May be my new favorite thing.”
I tried to turn to face him, but his grip around my leg tightened.
“No moving,” he said.
“I want to kiss you,” I admitted.
The hammock swung as Alijah moved until he hovered over me. His eyes were dark with satisfaction, contentment in the softness of the lines of his face. I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck and pulled him to me until our lips met.
I groaned and pushed up, hoping to get more of him. Then the hammock swung, and before I could even process what was going on, I landed on Alijah.
A chuckle escaped me as my wide eyes met his.
“We fell,” I said.
He laughed. “So it seems.”
I adjusted myself so that I straddled him. His hard dick pressed against my c
ore, ready for another round.
“You know, I’m not so sure landing on you was less painful than landing on the floor. You’re awfully hard.”
He groaned at my cheesy joke, and I broke out laughing as he covered his face.
“That was horrible,” he said.
I laughed harder, resting my head against his sweaty chest. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close.
“I don’t want to move,” he said in a soft voice. “I like having you all to myself.”
“Definitely.” I leaned up and kissed him. His hands went to my waist to steady me, and I swept my tongue into his mouth. He purred. He actually purred as we kissed and damn wasn’t it adorable. After another peck on his lips, I pulled away. “Good night, Alijah. I had fun tonight.”
“I did too. Go home.” He kissed my forehead. “And let me know when you do so I know you got there safely.”
“Yes, sir.”
We kissed again and he was so gentle about it, like I was precious cargo. I loved it. Once we both had enough to fill us until next time, he helped me get dressed. Again, he took his time, his eyes roaming, tracing the curves of my body. I shivered from his gentle touches and hated that it was all coming to end. Until next time, at least.
As I drove home, there was no wiping the grin off my face.
Chapter Eleven
“I can’t just give her a pass,” the receptionist said.
“Really? Because it’s easy. You give her one of those badges you keep hidden in that drawer by your leg.”
“Yes, but she isn’t on the list.”
“She’s approved.”
“Again, Dr. Porter, she needs to be on the list. With all things considered, I’d think you’d respect that.”
“She’s my aunt.”
“She’s a stranger.”
“Naomi, it’s okay,” Dwight said, as he came up next to us. “Please treat Atasha and her guard as welcomed guests.”
“Uh, yes sir, right away.” It didn’t take her long to get Atasha and Rowan set up.
“I’d give you a tour, but I don’t want to push it right now. So, you get to see my lab.” I handed the two of them their new badges. Dwight had already disappeared, off to another meeting most likely.
She smiled. “I am more interested in your lab anyways. Are you working on any special projects?”
I shook my head. “I’ve only been doing small things right now. After… after Padraig, I’d been taking it easy.”
“You are scared.”
“Darn it, you don’t need to see through it all. Or point it out.” I grumbled a little more underneath my breath. Atasha was too intuitive.
“I would say I am sorry, but that is not true. Laila, amaorah, after what happened, it is okay to be afraid. But it looks to me like you are letting that rule your future. You cannot let it do that.”
We got to the elevator, and I hit the button to bring us to the lowest floor. Atasha was right, I couldn’t let fear of what I created stop me. But the idea of making something and then it being used for bad did scare me.
“You have a brilliant mind, Laila. The world will miss your inventions if you remain like this.” She gripped my face and kissed my forehead, her touch so gentle that my eyes burned. Her touch was different from the others. It was a comfort, a reassurance without any obligations or conditions. It was new, and I liked it. She was giving me support I could only get from family.
My lab was massive, one of three labs on the lowest floor level. Only the top three labbies got one of the labs. I was one of them, Dr. Anaria Belment had another, and Henzie used to be the third. His lab was currently empty, Dwight taking his time replacing him. I didn’t mind, he was going to leave a hole here for a long time and none of the other labbies had the ability to even try to fill his shoes.
“This is nice,” she said as she walked around the space. The lab had everything I wanted, and it was all exactly where I wanted it to be. I didn’t have anything lying around. Perfect order.
“Sparks! I heard your aunt is visiting,” Ami called out as she came in. She halted as she focused on Atasha. “Holy shit, she could be your twin.”
“Atasha, this is Ami, one of the security experts.”
“Pleasure meeting one of Laila’s friends,” Atasha said.
“Oh, the pleasure is mine. I never thought Laila would have family.” Ami hopped from foot to foot. “Oh fuck it.” She went to hug Atasha, but Rowan was very good at his job. He stepped between the two of them.
Ami came to a stop, narrowly avoiding running into him. Her eyes traveled up and then back down his body. “And who are you?” An edge of suspicion slipped into her voice.
“Rowan, it is okay,” Atasha said and stepped up next to him. “I apologize. Rowan takes his job very seriously.”
“Good for him.” Ami slapped his arm and then turned to Atasha. “Laila has talked about you non-stop since she returned from her foray into the wild.”
“Really?” Atasha asked. “I do not see her doing that.”
Ami laughed. “You are correct, but she did mention you and it was only good things. I want to thank you for getting her safely out of the evil clutches of the Highborn council. I don’t think they’d be too happy with me leading a raid into their territory.”
“You would not have done that,” I said.
She raised an eyebrow. “Good thing we’ll never find out. By the way, do you know why Venni has been holed up with Lombardi? Davies has been going around grumbling too. I swear this city is going crazy, especially after that councilwoman bitch. Oh, oops, I mean witch.” She really didn’t look apologetic as she said it.
“What do you mean?”
“Maev. The bitch just released an announcement. All witches are to stay away from the shifters. Seems she’s afraid of us getting caught up in whatever is going on. The shifters are furious and it won’t be long until they go on the warpath.”
“Against who? The humans?” I asked.
“They aren’t completely human. They’re mixbloods. The shifters don’t react well with mixbloods. They have too much pride and don’t accept them into their society.”
“If these mixbloods, as you call them, continue down this path, what do you think the shifters will do?” Atasha asked.
“Maev is under the impression that they will do a cleansing,” Ami answered. Worry slipped into her expression. “The last cleansing had to have been about a hundred years ago. Anyone with a drop of shifter blood but wasn’t full-blooded were killed.”
“You mean Davies,” I said in a careful voice.
“Yes.” Ami’s eyes widened. “I mean Davies.”
“I’ll burn them to the ground if they try to touch him.” My power rose with my anger, and the glass in the room rattled.
Ami snorted. “Lombardi would tear them apart before it came to that. Davies won’t be touched. Anyone under Lombardi won’t be touched.”
“You have a wolf friend, do you not?” Atasha asked. “And how about your tiger friend?”
Ami thought about that. “Alijah is too lone shifter to be dragged into this shit, and he’s powerful. They won’t touch him. They won’t even ask him to join. Venni though, he’s going to be forced into the middle of this mess.”
“It seems to me that no matter the people, they still care about bloodlines,” Atasha said.
“What do you mean?” Ami asked.
“She means the elementalists also purge those who aren’t full-blooded. They treat them like second-class citizens, and if they’re really unlucky, then they’re killed too.”
“Laila is correct. We created ways to prevent mixbloods from being born, and in some extreme cases, had to ‘eradicate’ them. Those who are not killed aren’t allowed to awaken and end up kicked out of the community when they are old enough. It has left room in their hearts for darkness. Kick enough of them out and they rally together to fight back. It is the downside to holding on so tightly to an archaic viewpoint like purity.”
Am
i did a low whistle. “Damn. That’s harsh.”
“And dark.” Atasha nodded her agreement. She turned to me. “Now, how about you show me some of your smaller spells. I’m curious about what you have created.”
She moved into territory I was familiar with and happy to do. The next few hours were spent going over spells. Atasha knew a trick or two that helped make the ones I had created more effective.
“Is this really an invisibility spell?” She lifted up the small vial.
“Yes. It’s been hard to get it just right. I can easily do the spell on myself, but finding a way to allow others to do it has proven to be a little difficult.”
Atasha made a humming noise and then we went into a debate on how to finish the invisibility spell. One thing I was happy to say was that Atasha knew her shit, and she could challenge me as we debated over spells. Her… this… all of it was a new experience, and I was eating all of it up.
Chapter Twelve
Tuesday was date night with Rhett, or more like date afternoon. He was already at Biomystic so we met out front. I still managed to open the passenger door of my truck for him, which he thought was funny.
The drive to our destination was short, and I was grinning big as we pulled up to the hospital.
“What are we doing here?” He eyed the building warily.
“Our date is here.”
Before he could question me, I jumped out and came around. He was still confused enough that he didn’t get out of the truck so I got to open the door for him—a huge accomplishment when dealing with a vampire.
“Laila, what are we doing here?”
“Three times a week, volunteers can visit and hold babies.”
He still looked confused, and I chuckled.
“Babies thrive on touch. They need it.”
Understanding flashed across his face. “And not everyone has access to touch.”
“Exactly. So today, we get to hold babies.”
Rhett broke out into a wide smile. It didn’t take us long to get settled into a room full of crying babies, beeping machines, or others working hard to help them breathe or for their hearts to pump.
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