Courting the Darkness (10 page)

He chuckled softly, but he did not do what she expected. Parting her legs, he picked back up where he left off earlier, tracing his tongue down her abdomen below her navel. Placing the palm of his hand on her soft mound, she caught her breath, moving her hips to rub against his hand. She was hot, wet, and ready for him. Slipping his fingers between her folds into her tight core, he moved his fingers in and out. She moved beneath him. He replaced his fingers with his tongue. He suckled, stroked, and teased until she cried out, shuddering violently in release.

Slowly, he reached down, popping the snap on his leather pants. She reached over, pushing his hand out of the way, taking over. Looking up, she locked eyes with him again, biting her lip; she eased the zipper down. He sprang free, hard and erect.

Kicking off his boots, he helped her ease off the leather pants.

She wrapped her fingers around his hard shaft, his flesh twitching beneath her touch. She squeezed lightly; he caught his breath as a bead of liquid emerged from the tip. She wiped it away with her thumb, squeezing once more. He groaned, and she locked eyes with him again. Her eyes sparkled devilishly, her lips held a trace of a smile. As she squeezed again, he closed his eyes. She bent down, running her hot tongue from the base all the way up to the shaft. He quivered beneath her touch. She did it again, placing her lips around the fat tip.

He felt her hot mouth, and tongue descend on his cock in a bittersweet torment. Each swipe of her silken tongue brought him closer to release. Gripping her shoulders, he pulled her mouth away from him; the muscles at his neck corded with the strain.

Flipping her over, he rolled on top of her with his knee between her legs, his mouth descending on hers again, seeking and demanding. Her tongue met his with every stroke. Sighing, she relaxed in his arms.

Placing the head of his hot shaft in the opening of her fiery core, he eased through the slick opening. Holding back the impulse to impale her in one hard thrust, he slowly eased inside, relishing the way her taut, wet flesh gripped his shaft.

He lowered his weight over her soft, naked body, crushing her to him. She moaned, lifting her legs and wrapping them around his hips. He braced himself on his elbows, pumping in slow, deliberate thrusts. Gazing into her eyes, he watched her pleasure build with every slick stroke.

She whimpered as his thick shaft slid out of her in a long, smooth glide only to slide inside again, stoking the embers to the flame building inside. With each thrust, she soared higher, and her hunger for him consumed her. She brought her mouth to his, wanting to feel his smooth tongue against hers.

His mouth covered hers, thrusting his tongue deep. His hips continued to pump against hers in a maddening rhythm. She felt a climax building, the pressure growing with every sensuous stroke.

He felt her body tense. Releasing her lips, he thrust harder, dropping his head to her shoulder. She cried out, her body shaking in climax, her tight core pulsating around his rigid shaft. In the heat of the moment, his fangs dropped and he sank his teeth in her shoulder. He marked her as he came inside her with a final stroke, burying his shaft to the hilt.

He held her until he grew soft, and then he eased himself down on the cot beside her. She lightly dozed in the aftermath with a slight trace of a smile on her face. She rolled toward him, cuddling her body to his. He smiled, sliding his fingers gently over her bare hip. In the past, sex was just that, sex. Purely for self-gratification. With Desiree, it was somehow different. He wanted to please her more than take his own pleasure.

He lifted his head. The smile left his face as he looked at the mark he’d left on her shoulder. Suddenly feeling very possessive, he held her tighter, frowning at the tiny puncture wounds he left. He had not meant to mark her, but he was not sorry. He wanted to keep her, Drake be damned.

She whipped her head around to gawk at him. Her brow furrowed in worry. “No, no, no…I need those ingredients for that spell. It can’t wait. I need time to experiment. The longer I wait, the greater the chance of failure.”

He sat up, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Calm down. If we get dressed and go now, we should still have plenty of time before sunrise. Pigeon Forge isn’t far from here.”

She crawled over the back seat to retrieve her clothes. Slipping into her bikinis and jeans, she turned her head, searching urgently for her bra. She bent down, rummaging around on the floor, laughing at herself. Sitting back up, looking all around again, she threw out her hands, shrugging. “I’ve lost half of my clothes.”

Reaching down, she grabbed the rest of her clothes. “We were just laughing, and suddenly you sound upset.” She locked eyes with him, cocking her head to the side. “Did I say something to upset you?”

“No, not directly.” He looked away. “I just don’t want Caleb to see you like that.”

Snapping her bra, her fingers nimbly buttoned her shirt. “That was supposed to be a joke.” She looked back up at him. “I have no intention of doing what we just did with Caleb. I told you that earlier. I don’t think of him that way.”

“He can be very persuasive.”

She looked up from tying her tennis shoes. “So can you.” She shook her head. “Mica, I don’t make it a habit to sleep with every guy I meet.”

“I wasn’t implying that you did.”

She looked away. “I was married…once.” She shook her head sadly. “He died in an accident when I was thirty. There’s not been another until you.”

She flushed red, sighing dramatically. “I have to feel the attraction.” She looked away and then shrugged. “And even then it’s nearly impossible most of the time.”

Now he was curious. “Why?”

“The minute they find out I’m a witch, they usually hightail it and run.” She threw out her hand, gesturing to him. “You’re the first one in ninety-five years that I’ve been attracted to who wasn’t scared to death of me.”

He laughed at her statement. “What’s there to be afraid of?”

She narrowed her eyes and glared. “If I get angry, I have the ability to turn human men into farm animals with just a little rhyme,” she remarked. “That’s why Jason gagged me. He is afraid of me and of what I can do to him.”

He laughed again. “I’ll have to be careful not make you angry.”

His comment hit a sore spot; her eyes flashed. “I said human men.” The sharpness in her voice was unexpected, and the smile left his face. She turned away from him, mumbling, “I don’t have power like that over vampires.”

“Desiree, look at me.” Bringing her eyes up to meet his, hers held a deep sadness. “I was only kidding. I’m not afraid of you.”

She blew out a troubled breath. “I know you’re not afraid if me.” She looked away to avoid his eyes. “I’m just afraid you’ll leave, and I’ll be lonelier than ever, because now I know what I’ll be missing.”

He lifted her chin with his finger, and remarked softly, “I’m not leaving, because
I
know what I’ll be missing.”

She searched his eyes, seeing his sincerity. Every fiber in her body wanted to believe him, but ninety-five years of loneliness weighed heavy on her mind. She could not allow herself the luxury of hope, so she looked away, choosing to dwell in her fears. “What if I can’t cast this spell and Drake won’t let me go?”

“I’ll try to convince him to let you go.” She looked up, shaking her head sadly, so he continued. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll move back in with the rest of them, and you.”

“You hate being around that many others.”

He nodded in thought. “I do, but I’d do it to be near you.”

His words warmed her heart, but her conscience would not allow him to sacrifice his freedom for her. She shook her head stubbornly. “I can’t let you do that.” She looked back into his eyes. “I know how much you hate that kind of life. I know eventually you would resent me for putting you through that.” She looked away, shrugging. “I’d hate myself for putting you through that.”

“I thought you didn’t want me to go.”

Her shoulders slumped in her misery. “I don’t.”

She had succeeded in trying his patience. “Then stop trying to push me out of the door.” He lifted her chin, forcing her look at him. “Look, we’re going to go see Agatha. You're going to get the ingredients to cast that spell. That spell will work and Drake will let you go.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Mica drove south on Highway 441 in the direction of Pigeon Forge. Snow was trying to stick to the roadway, making it difficult to drive. It was 4:00 in the morning, and they were in a race against the clock. Desiree stared intently through the glass looking for the all-night laundry that Sherry described.

He pointed off to the left. “There’s a laundry.”

She stared hard into the darkness, shaking her head in frustration. “That one’s closed. I don’t see the apothecary. Sherry specifically said the laundry was open all night.”

She focused her attention back on him. “We may not have tomorrow.” She fidgeted nervously in the seat next to him. “If Jason’s out here looking for me, I may already be out of time.”

“I do not doubt you, but he’s tricked me before. I want to be ready for him this time.” She sat back, smiling. “When he gets a taste of what I’m planning to do to him, he will regret the day he heard my name.”

Mica glanced at her. “Just what are you planning to do?”

She rolled her eyes, grinning. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

He looked over at her sharply at that statement. Calculating her mischievous expression put a severe warning edge to his voice. “I won’t allow you to put yourself in danger.”

She laughed at his reaction. “I won’t be.” Her eyes sparkled. “When I put my plan into action, Jason will just have long enough to see it coming. He couldn’t run fast enough.”

He nodded. “You’re going to cast a spell on him?”

She nodded back, laughing as her plan unfolded in her mind. She did not try to mask the excitement in her voice. “Yeah, and I’ll add a twist to make it permanent.”

He glanced over at her, seeing the excitement and anticipation of her planned revenge lighting up her face. He chuckled softly. She was a girl after his own heart, although he knew he would have to keep a close eye on her to make sure she did not get too reckless. That he would not stand for. He glanced back at the road. Pointing ahead of them, he drew her attention to some lights up ahead. “There’s an all-night laundry.” He looked back at her for confirmation. “Do you see the apothecary?”

She sat up straight, staring out the window. “Yeah, I see it.” She looked back over at him tilting her head. “You can’t see the apothecary?”