Charles (Darkness #8) (4 page)

The man was a sex magician. He knew what she needed, how hard she needed it, and when, without her ever having to open her mouth. Or, more correctly, without her having to break from moaning like a ghost in an attic.

After a moment of just kissing, his hips rocked forward again, making it halfway this time before her body screeched for him to stop. He backed off again, the kiss turning languid, before working in farther, and a little more, never pushing too much. Never rushing. He had more control than anyone she’d ever heard of.

Before the final plunge, he grabbed her hands and gently moved them up, above her head. His fingers threaded into hers. His hips rocked forward, his girth sliding into her, filling her up.

“Mmm.” She squeezed his middle with her thighs, rocking her hips up just that little more to take him completely. To surround his length with her body.

“Gods, you feel good. So tight,” Charles breathed, resting his forehead lightly onto hers. “You have to give me a moment. I’m not… completely in control right now.”

“That’s okay,” she whispered, clenching and releasing him with her body.

“I’ve been so turned on for so long that I’ll only have one shot before I need to recoup. I have to make it count. Which you are making impossible with the…
oh
, with the muscle gymnastics. Ann. Stop. You’re killing me. Give me a…”

Charles flexed, bearing down on her, pushing her body deeper into the mattress. His breathing became labored, struggling for control.

“Just let go,” Ann murmured, rocking against him as much as she could, contracting her inner muscles. Even without a lot of movement, he was so big, filling her up to capacity that her body was already winding tighter.

“This is… supposed to be slow… and steady…” he panted, squeezing her hands.

“I want you, Charles,” Ann purred, eyes closed, milking his girth. “Please, Charles,” she whispered breathily into his ear.

“Ah gawds you’re so damn sexy—”

The dam burst. He pulled back before
thrusting
into her, slamming against her body. She gasped.

He withdrew again before thrusting, ripping a moan from her throat. He pulled out, and this time she rocked up as he bore down, his hard slide rubbing just right.

“Oh God,” she moaned, approaching the edge again. Her hips swung up savagely as he crashed down, their rhythm frantic and wild, straining toward each other. The bed squeaked from his rhythmic thrusts. Their hands gripped each other in a desperate hold.

“Oh Ann—Gods Ann. Are you close? At all?”

At that place where reality and time didn’t exist, ruled by sensation, Ann could only nod helplessly as her body braced on the edge of the largest cliff yet. She reveled in his body sliding against hers, slippery and wet from their exertions. His lips trailing down her neck, soft despite his hard thrusts and she felt his movement inside her, filling her in a way no one else ever had. He squeezed out sensations she hadn’t even imagined a person could feel.

Something pinched at her neck, a sharp pain that made her suck in her breath. A deep pull reached down through the very core of her, tied directly to her sex. Unbelievable bliss spread throughout her body as the pull happened again, yanking a whimper of unparalleled delight from her lips. Her mouth dropped open as her mind detached from her body, floating somewhere on a sea of ecstasy that could not have been real. It was so raw and pure.

Her mouth rounded into an “O” as one more pull yanked at her, stealing her breath. For one stomach churning moment, she teetered on the edge of stinging anguish, her body so tightly wound it hurt.

“Oh!” The wave broke, sucking her under. An orgasm so intense she utterly blacked out. She might’ve screamed, or begged, or cried—she had no idea. All she felt was Charles’ body quaking, his hands holding hers, and him inside of her. All she heard was him calling her name as he climaxed. All she knew was him.

A
ll the strength
left Charles as he collapsed on top of Ann. He was twice her size and probably three times her weight with the muscle ratio, and yet, he couldn’t move to get off of her. His limbs were jello.

He’d been with females for entire days at a time who had made him climax three and four times, each more extreme than the last, building on each other. None of them, not one, had ever been this extreme. They’d never taken him this high, or made him lose control this readily.

Charles wasn’t sure he liked it. Yes, it felt fucking amazing, but a male shouldn’t lose control like that. He’d taken her blood without asking, for cripes-sakes. That would probably come back to bite him.

He licked his lips languidly, tasting the sweet blood on his lips. Another zing from that magical elixir fired within him.

He’d never heard of anyone taking blood from a shifter. He had no idea it would be so different. So… weird.

It was freaking exhilarating, if he was being honest. It fired through his body, giving him impressions of dense wood, wildness, and raw senses. It played off his predatory nature.

He could get addicted to her blood.

Reluctantly he rolled to the side so he was mostly off of her body. She didn’t so much as twitch. If he hadn’t been able to see the amazing display of her breasts rising and falling, he’d think she was dead.

Fuck, that was a good lay.

He should really get up and go to the guest room reserved for him. His job here was done.

Except, she smelled really good, and her presence was pleasing. They’d been on enough excursions and missions with Sasha that they knew each other really well. It made things between them… easy. Comfortable. But, he was so tired.

That was the nice thing about doing a friend—he didn’t have to worry about her getting the wrong idea. They could cuddle without it becoming a big deal.

Charles snuggled up beside her, not bothering to pull the blankets over them. He was too tired.

And they’d definitely be doing this again. With sex this good, this was the start of a friends-with-benefits arrangement. She’d ended his streak of boredom and there was no way he was going to let that go even if she wanted to be prudish. Out of the question.

Charles sighed in contentment as he hugged her close and fell deeply asleep.

T
he next evening
Charles awoke to a warm body and the smell of bacon. He was still wrapped around Ann, spooning her from behind, the blankets still beneath them. He hadn’t woken up once during the day.

Huh.

That was unusual when he shared a sleeping space with someone.

As morning wood stiffened his member, he ran his lips down Ann’s neck, breathing in her sweet elixir of the wilds and female.
Great gods she smells good.

He ran his hand up the front of her, cupping a firm breast and smiling when her nipple constricted, poking his palm. He should really get up and make sure everything was ready for them to leave in a few hours, but…

He sucked in the skin over the beating pulse in her neck as he reached between her thighs. As his middle finger parted her folds, she gave a soft moan, spreading her legs. He dipped his finger into her, loving the immediate wetness from his touch. Without delay, he grabbed his dick by the base and aimed his tip at her opening, rubbing to spread her slickness.

“Oh…” she sighed, pushing her butt into his groin before lifting a leg and reaching it back to hook behind him.

In other words, get to it.

He slid into her tightness, his breath leaving his lungs in a sudden exhalation. Just like the night before, the urgency came on him. He couldn’t keep a slow pace without losing his mind. Everything in him said to pump as hard and fast as he could, filling her completely and making her his.

A blast of fear burst through him with that feeling, but was quickly overshadowed with pleasure. He moved his fingers over her nub in fast circles as he thrust. He groaned as he pulled out and thrust again, harder this time. He needed her. Had to have her.

Thought fled. Control followed.

He rolled onto her and pulled back on her hips, propping her up doggy-style so he could take her harder. So he could completely dominate her.

Hands clutching her smooth hips, noticing her fingers curl into the sheets as she held on, he pumped into her, as deep as he could go. Harder now, crashing down as he pulled her hips back, taking her.

“Oh Charles, please,” she begged. She dug her head into the pillow while clutching harder at the sheets, submitting to his desires.

A thrill went through him, like closing in on a kill. Or claiming a female.

He thrust his hips forward, slapping off her. Pounding into her. Urgency rose higher as an unbelievable sensation overcame him, blocking out that earlier frisson of fear.

He pulled her up by her hair, loving the sweet moan that escaped her lips. He licked down her neck until he found her pulse, and then cut a small opening with his teeth. As hot blood tumbled over his tongue, he sucked in deep, the sensation of dominance growing. Overcoming him. Stealing his breath.

“Oh, holy—” Ann cut off, her fingers clutching his thighs now.

The thrill of wildness washed through his senses once again, just like the night before. Stalking prey, battling, and the glory of victory had his eyes fluttering. The base of his cock tingled and his gut tightened.

He barely stopped himself from taking a second pull from her vein. If he kept at it, he’d bleed her dry.

He wrapped his arms around her chest, squeezing her into him as he thrust wildly, needing more. Needing everything.

Fear flooded through him once again. He’d sworn he wouldn’t reduce his options by committing to one female. That wasn’t what his culture did. They remained open and available.

Fighting his own desires, desperate not to give in, he clung onto her, pressing his face into her sweet smelling neck. He pumped harder, his breath ragged, his instincts screaming at him to give her blood and initiate a link.

“How close?” he begged Ann. “I need to finish.”

Ann reached down and touched herself, working up more sensation.

“Oh gods,” Charles groaned, the act of a prudish girl touching herself sending him over the edge.

Another catastrophic orgasm crashed over him, dragging him under. Her interior muscles started firing a moment later, squeezing and pulling and milking him in an impossibly tight grip. She moaned, shuddering in his arms. He shook with her as he pumped her full of his essence.

Another longing accosted him. One of procreation. Of creating a piece of himself for the next generation. He desperately wanted to get her pregnant.

“What the hell is happening to me?” Charles muttered, backing away.

She collapsed onto the bed, her face deep into the pillow. “Don’t know. Don’t care. I’m exhausted.”

Charles knelt on the bed for a moment, staring down at her perfect body. He shook his head, hating the soft fuzzies warming his insides.

These feelings were just because of their friendship. Had to be. They had a solid foundation of trust, and lots of laughs. Now he was getting confused and losing his mind. He wasn’t like the Boss or Jonas, giving in to the humans’ culture of being tied down to one female. No way. He was a rogue warrior. Mr Magical Dick, that was him. Everyone in the Mansion knew it.

Nodding to himself, Charles slid off the bed and lifted her gently. Her arms snaked around his neck and her face rested on his shoulder. He felt her warm breath against his neck.

“Stop it. Quit breathing on me.” He held her tightly with one hand so he could rip back the covers.

“You’re ruining my chi. Shut it,” she mumbled.

He settled her into the soft covers and pulled the blankets up over her. “You have a couple hours, then we have to go. I hope you’re packed.”

“I am. I don’t wait until the last minute to do things, unlike you. And don’t bring that horrid blanket you’re making. It doesn’t even have a defined shape.”

“Shows what you know. It’s going to be a wrap.”

“No. It’s going to be something used to clean up baby puke.”

“That’s useful, too.”

Ann snorted and snuggled deeper into the pillows. The pull to get in beside her had Charles stepping forward. The confusion of wanting to hang out in bed with a female when there was work to be done had him scowling and moving back again.

Things were getting a bit lopsided.

He snatched up his clothes and stalked out of the bedroom. No way was a chick going to make him think that great sex meant marital bondage. That only happened to the chicks.

Except maybe Jonas. And the Boss. And possibly Paulie.

Scowling harder, Charles made his way down to the kitchen. Jonas stood beside the center island, watching Jessenta, who was in charge of organizing household duties for Sasha and the Boss, make breakfast for anyone that wanted it. Sasha sat at the small, round table in the corner, eating a piece of toast.

“We’re going to be taking off in two or three hours,” Charles said as he grabbed some OJ out of the fridge.

“Oh. I didn’t know you were here. Where’d you sleep?” Sasha asked. “And why are you carrying your clothes instead of wearing them?”

“Walk of shame.” Jonas grinned as he took a sip of his coffee. “Had to get out of bed before the female woke up. Or females, plural.”

Charles rolled his shoulders and sucked in a surge of magic, his fighting instincts going active. He had no idea why.

The wildness of Ann’s blood zinged through him again, making the draw of magic a little sweeter, and a little more exotic.

“Whoa.” Sasha leaned forward, eyes glued to Charles’ arms. “Who were you with last night?”

“More importantly, whose blood did you take?” Jonas asked.

Charles looked down at his glowing tattoos as the Boss walked in. Instead of orange, his default color, or light gold, which was what he pulled when Sasha increased his magic flow, he was burnished gold, the magic power right before stepping up into white. It was the Boss’ power level, and pretty damn potent.

“Ann,” Charles said softly, cutting off the magic.

“Wait.” Sasha dropped her toast onto the plate in front of her. “You slept with
Ann
last night?”

“I didn’t know shifters could boost power like that,” the Boss said, standing in the entryway to the kitchen. “How much did you take?”

“No, the real question is: how could you, Charles?” Sasha’s voice had raised an octave. The hair on Charles’ neck stood on end before more power seeped into him, the gold turning extremely dark. Sasha’s magic was on the move. That was not a good thing.

“Calm down, babe,” the Boss said in an easy tone often needed when Sasha’s hormones became active. And crazy. “Charles wouldn’t take advantage of her.” The Boss’ dominating, and terrifying, gaze smacked into Charles, making it clear that Charles had better not have taken advantage.

Charles threw up his hands in surrender. “She chose me. I tried to talk her out of it, but she asked if I would reject her. I figured saying no would be worse than yes.”

“No, it wouldn’t have been,” Sasha argued. “She was sad, half-drunk, and horny.
Obviously
she was into it. But you know she likes you, Charles. And you also know she wants monogamy. If you are half as good as people say you are, she probably likes you even more now. It’s only going to hurt more when she realizes you are a slut and she’ll never get you.”

“I doubt she’d want you telling him all this,” Jonas rumbled.

“I am absolutely as good as people say I am!” Jonas snorted as Charles drank OJ straight out of the container, just to piss Sasha off. “But you’re overreacting. If she liked me, she would’ve given in before now. She just let down her guard last night, and this morning she was back to her usual snarly self. And guess what? I’m going to try and lay her again. So suck it.”

Charles expected the Boss to reprimand him. When he didn’t, tingles of fearful anticipation worked up his spine.

It meant something worse was coming.

His body slammed back against the refrigerator. Bands of black scorched into his skin, locking him in place. Electricity shocked him, forcing out rapid breaths of pain.

Charles drew in more magic, as much as he could, smelling whiffs of forest and feeling the thrill of the hunt. The black bands smoked a little, weakening. His magic was unfurling the spells.

The electric shock turned up in intensity, the spells shifting and solidifying, making him grunt. She wanted an apology.

She was not going to get it. He had enough weird shit going on with Ann that he didn’t need a third party trying to play police.

“His magic is reacting differently,” Jonas said. Apparently he didn’t much care that Charles was frying against the refrigerator. “Do shifters have varying degrees of power, like we do?”

“Yes,” the Boss answered, doing nothing to stop his insane mate. Charles would be damned if he’d beg. Not this time. Hopefully. “You can see it in their hierarchy. Tim has the strongest magic. Which makes sense since he’s the alpha. Ann must be pretty high up there, though. She’s near the top of their hierarchy, no matter what the situation is.”

“Are you going to apologize to her?” Sasha asked in a deathly quiet voice.

“This is none of your business, Sasha,” Charles ground out through clenched teeth.

“I didn’t know their magic could mesh with ours, though,” Jonas reflected. “Does she have a higher level than Charles, or is it just the effect of the two combining?”

“What’s going on?” Ann asked in a sleepy voice as she sauntered into the kitchen. She was wearing a small tank top and no bra, capturing Charles’ attention immediately.

Her breasts were so perky and perfect. And the soft moans she made when he sucked on them…

Jonas snorted and took a sip of his coffee as Sasha’s magic fell away. Charles staggered forward before he could catch himself, the seared skin from her magic now throbbing. As was his hard cock.

“Punishment fits the crime,” Jonas said in a rasp, snagging a piece of bacon off the plate Jessenta laid on the counter.