ATwistedMagick (8 page)

“Couldn’t you have bought something prettier?”

She looked at them and frowned. “I took a trip to England after I was sent the altar. I wanted to find out more about the man who left it for me. Anyway, I was at a market in London when I saw these on a dented folding table. They called to me. I re-consecrated them, of course, so that no lingering vibrations would infect my magick.”

She sounded more and more flakey, talking about inanimate objects as if they were somehow alive. And yet he believed in her belief. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was his libido hoping to get close to her again. But he was very good at reading faces and catching a person’s tell, the thing that would prove they were lying. Shylah did not have a tell.

Last, she pulled out a blackened cast iron cauldron, about five inches in diameter. “For incense.”

Gabe reached for the cauldron.

“Don’t touch, like I was saying about lingering vibrations.”

“I wanted to sniff it, that’s all.” He was wondering if he could smell previously burned incense. Shylah looked as if she was going to ask why, but then, without another word, she lifted it to his nose but not close enough to touch. He only smelled iron and faintly rancid oil. He nodded, ignoring her smirk. “Did you find out anything more about your relative?”

“Just rumors. Sylvester’s family had owned the manor house for centuries, but the last generation had let it fall into disrepair. Someone did buy it when it was auctioned off after his death, but then they boarded it up and left it there to crumble to the ground. The villagers said he had dabbled in the occult and now his ghost floated through the rooms, trapped in between the veils.” She smiled again. “They certainly tell good yarns. One lady was such a good storyteller that I shivered as if a ghost had walked by. She’s the one who told me that Sylvester had a gimp leg, as had every eldest male in his family since the 1100s. I don’t know how she came to that date, but it sounded good. The local historical society had a picture of Sylvester and he did indeed have a gimp leg.”

“Spooky.”

“You’re making fun of me, aren’t you?”

“No. I just wish we were sitting around a campfire with marshmallows.” His mom had sent him to a summer camp in the mountains once, the only time he’d ever had s’mores and the only time he’d done a dawn polar bear swim. He’d frozen his ass off and never had the desire to do it since.

She stuck out her tongue at him, and he immediately flashed back to tasting that tongue and so many other things on her body.

“And the other creepy thing the lady told me…the eldest son in his entire line not only had a gimp leg, but they died as soon as their wives gave birth, which is apparently why Sylvester had refused to get married.”

“Well, it sounds as though you have an interesting family, at least Sylvester’s part of it anyway. Do you have brothers, sisters and parents here in the states?”

“My brother’s in Utah, a converted Mormon, therefore he doesn’t speak to me anymore. I’m a pagan sinner, you see. The sad part is I’ve got two nieces who I haven’t seen since they were babies. But you can’t change someone’s prejudices.”

Gabe thought about his father and realized she was right. He picked up the knife and looked at it more closely. “This looks very old.” The blade was dull and clearly hammered flat. The handle was the same piece of metal, but thicker for an easy grip.

“It is. I had it valued while I was in England, and they said it dated back to the Roman Conquest, the end of the Iron Age. Iron is used magically for protection, like an iron gate around a cemetery, meant to keep the ghosts inside its boundaries.”

“Interesting.” He didn’t ask what it was valued at, since Shylah didn’t seem excited about what she’d been told. He examined the chalice and the candle holder, wondering how many hands had held them. Shylah’s enthusiasm was rubbing off on him. “So did you have a set of tools that you used before your trip to England?”

“The coven I belonged to had a set, but my tools at the time were very mismatched, picked up from online metaphysical shops. I believe they’re in a trunk in the attic. You’re welcome to go up there and brave the bats, if you’d like.”

“What do you think of the chalice found at the crime scene?”

“Kind of cheap. Silver plated. The pentagram engraving looks like it was put on by a machine. Unmemorable. I can show you where to find one just like it online.”

The fact that she knew where to buy it—was it suspicious or part of her researching the crime to prove her innocence? He wanted to believe her, but he worried he was thinking with the wrong part of his anatomy, the part that wanted to lay her back on the mossy beds around them and bury himself inside her.

Trying to focus on the task at hand instead of the soft curves revealed as she leaned forward to put away the tools, Gabe said, “Did you know anyone here in town before moving here?”

He was sad to see her expression change, but perhaps it was for the best. “Like in New Orleans perhaps?” Her voice dripped sarcasm. “No, I haven’t run into a single person I’ve recognized. But then why would you believe me?”

Impulsively Gabe leaned forward and cupped her cheek. “I want to believe you.” He brushed his thumb across her full bottom lip and heard the hitch in her breath. “Help me believe you.”

* * * * *

Gabe’s fierce kiss took her breath away. His palm slid to the back of her head and held her steady as his tongue pried open her lips and his tongue tangled with hers. It was both an unexpected and heated assault and it lit Shylah’s body on fire. Everything they’d done the other night filled up her mind, but now she had the mental clarity to take in new details, like how his cool, dry lips warmed against her skin, took on the dampness from her mouth. How his tongue held traces of coffee and mint gum, that the skin on his face was no longer morning smooth and smelled of spring air. She slid her hands into his thick hair and ran her fingers across the back of his head. He had two small bumps near his left ear and what felt like a scar along the hairline in the back. Gabe’s lips meandered from her mouth to her chin to the tender, sensitive skin of her throat. She took advantage and kissed his nose, his cheeks, his eyelids.

Before she knew it, Gabe had maneuvered her sideways, so that she was sitting across his lap instead of on the uncomfortable stone floor, but what this position really gave him was access. He was kissing her lips again, and she was responding hungrily, mouth wide open and tongue deep, but now he had a free hand to roam from her neck along her collarbone to the side of her breast. She wore a peasant blouse with a light cotton bra underneath it. There was a little tie holding the neckline together. Gabe tugged it loose then pushed the fabric down her shoulder a few inches. She felt his fingers tracing the edge of her bra strap then pushing that down her shoulder as well. Still she was covered, just not quite as much. He squeezed one of her nipples through the light bra fabric and that was when his erection made itself known, an obvious bump in her cushy seat. She chuckled against his mouth.

He pulled back and looked at her, eyebrow quirked. “I’m trying to seduce you and you’re laughing?”

“I just noticed that my seat isn’t quite as smooth as it was.”

He lifted his hips so that his erection rubbed against her bottom. “Are you talking about this?”

“Yeah, a pebble or something.”

“A pebble! I think you’re in the wrong position if that’s all you feel. Climb over.” With a little lift, Gabe coaxed her legs open and settled her facing him. He bunched her skirt up around her waist. “I don’t want that fabric interfering with your senses. This here’s no pebble.”

With her legs wrapped around him, Shylah had no trouble feeling his erection pressing against her. Quite a big erection, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. “Hmm, a rock perhaps.”

Gabe reached down and unzipped his jeans, pulled out his cock, but her skirt obscured her view. However, that didn’t matter as he rubbed his cock against her panties, her very wet panties. He maneuvered the panties to the side and suddenly his huge cock was pushing inside her, filling her. Since he was watching her closely as he did it, she didn’t close her eyes but she did moan. He didn’t move and she let gravity draw her body down, stretching around him, taking him in deep and deeper. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes heavy lidded. Her body squeezed around him automatically but she didn’t move. She waited for him to give in, but he didn’t move either.

“You’re killing me, Shylah.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“You know what I want.”

“Tell me.”

“I want you to ride me.”

She flexed her hip, gave a little squeeze. “Like that.”

“Faster.”

She did it twice, three times.

“But don’t stop.” She started to move again, until Gabe said, “Wait…stop. Shit. I’ve got a condom.”

Shylah was enjoying the playfulness, the spur of the moment, but also the fact that he’d thought about protection this time. It was goofy as they had to move this way and that so that he could put the condom on, but he didn’t lose his hard-on and she was just as wet and ready once he was covered. She questioned his motives, but it had been so long since she’d had a lover. More than that, she could smell the damp earth of the Mother Goddess around them, blessing this simple spring dance.

Gabe scooped up her breasts in his palms as she moved her hips around until she found the right rhythm and swerve to make him groan. He kissed along her jawline and her neck and along her collarbone, light, quick kisses that added to her ecstasy. She felt earthy and in control as she lowered her body until Gabe filled her completely, then she squeezed his cock and lifted slowly. His breathing grew rough, fast, and his skin felt damp with sweat, but he didn’t like her going so slow. She could tell as his hands grabbed onto her hips and tried to control her movement.

“Faster,” he said gruffly.

Shylah smiled. “What’s the magic word?”

His eyes popped and he scowled at her. “The magic words are fuck me hard.” And before she could disagree, he lifted her off him and onto the mossy ground beyond the stone floor. Once he had her on her back, he controlled the pace. He sank deep inside her, then out, gradually building up speed, stroking just the right spot until he had her moaning. She pressed her palms against his chest and felt her way across until she reached his biceps, which she gripped fiercely as she felt her orgasm approaching. Just as the wave crested, she dug in her nails and yelled Gabe’s name.

“Holy fuckin’ shit,” was Gabe’s response. He grew perfectly still as her body milked him and then he bucked into her and shook. In a much lower voice, almost like a sigh, he said, “Holy mother, Shylah, holy God.”

Shylah thought that was appropriate since she believed in both a Goddess and a God, but she knew Gabe wasn’t really thinking about God, male or female, at the moment.

* * * * *

God, he hadn’t intended to seduce her all over again. Or had he? Maybe she’d gone along so easily to divert his attention from his investigation. He watched her as she gracefully stood and straightened her clothes then knelt and rewrapped her tools. Her face, though flushed, was peaceful. A slight smile curved her lips. He’d seen that sort of smile from other lovers, the kind that said “conquest”. Yeah, she’d conquered him all right. Why couldn’t he keep his hands to himself?

He stood up, fixing his clothing, and noticing the dirt on the back of Shylah’s blouse. He started brushing that off, noticed a twig in her hair so plucked that away. She chuckled.

Turning to him, she put her arms around his waist. “I guess I’m less than presentable now.”

He leaned down and kissed the top of her nose. “Not too bad. Besides, I think my hands are covered with dirt.” He brushed them down the side of his jeans as Shylah leaned her cheek against his shirt. It felt nice to have someone holding him, but he was afraid to be too affectionate now. He still had to investigate her. He didn’t want to say the clichéd “It was a mistake”, as if he was denying his culpability, but then why was he feeling guilty to begin with?

As if realizing he wasn’t going to hug her back, Shylah dropped her arms and whirled away from him. In a couple of steps, she reached the solarium door. Without looking at him, she said, “So are you pursuing any other avenues of investigation or just me?”

He sighed. “Not just you…” As he was about to say more, she opened and walked through the door, closing it behind her, leaving him standing alone within the mini-jungle.

* * * * *

Shylah practically sprinted back to the kitchen. She didn’t want Gabe to see her disappointment. What did she expect really? She’d had this naïve feeling of contentment as she’d wrapped up her tools, which, when they were both standing, had made her wrap her arms around Gabe with affection. There was attraction between them, animal lust, but not affection.

Gabe entered the kitchen a few moments later. She turned and walked to the living room and he followed. She wanted him to go right on to the door. Instead, he sat down on her couch and said, “How about some of that tea? I might get used to it and give up coffee.”

“Somehow I doubt that.” She stared at him, willing him to leave.

“Tea,” he prodded.

She went back to the kitchen and went through the motions of making tea. The familiar actions actually helped her get back to the contented state she’d been in earlier. Her body felt replete; she should be grateful for that and not worry about the rest.

She returned with the tea. “Do you have more questions? Seems like we’ve covered everything I could possibly say besides ‘I did it. Lock me up’.”

He sipped his tea and stared at the banked, slightly glowing ashes in the fireplace. Without looking up he asked, “Are you okay?”

“Other than a few twigs, I’m fine.”

“From the other night, I mean.”

“A little late to ask, considering what we just did.”

He cleared his throat but still didn’t look up. “Um, did you take the morning-after pill or anything?”

Shylah’s mouth dropped open and she had to get a handle on her surprise before she could respond. “Of course not. Were you hoping I would?”