Indigo Spell (16 page)

“If you will let me explain—”

She held up one hand. “Don’t bother. I’m not interested in half-truths and you won’t tell me the secrets you don’t think I should know. It doesn’t matter because I’m not interested in learning more than I already know. I want to go back to my own life, Jaxon. I just want to go home. Can you please tell me how I can get home?”

In two strides, he had joined her on the stairs, his arms reaching out for her, drawing her into his embrace. He held her tightly, her head pressed against his chest. His intention was to comfort but his words graduated the fear to terror. “Tess, you
are
home.”

Chapter Five

Tess didn’t want to waste her energy arguing but her pride made her push him away. “What do you mean? I’m not going to be allowed to return to my home now?”

The look on Jaxon’s face gave her the answer she really didn’t want even before he spoke. “Did you really think I’d be able to send you back after all that you’ve seen?”

“And it is all about what you want, isn’t it?”

“There’s a lot more at stake here.” He reached for her again but she held up one hand, unwilling to hear his explanation.

“What is at stake is my life.”

“Your life will be here.”

“And I don’t get a choice?” She wanted to hit him. “I suppose you think a few fucks entitle you to run my life now. Why am I not surprised? Except for the magic, you’re just a typical male!”

With a sigh, Jaxon managed to take her in his arms again. He nuzzled her neck and brought her closer to the warmth of his body. “Look, I’ll be happy to debate this with you later but for now…” His words trailed off.

Moving her head to evade his lips, she fisted against his shirt, drawing his gaze down to her face. “I have another question for you.”

“I’m listening.”

“What happens now? Now that I’m here, I mean? Do your people not have laws against kidnapping?”

His knuckles brushed her cheeks. “It’s not kidnapping.” His eyes seemed to burn into hers. “And do you really want to leave?”

Her teeth worried the inside of her cheek. “What are my options?” When he didn’t respond, she frowned. “Why did I even ask that question? And why are you asking me if I really want to leave? You already know the answer! Do you enjoy fucking with peoples’ lives, Jaxon? Do your people get a thrill out of moving us around like pieces on a chessboard?”

Jaxon fisted his hands in her hair and met her studious gaze with a hard look of his own. “This is not a game to us, Tess.” He shot a curse up at the ceiling. “I have to go.”

“Let me guess. You have to rush off to vanquish something.” Bitterness coated her voice.

He slid one hand along her spine. “I’d much rather stay here with you. I want you to understand…and maybe one day you will.”

Tess pulled back to see his face. “I was kidding about the vanquishing something but you obviously aren’t. You’re going off to kill something or someone, rather. Should I ask? Do I want to know?”

Jaxon kissed her to interrupt the flow of words. “I don’t have much time. All I can tell you right now is that Athena has four sister witches. Together, they are called the Coven of Allesandra and they have a plan in mind that, left to their own devices, will change the course of the world.”

Tess slapped a hand to her forehead and stumbled back against the banister. “Oh, here we go. World domination and all that. You know, I was wondering when this was going to come into play. Do you realize how utterly bizarre this sounds?”

His hands framed her face. “I can only imagine. I have lived with who I am my entire life. You’re getting slapped in the face with it far too quickly. I wish I could slow things down a bit but there isn’t a lot of time.”

“Are the witches planning their bid for world domination tonight?”

“Probably not.”

Tess sighed and took hold of his hand, her anger diminishing. Each time she touched him, she lost a little of what she’d left behind. The magic was all too real, the man even more so. Nibbling at her lower lip, she brought his hand to her cheek.

“Then you can stay with me tonight.” She heard Jaxon’s breath catch and she smiled a little. One point for the home team. “I don’t want to be alone in this house again, Jaxon. What if Athena comes back? I mean ghosts I can handle but I think I’m a little out of my league when it comes to dealing with witches.”

His palm rasped against her skin. “You might be for now.”

Tess didn’t ask any questions. There would be plenty of time for that later. For now she wanted to concentrate on surviving one day at a time. “Is my life ever going to be the same?”

Jaxon walked up the stairs, taking her with him. He paused long enough to answer her question. “There is one way.” He continued up the stairs, reaching the top landing before he faced her again. “I can erase your memories or, to be more accurate, rewind the clock.”

“You can change time?”

“Something like that. You would have no memory of me, this house or anything I’ve told you. Your life would resume as it was before we met.”

Tess blinked, considered his words. “You can’t just rewind it to before the hurricane? I don’t think I want to go back before I met you.”

He smiled at that. “I’m afraid it’s either all or nothing. The Assembly would not be willing to risk your discovering this information again. And I’m not so sure I could stay away from you.”

She walked past him and into the bedroom. “And if I choose not to go back, what happens then?”

He moved so fast he now stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. He pressed her against him, leaning her against his strength. “Then we’ll be together for a very long time.” Ever so gently, he moved his hands upward to cup her breasts and Tess felt a long sigh leave her body.

“How long is a very long time?”

“Forever.” Lips traveling across the back of her neck, he began to massage her breasts through the thin material of the robe. “And that really wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

Tess’ heart began to thunder. How did he expect her to think when he was touching her like this? “Jaxon, you can’t expect me to just accept this. I barely know you. I mean we’ve slept together and I do feel a connection but to expect a relationship is unreasonable.”

One hand left her breast to travel over her stomach. The heat of his palm burned her skin and Tess arched beneath it as it moved to caress her between her thighs. “Our way is much different from the ways of mortals. When a wizard falls in love, he knows immediately. There is no question in his mind. He just knows. We have no doubts, no fears and usually the woman doesn’t either.” Clever fingers pressed against her clit, causing little electrical shocks to travel from her pelvis to her toes.

“So why is this time different? Why don’t I know?” Conversation was becoming more and more difficult as the pressure of Jaxon’s fingers increased. “You should stop,” she whispered.

“I will…in a minute.” His lips grazed her neck, her cheek while his fingers lightly pinched her through her panties.

“You haven’t answered my question.” Her breaths came in short gasps. And then he was touching her, warm skin against wet. Where had her panties gone? Could he have removed her clothing without her knowledge? The thought brought a bubble of hysterical laughter. Of course he could. He was a wizard, for God’s sake. He could do anything.

She tried to remember why she should push him away but his fingers were sliding in between the crease of her pussy and she couldn’t think. “M-my questions,” she managed to stutter.

“Later. For now I want to listen to you come.”

The hardness of his cock pressed against her spine and she couldn’t resist grinding her hips against it. He swore below his breath and shoved two fingers deep inside her pussy.

Tess cried out and rocked forward, squeezing the muscles of her channel. His thumb flicked against her clit and her legs began to shake. “Jaxon, please.” She didn’t know what she was begging for other than release.

“Do you like this?”

Her head fell back against his chest. “Yes, yes.” How could she not? His thumb worried her clit until it became engorged with blood. Just the slightest scrape of his finger created wicked sensations in the pit of her stomach.

“Should I stop?” The naughty whisper was meant to tease, to entice, but Tess wasn’t in the mood for games.

She clasped her hand around his wrist to hold him in place and began to ride his fingers as if they were a cock. The moist noises of her wet cunt pumping against his hand were the only sound in the room save her staccato breaths.

God, this was perfect. The thickness of Jaxon’s shaft against her back, the heat of his body and the erotic scent of his masculinity—a heady mixture of spice and earthly male—drove her nearly mad. And she wanted his cock to be inside her instead of his fingers. “Jaxon, fuck me.”

He pumped harder, alternately pinching and rubbing her clit. “There’s no time.” His teeth nipped at her neck while he worked a third finger inside her scorching channel. He was rewarded with a small squeal of delight. “Later, I’ll fuck you but now I want to hear you come.”

His blood heated to boiling levels as she pushed ferociously against his fingers, jackknifing her hips forward to press her clit against his thumb. He didn’t want to stop, wanting to spend the next few hours, days, in bed with her, tasting her, caressing her. Fucking her over and over again until she forgot all about South Carolina and the home she’d left behind.

“I can’t hear you,” he whispered.

“God, this is so good,” she replied in a broken voice that was half plea and half growl.

“Are you close?”

The words sent her spiraling, whipping her body into a vortex of feeling, powerful emotions draining her. The orgasm gripped her so tightly her entire body arched upward. She cried out, hearing only the sound of her voice but not the words. And when her muscles relaxed, she collapsed against Jaxon’s chest, melting into his strength.

He held her close against him for a moment longer before removing his hand and restoring her clothing. Kissing the top of her head, he turned her in his arms and rested his forehead to hers. “Now, in answer to your question, to date, no wizard has ever fallen in love with a mortal.”

How could he think about resuming the conversation when she was so deliciously tired? Her hands crept up to clasp his forearms. “So you’re a black sheep, so to speak?”

He kissed the tip of her nose. The gentle gesture warmed her from the inside out. “I guess you could say that. More like a renegade. But my family will come to accept you eventually. It will just take time.”

His warm breath bathed her face and Tess closed her eyes. She wanted to sink into him, to drop into his arms and allow him to take her away from her thoughts, her fears again. It wasn’t conceivable she had fallen utterly in love with him, not in such a short amount of time, but the emotions were strong, overwhelming almost. She knew him by touch, by the scent of his skin. And each time they made love, she wanted him with a mind-numbing desperation.

“I wish I could stay with you now.”

“You’re a busy wizard and now you have this witch thing to deal with.” She laughed a little. In truth, she needed some time alone. Perhaps to convince herself that what was happening was real. Or maybe to try to wake up from this dream.

“You’ll be safe here. Now that Athena has played her cards, I’ll put the proper protection into place.”

“Let me guess, a fire-breathing dragon?”

Jaxon chuckled and brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “You’re thinking too medieval. It’s a simple spell, designed to keep out the bad guys…or witches.” He winked at her and took a step back, taking hold of her hand. “If you need me, just say my name.”

“And you’ll come running?”

“Or beaming.” His hand gripped hers for one second longer before he released her.

“I can’t believe I’m having this conversation. Just go, but before you do—” She snatched him back, dragging him by the collar, captured his lips. Instantly Jaxon responded, pressing her against the wall. His hands fisted in her hair, pulling her under a torrent of desire.