The COMPLETE Witching Pen Series, Boxed Set (10 page)

“No, now,” she whispered. “Tonight. I want to be with you tonight. I've spend too many years scared of this. I've never let myself feel anything close to love; I've never even used my magic to its full potential. I've been so terrified of my lineage, of what it would mean to … everyone, if I did something careless and my powers got lost...” Tears sprang up in her eyes. “I've never lived. Karl, I want to live with you. And I want to start now.”
 

Another silence. She felt her tears trickle down her face, and smiled when she saw Karl's own eyes were shimmering. “God, we're soppy, aren't we?”

He smiled. “It'll be our little secret.”

Hesitantly, she leaned in and kissed him. Aware that he hadn't actually said yes to her little proposal, she pulled back, uncertainty ruling her heart. She didn't get very far.

He held her fast against him and crushed his lips to hers. She heard him fumble for the remote and Buffy's voice disappeared as the telly went off. With her mind, she dimmed the lights.

Karl grinned against her. “I thought you weren't supposed to use magic frivolously?”

“I'm starting to think that a lot of things I've been told aren't true. Now are you going to take me upstairs or shall I teleport us?”
 

Chapter Eight

Amy stirred on the edge of consciousness. She felt groggy. Her head felt like she'd drunk half a bottle of Jack Daniels.

With a groan, she gripped the edge of her duvet and pulled it higher, snuggling down into its warmth.
Wait … what...?
 

A pair of yellow eyes flashed into her mind; a cut on a wrist; blood the colour of ripe cherries...

With a start she sat up, and wished she hadn't. Her room swam around her as her head pounded.

Oh, shit, I'm going to hurl...

The room steadied. She dropped her head between her knees, taking deep breaths, forcing herself past the throbbing in her skull to try and remember what the hell had happened.

“Amy.”
 

She screamed, momentarily forgetting her pain. There were those eyes, beautiful and dangerous all at once, lurching at her from the shadows of her room.

“Pueblo?” she croaked out. If she could just stop her head from stabbing her, and quieten the pounding of her heart, maybe she'd get some kind of clue as to what was going on. “I'm home … why am I home?”
 

“I brought you back.”
 

“I don't remember...”
 

“No, I'm sorry. The meeting with my tribe was not successful. They asked me to make sure your memory was wiped so you would not try to find them again.”
 

“What? You … erased my memory?”
 

“I had no choice.”
 

Anger replaced the grogginess she was feeling. “There's always a choice.”

“Well, my choice was, wipe your memory, or get us both lynched by my own kind. I chose the first option.”
 

“Why are you here?” she asked, suddenly more irritated than anything else. “And how am I back home?”
 

“I teleported us.”
 

It was then that she realised, to her horror, she was stark naked and flashing all her assets to the demon.

With a squeal, she grabbed the duvet and pulled it flush against her body. “
Why
am I naked?!”
 

He raised an eyebrow in amusement. “Do you know how hard it is to teleport two of us at once across such a distance? I needed to get rid of all material items.”

“You still have your loin cloth on.”
 

A smirk appeared on his face, so sure of itself, she wanted to slap it off. “If it would make you feel better, I'm more than happy to lose the garment.” He hooked his thumbs into its waistband.

“No! God, don't!”
 

To Amy's relief, he removed his hands from the well-worn leather and leaned back against the wall.

“How did you know where I live?”
 

“My blood is in you,” he said, softly. “It was easy for me to find where you live.”
 

“Oh.”
 

“And you will be able to seek me out also, whenever you need me.” He sounded so warm and caring in his tone, she almost forgot she was mad at him.
 

There was an awkward pause, while she tried to figure out how to put some clothes on with him in the room.

“Okay, you can go now.”
 

Instead he strode towards her and perched himself on her bed.

She tightened her hold on the duvet.

“Not until I know you're all right.”
 

“I'm fine.”
 

“You didn't look so good when you woke up.”
 

“Well, since then, I learned that you've taken my memory, stripped me naked and bonded me to you through your blood, so I'm just peachy now!”
 

His laughter boomed around the room.

“What's so funny?”
 

“You. Your anger is beautiful...”
 

“To a demon, maybe.”
 

“And it'll keep you alive.”
 

“Or it'll give me an aneurysm.”
 

Suddenly, she stiffened, a familiar sensation creeping up her spine.

“Amy, what is it?”
 

“Etienne. He's on his way here now – you have to go.”
 

“How do you know?”
 

“We have this connection thing … he's going to be here any minute, you
have
to go.”
 

He frowned. “Connection? Maybe I should meet him.”

“Are you
insane?
He hates demons; he'll probably annihilate you on the spot!”
 

“I'm not that easy to get rid of.”
 

“No kidding … please – I'm already in for it when I tell him I've brought him back nothing.”
 

“All right,” he nodded. “I'll go, but I'll know if you're in danger, Amy. I'll keep you safe.”
 

“Whatever … just get the fuck out – he'll be here any second!”
 

Before Amy saw it coming, Pueblo smacked a kiss on her lips. Sparks of what felt like electricity crackled between them. Logic told her they should have thrown her from him, but instead she found herself pulled further in, a moan escaping her at the strange sensation.

He broke the kiss, flashed her a grin, then dissipated before her eyes.

Etienne knocked on the front door.

Well, at least he knocked
, she thought, wryly.
 

Throwing on the first outfit she could find, she rushed downstairs to open the door, and hoped her still aching head wasn't about to get a whole lot worse.

~*~

Karl was in heaven. Long, dark, lush hair cascaded across his chest, stroking him like feathered wings, as the love of his life swept his mouth with her soft kisses.

Stripping her had been the most beautiful, surreal experience of his life, and the time it took to get her naked had gone far too quickly … not that having her skin flushed against his own wasn't a luxury in itself.

A single candle lit Elena's room.

He let out a small sound of approval as she made his way down his neck.

“Did you hide the pen?” she asked, into his neck.
 

Ugh, that bloody pen.
“Yes, just fifteen minutes ago before I shut the bedroom door behind us.”
 

“Thank you.”
 

“Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he said, desperate to get that God-awful pen out of her mind. It had done enough damage already – he was damned if he was going to let it ruin tonight.
 

She laughed. “Lots of times.”

“Mind if I keep saying it?”
 

“You can say it as often as you like, as long as you keep doing whatever you're doing with your fingers.”
 

“What, this?” he asked, lightly running them up and down her backside.
 

“Mmm, yes – who would have thought my bum could be so sensitive? I sit on it every day.”
 

His own laughter ripped from his lungs. “You're so amazingly innocent.”

“Hey...”
 

“No, it's a good thing. I almost don't want us to do this in case you turn into a wanton harlot.”
 

She slapped him lightly on the arm. “Am I supposed to think that's some kind of compliment?”

“Your innocence is gorgeous, Elena. You should never be ashamed of it.”
 

“To me, it just symbolises everything I've held myself back from. I take it...”
 

“What?”
 

“You're not … innocent? Stop laughing at me!”
 

“You mean, am I a virgin? No. There have been other women; can't say it was very fair on them.”
 

“What do you mean? And how do I not know about these other women?”
 

He shrugged. “I never told you – because it was never right that I was with them. It was when you went to university. I missed you like crazy. I, er, overdosed on women for a short while, in a futile attempt to convince myself you weren't the only one for me.”

“You became a man-slut?”
 

He sighed. “Now, see, this is why I didn't tell you.”

“I'm kidding.”
 

“No, you're right. I'm not proud of it. I was always safe with them, by the way, in case you're wondering. I always wore a condom.”
 

“Do you … do you want to...”
 

“You're crap at finishing sentences.”
 

That earned him another slap. “I've not had much practise at saying stuff like this!” She took in a  breath before continuing. “Do you want to wear a condom tonight?”

After knowing her for twenty years, she still had the ability to knock him off his feet – or he would have been had he not already been lying down. “Are you suggesting we don't?”

“I don't know, I just … with anyone else, that wouldn't even be an option, but … there's never going to be anyone but you, Karl. We both run our own businesses, have our own place, earn enough money … I suppose I should be cautious about getting pregnant, what with this being our first time, but I can't say it would bother me. We've already lived together for three years. I know being in a relationship is different, but, well, in some ways, we may as well have been in a relationship all this time, just look at how we are with each other. Maybe it would be different if I was just a regular person, but us making love is such a huge thing anyway, with me losing my powers, you gaining them, then there's the whole thing with the pen, and people dying … me getting pregnant just seems so …
small
in the greater scheme of things.”
 

She'd been looking away from him all this time, and now she focused those big, brown eyes on him.

He tried to speak, but the words caught at the back of his throat and all he managed was a stutter.

“Phew,” she exhaled. “You really just need to tell me to shut up sometimes – like I said, I'm not very good at this—”
 

He pulled her down towards him, cutting her off with a kiss. “Yes, you are. I love it that you just say what you're thinking, that you're open enough to – that you trust me enough to.

“I'm lying here trying to think of one good reason to not go into this with you full throttle, so to speak. And I keep expecting to feel some kind of fear, or something, at the thought of starting this future with you now. Well, I can't think of one good reason, and the only thing I feel is elation.”
 

He brushed her bottom lip with his thumb, looking upon the face he knew so well – warm, compassionate, wise despite her innocence. “I've wanted this with you, before I even knew I wanted it. So, yes, let's do this how we want to, and let's see where it goes.”

The promise of their unknown future together, was sealed as their lips met again. Their kiss deepened and he drank her in – her scent, the feel of her, everything. If he remembered only one thing from of his entire life, he wanted it to be this. Nothing in his twenty-seven years, compared to this moment. He moved his hands across her body, touching her anywhere that would cause beatific noises to erupt from her throat. Although he knew it couldn't entirely be avoided, he loathed that this would be painful for her, when all he'd feel would be pure bliss.

“Do you want to stay on top?” he murmured against her. “It's sometimes easier the first time.”
 

She nodded, and shifted her body lower, her kisses becoming more urgent, her breath more shallow, as his hands caressed her in all the right places. When he felt her slick sex graze the tip of his cock, his brain almost exploded. “Christ, this feels too good already...”

Then millimetre, by agonizing millimetre, she lowered herself onto him. He sucked his breath in between his teeth and stole a glance at her. Swollen lips sounding out little gasps of pleasure, and glazed eyes staring back at him in total surrender, had him struggling to keep his release under control. He felt her barrier nudge him, and she stopped.

“You all right?” he whispered.