Home in Your Arms (5 page)

“Ian,” Lexi said in a hoarse voice. “Do it now.”

He pulled out again. This time he slammed back into her with
a force that made her gasp. This was how it should be all the time. No one else
made him feel this way and he knew he’d never get enough of her. He hammered
her pussy repeatedly until he felt his dick erupt at the same time she reached
her climax.

He caught her lips again and thrust one last time. Lexi’s
body writhed beneath his and he knew she was just as sated as he felt. Shit.
That was amazing.

She looked up at him and smiled coyly. He stood and helped
her to her feet. She was beautiful, with her lips pink and swollen. He knew her
nether lips were just as pink and swollen too. His cock jumped, already hard
again. No one had ever turned him on as much as she did.

Lexi’s gaze dropped down to his engorged shaft and she
smiled. “I’ve always wanted to be fucked against a tree…”

Ian replied, “And I am always one to oblige.”

He led her to a tree with a large trunk. She turned to him
and helped her remove her skirt and corset. She threw her clothing down and
gave him a smile that almost brought him to his knees. Her nipples stood erect
and he wanted nothing more than to cover them with his mouth.

“Before we do this, I want to show you something,” she said,
licking her lips.

He took off his shirt and pants so he was as naked as she
was. “Show me what?”

Lexi smiled and leaned against the tree. She closed her eyes
and ran her hand across her chest and then over her breast. When her fingers
touched her nipple, she gasped and then rubbed over it again.

He watched as she played erotically with her breast. With her
other hand, she slowly traced a path down her toned stomach to her pussy. She
found her clit and rubbed it in a rhythmic pattern, grinding her hips in sync
with the tempo.

He watched as the pace grew quicker. As her breathing became
irregular, his did too. He reached down and stroked his cock, imagining it
inside her warm pussy. Her body shook as an orgasm took over. She called out
his name as she rocked her hips against her hand.

He was at her side before her body stopped shaking. He
kissed her slowly, letting her know how much he appreciated her private show.
Then he pulled away and turned her so that her chest pressed against the tree
trunk.

He kissed her neck and whispered, “While I am fucking you,
imagine the tree is my hands, touching you all over.”

She nodded and rubbed against the tree. A surprised gasp
left her lips and she arched against the tree again and Ian grinned.

The trees in Sinoda were like no others. The bark appeared
rough but in reality was as soft as velvet. When the wind blew, it felt just
like using a vibrator.

A breeze caressed their skin and Ian could see the tree
buzzing against Lexi’s nipples. She wrapped her arms around the tree and he
could feel the vibrations against her skin.

“Yes,” she almost purred.

Ian ran the head of his engorged cock against her pussy and
then entered her with a quick thrust. The force caused the tree to shake and he
knew Lexi grew close to an orgasm. She met his thrusts and rubbed against the
tree at the same time.

Together their bodies worked as one until they both
climaxed. Leaves rained down on them as the tree seemed to share in their
ecstasy. Ian raised his head and saw how blue the sky was. Everything in that
moment was perfect.

Lexi turned her head and kissed him.

“I think I love you,” she sighed contentedly.

Lexi closed her eyes as soon as the words left her mouth.
Ian still throbbed inside her and didn’t say anything. Instead, he placed a
light kiss on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked at him. He was
silent as he pulled slowly out of her. He turned and gathered their clothing.

Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked them away
quickly. It had been insane to say those words. She barely knew him. And lord,
what did he think right now? She must have a head injury, which could be the
only reason behind the madness she felt. Why else would she be proclaiming her
love for a man she had met days ago?

It was more than that, though. She felt as if she were
falling in love with him. The first time they had sex she had felt different
afterward, as though a missing piece in her soul had been found. And just now,
she had felt the same thing. Each time they had sex she felt more complete as
well as a power growing deep inside and it was because of him.

Ian placed her clothing next to the tree and went to the
stream to wash up. He was breathtaking as he kneeled at the stream and dipped
water over his body. She moved a few feet away and quickly cleaned up as well.

She dressed and found a rock to sit on. Her heart pounded
and she rubbed her temples. Now there was going to be awkward silence because
she didn’t know when to keep her mouth shut. She debated telling him that she
didn’t mean what she said, that she merely was caught up in the moment. Nothing
that came to mind sounded right, though. Plus, she didn’t want to take it back.
She had meant it…as crazy as it was.

A loud sound in the distance caused her to jump and she
turned to see where it came from. Through the trees, she could see a small
cabin made of metal. The sunlight reflected off it and caused a glare so bright
that she held her hand up to shade her eyes. It looked like a beacon of sorts,
which was strange since there had been no other houses along the way.

“Ian? Do you see that?”

He looked where she pointed and smiled.

“It’s Sully, the tin master. I forgot we were so near to his
place. We should say hello before we pass through.”

She was reminded of the old west movies where they greeted
people as they passed through their land. It might not be that farfetched
though. Sinoda seemed more advanced than Oklahoma in some ways but in others,
it was stuck in the past.

Ian strolled toward the small cabin and she followed
silently. If he wanted to act as if she hadn’t said those three little words
then she would play along too. It would save her from having to lie about
whether she meant them or not and maybe…just maybe, he might be able to say
them back to her.

As they drew near the house, she saw several sculptures made
of tin. A sculpture of a giant bird with its wings spread in flight stood
nearest to her. A broken chain hung from its neck. Symbolizing freedom? Her
heart ached looking at the striking piece of art. Sully clearly had great
talent.

“Sully,” Ian called out. “You have some visitors.”

A very tall, skinny man opened the door to the cabin. He
wore a work apron that looked almost like tin. In fact, all his clothing looked
like tin. She squinted as she looked at him.

“Ian. How good it is to see you. And who is this pretty
lady?” Sully asked with a warm smile.

“This is Lexi,” Ian replied in a clipped tone.

She glanced at Ian from the corner of her eye. It almost
sounded as if he were jealous. She smiled at the thought and then stuck her
hand out.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.

Sully kissed her hand. “The pleasure is entirely mine.”

He held onto her hand a moment longer than necessary. Ian
cleared his throat and Sully let go of her hand with a wink. She resisted the
urge to laugh aloud. Obviously she wasn’t the only one sensing Ian’s jealousy.

Up close, Sully was really a striking man but he wasn’t Ian.

Ian rolled his eyes as his friend held onto Lexi’s hand. He
knew it was Sully’s way of seeing how he would respond. And he played right
into his game but he didn’t want any man holding onto her hand. Ever. The thought
caused his gut to clench but before he could think about what it meant, Sully
spoke, “Do I need to prepare a room for the night?”

“No, we’re just passing through. We’re traveling to the
palace.” He paused, not knowing how to say the next part. “We met some trouble
earlier. Horace is no more.”

He watched as Sully took in the news. In the past, Sully and
Horace had been close friends. When Horace aligned himself with the Witches,
Sully stuck by him though it was clear Horace couldn’t be saved. Ian knew Sully
always blamed himself for Horace’s mistakes. He could understand the guilt that
went along with it too.

“He is no longer under the spell of the Witches. That is all
I can ask for.” Sully finally replied. He bowed his head in silence for a
moment before kissing his fingertips in remembrance. As he lifted his head,
several looks passed across his face. “If Horace is no more, then I assume Lexi
is the reason. The Witches would never let him go unless they were truly
threatened. He was far too valuable to them.”

The thought had crossed Ian’s mind as well. They had been so
willing to let Horace die when they had fought just as hard to keep him under
their spell in the past. Leave it to Sully to notice the small details. It must
be true then, that the Witches feared Lexi.

He glanced at Lexi and saw that she took the news better
than he thought she would. He stepped closer to her. For some reason he needed
her to know he would protect her.

Sully made a clicking noise with his tongue and said, “Come.
I have something that may help you reach Sapphire City in one piece.”

He led the two into his small cabin. Ian admired Sully’s art
creations as everyone in the realm did but it was his weaponry that made him
famous. Without his weapons, the Royal Guard would not stand a chance against
the Witches and their minions.

They followed Sully to a room in the back of the cabin. From
the floor to the ceiling different weapons, all made by hand, filled the room.
It was the first time Ian had actually stepped foot inside the workroom and he
was slightly in awe.

Sully went to a shelf against the back wall and pulled two
weapons down. He handed them to Ian.

“You know how to use these, I presume?”

Ian looked at the weapons. In one hand, he held a gun loaded
with liquid silver bullets, the only thing that could kill the Witches. In his
other hand, he held a crossbow. The arrows had been dipped in liquid sliver as
well.

He held the crossbow up and felt the quality of the metal.

Ian nodded. “Thank you, my friend. These will help greatly.”

He knew the risk that Sully took by giving him the weapons.
If caught, the Witches would show no mercy.

As if reading his thoughts, Sully said, “Don’t worry about
me. I can take care of myself.” He looked out the small window in the room. “You
need to leave now. You’re losing time and you need to make it out of the woods
before nightfall. You know the dangers—”

He broke off his own sentence and Ian silently thanked Sully
for not saying anything that would scare Lexi. The two shook hands and Sully
hugged Lexi. He whispered something and she laughed, just as she had with
Andrew.

Ian rolled his eyes and waited. He was getting tired of his
so-called friends whispering things into his woman’s ear.
His woman?
His
stomach clenched. Where had that thought come from?

Sully led the two out the back door.

“Take the south trail,” he said, waving goodbye.

Ian waved back and took Lexi by the hand. She glanced at him
in surprise and he smiled. Hand in hand, they headed for the south trail.

* * * * *

“No!” one of the Witches screamed as she watched the two
walking with their filthy hands entwined. “They’ll make it to Sapphire City if
they take the south trail.”

The large crystal orb they looked into shook with the force
behind her words and threatened to fall from its pedestal.

“Sully is going to pay for helping them,” the second howled.

“Sisters, there is no need to fret,” the third Witch said.
She was the eldest of the three and they looked to her for guidance. Her tone
was calm as she went on, “We will take care of the travelers and visit Sully on
the way.”

The two cackled. Their sister always knew what was best.

“Come, we must move ahead of them. We’ll need help from
others, whether they are willing…or not.”

The three Witches left their stone castle. They chanted a
spell as they flew through the air and were soon standing at Sully’s house. He
worked silently on a sculpture with his back to them and they wanted nothing
more than to shove his tool right through his heart.

“You are too late. They’re not here any longer,” he said
without turning around.

“Poor, stupid Sully,” the eldest Witch said. “You never did
know when to keep your mouth shut.”

She had always admired the tin master, though he didn’t know
when to keep quiet. If he were lucky, he would become her personal pet. And if
he lived, he would learn when to speak and when to remain silent.

Sully turned and looked her in the eyes. “I am not afraid of
you. With my help, Ian will take the lady to the castle. There, she will come
into her powers and the three of you will be gone for good.”

One of the Witches hissed at him but the eldest held up her
hand. “And isn’t it just too bad that you won’t be there to see it.”

Sully dropped the tools in his hand and took off his metal
apron. He unbuttoned his shirt and held out his arms, exposing his bare chest,
which she wanted nothing more than to run her fingers across. He had such a
pure heart, this one. Too bad he was going to have to die eventually.

“Kill me. I have served my purpose.”

This one knew things before they were said. How
intriguing.

“Oh we will kill you, but not now. For the moment, we are
going to send you to a place where you will learn your lesson. And only when we
are ready will you die.”

The Witches were pleased to see a look of fear pass over
Sully’s face. His emotions filled the air and they inhaled. Nothing smelled
better than a man who knew he was going to feel pain, except for a man who knew
he was going to die.

“We hope you enjoy the fire pits at our palace. It’s
fitting, you see. You wield your weapons in the fire and now we’re going to
wield you.” The Witch’s lips lifted into a beautiful smile filled with venom. “Or
at least, we’re going roast you a bit.”

Sully opened his mouth to scream as the Witches said the
spell that sent him to the fire pits of their castle. The fires were enchanted
so he would not die. Instead, the flames would inflict pain until he could take
no more. It would be just the beginning for poor Sully.

The eldest turned to her sisters now that the business with
the tin master was finished.

“We head to the west. Our friends there will be most willing
to help.”

With a quick chant, the three Witches went west where they
found the person they were looking for. He waited for them, the winds having whispered
their arrival, knowing that he only had two choices. To help them or die. It
was simple, really.

“How may I serve you?” he asked, bowing at the waist.

The Witches looked at one another with smug expressions on
their faces. They knew the path that Ian and the woman needed to take for the
Witches’ plan to work. And this poor unfortunate soul was just the one to set
their path.

“You only have to do one very small task for us. Send Ian
and his friend through the forest and to the Enchanted Fields. We’ll take over
from there.”

His mouth fell open. He knew as well as they did the risks of
entering the Enchanted Fields.

“But Mistress,” he begged, “Ian will never listen. He knows—”

The eldest Witch held up her hand. “You will convince them,
my pet. Tell them the fields have been calm for a while. They’ll see that you
are not feeling the…
effects
of the fields and know it’s true.”

He blushed as she pointed out his addiction. She licked her
lips and the man flinched. The fact he didn’t like women made it harder to
control him but they had found other ways to make him play with them. If he
declined then she would play upon his true weakness—his lost love.

“If you help us, your reward will be great.”

As if he had a choice.

The man looked down. His internal battle danced across his
face. He finally replied, “Yes, mistress. I will help you.”

The Witch took a step forward and grabbed the man by the
face. She applied just enough pressure to his jaw to show him that she was
serious. “If you fail, then you will die.” She placed a kiss on his lips
sealing her vow. “We’ll be watching.”

His body shook and tears filled his eyes as she let him go.

“Oh, he’s going to cry. It’s just so sad, really,” one of
the sisters laughed.

The eldest sister never took her eyes off the man. “He’ll be
fine, if he doesn’t fuck up.”

* * * * *

Ian raised his eyes to the sky. They were losing time and
they needed to get out of the woods before twilight. Their trip was nothing
more than a race against time and they were falling behind again.

“What happens if we don’t get out of the woods before dark?”
Lexi asked.

He cursed under his breath. He’d hoped she wouldn’t notice
his anxiety but he should have known she would pick up on it. He debated on how
much to tell her. He didn’t want her to worry but she also needed to know.

“Bad things come out of the woods at night. If we don’t make
it out, the Witches will be the least of our worries. There are animals that
kill and people who do worse things than that.”