Kiss of Moonlight (12 page)

Hell, she hadn’t been interested in long-term relationships at all. The men she’d dated in the past had never stuck around for more than a month.

So what are you doing with Kyle, who happens to be a freaking werewolf?

Since she didn’t want to think about that, she flung herself out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

But the lingering thought wouldn’t leave her as she took a quick shower and dressed in a light sundress. She’d had shorts in her hand but had decided at the last minute to wear a dress. She wanted to be feminine and sexy.
For him.

When she walked out into the kitchen, she saw Kyle sitting at the breakfast bar, the small television on the counter tuned to CNN but too low for her to hear it. Could he? Was his hearing that good because he was part wolf? Was he part wolf? What actually happened when he changed? Was his brain still human?

So many mind-blowing questions.
So few answers.

She wanted—no, she needed answers. And only he could give them to her.

“Kyle, tell me how it works. Is it
really
magic?”

Kyle had wondered how long it would take her to ask that question.

Last night she hadn’t really had time to think anything through. And he was kicking himself this morning for disregarding the tiny rational part of his brain and giving in to his much larger desire for her.

Did she regret last night? Did she wake up this morning and think, “Holy shit, I slept with an animal last night”?

Did she even still believe what she’d seen?

Some people, after a little time had passed, were able to make themselves believe anything they wanted. Had she convinced herself she really hadn’t seen Cat’s transformation last night?

What would happen when she saw him do the same?

Would it make her run all the way back to Philadelphia?

“Do you want something to eat? I’ve got blueberry muffins or cereal or I could make you some eggs.”

She didn’t answer right away, just slid onto the stool next to his. “Are you going to ignore my questions?”

He sighed and took a second look at her. The timid girl who’d shown up for dinner had vanished sometime during the night. He couldn’t say he didn’t like this new Tam. He liked
her a
hell of a lot better than he did the scared girl spilling out her bruised heart to what she thought was a dog.

But he didn’t handle questions well, especially not about himself. He had too much to hide.

Still, if he had any chance in hell of keeping her with him until he found out who had orchestrated the botched kidnapping last night, he better find answers.

“I’ll answer your question but you still need to eat.”

She rolled her eyes, reminding him for a split second of Cat. They weren’t that far apart in age and—

That was really not what he wanted to think about now.

She huffed.
“Fine.
I’ll have a muffin and coffee. And I’ll get them myself. You,” she looked straight into his eyes, “start talking.”

His lips quirked up in a smile.
Yeah, he liked this Tam a lot better than the frightened girl. “Where do you want me to start?”

“At the beginning.”

Ah.
History.
He could do that. It was detached.
And not specifically about him.
“The
lucani
are descended from the ancient Etruscans, who taught the Romans everything they knew so they could go out and conquer the world. Our civilization has been around for millennia. What the history books don’t tell you is that the Etruscans controlled a powerful magic and still do.

“There are two races.
The
Fata
and the
Enu
.
The
Fata
are the elemental beings,
folletti
and
linchetti
. The
Enu
are humans,
streghe
and the
versipelli
being the two biggest groups.”

She turned from the counter where she was pouring coffee from the pot, her face screwed up in a slight frown. “What are
folletti
and
linchetti
?”

“Fairies and elves.”
As her mouth dropped open in amazement, his lips curved in a grin. “But if you ever meet a
folletta
, don’t call her a fairy. They don’t take too kindly to it.”

“So…you’re human, right?”

He nodded as she returned to her stool with a steaming mug.

“And when you’re a wolf…”

“I’m still human, just with a fur coat. I won’t hurt or attack you, Tam.”

She grimaced. “That’s not what I was thinking about.
Although…can you make someone into a
versipelli
?”

“Yes, but it’s difficult and as good as forbidden. It’s like being infected with a virus except you’re infected with magic. The body undergoes a violent change and most people don’t survive.”

“But you were born like this. And so was Cat.”

“Yeah.
We’re taught how to control ourselves and our bodies at a young age.
Even before we transform for the first time somewhere around puberty.
Some don’t make it through. And the
streghe
, the witches like Cat and her mom,
Margorie
, they’re born with their powers.”

“So there really is magic.”

“Yeah, and it’s something some people would kill to get their hands on.”

She paused as she thought that over. “Do you think someone is trying to use me to get to you? We didn’t even know each other until yesterday.”

“No, that’s not what I think.”

Her expression turned thoughtful. “Then… Wait, do you think… Are you trying to say I have magic?”

Tricky going here
.
“How much do you know about your great-grandfather?”

Her eyes widened. “Are you going to tell me he was an Etruscan, like you?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah, he was. Did you know he changed his name from
Guliano
to Johnson when he emigrated here?”

Her frown looked almost painful. “No, I never knew. But…but I don’t have powers. I don’t have any magic.”

“That’s not exactly true. I can detect the faintest trace of
arus
in your blood. That’s not unusual. A lot of people have it and don’t even know. But your great-grandfather knew.”

Her mouth dropped open before she quickly shut it. “Get out.”

“I think whoever set up last night’s attempted kidnapping knows too.”

“And that’s why those men were after me? But I can’t do anything. Why would they want me?”

“I don’t know. That’s what I’m hoping we can find out from Tira.”

* * * * *

By the time they reached the boundaries of New
Tarquin
, the
boschetta
’s
village, Kyle wondered if
Tamra
was worried or stunned.

She hadn’t said much on the ride over. Then again, he’d had the music on, thinking it might give them both a reprieve from conversation. Queen’s
Greatest Hits
. Who didn’t love Queen?

And he didn’t want to keep asking her if she was okay. But the longer they
drove,
the more tense she got. He could smell it.

And since it was ratcheting up his stress level, he could only think of one possible solution.

Just after turning off the rural two-lane road onto the unmarked lane leading to the village, he pulled his Wrangler onto the shoulder of the road.

As the car bumped to a stop, Tam blinked and turned to him.

“Is this it? Are we here?”

He didn’t answer. Turning off the engine but letting the music continue, he got out and walked around to her side of the car. Queen’s “Somebody to Love” began to blare from the speakers.

“Kyle?”

Opening her door, he reached for her as she turned to him, a question in the wrinkle of her nose.

Which he wiped off when he lifted her out of the car and against him.

Dropping his mouth on hers, he kissed her. He’d had only the vaguest notion that he wanted her to relax. Hell, last night, after sex, she’d practically gone boneless and passed out.

So he kissed her. He just didn’t expect to lose himself in the sensation of her lips against his.
At least not this fast.

Which just showed how much of a fool he was.

Because the second she opened her mouth to him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and her fingers winding into his hair, he lost all control of the situation.

His cock hardened instantly and painfully. And when she lifted her legs to wrap them around his waist, she arched into him, rubbing against his erection until he throbbed.

He hadn’t been ready for her complete participation. He’d expected to have to coax her into the kiss. He hadn’t expected her to devour him.

But by that point, he didn’t care.
Didn’t give a shit that they were standing on an open road.
That someone could drive by and see them.

He didn’t think he’d notice if someone stopped to take pictures.

All that mattered was getting his hand under the skirt of her pretty blue-and-white sundress and sinking his fingers into her warm, wet pussy.

Vaffanculo
, she wasn’t wearing underwear.

He swore his body temperature rose two hundred degrees at the thought.

With her legs around his waist, she was held open for him. Her moan when he slicked his fingers through her labia blew a few more brain cells as all the blood in his body rushed south.

By sheer luck, he managed to get her propped against the side of the car as his fingers continued to tease her. Her clit hardened and he mercilessly played the tiny bundle of nerves until his fingers were coated in her juices. He wished he had the time to lay her back on the hood and put his mouth over her pussy, lap at her until she came against his mouth, but that would expose her too much.

Instead, he played with
her,
let his fingers glide through her wet folds. Slick moisture coated his skin as he stroked her until she was just on the brink, her body trembling and so close to orgasm he could smell it. Setting her on the bumper, he pulled a condom from his back pocket, then unhooked his jeans and released the zipper. He pushed them over his hips and released his cock, also bare of underwear.

Ripping open the packet, he covered himself then pulled her back into his arms. Hers wound around his neck as her lips settled somewhere near his collarbone before kissing a heated trail to his left ear.

“Kyle,” she whispered.
“Hurry.”

Her husky voice had his blood chugging through his veins like heated honey. He had to have her. Shoving her skirt out of the way, he lowered her onto his cock and seated himself in one motion.

Her head fell back on a gasp and burning lust shivered through him like liquid silver. He paused, holding her, watching pleasure overtake her until he couldn’t stay still any longer.

His hips pulled back then
thrust,
her grip around him exquisite. Like a fucking glove.

“Gods, Tam, you are so damn tight.”

Her pussy tightened around him even further. “And you’re so hard. Kyle, please.”

He pulled out again, the friction making his balls pull up in toe-curling need. “Please what, baby?”

He slid back in a half-inch at a time, her sheath milking him every step. He’d intended for this to be a quickie but now that he was in her, he didn’t want to come so fast. He wanted to stay there for hours.

She lifted her head and stared straight into his eyes. “Make me scream.”

Those ice-blue eyes proved his undoing.
So straightforward, so blue with desire.

So
his
.

He thrust hard, pinning her hips against the car. Her fingers yanked at his hair, the slight pain adding to his pleasure. Using his free hand to yank the stretchy top of her sundress down, he bent to take one nipple in his mouth and bit the hard tip, just enough to make her cry out his name.

Licking away the hurt as he pumped into her, he kissed his way to her
neck,
bit the soft skin just under her ear. Her scent exploded in his brain and he wound his fingers through her hair to pull her head back.

He ground his lips onto hers and thrust his tongue into her mouth, feeling his balls tighten to the point of pain. His cock throbbed, aching and on fire until finally he came. He pumped hot and hard, hoping, praying…

Yes
. She shuddered around him, her head falling back as she came, moist heat flooding over his sheathed cock.

Damn condom.

For at least a minute, he stood there, just holding her, his forehead pressed against the smooth skin of her shoulder. Every breath drew more of her scent into his lungs, that spicy-sweet essence that made him
want
to pound his chest.

Finally, she stirred, fingers kneading his scalp like a kitten with a blanket.

He didn’t want to pull out but they were already late. And, not that he cared, but they were standing along the road.

He eased back, not enough to slip from her body but just enough to see the look on her face.
Relaxed.
Sated.

So damn beautiful.

And about to meet the entire
boschetta
,
so probably not going to want to do it looking like he’d just banged her brains out against the car.

Damn, he really was an idiot.

He sighed. “Tam—”

She put her fingers over his mouth. Warm, a little moist. He wanted to suck her fingers into his mouth. They’d taste like sweat and sex and Tam.

His cock twitched and she smiled.

“If you ask me if I’m okay, I’m going to have to show you just how okay I am and I don’t think you want the police to find us while I’m giving you a blowjob.”

The image of her on her knees, sucking his cock, made blood rush to the organ in question. She clenched around him and he groaned, knowing he’d be ready to go again in minutes.