WB (18 page)

Gage would be disappointed, naturally, when at the end of my training I told him I didn't want to marry him and bear his children. But, this wasn't the dark ages after all, I had a choice in the matter.

With a smile, I held out my hand and I tried to control the shiver that raced up my spine as I felt my hand engulfed by his much larger one.

* * * *

“Again Anna, you have to learn how to mold the power to your will. Right now it is like trying to hold water on the back of your hand. You have to shape it into something useful,” he said in a perfect imitation of a British schoolmaster. If he had a pointer and black robes I would swear he was an Oxford Don.

This was the third variation of the same speech and I was tired of it. My forehead was sweaty and I had tendrils of hair sticking to my nape and straggling down inside of my shirt to tickle my upper back unbearably.

Gage on the other hand was gorgeous. The thin fabric of his khaki pants outlined the muscles of his thighs, his hair gleamed in the sunlight and the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses lent him a mysterious air. Even the man's feet were sexy I noticed with a frown of annoyance.

“I know you're tired honey, just a little more today and then we can take a break, hmm?

Maybe watch a movie, eat some dinner?” He had a winning smile on his face and I couldn't help but smile back.

I felt my annoyance wash away like so much sea foam. He really was a nice and

thoughtful man when he wasn't trying to kidnap me and ruin my life.

I held my hands out to my sides, my palms face down and closed my eyes. I felt my feet on the beach and the sand tickled my toes in a pleasant way.

The waves crashed behind me and watery sunlight warmed my upturned face. A gentle breeze cooled my sweaty brow and I took a deep breath to calm my thoughts.

I felt a pulsing in the ground. Like a giant slow heart beating and I matched my breathing to it. The pulsing rhythm grew louder until it was all I could hear. I felt the world slide away and I nearly staggered to the side as I struggled to connect with the earth. My body felt light and insubstantial as I drifted closer to a glowing river that ran parallel to the human world. The earth was like a giant apple and the river ran under the skin, a glowing power stream right under my WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 72

feet.

Unlike my previous eight tries, I felt a wave of love and joy wash over me as I got closer to the shimmering water. The river was so beautiful and seemed to call out to me and more than anything I wanted to touch it. I wanted to jump in and bathe in it's golden radiance. All my worries would disappear once I was held in it's warm embrace ….

With a painful thud I came back to the beach and looked up into Gage's worried face,

“Stop at the river, understand? Don't touch it and don't go too close to it or you will never come back!”

He looked almost frantic and kept running his hands over my hair and face in a nervous way. I kinda liked having his hands on me again, so I didn't say anything. With an embarrassed frown he dropped his hands and backed up a step.

I smiled blissfully and he laughed shakily, “You did good, real good. I think you're ready to learn a few basic spells now.”

“Great, wonderful, brilliant, aren't I the lucky girl?” I muttered. But he had already started walking towards a large duffel bag he brought with him for our practice session and didn't hear me.

“This is a useful spell, it isn't really a first level one. But, I think you will really enjoy it; Invisibility,” he said this last with a real flourish, like a chef pulling the cover off a rack of lamb for his amazed guests to ooh and ahh over.

I think my problem was that just a few days ago I worked all day, went home and

watched TV before crawling into bed too late at night and then started the whole thing again the next day.

As boring as it made me sound, I'd been content with that life. I liked knowing what to expect from each day. I liked making plans for the weekend, such as buy a plant for the kitchen window or picking up the new Naomi Novik at the library. There was something to be said for a simple, predictable life.

I knew that it was over, I could never go back to that, but I wasn't willing to give up everything for Gage, who at the moment was really pissing me off with his little treats and revelations.

I made myself concentrate on what he was saying and was unwillingly intrigued at the thought of being invisible. We rehearsed the spell a second time and then he stood back and with a sweeping gesture of his arm he urged me to complete the spell alone.

The spell was a simple one and involved a draw of ley line power and a potion. A small portable camp stove was set up on a low table on the beach and I carefully measured five nigella seeds, three drops of bay laurel oil, a scraping of cinnamon bark and three daisy petals, gave it a good stir with a copper spoon five times widdershins and then I tipped it all down in one go.

Ack! The taste was bitter and rotten and I felt an unwelcome urge to vomit overcome me. I lifted my hand to my mouth hoping I could stave off the nausea with a few deep breaths when I noticed that I couldn't see my hand anymore.

I held my arm out before me and gave a small shriek of horror, my arm was gone too! I knew the spell was for invisibility, but now I knew that I had done the spell not really expecting it to work. There was a part of me, the rational part that couldn't accept magic, not even after seeing my brother fly, my mother make flowers rain from the sky and Gage juggling fireballs.

Magic just wasn't a part of a rational universe.

“Anna, it will wear off in a few minutes and you will be just the same afterward.” Gage WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 73

said soothingly from behind me.

I nodded my head and laughed when I realized he couldn't see me and was staring at a spot about five feet to my left. This was so strange. Being invisible was exciting and liberating and I had an insane urge to sneak up on Gage and give him a tickle, not good, the man didn't need any encouragement from me to get closer.

I walked around the beach in circles enjoying the way I cast no shadow and watching as Gage's eyes stayed firmly stuck on the ground watching my footprints to keep track of where I was going.

Watching him follow me gave me the idea that I could lose him by walking into the ocean and then following the beach a ways until I got to a more inhabited area, but the moment I walked into the water I felt a strange tickling sensation and suddenly I could see my body again.

“Water and salt negate any spell. Any kind of running water or salt makes spell casting impossible. That's important to keep in mind if you are ever in danger. Rule number one of witch safety: stay away from water.”

I thought about that a moment and remembered the dousing that colonial peoples had given suspected witches. Maybe some of the women had been witches but the water kept them from doing anything to help themselves. I shivered with fear at the thought of those women, helpless and drowning, how terrible.

I walked out of the water. The bottoms of my pants were soaking wet and I felt a bit bedraggled and tired now. We had been practicing for several hours and it was surprisingly draining. My head ached a little and my eyes felt gritty from the strain.

I saw Gage check his watch and with a smile in my direction he began to pack up the practice supplies. I moved to help him and our hands collided as we both reached for the long, copper spoon I used to stir the invisibility potion. I tried to pull my hand back but he was faster and he pulled my hand up to his mouth and gave the center of my palm a gentle kiss. I felt a blush heating my face and when I met his eyes he had a wicked grin on his and he ran a gentle finger across my cheek.

“You're a shy thing aren't you?” He said looking me over with a heated expression.

I pulled away so quickly I landed on my butt in the sand. I ignored his hand and scrambled to my feet alone.

Why did he have to try so hard? Just when I started to feel easy around him, he did something like touch my face or kiss my hand. He made me want to get closer to him. When I put it that way it seemed pretty ridiculous for me to get so upset about him, but I was so on edge with him around. I had the feeling that even if I had never had a single dream about him I would feel the same way.

“No. I am not shy. You're supposed to keep your hands to yourself, remember?” He gave me a mock chastened look but stepped closer, too close for comfort.

“I said I would leave you alone during practice.”

I felt the blood rush to my face with anger as I watched his smile turn wicked. I turned to walk away, but he was faster. I felt his hands on my shoulders, but I didn't want to struggle away from him. I was curious about what he would do and I couldn't stop thinking about what happened upstairs on his bed, would he do it again? Would I like it as much as the last time?

Would I want him to stop?

His lips were hot as they traveled along my neck and with a moan of longing I turned into his embrace. His shirt was unbuttoned and I gave into my longing and pressed my lips against WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 74

the skin that was exposed by the collar and was elated to hear him groan with pleasure at my touch.

His hands were rough and gentle at the same time as I felt him pulling me to the large rug he had spread out for the table and camp stove. I felt the silken fibers against my back as he spread me out carefully on the ground and then settled at my side.

His hands traveled the length of my body as he carefully measured my waist, skimmed along the sides of my breasts and then down the length of my legs before coming to rest on my cheek. With a sigh I turned to him and his hot mouth covered mine in a kiss that was wet and desperate. Our tongues twisted around each other and I moaned as I felt his warm hands sliding up under my shirt to cover my peaking breast.

His mouth pulled away and I watched as he tried to undo the buttons of my shirt, and finally, with a muttered oath, he grabbed both sides and with a wrenching pull, the buttons flew off and my shirt was pushed to the sides revealing my lace covered breasts.

The bra was one that Taryn bought for me in London and I was fiercely glad that he was seeing me in it instead of my monoboob inducing sports bra. It was a delicate nude colored lace and the cups gently molded my breasts without giving them an unnatural squashed look. It was sexier and prettier than what I was used to and I could see by the slight grin on his face and the way his eyes widened, he liked what he saw.

His long fingers danced along the tops of my breasts, gently teasing my nipples through the fabric and driving me insane with longing. More than anything I wanted his mouth on my nipples again, but I was suddenly mute and couldn't get a word out. I looked into his eyes silently telling him what I wanted and with a wicked twist of his mouth he continued to touch everywhere but where I most needed him.

My head rolled back and I gave a helpless moan knowing that there wasn't anything I could say that would make him hurry to his goal. With gentle hands I felt him undo the clasp and cool air touched me causing my nipples to ruche tight with excitement. Next I felt his hot mouth covering my breast, sucking lightly at the tip and I wiggled with delight.

I pushed at the fabric of his shirt wanting to feel his chest pressed against mine and he sat up and pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Then he was next to me, his body was warm and smooth and powerful and I wanted him closer still. I slid closer and it wasn't enough.

His hands were against my lower abdomen and I felt the zip slide down on my pants and I lifted my hips a little so that he could pull them down. He stopped when my pants were at my ankles and gave me a serious look.

“I won't be able to stop this time,” he warned me.

I sat up and pushed my pants the rest of the way off and he reached for the waistband of my panties with eager hands and with an inarticulate cry I grabbed his hand to stop him and my legs clenched together in apprehension.

He gave a half laugh, half groan and then with a look of resolve hooked one finger under the top of the elastic, tickling the sensitive skin it covered and leaned down to carefully kiss first my belly then my fabric covered mound. I squirmed in delight and fear at his touching me in such an intimate place. I was too aware of his finger under the waistband and as much as I tried, I couldn't relax my legs enough to allow him to lay between them like he had before.

I watched as he kissed me again and this time his tongue slowly darted out and traced the small indent in the fabric. His tongue lapped at the fabric and pushed inward until I could feel pressure against my throbbing clit and my juices slowly dampened the fabric making it cling in WARLOCK’S BRIDE JENNIFER RINEHART 75

an enticing way.

I hardly noticed when he peeled the panties down and his finger replaced his tongue. I was moaning and making mewling gasping cries that I never would have thought could come out of my mouth. With a sob of excitement I felt him drag my panties down my legs and then he shoved my thighs apart to make way for him to lie between them.

I moaned eagerly as he used both hands to spread my plump labia apart baring my

throbbing clit to his eyes and with his tongue he licked and sucked and penetrated my throbbing slit in a primal rhythm making my legs shake and my throat hoarse from moaning as he brought me to a screaming orgasm with his mouth.

I was quivering with aftershocks and a relaxing feeling of lassitude swept over me as I felt one finger slide gently into my tightness. I gasped in shock realizing that while I had climaxed, gloriously in an earth shattering way, he was still partially dressed.