Witching Hour (13 page)

He couldn’t resist smiling back. “What about after that?”

She pursed her lips, dragging her fingers through her hair. “I remember waking up and there was this…woman staring down at me. I tried to scream, but then it was me hovering over the bed, looking down at us as I got up. I kept calling out, but it was like no one could hear me. After that it gets fuzzy again. I think I was in a car, then maybe a house, but…” She sighed. “So much for being some hotshot ghost hunter. I can’t seem to tell the difference between reality and a nightmare.” She stopped herself, her eyes going wide. “But you just said it wasn’t a dream so…shit! What happened?”

He clenched his jaw. “Let’s just say you took a trip. And it wasn’t exactly the vacation I’d hoped for.”

“Trip? But…” She inhaled, her hand reaching up to cover her mouth. “Oh, god. I went back to the farm, didn’t I? To that damn attic.”

It wasn’t really a question, and he simply nodded when her wide-eyed gaze found his.

She glanced away. “Do I want to know what happened up there?”

“Probably not.”

She spared him a quick glare. “Cal.”

“Fine. By the time Brandon and I caught up with you, you were upstairs, standing in front of that attic window with every intention of jumping. If Brandon hadn’t have grabbed me when I lunged for you…” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Things would be very different right about now.”

Fear flashed in her eyes as her mouth gaped open. She shook her head, taking a few frenzied breaths when her gaze drifted over to the table. She gasped, stumbling to her feet. “Holy shit. That’s the book I found in the attic that first night.”

She took a step toward the table when he snagged her wrist, preventing her from moving. She looked at him as he gained his feet, her confusion creasing her forehead.

She tugged against his hold. “I’m sorry I scared you, but we need to look through that book. I know it’s got answers to—”

“Jordan.”

She frowned trying to move past him again. “Damn it, Cal, let—”

“Just stop for a second, would you?”

She must have noticed the tight press of his lips and the way his other hand fisted at his side as she stopped resisting him, finally allowing her gaze to focus fully on his.

He tried to keep his rioting emotions in check as he drew his fingers along her jaw, ensuring himself it was really her. “You scared ten years off my life tonight, and I need to know you’re not still under that witch’s spell.”

“It’s me, Cal.”

“I thought it was you last night, as well, but that doesn’t seem to have been the case. At least not fully. You didn’t even register I was there tonight other than a brief turn of your head. It’s like this ghost can turn its possession on and off at the flick of a swit…” He inhaled roughly, glancing at the clock again. “Holy shit. The witching hour.”

The creases in her forehead deepened. “What?”

“The witching hour. The time between midnight and four AM.”

“I know what the witching hour is. I just don’t understand what you’re getting at.”

He held up a finger. “That’s where she gets her power from. That first time back with Dave, we didn’t arrive until after midnight. Then with you the other night, the recording stopped just as that clock struck twelve, and Brandon said you didn’t come out of your daze until early in the morning. And I’ll bet my left nut it was four o’clock, just like tonight. You made a break at midnight and woke once her window of control was over. Whatever she’s doing, it starts and stops with the clock.”

Jordan glanced at the clock behind her, her startled breath the only sound in the room as she slowly sank back on the bed, her gaze focused on the floor.

Cal cursed and went to his knees as he moved in front of her, taking her hand and palming it on his chest. “I know we need to scour that book. Search the Internet, maybe the library. Finally end whatever hold she has over this place. But cut me some slack, sweetheart. I almost lost you tonight. God, seeing you pressed against that glass…”

His voice roughened, and he looked away, not sure he could keep everything locked inside. He needed to hold her. Touch her. Prove to himself she was safe. That he hadn’t wasted all those years just to let her down. Again.

Soft fingers caressed his face and down his chest as she squeezed into the tight space between him and the bed. She didn’t speak, just leaned in, kissing his jaw as she pressed her body against his. He stayed frozen for two heartbeats before his head bowed and he wrapped his arms around her, drinking in the sweet scent of soap on her skin. She moved willingly into his embrace, her lips brushing against his cheek. He took a steadying breath then turned to look at her, mesmerized by the understanding shining in her eyes.

She dropped a chaste kiss on the tip of his nose. “Probably safer to wait until sunrise to go through that book, don’t you think? And the library won’t be open for hours. Hell, I don’t even know if we have Internet. So as far as I see it, we’ve still got half the night.”

The sincerity in her voice humbled him. He reached up and cupped his hand over hers. “You don’t have to love me because I’m feeling slightly insecure where this damn ghost is concerned.”

“Good. ‘Cause I was planning on loving because I do…love you. And I can’t think of anything more important right now than showing you just how lucky I am you’re mine.” She leaned in, giving him a sexy smile. “And you are mine, Doctor Cal Smith.”

“Since you put it that way.”

He’d hoped for the words to sound casual, but there was no disguising the need thrumming through his veins. He closed his eyes as she moved forward, taking his lips in hers. It was soft, gentle. A mere touching of skin on skin, but it took his breath away just the same, hardening his cock against his jeans. He raised one hand, sliding it along her jaw to cup the back of her neck, caressing her nape without deepening the kiss.

She smiled at him when she eased back, raising her brow. “You didn’t take over.”

“There wasn’t anything wrong with what you were doing.”

She chuckled. “There doesn’t have to be for your dominant side to kick in. But since you’re gracing me with a rare moment of submission…” She swept her gaze down his body, stopping when she reached his groin. “I know just what I want to do next.”

She moved back and curled her feet under her, using the bed to help her stand up. Then she extended her hand, grinning when he took it. She paused, almost as if she was waiting to see if he’d change his mind and pounce on her, her grin widening when he reached for his shirt, dragging it over his head.

She tsked. “I haven’t had the pleasure of undressing you yet. Though I suppose I’ll have lots of opportunities for that…”

Her fingers fell to his arms as she traced her way up to his shoulders, taking her time to swirl her hands over every vein and ridge. She made a point of squeezing his muscles as she worked her way to his chest, pausing to flick her nails across his flat nipples. His rough inhalation only made her repeat the action, this time leaning in to nip at one.

He clenched his jaw, fisting his hands as he fought the need to rip off her sweater and do the same to her nipples. But he’d already given her a silent promise of allowing her to take control. And somehow shoving her onto the bed and rutting like a wild animal before she’d even undressed him didn’t seem like the right course of action.

Jordan hummed against his skin, drawing circles across his ribs as she leaned back. “God, you’re amazing. So strong and you taste so damn hot.” She looked up to him, holding his gaze as she sank to her knees. “Let’s get rid of the pants.”

She fingered his zipper, lowering it slowly, moaning as his body was revealed an inch at a time. Her breath caught when his cock sprang free, nothing but skin beneath the denim. “Damn, baby. I didn’t realize you were bare.”

“I didn’t have time to do more than grab my pants and shoes.”

“Then I’ll have to remember to make you rush more often.” She leaned forward, licking the drop of pearly fluid off the tip. “God. You taste so damn good.” She smiled at him. “I suggest you get comfortable. This could take what’s left of the night.”

“While I love your enthusiasm. You can only tempt me so long.”

“Then I’ll take what I can get.”

She turned her attention back to the task of removing his pants, seemingly indifferent to his claim. Damn, but the woman knew how to excite him. Other than her submission, her challenging him was just as hot.

Her fingers scratched along his thighs as she eased the fabric over his hips and down his legs, helping him step clear. She glanced at them before tossing them aside, not bothering to look where they landed. She hummed her approval as she grasped the base of his shaft, running her closed fist up to the tip before drawing it back down. More fluid beaded from the thin slit, and she moaned as she lapped at the head, curling her tongue around the crown before opening her mouth and taking him deep inside.

Warm wet flesh moved over his shaft, sending flutters of heat down his back and into his sac. He let his head loll, the exquisite feel of her mouth hotter than he’d imagined. How she took him deep, pausing with him lodged at the back of her throat before easing him out, scraping her teeth gently across the ridged bottom. Her tongue lapped up every drop of pre-cum that leaked from the tip, swirling it around the head then bathing the underside as she plunged him back in.

Pleasure cascaded through his body, threatening to send him into climax when she reached between his legs and cupped his balls. Gentle pressure made him squeeze his eyes shut, the rhythmic circular motion of her hand unhinging him.

Cal growled. As much as he wanted to pump his release down her throat, he needed to make love to her more. He slid his fingers through her hair, giving the mass a light tug to gain her attention. She released his cock and looked up at him, a huff of irritation breezing across his damp skin. His shaft jerked in response, trembling within her hand as she held him firm.

He took a calming breath, remembering his unspoken vow. “Sweetheart. While I love where you want to take this, I need you more.”

He freed his hand from her hair and extended it to her, waiting to see what move she’d make next, knowing he’d grant her anything she wanted just to keep the smile on her face firmly intact. Jordan glanced at his shaft, placing a wet kiss on the head before rising in front of him, accepting his outstretched hand.

He smiled, shuffling them over the few feet to the bed, stopping her from climbing on. He held up a finger then shifted his hands to her sweater, lifting it over her head. Soft, pale skin gleamed in the dull light, her nipples already tight buds.

“Looks like I wasn’t the only one who forgot to put on all their clothes.” He leaned in, brushing his lips across her ear. “I hope this means the rest of you is bare, too.”

She snagged her bottom lip as he unzipped her pants and shoved them over her hips, humming when more skin greeted his fingertips. He gave her ass a light smack then crawled onto the bed, once again inviting her with a reach of his hand. She laughed and pounced on him, taking them both back on the mattress. He cushioned their impact, claiming her mouth when it touched his. She opened readily for him, tangling her tongue with his, letting him know she was still in control. He didn’t resist, content to let her lead, as long as that meant her straddling his legs and climbing on top of him.

Jordan lingered in the kiss, the pureness of it humbling him. After all the time apart. After leaving her without a proper explanation…still she gave more of herself than he’d ever dreamed possible. And he knew once she’d loved him, he’d never look at life the same. Never see it without her in it.

She smiled down at him as she eased up, palming his chest as she cradled his cock against her slit. Her juices coated his length, heating him like liquid fire, but she didn’t try to slip him inside her. Instead, she rocked back and forth, brushing the head across her clit. Tiny contractions teased his shaft, and he knew she was close.

He moved his hands to her hips, helping her tilt them. “I can’t wait any longer, sweetheart. You’d best find a rhythm or I will.”

“Bossy.”

She stuck her tongue out at him but raised her hips, sliding down his length one last time before rolling her pelvis and lodging him at her entrance. She took a quick breath then eased lower, sinking him inside her an inch at a time. A volley of sensations assaulted his shaft, each one more intense than the last. He snugged his hands around her hips, helping her lift up only to curse when she slammed back down, plunging him deep and slapping his balls against her ass.

The hard penetration seemed to affect her even more. Her head dropped back as a luscious moan passed her full lips. Beads of sweat dotted her smooth skin, the vein at the base of her neck thrumming just below the skin, making it flutter as she breathed deeply, seemingly gathering more control.

Cal smiled, moving the pad of his thumb to her pussy and flicking the tip across her clit. She gasped and rocked her hips, making another pass up and down his shaft. Each drop of her hips rubbed his finger along her nub, and he knew it was only a matter of time before she shattered, her body pulsing around him.

He gritted his teeth, using every trick he knew to keep his orgasm at bay while he watched her pleasure herself on him. The way her skin flushed with color as she bounced on his lap. Or how her hair moved with her, creating a halo of gold around her face and shoulders. Even her muscles reacted, tensing and releasing in sequence as her orgasm neared, teasing his cock with small contractions. It wasn’t until she inhaled that he realized she was on the brink.

“Fuck, sweetheart. Do you know how damn beautiful you are? Riding me. Your body strung so tight I can feel every twitch of your muscles. Every beat of your heart. Come for me, Jordan. Come around me.”

He squeezed her clit, levering his thighs, so he met every downward stroke as she opened her mouth, nothing more than a hushed breath making it past her lips. Her eyes closed as they rolled back in her head, her body spasming atop his as her climax hit her, taking all semblance of rhythm with it.