“Most wouldn’t resist the offer of power, no matter what its form.” She tapped a nail against her knee, still watching his face for any breaks.
“I don’t crave power, never have.” Not even as a teenager, when he’d first been given the offer. At first, staying human had been a small tie to his father, something to connect him to the life he’d had before he’d known about magic. But now? His stepfather’s offer still stood, he knew that. Now he was just... fine the way he was.
“Huh,” she said.
“What?” He used his chopsticks to spear a snow pea pod out of one of the cartons on the table. She was still staring at him when he sat back. His eyebrows arched. “What, Selina?”
She licked her lower lip, and his gaze zeroed in on that unconsciously sensual movement. That tongue had slid over his body the night before, and he wanted that again. He wanted more from her. A lot more. For whatever reason, she’d decided to give him just that, even though they were working together day and night. His blood heated at the thought of the nights they’d have, and he reached out to run the tip of his finger from the top of her foot to her bent knee.
A shiver went through her, and her gaze darkened in rising awareness. “I’ve never met a Normal like you. At least not one so young.”
“What am I like?” He didn’t really care. His cock had gone hard in his pants, and he leaned closer to her to kiss her shoulder. Her perfume filled his nose, something sweet and edged in exotic spice. Perfect for her, and a heady aphrodisiac when mixed with the scent of her musky desire.
“Confident. No bullshit.” Her voice was just a little breathless, and he liked that. She swallowed audibly. “Comfortable in your own skin.”
He’d thought the same thing about her, but he wouldn’t argue with the assessment. Dodging live fire in a battle, and having life drop-kick him more than once meant he’d learned what he was made of a long time ago. He knew himself, and his chosen careers hadn’t left a lot of room for illusions, innocence, or any kind of bullshit. “And most Normals aren’t like that?”
“No.” Her breath caught as he eased his hand under the edge of her pants and between her legs to tease the lips of her sex. She was wet, ready. “Especially not Normal men. Fragile little male egos that annoy the shit out of me. Toddlers have more maturity.”
He snorted and leaned back, withdrawing his hand. “Wow. Okay. Tell me how you really feel.”
“You’re wearing too many clothes.” Her gaze roamed over his body. “That’s how I really feel.”
“Oh, yeah?” He chuckled, liking the way she looked at him, the way she talked about him, probably more than he should.
“I can take care of that for you.” That little pink tongue darted out to lick her lips again, and his cock jerked in response.
“Feel free.”
A wicked grin formed on her face, and she snapped her fingers. Goose bumps rose on his flesh—one of the few indicators humans had when magic was in use around them. A rush of warm air swirled around his legs, and when he looked down, his clothes were neatly folded and sitting beside his bare feet. “Huh. There’s a trick I haven’t seen before.”
“You like?” She purred, running one nail up his naked thigh. Her pajamas had also magically disappeared.
“Uh-huh. I like.” He reached over with his chopsticks and pinched her nipple.
“Hey!” She laughed and jerked back, smacking his hand away, but she shivered and both her nipples beaded tight. “Those things are greasy with Chinese food.”
“You know, you’re right. I think I got something on you. Here, let me take care of that.” He dropped the chopsticks on the table, bent forward, and sucked the tip of her breast into his mouth.
She moaned, her fingers threading through his hair. He liked her hands on him, but he wanted her silky skin rubbing against his. He wanted inside her. Tugging on her legs, he shifted their position until she stretched out beneath him on the couch.
Ah, yeah. That was what he’d craved. Every inch of her slender body pressed to his. He flicked his tongue over her nipple, circled it, bit it lightly, and loved her sounds of pleasure kissing his ears.
He touched her everywhere he could reach, the outsides of her thighs, up her ribs, the undersides of her arms. Sliding his hands until he held her wrists, he pulled them over her head to pin them to the couch cushion.
Humming in her throat, she tugged at her wrists, but he held them there and sucked her earlobe into his mouth to distract her from the fact that he had her pinned. She could escape using magic, but she’d have to focus enough to put together a defensive spell. He’d found in his work that having a diversion ready to go at all times could save him from getting fried by even the most powerful Magickals.
Now he used that to his advantage. He liked the way Selina’s stretched position arched her into him, pressed her breasts firmly against his chest. Sucking on her earlobe, he scraped it with the edges of his teeth. Her moan, and the shock of a hot pleasure spell streaking down his skin, told him the last thing on her mind was escaping his hold.
Her legs wrapped tight around his waist, lifting her hips to rub her soaking pussy against the head of his cock. His teeth sank into her lobe and a groan ripped out of him. She squealed and tilted her head to shove her ear into his mouth. Jesus, she was so responsive, especially with those cute little elf ears. Something else he’d be taking shameless advantage of for as long as he had her in his bed. Or on her couch. The floor. Wherever, whenever he could get inside her.
“Gods, Laramie.” She tugged at his grip on her hands in sharp, insistent jerks. “Will you fuck me already?”
Hell, yes, he would. He shackled her wrists together in one hand, and used the other to reach between them to grasp his cock. He rubbed the head over her slippery folds and her hard clit while she arched herself higher and tried to force him into her pussy. He was tempted to make her wait, to tease her until she went crazy for him, but he didn’t have the restraint left.
He wanted her too much to wait.
Guiding himself to her opening, he eased in the first inch of his cock. He had to grit his teeth against the staggering sensation of her tight, slick heat closing around his dick. The sound of need that exploded from her did nothing to help his control. She snapped her hips up to take more.
“Jack, Jack, Jack,” she chanted his name, and he couldn’t take the temptation.
He thrust deep, hilting his cock in one swift movement. She screamed, tried to escape his hold on her again, and ground her pelvis upward. A groan dragged out of his throat at the explosion of sensations. Her body moving against him fed a need he’d never known he had, something that went deeper than he wanted to even consider. Dark, sizzling magic poured from her, sent fire arcing over his skin. Not a real burn, but it sank within him and fanned the flames inside. It was consuming, demanding he give everything to the experience.
He bucked his hips, driving deeper into her, then withdrew and did it again. Jesus, it was perfect. He buried his face in her throat, sucking and biting the tendon that connected neck to shoulder. The intensity of the spell she cast raised every hair on his body and sent a shudder running through him. That wrenching dual perception of her desires and his melded in his consciousness. How she loved the way he pierced her, filled her, tangled with how it felt to thrust into her wet pussy.
They both groaned in pleasure when he bit her throat, sighed when her legs tightened around his waist, rocking her body into his. Through it all, his rhythm didn’t falter. He plunged his cock into her, over and over, needing that connection.