The Mammoth Book of Hot Romance Page 14

  “Now.” He turned and pointed me towards the door. “Finish what you’ve started. Go downstairs and take what you will. Own this cloak, use it.” His eyes glittered with power but not of the supernatural kind. “Master it.”

  I turned again and stared at myself in the mirror with a confused expression. He stood just slightly behind me and watched. Waited.

  Master it.

  My hand found his and I pulled it around me, putting it on my breast while I watched. He let me and kept it there when I removed my hand and encircled his cock again. He let out a small sound and it emboldened me to stroke his length again. It was probably too soon for sex again but while I stroked, I stared at him. “Kiss me.”

  He smiled and pulled my head back before closing his lips over mine. I nipped at his tongue and pulled his head closer while I continued to stroke him erect again. When I moved back at last, I smiled. “I think I understand.”

  “Yes? Then prove it.”

  I swept out of the room with the robe blowing in a breeze I created. Anton didn’t follow but instead crawled back into bed. I shut the door behind me so he could rest. Walking down the hallway again, I was amazed I hadn’t noticed some of the beautiful things he owned. Even the simplest of arrangements – a smooth, carved table, the coloured vase that spouted flowers – they were intended to entice the senses. Elevate the mind and body.

  Yes. I understood now.

  Ethan was at the bottom of the staircase, staring up at me with mingled terror and lust. “Are you OK? Did he hurt you?”

  My bare feet stopped right in front of him and I guided his hands to my bare waist. He tried to pull back but the fire that had grown in my stomach had moved to my chest and to my hands. He was helpless against the magic, even as I leaned in and sucked his tongue into my mouth, nipped it.

  Owned it.

  When I ended the kiss, his eyes were wide and hungry and his fingers were digging deep into my hips. “No. He didn’t hurt me. He taught me.” I undid Ethan’s bow tie and pulled him along by it. “And now it’s time to teach you.”

  We went into the library, my feet remembering the path when I’d followed Anton. I selected a book from the far right side of the shelf and revelled in the weight of the embossed paper, the cool slick sensation of the leather against my bare skin. The heady knowledge of what I was going to do with it tightened my skin.

  The magic in my stomach continued to guide Ethan as we walked back and it chose a very different part of clothing than his tie to pull him along by. He groaned and followed along obediently until we were inside the study. Had it only been last night? It felt so very different now.

  I sat down in the big red chair and raised my legs until they were over the arms and the robe was spread to reveal my naked, restless body. “Lick me, Ethan, and then fuck me while I read.”

  What’s difference between a witch and a sorceress?

  A witch follows the magic and does what she can.

  A sorceress owns the magic and does what she will.

  Ethan had no choice but to kneel in front of me. I gave him no choice. I moaned as I felt his tongue flick against my once again hungry body and his hands caress my still-swollen breasts. I rested the book on his soft black hair and, without any effort at all, lifted the front cover.

  It would be night again soon and I wanted to be prepared to show Anton the sorcery I’d learned before I went back to the village … and made it my own.

  Blind Date

  N. J. Walters

  “I won’t do it.” Audra Simmons glared at her best friend. Make that her former best friend. “How could you do this to me?”

  “Come on, Audra. It’s just a blind date. He’s a nice guy.”

  Audra rubbed her forehead. She had a nasty headache brewing and Joyce wasn’t helping with her plug for Mr Nice Guy. She took a deep breath and tried again. “You know I don’t date. Not since—” She abruptly shut her mouth, refusing to speak his name.

  “’t Tyson.” The sympathy in Joyce’s voice stiffened Audra’s spine. No, she hadn’t dated since Tyson Brewer had left her eight long months ago. Their relationship had gone from wonderful to disastrous in such a short time it had left her reeling, unwilling and unable to trust her instincts when it came to men. She’d had visions of them taking their relationship to the next level. She’d even begun to entertain thoughts of marrying the man. Instead, she’d ended up with a heartache that hadn’t gone away. Not yet.

  “That’s beside the point,” she pointed out to Joyce. “I’m busy. Starting my own law practice has taken up all my time.” That was the one good thing that had come from the break-up. She’d taken stock of her life and redefined her priorities.

  “I thought the whole point of leaving Barstow, Plimpton and Dyer was so that you would stop working yourself to death and actually have a life,” Joyce pointed out.

  Audra hated that her friend was right.

  That was one of the few things she and Tyson had argued about – work. His and hers. She’d been pushing hard to make junior partner and he’d been putting in long hours with the engineering firm he worked for, which did a lot of overseas work. Near the end, they’d hardly had any time together, reduced to communicating by cell phone and email.

  Audra took a deep breath and slowly released it. She glanced around her small office and smiled. This was one thing she’d done right in the past eight months. She’d left the corporate rat race behind and now spent her days working with small businesses and individual clients, taking care of their legal concerns. Even with starting her own small firm, she had more free hours than she was used to.

  “Please, Audra. Tom already told him you’d go.” Tom was Joyce’s husband. A bear of a man, he ran his own construction company and loved his wife to distraction. He’d also done a lot of the work on Audra’s new offices … for free. She owed him, owed both of them for being friends and supporting her through everything.

  “What’s his name?”

  Joyce fidgeted with the strap of her purse. “His name?” she parroted.

  Audra raised one eyebrow. “Mr Nice Guy does have a name, doesn’t he?”

  Her friend gave a small laugh. “Of course he does. It’s David.”

  Audra waited, but when nothing more seemed to be forthcoming, she prompted Joyce. “David what?”

  “Just David. We thought it was better to keep it to first names. No pressure. Just two people meeting one another. If you decide to exchange more information when you meet, that’s entirely up to you.”

  She wasn’t certain she liked the sound of that. Audra frowned at her friend as she sidled towards the door. “I was going to Google him.” In this day and age a woman couldn’t be too careful. Information was readily available at the click of a mouse. It only made sense to check out a potential date.

  “Where’s the romance in that?” Joyce huffed. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Audra. “I swear, there’s no romance, no mystery left in the world. The man is perfectly safe and acceptable. I wouldn’t have agreed to set up the date otherwise. Trust me.”

  Audra felt her resistance weakening. What would one short date hurt? Maybe she had been working too hard lately. It was an hour or so of her time in a public place. Perfectly safe. Plus, it would make her friend happy. “OK. I’ll do it.” She held up her hand as Joyce let out a small squeal. “But this is the first and last time. No more blind dates.”

  “I promise.” Joyce made the sign of an “X” over her heart. “You won’t regret this.”

  Famous last words, Audra thought hours later as she strode into the upscale jazz bar where she was meeting her date. She was already regretting it. “Not the right attitude,” she muttered. She’d promised Joyce she’d keep an open mind and try to have fun. Easier said than done.

  Work had run late and she’d had to hurry home in order to shower and change. In spite of the lack of time, she’d pulled out all the stops. It had been such a long time since she’d prepared for an evening out with a man
that she’d almost forgotten how much she enjoyed the preparation, the entire ritual that came before the actual date.

  She’d shaved her legs and slathered on her favourite vanilla-scented body lotion. She’d swept her shoulder-length brown hair into a sophisticated twist, anchoring it with a sterling silver clip. The long-sleeved black dress she wore was deceptively simple. It had a round neck but was cut extremely low in the back. She paired it with a pair of three-inch black pumps and a simple black purse with a gold-chain strap that she hooked over her shoulder. With her make-up done to perfection and her lips slicked with passionate plum lipstick, she knew she looked good.

  She glanced at her reflection in the mirrored wall of the foyer. Yup. She looked hot. Not that she’d done it for her date. She had no idea who he was or if she’d even like him. No, she’d done it for herself.

  Audra realized that Joyce was right. She hadn’t gone on a date for months. Worse, she hadn’t felt like a desirable woman. Just the simple act of rolling thigh-high stockings on over her smooth legs, of primping and pampering herself, had made her feel confident, womanly.

  There was something sensual about rubbing her damp, naked skin with lotion, pulling on a sexy lace thong that only she knew she wore. It wasn’t about attracting a man, it was about making herself feel like a sexual being once again. Like a woman.

  Butterflies fluttered in her belly. Part nerves, part excitement. It was time to put the past behind her and make a fresh start. A date with this mystery man, David, was a step forwards. Tonight was all about new beginnings. It was only drinks, hardly even a real date, but it was a step in the right direction.

  Confident in her appearance, she gripped the brass handle and pulled open the inner door. Voices assailed her, along with the low thrum of jazz. The place was full, but Joyce had told her that her date would be sitting just beyond the far end of the bar wearing a purple shirt.

  Several attractive men tried to catch her eye as she made her way through the crowd. She smiled inwardly, even as she put a little more sway into her walk. Oh yeah, nothing like a few admiring glances to get the juices flowing again.

  Audra relaxed and enjoyed the male attention. It was the first she’d had in months. She’d have a drink with her date, maybe stay an hour or so and then head home. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy that hour.

  Letting her lips curve upwards, she pushed onwards to the end of the bar. Just beyond, she could see several small tables scattered around. They were as tall as the bar, with leather-backed stools surrounding them. Most were occupied by couples or groups of women or men scoping out the action. But there was one, mostly in shadow, that had only one patron. That had to be him.

  The closer she got, the more butterflies fluttered in her stomach. She was actually nervous, which was utterly ridiculous. It was a drink. Nothing more. She took a deep breath when he stood and she caught a glimpse of the cuff of his shirt. It was purple. It was him.

  His face was shrouded in shadows, but there was something about him that struck a chord deep inside her. Something familiar. She slowed her step, hesitant to take the final few that would bring her to thetable.

  He stilled. She could sense the rise in tension, even though she was surrounded by a throng of people. This was ridiculous. She squared her shoulders and walked forwards, sticking out her hand. “Hi, I’m Audra.”

  He captured her hand and she caught her breath as his fingers closed around hers. Her entire body quivered with anticipation, with dread. Her date leaned forwards and she caught her first glance of his rugged features. Long, black hair was pulled back with a leather thong, displaying his high cheekbones, crooked nose and strong jaw to perfection. She knew this face intimately. Had touched the rough, stubbled chin a thousand times, had kissed those firm, hard lips even more.

  “Hello, Audra.”

  Tyson was surprised he could form a two-word sentence. He’d almost bitten off his tongue when he’d seen her coming towards him, her hips swaying in a sexy, come-hither roll. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. That poised, sophisticated exterior was just a sham. Beneath it lay the most passionate woman he’d ever met.

  She tried to tug her fingers from his grasp, but he tightened his hold. He couldn’t let her bolt. Not now. He’d spent months on regrets and plans. He had her here now and he wasn’t letting her go.

  “Let go, Tyson. Or should I say, David. I’d forgotten that was your middle name.” She glared at him. “Why the subterfuge? Why did you have Joyce lie to me?”

  His answer was simple. “I’m sorry about that, but I didn’t think you’d agree to see me if I just picked up the phone and called.”

  “You were right about that.” She started to pull away again, but he tugged on her hand, pulling her off-balance.

  She stumbled, and he caught her against him. The feel of her lush breasts against his chest made him instantly hard. “We need to talk.” He whispered the words in her ear, inhaling her unique scent. He’d missed her these past months.

  She steadied herself and moved back a half-step. He hated even that slight distance between them. “We have nothing to say to one another.”

  He shook his head. “There’s too much we never said.” He used his free hand to trace the curve of her spine, almost groaning aloud when he felt nothing but soft skin. He skimmed his hand all the way to the upper swell of her ass before he felt fabric. Damn, this dress was hot. Just like her – sophisticated, yet simmering with passion.

  “The time for talking is past.” She gave him what he’d always thought of as her “lawyer” smile. All business, it was designed to put distance between them.

  He let his hand slide lower, caressing the curve of her behind. She sucked in her breath. Though the light was dim, he could see the way she caught her breath. Her tongue came out to lick her lower lip and she unconsciously swayed towards him.

  “Maybe it is,” he conceded. “Maybe this calls for action instead.” He used his hold on her to tug her closer. He lowered his mouth towards hers, giving her time to object, as he touched his lips to hers.

  Audra couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Tyson was here. Tyson was her blind date. After all these months. What did he want? Why was he here? She was going to kill Joyce when she saw her again. What had her friend been thinking? She knew how much his leaving had hurt.

  The feel of his large hands on her body sent her hormones spinning out of control. It had always been this way between them. The attraction hot and immediate. That had been part of the problem. Whenever they were together, they spent all their time in bed and no time talking about their future.

  None of th mattered now. Not with his hands making slow forays up and down her bare spine. Not with his mouth on hers, his tongue probing for entry. She clasped her hands around his shoulders for support, feeling the hard muscles ripple beneath her fingers. He smelled good too. All hot male, tinged with the woodsy soap he favoured. It was a scent that fired her libido and made her nipples stand up and take notice.

  It had been a long eight months. Passion flared as he stroked her tongue with his, enticing her to play. Her body tensed. What should she do?

  He withdrew and took a deep breath. “Let’s get out of here. Let’s go somewhere we can talk.”

  Talk was the last thing on her mind. And why not? She was single and so was he. Why shouldn’t she enjoy him one final time? When they were done, she’d be the one to walk away this time.

  Determined on her course, she nodded. Tyson wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her swiftly towards the entrance. She could feel the hard bulge of his erection pressed against the small of her back as he guided her through the crowd.

  Her body remembered his and just that small touch had her creaming her panties. She was glad when they finally left the bar behind and stepped out into the warm night air. “This way.”

  She didn’t ask where they were going. Didn’t care. She wanted, no needed, this. One final time, she promised herself. Then she’d tell him
exactly what she thought of him before walking out. It would be the perfect revenge.

  “I have a room here.”

  She glanced up, surprised to find they were entering a hotel a few doors down from the bar. “Sure of yourself, were you?”

  His fingers tightened slightly, but other than that he gave no indication that her barb had hit home. “No. I’m staying here for a couple of days.”

  “I see.” And she did. He was probably in town for a few days before jetting off to his next job. It didn’t matter. She ignored the twist in her stomach and the pounding of her heart. She wanted to be the one to walk away this time.

  Audra ignored his muttered, “I don’t think you do,” and concentrated on walking across the lobby to the bank of elevators. It seemed to take for ever. She was very aware of the metal strap of her purse digging into her clenched fingers and his broad palm resting against the small of her back. Finally, the bell gave a cheerful ding and they were inside.

  It was just the two of them as the elevator lurched upwards. Tyson stood behind her and she could feel the heat rolling off his large body. She was a tall woman – five nine in her stocking feet. Even with her wearing heels, Tyson was taller. He lowered his head and feathered his lips over her nape. He knew just the spot to touch to make her skin tingle.

  He worked his way towards her ear, tugging on her ear lobe before swirling his tongue over the whorl of her ear. Audra sucked in a breathy moan as his hand snaked around to cover her belly and pull her back towards him. His erection prodded her butt and she couldn’t help but wiggle slightly.

  Tyson swore and bit gently on the curve of her neck in retaliation. She released a soft cry of passion and let her head drop back on his shoulder. He knew exactly how to touch her to set her on fire.

  “Tyson,” she gasped.

  The bell chimed and the elevator doors slid open. Tyson hustled her down the hallway. She didn’t even notice what his room number was. All she cared was that they were finally in his room. The door closed with a thud. They were alone.