This was what he’d craved every time he’d been with a woman, and this was what he’d been denied, this ultimate connection, this complete joining of two bodies and two souls. Her climax propelled him into his, and he poured himself into her with a shout of exultation.
He clung to her, panting and spent. Gradually he became aware of his surroundings, which had faded with the first blossoming of passion. Now the setting clicked into place. He’d never found himself in this position in the middle of a woman’s living room. He’d never destroyed her outfit to get to her.
And he’d never, in the entire course of his sexual life, failed to use a condom. Yet he didn’t regret anything. He should be filled with remorse, but he wasn’t. She was his love, his mate, and this was the way it was supposed to be between them.
Holding her fast, he eased them both down to the carpet and held her, spoon fashion. “I should apologize,” he said. “But I can’t make myself do that.”
“Aren’t you . . .” She paused to catch her breath. “Aren’t you worried about . . . getting me pregnant?”
“No.” He nuzzled behind her ear. “I’d love to get you pregnant.”
She sighed. “No, you wouldn’t. Right now it might sound like a great idea, but eventually you’d come to your senses.”
“I feel as if I’ve come to my senses for the first time in my life. Marry me, Lily. We could fly to Vegas tomorrow, get married and fly home Sunday morning in plenty of time for the engagement party.”
“That’s a tempting offer.”
“Then let’s do it.” His heart raced as he anticipated the thrill of eloping with her and coming back to Chicago on Sunday as a married couple, deed done.
“I can’t.”
He snuggled her closer. “As they say in the movies, you might be carrying my child.”
“No, I’m not.”
He was devastated. He’d had no idea how much he’d counted on that as a deal maker until she’d shot it down. “You’re taking birth control?”
“Um . . . yes.”
“Well, we could still fly to Vegas and get married. It just wouldn’t require a shotgun.”
Her body quivered as she chuckled. “No, it would require a lobotomy.”
“On who?”
“Me. I can’t marry you, Griffin. I don’t know you well enough. And you sure don’t know me well enough. But thanks for the offer.”
“The offer stands. Let me know if you change your mind.”
“I will. Now let’s get off the living room floor and into a real bed.” She disentangled herself and sat up. “This has been fun, but an innerspring’s a little cushier, don’t you think?”
That’s when he remembered the salt he’d scattered around her bed. He’d forgotten it when she crouched down next to him on the floor, which had led to the most excellent episode they’d just enjoyed, which had led to his proposal.
He wondered if having sex without a condom and suggesting an elopement to Vegas were more signs that she’d bewitched him. Probably. As mellow as he felt right now, he’d didn’t give a damn if she was a witch or not.
But he was a little curious as to whether the salt would make any difference for the next round. As he stood and followed her into the bedroom, the only thing he knew for sure was that there would be a next round.
Chapter 20
Lily kept an antipregnancy potion in her medicine cabinet. The potion also protected against STDs, although she doubted Griffin had any issues in that department. Many witches kept the potion on hand. It made sense to do that, because it was the simple and easy solution should an unexpected event occur. As it had tonight.
She’d never had to take the potion because she’d always insisted that a man wear a condom. She could ingest the liquid at any time within twelve hours of having unprotected sex and there would be no baby. The potion was an insurance policy against unwanted pregnancies.
As she walked into the bedroom, her slacks and panties in tatters, she realized she could easily excuse herself and take the potion. Griffin had obviously assumed from her comment that she was taking some kind of traditional birth control pill, but a practicing witch never bothered with prescriptions. Because she wasn’t ready to admit her magical status, she’d let him assume she was using something more conventional.
They’d entered dangerous emotional territory, and she knew it even if he was too besotted by the spell to understand the problems he faced. She could surely see how the elixir was having a more powerful effect with every sexual encounter. This afternoon’s hotel experience had fostered this latest session on the floor of her apartment.
He’d abandoned the idea of condoms and even seemed to relish the idea that she could get pregnant. That moved them to another whole level of involvement. And now, after a session on the floor of her apartment with her unlit spell candles strewn around, he’d suggested eloping to Vegas.
If Lily were more of a scientist, she would be keeping notes as the elixir experiment unfolded. But she wasn’t a scientist and she’d rather keep these developments to herself. At some point she might confide in Anica, but even that was risky.
She should, however, take the antipregnancy potion. And she would. But her comfy bed called to her, and Griffin was shucking his clothes in preparation for climbing under the covers. She wanted to cuddle with him, and once they were recovered, she wanted to make love some more.
Actually, it made sense to wait to take the potion. Having sex with Griffin without a condom ranked right up there in her list of peak experiences. She’d like to do it again, which meant she’d have to spend the morning making another batch of the potion. That was just inefficient.
Instead she took off her boots, which had remained on during the living room interlude, and started peeling off what was left of her panties and slacks.
“I shouldn’t have wrecked your clothes,” Griffin said as he climbed under the covers. “I know what. We could go shopping together tomorrow and I could buy you new clothes. And as long as we’re out, we could look at rings.” He propped himself on one arm and gazed at her adoringly.
Well, of course he looked at her adoringly. She’d given him an adoration elixir. That reminder depressed her so she decided not to think about it anymore. She would also ignore his suggestion about buying a ring. No matter how much part of her might want to, they were so not doing that.
“Unfortunately I don’t have the day free,” she said, “or I’d take you up on the clothes-shopping idea. I love looking at clothes. But I’m supposed to spend some time over at my folks’ condo tomorrow. They’ve got it in their heads that Anica and I should come over and help them decide who inherits what. I think it’s ridiculous when they’ll be around for a long, long time, but they’re determined to do it.”
“So I won’t get to see you tomorrow?”
“You’ll see me when you wake up in the morning, and you’re welcome to come by work tomorrow night.”
He sighed. “I guess that’ll be okay.” He sounded extremely disappointed, as if she’d wrecked his whole day.
Much as she liked having his adoration, that kind of neediness didn’t work for her. “I’m sure you have things you usually do on the weekend.”
“Well, yeah, but that was before we got together.”
And his neediness was all her fault, she reminded herself. No point in blaming him for something he couldn’t control.
Right before she climbed into bed, she noticed that the carpet beside her bed felt gritty under her feet, as if someone had been tracking in sand. “Griffin, have you been down to the beach today?”
“No. Why would I go down to the beach on such a cold day?”
“I don’t know, but there’s sand or something on the rug.” She crouched down and ran her fingers over the carpet. “This isn’t sand, it’s . . .” Her hand stilled.
Salt.
Her pulse beat erratically as her mind raced back over the evening’s events—his friends with their serious expressions, Kevin coming back into the bar later on, Griffin begging off from going on the walk so he could light candles. But he hadn’t lit any candles. Instead he must have sprinkled salt, probably provided by Kevin, around the bed.
He knows about the spell and he was trying to break it.
“Lily?” Griffin propped himself up higher so he could see what she was doing. “Is anything wrong?”
She had to decide what to do, and decide quickly. Should she tell him that she knew what he was up to, or pretend ignorance? A little salt wouldn’t break the spell. In fact, no amateur methods he might find in books or online would break it. He might dilute it, though.
Considering how powerful it had become already, that might be a good thing. She hadn’t realized how wearing it could be to have a man so eager to please her and so desperate to be with her night and day. She wouldn’t mind dialing that back some.
Keeping her discovery a secret would mean playing a game of cat and mouse, though, at least through this weekend. In the process, if she treated him well enough as the spell grew less powerful, he might start falling in love with her for real.
He lay on her red satin sheets, looking incredibly yummy and incredibly worried.
“I figured out what was on the floor,” she said. “That’s where I spilled some bath salts the other day. I forgot to clean it up.”
His expression of extreme relief almost made her laugh. He climbed out of bed. “That can’t feel very good under your feet. How about if I run the vacuum so you won’t have to step on it in the morning?”
Aha.
So he’d sprinkled the salt, but the power of the spell, especially after they’d had such unrestrained sex in the living room, made him regret that he’d done it. A picture of a naked Griffin vacuuming her bedroom carpet would make an awesome centerfold for a racy women’s magazine. Who wouldn’t want household help like that?
But she didn’t want him to get rid of the salt. In fact, she was curious as to how it would affect them if they made love surrounded by it. “Never mind.” She pulled back the sheets and slipped under them.
Then she patted the vacant spot next to her. “Come to bed with me. I have plans for you.” She was gratified that her suggestion had an immediate effect on his penis, which began to swell.
Still, he looked uncertain, as if he really would like to break out the vacuum and get rid of the salt. He also looked as if he might be on the verge of a confession. “Lily, I—”
“I’m waiting.” She threw back the sheet and slid her hand between her thighs. “Impatiently, I might add.” She didn’t want him to confess. That would only bring about a discussion she wasn’t prepared to have. They were definitely in a don’t-ask-don’t-tell situation, at least through the weekend.
With a groan of surrender he came to her, as eager as he’d ever been to kiss her, touch her, arouse her to fiery heights. Apparently the salt had no immediate effect on the spell. But she wanted to take charge this time, and once she had him in her arms, she rolled him to his back. Not having to worry about a condom was a bonus she intended to exploit.
She began by sliding down his body and letting him feel the weight of her breasts throughout the journey to her destination. Once there, she settled between his thighs while she made love to his cock.
Judging from his moans and sharp inhalations, he was having an excellent time. She wanted him to have a good time, but not
too
good. She stopped just short of making him come, changed her position and straddled him.
Immediately he bracketed her hips and tried to guide her where he wanted her.
She resisted. “Wait,” she murmured, bracing her arms on either side of his shoulders and leaning down to brush her mouth over his. “Let me do it.”
“I want—”
“I know what you want. And I’ll give it to you . . . eventually.” She eased down on his rigid penis, but not very far.
“More.”
“Not yet.” She withdrew and repeated the motion.
“I’m dying.”
“And what a way to go.” She treated him to a few more teasing penetrations that only went so far. Then she returned to her first position nestled between his thighs and loved him with her mouth.
Whenever she thought he couldn’t take any more, she circled the base of his penis with her fingers and squeezed until his trembling thighs relaxed. Then she began all over again.
She lost track of how many times she changed positions, but obviously the combination was driving him around the bend. His gasps and groans became more pronounced, and he began to thrash around on the bed.
Finally she straddled him for the last time and leaned down to nibble at his mouth as she slowly took the tip of his penis into her slick channel. “Now,” she said.
He took her hips in a viselike grip and pulled her down with a low, guttural sound of satisfaction.
“Mm.” She’d been submitting herself to the same sweet torture she’d portioned out to him, and now she was right where she wanted to be at last. She lifted her head so she could look into his eyes. “That’s very good.”
He gazed back with laserlike intensity, as if he wanted to discover all her secrets. “I love being inside you.”
Inside my body or inside my mind?
Or maybe she was reading too much into his searching gaze. “I love that, too. But I thought it would be fun to build up to it.”
His laughter was hoarse. “Oh, it was.” He continued to hold her captive with his eyes. “It is.” He loosened his grip and smoothed his hands over her thighs, creating fire wherever he touched. “Ride me, Lily.”
“That’s what I had in mind.” She needed no more urging as she began a steady rhythm. Arms braced, she allowed herself to delve into the depths of his eyes.
“I do love you,” he said.
“I know.” And for this moment, as she took them both toward a shattering climax, she allowed herself to believe it. If he didn’t love her now, he would. She’d find a way to replace every bit of that fake love with the real thing.
The next morning, Griffin woke up wondering what the hell he’d been thinking, making love to Lily the night before without a condom. The salt must have worked at least a little bit, because he was feeling much saner today and much more worried about his out-of-control behavior.