Cursed (8 page)

“If you keep this up, we won’t make it to that bed, Coly.”

“Umm, you’re right.”

He stilled his movement, and she whimpered, missing the contact. He opened the door and set her down onto the ground before he climbed out.

The trip to the house and up the stairs to his bedroom was made in record time.

He tossed her on the bed, and she giggled. Her body bounced once and sank into the plush pillow top. She unbuttoned her red, blue, and white plaid shirt with deft fingers as she drank in his beauty. A sprinkling of red hair highlighted his chest and tapered down to his ripped abs. She’d never been the type for muscular men, but he was lean and trim, not bulky. His clothing hit the floor with soft thuds, and moments later, hers joined the pile. He walked toward her with his erect cock extended out in front of him. It bobbed as he walked, and she pushed up to sit on the edge of the bed. She reached out to wrap her hand around him, but he dodged her.

“Uh Uh.” He shook his head. “ Tonight, it’s my turn to lead.”

She poked her lips out in a mock pout. “But you know how much I love too.”

“You’re too damned good at it. If you start leading, we’ll never take things slow.”

She gave a cheeky grin.

“Now lay back and enjoy.” He nipped at her bottom lip and pushed her back to lie on her back. Her thighs quivered when he spread her legs wide and kneeled in front of her on the floor. He leaned in and inhaled. “You smell just as good as those flowers we saw today.”

He bit the inside of her right thigh, and she jumped. A dark chuckle sounded. His tongue caressed her skin. Each lick was higher than the one before. Just before he reached her core, he paused.

“I thought you said slow, not torturous.”

She felt his lips curve upward against her flesh. A moment later, she jerked when he spread her lips and lapped at her button. She gasped, clutching the bed sheets tight as he continued to work his magic. Colton sucked her into his mouth, and she arched her back off the bed, crying out. He broke the suction, only to thrust inside her with his hard tongue. Pleasure flooded her body. Avalyn moved her hips in time with his penetration, greedy for every ounce of contact she could get.

Her juices flowed like a river that twisted down a mountainside. Every muscle in her body tensed as her walls clenched and her body jerked as she crested over the edge. She screamed out and exploded onto his tongue, into his mouth. He slurped her up, helping her ride out the incredible orgasm.

When she was able to speak, she said, “God, that was good.”

“I aim to please.” He stood from the floor and stroked his swollen cock. “I have something else I promise you’ll enjoy just as much.”

She rolled onto her side to reach over and open the top drawer of the nightstand to the left of the bed. She grabbed a foil packet and made quick work of the opening process before placing it in his hand. He eased the white circle out of its pouch and rolled it down his hard cock. Her fingers itched to do the task for him, but this was his show. Her lids lowered as the corded muscles flexed and constricted. Once the condom was fully seated, he kneeled on the bed once more and placed one of her legs above his shoulder.

“You ready, baby girl?”

“Yes.” Her voice was reedy and full of need she wasn’t ashamed to show.

When it came to Colton and the hurting he put on her pussy, she was downright gluttonous. He slipped inside her slick tunnel up to the hilt. A husky moan tumbled from her lips. She’d never felt so full in her life. His fit was tailor-made. He pulled out and surged back in. The pace was slow and delicious. Her stomach muscles quivered, and her heart pounded. He was taking his time, but he was being damn thorough. He hit her cervix each time. Every push penetrated deeper than the last.

Waves of pleasure so exquisite and powerful they bordered on pain wracked her body.

“Do you like that, Av?”

“God, yes.”

He took her higher and higher, refusing to go faster or provide additional stimulation. Her body shook like a weight trainer who’d reached the end of his endurance. She bucked her hips upward, desperate for an increase in speed.

“Not yet. Look into my eyes.”

She forced her heavy lids up, and her breath caught. She could see many emotions in his eyes. It was more than lust and admiration. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as time seemed to slow. This was what she had been searching for all these years, love and a place to belong. Her soul rejoiced, and she let go of everything that had been holding her back from love. The energy they created together took on shape and color, a bright, electric blue that swirled around them like wisps of smoke.

“Avalyn?”

“Don’t stop! This is a gift,” she whispered. “It’s the universe’s way of saying we suite, a sort of tantric magic I’ve read about but never experienced.”

The emotional overload blended with the energy and the feel of him moving inside her sent her tumbling over the pinnacle he’d brought her to. Her mouth opened as she let loose a silent scream. Her walls contracted to grip him tight, and her body vibrated. Tears rolled down her face, and she clung to him, spent, as he found his own release in her arms.

Willie looked down at the coco brown-colored hand entwined in his own.

“You know if they catch us like this, they’d never let us live it down,” he said.

He’d taken his new lady out for a picnic in the woods, near a peaceful brook. Contrary to what his rascally grandsons thought, he knew how to woe a lady. Summer was turning into autumn in Baxter, and the multi-colored leaves on the trees that ranged from a burnt orange to yellow gold were a beautiful sight to behold.

“I know, but right now isn’t the right time. They need to work things out for themselves,” Betty said. “Our interference would only make them doubt their relationship later on down the line.”

He huffed.

“I don’t agree with that at all. We should tell them before they find out from someone else.”

“Who’s going to tell on us, Willie? No one pays attention to what we get up to during the day.”

“Are you ashamed of me, woman?”

“Now don’t you go talking crazy. This isn’t about us. It’s about Colton and Avalyn. You know the curse can only be made right through their generation, not ours, which means I’m at risk because I’m with you. Are those the actions of a woman ashamed of her man?” She arched a delicate eyebrow upward, and he scowled. She had a point.

“No, it aint.”

“Exactly. Now let’s relax and enjoy the scenery.”

He nodded his head in agreement as she took his hand in her own. Willie had never thought he’d find love again after his first wife passed. Then Betty came into his life and lit a fire under him. The woman was a firecracker and a beauty to boot.

He’d be a fool to pass up an opportunity like this. From the moment they’d met, he knew there was something more than their family’s quarrel between them. Things were progressing with Avalyn and Colton, but it was going way too slow for his liking.

He wanted to come out into the open about Betty. He was too damn old to be sneaking around.

The woman beside him released a long sigh. “Go on and speak your piece. I can practically hear the wheels in your noggin operating.”

“I just want to know how the hell this is ever going to come to an end when they’re tiptoeing ‘round the elephant in the room. Colton won’t bring it up and neither will she. Randy and Hunter are about ready to string him up.”

“Well, there might be something we could do…maybe a simple spell.”

“Now you’re talking! Tell me more.”

“We could do a relationship clarifying spell. That’s not really meddling, just helping them figure out their own minds.”

“I like it. What do we need to do?”

“This is a simple one. All we need is some yellow ribbon and good intentions.”

He grinned and turned to open the picnic basket he’d brought.

“What are you doing? I thought you’d want to get started on the spell now.”

“Now that we have a solution, the rest can wait. I’m spending time with my lady.”

Colton gave himself a once-over in the mirror to make sure he was presentable. He’d woken up that morning knowing his days of staying in the background were over. He’d be picking Avalyn up at her front door tonight. He was a grown-ass man, not a teenager. It was time he started acting that way. He had his big boy underwear on tonight, and he refused to show his adversary, aka, Betty Voiles, any fear. She was like an animal. She could smell trepidation. Of course, with a woman as powerful as Betty, he’d be a fool not to step carefully. Pleased with his appearance, he opened the door to his truck and stepped down.

Tonight he and Avalyn were headed to the local Apple Cider Festival. Summer was giving away to fall, and the nights had grown nippy, but it was a relief from the intense heat that had kept them all sticky from the moment they stepped out their front doors. He would miss Avalyn’s “it’s too hot to wear much else outfits.” His mouth watered at the thought of her tiny cut-off jean shorts and white tank tops. It was proof you could take the girl out of the south, but you couldn’t take the south out of the girl. With a smile on his face, he walked up the path to her house. He raised his head to knock, and the door swung open.

Clad in a pair of blue jeans and a red polo shirt was Betty, in all her glory.

“I guess you’re here to pick up my granddaughter?”

“Yes, ma’am, I am.”

She sniffed. “Well, come on in then.”

He followed her inside and shut the door behind him.

That was an improvement. She hadn’t picked up a cleaning product or said anything snide. He tucked his hands inside his pockets as he waited beside the door.

“Avalyn will be down in a few minutes. Where are you planning on taking her tonight?”

“To the Apple Cider Festival. Baxter makes some of the best in the world. We’ve even won awards.”

“Should be a lot of fun then.”

He nodded. “I sure hope so. I’m excited to show her more of what Baxter has to offer. I love this town, and it’s my hope she will too someday.”
I also hope she loves me.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs behind Betty sent relief zinging through his body. Avalyn appeared at the bottom of the stairwell, and a smile that would rival the Joker from Batman covered his lips. She was beautiful in an off-the-shoulder gray sweater she matched with a plain pair of black tights and knee-high boots with a small heel. Her neck was long and elegant, and her shoulders were round and sculpted. Avalyn enjoyed working out a few times a week, and it showed. She was lean, lithe, and confident. It was an arousing combination.

“You look gorgeous.”

“Thanks, Colton.” She smiled up at him, and the dimple in her left cheek appeared.

“I love your dimple.” He wanted to kick himself right now. He couldn’t seem to control the connection from his brain to his mouth.

“Thanks, babe.”

The sound of her heels clicked and clacked across the surface, and the soft sway of her hips were hypnotic. She crossed the wooden floor to come to his side “Are you okay?”

“Yeah? You ready to head out?”

“Yeap, I already have my purse with me.” She touched the thin black strap resting on her shoulder. “Don’t wait up, Gran.”

“Who says I’ll be sitting at home tonight?” the older woman asked with a sly smile and a wink that made Avalyn’s jaw drop.

“Well, excuse me,” Avalyn said.

“You’re excused. You young people enjoy yourselves.” With that, she turned to walk into the kitchen, disappearing behind the swinging door.

“I think my gran has a boyfriend,” she whispered. A giggle escaped her lips, and he rolled his eyes.

“Come on, woman, before she comes back out here and changes her mind about letting you leave with me.”

She tucked her arm in the crook of his, and he guided her out the door to his truck. The ride was pleasant and full of catching up. With both of them owning their own business, it was a struggle to make time to see each other during the week.

Fifteen minutes later, they were parked and entering the festival grounds. She gripped his bicep, and pride swelled up in his chest to have her by his side.

“I’ve never been to a Cider Festival before, “she said.

“I hope you had a light lunch, because you’re going to want to eat everything.” He chuckled when they approached the booths, and her eyes grew wide.

“Oh my God, you weren’t exaggerating. I don’t even know where to start.”

“How about with the fresh caramel apple cider with whipped cream and caramel sauce. That’s one of my all times favorites.”

“I’m trusting you not to let me down.”

“You should, because I never will if I can help it.”

“Colton?”

“Umm, let’s head over there.”

His cheeks filled with blood as he hurried her across the lot. Her words had been lighthearted, and he’d responded with mushiness. He’d meant every word, but still. What the hell was going on with him tonight? He shook his head to clear it.

“Can we get two apple ciders, please, Charlotte?”

“Of course, honey. Do you want whipped cream and caramel sauce?”

“Isn’t that mandatory?”

They both laughed.

“Who’s this beauty? I don’t believe I’ve seen her around?” she asked.

“This is my girlfriend, Avalyn. She owns the new shop on Main.”

“Oh, I’ve passed by that! Welcome to Baxter, Avalyn. I’m Charlotte.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The two women shook hands, and he knew it was just a matter of time until the news of their relationship was all over town. The speculation normally bothered him. Now he could care less.

Charlotte made their drinks with the speed of a pro, and Avalyn’s moan of approval made her grin.

“This is fantastic!”

“Thank you, I’m going to have to come and visit your shop soon, so we can chat.” Charlotte cast a pointed look in his direction, and he rolled his eyes.

“I’d like that. I’ll see you then.”

“Bye, Charlotte.”

He pulled Avalyn off, and they enjoyed their drink as they explored the different arts and crafts tables. After a candy apple, a warm apple cider donut, and an apple turnover, she threw in the white flag.