Devon sat up in bed, his back resting against the headboard with a sleeping Raina’s back resting against his chest and her head on his shoulder. He wrapped her in his arms, cupping her perfect breasts in his hands as they rose and fell with each breath. As a practitioner and master of sex magick, he had participated in literally tens of thousands of sexual encounters with certainly more than a thousand partners over the last one hundred years since his elevation to High Priest, some of them as a master of sex magick in a teaching capacity and some as part of a sexual rite. But none had the impact on his senses—on his very existence—that he had just experienced with Raina.
She had proven an eager and adept student. Open and receptive to everything he had presented, although so far they had only engaged in basic sex. Yet, an enthralling encounter that almost shoved his true quest from his mind—
almost
. The quiet moments following intense sex, with her body satiated and her mind at rest, would present the ideal time to
casually
broach the subject of her family, which would hopefully lead to the whereabouts of the elusive Miranda.
He shifted his position slightly. Her nipples instantly puckered into hard buds. A soft moan escaped her throat as she stirred then opened her eyes. As soon as her gaze landed on him, a sexy yet somehow shy smile turned the corners of her mouth.
“I must have dozed off. I didn’t mean to be so rude, especially after your generosity in taking a relative novice in the subject and teaching her the wonders of sex magick. Even the absolute basics of Sex 101 became new and exciting with you as a partner and teacher.”
“You’re a quick study.” He placed a tender kiss on her forehead. “And you’ve definitely mastered the basics.”
Her gaze swept the room, as if searching for something. “I don’t see a clock. Have I been asleep long?”
“No…it’s only been about an hour. But before we move on, I’d like for us to get acquainted, to know a little about each other.” The relaxed aura of very satisfying sex surrounded them.
A tender smile came to her lips as she shyly dropped her gaze. “I’d like that, too.”
“Being a High Priest, most of my life is an open book. So…let’s start with you.” Devon ran his hand seductively across Raina’s belly, around her hip, then cupped her ass cheek.
“What would you like to know?” She wiggled her ass as she snuggled into his touch, a spontaneous response new for her, while once again purring her contentment and pleasure.
“Well…what about your family? There’s your coven family, of course. But do you also have blood family? Any who are true witches of the bloodline or at least have Wiccan beliefs?”
“Just my older sister, Miranda. She’s also a witch, but her knowledge and powers are much greater than mine. I’m eager to learn, especially things such as teleportation, but unfortunately got a late start on my studies.”
“Really? How did that happen? With an older sister to help you…to guide you and show you the way…” He didn’t want to appear to dig for information, even though she was the one who brought up Miranda’s name.
She wrinkled her brow in thought, as if trying to find an answer. “I don’t really know. Miranda and I have never been close. I’ve always sensed something troubling about her but have never been able to identify it. I’m much closer with my coven family.”
“That’s too bad that you don’t have a good relationship with your sister. I have a younger brother who’s also in the bloodline. We’ve always been very close.” His thoughts momentarily drifted to Dylan and how frail he had become over the last decade. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for him.
“Do you and your sister belong to the same coven?” He needed to refocus the conversation on finding Miranda rather than dwelling on his own sorrow and turmoil.
“No, we live in different parts of the country…” She furrowed her brow in a moment of concentration. “At least I think we do. Actually, she seems to move around a lot. For some reason, she doesn’t stay in one place very long.”
“That would make it difficult for her to participate in her coven if she’s never in the same place where they are.”
“I know…it’s all very strange. She’s a witch with powers and seems always to be striving to learn more and expand those powers, yet she doesn’t make any attempt to be involved with her coven.” She emitted a sigh of resignation. “I honestly don’t understand her or her life choices. Why embrace one aspect of being a witch while shunning another? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“That does seem strange.” Or at least it would if he didn’t know her dark secret.
Harm to None
was definitely one of the aspects Miranda shunned. “Does she at least plan to attend the special Samhain ceremony this week?”
“I thought she was going to, then she abruptly changed her mind.” Raina tilted her head and shot a quizzical look at him. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason. The two of you seem so different. Just curiosity, I guess.” It wasn’t an accusatory question, but it did tell him he’d better change the subject…for the time being. “I’m hungry. How about you?”
He saw that shy smile again, a charming moment that touched his heart. “Well…yes, I would like something to eat.”
“I’ll get the room service menu.” He eased his body from hers, slid out of bed, and headed for the parlor room of the suite.
Raina watched Devon walk across the floor, his stride confident and purposeful. Everything about him said he was a man secure in his identity and his place in the world. He radiated the type of confidence she longed to possess. Over the years, she had managed to develop a self-assured outer persona that served her well in her business associations, but she had never been able to transfer that to her carefully hidden insecurities.
Insecurities fed by demeaning, condescending, and occasionally even cruel treatment by Miranda. Telling Devon that she and Miranda weren’t close was a huge understatement.
Harm To None
…she believed in the credo and did her best to live by it, but on numerous occasions her sister had truly taxed her efforts. Even though she resented Miranda and the way she had been treated by her sister over the decades, it was a secret she was ashamed of, one she could never share.
She tried to shake the uncomfortable thoughts from her mind, preferring to focus her attention on Devon. She closed her eyes and allowed a hint of a smile to turn the corners of her mouth. She had never experienced anything like his magnetic sex appeal and overwhelming presence. Nor had she ever experienced the heights of sexual pleasure and satisfaction he had given her. And she knew it was only the beginning—a sample of what was to be.
There was so much for him to teach her, so much for her to embrace and explore. Even the basics, the intimacies she thought she knew well, had been as fresh as if it had been her first orgasm when experienced with Devon. The wonders of nature and the magick of the sexual intimacies between consenting adults. The pleasures to be derived…
The weight of his body settled on the bed next to her, and she felt the warmth of his body heat. Her insides quivered in anticipation of the enchantment the rest of the night would bring.
“That’s an intriguing expression.” He brushed a tender kiss against her mouth and on each tautly puckered nipple. “What are you thinking about that put such a mysterious smile on those tempting lips and tightened those nipples into tasty-looking morsels?”
She opened her eyes and took in his handsome features. “Just pondering the wonders of nature and interesting twists and turns of life. When I got up this morning, I never would have guessed this is where I’d be tonight.”
“Sometimes we’re drawn to a place or a person without knowing why. We only know that for some reason it’s where we’re supposed to be. Then nature reveals the path we’re meant to follow.”
He handed her the room service menu and flashed a sexy smile that melted her heart. “And right now that path leads to dinner.”
Raina took the menu from him, looked over the choices, and made her selection. Devon called room service, adding a bottle of champagne to their dinner order. He returned his attention to her. “They said it would be about forty-five minutes. Do you want to dress for dinner,” a teasing grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, “or dine
au naturel
?”
“That long black slinky backless number and a pair of bikini panties are the only pieces of clothing I have with me. If you want me to put that on, I’ll be glad to. But if—”
“Au naturel it is! Now, for my next question, how would you like to occupy the time until dinner arrives?”
There was no mistaking the sexy gleam in his eyes or the way he visually caressed her naked body. A quick jab of anxiety poked at her, leaving her feeling even more naked than she actually was and somehow strangely vulnerable. Should she say what he obviously wanted to hear? No…that was the path she usually traveled. She would not let her insecurities shove her back into that place she was trying to escape, the place where she felt obligated to please others at her own expense. Not selfishly thinking only of herself but trying to maintain a fair balance.
“If it’s okay with you, I think I’d like to have a glass of wine from that bottle you opened when we arrived and enjoy it over some conversation.” It took her a couple of seconds to realize she was holding her breath waiting for his response.
His sincere smile reached out to her as he took her hand to assist her from the bed. “That sounds like an excellent suggestion.”
He paused, tilted his head, and shot her a questioning look. “Would you feel more comfortable if you had something to wear? Putting on your dress obviously isn’t very practical.” Without waiting for her answer, he took a T-shirt from the drawer and handed it to her. “You can use this as a cover-up, if you’d like. Or, if you prefer, there are a couple of hotel robes in the closet, but I think they’re a little too bulky to be comfortable while eating dinner.”
She took the T-shirt from him and held it up in front of her body, noting that the length hit her about mid-thigh. She quickly pulled it on over her head. Even though they sort of agreed to stay au naturel, she felt better with something to wear.
“Thank you.” She smiled to show her appreciation. A warm feeling flooded her body, one as much emotional as physical. It had been a very considerate gesture on his part. The tender affection continued to flow through her, building and expanding with each breath she took. Devon had proven to be a truly remarkable man. Not only as a sex partner and teacher, but in every sense of the word. She had anticipated great things from him, and he had far exceeded her expectations.
He brushed his fingertips gently against her cheek, then tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re welcome.” His voice was soft, the words seeming to come from a very personal place inside him.
Devon quickly pulled on a pair of sweat pants, then took Raina’s hand and led her out of the bedroom into the parlor. He poured two glasses of wine and handed one of them to her. He wanted to gather more information about Miranda. What Raina had already divulged was very enlightening and equally disturbing. Not only had Miranda kept a distance from her coven family, she apparently wasn’t close to her blood family, either. It looked as if Raina might be a dead end as far as locating Miranda, but he needed to make sure. He had to explore all possibilities.
Besides, there was something very special about this fascinating woman. Something that had gotten under his skin. Something that gently shoved at his emotions in a manner he hadn’t experienced in many decades, maybe more than a century.
A tender feeling swept through his body when she tightened her hold on his hand. He returned a quick squeeze and offered up a sincere smile. Her hand felt good in his, a natural fit. He liked being with her, the closeness and warmth. It was comfortable, every bit as much emotional as physical. She had asked to be tutored in all the nuances of sex magick, a request he intended to wholeheartedly grant. But he couldn’t allow himself to become so enthralled with Raina that he lost sight of his ultimate goal—finding Miranda.
“We have about half an hour before dinner arrives, just enough to enjoy our wine.” He indicated that she should sit on the couch, then he sat next to her. After taking a drink from his glass, he set it on the end table and turned to face her. “Tell me more about yourself. Where do you come from? I’m sensing some confusion about your past…an old soul living in a not so old body.”
A spontaneous laugh escaped her throat followed by a shy smile. “You sense the confusion, too?” Her manner quickly turned serious, tinged with a touch of uncertainty. “I feel that confusion. It’s something I live with on a daily basis. It’s almost as if I can remember events that happened a very long time ago, some of them over a century ago, yet I don’t have any clear knowledge of having lived at that time. I don’t have any true memories more than about eighty or ninety years ago. For a long time, it bothered me, like some dark shadow hanging over me that I could neither capture nor cast off. And recently the sensation has grown to the point where it somehow seems very real. I don’t perceive it as a danger to my present as much as I do a danger from my past, but I can’t categorize what it is.”
A hint of concern darted across her face. He caught a moment of indecision in her eyes before she lowered her eyelids and looked away.
“I’m sorry…” She regained eye contact with him. “I shouldn’t be bothering you with this nonsense.” She offered a smile, one obviously forced.
A shiver rippled through her body, an emotion that transmitted to him when she tightened her hold on his hand. Her words and actions showed all the signs of someone struggling with a traumatic event from the past that had a negative life impact yet an event that couldn’t be recalled or explained.
“You aren’t bothering me and this doesn’t sound like nonsense.”
Sensations, impressions, thoughts…a swirl of activity ignited inside Devon. His mind raced toward a rational explanation. Then the reality exploded inside him as clearly as a brilliant sunrise. This beautiful woman, this exquisite embodiment of everything he desired, had been the victim of a spell improperly cast by someone practicing magick beyond their skill level—an action strictly prohibited by all the covens.