Only a werewolf or vampire would be able to overhear them, and if one of them were in here, it wouldn’t really matter if they overheard magic talk, since they already knew the big secret.
“Yeah. I was driving around and saw this place and had a good feeling about stopping in for dinner. That’s all. I wasn’t looking for you. I would have just called your cell if I wanted to know where you were.” The bite to her tone almost made him laugh. Almost. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Besides, if I were looking for you, I’d have done better just casting a seeking spell. My precognition is pretty weak. Everyone has their strengths, and that’s never been one of mine. Seeing how bad it can get for Merek, I’m okay with that.”
“Yeah.” He’d been working with Merek for less than a year and he could see how a strong vision affected the man. Considering the big warlock looked like he chewed nails for breakfast, anything that left him sweaty and shaking was enough to make Jack glad it wasn’t him dealing with it. “There always seems to be drawbacks to these
gifts
you guys have.”
“Definitely.”
Sandy came back with dinner and more coffee. The next half hour passed in pleasant silence, neither of them willing or able to talk about their case or their relationship, but there wasn’t a lot of tension either. It was nice, and Jack found himself unwinding under the influence of good food and undemanding company. Most of the women he dated tended to chatter about themselves and their opinions, but Selina seemed to be comfortable with quiet. He thought she might be a bit too used to being alone, but he liked that she didn’t natter on.
When they finished and sat back with replete sighs, Jack reached for his wallet. Selina shook her head. “You paid for lunch earlier. My turn.”
“Afraid I might see it as
dating
if I keep paying?” He said it to tease her, but her brows snapped together in a dark scowl.
“We’re not dating, we’re having an affair,” she retorted, her voice sharp. Her hand sliced through the air, and her gaze drilled into him. “Look, I ... I can’t get involved with anyone right now. Not really. I’m not in a good place in my life for that.”
Now that just pissed him off. Really? That was the line she was going with? He hated to break it to her because he was fighting it hard himself, but they were
already
involved on a certain level, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Instead of arguing with her, he decided to keep her on the defensive. “What’s wrong with the place in your life right now?”
“Because I—” She broke off, shook her head. “My reasons are only important to me. Just know I mean it, and this isn’t some way to jerk you around, lead you on, or play the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ game. I hate women who pull that bullshit.”
“Me too.” He hated even more that she was keeping secrets from him, hated that she offered so much and so little of herself at the same time. But he was glad she was honest with him. Damn. He hated being fair. “I appreciate that you’re not that type.”
“Good.” She nodded.
“Are you trying to break off the affair?” He didn’t want to ask it, but he wanted to know what level of resistance he was dealing with now. Selina Grayson was a moving target.
She took in a breath. “I’m still in if you are.”
“I’m all in, Grayson.” He gave her a lecherous grin to take any deeper meaning out of the words.
A flush rose to her cheeks, desire reflecting in her gaze. “I like it when you’re all in. I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.”
His gaze dropped to her lips, then moved back up to her eyes. “I’m going home now. Care to join me?”
“I’d rather you joined me. Leaving Grim alone too often isn’t a good idea.” She grimaced as she tossed enough cash on the table to cover their meal and a tip for Sandy. “He gets creative when he’s bored.”
Jack tried to imagine what her ferocious familiar would do when pissed off about being left to his own devices. None of the options were pretty. “I’m not sure I want to know.”
She laughed. “You don’t. Trust me.”
“I’ll follow you home then.” He slid from the booth and held out a hand to help her stand. When she took it and rose to her feet, slinging her bag over one shoulder, he didn’t relinquish his grip. “I’ll walk you to your car. Where are you parked?”
“Around back.”
She tugged at her hand, but he held on tight enough that she’d have to use magic or get into a wrestling match with him to get free. “Okay, then.”
Twisting her fingers against his hold, she kept stride with him as they exited the restaurant and went around to the rear of the building. “You know, I’m not really the hand-holding type.”
He stopped dead and turned to stare at her. “What’s the problem, Selina? I like you, you like me. We’re not at work, no one’s watching us, and even if they were, no one gives a shit what we’re doing. So just hold my damn hand.”
“It implies a certain intimacy,” she blurted out, then looked as if she wanted to smack herself for the asinine comment.
Arching an eyebrow, he moved in close, crowding her up against the side of the restaurant, into the deep shadows that lent them the illusion of privacy. He lowered his head until he could breathe in the scent of her, until he could brush his lips over her sensitive little ear. “We have been intimate. Repeatedly. And we will be intimate again. Repeatedly. Tonight, if I have anything to say about it.”
He turned his head and feathered kisses over her jaw and down to the point of her chin. She sighed, arching her soft body into his harder angles, and the semi he’d been fighting throughout dinner turned into a full-blown erection.
Catching her mouth with his, he thrust his tongue between her lips, the way he wanted to thrust his cock into her hot pussy. That would have to wait, but right now, he wanted to kiss her until she was as insane as he was, until she was fighting herself as hard as he was fighting himself. This thing with them was crazy, and he couldn’t seem to get enough.
She twined her tongue with his, fighting him for control of the kiss. He bit her tongue and released her hand to run his palms down her sides, around to cup her ass, and down between her thighs to stroke her from behind. Whimpering into his mouth, she rocked her pelvis upward to cradle his cock through their pants. Fire fisted in his belly, burning like the kick of good whiskey. She was just as intoxicating.
With a groan, he moved his hand around to jerk at the fastenings on her pants. He wanted to touch her, slide his fingers into the hot, wet center of her and feel those sleek inner muscles tighten. The zipper gave way, and he slipped into her slacks. The silk and lace of her panties teased him, but he dipped under the edge and slid his hand down to cup her mound. Her pussy was slick with juices, and he drew his fingers up and down her slit, tweaking her hard clit.
When he plunged into her sex, she clutched at his shoulders, trying to push him away or pull him closer, he didn’t know and didn’t care. He drove his tongue into her mouth with the same rhythm he set between her thighs. Small cries poured out of her throat, and he loved the sound of them, loved that he could make a woman as controlled and contained as she usually was go mad for him in a parking lot. The thought made his cock stiffer, and his fly chafed against his rigid flesh.
He flicked her clit with one hand and slid his other hand around to dip into her from behind. The fabric of her pants grew taut, leaving him just enough room to move. He couldn’t resist teasing her anus as he pressed in to stroke her wet pussy lips. Her body jolted, a shudder running through her.
Oh,
really?
There was no way he could resist a reaction like that. He chuckled into her mouth and sucked her bottom lip, biting down on the soft flesh while his fingers returned to her ass to swirl around that tight pucker. Her hips tilted to give him better access to her backside. Nice. He pushed one fingertip into her tight anus and felt her squirm against him. It turned him on even more.
Adding a second and third finger to her ass made her sob into his mouth.
The heat coming from her skin was unnatural, boiling hot. Magic. Releasing her lips, he growled, “No pleasure spells. We’re in public.”
As if to emphasize his point, a car started behind him. She opened her mouth to respond, but he kissed her again, ruthlessly squelching anything she might have said. They’d come too far to stop now. All anyone would see in the dark was a man’s back. He thrust his fingers into her, over and over again as she twisted in his embrace, her breath rushing from her lungs, her nails digging into his shoulders, her hips frantically moving to meet his hand. He knew she was close, and he wanted her to go over that edge. Still finger-fucking her ass, he rubbed his other hand over her clit, rough and fast until she screamed into his mouth.
She came for him, moaning, her body arched and shuddering. A tingle of heat roared through him, and he knew it was an unconscious wave of magic she sent out. He didn’t see any light, so he doubted anyone would notice.
A sigh slipped from her, and she sagged against him. “Okay, fine. You can hold my hand.”
That surprised a chuckle from him, though the sound was rusty. “Good.”
Stretching, she sighed again, the sound glutted with satisfaction. It wasn’t a feeling he could relate to at the moment. Every little movement she made drove him wilder.
Anticipation and frustration tangled in his chest. Much more and he was going to come in his pants. He hadn’t even done that as a horny teenager, and the thought that she could bring him to the brink was both embarrassing and arousing.
Turning his head, he kissed those lush lips of hers. Again. More. She licked her way into his mouth, a small moan bubbling out of her. The sound made him burn hotter, and he pressed her harder against the wall. Her slender hands roved over his back, and she began to writhe again. It was too much. He’d strip her and fuck her right there if he didn’t stop. Right now. He jerked back, his chest heaving with each rasping breath. “I’ll see you at your place.”
“Yes.” Her voice was just as tight with lust and unspent need as his was. She straightened her clothes and bent to pick up her fallen bag. “Hurry.”
He gave a bark of laughter. “Honey, I’m going to ride your bumper the whole way there. And then I’m going to ride your ass hard when we get in your house.”
Her breathing shallowed out to nothingness and she swallowed. “My ass, huh?”
“What, you think I didn’t notice that a little fingering there set you off like a firework? I want to see what happens when my cock is stretching your ass. I bet I can make you scream and beg for more.”
She didn’t argue with that, just gave him a look that was scorching enough to set the building on fire. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Damn.” Any blood that had been left in his brain rushed further south. He shook his head. “You are the sexiest woman I have ever known.”
“Thank you.” She turned toward her car. “I’ll see you at my place.”
Yeah, right. He grabbed her hand and twined their fingers together, walking her to her vehicle as he’d promised when they left the restaurant. He kissed her hard and fast, backing off before his lust got the better of him. “Meet you there, sweetheart.”
Jack barely let her get in the door before he was on her. Not that Selina minded. Hell, no. After that show in the parking lot, her body was primed and ready for more. She wanted him to finish what he’d started.
His tongue was in her mouth, his hands jerking at her clothes as hers did the same with his. The crisp feel of his chest hair under her palms made her moan. There was something about the visceral experience of touching a muscular man that was just too exciting for words. Impatient, she used magic on his garments so she could wrap her hands around his thick cock.
The loud sound of fabric ripping rent the air as Jack took her shirt apart in his attempt to get it off of her. The next thing she knew, Grim was there, barking loudly, shoving himself between them to force Jack away from her. Tripping backward, Jack landed on his ass, and Grim had his paws planted on the man’s chest to pin him to floor in seconds. Her familiar’s teeth bared and he growled, snapping his jaws in Jack’s face.
Smart enough not to fight or struggle, he lay still underneath the dog’s weight. His voice was level, contained. “Would you mind calling him off?”
“I can try, but he pretty much does what he wants. You might be sleeping on the floor tonight.” She was only half-kidding, too. The relationship between a familiar and their human was always complicated. Familiars had magic of their own, and attitudes to match usually. Grim used his to be the most overprotective male she’d ever had to deal with. If he’d been a human she was dating, she’d have dumped him a long time ago. As it was, she loved the damn mutt too much to be parted from him by anything other than death, and even then she’d made sure he’d be a spoiled canine for the rest of his life no matter what happened to her.
She sighed and reached out to tug on the thick leather collar around Grim’s neck. “Come on, now. I know seeing someone tearing at a girl’s clothes is freaky, but I was a willing participant.” The dog just growled at that and didn’t budge. “You know I would have blasted him with a spell otherwise, right? I’m not the type to just take it without fighting back, am I?”