Spiritbound (23 page)

She cupped his face and stared longingly into his dark eyes.

‘Will that make you happy?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’ Her voice was soft, dreamy, sated.

‘I take it then that you’re agreeing to join with me.’

‘Yes,’ she said in the same languid way.

‘And are you tossing Randy Roger away?’

Her eyes widened. ‘Not quite yet.’

He grabbed for her, but she rolled away and ran into the house, putting up a shield so no one would see them running naked. Declan thundered after her.

Grace hailed Elena to let her know it was just Declan. They headed for the shower, where she took great delight in soaping him all over and washing him off. Declan had a bit more trouble accomplishing the same task with her.

He’d started with her breasts and before he’d moved to other parts of her body, he flattened her face-first against the wall and took her that way. Grace loved to have him inside her. The water and the soap washed away, leaving his erection piercing her again and again.

By the time he was done, she was limp. He carried her to bed, dried her off and then rolled under the covers with her. Grace had been ready for sleep until Declan put his mouth on her. It didn’t take long before she was screaming his name. Grace cringed when she realised the amount of noise she was making. They’d have to get a special ward for their bedroom when they joined. She hoped her mother wasn’t home. It had been embarrassing enough the last time.

Sufficiently alert, Grace attacked Declan’s cock with her tongue. It didn’t take him long to start shouting her name, equally loudly. They were definitely going to need a special noise-reducing ward.

A satisfied grin on her face disappeared when Declan tossed her back against the mattress and fell on her, dragging her hips and skewering her within seconds. Her breath grew ragged as he pumped into her. She arched her back, meeting him thrust for thrust. Using her witch sense, she touched his mind. A minute touch was enough to send her spiralling into ecstasy herself. Declan was in the moment. It was grind and grind and rippling electricity, from his cock to his gut. Grace’s sex throbbed as her climax broke over her. Utterly shattered, she lay in Declan’s arms until her stomach rumbled.

‘You’re hungry. I’ll get you something.’

‘No. It’s all right. I hailed Elena. She’ll bring us something.’

Declan nuzzled with his nose below her ear. ‘Smart witch.’

It was moments like these where one put up with one’s cousin’s cooking. The smell of coffee and burnt toast reached them a short while later. ‘Maybe I’m not so smart.’

Declan dragged the tray in that Elena had left outside her door. She sent her cousin thanks and scraped the charcoal off her toast and layered it in jam.

They were drinking their second coffee when they sensed the others arrive.

‘My mother.’

‘My parents.’

Grace cringed. ‘I think your clothes are on the front lawn.’

Declan dived out of bed and went to the window. Their clothes flew into his hands. ‘Not anymore.’

Grace climbed out of bed and winced as she stood. They had been rather vigorous. ‘I suppose we have to face them.’

Grace dreaded meeting Declan’s parents again. Could she have a relationship where the parents of her partner hated her so much? Family was everything to her. It was her life, her centre. Elvira could and did care for Declan. Elena and he had been close since Elena had come to live with them. Could she live within the centre of two circles, where she wasn’t loved? She loved Declan with her whole self.

A lot could be sacrificed for that love. But in her heart she knew that unkindness, hatred and being shunned would wear her down, would impact negatively on them. What of any children? Could she really bring them into a family that was riddled with such negativity? Right then, she needed the wise words of her mother. Although the decision would be hers, she valued her mother’s council.

Grace slipped on some jeans and then limped around the room, looking for some shoes. Declan sat on the bed and watched her, a lopsided grin on his face.

‘What’s so funny? Meeting your folks is not a joke.’

‘I know that. But seeing you limp will certainly dispel the rumours about my…’ He waggled his little finger. ‘My mother was quite shocked when she heard the rumour.’

Grace bit her lip. ‘You’re funning me. She couldn’t have heard that.’

He leaned over and tapped her on the bottom. ‘I’m not funning you. Lighten up. You might be surprised.’

He stood up and bowed and then held out his elbow. ‘Come on. Let me assist you from the room. I believe your mother has summoned us.’

Grace’s stomach was doing flip-flops. Her life would be affected by the next ten minutes. She would either be certain of where she was going forward or suddenly bereft. Declan would stand by her, but she couldn’t bear to be the cause of a major rift.

Her mother stood, moving from foot to foot. On the sofa, Rohan and Delores Mallory sat. When their eyes fell on Declan, they visibly relaxed.

‘So good of you to join us. I believe it’s time we all had a little chat, don’t you?’ her mother said, with a layer of smugness in her voice.

Declan fetched up two dining chairs and brought them over. He grinned at his parents and then grinned at Grace.

Grace sat down, straightened her top, and fiddled with her socks. She moved over slightly to make room for Declan. ‘So, what is it we need to discuss?’ Declan asked.

Delores sat forward and quickly dropped her gaze to her knee where she played with the hem of her skirt. ‘Son…is this the witch you have chosen to join with?’

‘Yes, I’ve chosen Grace.’

‘Are you sure about this?’ his father asked. ‘You were confused before. You told me you didn’t want to settle down.’

‘That’s true. I didn’t want to settle down just yet. But it’s always been Grace for me. I told her before I left that that if I was to settle it would be with her. Now, after a near-death experience, I realise there is no point putting off what you want to do. You need to do it and as many of the things you want to do while you can. I didn’t think I could have Grace and the things I wanted. Now I know I will make it work.’ He glanced and her and took her hand. ‘We will make it work.’

Elvira sat down in a chair and hitched it forward. ‘You see, I told you. What is to be done?’

‘Done? Why does anything have to be done?’ Grace asked.

‘Well, you can’t stay here accommodating this under-endowed warlock rather noisily.’

Grace sucked in a breath as her face radiated heat like a beacon. ‘Mother? Who told you about that?’ To Declan’s parents she said, ‘I’m so sorry. I don’t normally say such things…’

‘She was provoked,’ added Declan with a wide grin.

‘Elena told me.’ Elvira snuck in.

‘She’s such a blabbermouth.’

Rohan and Delores looked from one to the other, a question on their lips.

Declan took pity on them. ‘Danila.’

Delores nodded, but appeared none the wiser. ‘My son is not under-endowed. Well, he wasn’t last time I looked.’ Her husband jabbed her in the ribs with his elbow.

‘They can have our house. We will move to the house at Leura,’ Rohan Mallory said.

Delores sought Grace’s gaze. ‘That is, if it is all right with you?’

Grace opened and shut her mouth and jerked her head at Declan. Picking up her cue, he thanked his parents. ‘I haven’t had a chance to talk to Grace, but I’m sure that would be great. She’s too overcome to speak.’

Grace was overcome. She was expecting recriminations, yelling, screaming and perhaps hair pulling. She waggled her eyebrows at her mother.

Elvira inclined her head, a slight smile evident. ‘That is very generous of you. I will assist them with their own furniture. We will need to consult with the council about a joining ceremony.

‘By the way, Grace darling, in light of your services to the coven, you have been offered work for the council. Real work.’

Grace shared an incredulous look with Declan. He appeared to be taking it in his stride. He must have known. This must be the thing he said she needed time to do. Looking around the room, to her mother and his parents, she was amazed. She’d never in her dreams expected this moment would come. They were discussing her joining with Declan calmly. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Grace wanted to say over and over again that she didn’t understand. It was meant to be difficult. As she listened to their parents discussing their union, she let go of the tension, the ropes strapping her heart up tight.

It was then the tears started. She wiped at them and sniffed. She didn’t mean to cry. Declan lifted her hand and kissed her knuckle. ‘You knew,’ she accused, sniffing loudly.

He tilted his head and grinned. ‘I had an inkling.’

‘Grace?’ her mother said.

Grace shook her head, not quite able to speak. She didn’t want to mind speak to her mother either, because the others would know and that would be rude. This was an uneasy alliance at best. She didn’t want to offend them.

‘Mother, please thank the council, but I think I want to spend some time with Declan first and then I’ll talk to them about a job. You know, get to know each other. But in a few months, I’ll be ready.’

Delores stood up suddenly. ‘Please, will you all give me a moment alone with Grace?’

Declan’s eyebrows twitched and then he stood up. His father led the way. Elvira was not as keen to leave until she got a nod from Grace.

Delores took a few steps around the room. She scrunched her dress in her hands. ‘Forgive me. I don’t know where to begin. There’s so much…’ She sat back down again. ‘I must thank you for what you did for me. I was a tormented person. I didn’t realise what I had been carrying all those years.’ She made eye contact with Grace. ‘You don’t realise how easy it can be to hate, how easy it is to fester. You were always so full of joy, even when you were young…especially when you were young. I was envious of you even then, of Declan’s love for you. Nothing seemed to separate you.

She reached out a hand. Grace took it, although she was reluctant. On contact she could tell that Delores spoke the truth from the heart. ‘I can see with clear eyes now and a clear heart. I ask you to forgive me for how I treated you.’

‘I do forgive you.’

‘I have another important favour to ask.’

Grace nodded, dreading that it would be a plea to walk away and leave Declan. She held her breath, getting nothing from Delores through the skin contact. She was shielding herself.

‘Accept us into your life. Please, I beg you. I know you have no reason to and we won’t interfere much; we are going to the mountains. But we do so much want to be part of Declan’s life.’

Grace went down her on knees and looked up into Delores’s eyes. ‘That is what I want more than anything. Family is important to me. What you have said has made me feel so happy. I don’t want to exclude you. Declan loves you and I couldn’t do anything to make him unhappy. Forget about the past, Delores. I have. There is nothing there now but my love for Declan.’

Delores touched her hair and sniffed. “I have more to say. From my heart I want to thank for my son’s life. I know you gave of your own life force to keep him in this world. That nice Dr Wentz told me. Your mother made the council join together to send you. Do you know how remarkable that is? The council hardly ever work together.”

Grace sat next to Delores and hugged her. The woman sobbed and Grace rocked her back and forth. She was free of that taint, the fragment of her dead brother. Yet, there was an ingrained sadness in her, one that Grace vowed not to increase.

’Can I get you something?’

Delores looked up and blinked at the tissue Grace extended. ‘Dinner?’

Grace frowned. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Your mother said you would cook for us.’

Grace lifted her chin. ‘My mother is a sly witch. Excuse me while I tell them to come in. Mother has an appointment with some potatoes.’

Sometime later, after a big meal of roast lamb and all the trimmings, Grace lay back against Declan on the sofa with her eyes clothed.

‘Are you happy?’ Declan asked, kissing the top of her ear.

‘More than I thought possible. I love you more than anything, but it would have been so hard to be with you if your parents hated me.’

The hand that was caressing her stilled. ‘So if my parents detested you, then you wouldn’t be with me?’

Grace turned around and bumped heads with him. ‘It would have taken some convincing.’

‘Right then.’ Grace leapt off the sofa and screamed as she was chased into her room. Declan caught her in the hall. ‘Your mother is out, isn’t she?’

A door opened. ‘But I’m in,’ said Elena. There was a meow from around her feet.

So am I. Tell your big tom to keep it down
.

He is a big tom, isn’t he?
Grace thought to the cat.
I don’t think he can keep it down
.

Grace burst out laughing. Elena picked up the cat. ‘You talking to the cat again, Grace?’

That made Grace laugh harder.

‘Good night, Elena. Use earplugs,’ Declan said as he scooped up Grace and kicked open the door.

Grace squeaked and then all the air exploded out of her as she landed on the bed, closely followed by a very large man.

Now, where were we?

You were going to convince me
.

His lips captured her hungry mouth. Touching heads, touching minds. Grace let herself sink into the warm golden glow that was her man. His energy pervaded her, giving back the last vestiges of the power she’d given him. Her body was energised. The fingers that peeled off her top left ripples of electricity in their wake.

How am I doing so far?

Fair to middling
.

He slapped her bottom. ‘I love you, Grace Riordon. I’m looking forward to spending my life with you.’

He kissed down the column of her throat, then across to her breasts. Grace cried out when he latched onto her nipple. She grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled. He grinned at her and lunged for the other breast.

‘Declan Mallory, consider yourself joined.’ She pushed at his shoulders and he obligingly flopped over onto his back. His expression grew serious as he traced a finger along her chin.