Kissed by Eternity (9 page)

"Spellwalkers are very rare. She's the first I've seen in…a very long time. They can essentially see the components of spells as if they are physical entities. They can walk among the elements of a spell, manipulating them as they do their spell work. It allows them to create unbelievably powerful spells. Much more than any ordinary witch."

Seriously cool.

"If you are all done jabbering, I'd like to cast my spell now." Emory's voice held a dreamy quality, but it was still a little on the sharp side.

We shut up. With a smile she pulled some invisible thing out of the air and threw it at the pad. The map jumped and the crystal lying next to it began to glow. Emory picked up the crystal, and still mumbling strange words, allowed the crystal to hover over the map.

The crystal began swinging in a wide arc, but no matter what, it wouldn't settle. My back ached, my knees were cramping, and still nothing happened.

Finally Emory sat back with a sigh. "Sorry, Morgan. It isn't going to work. Whatever he's doing to mask himself is working far too well. Without knowing which spell he's using, I can't break it."

Bugger. Back to square one. "Thanks for trying anyway. It was worth a shot."

She gave me a lopsided smile and banished the circle. I staggered to my feet, feeling blood rushing back a little too fast. Inigo braced me, his hands warm on my back. I reveled in having him here where he belonged. So he wasn't one hundred percent the happy-go-lucky Inigo I'd first fallen in love with, but I didn't expect that. He might be different, darker, but he was still mine. Tears pricked at my eyelids.

"I think we should all rest tonight and start fresh in the morning," Haakon suggested. It surprised me. I'd expected him to be all gung-ho.

"I agree," Inigo said, his voice a low rumble behind me. "We're all exhausted."

"I will walk," Haakon said. "My hotel is not far from here." He had a hotel already? When had that happened? "I could use a bit of fresh air."

"I'll take Morgan home."

I raised an eyebrow. I was thoroughly ignored.

"Shall we meet for breakfast?" Haakon asked.

"At my house," I suggested. "I'll make pancakes."

He nodded. "See you at seven."

I snorted. "Make that nine and you're on." Seven, my ass.

He smiled a little. "Very well, see you then."

We left Emory's, and Haakon took off down the street, fading into the night. I was unaware of any hotels nearby. Where the hell was he staying? Inigo opened the passenger door of my Mustang and waved me in. I didn't argue. I was so tired my limbs were shaking. How was he not tired?

Oh, yeah. He hadn't been the one channeling superpowers all day. In fact, shifting in and out of dragon form seemed to energize him.

Inigo pulled into my drive and shut off the engine. "Can I come in? We need to talk."

I stared at him for a moment. The last time he'd said those words, I'd felt nothing but dread. This time, oddly, I felt hope.

"Of course."

Inside, I brewed a pot of decaf coffee. Normally I wouldn't touch the stuff, but at this point, regular would keep me up all night, and I desperately needed sleep.

"What do we need to talk about?" I asked, watching the pot brew, studiously ignoring his nearness.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and gently turned me around. "Morgan, I am sorry."

I swallowed. "For what?" I needed him to spell it out.

"For leaving you. For shutting you out. For hurting you. I was so…lost. Confused. Angry and…I don't even know. I couldn't deal with anything. I didn't know how. If I had it all to do over again…" He shrugged. "I'd probably do the same damn thing. But the truth is, without you, Morgan, I'm lost. I'm not myself. I'm not…" He seemed to search for the world. "Complete."

I swallowed. "I get it. You were hurting. I just wish you would have let me help you."

He smiled sadly. "Me, too. But I couldn't. I don't know why. I can't explain it. All I know is I am here now. This is where I want to be. With you always if you'll have me."

"Are you proposing?" Me and my big mouth.

He laughed softly. "If I was proposing, you'd know it. Consider this a pre-proposal. Until I'm back in your good graces. I'm pretty sure if I proposed now, I wouldn't like the answer."

He was right about that. "Okay."

"Okay?"

I nodded. "I accept your pre-proposal. But you'd better not shut me out again."

"Can't promise that. Not totally. But I will do my best, and I give you permission to call my ass on it if I'm doing it again."

"You better believe I will." I pulled him down to kiss him, and the minute our lips locked, my exhaustion fled. "Stay the night," I whispered.

"If you insist."

"I do."

Chapter 11

With infinite slowness I wound silk ribbons around Inigo's wrists before tying the ends to the bedposts. First the left hand, then the right. He watched me with heavy-lidded eyes. Promises of payback. We both knew he could get out of the ties if he wanted. We both knew he wouldn't.

I sat back to admire my handiwork. The gods' handiwork. Whatever. He was so fucking beautiful, he took my breath away. Made my chest a little tight. And this fucking beautiful man was in
my
bed, where he belonged.

I had no idea where I'd come up with the idea to tie him up, although I wasn't totally surprised he'd let me. Inigo had always been the playful type. Before…. I pushed the thoughts away. Damn, if I wasn't going to take advantage of the situation.

Where to start?

My breath traced the delicate shell of his left ear. He tensed between my thighs. My tongue followed. He sucked in a breath. I nuzzled that sweet spot behind the ear where the skin was so very tender. This time it was a moan.

I slid one hand into the thick tangle of his hair. In this light the golden strands looked darker. Almost brown. I pulled his head back a little, baring his throat. A smile hovered on my lips as I traced the sensitive space from ear to collarbone. Laving with tongue, nipping with teeth. He twisted a little against his bonds but didn't slip them. The thick length of him pressed hard against my inner thigh. I was swollen and wet. I wanted to push myself onto him, take him inside me and ride him until we both screamed. But I also wanted to play with him.

Play won.

His sapphire eyes burned with heat and need. I knew he was thinking about fucking me. But he also wanted me to play with him first. The old Inigo peeked from beneath sooty lashes as his eyes turned gold.

Play definitely won.

I nipped the tender skin along his collarbone. Soothed it with my tongue, drank in the musky scent of aroused man. Gods, he was delicious.

Letting go of his hair, I slid my left thumb over his right nipple. Toyed a little with the flat bud. He hissed, so I moved my mouth to his left nipple. The hiss grew into another moan. And then, "Yes." Clearly, he was into it. Good thing, because I was thoroughly enjoying myself as I paid equal attention to each nipple.

By now I was practically dripping with arousal. His writhing had brought his shaft solidly against my cleft. I wanted desperately to rub myself up and down his length, but if I did, I'd be a goner. Playtime would be over.

I wasn't ready for that. He deserved a little torture, and I deserved my fun.

I moved away, and he groaned in protest. "Morgan." My name was a breath on his lips.

"Patience," I whispered.

"Hurry," he said.

"Good things come to those who wait."

"They had better."

His trace of an accent drove me wild. That perfectly proper British was music to my ears. He knew what it did to me. Bastard.

"Be quiet," I said.

The smile he gave me was wicked. His golden eyes sparkled, and I knew he was thinking of escaping his bonds, but he didn't.

I kissed my way down over his flat belly. The short silky hairs trailing from his navel tickled my nose. The musky scent of him grew stronger.

I trailed my left hand down his body before wrapping it around the base of his rigid shaft. "Gods, yes," he gasped, thrusting a little. I drew my tongue up his length from base to tip before swirling it over the smooth head, eliciting another eager moan. A few salty beads of moisture hit my taste buds. He tasted as good as he smelled. But this wasn't my goal. Not yet.

With my right hand, I cupped his heavy sac. Then I drew his balls into my mouth and sucked gently.

"Oh, gods."

I let his testicles fall. "You want me to stop."

"No," he panted. "Don't stop." His eyes were live coals. His cheeks were flushed. If I'd thought him beautiful before, it was nothing compared to what he was now. Perhaps absence did make the heart grow fonder, after all.

I went back to lavishing his balls with attention, drawing first one and then the other into my mouth. I sucked them gently, feeling them swell. He writhed beneath me, his knuckles hitting the headboard in frustration. Still he did not free himself. I knew he was on the brink.

I let his balls go, licking up his shaft again. Then I straightened up, letting go of him. His eyes caught mine, confused until I moved up his body, positioning myself over his tip.

Our eyes locked as I sank down onto him. Slowly, slowly, inch by inch. He was so thick, the fit was almost painfully tight, but I was so wet he slid in easily. By the time he was fully inside me, we were both panting with effort. We both wanted this to last. Neither of us was sure we could.

I slid myself back up to his tip, relishing the delicious friction. This time, I must have gone too far.

He was suddenly free of his bonds. His fingers dug into my hips as he grabbed me and slammed me back down onto him.

I wasn't sure whose cry of pleasure was louder, mine or his.

The pace he set was almost frantic, but it felt exactly right. It had been so long. Far too long. His every thrust into me sent waves of such intense pleasure pounding through me, I lost all ability to think. All I could do was hang on and feel every moment of ecstasy.

"Oh, gods, yes," I cried. "Harder." I bent forward so each downward thrust of my body would slam my bud against him. It was building, that pressure inside me. A few more thrusts, and I'd be over the edge.

I knew he was close, too. His grip on my hips was almost painful as he worked me up and down his length. Sweat beaded his forehead and upper lip as he ground into me. The cords in his throat stood out as he strained against his release. He was trying to make it last.

"Come for me."

His words undid me. I came so hard I thought I might split apart. It was like the insides of me burst open in one moment of such insane pleasure, it was almost pain. I cried out as orgasm swept over me. My inner muscles milked him as wave after wave swept through me. I'd never come like that before in my life.

I watched him come beneath me. That expression of agony and ecstasy on his face must have mirrored my own. He strained against me as he came inside me. A couple more thrusts, and he was done, though he gasped a little as the last few tremors of my body gripped him.

Still joined, I sank down on top of him, head pillowed on his chest. We lay there for a moment, both too exhausted to move.

Then one hand tangled in my hair, caressing my scalp. The other wrapped around me, holding me to him as if he would never let me go. Lips pressed against my forehead.

"You are amazing," he murmured, his accent thick, voice husky.

"Stay with me," I whispered, half-afraid he'd say no. That he'd go back to his apartment, leave me alone again.

His arms tightened around me as he whispered, "Always."

# # #

Sun slanted across my face, and I threw up my hand to block it. It was too damn early, but the scent of brewing coffee called me like a lover. I opened one eye. The clock said it was five to nine. Shit. Haakon would be here any second if he wasn't already. I needed to get my shit together.

I staggered out of bed and into the attached bathroom, did my business, and then jumped in the shower. I had just stepped out and wrapped a towel around me, my hair still dripping all over the floor, when I felt an odd, sucking pull. It felt as if someone, or something, was trying to pull me physically from the bathroom. What the hell?

I braced myself against the bathroom door feeling suddenly disoriented. What was going on?

"Inigo!" I shouted.

And then everything around me faded to black.

Chapter 12

I came to lying on a cold, hard floor. Had I passed out in the bathroom?

I placed my palm flat on the floor. Not tile. Stone. I pulled my hand away with a frown. Stinky black goo coated my skin. I stared at the wall about two inches from my face. Black and dripping with dark slime. I rolled over to find Morgana sitting a few feet away on an elegant, straight-backed chair. Behind her ranged the Queen's Guard, Kalen in the middle looking smug.

Shit. I was in the Otherworld.

"How the hell did I get here?" I snarled, sitting up. I realized I was still wearing nothing but a towel. Great. I was facing my arch nemesis half-naked. This was like a bad dream.

"How do you think you got here?" Morgana's tone was arch. "I brought you here, Hunter."

"Send me back. Now. Or I swear I will—"

"You will what? Kill me?" She laughed maniacally. Her usually shining hair was dull and brassy. Her eyes had gone from clear blue to some muddy, indeterminate color. She was still beautiful, but she was no longer breathtaking. "You don't have the guts."

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, I've got the guts. Remember your brother, Albrecht?"

Her pale face grew whiter. "You did not kill my brother. The djinn king did."

It was true. The Marid had been the one to deal the fatal blow. "And yet, you've been blaming me. That's what this is about, isn't it? You've finally called in your marker." I knew it in my gut. Morgana, the crazy bitch, had been insisting I owed her for her brother's death. Never mind that had been her plan all along. And I'd owed her before that. For a "gift" she'd given me. One I hadn't wanted anyway. I'd been wondering when she'd get around to it.