Love Potion #9 (37 page)

He wanted to do to her what she so readily did to him.

Mitch pulled down her panties with his teeth, his hands roving endlessly over her, his tongue making her cry out with delight. He cast off her underwear and cupped her buttocks in his hands. He set to work coaxing her response with his tongue. Lilith moaned; she twisted; she writhed; she whispered his name; she arched her back off the bed.

And she was wetter than wet. Mitch thought he would explode at the evidence of her arousal. He gave her no respite, though. He teased until she shivered and then he teased some more. He wanted this to be a night to remember. Lilith reached for him, but he caught her hands and interlaced their fingers.

Lilith gasped. Mitch could almost feel the heat rising beneath her skin. His own erection was enormous, made more so with every hint of her rising passion. She came with a cry of victory, her back arched high, and he thought he couldn't last.

When she mumbled in contentment, Mitch slid up the length of her, nibbling her flesh all the way and making her shiver anew. Their fingers were still entwined when he braced himself above her. Her breathing was rapid and her eyes shone.

“Okay?”

“Wonderful.” Lilith's smile made Mitch's heart clench, then expand. He bent and captured her lips with his. They kissed hungrily, lingeringly. He felt her desire building to a simmer once again. Without breaking their kiss, she wrapped her legs around Mitch in silent demand. Mitch eased himself into her, his own eyes closing at the way her warmth closed securely around him.

Again, a perfect fit.

“Kismet,” he whispered against the perfumed softness of her throat. Lilith's low laughter fanned his ear.

And then, she rolled her hips beneath him.

Mitch caught his breath at the surge of desire that fired through him. His blood pounded in his ears. Lilith smiled and did it again. Mitch braced himself on his elbows, then moved within her with slow deliberation. Lilith's hands locked on his shoulders and she writhed beneath him so beguilingly that he knew he wouldn't last.

He couldn't last.

But this wouldn't be the only time. They had decided to make love, and they were going to make love until they couldn't make love any more. Lilith was going to know what she did to Mitch; she was going to understand how much he cared for her. Mitch didn't care whether it took all night or all year.

Or even all of his life.

He moved with powerful strokes, aware of only the woman gasping beneath him. Mitch slipped his hand between them and his thumb found the spot he sought. Lilith shivered, then made a little cry of pleasure. He bent and swallowed the sound, kissing her, touching her, filling her.

Again, the sight of her rising passion drove him on to greater and greater heights. Lilith's ripe lips parted. She writhed in the dark tangle of her hair. Her fingers gripped his shoulders. The softness of that lacy brassiere brushed against Mitch's chest.

Suddenly, Lilith's eyes widened and she cried out in pleasure. Mitch barely saw the flush race over her skin before his own orgasm thundered through him. For an incredible moment, time stretched out to infinity and Mitch touched the stars.

Slowly, Mitch tumbled into the arms of his equally exhausted lady. He ran his fingertip along the edge of her bra and smiled when she shivered. “We didn't even finish the job,” he mused, sliding his finger beneath the elastic strap.

Lilith curled up against his side, all softness and femininity, her legs tangled up around his. “Next time,” she whispered, her eyes alight.

Mitch grinned at the prospect. He enfolded her in his arms and rolled to his back, more than content with his situation. Opening his heart to this woman had changed more than his perspectives – it had changed Mitch himself.

He was a new man, and he liked that just fine.

“I love you, Lilith,” he whispered, his eyes drifting closed before he saw her answering smile.

He was asleep by the time she stretched and kissed his brow.

He never did see her take off that bra. When he awakened hours later, it was gone, although its absence was no impediment to their making love a second time.

Or even the time after that.

 

* * *

 

14

Temperance

 

Lilith awakened when the first ray of sunlight poked through the bedroom window. She sighed and snuggled closer to Mitch's warmth, then wrinkled her nose at the earthy aroma they emanated.

Something had to be done.

Lilith gave Mitch a friendly poke. “Wake up,” she whispered urgently. “We need to have a shower.”

Mitch opened one eye and smiled lazily, a decidedly amorous gleam in that gold eye. “I like a woman who isn't afraid to say what she wants,” he teased, then kissed her leisurely.

Lilith sighed with contentment. The man was thorough, she would willingly give him that.

And just about anything else he wanted from her. Lilith was tired in all the right places, and filled with a certainty that they had only just begun to explore something truly wonderful.

But despite the gleam in Mitch's eye, another bout wasn't exactly what she meant. “The kids will be awake soon,” she whispered when he lifted his lips from hers.

But Mitch rolled over and pulled Lilith purposefully against his side. He nuzzled her neck enough to make her toes curl. “I don't care if they find us together,” he mumbled, then kissed that tingly spot right under Lilith's ear.

His words made a little glow launch around her heart. His kiss made numerous other - equally good - things happen.

“No, not that,” she protested weakly. Mitch kissed her neck, his fingers sliding around her breast. “And not that!” she added breathlessly.

Mitch lifted his head and met her gaze. “Then what?”

Lilith sniffed and grimaced again. “It just smells a bit earthy in here, if you know what I mean.”

Mitch deliberately sniffed in turn and made a comical face. “Phew! What's been going on in this bed?” He grinned, then bounded from the bed. Lilith only had a moment to admire Mitch's muscled legs and bare butt, before he pivoted and scooped her into his arms. In a heartbeat, he was headed for the bathroom. “I did mention that I have a weakness for clever women, didn't I?”

Lilith tapped him on the shoulder. “You only get to have a weakness for
one
woman now.”

Mitch grinned, obviously untroubled by that. “Fair enough. As long as we're both playing by the same rules.”

“Of course.”

Mitch kicked the bathroom door shut behind them, pulling Lilith close and landing a bone-melting kiss on her. When she was certain she couldn't even stand up on her own, he lifted his head.

The twinkle in his eye should have warned her.

But Lilith found herself dumped into the shower before she could protest. Mitch turned on the water, she sputtered, but he turned back to lock the door.

“We don't any little eyes or cold noses investigating,” he confided as he climbed into the tub beside her. After the initial cold spurt, the hot water had come and the shower was becoming quite cozy.

Intent shone in Mitch's eyes, one glance further south confirming exactly what he had in mind. His hands roved over her, starting little fires everywhere they touched.

“Now, then,” Mitch purred as he backed Lilith into the tile wall. His chest hair tickled against her breasts, the warmth of his smile made Lilith's heart pound in anticipation. He quirked one chestnut brow. “How about some good clean fun?”

Lilith had only a moment to laugh before Mitch's lips closed demandingly over hers. He caught her around the waist, his hands nearly encircling her, and lifted her so that her toes dangled off the ground. He imprisoned her against the wall and Lilith couldn't imagine a better place to be. The water drummed down on his shoulders and Lilith closed her eyes with contentment.

Mitch loved her.

She loved him, they were together. That was the only thing Lilith had ever wanted and she had it right in her hands. Her heart sang and she knew she would treasure Mitch's whispered confession for the rest of her days.

She ran her toes up the back of his legs, giggling when he growled. Lilith locked her knees around his waist, more than ready to repeat their earlier activities. Mitch's hands slid lower and he cupped her buttocks, a very wicked gleam lighting the amber of her eyes.

“Why don't you put your feet on the edge of the tub?” he suggested. Mitch gripped her cheeks tighter when Lilith followed his suggestion. “And don't worry,” he breathed against her neck. “I'm not going to let you fall.” His erection pressed against her softness, his lips moved in her ear.

And Lilith knew right then and there that they were going to run the hot water tank dry.

 

* * *

 

“Daddy's home!” Jen exploded into the bedroom and bounced on the bed with delight, just half an hour after the shower to end all showers.

“You're still asleep, naked lady,” Mitch mumbled in Lilith's ear. Then he sat up with a gasp of surprise for Jen's benefit, acting as though he had just awakened. Lilith followed orders and feigned sleep. Jason was right behind Jen and the mattress was soon bouncing with a different kind of excitement than it had the night before.

Lilith had to wonder what kind of person they thought she was, expecting her to slumber right through this kind of ruckus. That made her smile even more.

To Lilith's relief, no one seemed surprised to find her curled up in bed with Mitch. She snuggled lower, hiding her bare shoulders beneath the sheet.

“Shhhh!” he said loud enough to wake the dead. “Lilith's still sleeping.” Lilith bit back a chuckle. The children shushed each other so loudly that Lilith nearly blew her cover. Whispers abounded, then the mattress moved as they eased from the bed.

To Lilith's astonishment, she earned two surreptitious and slightly sticky kisses. She only barely hid her surprise, and had to bite her lip when Mitch whispered in her ear. “Hmmm, I had no idea you could be so sneaky,” he teased, then kissed her lightly. “I'm going to have to watch my step.”

Lilith knew he saw her unwilling smile.

Down in the kitchen, Cooley barked, obviously feeling left out of things.

“Daddy, you have to see!” Jen dragged Mitch off to see his room, her explanation filled with a tangled story of Lilith's Monster Repellant. He then admired Jason's room, suggesting a bookshelf for all of the books that were being acquired.

“Did you have fun?” Mitch asked in the hall. A chorus of assent answered his question and Lilith smiled against her pillow.

“Lillit scared away the monsters for good,” Jen announced.

“Did she? And she painted the house too.”

“And she sang with me,” Jen contributed solemnly.

“We found some tadpoles in the creek and they had legs already,” Jason contributed. “We're going to go back today to see how much they've grown.”

“Wow,” Mitch mused. “It sounds as though Lilith worked pretty hard.” He dropped his voice to that loud whisper that Lilith was almost certainly supposed to hear. “Maybe we should make her breakfast.”

“We could make pancakes!” Jason suggested.

“And fruit salad with lots of grapes.”

Mitch chuckled. “Whose favorite food is this supposed to be?” he asked and Lilith guessed the answer to that. “What do you think
Lilith
would like?”

“Pancakes!”

“And fruit salad with lots of grapes.”

Lilith couldn't stop her laughter. She tried to muffle it in the pillow and was glad to hear Mitch's chuckle echo more loudly at the same time.

“All right, I give up,” he confessed. “Pancakes and fruit salad it is.”

Jen squealed, Jason cheered, Cooley barked with determination.

“Shhhhhh!” Mitch counseled and they all did. “Be vewy vewy quiet,” he added in quite a good imitation of Elmer Fudd. “We are huntin' bweakfast.”

Jason mimicked the cartoon character's distinctive laugh and the sound of their giggles moved toward the stairs.

“Gee,” Mitch said with sudden loudness. “I really hope Lilith sleeps long enough that we have time to finish making our surprise.”

Lilith rolled to her back and grinned, knowing full well that she was supposed to hear that. She stretched and considered the ceiling. It looked much better white, even it did still need another coat to cover that horrible green completely. The room looked cleaner and brighter already and Lilith couldn't wait to finish transforming this house.

It was challenge of the first order. Hers hadn't been nearly so bad when she moved in. Lilith wiggled her toes in the sheets, quite content to linger and daydream about paint and carpet and perfect furniture for each corner.

Lilith had no doubt that Mitch would loudly wonder where she was when it was time for her to make an appearance.

Lilith surveyed the room, trying to decide what particular shade of blue would be rich but not too dark. The corner of a piece of paper hung out of the top closed drawer of Mitch's dresser. She had noticed it the other day and meant to stuff it back in. If anything else, it was hanging out further than Lilith remembered.

It was only thing in the room that looked sloppy, besides the rumpled bed. Sometime during the night, Mitch had even hung up his trousers.

Lilith's lips quirked with the realization that she was getting a man who was already trained.

She eyed the piece of paper, unable to decide why that dangling corner bothered her as much as it did. Lilith wasn't that much of a neat freak, after all.

She looked away and tried to forget it, but when she looked back, it seemed to be hanging out even further. It seemed to be wiggling at her, daring her to come and stuff it back into the drawer before it fell right on the floor.

That was enough!

Lilith rolled out of bed and crossed the room. She pulled open the drawer, meaning to just stuff the paper further in, but it fluttered to the floor. And when she bent to pick it up, the first few words jumped out at her.