The Witch and the Werewolf Page 8

  He was a virile man. It had been months since he’d had sex because Peanut had occupied all his free time. He needed this. And he’d take the frenzied connection and worry about where the chips fell afterward.

  Parking before the house, he shoved open the door, jumped out and offered a hand to help her out. Before she could step down, he took her in his arms and elbowed the door shut. He carried her up the walk and she punched in the digital code for the front door lock even as he held her in his arms.

  “Set me down before we go in!” she said before he could step any farther. “No carrying over the threshold this night.”

  Uh. Okay. If she was implying some weird correlation to the whole carrying a wife over the threshold then, yes, he’d go with it. He set her down and followed her inside. After pulling the door closed, she turned and pushed her hands up under his shirt. He groaned at the sweet yet demanding touch against his tight muscles.

  She shoved him none too gently and his shoulders landed against the foyer wall behind him. In the darkness, Lars raised a brow in question.

  “Are we going to do this?” she asked, hugging her breasts against him, which landed them about gut level because of her shortness. “I want to do this.”

  “We’re doing this.”

  “Good.”

  “Couch?”

  “No. The bedroom is up the stairs.”

  She jumped then and he caught her as she wrapped her legs about his waist. Bypassing the couch and going straight for the bed? Oh, yeah, this was happening.

  Bowing to kiss her, he then turned to navigate the stairs, which were beyond the kitchen. She kissed his jaw and stroked his beard as he took the tight square turns upward. At the top, only two doors were open and when he spied the bed and the big picture of the yellow daisy on the wall behind it, he knew it was her bedroom.

  Carrying her in, Lars set her on the edge of the high bed, but she didn’t unwrap her legs from him. Seeking fingers pushed through his hair and tugged the wood stick out from the leather hair wrap he used to curtail his long hair. She pulled his hair forward, drawing it over her lips and cheeks. Then she nuzzled her nose and mouth into his beard. With a giggle, she fell backward and stretched out her arms across the frilly bed.

  “Goddess, you’re a sexy man. All dimples and beard. I have to admit, I’m a little nervous.”

  Crawling over her, but not resting his weight on her, he propped himself up on his elbows, meeting her eye to eye in the hazy light. “Why? Is something wrong? Shoot. This is too fast. I knew it.”

  “No, Lars. This is happening exactly as it should. That’s how the universe works. Things happen when they are supposed to happen. I’m nervous because, like I said, you’re sexy. You’re handsome and kind. And you’re so big and I feel like a little bird beside you. But that’s a good thing. It’s like you protect me. And—oh, my goddess, I’m chattering!”

  He kissed her quickly, then nuzzled his nose against her cheek and sought the thick curly shelter of her bright hair. “You’re the opposite of me. You like to talk. I’m a doer. A man of few words.”

  “You can do me, Lars. I want you to take off my clothes and kiss me everywhere.”

  Directions? The woman just made his life a whole lot easier.

  Lars pushed up her shirt and she pulled it off and leaned back onto her elbows to reveal a lacy red bra that barely contained her lush, full breasts. He laid a hand over one and kissed the other through the sheer fabric, teasing at her hard nipple until her moans rose and her hips rocked against his torso.

  Her fingers danced down his chest and abs and she couldn’t quite reach his jeans. His erection pulsed within his jeans, which were normally comfy and loose. But not now.

  Nuzzling his face between her breasts, he decided this pillow could hold his attention for a long sweet time. He glided his fingers over the red fabric, feeling as her nipple tightened even more. The red lace tickled his palm. He tugged down the bra and kissed her above the nipple.

  “Do you have a condom?” she asked as he lashed teasingly at her nipple.

  Lars looked up at her. Red hair splayed like goddess tresses across the bed. Lashes dusted over her blue eyes. Her mouth was plump and parted. A condom? Shit. Of all things he should be most vigilant about that was the one.

  “No. I, uh...” Hadn’t done this for a while, and—hell, he’d not planned this night very well. He’d never expected to bypass the couch and go straight to the bed. “Do you?” he asked hopefully, assuming since she’d asked, she must not be on birth control.

  “Shoot. No. And there’s a spell I can do for birth control but I’ve been waiting for the right moon phase. It’s required for efficacy. Oh, Lars, I’m sorry.”

  Like that, his heart dropped an inch and he rolled to his back to lie beside her, blowing out a frustrated breath. But when her hand glided over his erection he popped up his head to meet her winking gaze.

  “There are other things we can do. Yes?”

  All the side stuff but not the big event? He’d never done anything like that before. He was a man who always got to the point. And he never left a woman high and dry. Nor did he often walk away without the big bang.

  Now she squeezed over his jeans, which made his cock grow harder, if that were possible. “Lars?”

  Everything but actually putting himself inside her? That would prove a challenge, but he was always up for a test. And no way in hell did he want to walk away from lush red hair, plump lips and lickable nipples now.

  She tugged at his zipper and he winced, anticipating some pain should she make a wrong move.

  “Mmm, commando. I’ll be careful,” she said. And she was, sliding her hand inside his jeans and over his cock and curlies as she pulled down the zipper. “You got a name for this big guy?” she asked. “Or should I assume you’ve named it after a legume?” Her eyes twinkled from her position hovering over his newly sprung erection.

  A legume? Oh, right. Peanut.

  “Mireio,” he chided and tangled his fingers in her hair. “You can call it anything you like. It’ll come when you call.”

  She giggled at that. “All I have to do is call, eh?”

  “Oh, yeah...”

  Her fingers slipped around his hard length, squeezing and setting off erotic shock waves that jolted through his system and made him hiss. A wanting utterance. Small as she was, the woman did possess a good firm grip. And she glided up and down his erection slow and easy, which he appreciated, because he hadn’t any lube and wasn’t all juiced up yet.

  And thinking about that must have given her the idea to dash her tongue down the length of him. Lars gripped his fingers, then realized he still had them in her hair and didn’t want to pull too roughly, so he swept them down her skin and dropped his hand to the bed, where he grabbed the coverlet as her lips closed over his swollen head.

  “Oh, witch...”

  Her mouth was a nice replacement for what he’d thought the lacking condoms had denied him. So hot, wet and...squeezing. She licked and stroked her tongue up and down the length of him. His entire body tingled and he felt a mad soaring sensation. And when she gently cupped his balls the darkness behind his closed eyelids took on color.

  An animal growl came out, which stirred her head up.

  “Mmm, my wolf. You like this.”

  “Oh, Mireio.”

  “You want to feel how wet I am?” He watched her slip her hand beneath her skirt, then she drew out her fingers and touched them to his cock. Sticky and hot with her wet dew.

  Lars bit his lip and growled again. His body tremored and with a few more lashes from her tongue, he gave up the gold and came powerfully, hips bucking and breaths hissing.

  Mireio’s cell phone rang. She didn’t stop stroking him. But he’d already come. He needed a few minutes.

  “Get it,” he
said on a relaxing exhale.

  “No, it’s probably...” It continued to ring. With a heavy sigh, she said, “Sorry. Right, you need a little rest time, eh?” With a wink, she pushed aside her hair and retrieved the phone. “Hey, Valor...What? Seriously? That’s the second time a keg has exploded this month...No, I can come in and help. I’ll have it cleaned up with my water magic in two snaps. See you in a bit.”

  “You can’t leave now.” He sat up on the bed and pushed the hair from his face. Perspiration around his hairline made him swipe a hand across his brow. “It’s my turn to make you come.”

  She sat on his lap, grinding her mons against his cock and moving up higher. “You can’t imagine how powerful a girl feels when she brings a man to the edge like that.”

  “I might have some idea. I’ve done it a time or two to women.”

  “Only a time or two?”

  “Aw, you know. I’m not going to detail my past conquests.” He kissed her breast and suckled the nipple. His entire body was lax, yet humming with energy. “Five more minutes?”

  “Lars, I know this is mean but the brewery basement is flooded. We’ve an old plastic fermenter that finally cracked open and gushed out eighty gallons of beer. Valor can clean it up with a mop and bucket, but I’m the one with water magic who can reduce cleanup time by hours.” She kissed him as she pulled her bra back up. “Next time we’ll both be prepared. Deal?”

  “I’ll add condoms to the list right above diapers.”

  She fist-bumped him then and slid off the bed, tugging her hair up and grabbing something off the vanity to pin it up as she sailed out of the bedroom. “I’m making a quick escape, because if I don’t, I’ll never be able to leave you. Don’t be mad!”

  Sitting up on the bed, feeling disoriented, satisfied, but also completely devastated that he’d not been able to do for her what she had done for him, Lars exhaled through his nose. What had become of his life of late? He couldn’t please a woman. He had to be home by a curfew to feed his baby. He was waking up in the field naked, shifted out of werewolf shape, with no understanding of how he’d gotten there.

  And...he pressed his fingertips together, wincing at the tingly pain that had begun a few minutes ago. It wasn’t aftereffects from the orgasm. Soon the tingling would spread up to his elbow and he wouldn’t be able to feel anything. He’d better get home quick before he wasn’t able to drive. Wiping his T-shirt across his stomach to clean off the cum, he then headed downstairs.

  They both rushed toward the front door, Mireio’s fish purse bonking Lars on the knee as she made the dash.

  “I’m so sorry the night ended this way,” she said as they sailed down the front step and she angled toward the garage. “You must think me terribly insensitive to one minute have my hand on your cock and the next be thinking about work.”

  “No.” Maybe a little. “I understand.” If it had been a call about Peanut, he would have done the same thing and rushed off. “It sounds like an emergency. And you’re right, we weren’t prepared.”

  She spun and pulled him down for a quick kiss. “Call me tomorrow! And don’t forget about your shopping list!”

  The garage door opened and she disappeared into the dark garage. Lars waved and watched as the little red Volkswagen backed out and she cruised away. Off to help her sister witch clean up the disaster at the brewery.

  He fired up the truck. They’d started the evening by securing information on a violent vampire that Mireio would ultimately destroy to gain immortality. Then the movie theater, which led to an awkward, but strangely satisfying roll on her bed. What a weird night.

  He shook his hand, fighting the tingling that would not relent. His whole life felt unbalanced and not quite right. And it only promised to get weirder.

  Chapter 8

  The next day, Lars stopped into the brewery with Peanut in the baby carrier. Mireio stood over by the brew tanks. And when he noticed she wasn’t stirring the contents of the first tank, but the big wooden stir paddle was moving around and around, he set the sleeping baby on the floor and approached cautiously.

  “Hey!” She winked at him and then stepped down from the short step stool she’d been standing on. “I’m in the wort production part of the brewing process right now. Come over. Take a look.”

  Lars peered into the open stainless-steel tank. A big wood paddle stirred the grains in the water—on its own. A little magic? Cool. He inhaled the rich oat smell. “You really do make magic.”

  “Just call me the resident hopcromancer. I can do magical things with water and hops.” She noticed his hand shaking at his side. “What’s up?”

  “Huh? Oh.” He smoothed his fingers down a thigh, unaware he’d been moving his hand. “Nothing. Just some tingling I get every so often. Probably nerve damage from all the wood chopping I’ve been doing lately.”

  To distract her, he gave her a kiss, which she extended by pulling him down and wrapping her arms about his shoulders.

  “Everything go okay last night?” he asked.

  “It took less than twenty minutes to rally the spilled beer back into some kegs, with magic, of course. Then we were able to dump it down the sink.”

  “Bummer.”

  “Yes, but beer from the floor would not have been a big seller. Losses are to be expected.” She hugged up against him, pressing her stomach to his hips. “How are you today, big boy?”

  If she pressed a little closer and longer, she’d know exactly how he was feeling. Hard and happy.

  “Still riding the high of you,” he said. “It smells great in here. And it’s not just you and your lilacs.” He peeked again into the stainless-steel brew tank and saw the grains spinning round as they were magically stirred. “You always do that?”

  “Oh, yeah. Stirring grains takes a lot of muscle. Some days I like to take it easy. And it frees me up to watch the controls.” She pointed to the control panel on the wall. “Lots involved in the brew process. The boil comes next.” She tapped the second tank. “All that sugar from the grains is sluicing into this tank. Then I’ll boil it and add the hops and the secret ingredients.”

  “And by secret does that mean magic?”

  She crooked a sly smile at him. “You bet. So what are you two up to today?” She skirted around the end of the bar to check on Peanut. “Hey, Oliver, how are you? Sleeping like a baby, I see.”

  “Oliver?” Lars scratched his bearded jaw. “I don’t know about that one.”

  “Too Dickensian?” She shrugged. “Had to give it a try. So what’s up?”

  “We’re headed out to do some grocery shopping. I always drive up to the market in Maple Grove. And since that takes me right by The Decadent Dames...”

  “And you’ll have to return this way too. Hey, why don’t you leave Peanut here with me? The boil is my time to generally futz around and do nothing. I’d love to do nothing with this little cutie-pie.”

  “He does need a bottle soon. Are you sure?”

  “Sure? Are you kidding me? Some free time to hug and kiss and cuddle all this awesome baby?” She fluttered her lashes at him and her smile slipped into a seductive curl. “Don’t you trust me yet, Lars?”

  “I do. And if you keep looking at me like that I’ll have to put you up on the bar and spread your legs.”

  “I’m game.”

  He glanced to the baby. “Not in front of the kid. Or...” He gestured toward the front windows of the brewery, not thirty feet away, where people walked by and peered in constantly.

  “Sure, but can I take a rain check on that offer? Later? When you get back from shopping?”

  “Hell yes. But as for leaving Peanut here, I don’t want to impose. You are working.”

  “I’d never offer if I didn’t want to and if I couldn’t manage it. The boil begins soon. That’ll give me some time to blow raspb
erries on Peanut’s toes.”

  “I could make the grocery shopping quick.”

  “No. Take your time. I’ll be here for hours yet. Go on.”

  “I might take a few minutes to run by the Jiffy Lube and have them top off the fluids in the truck.”

  “Yes, do that. Run all the errands you need to get done. We’ll be good.” She squatted near Peanut’s carrier and ruffled the sleeping babe’s hair.

  Lars’s cell phone buzzed. He tugged it out of his front pocket and checked the text. He frowned.

  “Hot date cancel out on you?” she asked.

  “What?” His face felt hot and his heart beat fast.

  Mireio pointed to his phone.

  “Oh, this? Uh, a text from my doctor.”

  “Really?”

  He shrugged and shoved the phone back into his pocket.

  “Is that normal? I mean, I’ve never heard of a doctor texting a patient.”

  “Oh, uh, I don’t know. He’s like a small-town doc. Not a lot of patients, and all of us are werewolves. He, uh...wants me to meet with him this afternoon for the test results. It’s all good.”

  “How do you know? You could be dying.”

  Lars chuckled. “I’m going to live forever. And I don’t have to eat a vampire heart to do so. We wolves tend to live three or four centuries.”

  “I know. Hardy genes.” She bent and kissed Peanut’s forehead. “So you go, and fit in your doc appointment while you’re at it. We’re good for an afternoon. And I promise I won’t let the little guy drink too much beer.”

  “He’s a teetotaler, that one. Thanks, Mireio.”

  As Lars started toward the door she called, “Don’t forget the condoms!”

  “Tops on my list!” With a wink and a wave, he wandered off.

  * * *

  Geneva Curtis, one of the four witches who owned the brewery, clicked over to the far end of the bar in the highest of red crocodile leather heels. Likely bought for her by a billionaire. In Dubai or some other fabulous vacation getaway that Mireio could only dream about. Geneva swept off her Chanel sunglasses, then startled at the sight of what sat on the floor near the bags of rye grains.