“Nope, but since technically Snow White doesn’t exist, there’s no way Delia can stop him. Snow and the boys are pretty much constructs, like my holeos, only they’re more substantial and they have more autonomy. He yanked them off the pages and now he won’t put them back until they finish working for him.” I poked at the water bottle, feeling all grumpy again. “I really want to go over and yell at him.”
Aegis snarled. “I want to go over and beat the crap out of him. Constructs or not, that’s a fucking horrible thing to do to somebody.” He set the pan on the stove, but didn’t turn on the burner. After he popped open the biscuits and lined the baking sheet with them, he slid them into the oven. “Dinner in twelve minutes.”
“You go over and it makes matters a little dicey. I go over and all he can do is badmouth the business. I promise I won’t try to turn him into a frog.” I fluttered my eyelashes, smiling at him. “Please don’t try to stop me.”
Aegis let out a gruff snort. “After what you just told me, I don’t think I’d have the heart to stop you. All right. At least let me put an infusion of cash into your anemic bank account. I told you I do have a stash.”
“You might need that someday, and it can’t be that much, right? You were squatting in the house when I bought it.”
“I was squatting in the house because I didn’t think I’d want to stay here, doofus. And I have more tucked away than you think I do.” He arched his eyebrows. “I can front you what you need. Hell, I’ll give it to you, if you like.”
I stared at him. “I thought you weren’t that well off. I always assumed—”
“That because I’m a vampire, I’d own a big mansion if I had money? I was always too much of a nomad. That changed when I met you, Maddy.” He turned on the soup, glancing at me, a serious look on his face. “I feel at home here. At home, with you.”
Once again, the sense that we belonged together, that somewhere, deep inside, we had known each other over the centuries, hit home. He leaned across the counter to stroke my face. “I love you. I know you.”
Catching his fingers in mine, I brought them to my lips and kissed them slowly, my heart beating so loud I knew he could hear it. I pressed my lips to his palm. “I know you. I don’t know how we were brought together, but it feels as though it had to happen.”
We stood there for a moment, just basking in the sensation of touching one another. Then, he slowly withdrew his hand and pulled the biscuits out of the oven, ladled up my soup, and pushed the bowl over to me. A plate of the biscuits followed, along with butter and honey, and for the first time all day, I felt calm.
As I buttered one of the biscuits and spooned up the soup, he began rinsing off the dishes and stacking them in the dishwasher.
“So,” he said, wiping his hands on a dish towel, “will you let me help you out? After all, the Bewitching Bedlam is important to me, too.”
Heaving a long sigh, I finally nodded. “All right. When you put it like that, okay. But we’re going to the credit union and make a new account that we both can access.”
“Sounds good to me,” he said, brushing a strand of his hair back. “I have rehearsal tonight. You don’t mind if I go, do you? If you want me to stay home because of Bubba, I will.”
I shook my head. “No, but before you go, would you be interested in a little dessert?” I was tired, the day had seemed interminably long, and the food hit me like a sledgehammer. I probably would have fallen asleep if I hadn’t already had a long nap. “I don’t want to wake up Bubba, though.”
Aegis laughed. “Let’s go in the parlor. We can lock the door and nobody will disturb us.”
Finishing up the last biscuit—I could easily eat the whole can of ten, and usually did—I wiped my hands, popped a mint, and followed him into the parlor.
AEGIS LOCKED THE door and leaned against it, eyeing me with those silken eyes of his. I caught my breath, holding it as I shivered. My hand fluttered to my throat as he slowly began to walk toward me, his hands on his belt buckle.
“Undress for me, Maddy. Let me see your beautiful naked body.” He liked to watch me, liked to see me take off every speck of clothing.
I slid the tank over my head, dropping it on the back of the sofa, and then reached around to unhook my bra. As my breasts bounced free, he let out a low laugh—one that whispered I’m hungry and I’m going to eat you up. I stroked my breasts, lingering over my nipples, and Aegis’s eyes grew bright, his lips curving into a cunning smile.
“Now, the skirt.”
Reaching for the side zipper, I slowly lowered it, taking my time. Aegis grunted as I began to shimmy it down over my hips until my panties were showing. They were purple hip huggers, with a gold design embroidered on them. As the skirt dropped to the floor and I stepped out of it, I hooked my thumbs on both sides and began to lower them, as well.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous.” Aegis paused, slaking me with his gaze.
Feeling more naked than nude, I slid my hands down my hips, tilting my head to give him a coquettish look. “Like what you see?”
“Yes.” His voice was throaty.
“Want what you see?”
In answer, he slid his jeans down, and his cock popped up, erect and strong and hard. “Hard as a rock, and ready.” As he undressed, I debated on whether to play the come-and-catch-me game we played, but then decided I just wanted him. Now. Here. Without any subterfuge.
I crossed to the rug in front of the fireplace and knelt, sitting back on my knees. Aegis blurred for a second, and then, faster than I could see, he was behind me, holding me against his chest, his arms curling around me. I leaned back into his embrace, tilting my head to the side as he pressed his lips to my neck.
“You drank recently, right?” I didn’t want to break the mood, but the scent of my blood—and he could smell it right through my pores—was like ambrosia.
“Yes, when I woke. I had two bottles of blood. So, love, no worry. As much as I want to taste you, I can control myself,” he murmured into my ear. “Let me love you.”
As he cupped my breasts, I relaxed into his embrace, closing my eyes as he fingered my nipples, squeezing gently, twirling them with two fingers. His cock was hard, pressed against my back, and my own desire heightened, my sex throbbing for his touch.
“Lean forward on your hands and knees,” he whispered.
I obeyed, leaning forward. He let go of me and turned, lying on his back as he slid between my legs. He reached up, took hold of my hips with both hands, and brought me down onto his face, slowly positioning me until his tongue massaged my clit. As he began to suck, I let out a soft moan, undulating against the feel of his tongue against me, of his hands on my skin. The tension built quickly, making me dizzy. I tried to catch my breath and couldn’t, and then—abruptly and without warning—a ripple began to swallow me up. Startled, I yelled out his name as I came, hard.
“Already? You really were hungry, weren’t you?” He laughed, pulling me down to lie on top of him. His cock pressed hard against my belly and I ached, wanting him inside me. Oh, great mother of all that was sexy, I wanted him deep inside.
“I want you. All of you,” I said with a ragged pant. “Come inside?”
Aegis lifted my hips. “Climb aboard, babe.”
I slid down his cock, enfolding him with my pussy. I was wet—so wet that I felt like I was dripping, and his girth slid neatly inside, widening me, stretching me with one good hard thrust that pierced my core, forcing my lower lips apart.
“Ride me, babe. Ride me hard,” he said, his eyes flashing with crimson rings around their deep brown.
I began to rock, then leaned forward so that I could balance my hands against the floor to either side of his chest. I swiveled, every nuance of his shaft exploring my inner core. He began to thrust, holding my waist tight as he pumped deeper into me. After a moment, the room was silent, heavy with only the sound of our breathing. Aegis flipped me over, driving himself between my legs, thrus
ting so hard that it felt like he was penetrating every fiber of my body. He bent down, catching one nipple between his teeth, and sucked hard. The sensation rippled through me from my breast down to my cunt, exploding as he lowered one hand between my legs, and tweaked my clit again.
“You like this? You like me in you?” His voice hung heavy with lust, like grapes on a vine that were almost ready to burst.
I nodded, my teeth chattering. I couldn’t speak, I was so caught in the web of passion we were building between us. All I could do was wrap my arms around him, moaning his name in little sighs, each one a little higher than before. In turn, he drove himself faster, letting out a series of grunts, whispering my name as I spiraled, caught by the vortex of hunger that was building around me. And then—I could stand it no longer. I quit resisting and let out a stifled scream as I tumbled into the orgasm again, coming so hard my lips tingled.
Aegis stiffened between my legs, holding me taut, a guttural cry lodged in his throat. A moment, and he thrust a few more times and then, he relaxed in my arms and draped forward against me.
I slid my arms around him as the sex haze tumbled around us, pulling us into a whirl of love and satiation and the rain of rose petals that fell gently around us, thanks to my magic.
WE SHOWERED TOGETHER and dressed, and Aegis left for rehearsal shortly after. I petted Bubba, who was awake but still lying on the bed. “Dude, you need to get better. I love you, you crusty old cjinn. Quit scaring me.”
A knock sounded at my bedroom door and I answered. It was Thornton.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Maddy, but Snow wants to know if you have any booze in the house.” He gave me one of those “I can’t believe I have to ask this” looks.
I frowned. Snow might be paying well, but she wasn’t getting my stash. “Tell her no. If she wants liquor she can go to a nightclub or bar or the store.” I opened the door a little wider. “If you want, I’ll go tell her. In fact, it’s only nine-thirty. I think I’m going to go give Ralph a talking-to.”
I had put on jeans and a light knit tank top, and I slid my phone in my pocket, shut my bedroom door behind me, and before Thornton could say a word, headed out the door.
It wasn’t far to Ralph’s place. The Heart’s Desire Inn was only a mile or so away, which was part of the problem. At least for Ralph. He really didn’t like the fact that I had opened a bed-and-breakfast so close to his place. But truth was, we had entirely different clientele, even though he didn’t want to admit it.
The driveway in front of the inn was pretty packed. It looked like they had a full house, which was good in one way. It would keep Ralph and his brothers from spouting off about how I was stealing their business. I slammed out of my car, tossed my purse over my shoulder, and headed inside. As I entered the lobby, sure enough, Ralph was there, behind the counter. Which meant his brothers were probably off on a bender. They took turns roughhousing with their friends.
“Yo, Ralph.” Nobody else was in the lobby as I crossed to the desk. The inn was about one and a half times the size of my B&B.
He frowned as I came into view. “What do you want?”
“I’m here because your skanky actors showed up, asking for a place to stay and I really wish you’d make certain you have room for a bunch of horny dwarves and their queen bee before telling them to go forth and find accommodations. What you’re doing is bad enough without sticking me with the porn star brigade. At least they can pay their bill but damn it, what the hell are you thinking?” I was getting louder as I went. Sex had relaxed me, but all my irritation of the day came sweeping back.
He gave me a side-eye look. “Maddy, you’re pushing it.”
“No, I’m not the one pushing it this time. You are. You were last time. You’re always falling into some screwball thing. It’s bad enough you helped a vampire set me up to be killed—”
“You just can’t let it alone, can you? That’s the trouble with witches. You have long memories and you nurse grudges like a baby on a tit.” He slammed his hands on the counter, leaning across to glare at me.
Ralph was six-three, muscled up the wazoo, and wore shorts revealing his silky brown goat legs. The hair on them shimmered—at least he kept himself clean. His eyes were wide and slightly slanted, the color of rich topaz, and his hair hung to his butt. Usually he kept it braided, but today it was hanging loose. I also knew he had a huge cock.
Not from experience—at least not with him, but from my past exploits I knew full well that satyrs were always over-endowed. They were horny as hell, usually fun, but self-serving in far too many ways. And, unfortunately, for me and the rest of Bedlam, Ralph and his brothers weren’t exactly the brightest bulbs in the socket.
“I’m not the only one who nurses a grudge. Not three weeks ago I found out you hired away my gardener. I booked him in advance and all of a sudden, he couldn’t take on my landscaping because he ‘forgot’ about a project he was doing for you.”
Ralph snickered. “It’s not my fault you don’t know how to keep help. You think I don’t know it was you that sicced the glo-worm on me?”
“Ralph? I wanted to ask you—” A woman’s voice echoed from around the corner. A second later, she appeared. She was gorgeous, with big boobs and a tiny waist and big, curvy hips, and she was wearing a pair of short shorts and a crop top that barely covered her nipples. Her hair, long and red, was caught back in a ponytail, and she was carrying a plant and a trowel. “Oh, I didn’t know you had company.” She gave me a long look, cocking her head to the side.
“I’m not company, exactly,” I started to say.
“This is Maudlin Gallowglass,” Ralph said. I wasn’t sure why he exaggerated my name, but then figured he must have told her about the murder and everything that had come out of it. “Maddy, this is Honey. She’s…a distant cousin.”
All satyrs were male, and their mothers were usually nymphs. If a human woman and satyr mated, the result would be half-satyr and male, or human and female. If the mother was a wood nymph, then the child would either be nymph—female, or satyr—male. Occasionally, a nymph would have fraternal twins, which made for an interesting family portrait. Honey appeared to be human. I quit trying to calculate the dynamics there.
“I’ll be with you in a minute, cuz,” Ralph said.
Honey gave me a long look, a cunning smile curving on her lips. A shiver raced up my spine, but I couldn’t figure out why. She nodded to Ralph, then darted back around the corner.
Ralph turned back to me. “Listen to me. I’m not doing anything illegal. You know the sheriff can’t ding me on using constructs in my productions—”
“Productions?” I snorted. “More like, cheap bargain-basement knockoffs. This seems crass even for you, Ralph. When the fuck did you decide that you could become the next Hugh Hefner?” I followed his suit, slamming my hands on the counter next to his, and staring right back at him.
Ralph’s nostrils flared and I swear I saw steam rising from them. After another moment, he slowly pulled away from me, crossing his arms. “Go home, Maddy. Keep your nose out of my business. Nobody held a gun to your head to force you to give Snow and her boys a room. Right?”
I clenched my teeth. I hated it when I lost an argument to somebody I didn’t respect. Ralph and I used to be buddies, but once he had decided I was trying to put him out of business, his friendliness had turned to watchful sarcasm.
I straightened up, staring at him. “You’re right on that. I admit it. But damn it, Ralph, I wish you’d think about what you’re doing. Even if she’s a construct, that doesn’t mean what you’re doing is right. You’re acting like a sleaze, and you know it. You just don’t give a fuck anymore, do you? All you see are dollar signs. That’s all that matters.”
And with that, I turned and left a lot more quietly than I had come.
As I arrived home, Thornton was standing at the kitchen door. He frantically waved for me to hurry in. Crap. What was wrong now? I raced across the lawn, hu
rrying inside.
“What’s going on? What happened? Is Aegis okay? Is Bubba okay?”
“I don’t know,” he said, his eyes wide. He nodded toward the stairs. “You’d better go check. I went to look in on Bubba a few minutes ago and…well—”
Fucking hell. I took the stairs two at a time, hurrying up to my room as my heart sank. As I reached my door, I slammed it open, not giving a fuck if I disturbed Mr. Mosswood or the dwarves.
I glanced around the room, scanning for Bubba. And then, I saw what Thornton was talking about. Bubba was nowhere in sight, but a man with long red hair was sprawled across my bed. He was buck nekkid, deeply tanned, tall, and muscled. He gave me a hesitant smile as I froze.
“Rub mah belleh?”
And that’s when I really lost it.
Chapter 6
I GLANCED INTO the man’s eyes. No. It couldn’t be. Nope, no, no, no, no. Nopedy-nope, even.
“Want to rub my belly, Maddy?” His voice was deep, but trembling, and he stroked his stomach with long, strong fingers. He wasn’t hard, thank gods, but even so, he was mighty impressive. I prayed he’d keep his hands on his abs. Please don’t reach any lower.
Then, realizing that I really was seeing what I was seeing, I let out a strangled squeak. “Bubba…is that you, Bubba?”
He blinked, slow, just like a cat. “What happened to me?”
Thornton, who was standing beside me, had turned red as a beet. He was looking every which way but directly at Bubba. “Want me to call Aegis?”
“Please. Please do. Call him now. And Sandy. I need them both.”
As he slipped out of the room, I cautiously approached the bed. Maybe somebody was playing a joke on me. Maybe this was really just Sandy’s way of trying to get a laugh out of me. Maybe I had slipped into an alternative universe and the gods were fucking with me.
“Sit by me?” The man who might be Bubba patted the bed. “I’m lonely.”