A Touch of Magick (15 page)

In a surprise move, Rhiannon planted her feet on the bed and arched her hips upward, taking him the rest of the way. She fit him like a brand-new leather glove, snug yet perfect. “You feel so damn good wrapped around me,” he ground out from between clenched teeth. Needing to move, he pulled back slightly before surging forward again.

Her inner muscles rippled around his erection, squeezing and caressing. He did it again, this time retreating farther before advancing slowly. It was such an erotic sight to watch her take all of him inside her. His heart pounded and blood roared in his ears as he watched his cock disappearing deep within her.

She was taking all of him easily now, yet fear for her kept him from losing all sense of control. Releasing his grip on her hips, he tunneled his arms beneath her and rolled, never losing the connection between them. Rhiannon shrieked as their positions changed and she suddenly found herself on top of him. Bracing her hands on his chest, she stared down at him, her eyes wide and questioning.

“Whatever you want.” He clasped her ass in his hands, urging her to move. “However deep or shallow you want it.” Her eyes lightened when she realized he’d put all the power in her hands.

She straightened slowly, sitting back on his upper thighs. The motion drove him even deeper than he’d been. Sitting atop him, she was like a pagan goddess, proud and sure. Or maybe she was more like a fairy queen, delicate yet strong.

The urge to roll again, burying her beneath him while he fucked her, surged within him. It was harder than he’d ever imagined to keep from doing just that. But he managed to do it. Barely. For some reason, he knew it had to be this way their first time together. She needed to be in control. He didn’t know why, but he trusted his instincts. They’d kept him alive too many times to count in his line of work.

Reaching behind her, she cupped his balls in her hand and squeezed gently. The feel of her small fingers surrounding him like that almost made him come. His sac pulled up against his body. When she pressed against the sensitive fold of skin between his sac and his anus, he jerked and moaned.

“Finish it,” he grated out. If she didn’t, he’d have to. There was no time left to wait. His cock was straining inside her, pulsing like a wild heartbeat as her snug channel clutched him.

She began to move on him, sinuously shifting, rising over him, her body almost releasing his before she captured him again. It was a dance, a beautiful seductive dance.

With one hand on her thigh to help balance her, he wrapped the other one around her left breast, fondling it. She murmured her approval as she continued to move faster and faster.

Ryland could feel the pressure building at the base of his cock and knew he would come in just a few more strokes. His eyes sought hers, holding them captive, refusing to allow her to look away from him.

Rhiannon felt as if her entire body was filling with immense power and heat. Poised above Ryland, she couldn’t take her eyes off him as she shifted almost all the way off him before dropping back down to be filled by him. He was so big, stretching her to the limits, yet he fit her perfectly. She couldn’t get enough of him, wanting him harder and deeper.

Her body was no longer her own, but part of his, an extension, as they moved together in perfect rhythm. A low thrumming started deep in her core and seemed to run up her spine, twining around it.

She rose and fell faster and harder. There was such power in him, such strength. And he was allowing her to control it all.

She looked down at her lover as he cupped her breast in his hand. Such strong hands, yet so gentle and caring. Tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them back. Now was not the time for tears.

Acting on instinct, she reached out and shifted his hand until it was covering her heart. Then she placed her hand over his heart. The heavy throbbing seemed to shoot through her palm as she continued to move. Within seconds their hearts found the same rhythm, beating together as if they had only one between them.

Heat flooded her sex and began to move steadily up through her body. Her skin tingled. She felt electrified. Totally alive. She bit her lip to keep from screaming. It was too much. It wasn’t enough.

She could feel a change in Ryland and knew he was close to coming. His entire body coiled and tensed. The hand gripping her hip flexed and his pelvis rose off the mattress. A light sheen of sweat coated his shoulders and chest. His lips parted and a deep groan came from low in his belly. Rhiannon came down hard, driving his shaft so impossibly deep she wasn’t sure where he ended and she began.

The air in the room crackled and sizzled. All the hair on her body stood on end. Pure energy flooded through her, making her toes and her fingers tingle. Even though Ryland was wearing a condom, she could feel the ripple of his shaft deep in her body, the blast of heat within her as he came. She cried out as her body responded in kind.

Rhiannon imploded.

Pure fire rushed thought her veins, like a wildfire out of control. It rocketed up her spine then surged toward her heart where Ryland’s hand was centered. It raced down her arm to where her hand was over his heart. The sensation shot back up her arm, doubled in power. It was as though he was amplifying whatever was going on inside her. No, not amplifying it. Releasing it.

“Ryland,” she screamed as her body convulsed with pleasure and power.

She felt something break free deep within her. It was like a bottle of soda that had been shaken so long and hard that when you finally loosen the cap even a little, it could no longer be contained and exploded outward. No, it was more than that. It was a fiery bonfire, burning its way out of its prison and consuming her, even as she was reborn like the mythical phoenix.

She opened her mouth to scream again but nothing came out. Gasping for air, she gave herself over to the sensations engulfing her. There was nothing else she could do. Nothing else she wanted to do.

Ryland continued to pump his hips. She could feel the band of energy that circled from his heart to hers and back again. Her vision dimmed and her head swam as lights danced before her eyes. There was one final swell of power and then it subsided, like a wave crashing upon the shore, wreaking havoc before retreating back to the sea.

Rhiannon couldn’t hold herself upright any longer and collapsed. Ryland caught her in his arms and eased her down onto his chest. With her head resting against him, she could feel and hear the steady beat of his heart as it slowly began to return to normal.

She felt no need to move, but was content to simply lie against him, her skin next to his, no barriers between them. She was totally spent, yet she felt an underlying hum of energy within her that she’d only ever experienced a few times in her life, and those times were when her magick was working at its peak. She was exhausted and totally exhilarated at the same time. It was an odd sensation.

Ryland stirred beneath her, his hand coming up to cup the back of her head. She tilted her head up, wanting to see his face. A bead of perspiration rolled down his temple and it was only then that she realized how hot it was in the room. They’d certainly generated a lot of heat.

His smile was filled with masculine satisfaction, but she didn’t mind. He deserved to feel smug. What he’d done to her, made her feel, defied all rational explanation. It was amazing. Stupendous. The kind of thing people wrote poems and songs about.

Still, she had to say something. She licked her lips, which were suddenly dry. “That was incredible.”

“That was magick,” he corrected. He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead.

Rhiannon froze. Had it been magick? Was what had happened between them real or was it only the result of a spell?

He’d felt her stiffen and she sensed his concern.

“What is it?” His voice was a deep rumble and she felt the vibrations all the way to her core.

“What if it is magick?” She couldn’t overlook the possibility. “What if all this is a result of the spell I cast two nights ago in the garden?”

He sighed so hard he ruffled her hair. “I don’t believe in that kind of magick, Rhiannon.”

She closed her eyes against the pain those simple words brought her. “I do,” she whispered.

“I know.” His hand slid down her neck and began to caress her shoulders. “Do we have to talk about this now?” Irritation was fast replacing the sleepy, sated tone of moments before.

She shook her head, afraid if she tried to speak she might cry. Ryland shifted and she couldn’t hold back her whimper of disappointment as his softening erection slid from her.

“Let me get rid of the condom and I’ll be right back.” He shifted her easily to the side and sat up in bed. “What the hell?”

Rhiannon pushed herself into a seated position beside him. “What?”

“The candles.” He was staring around the room, which was now lit by a dozen candles. The candelabra on her dresser and the two candles flanking it were now flickering with life. The two thick beeswax candles nestled in wrought iron sconces on the wall were ablaze.

She stared at all the candles and blinked. The surge of energy within her while they were making love finally made sense. Gwen had been right after all. She’d just needed to have sex with the right man in order to release her magick.

Rhiannon couldn’t help it. Pride filled her as a smile covered her face. “I did it. We did it.”

“What did we do?” He was staring at her, a slightly shocked and baffled expression on his face.

“You released my energy, my magick.” She felt almost giddy with excitement. “My sister said that was what I needed, but I didn’t believe her.”

His brows drew together in a frown. “What exactly did you need?” His tone was sharp.

“Sex.” Rhiannon hugged herself, feeling the glow of heat in her chest. “She said sex would release it.”

Ryland climbed off the bed and stared down at her, his frown deepening. Wrinkles appeared between his eyebrows and a muscle ticked beneath his left eye.

“So all this was just so you could find your magick.” He raked his fingers through his hair, leaving several spikes standing on end. “What the hell am I saying? I don’t even believe in magick.”

Worry skittered through her, pushing away some of her earlier delight. “You can’t deny that the candles are lit.”

“No.” He strode to the garbage can and removed the condom. “I don’t quite know how that happened.”

Her heart jumped when he reached for his boxer briefs. “Where are you going?”

He tugged them on and reached for his jeans. “You said yourself that you only needed me to release your magick. You seem satisfied that we’ve done that.” He pulled his jeans on and fastened his belt.

Now it was her turn to frown. “That’s not true. I didn’t even believe my sister.” Everything was getting out of hand. She didn’t want Ryland to leave. She wanted to snuggle up in bed with him all night and wake with him by her side in the morning.

He paused in the middle of pulling on his shirt. “Then why did you sleep with me?”

“Because I wanted to.” It was as simple and as complicated as that. Rising from the bed, she tugged the comforter around herself. As thrilled as she was that her magick had finally been released, it was overshadowed by what was happening with Ryland. Her insides knotted with anxiety as he did up the buttons on his shirt. He was really leaving.

Ryland shoved his feet into his socks and boots before facing her. “Look, I like you a lot, Rhiannon.” He snorted. “That’s an understatement. I’ve been drawn to you from the first moment I laid eyes on you. How we’ve both been living in the same town all this time and haven’t run into one another is a mystery to me. It should be almost impossible.”

She laid her hand on his arm and felt the muscles tense. Dread filled her as he continued. “This is just crazy. We meet and fall into bed within two days. You say you’re a witch and that our having sex together has unleashed your magick.” He shook his head, his face somber. “I’m a simple man, Rhiannon. If I can see it or touch it, then it’s real. This…” He motioned around the room. “This is something I can’t explain, and frankly I’m not sure I want to.”

“So you’re just going to leave.” Anger and frustration were quickly replacing dread. “No one forced you into bed with me.”

“Not if what you’re telling me is true,” he retorted. “Didn’t you say you cast a spell on me?”

She could feel the blood draining from her face. Her stomach was in knots. Was she responsible?

He sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m not sure what the hell I mean.” Reaching out, he clasped her by the shoulders and stared down at her. “All I know is this is crazy. Candles don’t light on their own and grown women don’t believe in magick.”

Sadness filled her. Deep in her heart she knew she was losing something very special, but there was no way for her to hang onto it. His emotions and heart had to be given freely or it meant nothing. Her gaze went to the nightstand and she saw the red candle flickering. Ryland must have brought it from the kitchen earlier. Was it only two nights ago that she and her friends had cast their spell? It seemed like it was ages ago. So much had happened since then.

Even if she could go back and change things, she wasn’t sure she would. Not even for Ryland would she deny who she was. It was time to embrace her full power. She knew what she had to do.

Shaking out of his grasp, Rhiannon strode to the table and picked up the red votive candle. She could feel her power settling around her as she gazed intently at it. She carried it to the window where she could see the moon high in the sky. She let go of her grip on the comforter, letting it fall to the floor. Naked, she shoved the window up and let in the night as she began to chant.

“Lady in the moon so bright. Lend your power. Lend your might. Reverse the spell I cast on a past night. Take it back with all your might. Lovers come and lovers go. The spell I cast has come to woe. Free him from any lingering magick. A love not given free can only end tragic.”

Unlike many other times in her life, this time there was no mistaking the energy that surged through her. Magick rose and swirled around her, carrying her words upward and giving them power and substance. A breeze gusted in through the window, dousing the flame in her hand. It rose up in the room, and suddenly everything went dark as all the candles were extinguished as quickly as they’d been ignited.