Love Charms (3 page)

Derek pulled Raven closer. She loved how
familiar his mouth was on hers. Each kiss sent goose bumps down her arms.
Slowly he dotted tender kisses along the curve of her jaw line. Arching her
neck, she turned into him. His tongue teased with tiny circles as he followed
up the length of her neck. His warm mouth found her earlobe as the sensual
nibbling weakened her knees.

“You turn me on,” he whispered. His
breathing was slow and deliberate. Raven was putty in his hands. Pushing her
hair aside, he tucked it over her shoulder, and softly caressed her skin with
his lips.

Soft moans escaped Raven’s lips as he hit
each tender erogenous spot. Just barely grazing her skin, his touch left her
breathless. Soon his mouth was back on hers, and their kisses turned hungry and
passionate.

Derek focused on Raven’s blouse, his
fingers expertly unbuttoning her. He slipped each small pearl button from its
slot. Every one undone revealed more of her ample cleavage. She’d chosen a bra
that pushed her assets high, giving the exact effect she was looking for. 

“Gorgeous,” he growled. Derek dropped her
blouse over her shoulders. Her skin felt as smooth as silk under his hands.

Raven’s breasts were framed in black
satin. Slowly his fingers moved to her breasts, and brushing a finger across
her bare cleavage, he teased, “What have we got here?”

Her breath grew deeper at the
anticipation of his hands and mouth on her.

“It’s almost a shame to remove it,” he
teased. “You look so damn hot.” His breathing was getting ragged, revealing his
wanton lust for the woman before him.

Raven met his movements as she pulled his
shirt over his head. His chest was a solid wall of muscle, and his shoulders
were broad.  His arms held the curve of biceps that worked out hard and often.
He looked like a sculpted piece of clay that an artist had spent an enormous
amount of time on to get it just right. Raven reached up and let her hand run
across the strong body before her. He was sturdy, masculine, and left her
aching for more.

They moved in sync as he slipped her
shorts over her rounded hips and bottom. Stepping out of them, she brushed them
to the side, kicking her sandals off as well. His fingers danced dangerously at
the edge of her lace panties. Raven’s body was on fire, on the verge of
melting. Each touch, every tiny sensation sent shivers through her body. She
was ready, desperate to feel him, wanted to bond intimately and let the current
of love run through her.

Derek’s fingers lingered on the edge of
Raven’s panties. They grew damper between her legs. Slowly he traced her sweet
spot through the fabric, not daring to remove her lingerie yet. Raven tingled
all over.

Closing her eyes, she sighed with delight
as his fingers traced the lines of her lips. He drew along the moist crevice,
pressing it into her the slightest bit. Her panties remained in place, but her
desires beckoned for him to remove them.

“I can’t wait to taste you,” he breathed
into her ear, his hot breath adding to the intensity of the moment.

Pulling her panties to the side, Derek
slipped a finger between the material and her skin, teasing her, barely moving. 
Raven swallowed hard, willing him to penetrate her. Slowly his fingers explored
the space between her legs until gently prodding her opening and dipping the
tip of a finger between her lips. A gasp filled the air as he pressed it within
her. Raven tipped her head back, her long black hair grazing against her back.
He toyed with her, watching her pleasure. 

Bathing in passion and lust, Raven
melted.

Reaching down, her fingers slid to his
zipper. Undressing him, she took in his body. Dark navy boxer briefs clung to
him, his bulge obvious and trying to make an escape. A rush of excitement
washed through her, knowing they were that much closer to their intended goal.
It would be the first time they made love.

Derek shifted his attention to Raven’s
breasts and helped her remove the bra that restrained her bosom. Her nipples
stood at attention as he dropped the material to the floor. Cupping her
breasts, his touch started tender, but soon his need for sex pushed him into a
man overtaken by lust, and his hands moved firmer, kneading her flesh.

Raven’s eyes closed, and like a river
running fluid, her arousal flowed through her body leaving her aching for more.
She wanted this, was ready for this, and was ready to take things to the next
level. Everything she thought she ever wanted was before her…and his name was
Derek.

Derek’s mouth latched on to her pert
nipple. Sucking and nibbling, he teased her with his teeth and lips. Raven’s
moans filled the room. Her fingers pushed through his hair and then drew him closer,
tighter to her breast.

Everything she wanted. Everything she
needed
.

His mouth was wet and warm, and the
desire to feel him inside of her grew. She needed to feel him between her legs,
aching for him to fill her. There was urgency, a cry within her so strong that
waiting became almost painful and the anticipation too much.

They removed the last bits of their
clothing, their underwear falling to the floor, before climbing into bed
together.

Derek pleasured Raven, his mouth and
tongue tasting the honey that dripped between her legs. His fingers dipped into
her as he drank her nectar. Raven’s moans grew louder as the pleasure
intensified, and barely able to contain herself, she locked her thighs tightly
around him.

Derek shifted his body so that his
massive cock was within reach of her hand. Raven wrapped her fingers around his
shaft. He throbbed in her hand, and she slid her fingers along his length. The
urge to taste him was strong. She opened her mouth to him, tasting the slightly
salty essence of his skin.

Derek groaned as her warm mouth closed
over him. He surrendered to the pleasure until he hit his peak. The couple
dropped to the bed like rag dolls, relaxed and worn from their first round of
sexual pleasure.

They curled against one another, enjoying
the high of the moment. It didn’t take long for Derek’s body to scream for
attention once again. He needed to penetrate his lover. Leaning over Raven, he
pressed into her. His thick girth spread her as he pushed inside.

As their bodies connected, Derek watched
his lover’s face. Orgasmic flashes crashed between them, melting them with raw
pleasure.

Snuggled beside her lover, Raven drifted
on the afterglow of the moment. Something had changed. She felt safe in his
arms, and knew this was where she was meant to be.

Chapter
3

The day seemed to fly by. They barely
left the bedroom, and instead curled up against one another and napped between
making love. Their bodies tangled together, finding themselves in the throes of
passion. After enough time passed, their stomachs demanded nutrition.

Raven pulled on one of Derek’s shirts and
padded down the hallway to rummage through the cabinets and fridge. There had
to be something they could whip up. Poking and prodding, she figured with a few
staples she could throw something together.

“Do you have a preference?” she asked
over her shoulder.

Derek wrapped his arms around her from
behind. With only his boxer briefs on, his body glorious and muscled, the
underwear clung to his bulge. She loved how he felt pressed to her, his arms
holding her close.

“We could order pizza,” he suggested.

He let go of Raven and shuffled through a
drawer. With a handful of take-out menus, he sorted through them until he found
the number and menu for the local pizza place. As he dialed, Raven slid her
hand over his growing bulge and teased him.

Derek struggled to keep his voice intact
as Raven’s hands played below. Placing the order, he hung up the phone and
smiled at his lover. “If you keep that up…” He trailed off and kissed her.
Heading back to the bedroom, he pulled on a pair of jeans for when the delivery
guy showed up.

Raven playfully pouted. “It’s such a
shame to cover yourself up like that. I like you even better naked.”

Derek grinned like a school boy, enjoying
Raven’s words and company.

When the food arrived, the couple ate
while keeping the banter light and simple.

If only Ziara could understand what
falling in love felt like
,
Raven thought,
real love without potions
.

“Raven is a unique name. How did your
parents choose it?”

“It’s a family name.” She didn’t mention
that Benji was short for Benjamin. At this point, Derek thought he was the
family dog. She couldn’t explain it was her brother.

“Any other siblings?  How many brothers
and sisters do you have?”

“Just one of each. You’ve met Ziara, and
I have one brother who currently lives out of town.”

“Where does he live? What’s his name?”

“Benjamin,” she flubbed. “He’s up in
Buffalo, NY.” She grabbed the first town name that popped into her head,
realizing it was a lie she could live with. It was automatic to answer.

“Hey, did you name your dog after your
brother?”

Realizing the connection a second too
late, Raven made the save. “Yeah, I guess I did. I always looked up to my older
brother.” She hated lies. She hated that she couldn’t tell him the truth. She
knew the rules, but she didn’t have to like them. Dating a mortal was
complicated.

It was time to change the topic and put
the spotlight on him. “What about you? Any siblings?”

“I have one sister.  She’s sweet, but can
be nosy. I know she means well, but she’s always trying to get too many details
of my life.”

Raven noted the comment, wondering if his
sister might be an issue. “All sisters are like that, always interfering. Ziara
is the same way. Sometimes it’s easier just to say nothing at all than feed her
desire to rule my life.” Raven grimaced.

“Ziara is such a different name. I’ve
never heard that before.”

“My mom was unique,” she said, wanting to
change the topic. “That was delicious.  I was hungrier than I thought.”

“Do you want anymore?” He motioned
towards the pizza.

“No, thanks, I’ve had my fill. But you
apparently worked up my appetite.”

“No reason why we can’t go burn off these
calories.” His sheepish grin was back as he chased her back to the bedroom.

Making love, the couple collapsed with
exhaustion after a lengthy bout and snuggled against one another.

She hated how her brother would randomly
pop into her mind. His timing was really bad today.

Benji was tired of waiting on his snack.
“Ice cream, it’s all I’m saying. It’s not like I can go buy it myself.”

Not now!
Besides, you were just at the market.

“I forgot to ask Ziara for vanilla. My
doggy tummy doesn’t do well with other flavors.”

Benji, later. I’ll get it later.
Good-bye!
She hinted
firmly
.

She didn’t hear Derek, as she was focused
on her brother’s intrusion.

“What do you think?” Derek asked.

“I’m sorry, I sort of zoned out for a
moment. What were you saying?” She apologized.

“I was saying, what do you think about
going away for a long weekend, maybe next week? We could take some time away
together.” The idea of spending an entire weekend in bed with Raven filled his
body with fire. He couldn’t get enough of the gorgeous woman, and now that
they’d taken the next step and grown intimate together, he couldn’t think of a
better way to celebrate their newly committed relationship.

“Ooh, that sounds great! I just need to
see if Ziara can take Benji for me.”

“We could look for a place that allows
dogs,” he suggested.

“No!” she blurted out. “I mean, Ziara can
take care of him. I’m sure it won’t be a problem.”

“Okay, great. We’ll work out the details
over the next couple of days.”

“I should probably head home soon. I have
to prepare for a new client.” She couldn’t say much more. He wouldn’t understand
what she did for a living. Sure, she could say she was a consultant, but what
if he asked more questions? She’d brushed off the topic in the past and said
she contracted, not giving out many details.

“Wish you could stay with me,” Derek
cooed.

“Me too, but I need to feed Benji. I can
see you later this week.”

“I’m counting on it.”

“We’d better get dressed and head out.
You drove, so I’m at your mercy.”

“Ooh, at my mercy. I like that,” he
joked. “Okay, Princess, let’s get dressed and I’ll drop you off before
midnight.”

By the time she got home it was late, and
Benji was already sleeping on the sofa. That dog could snore! She felt badly
that she didn’t get his ice cream, but most of the stores were closed by the
time she got home. She left a note on the table as a reminder to pick some up
in the morning.

Raven tip toed up the stairs, trying to
avoid the spot that creaked before turning into the bathroom. Getting ready for
bed, she noticed a huge smile on her face. It had been too long since she’d
smiled so big. Her heart was full. The day had been amazing, more than she
could have hoped for. Their bodies blended so well together, and he certainly
knew how to use his mouth, as well as his fingers, and well…you know.

She climbed into bed and pulled her
pillow close. Snuggling into it, she pictured Derek’s face. Sweet dreams
filtered through her mind after their romantic afternoon. She pictured his body
over hers, feeling him enter her, and felt a tingle all over again.

Raven was in love. What had she gotten herself
into? She’d opened Pandora’s Box when she made love to Derek. She was in
trouble. It would be complicated, but how could she not fall for the man?  He
was handsome, sexy, warm, and oh, so delicious in bed. She slept better than
she had in ages.

On waking, she hoped she wasn’t the only
one feeling a rush of feelings this morning, and that she wasn’t just another
notch in his belt. She didn’t think so, but the tiniest shred of doubt laced
through her, leaving her to wonder if she’d been played a fool. She’d just put
everything on the line. Was it a mistake?

Raven’s emotions twirled and twisted, and
after enough nonsense, she pushed them aside. It was pointless to get lost in
the head games she played with herself. That’s all they were, head games, insecurities
popping up to push her buttons and get under her skin. She refused to let them
win today.

Pushing the clouded thoughts away, she
drifted back to happier visions of them tangled together in bed. The way his
lips felt on her body, the way he entered her, and the way they collapsed in a
heap afterward made her giddy. Thinking back on their encounter, she let the
blissful feelings wash through her.

He was a good man. He’d be good to her.

With an early appointment in the
afternoon, Raven had to ready herself. Being a witch’s image consultant, she
helped witches looking to blend into mortal neighborhoods. Sometimes it was
something simple, other times it took a full transformation. Dolores
Hufflenecker was one such client. She wore her hair in the brightest shade of
purple, and would be seen in only black, frocked clothing. In a more urban
setting with more people around she wouldn’t stand out so much, but here in the
suburbs it was a concern.

Dolores’s superior sent her to Raven as
she was ready for a full transformation. To enter and live in the mortal world,
a witch must get permission for full submission. Otherwise, they found that
they were better off in small villages of their own.

The ability to submerge into the mortal
world opened more opportunities for work and entertainment. Some witches had
zero desire to explore mortal life, while others wanted the variety. Raven had
always been fascinated after her sister first submerged.

As Dolores walked into their
predetermined location, Raven saw the problem immediately. Dolores liked to
wear her individuality loud and outward. Her face was caked in white pancake,
her hair a vibrant shade of violet. Normally, that would just be different, but
when you need to blend for your safety, especially as a witch, you need a more
modest approach to your appearance. The witch community found the more they
blended, the better off they were off.

Raven and Dolores went over basics. She
could choose a bold pattern with a pretty silk blouse or choose a pop of color
in her shoes or purse and still express herself. A tamer hairstyle and subtle
earth tones for her make-up, and soon she’d blend in seamlessly.

It would take some adjustment, but it was
important. Dolores was sent to look after Old Lady Neller, an important healer
in the witch community. Dolores was a great caretaker, and Old Lady Neller had
taken some falls recently. At her advanced age, she needed somebody to be there
with her.

Old Lady Neller was a well-known and
respected healer. It was an honor to be chosen as her caregiver, so Dolores
didn’t kick and scream over the adjustments. She knew it would take time to
adapt to her new look.

Before leaving, she handed Raven a small
package.  “I almost forgot! I was asked to pass this to you.”

Raven looked at the small brown package
wrapped in twine, leaves, and brown paper. There was no outward note. “Who is
it from?”

Dolores shrugged. “I was just told to
deliver it. My superior said you’d need this.” With that, she left.

Raven couldn’t decide whether to open it
or wait. Her curiosity was high, but she didn’t want to be distracted. She
chose to wait until getting home. Placing it on the passenger seat of the car,
she glanced over. It was no bigger than her hand. There was no note. She
wondered if there might be one inside.

Pulling into her driveway, she picked up
the square package and carried it inside. Grabbing the mail before heading in,
she tossed it on the small table beside the door. Planting herself on the sofa,
she noticed Benji quiet, scooting down, not saying a word.

“Benji, are you okay?”

“Yeah, umm, I just have to go take care
of something. I’ll be back.”

“Sure.” Her mind was wrapped on the
package.

Fingering the twine, she slipped it over
the edge of the box. Some of the leaves dislodged. Brown, fibered paper was all
that remained. Undoing the edges, she shed the paper. On lifting the lid, Raven
found the note she’d been wondering about.

Raven’s eyes went wide. “Benji! Get back
in here!”

Before going any further, she knew
immediately that Benji and Ziara had something to do with it. It was a
handwritten note from her father.
Damn, one of them ratted me out
.
Somebody leaked that she was dating a mortal, not something her traditional
father wanted to hear.

The amulet spoke volumes.

Benji slinked back in. “Ziara’s fault,”
was all he said.

“Spill the details!” She eyed Benji,
daring him to lie.

“She’s concerned, that’s all. Season of
the Witch is coming up. You know how Dad is, and well…yeah. I tried to talk her
out of it.” He pleaded for her forgiveness, tossing Ziara under the bus.

“Oh, really? Don’t make me whip up a
truth serum.” She threatened her brother. “How could you?”

“Fine,” he finally admitted. “I guess I
worry, too. Ziara made some good points, Raven. I mean, I want you to be able
to do your own thing, but think about how complicated this is for everyone.”