Loving the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 2) (7 page)

After work on Saturday, Sebastian and I are on my couch. His lips are roaming over every part of my face. They skim down the length of my neck, then back up to my ear. I moan, my fingers tangling in his hair. He lifts the hem of my shirt a bit and pops kisses on my stomach, sending jolts of electricity throughout my body.

“Sebastian,” I murmur.

His mouth is back on mine, kissing deeply and passionately. He takes my bottom lip between his teeth and bites gently. I place my hands on either side of his face. “It’s my turn now,” I say.

“But I didn’t finish.”

I flip us over so it’s me on top of him. My mouth brushes across his face, from one end to the other. When I reach his ear, I whisper how hot and sexy he is. Then I nibble on his ear before slipping my hand underneath his shirt. His body is scorching. Slowly, I lift his shirt over his head and throw it somewhere. Then I drop my head to his chest and sweep my lips across his smooth skin. From left to right, down the center, and back up. Sebastian trembles and his breathing is labored. When our eyes meet, I see how hot and heavy his are. He takes my chin and smashes his lips to mine, quickly, fiercely, as though we’re each other’s nutrients.

He gathers me in his arms. “Lily,” he breathes against my cheek. “My sweet Lily.” His chest heaves and I can feel his heart pounding.

“I’m ready,” I whisper. “I’m ready to take the next step with you.” I draw back, looking into his eyes. “I want to be closer to you.”

He gazes at me with such intensity. His blue eyes are so deep, so clear yet mysterious at the same time. He rests his forehead against mine. “I want to be closer to you, too.”

I yank him to me and kiss him. His hands crawl all over my body as mine explore his. We’re panting, our bodies hotter than a burning building.

Sebastian pulls off. He puts his hand on the right side of my face, stroking my cheek. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“More than sure. You?” This would be his first time, too.

He fingers my bottom lip, then bends closer and gives me a sweet kiss. “I am.”

Smiling, I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him even closer to me.

***

I open my eyes and peer to my left. Sebastian is lying next to me, his arm slung over my stomach, his chest rising and falling softly. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps, and a warmth flows over me. What we shared was special and amazing.

Snuggling to his chest, I breathe in his Sebastian smell that I love so much. I wish I could stay like this forever, cuddled in his arms, in our own bubble where we don’t have to worry about jobs, money, school and all the other responsibilities. At the same time, I’m looking forward to what’s to come next, to spend the rest of my life with him.

“Lily,” he murmurs. His eyes are still closed and his breathing is even. I wonder if he’s dreaming about me, about us.

I push some hair out of his eyes, careful not to wake him. “I really love you, my genie,” I whisper.

I’m cozy, snuggled up to Sebastian, but my mind won’t let me fall asleep. I’m just so happy and excited for the future. Rolling to the other end of the bed, I toss and turn to try to find a comfortable position. Nothing is working. I decide I might as well get started on breakfast. I hum a small tune as I grab some pots and eggs and bread. I’m thinking scrambled eggs and toast. Simple yet satisfying at the same time. I don’t think Sebastian has ever tasted those dishes, and I’d like to introduce him to everything.

I wonder if I’m always going to feel like this. I can’t imagine
not
. Sebastian and I passed a bridge, entering the next stage in our relationship. I feel closer to him than ever.

Arms wrap around my waist and a nose buries into the side of my neck. “When I woke up,” Sebastian says, his voice husky, “you weren’t there. I wasn’t sure if it really happened.” His arms tighten around me and he kisses my neck. “I’m glad it did.”

I turn around, and our lips meet. Sebastian moans softly as our lips move against each other, then cups my face in his hands and tilts it slightly so he can reach my lower neck. My fingers thread in his hair as his lips move a little lower. My body is seconds away from combusting, and I’m not sure my legs can support me. From the way he’s trembling, I know he can barely support himself, either.

His lips brush every part of my face before slipping down to all the exposed skin on my body, creating magic with each kiss.

He nuzzles my nose, then rests his forehead against mine, gazing into my eyes. “How do you feel?”

“Like I went to heaven and never came back.”

He smiles. “But are you okay? Did I do okay? I’ve never—I mean, did I—?”

I wrap my arms around his neck. “It was amazing.”

He grins, his cheeks reddening. “I only want to please you.”

“I only want to please you, too. Are you okay?”

“More than okay. I feel…whole. Like I wasn’t complete until now.”

I push some hair out of his eyes. “I feel the exact same way. When I was in high school, everyone around me was...you know, doing it, and I felt like I was missing out. My mom told me not to look at other people. She said I should do it when I wanted to, with someone special. Not to do it just because everyone else was.” I stroke his cheek. “You’re that special person I was waiting for, and I’m glad I shared it with you.”

His eyes shine. “I never knew such a wonderful thing exists. I mean, I knew
of
it, but I never imagined…” He smiles and kisses me. “I love how close I feel to you.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.” I sniff. Something’s burning. “Oh, crap! The food!”

After turning off the stove and the toaster, Sebastian and I stare at the burned pan in the sink. The eggs and the bread are charred. I don’t have enough supplies to make more. Great. “So much for breakfast.” I grab a rag and lift the pan up, inspecting it. “And I destroyed my favorite pan.” Sebastian burned my other one a few weeks ago when he tried to make me breakfast.

“I’m sorry, Lily.”

I shake my head, pulling him close. “No, don’t apologize. You did nothing wrong.” It’s just food. I can go on for days without any nutrients, as long as I have Sebastian. Okay, maybe that’s not true—my body would definitely not be able to handle it—but it sure feels that way.

Sebastian frowns at the sink. “But your pan...now you have no more.”

“I can always…” I stop talking when Sebastian lifts his hand and waves it over the sink. The pan rises in the air and spins around for a few seconds. It stops midair before slowly sliding over to me. Taking it in my hands, I realize it’s as good as new. I’ve had this pan for years and brought it with me when I moved to New York, along with the other one, which I had hardly used. All the small dents and dirt that have gathered there over the past few years are gone. “Thanks so much, Sebastian.” I kiss him. I always knew in the back of my mind that I would have to eventually throw out this pan—it’s very damaged from use. But now I don’t have to. “You have no idea how some chefs get attached to their cooking equipment. This pan and I will be together for a long time.”

He chuckles. I fling my arms around him. “I love that you have magic.”

“Really? You don’t want me to be like a regular human boyfriend?”

“Definitely not. You’re special just the way you are, and like I said, I love everything about you.”

He smiles widely and pulls me closer. “How about we go out for breakfast?”

“Sounds good. And we should probably get some shopping done, too. The fridge is pretty much empty.”

“Another human thing I’ve never done before. Is it fun?”

I take his hand. “With you? Totally.”

Sebastian still isn’t used to crowds. As a genie, he hadn’t felt when people bumped into him. It’s after eight in the evening, and as he and I pass through the many college-aged kids dancing in the club, his body is thrust from right to left. He’s clutching my hand tightly as though he’s afraid he’s going to get lost.

“Do you want to dance?” I ask once we find a corner that is more or less devoid of people.

He watches the dancing bodies. “It doesn’t look like there’s any room here.”

I laugh. “Believe me, there’s more than enough room. But if you’re not comfortable, it’s okay.”

We order Cokes and sit down at the last empty table. Macy and Andy are going to meet us here later.

As he drinks, Sebastian’s eyes are glued to the kids shaking their bodies. His forehead wrinkles. “I don’t understand.” He nods toward a guy and girl who are grinding up against each other. “That guy had been watching the girl as she talked with her friends. Then he went up to her and whispered something in her. Now they’re dancing.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that how people meet?”

I shrug. “It can be. People meet in all different ways.”

He nods slowly, eyeing the guy and girl. “Does that mean they’re going to go out?”

“Not necessarily.”

“Oh.” He takes a swig of his drink. “So they’re just looking for a good time.”

“Maybe, maybe not. How does dating and marriage work on Ortarus?”

A shadow crosses over his face.

“Sorry,” I quickly say. I forgot how much it hurts him to think about his previous life. “Never mind. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

He shakes his head. “No, it’s okay. Like I said, I want us to be able to talk about anything, despite how much I hate thinking about that place.” He forces a smile. “Marriage was based on class. A noble would never marry a peasant.”

“What if they fell in love?”

He’s quiet, his eyes on the table. He swallows. “If a man married a woman from a different class, they would be executed.”

“Seriously?”

He nods, his lips pressed into a thin line. “It wasn’t always like that. Ortarus was a good place before King Sorenten took the throne. His father was a fair ruler. Everything changed when his son became king.”

“How long ago was this?”

“I’m not sure. Fifteen or so years—Ortarian years, that is.” Which would make that hundreds of years on Earth, since time on Ortarus moves much slower than on Earth. “Life was joyful when I was a baby, before King Sorenten rose to power. The lower class was still inferior to the upper class, but there was no cruelty.”

I rest my head on his shoulder. He smooths his hand down my hair. We don’t say anything, just sit there, taking comfort in each other.

“Lily! Sebastian!”

Macy pushes through the crowd, hauling Andy behind her. When she reaches our table, she plops down and lets out a breath. “I didn’t think we’d get through that. Or into the club for that matter. Did you see the line?”

“Yep,” I say.

They order drinks and we talk about different topics. Macy is quiet, staring at me like she’s trying to figure out a math puzzle. Do I look different? Is it due to what Sebastian and I did? Oh, god. Is it written all over my face?

I glare at her to quit it, but she gives me a knowing smile. I know she’s bursting to ask questions. She turns to Andy. “Refill, please?”

“Sure.” He stands. I wonder how things are going with them. Macy seems happy, but it’s possible she may be hiding her pain.

She grabs my cup and dumps it in Sebastian’s hand. “Lily needs a refill, too.”

“Okay.” He smiles that sweet smile that makes me want to kiss him like this is my last day on this world.

Once they’re gone, Macy grabs my hand. “Good. Now spill!”

“What are you talking about?”

She narrows her eyes. “Something happened, something good. You look…well, you look like you…” Her eyes widen. “You and Sebastian had sex, didn’t you?”

“Will you lower your voice?” I hiss.

Her face brightens. “How was it? Tell me everything!”

I do, not going into too many details, though. I tell her how sweet and caring Sebastian was, how he told me he researched it because he wanted to make sure he would do it properly, when the right time came. “I feel so much closer to him,” I say.

She squeals. “I’m so happy for you. Sebastian is such a great guy and he makes you happy. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy. He really loves you, Lil. I see the way he looks at you. Not many guys look at their girls like that.” Her eyes drop to her lap.

I place my hand on hers. “Is everything okay with you and Andy?”

She puffs her cheeks. “I think we’re getting there. I need to earn his trust again, and I’m going to. I don’t want him to ever doubt how much I love him. I’d chop my arm off before losing him.”

“And your neighbor? Does he like you? Is he giving you problems?”

“He’s a sleazy jerk who kisses anything that moves. Believe me, I want to forget I ever exchanged saliva with that ass.” She covers her face. “I don’t know what came over me.”

I put my hand on her back. “We’re not perfect. It happens. But you need to make sure you really want to marry Andy, not because you feel guilty for what happened.”

She lowers her hands. “Are you saying I don’t want to marry Andy?”

“No, of course not. I know how much you love each other. But there’s no rush, is there? We’re eighteen and you guys have so much time to decide.”

She nods. “You’re right. That’s why we pushed off the wedding. We’re probably going to wait until we finish school—that is, if Andy still wants to marry me.”

“I know he does.”

She smiles sadly.

There’s a commotion coming from the corner of the club. People are shouting, and from what I can see, two guys are going at each other. One guy is tall, muscular, with long, black hair. I leap to my feet. “Sebastian.”

“What?” Macy asks.

I shove through the crowd, and that’s when I see it. Sebastian is pinned up against the wall by Max. “Sebastian!” He looks at me, caught off guard, and Max has a chance to ram his fist into the side of Sebastian’s face.

“Max! Stop it!”

He ignores me. “What does she see in you?” he snarls, gripping Sebastian’s shirt and hauling him to the floor. “Fight me.”

Sebastian gets to his feet, pushing his hair out of his eyes. “I’m not going to fight you. It wouldn’t be a fair fight.”

That seems to piss Max off because he charges at my genie like a bull. Sebastian moves aside, and Max crashes into the wall.

The bouncer steps forward. “Take it outside.” He grabs both guys and throws them out. Macy, Andy, and I quickly follow, along with a few others who are curious to see the show. Max doesn’t hesitate to pack a few more punches at Sebastian. Andy rushes to try to stop them, but Max pushes him out of the way, telling him to butt out. I wish I could do something, but it’s not smart for me to get between two strong guys. I’d get crushed. Begging Max to stop isn’t helping, either. He won’t listen to me.

“Sebastian,” Andy says. “Fight him. He won’t stop until you do.”

“Violence will solve nothing,” Sebastian says as he avoids Max’s fists.

Max snickers. “Suit yourself, but I’m going to have a good time rearranging that pretty face. Then she won’t want you.”

“If you think I’ll ever get back together with you, then you can dream on,” I say.

Max grunts as he pummels Sebastian’s stomach. Sebastian backs into a wall, shutting his eyes tight like he’s waiting for Max to get bored and stop. He doesn’t seem to be in any pain. He must be using his magic to protect himself. That must be what he meant when he said it wouldn’t be a fair fight. He doesn’t want to use to magic against Max.

The punching goes on for about a minute. Max starts calling me some not so nice things and Sebastian’s eyes glow red with rage. As Max is about to strike Sebastian in the eye, Sebastian catches Max’s fist. His eyes grow redder, as though there’s fire inside.

Max lets out a howl, wiggling as he tries to free his hand. It looks like Sebastian is crushing it. He glares into Max’s eyes. “Don’t you dare call Lily that ever again,” he warns in a tone I’ve never heard before. “If you do, I will crush every bone in your body.” He squeezes Max’s fingers, causing him to screech. “And don’t you come near her again. Do you understand me?”

Max whimpers.

“Do you?”

“Yes,” he sputters. “I do. I do!”

Sebastian drops Max, who falls limp to the ground. Sebastian’s eyes are back blue. I run over to him and take his face in my hands, inspecting it for damage. It’s clean. “Are you okay?” I ask.

“I’m fine. How are you?”

“He didn’t touch me.”

His gaze falls to Max, who is rolling around on the ground, clutching his hand. Sebastian lowers himself next to him and waves his hand over Max’s. “I healed him, but he’ll remember my threat and won’t bother you again.”

I take his hand, pulling him away from the club and the spectators’ curious eyes. “Thanks for protecting me,” I say as we head toward home, Macy and Andy walking behind us.

Sebastian holds me close, pressing his lips to my temple.