Spell Checked (15 page)

Gemma and Aidan finally settled in the cottage for the evening while the rest of Beck’s houseguests called it a night and remained at the mansion.  Exhausted, Beck and Mae went to their own rooms in search of sleep and nothing more.  However, their weariness did not last long.  Under Beck’s bewitchment, Aidan couldn’t block his emotions which penetrated right through the house.  It wasn’t long before Mae found herself in Beck’s bed and arms, now fully aware of what it was like to be influenced by another witch’s emotions in full force.

Unlike the night before, they merely lay side by side, touching, kissing, and lightly caressing each other to placate Aidan’s unchecked libido which started to rage in their minds.  Beck moved his fingers lightly along her neck, shoulders and arms, barely touching her skin.  He left a trail of warmth and goose bumps in their wake.  Mae’s hand moved down his back, feeling every muscle on the way down and letting it settle on his hard backside.  Before long, their clothes lay strewn across the room as the final barrier between them was removed.  There they lay naked, in each other’s arms, peaceful, while both of them continued reining the urge to lose complete control.  Even their stillness could not quell the lust that was building between them and Mae could soon feel Beck’s hardness pushing against her.

“Mae, I can no longer fight this,” Beck whispered, drawing her closer.

Turning toward him, she whispered back, “Neither can I.”

Unwilling to surrender to the animal-like lust Aidan was projecting, they lay facing each other on their sides. Mae curled up as close as she could, putting one leg over his hip and her arm around his neck.  She lazily kissed him as he entered her slowly, until she could feel him inside her as deep as he could go.  His movements were subtle but effective, each stroke nearly made her scream with urgency; each gentle touch made her heart race with anticipation of their inevitable orgasms.

Beck whispered in a blissful calm, “I could sleep like this.”

Mae kissed his neck and sleepily replied, “So could I, but let’s not!”

~~~***~~~

Mae woke up to the sound of birds chirping, easing herself from Beck’s grip and making her way to the bathroom in her suite for a shower.  The heated tiles warmed her as she tried to figure out which handles controlled the numerous shower heads and which buttons to press on the control pad.  This was the most complicated shower she had ever encountered, and after several minutes she managed to get only one head to drip warm water.  She was asking herself, “Why didn’t I just used Beck’s simple shower like I have for the last couple of days?”  She knew the answer, she couldn’t sing with an audience and today she felt the need to sing.  She stood under the trickling shower head and started to sing “Gypsy” by Shakira.

Beck awoke to the sound of Mae’s voice trilling in the bathroom and crept up to the shower door to listen.

“
Cause I’m a gypsy…are you coming with me...I might steal your clothes and wear them if they fit me.
”  She sang without the sound of full running water to muffle her voice. Suddenly, she saw a silhouette on the other side of the shower door and screamed.

“Good grief Mae, It is only I,” Beck said, opening the shower door in his underwear.

“You scared the hell out of me!” she exclaimed, trying to cover herself with her hands to hide her private parts as though they were something he hadn’t seen already.

“I was just enjoying your song and realized the shower was not running correctly, so I thought I would help you.”

“Could you please show me how to work this thing,” Mae asked, pointing to the numerous handles and the control panel.

“Only if I may join you?” he said, removing his underwear, knowing he would not be turned down.

“Of course not, it’s your house,” she said, thinking to herself, “Good lord, why does the sight of his naked body make my knees go weak.”

“First you have to set the control panel then select which heads, water temperature, type of water flow, and whether or not you want steam.  Once you have it programmed, turn the handles on.  The computer will remember the settings the next time you want to use it.  All you have to do is press the
on
button and
user one.”
  Beck stood there naked, programming everything into the computer panel on the wall.

The water started streaming from ten different shower heads and steam began to appear from little nozzles at the bottom of the shower wall.  Mae felt glad to have the water on but sad that she would have to stop singing.

“So, did you mean what you were singing?  Is that why you stole my pajamas?” Beck teased.

“No, it’s just a song.  I took them because I wanted to remember you, even though we just met,” Mae replied, nervously playing with the ends of her hair.

Beck walked to where she was standing and put his arms around her. “I would love to hear you sing some more.”

“Not going to happen,” she said sternly, wiggling out of his embrace.

“You have such a lovely voice, why will you not share that part of you with me?” he begged, reaching for the soap and a washcloth.

“I’m just too embarrassed to sing in front of people…especially you.”

“Maybe someday you will feel comfortable enough around me to share that part of you, too.  For now, I am happy to settle for the parts you will share with me,” he said, kissing her lightly on the forehead and handing her the soap and washcloth.

Beck helped her wash her hair and she scrubbed his back, while she wondered how she was becoming so at ease around this divine creature.  They had become a couple in such a short amount of time. There was no doubt in her mind that this was not just a quick vacation romance and it began to scare her.  Still, she could not deny her enjoyment and the unusual feeling of familiarity that she now felt around him, as if she had known him an eternity.

“What is wrong Mae? You look very pensive,” Beck asked.

“It just scares me that we’ve become so close in such a short period of time and I’m afraid that if I tell you how I really feel, you’ll run away screaming into the night,” she sighed as they sat on the wooden bench enjoying the steam of the shower.

“Mae, I have something to tell you.  Remember when you could feel my pain?”  Beck asked, knowing it was time to tell her of their bond.

“Yes!  And all I can say is I hope you never get hurt again,” she laughed.

“I know why you could feel my pain.  I am not sure how it happened, but apparently, you and I have bonded,” Beck finally confessed.

“What does that mean?” she said, vaguely remembering what he had said a few days ago about it.

“For one it means that we feel each other’s pain.  Our attraction to each other is so overpowering that in a normal person it would be considered obsessive.  I cannot even think of you naked without wanting to take you to bed,” he explained, hoping she would understand that she would never be able to leave him.

“You mean you feel the same way, too?  This is not just some silly crush to be forgotten in a week?” she asked.  “Could he have really fallen for me as I have with him?” she wondered.

“Yes, I am afraid so.  You are stuck with me whether you like it or not,” he said, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

Mae pushed his hand away and stood in front of him. “How long will it last?” she inquired nervously.

“This is the first time I have bonded with a woman, but it is my understanding that it will last until death,” Beck sighed, looking into her eyes, nervously waiting for the signs of panic that were sure to ensue.

Mae’s knees buckled under her at his reply.  Beck grabbed her before she hit the marble floor.  Sitting on one of the wooden benches in the shower, he sat her on his lap while she hyperventilated until her chest hurt so badly tears fell down her cheek.

“Mae, calm down and take a deep breath.  Am I really so bad?”  Beck asked, trying to subdue her.

“We hardly know each other and now you’re talking forever,” she said in a voice that was shriller than normal.

“I understand your shock, but I expected it would reassure you to know the reason you feel so close to me.  You seek logic in everything and it always holds the answers for you.  This is no different.  It explains why we are attracted to one another in a way beyond conventional logic.”  Beck kept trying to explain without telling her the real reason they bonded…They were in love with each other.

She took a couple of deep breaths and started to calm herself.  “Beck, I did not mean to insult you.  It’s just a shock and I didn’t handle it very well.  I’ve been hurt so many times from rushing into dead end relationships and this is the fastest one yet.  I keep expecting you to get rid of me because you are far too good for me,” she confided putting her arms around his neck and sighing.

“That is what I keep trying to tell you, Mae; I am not going anywhere.  The bond between us is eternal and any separation from you would kill me.  This is not any game I am playing just to keep you in my bed until I tire of you.”  Beck kissed her cheek and she got off his lap.

“I’m sorry I got so dramatic, it’s a lot to take in.  So, how shall we classify our relationship?  It is a relationship, right?”  Mae’s head was full of questions, as she paced the floor in front of him, but this was the most important to her.

“I do not know?  But I am sure we can figure it out together,” Beck replied, turning off the shower with the press of a button and handed her a towel.

“Am I your girlfriend?” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yes, you are most certainly my girlfriend.  But I hope that one day we can come to a more permanent arrangement.”

“What do you mean by ‘more permanent’?” she asked, raising her brow.

“We will discuss that later, after I have won your heart and you feel more comfortable moving forward,” he answered, not wanting to scare her with talk of infinity.

“Can I pick out your clothes?”  Seeing Beck in a pair of jeans was certainly something that crossed her mind more than once and helped her to ignore the previous conversation.

“If it makes you happy,” he replied, laughing at the randomness of her question.

“I think we need to check on Gemma and Aidan after breakfast,” Mae suddenly said, changing the subject.  She was concerned about what might have taken place the night before.

“I agree,” he replied, kissing her lightly on the lips.

~~~***~~~

It was almost lunchtime and no one had seen or heard from Gemma and Aidan.  Meredith volunteered to go with Beck and Mae to check on them, sensing that there might be a problem at the cottage.  They knocked on the cottage door and Aidan answered.  He looked like hell, displaying bruises and what appeared to be bite marks on his neck.  There were also marks on his wrists that looked like rope burns and Mae began to panic as she thought about what state Gemma might be found.  “Where is Gemma?” she said with an urgency to her voice.

“She’s in the kitchen doing dishes,” he replied calmly.

Mae pushed her way through the front door past Aidan.  Gemma was at the sink doing dishes and looking worse than Aidan. She turned to Mae, with tears streaming down her face and falling quietly into the sink.

“Mae, I was not expecting you,” she said, trying to wipe the tears from her face with her sleeve.

“I am so sorry I let you do this.  I knew it was a bad idea.”

“I’m not upset about last night, Mae.  My flight is tomorrow and look at me! I’m a complete mess.  Aidan has been trying to console me all morning because I can’t stand being seen like this.”  Gemma dried her hands and sat mournfully at the kitchen table.

Meredith joined them and smiled, “Are the lovebites the only problem?” she asked.

“Yes, I can’t go home like this,” she explained.

“Mae, this would be the ideal time for you to practice healing,” Meredith suggested.

“You mean you two can fix this? Why didn’t Aidan say something earlier?” Gemma inquired.

“I think he is still recovering from yesterday.  He hasn’t even healed himself, so I don’t think he could offer you much help at the moment,” Meredith replied, looking at Gemma’s injuries.

Meredith and Mae offered to work on Gemma in the kitchen while Beck and Aidan shut themselves in the bedroom.