WhiskeyBottleLover (21 page)

“Chance,” he whispered before his hips bucked, driving him
further inside her. His head punched back into the mattress as a deep moan
filled the room.

The feel of his cock pulsing sent her over the edge. Her
orgasm exploded, her muscles gripping and releasing so powerfully it bordered
on pain, but she loved it. Waves of sheer bliss rolled from the top of her head
down to her core and further to her toes. It went on and on, filling her up to
overflowing. Nothing would ever compare to him, Hayes, her lost genie.

When their bodies settled, the last of their releases eased
away, she collapsed over him. Hayes wrapped her tightly in his arms, burying
his face in her neck.

“I don’t know how it happened but I love you, Hayes,” she
whispered.

His body trembled slightly and then she felt wetness on her
skin. Tears. Maybe she should have been concerned, a little bit worried, but
she wasn’t. She’d accomplished something. She’d broken through his iron
shielding and now they could work together at figuring out how to spend the
rest of their lives together.

He was doomed. That’s all there was to it. She’d ensured
he’d spend the rest of his existence mourning the loss of the most beautiful
treasure ever found. He’d become bitter, his mental state would twist until he
became vile, angry and damned hateful. That sensual love they made would be the
catalyst to his soul rotting like a dead fish. Yep, he was screwed.

It only got better, or worse, depending on how he chose to
think about it. Late into the night he awoke to her hot little mouth sucking
him so fiercely he almost lost his mind. Relentless, that was Chance. She
pinned his hips to the bed, threatened to tie his ass up and made him lie there
until she brought him to release. Sweet, brain-shredding release. Of course he
had to repay the favor. It wouldn’t be right not to, and having a second chance
to taste her sweet nectar, he’d be stupid not to.

Damn and double damn. What the hell was he supposed to do
now? Thinking about leaving her made his guts twist. Sure, he could go out and
find some unsuspecting fool to trick into taking his place in the bottle. It
couldn’t be that hard. But he would hate himself for it and more importantly,
Chance would hate him. Why couldn’t he simply not care, go out, do it and come
back?

“Hey, Chance, guess what? I’m free, now strip and let me at
you.” Yeah, that would go over big.

“Are you ready to go?”

Chance came up behind him, grabbed his ass and squeezed. A
hot jolt of desire speared through him. Since last night, every time she
touched him his cock did an instant salute. Yep, doomed.

“Tell me again why you need to be up at this hour?” he
asked, helping her put her coat on.

“It’s Black Friday. This is the day everyone goes out
shopping for Christmas and they get an early start. Every business in town is
opening soon.”

“Doesn’t make sense to me,” he grumbled.

“Me either, but that’s the way of the world and so I roll
with it.”

She did that well, he noticed, and it made him love her all
the more. Yeah, he realized that after they both had the most intense orgasms
of their lives and she lay there on his bare chest. Her words shattered him.
The little vixen snuck right into his heart and made him feel like he never
felt before. The emotions were so pure and powerful he couldn’t stop the tears,
so he sobbed like a damn baby into her neck. Christ, he hated that kind of
weakness.

“What are you so snarly about today?” she asked, her
forehead creased and her eyes filled with worry. “Is everything all right?”

He didn’t like seeing her worry. Unable to stop himself, he
hugged her tight to his body and kissed the top of her head. Chance wasn’t
having it. She pushed back and frowned up at him.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know what to do,” he admitted. God, he felt like a
child.

“Do about what?”

“You.”

She studied his face, looked deep into his eyes and he knew
she was seeing right through him. A wicked little grin tugged at her lips.
Those luscious lips that could make him beg for mercy.

“Easy. You do me. Very simple when you think about it, or do
you need more lessons?” She reached down and cupped his cock through his jeans.
The jeans she bought.

“Lessons are good,” he growled, ready to haul her back to
the bedroom.

“Hold that thought and when we get home tonight I’ll show
you some new things.”

She gave his throbbing cock a hard squeeze and rose up on
her toes to give him a quick kiss. Hayes snagged her around the waist. “There’s
more?” There couldn’t possibly be anything as good as last night.

She giggled, a musical sound that wound its way through his
body and anchored to his heart. He combed his fingers through her silky brown
hair, lowered his head and took her lips in a tender kiss. She tasted like
coffee, rich and smooth. He wanted to taste that every morning for the rest of
his life.

“Come on, we have to get going,” she whispered. “I promise,
tonight I’ll focus on you, only you.”

Reluctantly he released her, helped gather a few things and
then followed her to the car. He noticed a slight spring in her step this
morning, even a glow that shimmered around her body. That’s what happiness
looked like, he supposed. He could only imagine how she’d appear after he left.

And there it was, reality gnashing its teeth at him. No way
around it. Duty called and its beckon was hard to ignore now. The strength he’d
become accustomed to was barely at half power. Soon his magic would fizzle and
once that happened there’d be no turning back. The shackles were feeding that
information through his system now.

On the way to town, Chance stopped at a donut shop and
bought some treats along with three large, strong coffees. She said they’d need
it. He wasn’t sure he understood until they pulled into the business part of
town. Cars lined the streets, droves of people scurried on the sidewalks and
Chance seemed to be energized by it.

He found himself smiling at her enthusiasm. He’d become
addicted to her and when addictions were given up cold turkey unpleasant things
happened. He didn’t look forward to it but he would welcome it with open arms.

As soon as they stepped inside the store Jenny turned the
open sign and the day became hectic. Hayes did his best to help but most of the
time he watched Chance interact with customers. Once in a while she’d look his
way with a wink or give him a heart-melting smile.

By noon he figured she and Jenny would be starving, so he
made his way to her back office and conjured a warm lunch of chili, hot bread
and spiced cider. It seemed appropriate for the time of year and weather. Jenny
praised his cooking and advised him to teach Chance.

The afternoon slipped by without notice. When the sun
started to set, the crowds slowed. Chance plopped down in her chair, looking
tired but still glowing. She said another three hours and they’d close up shop.
She and Jenny chatted about the inventory, moving it around a bit so people got
a better look at slower-moving items. As they discussed business Hayes wandered
out the door into the darkness.

He needed a quiet moment to think. Tonight he’d have to sit
Chance down and talk, seriously talk about their situation. It would kill him,
so to speak, but it needed to be done. As he drew in a lungful of brisk air, a
truck drove by slowly. At first Hayes didn’t think much about it but when it
damn near stopped in front of the store, causing the car behind it to honk, his
attention went directly to the driver.

Every muscle in his body went rigid, even his fists balled
tight. Bill. What did that bastard want? Hayes made eye contact with the man.
What he saw set his back teeth on edge. Something was up, no doubt about it.
But what?

Bill sped up slightly, disappearing down the road. Hayes
stayed outside a while, waiting to see if the man returned. Fifteen minutes
later and partially numb from the winter air, he returned to the warmth of the
store. Should he tell Chance? Would the bastard do something to her place of
business?

“What kind of security do you have here?” he asked, trying
to make it sound casual even as his insides roiled with concern.

“I have an alarm and the police patrol this street pretty heavily
due to all the business here. Why?”

Hayes shrugged. Good. It would make it difficult for Bill to
damage her store. “Curious. Anything I can do to help?” He didn’t want to worry
her unnecessarily. Bill was free to drive anywhere he wanted. It was the main
street of town, after all.

The next three hours consisted of him being the muscle to
move things around. A stray customer wandered in every now and then, made a
purchase and then things quieted down. He teased and laughed with Chance and
Jenny but the thought of Bill plagued his mind. Why would he drive by? What was
he up to?

Chance finally rang out her cash register as Jenny flipped
the sign. They took the older woman home, he walked her to the door and when he
crawled back into the car he noticed how exhausted Chance appeared. Dark
circles surrounded her weary eyes and her shoulders seemed to sag.

“This was a good day,” she said, shooting him a smile as she
pulled out onto the road. “Business was great and I moved a lot of old
inventory. Wanna know what the best part was?”

“What?”

“You were there.”

The punch to his gut was hard and stole his breath. Did
anyone ever say something so simple yet meaningful to him before? Not that he
could remember. Damn fate for doing this to him.

“Don’t look so annoyed,” she teased. “You could have popped
yourself out of there if you didn’t like it.”

“It’s not that,” he muttered. “I wish I could have been more
help.”

“You were great. Thank you again for feeding us lunch.”

Hayes shrugged off her gratitude. A wave of exhaustion
crashed over him, something he hadn’t felt in two centuries. He could barely
hold his head up and his limbs seemed to weigh a ton.

“I guess I worked you too hard,” she laughed.

“I guess you did. I enjoyed it though. You’ve built a nice
business for yourself, Chance. People enjoy your creations. It’s a rare gift
you have.”

“Thank you.”

They drove a few miles in silence, both of them yawning
every couple of minutes and when they turned onto the road where Chance lived,
a truck barreled toward them at high speed. Its headlights were blinding and
the driver didn’t seem to notice them. Chance got over as far as she could but
the vehicle nearly ran them into the ditch. Hayes grabbed a hold of the dash
with one hand as he threw his arm in front of Chance with the other. She
managed to get the car back on the road, bringing it to a sudden stop.

“Holy shit,” she managed between pants. “What the hell was
that?”

Hayes turned his head and followed the taillights until they
disappeared. He saw the color of the truck and he’d bet his life on who was
driving. The man had become a danger to Chance.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” Chance peeled her fingers off the
steering wheel, flexed them a few times and then scrubbed her face with her
hands. “Talk about a wake-up call.”

Fury boiled in his gut. As his mind reeled over what to do
about Bill, Hayes noticed an orange glow over the treetops in the distance. It
took a moment for the area to register in his brain. “Chance, drive,” he
snapped, pointing out the windshield.

“Oh God, no.” She put her foot to the floor, rock and dust
pelting the underneath of the car. “Please, no. This can’t be happening.”

The car bounced and jerked up the driveway. Every turn of
the wheels took them closer to what Hayes knew would be disastrous. He’d kill
the man. Hunt him down and inflict torturous pain before ending the miserable
bastard’s life.

Chance slid the car sideways in front of the house. Before
it stopped, Hayes jumped out and ran toward the barn. Flames licked out around
the back, threatening to consume the sides at any moment. A quick survey
indicated it hadn’t been burning long. Only the back wall had been touched.

Chance ran toward him with tears rolling down her cheeks. “I
have to call the fire department.”

He grabbed her arms and when she tried to pull free he
tightened his grip. “Listen to me,” he spoke in a deep, rumbling voice. “Wish
it away.”

“What? No. I need to call the fire department. My work is
burning. Let me go, Hayes.”

He could see the panic and heart-wrenching fear in her eyes.
It tore at him like claws but he could stop this. Make it right. “Wish it
away,” he repeated, this time with more of an inhuman growl to his voice. It
caught her attention. She stopped struggling against him.

“How?”

Good, he had her attention. “Take a moment and think about
it, Chance. Think clearly and wish clearly. I can make it all go away as if it
never happened. You have to make the proper wish.”

She nodded, glanced over at the barn and closed her eyes. He
could feel the heat now. It surrounded them. Wood snapped and popped. Each
sound made Chance jump. To help steady her, Hayes wrapped her in his arms and
held tight.

“Okay, okay. I think I’ve got it.”

“Be precise, Chance, just like you were when you wished for
me to be healed.”

The tears on her cheeks reflected the oranges and reds of
the fire but determination outshone them. “I wish all my work in the barn was
safe and this fire never happened.”

The power rolled through him, came up from his toes,
traveled through his legs and filled his chest. Hayes turned toward the barn,
stretched out his arms, let his head drop back, allowing the magic to flow. It
exploded from his chest with a jerk, rushed forward and consumed the old barn.
In the blink of an eye the fire disappeared. Drained, Hayes dropped to his
knees.

A loud roar filled his ears, the shackles on his wrists
released some of their pressure and his heart hammered furiously against his
ribs. It hurt to breathe, his lungs burned but with each forced breath he
thanked whoever had saddled him with this curse for giving him the opportunity
to help Chance.

“Hayes, are you okay? Talk to me, damn it!”

When he opened his eyes she was knelt down in front of him,
her fingers dug into his arms and sheer terror covered her face. “I’m okay,” he
answered, not entirely sure if it was the truth. He seemed more exhausted now
than ever. Had he withered so far down that coming back was impossible? “Give
me a minute.”

“You did it,” she told him. “You put the fire out. I don’t
know how to thank you.”

Didn’t she get it? He didn’t put it out. She did. “Not me,”
he told her in a weak voice. The power withdrew and after some deep breaths he
managed to get to his feet. “Come on, let’s go check it out.”

They walked into the barn. Chance ran around, checking
everything out. To anyone else it would appear nothing happened but he could
sense the stench of fire and something else. Gas. “Chance.”