Page 8 of Hers to Rule

Eventually, she was going to need actual training. Her father had never wanted her to know what to do with her power, but she’d read everything she could find on the subject, and when witches were as powerful as she was, instinct could get you a long way.

She spent about an hour creeping along the wards and trying to figure out how they worked before pausing to take a stretch break. The magical network was centered on the compound and spread web-like over the entire city, forming a protective barrier she didn’t quite understand. She only knew that her father had been obsessed with the wards, and had kept her a prisoner in order to power them. Her father was—had been—an incubus, and his magic was different enough from hers that looking at it too long gave her a headache so it was difficult to figure out much on her own.

She felt Rio’s eyes on her and grinned when she caught him looking at her tits through the much too thin tank. “See something you like?”

He showed her a flirty smile. “You know I do.”

“Cisco said I could play with you.”

One dark eyebrow rose. “Did he now?”

Mari nodded. “Mouths only.”

At that, Rio laughed. “That would only torture the both of us.”

“I’m fairly sure that was his intention.”

Rio grunted in agreement. “He is every inch a sadist.”

She shivered as desire rose through her body. “But all of those delicious inches.”

“Indeed.” Rio chuckled. He gestured with his phone. “You need a distraction?”

She fanned her face with a piece of paper. “I definitely do.”

Her phone alerted her to a text message, and she opened it up. Rio had sent her a picture he’d taken the night before when Cisco was carrying her to the pool house. The memory of what had happened after that rose like shimmering heat. This was entirely the wrong kind of distraction. She sighed. “Are you a sadist too?”

“Nah, I just like watching you squirm.” He held her gaze with a smile that promised so many sweet and sexy things she almost couldn’t stand it.

She did squirm then, despite telling herself that she wasn’t going to. “Fuck me,” she whispered under her breath.

“Only if Cisco says it’s okay.” He winked.

Cisco stormed into the office at that very moment, his eyes locked on her as he shut the door behind him with a lot more calmness than was evident in his expression. “Are you trying to fucking kill me with that outfit?”

She tilted her head, trying for as innocent a face as she could manage, which she would bet was not very innocent at all. “You told me to pick something out of the closet.”

He growled as he crossed the room toward her. “Mariana.” His voice was low and dangerous. “The only thing stopping me from pushing you down on that desk and fucking you exactly as hard as you deserve for teasing me with that skirt is that this house is filled to bursting with civilians.”

She wilted with disappointment, dropping her eyes.

Cisco pulled her out of her chair by the back of her neck, angling her head so that she had to look up at him. “I promise you’ll get every bit that’s coming to you the second they leave.” He bent to kiss her hard enough that he scoured her clean, leaving her panting in the aftermath, her power straining for him. He reached down to grab a handful of her ass, pulling her against him. “You look hot as fuck. And it’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you like it.” She grinned. “I like it too.”

Cisco nodded. “Good. I didn’t think you’d want to keep wearing the stuff he got for you, it never suited you, but I also knew there wouldn’t be time for you to actually shop for yourself for a while. I’m glad you like what I picked out.” He grumbled his approval as he felt her up and encountered the lacy ruffles of her panties. “Fuck. The rest of the day is going to take forever.”

“You could let me take the edge off…” Mari leaned harder against him and wiggled her butt in his hand.

“Nice try, but I intend to make you beg for my dick later.” His grin was just this side of cruel. She whimpered as he released her without another word.

Cisco crossed his arms over his chest, his wings flaring slightly. “Esmé wants a meeting this week. Do you feel up for it?”

Mari suddenly felt cold nerves grip her, banishing the desire in a rush. Esmé was probably the only other witch in Las Vegas who could run the wards her father had built around the city. She was the most powerful sex witch the world had ever seen. Mari had always suspected that if someone could bring down her father, it would be Esmé. “Of course,” she said with a confidence she didn’t really feel.

Cisco eyed her with a frown but didn’t say anything else to her before he turned to look at Rio. “Make sure everybody sees her. Let them take pictures if she says it’s okay. If anyone touches her but you, they lose a hand.”

Rio’s nod was sharp. “Will do.”

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