Page 67 of Sigils & Spells

Eventually, he held out his hand, the #1Mom amulet in his palm.

I turned and stepped across my living room and yanked open a drawer. I pulled out a leather cord. Turning, I held it out to Ramsey.

“You need to wear the amulet.”

He snatched the cord from my hand and slipped the pendant over it before tying a knot in the ends, and yanking it over his head. With another glare, he turned and stormed out of my apartment.

CHAPTER9

Pandora

“This is romantic,” Merle said as he popped the cork on the wine

I paused, not certain if he was mocking my attempt at creating a soft mood or not. The overhead lighting was off, but the strings of fairy lights were on. There were lit candles on the low coffee table along with the box of pizza and the wine glasses. One of those perpetual fires that are always popular around Christmas-time was on the TV.

I didn’t know where to look, and I twisted my fingers together.

He poured the wine and handed me a glass. “It’s nice, Pandora, I like it. You’ve set a mood that even I can see. And I can be a little blind to more subtle hints.”

I only meant to take a sip, but I sucked down the entire glass. “So, are you telling me not to be too subtle?”

“I’m saying”— he took the glass and set it on the table— “I’ve missed clues before. I appreciate your forthright message this evening.”

He set his glass down. I don’t think he had even taken a sip. When he started to lean toward me, I leaned toward him. That first kiss was tentative, unsure. We were like teenagers who wanted to do more but had no idea what to do or say. Confidence was not present for either of us at first.

Either confidence or desperation slammed into me first, and I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and dragged us closer together. Merle responded in kind. And then we knew what we were doing, what we wanted. We wanted each other.

Our lips pressed and tugged, sliding across each other in an attempt to merge. My lips parted on a sigh. At last, we were on the same page, and it was a hot and needy page.

Merle’s tongue slid over my lips before delving in to find my tongue for its dance partner. His hand cupped the back of my head, holding me in place.

I knotted my fingers in his hair. I don’t know if I leaned back, or he pushed into me, but soon I was back against the couch and his body was over mine. His thigh pushed between my legs, hiking my skirt up. He pulled the skirt up higher as his other hand ran down my leg before slipping my shoe off and running back up to grab and claw at my thigh.

We had both dressed for a date, even though we were both well aware that we were not going out. I wore a cropped sweater in bright colors— I was so tired of the persistent gloom of winter and eager for spring—with a black flippy skirt and tights. I should have skipped the tights and shoes. I hooked my leg over his as I tugged his shirt tails out of his jeans. I wanted to touch his skin, feel the muscles that I knew he kept hidden under his clothes.

He pulled back and looked down at me. We were both panting. I don’t know what he saw when he looked at me, but I did not miss the hunger in his eyes. It was thrilling, and hot. He tore at his tie and then with rapid, almost inhuman speed undid the buttons of his shirt. Grabbing my hands, he placed my palms on his chest. I guess he wanted me touching him too.

He lowered back to me, this time he slid a hand under the hem of my sweater and cupped a breast. He moaned as his hand slid over the satin and lace of my bra.

I made sure to wear something that was more sexy than practical. I hoped he didn’t care that the one I had on was somewhere in between. Sexy bras at my size could be cost prohibitive, but I did my best.

His thumb ran over the thin fabric, caressing my nipple, and I forgot everything about the bra. My underwear only mattered because it was between me and Merle.

I arched into his hand, wanting more of his touch. His mouth on mine was heaven, his hands on me were torture. I needed more of both. My hips rocked against his leg. He pressed his thigh harder against my core, so I could ride his leg as he continued to run his hands over me.

His lips were fire against my skin. I wanted every blistering touch he could give me. At the same time, I couldn’t kiss him enough. I cried when his mouth left mine to place teasing bites across my exposed mid-section.

“Can you get this off?” His voice was a rasp of want as he tugged on my sweater.

I squirmed to pull it over my head, and then he helped yank it off the rest of the way. He tossed it somewhere. I didn’t care, all that mattered was the way he looked at me.

He looked at my breasts and licked his lips. It was all I had ever wanted, Merle to see me with desire, to want me the way I wanted him. And it was happening. He wanted me. I saw it in his eyes, felt it in his touch. There was no hiding the hard press of his erection through his jeans.

I reached my hand out and trailed it down his abs. There was that sexy trail of hair leading away from his belly button and vanishing behind his jeans button. With a twist of my fingers, I undid that button.

His hand grabbed mine. He tugged until I looked up into his eyes.

“Your couch is nice and all, but maybe we should move this to the bedroom?”

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