Page 16 of Spice
Suddenly, we’re in front of the fireplace, the rug beneath us soft and warm. Willow’s on top of me, her body draped over mine, our chests heaving in unison. Her hair is a wild tangle around her face, her eyes glazed with pleasure. The heat of the fire is comforting against my skin, the crackle of the flames a soothing melody after the storm of our passion.
I wrap my arms around her, holding her close, as her pussy drips all over me with our cum. I never want to leave this moment, never want to let her go. She’s mine, and I’m hers, bound together by magic and something even more powerful.
Fated, destined, star-writ love.
We lie like that for several moments, magic settling around us. I reach for a blanket draped over the nearby couch and pull it over us, holding her snugly against me. Exactly where she belongs. Where she’s always belonged. Where she’ll always belong.
“Is this…” She pauses, and I can tell she’s trying to figure out how to ask her question.
“You can ask me anything, Willow. Ask, and I’ll answer. I promise.”
“I’ve never done sex magic before and…I feel…” She lifts her head and meets my eyes. “I think I’m in love with you, and I need to know if that’s a normal part of the ritual.” Her eyes gleam in the firelight, and I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Not even close to normal. Sex magic is about the physical. This…” I gesture between us. “No. Not normal.”
“Do you think it’s because of the curse?”
“Iknowit’s because of you. I have those same feelings, Willow. I feel like I’ve loved you from the moment I first sipped the latte you made.” Her eyes gleam brighter, unshed tears pooling there, and then we’re kissing again, slow and unhurried.
In this quiet moment, I’m claiming her. Her mouth, her body, her heart, her soul. I may have called her greedy, but I’m the greedy one. I want every morsel of her, forever. And she’s claiming me in return, forever changing me, binding me to her.
We shift into a more comfortable position, lying in front of the fire with her back pressed to my chest. She fits so perfectly against me that I can’t remember ever holding anyone else. I can’t imagine ever wanting to hold anyone else.
I let my hand rest gently on her belly, over the soft warmth of the rune pulsing there. I don’t want to say it out loud, to voice the hope inside me for fear it’ll be snatched away. As if she can sense what I’m feeling, instead of saying anything, she simply laces her fingers with mine, our joined hands resting over the tiny speck of life we may have created. The speck of life that will save mine.
The speck of life that after two centuries of living will give me a newfound purpose. My chest tightens with emotion as I let it play out in my mind. Willow makes a soft, sleepy sound, and I pull her tighter against me, the feeling of her skin anchoring me against the onslaught of emotion. Soon, her breathing deepens and evens out.
My tired little witch has fallen asleep. I brush the hair off her neck and kiss the warm skin there, my lips lingering. The house tucks the blanket around us, and that’s when I realize that we’re both hovering a few inches off the ground.
I grin to myself as I float with the woman I love.
Seven
Willow
My eyelids are heavy as I pry them open, my limbs deadweight where I lie curled on the floor, tucked against Ezra. I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, but after that last round of intense fucking, I was completely wrung out. I don’t think I could’ve kept my eyes open even if I’d tried.
I turn in his arms to find Ezra watching me, an unreadable expression on his face. But even if I can’t read his expression, I canfeelhis worry. His hope and fear, twisted together in a knot.
“What time is it?” I whisper. The house is quiet around us, the only sound the fire crackling in the hearth.
“Almost midnight,” he says, and I hear the tightness in his voice. I cuddle into him as our magics swirl together, almost lazily. Out the window, I can see the full moon hanging in the Halloween sky, luminous with silvery light.
“Do you think it worked?” I ask. Ezra stiffens slightly.
“I…think so. But I can’t know for sure. Not until midnight passes and…whatever happens happens.” He meets my gaze, a soft smile pulling at his lips. “We certainly gave it our best shot.”
He pulls the blanket tighter around us, and the ticking clock is a weight, every second either leading us toward a bright, sunshiny future together, or…
I don’t want to think about the or. I don’t want to think about losing Ezra when I’ve only just found him. Because even though I only met him a few hours ago, I know we’re destined to be together. He’s meant to be mine, and I’m meant to be his.
He holds me close, his warm hands running up and down my back. Because I’m sure he can feel what I’m feeling, and he’s comforting me. But I’m not the one facing my potential demise, here. So I wrap my arms around him, concentrating on comforting him.
“How…” He inhales sharply. I notice that my magic is glowing a soft orange around him, warm and sweet. “Thank you. That’s…” He looks away and clears his throat, but I can see the unshed tears in his eyes. “If this doesn’t work, I’m grateful that I get to spend my last moments holding you.”
I swallow against the lump in my throat and blink back the tears I will not to fall. “Don’t say that.” I cup his cheek. “The ritual worked. It had to have.” We both glance down at the glowing rune on my belly, the one that means life. “We’re going to have forever.”
I can see the raw vulnerability in his gaze, and when he opens his mouth, truth falls out. “I’m scared, Willow.”
