Night Games

9

Jack had been staring at the computer for hours, and his eyes burned. The words were starting to blur, he’d been looking at them so long. The pieces were there, he just needed to put them together. Every answer they found seemed to lead to more questions rather than to a conclusion with a solid profile and a list of possible suspects.

The number of victim photographs now stretched off his whiteboard and were taped on the walls in his office. He swiveled his chair to look at them again. Nothing about them appeared the same. They had everything from a preteen witch with a human stepmother to a Normal retiree who’d been married to a Fae for sixty years. They lived in different cities and countries, had none of the same acquaintances, habits, or characteristics. The retiree had been murdered before the witch was even born. They’d never met, their families didn’t know each other, and comparing the other victims made for similar lacks of similarity. Jack wouldn’t be surprised if their killer had chosen them for that very reason. The only thing they had in common was the interrelation between Magickals and Normals. They could also solidly place Gregor Night in different places during the time period where the killer needed to have been operating for at least two of the cities. It didn’t totally rule him out, but it put a kink in the theory that the redheaded vampire was their murderer. Jack clenched his fists and resisted the urge to put his fist through the wall. It felt like they were getting nowhere.

“Fuck.”

“Well, hello to you, too.” Selina stepped into his office and sank into her usual chair. Her shoulders bowed, and she looked as spent as he felt.

He wanted to reach for her, but knew she wouldn’t allow it. Her separation between work and her personal life meant even a casual touch was taken the wrong way. Hell, he could clap Peyton on the shoulder with less of a problem. Jack’s fists clenched, but he forced himself to shake them loose. It was the exhaustion weighing him down. Friends with benefits, remember? He was getting exactly what he wanted, so he should be more than satisfied with that. He shrugged the tension out of his shoulders.

“Come on.” Selina grabbed her bag and slung it across her torso, sliding to her feet again. “You’re done for the night. I can see it on your face.”

“I think—”

She sighed. “Look, I’m as much a workaholic as the rest of them, so when I say you’re done, I’m not trying to baby you. We need to be at full capacity for this case. Falling on your face in exhaustion won’t help anyone. Go home.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to come with him, but he resisted. His door was standing open for anyone to overhear them. Their affair was a secret, and suddenly that chafed a lot more than it should. He knew all of her reasons, he even agreed with most of them, but right now, he didn’t give a damn about any of that. He was tired of worrying about whether people would infer that his actions toward her meant anything. He was tired of worrying if she would assume people were assuming. The reaction was irrational, so he tamped down on it. Shooting from his chair, he snatched up his jacket and swept out the door. “Lock up behind you.”

She followed him, and he heard his door whoosh closed and lock, courtesy of her magic, no doubt. “You okay?”

“I’m fine, just have a lot on my mind. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Her mouth opened as if she wanted to say something, but then she closed it. Yeah, that gag order of hers put the kibosh on a lot of things, didn’t it? Instead of saying anything, he turned for the elevator.

When he was in his car and driving toward home, he realized he didn’t want to crawl into bed alone. A handful of nights with Selina were enough to addict him to having the feel of her wrapped around him while they slept. “Crap.”

He sighed and made a left turn toward one of his favorite restaurants. Not one his cousins owned. This one was a hole in the wall, mom and pop joint with good service and great food. It was also open late, which meant he didn’t have to worry about when he dragged himself away from work. They’d be open.

The familiar neon sign that blazed the name TRUDY’S looked fuzzy in the Seattle fog, and he had to search to find a parking space out front. This place was always packed. It didn’t matter what time of day he showed up. The locals loved this diner.

A petite waitress looked up when he walked in. A grin spread across her face. “Hey, Jack. Sit anywhere that’s free. I’ll bring you some coffee.”

He headed for the only empty booth in the room. “Thanks, Sandy.”

Trudy’s had the classic décor of a 1950s diner, and for all he knew, this was the authentic design. It definitely had the feel of having been in business that long. He sighed and sank into the comfortable hubbub of the place. People talked and laughed, a couple of old curmudgeons who seemed to have taken up permanent residence at the counter were hunched over cups of coffee. Those two guys were here every time he’d been in. Which was a lot since he’d moved to Seattle.

“Laramie.” The soft sound of Selina’s voice had him twisting around in his booth to look at her. The tiredness had finally gotten to him. He was hallucinating. No way was she here.

But she was. The thick fog outside had left droplets of water in her hair, which sparkled in the light. He blinked up at her, then leaned back and gave her a lazy grin. “Stalking me, Detective Grayson? I thought unless my mother waylaid you, or we were grabbing takeout, you were too scared to be seen with me in public outside of work.”

“No, I’m not scared. You know my reasons for keeping our affair quiet, so don’t play the injured party now. And I damn well didn’t stalk you.” She huffed and slid into the booth opposite him, dropping her bag on the seat. “I didn’t even tail you here.”

Sandy came bustling up, two steaming cups in her hands, which she plopped on the table in front of them. “Be back to take your orders in a second.”

When she was gone, Jack turned back to Selina. “Oh, yeah? You just happened to walk into my favorite diner in the city only a few minutes after I did?”

She arched her eyebrows and glanced around. “This is your favorite diner?”

“Yep. Aside from my cousins’ places, of course. I have to say that out of family loyalty.” He propped his elbows on the table. “But this place has the best pot roast on the planet.”

A faint smile creased her lips. “Won’t your mother or grandmother be offended by that statement?”

“Mom’s not much of a cook. She likes the pot roast here, too.” He shrugged and added sugar to his coffee. “Both my grandmothers died before I was born. My paternal grandfather passed about five years ago. So, there’s just Grandpa Jack left.”

“Your namesake, I take it?”

“Yep.” He rubbed a hand over his hair. “What about your grandparents? What were they like?”

She ran a finger around the rim of her coffee mug. “Well, I was born in the Renaissance, so I’m sure they were people who dealt with bad hygiene and no indoor plumbing.”

“You think that’s what they were like, or you know?”

Her gaze was wary when she looked up at him. “What does that mean?”

His impatience with the status quo of their relationship made her response grate on his nerves. “You throw these little factoids out to distract people—I was a nurse in World War II, I was an artist, I lived in France and New Orleans, I was born in the Renaissance. It’s all an illusion that you’re open about yourself. Tell me something real, something that you wouldn’t tell some Magickal you met at a bus stop.”

Her mouth worked for a moment. “I never knew any of my grandparents.”

“No? How old were you when they passed?”

“My mother and her sister were orphaned pretty young, and I never knew who my father was, so ... I also never knew anything about his family. Including his parents.” Her brow furrowed as if she regretted caving to the pressure to answer more personal questions.

Well, that was just too damn bad, wasn’t it? “Were your mom and aunt close?”

“No.” She shook her head and stared down at her coffee. “My mom died before I came of age, but my aunt had disowned her before I was born. No one ever said why, but it was implied that it was because my mother hooked up with a married man and got pregnant.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah.” She tapped her fingers against the table. “I don’t really talk about—”

“Do you have any other family?” He cut her off without a qualm. As though he’d let her bail out on the conversation now. He had a serious fascination about her, and nothing was going to quench that except more information. The tenacity made him good at his work, but it was a character trait he didn’t bother to repress in his personal life either. At the moment, Selina crossed over into both territories.

“No family.” Her jaw worked for a moment. “My aunt was the last to go, and she despised me. She had to take me in—the family bastard—when Mother died, and she liked to point out how useless an extra, unwed female was. Though she wasn’t above making me her daughter’s nanny until I moved out.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, I guess. They’re all gone now.”

That hit him hard. He knew what it was like to lose a parent and a wife. That was difficult enough to deal with, and they weren’t even the last of his family. He still had people to call his own. It occurred to him that while he’d been lonely in his life, he had no idea what it was like to be totally ... alone. Without any connections to anyone. Sympathy squeezed his chest, and he wanted to pull her into his arms and promise her she wasn’t alone anymore.

The urge startled him. He hadn’t felt that kind of desire to comfort and protect since ... his wife. He slammed the door on that thought, rejecting it, and instead focused on the woman before him. A woman who was nothing if not the polar opposite of the one he’d married.

“Shit.” He reached over and covered Selina’s hands with his. They weren’t at work, so she could just deal with it. “I’m sorry, honey.”

“Thanks. Me too.” She squeezed his fingers and then withdrew. As she always did. Frustration crawled through him, and he tamped down on that, too. So many reactions when it came to Selina. Overreactions, too. It wasn’t just the sex that was intense—it was everything.

She cleared her throat and grabbed a laminated menu from the rack on their table. “Anyway. You say the pot roast is good?”

“The best.”

“Okay, then. I’ll try that.” She flipped the menu over and ran her fingertip over the dessert section.

“Got a sweet tooth, Grayson?”

She glanced up and met his gaze, and the look on her face sent fire shooting straight to his loins. The moment stretched, grew hotter. His body tightened, and despite any earlier irritation, inevitable lust punched through him. It was all he could do not to drag her out of the restaurant and have her in his car. He wasn’t even sure he could wait until they got home. His cock grew hard, and his hands clenched on the tabletop as he fought the need to touch her. She did nothing to help him as the corners of her mouth curled up in a grin that said she knew exactly what he was thinking, which meant her thoughts had gone along the same lines. Her breathing sped, lifting her breasts into view. Her nipples were tight, and he wanted to suck them, bite them until she begged him for more. Her eyes gleamed, and her fingers continued to stroke over the menu in front of her. He wanted those hands stroking him.

Staring at his lips, she licked hers. “I like it sweet sometimes, yes.”

He opened his mouth to make a purely sexual reply when Sandy came back to take their orders. Food was the last thing on his mind right now, and he was more than ready to leave it at the coffee, but Selina smiled at the waitress. “We’ll both have the pot roast dinner.”

“Soup, salad, or fries with that?”

“Salad for me, with Italian dressing.” Selina gave him an assessing look. “I’m betting fries for him.”

“Jack always has the fries.” Sandy didn’t even glance up as she scribbled on her order pad. “He likes to dip them in the gravy.” She winked at him. “I’ll be by to top off your coffee in a few.”

“Thanks, Sandy.” He reeled in his lust. Later. He’d have Selina under him, moaning and screaming his name later. At the moment, he needed to think of something else. “So, how did you find me if you weren’t stalking or tailing?”

“I don’t know.” She took a swig of her coffee. “I was just driving around. It helps me think sometimes.”

“You were just driving around and randomly said, hey, that place looks tasty.” He couldn’t keep the disbelief from his voice. “You didn’t see my car outside, maybe?”

“No, I didn’t.” Another sip of the coffee and she seemed to have finished the cup. Shrugging, she stared into the bottom of the empty mug. “I had a feeling this place would have something good inside. I get feelings sometimes. I just know things.”

It warmed him that deep down, she considered him “something good.” He decided not to point it out to her. If she hadn’t noticed, it said a lot. If she had noticed, she wouldn’t be pleased he rubbed her nose in it. Nope, better to let it ride.

“So, you have claircognizance?” He pitched his voice low enough that she had to lean toward him to listen.

Only a werewolf or vampire would be able to overhear them, and if one of them were in here, it wouldn’t really matter if they overheard magic talk, since they already knew the big secret.

“Yeah. I was driving around and saw this place and had a good feeling about stopping in for dinner. That’s all. I wasn’t looking for you. I would have just called your cell if I wanted to know where you were.” The bite to her tone almost made him laugh. Almost. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Besides, if I were looking for you, I’d have done better just casting a seeking spell. My precognition is pretty weak. Everyone has their strengths, and that’s never been one of mine. Seeing how bad it can get for Merek, I’m okay with that.”

“Yeah.” He’d been working with Merek for less than a year and he could see how a strong vision affected the man. Considering the big warlock looked like he chewed nails for breakfast, anything that left him sweaty and shaking was enough to make Jack glad it wasn’t him dealing with it. “There always seems to be drawbacks to these gifts you guys have.”

“Definitely.”

Sandy came back with dinner and more coffee. The next half hour passed in pleasant silence, neither of them willing or able to talk about their case or their relationship, but there wasn’t a lot of tension either. It was nice, and Jack found himself unwinding under the influence of good food and undemanding company. Most of the women he dated tended to chatter about themselves and their opinions, but Selina seemed to be comfortable with quiet. He thought she might be a bit too used to being alone, but he liked that she didn’t natter on.

When they finished and sat back with replete sighs, Jack reached for his wallet. Selina shook her head. “You paid for lunch earlier. My turn.”

“Afraid I might see it as dating if I keep paying?” He said it to tease her, but her brows snapped together in a dark scowl.

“We’re not dating, we’re having an affair,” she retorted, her voice sharp. Her hand sliced through the air, and her gaze drilled into him. “Look, I ... I can’t get involved with anyone right now. Not really. I’m not in a good place in my life for that.”

Now that just pissed him off. Really? That was the line she was going with? He hated to break it to her because he was fighting it hard himself, but they were already involved on a certain level, whether she wanted to admit it or not. Instead of arguing with her, he decided to keep her on the defensive. “What’s wrong with the place in your life right now?”

“Because I—” She broke off, shook her head. “My reasons are only important to me. Just know I mean it, and this isn’t some way to jerk you around, lead you on, or play the ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ game. I hate women who pull that bullshit.”

“Me too.” He hated even more that she was keeping secrets from him, hated that she offered so much and so little of herself at the same time. But he was glad she was honest with him. Damn. He hated being fair. “I appreciate that you’re not that type.”

“Good.” She nodded.

“Are you trying to break off the affair?” He didn’t want to ask it, but he wanted to know what level of resistance he was dealing with now. Selina Grayson was a moving target.

She took in a breath. “I’m still in if you are.”

“I’m all in, Grayson.” He gave her a lecherous grin to take any deeper meaning out of the words.

A flush rose to her cheeks, desire reflecting in her gaze. “I like it when you’re all in. I just wanted to make sure we’re on the same page.”

His gaze dropped to her lips, then moved back up to her eyes. “I’m going home now. Care to join me?”

“I’d rather you joined me. Leaving Grim alone too often isn’t a good idea.” She grimaced as she tossed enough cash on the table to cover their meal and a tip for Sandy. “He gets creative when he’s bored.”

Jack tried to imagine what her ferocious familiar would do when pissed off about being left to his own devices. None of the options were pretty. “I’m not sure I want to know.”

She laughed. “You don’t. Trust me.”

“I’ll follow you home then.” He slid from the booth and held out a hand to help her stand. When she took it and rose to her feet, slinging her bag over one shoulder, he didn’t relinquish his grip. “I’ll walk you to your car. Where are you parked?”

“Around back.”

She tugged at her hand, but he held on tight enough that she’d have to use magic or get into a wrestling match with him to get free. “Okay, then.”

Twisting her fingers against his hold, she kept stride with him as they exited the restaurant and went around to the rear of the building. “You know, I’m not really the hand-holding type.”

He stopped dead and turned to stare at her. “What’s the problem, Selina? I like you, you like me. We’re not at work, no one’s watching us, and even if they were, no one gives a shit what we’re doing. So just hold my damn hand.”

“It implies a certain intimacy,” she blurted out, then looked as if she wanted to smack herself for the asinine comment.

Arching an eyebrow, he moved in close, crowding her up against the side of the restaurant, into the deep shadows that lent them the illusion of privacy. He lowered his head until he could breathe in the scent of her, until he could brush his lips over her sensitive little ear. “We have been intimate. Repeatedly. And we will be intimate again. Repeatedly. Tonight, if I have anything to say about it.”

He turned his head and feathered kisses over her jaw and down to the point of her chin. She sighed, arching her soft body into his harder angles, and the semi he’d been fighting throughout dinner turned into a full-blown erection.

Catching her mouth with his, he thrust his tongue between her lips, the way he wanted to thrust his cock into her hot pussy. That would have to wait, but right now, he wanted to kiss her until she was as insane as he was, until she was fighting herself as hard as he was fighting himself. This thing with them was crazy, and he couldn’t seem to get enough.

She twined her tongue with his, fighting him for control of the kiss. He bit her tongue and released her hand to run his palms down her sides, around to cup her ass, and down between her thighs to stroke her from behind. Whimpering into his mouth, she rocked her pelvis upward to cradle his cock through their pants. Fire fisted in his belly, burning like the kick of good whiskey. She was just as intoxicating.

With a groan, he moved his hand around to jerk at the fastenings on her pants. He wanted to touch her, slide his fingers into the hot, wet center of her and feel those sleek inner muscles tighten. The zipper gave way, and he slipped into her slacks. The silk and lace of her panties teased him, but he dipped under the edge and slid his hand down to cup her mound. Her pussy was slick with juices, and he drew his fingers up and down her slit, tweaking her hard clit.

When he plunged into her sex, she clutched at his shoulders, trying to push him away or pull him closer, he didn’t know and didn’t care. He drove his tongue into her mouth with the same rhythm he set between her thighs. Small cries poured out of her throat, and he loved the sound of them, loved that he could make a woman as controlled and contained as she usually was go mad for him in a parking lot. The thought made his cock stiffer, and his fly chafed against his rigid flesh.

He flicked her clit with one hand and slid his other hand around to dip into her from behind. The fabric of her pants grew taut, leaving him just enough room to move. He couldn’t resist teasing her anus as he pressed in to stroke her wet pussy lips. Her body jolted, a shudder running through her.

Oh, really? There was no way he could resist a reaction like that. He chuckled into her mouth and sucked her bottom lip, biting down on the soft flesh while his fingers returned to her ass to swirl around that tight pucker. Her hips tilted to give him better access to her backside. Nice. He pushed one fingertip into her tight anus and felt her squirm against him. It turned him on even more.

Adding a second and third finger to her ass made her sob into his mouth.

The heat coming from her skin was unnatural, boiling hot. Magic. Releasing her lips, he growled, “No pleasure spells. We’re in public.”

As if to emphasize his point, a car started behind him. She opened her mouth to respond, but he kissed her again, ruthlessly squelching anything she might have said. They’d come too far to stop now. All anyone would see in the dark was a man’s back. He thrust his fingers into her, over and over again as she twisted in his embrace, her breath rushing from her lungs, her nails digging into his shoulders, her hips frantically moving to meet his hand. He knew she was close, and he wanted her to go over that edge. Still finger-fucking her ass, he rubbed his other hand over her clit, rough and fast until she screamed into his mouth.

She came for him, moaning, her body arched and shuddering. A tingle of heat roared through him, and he knew it was an unconscious wave of magic she sent out. He didn’t see any light, so he doubted anyone would notice.

A sigh slipped from her, and she sagged against him. “Okay, fine. You can hold my hand.”

That surprised a chuckle from him, though the sound was rusty. “Good.”

Stretching, she sighed again, the sound glutted with satisfaction. It wasn’t a feeling he could relate to at the moment. Every little movement she made drove him wilder.

Anticipation and frustration tangled in his chest. Much more and he was going to come in his pants. He hadn’t even done that as a horny teenager, and the thought that she could bring him to the brink was both embarrassing and arousing.

Turning his head, he kissed those lush lips of hers. Again. More. She licked her way into his mouth, a small moan bubbling out of her. The sound made him burn hotter, and he pressed her harder against the wall. Her slender hands roved over his back, and she began to writhe again. It was too much. He’d strip her and fuck her right there if he didn’t stop. Right now. He jerked back, his chest heaving with each rasping breath. “I’ll see you at your place.”

“Yes.” Her voice was just as tight with lust and unspent need as his was. She straightened her clothes and bent to pick up her fallen bag. “Hurry.”

He gave a bark of laughter. “Honey, I’m going to ride your bumper the whole way there. And then I’m going to ride your ass hard when we get in your house.”

Her breathing shallowed out to nothingness and she swallowed. “My ass, huh?”

“What, you think I didn’t notice that a little fingering there set you off like a firework? I want to see what happens when my cock is stretching your ass. I bet I can make you scream and beg for more.”

She didn’t argue with that, just gave him a look that was scorching enough to set the building on fire. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Damn.” Any blood that had been left in his brain rushed further south. He shook his head. “You are the sexiest woman I have ever known.”

“Thank you.” She turned toward her car. “I’ll see you at my place.”

Yeah, right. He grabbed her hand and twined their fingers together, walking her to her vehicle as he’d promised when they left the restaurant. He kissed her hard and fast, backing off before his lust got the better of him. “Meet you there, sweetheart.”

Jack barely let her get in the door before he was on her. Not that Selina minded. Hell, no. After that show in the parking lot, her body was primed and ready for more. She wanted him to finish what he’d started.

His tongue was in her mouth, his hands jerking at her clothes as hers did the same with his. The crisp feel of his chest hair under her palms made her moan. There was something about the visceral experience of touching a muscular man that was just too exciting for words. Impatient, she used magic on his garments so she could wrap her hands around his thick cock.

The loud sound of fabric ripping rent the air as Jack took her shirt apart in his attempt to get it off of her. The next thing she knew, Grim was there, barking loudly, shoving himself between them to force Jack away from her. Tripping backward, Jack landed on his ass, and Grim had his paws planted on the man’s chest to pin him to floor in seconds. Her familiar’s teeth bared and he growled, snapping his jaws in Jack’s face.

Smart enough not to fight or struggle, he lay still underneath the dog’s weight. His voice was level, contained. “Would you mind calling him off?”

“I can try, but he pretty much does what he wants. You might be sleeping on the floor tonight.” She was only half-kidding, too. The relationship between a familiar and their human was always complicated. Familiars had magic of their own, and attitudes to match usually. Grim used his to be the most overprotective male she’d ever had to deal with. If he’d been a human she was dating, she’d have dumped him a long time ago. As it was, she loved the damn mutt too much to be parted from him by anything other than death, and even then she’d made sure he’d be a spoiled canine for the rest of his life no matter what happened to her.

She sighed and reached out to tug on the thick leather collar around Grim’s neck. “Come on, now. I know seeing someone tearing at a girl’s clothes is freaky, but I was a willing participant.” The dog just growled at that and didn’t budge. “You know I would have blasted him with a spell otherwise, right? I’m not the type to just take it without fighting back, am I?”

Snorting, the dog looked at her from the corner of his piercing blue eye.

“Look, Grim. He’s a friend. He wouldn’t hurt me. Or you. You’ve seen him the last week. He’s a good man. Leave him alone.” She gave his collar a more insistent pull, hoping it didn’t just piss him off. “Come on, Grim, you’re killing my sex life. I never go all cock blocker on you, and I know you’ve been making time with that Dalmatian down the street.”

The sound her familiar made in the back of his throat could almost be a laugh. His head swung around to look at her full-on and he rolled his eyes dramatically before he stepped off of Jack’s chest and flopped over at her feet. Chuckling, she shook her head and bent down to pet him. “Attention whore. You act all big and bad, and then go all softy on me when you want petting.”

She rubbed his furry belly and he sighed, wriggling on the floor to get closer to her hand. She glanced up at Jack. “Well, since we stopped, I should feed him.”

“Right, reward the dog breath for being a cock blocker.” He sat up and drew one knee to his chest, draping a muscular forearm over his bent leg. “That’ll really show him who’s boss.”

“He knows who’s boss.” She patted the dog’s head while he made that odd laughing noise again.

Jack chuckled, the humor of the situation clearly getting to him. “And it isn’t you. You act all big and bad, and then go all softy when your puppy wants petting.”

“Ha. True enough, but I understand that’s kind of how being owned by a familiar goes. I’ve heard cats are worse than dogs.” She had no idea if that redeemed her from anything, but it didn’t hurt to say it. Grim rolled to his feet and gave a little yip at the mention of cats.

“Go feed him before he starts eating the neighborhood kittens.” Jack snorted and shook his head, while Grim made an incredulous noise at the notion of munching on kittens. The dog moved closer to Jack until they were eye-to-eye. Each male gave the other a tolerant stare. “Look, dog. It’s good that you’re protective. I get that, I respect it. But before you take a chunk out of my ass, try to remember I would never do anything to hurt Selina. I would never try to force her to do anything against her will. I certainly have never had an unwilling woman. Takes all the fun out of it that way.”

Grim rumbled another of his strange doggy sounds, and Selina didn’t know how to interpret that one. The familiar moved closer and nudged the arm Jack had draped across his knee. When the man didn’t move, Grim nudged harder.

Jack sighed and reached out to scratch behind one of Grim’s ears. “You’re annoying, mutt.” But the words came out with grudging affection, and Selina’s heart tripped at the sweet picture before her.

She folded her arms over her chest and tried to ignore the warm fuzzies that were flooding her. It didn’t matter that Jack was a good man, and that he could overlook her familiar’s pain-in-the-backside nature. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to be around long enough for it to mean anything. Not for the first time this week, that thought made her ache deep inside. What was wrong with her? She’d known this was coming. She’d accepted it months ago. Nothing had changed. Nothing would.

Standing, Jack turned toward the kitchen. “Come on. I have a feeling if he doesn’t get fed, I don’t get laid. And I really want to get laid. I still have plans for you, sweetheart.”

Her heart tripped again, but for very different reasons. Blood rushed through her veins as her pulse sped. She was totally on board with the plans he had for her. And her ass. The thought made her nipples peak tight and a flush race up her cheeks. Gods, she was blushing. It wasn’t like her at all. But, damn. She’d also never been one to go for exhibitionism. Jack had gotten her fired up enough for her to ignore that little fact.

And she wanted more.

At the moment, she was shrugging out of her ruined shirt, kicking off her shoes and unfastened pants, and following Jack’s deliciously naked ass into the kitchen. “He can feed himself if he wants to. He has enough magic to make it happen—he just likes to make me do it for him.”

“Hmm ... I’d still fear for the neighborhood kittens.” He paused in the doorway to look back at her.

“Aww, it’s not that bad. He only tackled you. He didn’t actually bite.” She made sure to brush her body against Jack’s when she passed him to get to her familiar’s kibble. His hand swatted her backside, and she laughed, jolting forward. The slight sting just made her heart pound harder.

Opening the correct cabinet, she pulled out the plastic bin with Grim’s food and scooped some into his bowl. Then she fetched his water dish and refilled it in the sink. Jack settled against the counter next to her and slid the tip of his finger along the edge of her panties at her hip, humming low in his throat. “Nice.”

She grinned, glancing down at the brilliant turquoise silk bra and panties she wore. “I have a fondness for nice underwear.”

The look in his eyes was more than a little appreciative. “You have to tell me where this obsession came from.”

“History.”

One dark brow winged up. “Excuse me?”

“Do you know how crappy women’s underwear has been for the last four hundred years?” She pursed her lips. “Don’t even get me started on bustles ... or whalebone corsets. The man who invented them should be tarred and feathered, boiled in oil, and then shot.”

His eyes lit with mirth. “Wow, you really want to go old-school Salem Witch Trial, don’t you?”

Making a face at him, she shook her head. “If I were going witch trial, I’d have drowned him, too. Which isn’t a bad suggestion.”

“Right, so sexy lingerie does not include corsets. Got it.”

She laughed. “Let’s just say that the moment more comfortable undergarments came into fashion—hell, the moment more comfortable clothes came into fashion—I was all over them. And that they now come in all kinds of colors and materials is something I like to take advantage of.”

“I am so very glad that you do. I have a definite fondness for your underwear, too. But right now, I’d rather have it off of you.” He took the water bowl from her hand and set it on the floor beside Grim, who was already wolfing down his dog food.

Then Jack dragged her into her bedroom and put actions to words, stripping her out of her silk and lace in under a minute. He tossed her underclothes over his shoulder, and the strap of her bra caught on the bedpost and swung in a wild circle. She had no idea where her panties went, and she didn’t much care when his mouth settled on her breast, sucking hard on her nipple.

Spearing her fingers into his hair, she held him closer. His tongue circled her areola, bit down on the tight crest. The line between pain and pleasure blurred, and she arched into him. He cupped her ass, his hands prying apart her buttocks so he could slip his thumb in to tease her anus. She shuddered, squirmed, her excitement spiking. Sweat gathered at her temples and between her breasts, her breath rushing in little gasps as she thought about his thick cock sliding into her ass.

He let her nipple pop free of his mouth. “Do you have lube?”

“Yes.” She didn’t remember the last time she’d used it for anything other than self-entertainment with her dildo, but that was beside the point. There was lube available and they were going to put it to good use. “It’s in my dresser.”

She flung a hand out to point, realizing a moment too late that she’d be giving him free rein on her goodie drawer. A couple of vibrators, dildos, lube, some silk ties, and maybe even a flogger and a set of nipple clamps she hadn’t used in forever. After a few centuries of sex, she’d tried just about everything at least once, if only to keep things interesting. Somehow she doubted Jack would be shocked. A grin quirked her lips. He might even be inspired.

Rolling to his feet, he moved toward the dresser and opened the top drawer. He rummaged through the contents before he paused, his body stiffening. “Well, now.”

He turned around, the lube held in one hand, while the other had the nipple clamps dangling from the slender chain that joined them.

“Find something interesting?” She tried to sound innocent and failed miserably.

“As if I could resist these.” He set the clamps to dancing midair. His dick was a hard arc against his lower belly, a bead of precum slipping down the long shaft.

The sight made her thighs clench. That cock would be pushing into her ass. Very soon. She arched her eyebrows. “Just remember that turnabout is fair play.”

A visible shudder ran through him, lust flushing his face. His pupils dilated until only the slimmest rim of blue remained. “I look forward to it.”

Gods, the anticipation was going to kill her. Juices slicked the folds of her pussy, her clit throbbing. She all but writhed on the sheets as he walked toward her. Cupping her breasts, she plumped them up, teasing them with her thumbs. “I want you.”

“I love how you let loose during sex. You should do it more often, other times.” He bent forward and kissed her before she could reply.

His tongue thrust into her mouth, and she reached up to try to pull him down onto the mattress with her. He resisted, and a shocked cry jerked from her when she felt the clamps tighten like vises around her nipples. She ripped her mouth away from his. “Jack!”

Chuckling, he sat beside her hip, leaning back to admire his handiwork. He tugged on the chain that connected her breasts, and she arched in reflex, her hips twisting. He licked his lips, his nostrils flaring. He opened one of the clamps, and an extra rush of pleasured pain burst through her. He closed it on her nipple once more, and she couldn’t help a whimper. Somehow, it hurt even more when he put it back on her ... and it turned her on even more, too.

“I want you facedown, with your ass in the air.” The words were guttural, and a muscle ticked in his jaw. He reached out to pluck up the lube from where he’d dropped it on the mattress beside her.

Moisture gushed in her sex at his words. She rolled to do as he wanted, the clamps pulling at her nipples, the chain between them stretching taut as she moved. A shiver went through her, her heart pounding and beads of sweat beginning to dot her forehead. When she was on her hands and knees, she glanced over her shoulder to watch what he was doing.

The top of the lube opened with a creaking pop, and another shiver passed through her, anticipation ratcheting higher inside her by the second. One of his hands slipped underneath her to tease her nipples, opening and closing the clamps, twisting them until tingles ran in waves over her skin. Her sex clenched hard, and she bit her lower lip. She wanted to demand that he stop tormenting her, but she never wanted him to stop. He tangled her up inside in ways that she didn’t understand, ways that she knew were dangerous to her well-being, and still she couldn’t make herself call this off.

Her hips undulated, subtle movements she couldn’t control. Sexual magic whipped inside of her, and she felt it begin to bathe her skin in golden light. The spell that wove their passion together was as natural as breathing now, and she knew how he enjoyed it. She wanted him to know how much she craved him, this. She whispered, “Jack.”

Kissing her thigh, he nipped the sensitive flesh and made her jolt. She felt him shift so that he was behind her, and the muscles in her arms shook. Dropping lower, she pressed her face to the mattress, her hips arched in offering.

Cool lube drizzled over her heated flesh, slipping between her buttocks. A shudder went through her. “More.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’ll get more. I have to make up for not getting to come at Trudy’s. Your ass is mine tonight.” One of his fingers used the lubricant to ease into her anus, and the sensation made her moan.

She loved having her ass fucked, always had. Her hands fisted in the sheets when he added a second, and then a third finger to her anus, stretching her for his cock. “Hurry.”

“No.” He smacked her backside with his free hand, and a burst of hot magic shot out of her. He groaned, his breathing a heavy rasp behind her. He added more lube to her ass, pressing her rear passage wider.

“I want you inside me, Jack. Fuck me hard.” She closed her eyes, rocking herself back into his hand.

“Jesus Christ.” His fingers left her, and she bit back a triumphant smile. The blunt head of his cock probed at her opening, and she sucked in a shuddery breath, excitement exploding deep inside her.

Her teeth clenched together as he slid slowly into her ass, his cock stretching her beyond what his fingers had done. A high keen pierced the air, and she realized it had come from her throat.

Jack stilled when he was hilted inside her, his palms brushing over her back. “You’re so tight.”

“Yes.”

“Am I hurting you?”

Yes. “Don’t stop.”

She arched her ass higher, taking him still deeper. A harsh groan ripped out of them both. The white-hot pleasure knifed through her, sizzling her nerves. Her mind went blank, not a single spell occurring to her. All she could do was experience.

Nudging his cock back and forth, he stimulated her without thrusting. It was maddening and enticing at the same time. She rolled her hips under him, unable to stop herself. The small movement made a moan spill out of her. Gods, it felt so fucking good, she didn’t know how she’d stand it.

He slowly withdrew, the movements sending gooseflesh skittering over her limbs. Her hands fisted in the sheets and she held on for dear life. “More, Jack. More.”

“I’ll give you more, honey.” He pushed into her anus again, and the stretch was just as exquisite, more pleasure than pain now. He thrust into her again and again, picking up speed and force. Each time, it rubbed her clamped nipples against the bed, adding to the already overwhelming sensations that swamped her system. His hard belly slapped against her ass with each plunge, the carnal sound shocking in the quiet room. Their breathing rushed in heavy pants, the bedsprings squeaked under them, the headboard thudding against the wall.

The only magic between them was the reciprocal pleasure spell she’d initiated when they started. It didn’t seem to matter. With Jack it was good with or without the magic. The way he craved her sluiced pure fire through her, and her own desires fed his in an endless loop that made her sex clench on emptiness, that drove her right to the very edge of climax. She slid one hand down her belly to tease her clit in time with his swift plunges into her anus.

“I can feel how much you like my cock in you, and how much you like playing with your clit while I fuck you. I love this spell of yours.” He’d said he loved several things about her tonight, and a pang struck her every time he did, a longing she refused to recognize.

She swallowed. “Me too.”

“Good.” He ran his palms in circles over her back, her buttocks, then drew one back to slap the fleshy part of her upper thigh.

She squealed, jerking forward. His hands closed over her hips and hauled her back into his thrusts. He sank deep into her ass and rotated his pelvis, setting her off like a bursting rocket. Her inner muscles clenched in an enormous rush that sent her spinning. He continued thrusting, milking her orgasm for all it was worth, groaning each time another wave of climax hit her. Moving her fingers down, she shoved them into her pussy, grinding the heel of her hand against her clit.

Jack slammed deep into her ass, deeper than he’d ever been before. “Come for me again, Selina. Give me everything.”

She shouldn’t, she couldn’t. She didn’t have everything left to give to anyone. It didn’t matter, because she was screaming for him, her body turning inside out with the pleasure streaking through her. She came so hard, her skin flushed, tingles breaking out over every inch of her flesh.

One, two, three more thrusts and he emptied himself inside of her, filling her with hot fluids. His fingers dug into her hips while he held her in place, and he made guttural sounds of ecstasy as orgasm gripped him as fiercely as it had gripped her. She knew because the spell still wove between them, twining deeper than she should let it. She shuddered, collapsing to the bed with him, and slowly managing to reel her spell back in. Using a last pop of magic, she cleaned up any mess they’d made on the sheets. She was too spent to deal with showering, so a spell was just the thing. She grinned. It was good to be a Magickal sometimes.

“That’s the way to unwind from a long day at the office.” She stretched against the sheets, her back bowing off the mattress.

“That’s my kind of post-date celebration.”

Her euphoria diminished a bit. She sighed and pushed a hand through her disheveled hair. “It wasn’t a date, Jack.”

He was quiet for a long time. “I’ve been telling myself all along that I don’t want to date, that you’re far too dangerous to my peace of mind to be someone I date formally. I told myself I just wanted friends with benefits—or colleagues with benefits, as it were.”

Too dangerous for his peace of mind to date. What the hell did that mean? What exactly was he saying? Her heart tripped and she sat up, clutching the sheets to her breasts. She realized they were still clamped and she pulled the clips away, a shudder running through her as sensation roared back into her nipples. “I—I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“Everything I was telling myself ... it was all bullshit. I like you. I want to date you.” He took a deep breath and folded his hands behind his head. “I don’t know where this thing with us can go, but I want to find out.”

It couldn’t go anywhere. Her time was ticking down like some bomb about to go off. Her insides squeezed, her throat tightening until she almost couldn’t breathe. “I’m not in a place in my life ...”

“That’s bullshit, too.” He turned his head a bit to look her directly in the eyes. “Give me a good reason why.”

What could she say? She couldn’t tell him the truth, that when they figured out who this killer was, he was going to murder her, too. And that was the positive outcome. The worst possible scenario was she died before they found out his identity, and she was gone before he was caught. She’d rather take the bastard with her. And there was no way she could tell Jack that.

He lifted his eyebrow at her silence. “Are you seeing anyone else?”

Throwing her hands in the air, she sighed. “When would I have time to do that? We’re in the middle of a murder investigation. I’m kind of busy.”

“So, we’re in an exclusive sexual relationship, we had dinner together at a restaurant, and then we came home and shagged like rabbits hopped up on speed.” He remained calm and relaxed against the pillows. “Sounds like dating to me.”

“It wasn’t a date, it was food followed by anal sex.” She folded her arms and glared down at him. “Don’t make it more romantic than it actually was. You finger-fucked me in a parking lot.”

His dark brows arched upward again, a wicked grin slashing across his face. “And you got off on it, so apparently my nonromantic approach does something for you.”

“Shut up.”

“Selina ...”

She frowned. Desperation began to crawl through her. She needed to deflect him. “Why are you pushing this? You said you’d been married before. I would assume that divorce would make a man leery of relationships.”

“I didn’t get divorced.”

Oh, shit. She closed her eyes as that deflated her. If he’d been married and was single now, without having been divorced, that only left one ugly option. “I’m sorry for your loss. I just assumed ... I shouldn’t have.”

“I didn’t specify, and it’s hardly odd for marriage to end in divorce these days. What is it now? One in two? Two in three? The odds were pretty high that you were right.” He sighed and sat up, propping his forearm on his bent knee.

“What happened?” She shouldn’t ask. She knew she shouldn’t, but she hadn’t been able to shut down her fascination with this human so far. Now was no exception. “How did she die?”

“She killed herself.” The words were blunt, and his gaze was locked on her face, waiting for her response.

The shock of it hit her, jolted her deep within. “What? Oh, gods. Jack.”

“It was a long time ago.” His tone was flat, empty, and that made her ache deep inside. His very lack of response dragged at her soul.

She had to reach out to him. She had to. Slipping her hand into his, she squeezed his fingers. “There’s no such thing with something like that. It lives with you.”

“Yeah.” He swallowed. “It really does live with you.”

Much like her cousin’s death had lived with her. On so many levels, they were so alike, and that was going to make leaving that much harder. Emotion she hadn’t let out in decades built up inside her, and she wanted to lay her head against his shoulder and sob for him, for herself, for everything that she’d lost, and for everything that she’d never have.

But she couldn’t. She’d locked so much of herself down when she’d lost Bess, just to stay sane and not let the guilt eat her alive. She’d iced over her heart because she’d had to. When had that protection become a prison? And did it really matter, since she was already on a collision course with Fate?