Chapter Fourteen
Audiv
Her heart thumped against her chest in such a fast tempo that Audiv wasn’t certain she wasn’t in a dream. It was all happening so quickly, she wasn’t sure her brain was keeping up. One thing she knew for certain, though, was that she wanted this, more than anything. She didn’t care if it was sudden, there was no doubt in her mind that this was what she was meant to be doing. Who she was meant to be with. This was the moment she had been waiting for. Antonio, the man she’d been saving herself for.
No doubt whatsoever.
A moan burst from her throat as Antonio tangled his fingers in her hair and tilted her head back so that it was his turn to kiss her neck. Flames tingled in her skin, making her undulate her body against his. She wanted this so bad, it was like there a demon inside of her, possessing her as she started to yank at the buttons on his shirt. She popped one of them off, pinging herself in the chest.
Antonio pulled back and arched a brow at her. His eyes gleamed as a grin curled his lips. “Is that how you want it, then?”
Audiv was about to say no, that she was being overly impatient, but her new husband didn’t give her the chance. He seized her shirt in both hands and ripped it down the middle. She gasped, her eyes widening as heat flared in her skin, her core tightened, and moisture pooled between her legs. Who would have thought that would be so damn hot? Antonio’s hands moved over her skin roughly, moving over her abdomen and up toward her breasts.
“Hope you didn’t like that shirt,” Antonio growled low in his throat. He winked at her. “If you did, I’ll buy you another one.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Audiv panted. His hands brushed over her bra and both her breasts tightened. When he dropped his head, kissing the edges of her exposed skin, her knees buckled. Actually buckled. Antonio caught her, eyes wide, and laughed as he carried her into the bedroom.
“Didn’t know I was that good.” He winked at her as he laid her down. “Let’s see what other reactions I can get from you with just my mouth, shall we?”
Her mouth went dry, ironically, and she could only nod. Antonio grasped her bra straps but seemed to decide against ripping it. Instead, he kissed down her cleavage as he pushed the bra up and out of his way. He swirled his tongue around one of her nipples, making it harden and poke straight up, before gently taking it in his mouth and sucking. There was a tingle and snap that ran right from her breast to her core and Audiv arched her back, letting out a soft cry.
It was so good. His hands roamed all over her body, shifting fabric when he needed to, until they rested on her hips. Audiv actually held her breath as he tugged her jeans down, exposing her to the air. Even though her whole body felt overly warm, she still shivered. She had never been naked in front of anybody before, not like this. Now, seeing the lust in his eyes and the warmth of his expression, she understood why this was such an addiction to so many women.
Her heart was almost full to bursting, even as Antonio’s mouth moved down her body, his tongue flicking over her navel before he rested at her thighs. He kept her legs trapped together as he forced his tongue between her thighs. He found her clit and even with the lightest of pressures on it, Audiv was grasping the bedsheets, moaning with ecstasy, her breath catching in her lungs and Antonio’s name on her lips.
“Don’t stop,” she begged when he moved back.
“Don’t worry.” Antonio’s voice was so low and rough that it was almost unrecognizable. “I don’t plan to.”
He spread her thighs then, his strong fingers digging into her flesh as he did so. Audiv took several deep breaths, trying to even out her breathing as excitement coursed through her veins. She watched him, her eyes glowing as he kissed up her thigh, her skin tightening wherever his lips brushed.
When his tongue flicked over her clit, her back arched and she let out a sharp cry as she tightened. Antonio continued, heedless as she writhed, struggling to keep herself steady. She could feel him smile against her. He was so right, before… he was much better with his mouth, his fingers lazily sliding into her, than he had been with just his hands. He continued until she was on edge, gasping and trembling, before he leaned back, licking his lips.
“Antonio,” she growled, her eyes bright.
“Ready for me?”
She knew what he meant and groaned as she reached for him. “Yes!”
He entered her slowly, easing himself in at such a slow pace that Audiv groaned in frustration. She tried to thrust her hips up, aching to be filled, but his hand on her hip kept her from moving too far. An indulgent smile crossed his face as he bent over her, kissing her neck. The pleasured torment was almost too much. Her whole body felt like it was on fire by the time he was fully inside of her. He waited a moment, moving his hand so his thumb could reach her clit and move around it in lazy circles.
“Antonio,” she gasped out, her fingernails digging into the hard muscle of his shoulders.
He silenced her with a searing kiss that had her coming halfway off the bed when he pulled back. With a chuckle, he kissed her another few times until she relaxed back onto the bed. “I know,” he whispered. “Just be patient. I don’t want to hurt you.”
Before she could tell him that he wasn’t going to hurt her, he began to move. Slowly, he began to move. His hips rocked back and forth until the movement became fluid and smooth. Then, bracing himself on his elbows over her, he began to pick up the pace. Audiv’s back arched as she clung to him, wrapping her legs around his and thrusting her own hips up. She couldn’t match his rhythm, but the pleasure coursing through her was so powerful she didn’t care. She was soon mewling and crying out, needing this to end but never wanting it to.
“Antonio,” she begged.
He kissed her, lips pressing to her mouth again and again. He grunted, his eyes screwing shut as his head dropped to her shoulder. Sweat coated his back. The scent of their mingled arousal was so heady in the air that Audiv had to lick his shoulder, to see if he would taste the same way he smelled.
Everything tightened inside of her, so much that she could no longer even think. The fire inside her spread out to every inch of her, making her legs shake as what felt like a series of explosions went off in her core. Antonio grunted, his movement becoming jerky, harder as he thrust once, twice, and then she felt him filling her. Audiv bit down on her own hand to keep from screaming as pleasure washed through her, making stars burst before her eyes.
When they were both done, they lay there together, panting for breath and gently kissing one another for a long time. Antonio gently withdrew and Audiv winced—it was only now that she realized that she was sore, and she grimaced as she realized she had probably bled. Oh well, blankets could be washed easily enough.
Antonio kissed her forehead as he wrapped his arms around her. “Was that good for you?”
“Yes.” Audiv hummed under her breath, feeling suddenly shy. “Was it for you.”
“Oh, yeah.” Antonio chuckled as he relaxed. “And you know what the best thing is?”
“What?”
“It’s only going to get better.”
Audiv’s eyes widened. Better? It could get better than that? She could hardly believe it… but her stomach quivered with anticipation as she cuddled next to her husband. She couldn’t wait to find out if that was true!
***
Several days later, she was waiting outside of the J. Edgar Hoover building in DC. Antonio had gone in several hours ago, and she had walked around the grounds, taking in what there was to see before growing bored and sitting on a bench with a book. The potion she had made to track magical hotspots had worked, and there was one that had started to move shortly after they arrived in DC, and Audiv was certain she knew who it was.
Her stomach twisted at the thought of facing Angstrom again, but she wasn’t going to cower like she had the first time. She knew well what modern things could be used against magic-users. A warlock might be able to steal magic but put a bullet in his head and he wouldn’t be able to survive that.
More twisting in her stomach. She had never killed anybody before. Even the thought was enough to make her shrink back. Despite what Angstrom had done to her, despite what he wanted to do to her, despite what he had done to others. But she had to be prepared to make that choice, take that action… she’d be able to, to prevent others from going through the same thing she had, right?
She looked up when she heard footsteps, and relief washed over her when she saw Antonio. There were smudges under his eyes and his skin looked paler than usual, but he looked relatively pleased. The cross around his neck glinted in the light as he sat on the bench beside her, undoing his suit jacket as he did so.
“How did it go?”
“I got through to some of my old friends,” he said. “And I have a pretty good idea who the upper leak is. I’m going to have to have proof before I move forward with this, though. He’s pretty high up…” He rubbed his face and shook his head. “There’s a couple of the guys who are doing their own independent investigation, and they’ve agreed to hand it over to me. It’ll be better for them. If I’m discovered, at least they’ll still be there… able to pick it up.”
“So, then what now? Do we just wait?”
“Unfortunately.”
There was something that didn’t quite sit right with that answer. Maybe it was because he didn’t look at her as he said it. Audiv frowned, considering him for a long moment. Well, if there was something he didn’t want to tell her, maybe it was because it wasn’t safe. Especially not out here in the open. So, she slipped her arm through his and gave him a wide smile.
“It’s a beautiful day,” she said. “And this is our honeymoon. Let’s not worry about what is and isn’t happening. Let’s just enjoy the day…”
Antonio’s tense shoulders relaxed. He glanced at her, chuckled, and shook his head. “Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Let me show you my old stomping grounds… rustle up some DC street food and maybe when we get back to the hotel, we can catch a massage before heading back to the room.”
Heat swirled in Audiv’s core, though she pressed her thighs together to stop her scent from getting too strong. They’d been making love almost recklessly and she was tired and sore from it… but it seemed like she was always craving more. She couldn’t get enough of this man who was her husband. It was as though she wanted to get a lifetime in within these few days together… and she tried not to think about why that was.
Antonio stood and offered her his hand. She took it, beaming at him, and they headed off together, smiling and chatting as they went. A chill stole down her spine as the thought that Angstrom’s contact might be watching them… and she tried to put it from her mind. Angstrom was on the move; he’d want revenge on Antonio and her for stopping him.
She only hoped that when the time came, she was standing right beside her husband as they faced down the warlock.