Chapter Eleven

 

The storm blew over in the night; the morning dawned bright and beautiful once more. Max’s room had tall dormer windows uncovered by any curtains, but even so, it was late morning when I finally awoke.

He slept on beside me, snoring almost inaudibly. His dark hair was tousled against his pillow, and his gorgeous face looked utterly relaxed. I had never seen him look so comfortable.

I lay on my own pillow, watching him, feeling peace in my heart.

Well…mostly peace. I also felt yearning, deep underneath it all. I had satisfied three-quarters of the bond, and that new sense in me—that thing I was calling my magic—was already looking ahead to its final completion.

With Aiden.

How could I be thinking about another man, while I lay sated and fulfilled next to this one? Weirder still, how could this feel acceptable to me—even okay?

There was a lot I would still have to get used to, about this magical world I had entered.

I shifted in bed and Max sighed softly, shifting with me. He threw an arm over me, though he was still fast asleep. If I probed a little with my magical sense, I could even get a feel for his dream. It was a sexy one…again, no details, but I felt myself becoming aroused.

Hmm. This was giving me ideas…

I gently pried his arm off me and scooted down in the bed, kissing the lean length of his chest and stomach before finding his stirring cock. He was more than half-erect already. I took him in my hand, stroking him even more erect, then reached further down to cup his balls as I drew him into my mouth.

He was entirely hard at once; I had to breathe carefully around him. He moaned, and I knew he came awake even before his hand found my head, caressing my cheek and stroking my hair before clutching more tightly. I moved up and down his length, taking him deeply. He moaned again, and breathed my name. “Emma…”

I kept a steady rhythm and he held the back of my head, as if I would try to get away…as if this hadn’t been entirely my idea. Now his hips were moving, first gently, then thrusting with greater intensity until he was practically fucking my mouth. I still cupped and squeezed his balls as I sucked him, feeling them swell and pulse with his impending orgasm.

He was about to come when he suddenly hesitated. “I…can’t help…oh god Emma, I’m gonna…”

My only response was to pick up the pace, take him faster, deeper. He grabbed the back of my head and exploded into me, filling my mouth and throat with his cum. I swallowed, then swallowed again; his taste was divine, sweet and salty and bright and fresh. I felt myself soaking with desire, and pleasure, and even an echo of his own release.

“That was amazing,” he whispered, as he lay back in his pillow, still gasping for breath.

I smiled, giving his cock one last kiss before sliding back up to lay beside him. “Turnabout is fair play, don’t you think?”

“I do.” And he pulled me in for a deep kiss, tasting our mingled essences.

Despite what I’d told him in the night—despite how I felt about it—I was deeply moved by this, and not a little surprised. Not that I had been with all that many men, but I’d never been with one who was willing to kiss me after I’d sucked him off. Somehow, that seemed to be a boundary men didn’t like to cross.

But not Max.

If the blowjob, and his response to it, hadn’t gotten me hot already, the kissing would have amped me right up. As it was, I was writhing with desire by the time he started moving down my body. “And fair is fair, hmm?” he whispered against my nipple, sucking it briefly before continuing downward once more.

“Seems reasonable to me,” I sighed.

His mouth found my core. This time, he wasted no time with the slow and gentle lovemaking…he stuck in two fingers and began sucking my clit all in one smooth motion. I gasped and grabbed hold of the sheets so I didn’t fly off the face of the earth. He ate me so expertly, so lovingly, so thoroughly…I came within a minute, gasping and whimpering.

He gave me one final long kiss there, then rolled out of the bed.

“Where are you going?” I protested, though not too hard, because now I had a view of his tight ass, just below the strong muscles of his back and shoulders. An appreciative sigh slipped out of me.

He turned to look over his shoulder, grinning. “I’ll be right back. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”

I glanced down at myself amid the tangled sheets. “What panties?”

He chuckled and picked up the receiver of a land line telephone. Ah, one of those again. I listened as he ordered a generous breakfast, only now realizing how hungry I was. “Just leave it at the top of the stairs and ring,” he said, then hung up.

“Good idea,” I said as he came back to bed.

We cuddled a while. “Do you want a quick shower before breakfast arrives? I think you probably have time.”

Time. Right. “What time is it?” I asked. I knew I had my cell phone somewhere…I’d kind of completely lost track of such mundane things.

“Hmm…” He rummaged around on his nightstand. “Almost eleven.”

“Oh gosh, yes, I should. Is noon…?”

Max gave me a warm smile. I searched it for hints of sadness, but I saw only a deep calm there. “Yeah. I deliver you to Aiden at noon.”

And this doesn’t bother you? I wanted to ask, but why break the mood?

“Can’t you feel it?” he went on to ask, even though I hadn’t spoken. “Each one of us you make love to, it deepens the bond with all of us. When you leave me to go to Aiden, you’ll be taking me with you.” He put his hand on my chest, between my breasts. “Just as I can feel Justin and Finley in here. We will all live inside you, and when we connect, it is as if you are making love with all of us.”

“I…do feel it,” I whispered. And it was true. Bizarre, but true.

“So go on, grab a shower,” he urged. “Fresh towels are in the cabinet.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to get rid of me,” I teased, but I got out of bed and explored his bathroom.

It was the only truly enclosed space in his great attic-loft room—a good thing, I suppose; there are some things where privacy is called for. The shower itself, though, was entirely glass, including the outside wall; the bottom two feet of this huge window were frosted, but the rest was clear. It was an amazing design: though I could see the grounds and the city beyond, I was up high enough that no one could see me. The frosted part of the glass made certain of the privacy, but it probably wasn’t even necessary.

I tried not to linger in the hot water too long. I was just drying off when I heard breakfast arriving, and Max thanking the server and telling him where to set the tray. I left my hair wet and loose down my back and came out in a fluffy pink chenille robe.

“Coffee?” Max handed me a steaming mug.

“Oh yes.”

Breakfast was delicious omelettes stuffed with sausage and veggies and cheddar cheese, and fresh-baked biscuits with butter and honey, and a giant bowl of mixed strawberries and blueberries topped with whipped cream. “It’s a good thing I get so much exercise with you guys,” I said around a mouthful of berries, wiping cream from the corner of my mouth. “Work off some of this.”

“Truthfully, my dear, you could put on a few pounds and you would still be lovely.”

“What?” I gaped at him. “No, I need to lose ten.”

He stared back at me. “You’d better not.”

“You’re just trying to flatter me.”

Max shook his head. “I am absolutely serious. Don’t you dare to try to lose weight.” He passed me the platter of biscuits. “Have another one of these.”

I rolled my eyes, but I took a biscuit. “Fine, but you guys are going to have to show me where the gym is.”

“Fair enough.”

I was just pushing back my plate and rubbing my belly when I got a bad feeling. Had I eaten too much? Well, yes, but this was something else…I moved my hand up to my chest, where Max had touched me earlier when we spoke of the magical connection. Now it felt like tension and anxiety all rolled into a tiny, tight ball of fear.

He looked at me across the table, also troubled. “What is it?”

“I don’t know.” I got up and paced a few steps, still with my hand over my heart. “Something’s…off.”

“I feel it too.”

“What time is it?”

He glanced at his old-fashioned wristwatch. “Almost noon.”

His phone rang, the stab of fear in my chest got abruptly worse, and we heard a shout, all at the same moment. “Get downstairs,” he said, diving for the phone.

I was already running out the door to the stairwell.

I scampered down the stairs, the feeling getting worse and worse the farther I went. I had made it most of the way down to the main room when I realized I was still barefoot and wearing the bathrobe. Oh well—nothing to do be done about that now. I kept running, down the first-floor hall and into the gallery, the grand central room of the house…

I skidded to a stop, gasping for breath, trying to understand what I was seeing.

Before me stood Lady Periwinkle, face to face with Edwin. They looked frozen, locked in some sort of battle…she had her hands out, palms toward him; his arms were raised over his head. Purple fire collected at the lady’s fingertips, and her lovely face was strained. Edwin wore a manic grin, and his eyes were not his own; they glowed with a dark green shimmer that I knew in my heart was the demon’s.

It had not been either of them who had shouted. Because behind Edwin was a second tableau: Grace, the young woman I’d had such a nice conversation with the night of the party, lay motionless on the marble floor. Justin was bent over her, Finley just behind him. Justin looked up at me with panic in his eyes. “Emma! Thank god you’re here.”

“What happened, what can I do?” I ran to Justin, shivering as I passed Edwin. At any moment he and the lady would unfreeze; someone would prevail. And if it was Edwin, he—and his demon—would kill us all. I knew that like I knew my own heartbeat.

I bent over Grace. She was still breathing, thank god.

“He’s made his move,” Justin said. “I knew he would. And we’re not ready.”

“Then we must become ready. At once.”

I spun around at this new voice. Aiden had appeared in the doorway. He took in the scene at a glance and strode over to me, reaching a hand down to pull me to my feet—and into his arms.

A bolt of combined fear and lust shot through me. My magic sang back: I understood at once what was needed, even as my mind rebelled against it.

We had to complete the binding.

It’s too late. Edwin’s voice, inflected with another, far more horrible voice, rang through my mind: the demon speaking through him, directly into my brain. Your lady weakens. You will never prevail.

“Try me,” I growled, pulling Aiden close.

My fourth man bent down to kiss me, and I felt the shock of arousal when his lips touched mine. Every one of my men turned me crazy with lust, yet this was above and beyond anything I’d felt. I couldn’t believe my brain could still think.

Max arrived, skidding to a stop in the doorway, in shock. Edwin gave a little flicker of his finger, the tiniest motion; Max gasped and fell to his knees.

Lady Periwinkle let out a small sob, the first sound or motion she’d made since I’d entered the room. Panic filled me as I looked at her and then at Max. I turned back to Aiden. “Where can we go? We have to join, we have to finish this.”

“Here. We can’t leave this room.” He was already pushing my robe off me as he spoke, down my shoulder, exposing my breasts. He reached down and cupped them, sending a charge of electricity through me. My body sang to him, crying out for more, even as I took a half-step back.

“Wait, no, I can’t—” I looked wildly around the room, trying to pull the robe back up but not really succeeding. I couldn’t have sex in front of other people! I couldn’t even be naked in front of strangers…

I knew you would be too timid, said the voice of evil in my head.

Aiden stepped toward me again. His touch was gentle but firm as he reached for my robe, and his hazel eyes pleaded with me. “Emma, you can, and you must. Trust me.”

The lady gave another strangled sob. Her outstretched arms trembled.

“Emma, you can!” Justin called out. I couldn’t even turn my head to look at him; Aiden held my gaze so thoroughly.

“Emma, please,” I heard Finley whisper. Max moaned.

Aiden was golden and gorgeous and I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anything in all my life. More than air, more than sun and water and fresh-baked biscuits with berries and cream.

He gave the robe a final nudge and it fell to the floor. I stood naked before everyone.

And I straightened my shoulders and stepped toward the golden god. “All right. Let’s do this.”

Aiden gave me a smoldering stare, then grabbed me and kissed me again, pulling my naked body against his clothed one. I began undressing him even as his mouth plundered mine and I kissed him back with avid intensity. I fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, finally getting frustrated and yanking at the last two. They sprung from the fabric and fell to the marble floor with tiny clinks, but I was already undoing his belt and unzipping his khaki pants.

He helped me at the last, pushing the pants over his narrow hips and letting them fall. His body was amazing: compact and agile yet so, so strong. Aiden was only a few inches taller than me, but the power I felt in him…he had magic in his soul, so much magic, I knew it.

And he knew it too. He growled as he gathered my breasts in his hands, then pushed his face between them, kissing me at the heart of my magic, the heart of my power. The touch of his lips there set my soul singing back to his. I could not wait to join with him.

The tiny, logical, traditional part of my brain registered a faint protest: I wish there was a bed. Or even a couch. But there was nothing: this room was a battleground now, a gladiator’s arena for the war between Lady Periwinkle and the demon Mundon, all hard edges and cold stone.

It didn’t matter. I would do this thing. Our bodies would be all the bed we needed.

His cock strained at the fabric of his briefs. I reached down, needing to get rid of this material too, needing nothing between me and melding with this man. My hands possessed some wild power of their own; the shorts almost vanished at my touch, I have no idea where they went, because now Aiden was naked, and in my arms, and questing toward me with every fiber of his being.

The rest of the room fell away as easily as our clothes had. There was no longer a battle between the lady and the demon, or the rest of my cohort, or Grace, or…anything. There was no stone or fire or window or door…there was only Aiden. And me.

His body was astonishing, all toned muscles and golden skin; was he even entirely human? His hands were questing all over me, caressing my breasts and squeezing nipples; stroking my thighs and sliding a quick finger deep inside me.

Suddenly he picked me up, cupping my ass as he lifted me. As though I weighed nothing. I wrapped my legs around his waist, but he didn’t need my help. He gazed into my eyes as he pressed at my entrance with his hard cock. “Now, Emma.”

I arched my back, welcoming him in. He thrust into me, pulling me to him with his hands as he pushed into me with the rest of him. I thrust back, drawing him closer, closer, deeper, clutching his shoulders, holding on for dear life. He somehow held all of me, fucking me with a desperate intensity. We were racing against time, yet there was an ease in our rhythm, as though we had all day.

But we did not.

I heard a wild cry from somewhere, but I could not even turn my head, could not look away from Aiden. I clung to him harder, rocking my hips against him, my core beginning to shiver and pulse, caressing him, needing him, taking him.

My heat built, higher and hotter than ever before, my god was there any limit to this heat? I gasped for breath and arched my back and took Aiden as deep as I could, deep into my soul. And the heat grew to claim my heart as well, the center of my magic…I felt it begin to crack open.

I stared into Aiden’s eyes, feeling the intense heat build in him too. It coiled between us, passing back and forth, echoing and reverberating. He clung to my ass, holding, squeezing hard as he continued to pound into me. I answered his every thrust with my own.

And we made magic.

The power within me grew and stretched and pulsed and—I gave a cat’s wail of a cry as the climax shattered through me, and my power poured forth. It reached into him as he shouted too, filling me with his essence and his own magic, coming with me, in me, through me…I screamed again as the power took us both to a level I hadn’t known existed. Somewhere in the distance I heard the cries of Justin, Finley, and Max…and then it wasn’t the distance, all four of my men were touching me, holding me…Finley held me from behind as Justin took my hand and Max leaned in to kiss me. Aiden still held me against him, still filling me with his seed. I kissed Max, then I turned to kiss Justin, sweet Justin; and Finley nuzzled my neck, and did I come again or was I still coming?

But the orgasm was nothing compared to the magic, the power of the binding, the feeling of being connected to all four of these men, that I could reach into their souls and draw to me all their power—without taking anything away from them. In fact they grew more powerful as well, and their magic rebounded back to me and increased mine…I grew light-headed, nearly dizzy with the out-of-control power, until it abruptly snapped into balance.

I gasped in deep lungfuls of air, then took a calmer breath. My whole body hummed with strength, with power, with delight and satisfaction and satiety. Somewhere in there I must have squeezed my eyes shut; I opened them now, looking back at Aiden who gazed at me with eyes filled with love—and grim determination. “Let’s do this,” he growled, lowering me to my feet.

I landed, strong and steady, grasping Aiden’s hand in my right hand and Justin’s in my left. Finley and Max stood just behind, holding my shoulders. We faced Edwin, who still struggled against the lady. I saw a slight curl of a grin on her trembling face; the purple fire that sparked at her fingertips grew even as her brow showed beads of sweat.

“Now you,” Aiden growled, and let go of my hand.

Justin dropped my hand as well, though both men stayed in contact with me, touching me, keeping the channels of power open and flowing freely between us.

I didn’t know what to do so I followed my instinct, raising my hands as Lady Periwinkle was doing, facing my open palms to Edwin. My hands were weapons, I would smite him, I would drive Mundon away, out of this man, out of this plane…

I screamed as purple fire raged through me, searing my veins, gathering force and heat. It exploded out of my hands as a streak of lightning. All four of my men shouted as well—cries of anger, threat, force, fear. Of determination. They poured their power into me and I smote again, pointing at Edwin, screaming in wordless rage.

Edwin fell to his knees, snarling; the demon in him rose higher, fighting back hard. Edwin’s right hand kept holding the lady at bay as his left hand flung toward me, sending a white-hot bolt of lightning straight at me. It hit before anyone could react, before I could even move to duck or defend, and I was lost in a terrible heat, in obliterating pain.

I almost fell to the floor, insensible; I would have, but my men held me up, held me in place with their strong hands even as their magic poured into me, reviving me from within. I felt my power shudder but recover and I blew my purple fire back at Edwin, at Mundon inside Edwin. I flung it harder than before, gathering a bigger ball of it than I knew was possible—but it was there for me to claim, as Aiden and Finley and Max and Justin fed my flames. They stroked and caressed and touched my naked body as I roiled all the power within me and threw it at the demon, again, and again, and again…

There was a blinding flash and an unearthly shriek and then—

—I blinked, my vision still clearing as smoke slowly dissipated, leaving only a tiny pile of smoldering ashes on the cold stone floor.

The lady shouted as she crumpled to the floor and lay still.

My men were still touching me, only this time it was with laughter and kisses and shouts of joy. “You did it! Emma, you did it!”

But I tore myself from their grasps and ran to Lady Periwinkle. “My lady! My lady!” I reached down and touched her face, her chest. For a long moment, I felt nothing; her flesh was nearly cold.

And then she sucked in a ragged breath. She lived! But her heartbeat was faint, and though I did not know how I knew it, I could feel that she had very little essence left.

I held my hands to her chest and willed strength back into her, sending her as much of my life force, my magical power, as I could. Aiden was the first to see what was happening, and he ran over to us, putting his hands on me to supplement my power. “Get over here, you fools,” he called to the other men, and in a moment, my cohort was united once more.

We poured our strength into her. I closed my eyes, praying to whatever entities governed us for strength, for the endurance to put her back together.

She took another breath, just a bit stronger than the last; and then another, stronger still. Faint color came back to her cheeks. She raised her right hand; the tiniest flicker of purple sparkled at her index fingertip. “I…thank you,” she whispered.

Max bent over her, grasping her hand, kissing it. “Oh, my lady,” he moaned.

She gave him a weak smile, patting his head with her other hand. “Dear Max.”

“We have to save Grace!” Justin called, from across the room.

I sprang to my feet and rushed over to the fallen young woman. “What happened to her?”

“Edwin struck her first,” Justin told me, his face ashen with worry. “The demon was going to take her soul, but the lady came to stop him. Then you got here.”

“Oh my god.” I was already touching Grace, sending her the same flood of power that my cohort and I had sent to the lady; and then my men were at my side once more. As we worked, I felt an answering echo from Grace…she had magic, it was awakening. Had I done this? Had she had magic before?

It took her longer to regain consciousness, but eventually she opened her blue eyes. A faint blush of color returned to her pale cheeks, and she looked up at me in confusion. “Who…wait, Catwoman?” Then she glanced down at me and gave a tiny smile. “Out of costume, though.”

I followed her glance—yes, I was still entirely naked. It had felt so right, I had forgotten.

Lady Periwinkle stood behind me, holding the pink chenille robe. “Thank you, Emma.” She leaned down and put the robe over my shoulders.

I kept my hands on Grace, making sure her pulse was strong and steady and my sense of her magic remained stable. Finally, I stood up, shrugged my arms into the robe, and tied the sash around my waist.

Grace sat up, looking around the room in confusion. “Everyone’s kind of out of costume,” she murmured.

She wasn’t wrong. Aiden was also completely naked, and the rest of my men were in various stages of undress. I hadn’t noticed that either, I’d been so caught up in the bonding, in the magic we all made together. In defeating the demon.

Lady Periwinkle sat down on the floor beside Grace and put a gentle arm around her. “Do not worry, all will become clear in time.” And then the lady made a graceful motion with her right hand. Grace’s eyes rolled back in her head; the lady lowered her gently back to the floor.

I stepped forward, alarmed all over again, but the lady smiled at me. “This is just a natural sleep; I have merely eased her way. She will awaken in a few hours and this will all have been a peculiar dream, soon forgotten.” She rose to her feet. “Justin and Max, would you be so kind as to carry Grace to a guest room? She should awaken somewhere safe and comfortable.”

“Of course,” Justin said, and he and Max sprang to do the lady’s bidding.

Then Lady Periwinkle turned to me with a slightly abashed smile. “My apologies for commanding your men. By rights, that should be your role; we have much to teach you. I regret that you have been drawn into this with so little instruction.” At her words, Justin and Max paused, still bent over Grace.

“Um, that’s all right,” I said. “Do you want me to tell them to do it?”

The lady laughed. “It is probably best that you do so. They should learn that you are their mistress now.”

Max and Justin looked between the lady and me, clearly uncertain. “Please, do as the lady said, get Grace somewhere nice.” Max nodded, and he and Justin gently lifted Grace and carried her out of the room. Finley gave me an inquisitive look, as if he wanted to join them. I nodded, and he followed.

Aiden meanwhile was pulling his pants back on, but I noticed he left his shirt off.

And I still had most of my twenty-four hours left with him.

What? I mean for talking. We’d barely had a conversation, and yet we’d already had earth-shattering sex.

(But yes. I looked forward to more of that as well.)

Perhaps Lady Periwinkle’s magic included mind-reading, or maybe she was just wise enough to read body language and facial expressions. In any event, she said, “We will work on your instruction soon, Emma. For now, Aiden should feel free to take you somewhere private.”

“That sounds good to me,” I said.

Aiden walked forward and took my hand. I felt a shiver of delight as our bond reasserted itself. The magic enjoyed having us in close proximity.

I might be able to get used to this, I thought.