Wicked Circle

the angle. She reacted with a lusty moan, her legs encircling him. She met his thrusts impatiently. He had her and he knew it. All he had to do was swivel his hips a little. . . .

Seph trembled and squeezed her legs tighter around him. The ghostly energy caressed him again and she cried out.

Instinctively, his mouth opened wide on her throat. With his teeth, he could feel every little movement she made. Her pleasure vibrated on his tongue.

His jaws closed a fraction.

Beneath him, Persephone’s body became more rigid.

She was still climaxing, but instead of wordless ecstasy, she called his name with both pleasure and fear in her tone.

The scent of fear blossomed on her skin. Johnny’s teeth closed another fraction—

What the hell am I doing?

He went utterly still, then kissed up her neck to her ear where he whispered, “You on top.” He rolled, switching their positions. Now submissively posed, he splayed his fingers across her buttocks, urged her to action. Persephone needed little encouragement.

He could already tell her fear had evaporated. And that anger had replaced it. She grabbed his wrists and put his arms into much the same position he’d held hers in.

He let her have control as she rode him. He savored the feeling of her strong thighs flexing and her hips grinding as she sought another orgasm.

When the sensation crept over him, he didn’t deny the release another moment.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

You aren’t answering,” Johnny said, caressing up and down my arm.

I lay on my side. Though I nuzzled to his chest, I clutched my neck protectively. I’d been trying to remember the name of that song that had a line asking if the woman would offer her throat to the wolf with the red roses. I must have zoned out. “You didn’t ask anything.”

He gripped my hand and repositioned it away from my throat, gently squeezing. “Not out loud.”

Right. That. “The in signum amoris is gone, Johnny.”

“How? Why?” He sat up.

“I learned that Menessos had woven a hidden benefit for himself into it, so I unraveled his spell.”

He released a slow exhalation that tickled on my shoulder. “Would that explain a headache yesterday evening?”

“After nightfall?”

“Yup.”

“Yup,” I mimicked him.

“What hidden benefit did he have?”

“He could hear my thoughts but block me from hearing his.”

“Bastard.” He smoothed my hair. “But it was kinda cool.”

“It weirded me out.”

He leaned down and flicked his tongue all along my earlobe. His breath was hot in my ear as he whispered, “Yeah, but just imagine what it would’ve done for sex. . . .”

That might have been interesting. But I’d had enough sexual surprises for one night. I could still feel his teeth on my throat. I was all for unrestrained sexual moments, but actual fear had no place in my bedroom.

But we aren’t in my bedroom.

We remained there in silence long enough that the afterglow’s slumber had nearly claimed me when he said, “We have to go to The Dirty Dog. I need to put in an appearance.” Johnny slid away from me. “It’ll be three o’clock before I get there now anyway.”

I stretched to slough off the sleep trying to claim me and sat up. “I haven’t told you why I’m back in Cleveland.”

“You aren’t here just to see me?” he teased. Two paces from the bed he circled back. “Uh-oh.”

“Yeah.” I hadn’t meant to take this long getting to the haven, though I wasn’t eager to get there, either. Since Heldridge had made it to the Excelsior, Menessos’s second-in-command and sometimes assassin, Goliath, would have been called back to the haven as well. Goliath had overheard his dead brother’s voice emanating from my protrepticus—a magical device that, in my case, happened to be housed in a cell phone. He was none too happy thinking I had his brother’s spirit trapped.

I must have been frowning at that thought because Johnny cocked his head as he asked, “What? Is Menessos in more trouble than your mother?”

“Heldridge had his audience with the Excelsior.”

Johnny sat. “What’s the plan?”

“Dunno. Menessos said I needed to get back to Cleveland.” I touched his chest, played with the little bit of hair he had there. “But I wanted to see you first.” My gaze didn’t lift to his; he’d genuinely scared me.

I could hope that it was only different because we were at the den and he’d just been confirmed as the Domn Lup. But there was a niggling little thought in the back of my mind: What if he isn’t ready to control the amount of power we unleashed within him?

I was sooo glad he couldn’t read my mind. I didn’t want him to know I had even a small doubt in him.

Fifteen minutes later, Johnny backed me into the corner of the elevator and we made out as we rode it down to the parking garage. He was as gentle and sweet as he’d always been before. I felt a twinge of guilt over having even a mild doubt. When we emerged at the second-floor level, where there were no outer elevator doors, the cold night air rushed around us, chilling me even through my layered shirts and jacket.

Johnny wore only a black tee with his jeans. I’d been gripping his arms the whole time because I didn’t trust the erratic elevator, and his skin was hot over the cords of tense muscle. Still, I asked, “Aren’t you cold?”

“It’s refreshing,” he whispered into my ear. “I could do you all night.”

I held his face. “You’d break me.”

He showed me his lopsided grin, clearly accustomed to the shakes and wobbles of the machine. “That’s what magic’s for.”

I laughed, but my mirth ended immediately when the elevator lurched to a halt. Johnny leaned in and whispered into my ear, “I can protect you, Red. From evil elevators and from whatever trouble the vamp is stirring up this time.”

I squeezed him tighter.

He pulled back and gave me the most earnest countenance. “I’m . . . not like I was before, Red. The vamp couldn’t kick my ass now.”

I nodded, hoping he didn’t decide to test that theory. “You needed to be his equal,” I whispered. “And I’ve needed you to have this too—but I need you to not duke it out with fists or with magic. Okay?”

“Speaking of magic,” Johnny said as he opened the rotting wooden doors, “the men are eager for the forced change spell.”

I noticed he hadn’t answered me.

“It could be done here Monday night,” he said. “I’ll check the moon position, but with roof access you should have a good view for hours.”

“Depending on how things go with Heldridge and the Excelsior, I may not be able to do the spell Monday.” That was four days away.

“It’ll be okay.” He captured my hand as we entered the now empty parking area. It stretched before us, unlit and spooky. Johnny led me to the “rock and roll” parking around the corner.