“Ah…?” Jennifer considered that. It’s not what she had expected him to say, but it was knowledge she should probably have. “So, you’re like immortal?”
“Long life span,” he corrected. “Warlocks can be killed.”
“You mentioned that before. What exactly does that mean, you’re all warlocks?” Jennifer was too relaxed to be frightened by long life spans, and it was a little late to freak out about magick at this point.
“My siblings and cousins and I were born magicks,” he said. “Others marry into the family, and over time, the natural-born warlocks’ life spans and powers transfer to our spouses in different ways. My ma, for example, is very adept at potions and tapping into the magick for herself. She’s been doing it so long she doesn’t need my father around to fuel her.”
“Wait, are you saying since we…?” Excited, Jennifer sat up from the bed and lifted her hand. She concentrated on her fingers, trying to make them glow.
“What are ya doing?” he asked.
When it didn’t work, she frowned. “Well, that kind of sucks. I thought you were telling me that since we had sex, I would be able to do something cool and warlocky.”
“Hey!” He tugged her arm to force her back down next to him. He rested on his back as she leaned next to him on her side. “Sex with me is the something cool.”
She laughed and teased, “I mean, it’s all right, but it’s no making finger fire.”
He chuckled. “Hold out your hand.”
Jennifer remained on her side and instantly lifted her hand into the air above him. He formed a light ball in his palm and bounced it a few times before sliding it to her hand. She gasped as she felt it against her palm, churning like a living thing. She held it close to her face to look into the depths.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
“You’re beautiful,” he said.
The light slowly began to fade, dying in her palm. “Where does it go?”
“Back into the universe,” he said. “Magick is just energy. It must come from somewhere, and it must go somewhere.”
“Where does it come from?” She wondered if she could learn to tap into it.
“That’s a complicated question, but the short answer is to create magick I have to borrow the energy from something—like plant life. That’s why my family moved here. Nature allows us to use just a little from each plant as fuel so that we don’t kill anything.
“So what I felt was plant life?”
“What ya felt was sexual energy.” He grinned.
Jennifer laughed. “I’m being serious. Was that a plant I was holding?”
“I’m serious too. Sexual energy can fuel magick, but like a climax, it burns hot and doesn’t last as long as nature.”
“I was holding sex?” She wagged her brows at him.
He took her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. He kissed the tips before leading her hand down his stomach toward his cock. “Now ya are holding my sex.”
Jennifer laughed even as she felt him stirring with interest. She pulled her hand away and adjusted on the covers into a more comfortable position. Normally women joked that men needed a moment to recover between bouts, but after two intense orgasms, Jennifer was the one who needed a breather.
“I was trying to explain something,” he said, lazily touching her chest and tracing a nipple. “When I said I had a long life, I meant I have been around long enough to know what I feel.”
Her breath caught slightly as she waited for him to continue.
“I know humans aren’t always as…” He seemed to struggle to find the right words.
“You’re not going to insult me. Just say it,” she urged.
“Humans aren’t always as forthcoming—or maybe the right word is understanding—when it comes to how they feel. I don’t want to scare ya away, but when I first met ya, then when we came together, even right now just laying here with ya, I feel a connection between us. It’s unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life, Jennifer. I know this is where I need to be.”
Rory spoke of his emotions with such conviction and certainty. He might joke around, but he didn’t play games with people.
“I feel connected to you, too,” she answered, putting her hand over his as he cupped her breast. She wondered if he could feel her heart beating beneath his palm. Her lids felt heavy as she tried to keep her eyes open. “I want to discuss this further, but after a double shift, poisoned cheese, fighting my inner demon in an effort not to kill you, being attacked by gremians, learning magic is real, and two really powerful orgasms, I don’t think I can hold much more conversation.”
“Of course, love, ya should rest.” He stared at her as if he had no intention of closing his eyes. “I promise, no harm will come to ya within these walls.”
“Could you get the lights?” she felt her eyes drifting closed.
The bed shifted slightly, and when she again looked at him, the lights were off, and Rory had lit the fireplace. He hadn’t moved from her side.
“Melt the blankets on top of me?” she mumbled, unsure if she made sense or not.
Rory chuckled. The bed again moved, and she felt him pulling the blanket from under her before he tucked her in manually.
“Doing that the human way was much less impressive than when you melted off my clothes,” she mumbled, unable to look at him again.
Rory stroked her hair and kissed her cheek. “I’ll show ya more magick in the morning. For now, ya rest...”
If he said more, she wasn’t aware of it as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
Rory dozed but didn’t fall into a deep sleep. Every time Jennifer moved or sighed, he felt compelled to check on her. It was his duty to protect her—not just because she was a woman and he a warlock, but because he was her warlock.
It wasn’t duty that kept his mind awake and night crept through
