Shades of Moonlight Page 6

  She lost herself in the taste and feel of him, exploring his body as he watched her. He released her to grip the quilt with both hands, as if he couldn’t trust himself not to grab her. As if she drove him to the point of losing his control.

  Such a wonderful feeling. It made her smile up at him in triumph. And when he smiled back at her, she couldn’t wait any longer.

  She reached for the button on his jeans but he got there first.

  “You touch me and I’ll come in your hands. Let me take these off.”

  The rough words made her pussy clench and she watched with avid fascination as he ripped open the zipper and practically tore the jeans off his legs.

  His body was gorgeous but it was his erection that captured her full attention. Thick, hard. Soon to be hers.

  She couldn’t help herself. She reached for him, curved her hands around the shaft and listened to him groan. She wanted him.

  Looking up at him, she hoped he could read her mind. Apparently he could.

  He took her by the waist and laid her out on the bed.

  “We’re gonna take this really slow because I don’t want to hurt you. Okay?”

  She nodded, having no doubt he’d take care of her.

  But when she thought he’d finally enter her, he put a gentle hand between her legs and began to stroke her instead. The feeling lit her up inside, made her wet and more than ready.

  He stroked along her labia, the lips puffy and sensitive. His fingertips played in the moisture gathering there, let it wet his fingers until he used one to burrow inside her.

  The intrusion felt thick and wonderful. And she needed more. She writhed, her hips beginning a slow grind that he couldn’t mistake for anything other than readiness.

  His lips descended to hers, sealing them together. His tongue pressed into her mouth then retreated, picking up the same rhythm as his hand.

  By the time he finally moved his body between her legs, she was limp but buzzing with anticipation.

  Removing his fingers from her, he rubbed his cock against her labia, making him slick.

  When the blunt head of his cock lodged at the entrance, he pulled back to look at her.

  “You let me know if I hurt you.”

  She nodded then lifted her hips slowly to meet him. The thick intrusion of his erection stretched her until she thought she wouldn’t be able to take it. But there was no pain, just a sense of fullness as he worked his way inside.

  So slowly. Too slowly.

  She needed friction.

  Lifting her legs, she wrapped them around his waist, tilting her hips to take more of him. She watched his face, watched him grit his teeth as he sank deeper until finally he had her pinned to the mattress.

  “Okay?”

  She nodded again, even managed a smile. Then she put her hands on his hips and urged him to move, which he did. Slowly.

  As if he were afraid she’d break.

  Stroking one hand up his side, she reached his face and cupped his cheek, urging him to kiss her again.

  He obliged but only for a second. Holding his weight above her didn’t allow him to move freely. She tugged him closer until he got the hint and pressed his body against hers. But he still wouldn’t move any faster.

  Finally she took her hand from his hip and smacked him on the ass.

  He froze for a second before he lifted his head to look straight into her eyes.

  “No fair, sweetheart. I’m not exactly steady right now.”

  She tapped him again, making sure she held his gaze.

  With a groan, he dropped his head into the curve of her neck, opened his mouth on her skin and gave her a sucking kiss that electrified her nerve endings.

  Then he started to move again. Faster. A little harder.

  Yes. That was the friction she needed.

  He took her breath away, not only with his body but with the way he made her feel. As if what she wanted was the only thing that mattered.

  She felt her sheath tighten around him, felt the shudder that racked his body. Tightening her arms and legs around him, she let herself fall out of time with him.

  The only sound she heard was the sound of his breath in her ear and the sound of flesh on flesh. The scent of his skin drew her mouth until she had to taste him again. Her teeth lodged into the shoulder, the closest part of him she could reach, and he growled.

  That sound sank straight to her clit, an almost physical caress that made her climax, pulsing around him until he couldn’t resist any longer.

  With a final thrust and a drawn-out groan, Race came.

  Chapter Six

  Race woke wrapped around Mara.

  Her naked body fit perfectly in the curve of his and she was still sound asleep.

  So what had—

  He heard Arin babbling in the next room. Quietly. Like yesterday afternoon.

  The moon had already set but the room was still dark so it had to be at least 2:00 or 3:00 a.m.

  Was the baby hungry? Should he wake Mara?

  Or should he check it out first?

  He looked back at Mara.

  He’d let her sleep for a while. If the baby needed her, he’d bring Arin back.

  Besides, he knew how to change a diaper. Just because he didn’t like it didn’t mean he hadn’t taken care of a few kids in his day.

  Sliding out of bed without disturbing her was easy. She must’ve been exhausted.

  Or he’d worn her out.

  He tried not to let that go to his head. He didn’t have much of a reputation with women mainly because he hadn’t had much time for them. And he’d never found one who could tolerate him for more than a couple dates. He wasn’t the easiest guy to get along with. He didn’t talk much and when he did, they didn’t like what he had to say.

  Mara seemed to like him.

  Good thing, because he wanted to keep her. Primitive but truthful.

  And since Arin was part of the deal, he’d better get used to changing diapers.

  The second bedroom was only a few feet from Mara’s and Arin was still babbling away when he entered.

  “Hey, little man. You’re awfully chatty for the middle of the night. What—”

  Shit. The bear was back. Standing outside the window, staring in at Arin. The animal wasn’t making a sound, just watching Arin. And not in an “I’m going to eat you” way.

  Tinia’s teat. The baby talked to animals. This was totally fucked up. And yeah, a little cool.

  The baby gurgled and turned his head toward Race. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bear back away from the window and amble off into the woods.

  “Okay, little man, one of these days we’re gonna have a serious chat about that bear. But not tonight. You have a big day tomorrow so you need to get some sleep.”

  Race didn’t really think Arin understood him, but the baby smiled and made noises for a minute or so as Race walked him around the room. Finally he must have worn himself out because he shut his eyes and his mouth and went limp in Race’s arms.

  It still made him shake his head. He typically made people nervous but Mara had told him she felt safe with him. And Arin…well, obviously he did too.

  After he changed the kid’s diaper and set him back in the crib, where he looked way too small, Race caught Mara’s scent behind him. She stood in the doorway, watching him, covered from head to toe in flannel pajamas.

  Because she was so small, the man’s design hung on her. She had the pants and sleeves rolled up and her short hair looked as if she’d been running her fingers through it for days.

  He didn’t think she’d look any sexier in red lingerie and black stockings.

  She watched him with an almost disbelieving look in her eyes, which she quickly blinked away when he frowned.

  She must not have seen the bear and, since he didn’t want to upset her, he didn’t tell her. It’d probably come back to bite him in the ass later. That stuff typically did.

  “Did I wake you?”

  She shook he
r head as she made her way to the crib and looked in at Arin. She ran her hand over his head before she stepped away.

  Mara looked up at Race, her lips curved into a smile that made his heart pound as she slid her fingers through his and tugged him along with her back to bed.

  * * * * *

  Race had tried to answer all Mara’s questions before they left the next morning, knowing it’d be tough to hold a conversation in the car.

  The trepidation had returned to her eyes and she constantly looked over her shoulder to check on Arin, strapped into a baby seat in the backseat of Race’s Ford Explorer.

  He didn’t know what to say to make her relax so he didn’t try. Instead he turned on the radio, telling her to pick a station.

  It took her almost five minutes until she settled on a station playing Broadway music.

  Served him right for letting her choose, he figured.

  But the music seemed to calm her. And apparently put Arin to sleep.

  He’d already told her there’d been a change in plans. They weren’t going to Sal’s place in Reading. They were heading for a set of coordinates Race had determined were somewhere in the woodlands north of Hamburg.

  Interesting.

  And the closer they got to the coordinates, the more his curiosity was piqued. Mara also seemed to lose some of her trepidation and looked around with more interest than concern.

  When the road they were on began to veer away from the coordinates, he had to make a choice.

  “I think I saw a cutout back there,” he said as he put the truck in reverse and backed up until he got to what he thought—

  The cutout looked almost like a natural break in the trees, especially if you weren’t looking for a way onto the mountain. And who would? There were easier trail entrances only a few miles away.

  But this was definitely the way they needed to go. He knew it.

  “Hang on. This could get a little bumpy.”

  As they turned onto the dirt track leading into what looked like solid forest, Race realized there was definitely something magical going on. For one thing, the ride was much smoother than he’d expected. Even though it looked like rocky, untamed wilderness, the truck barely dipped and swayed.

  A hundred yards into the forest, a definite track emerged and Race knew they were on the right trail. He stole a glance at Mara, who stared wide-eyed out the front window.

  They drove almost a mile before he realized that what he was seeing ahead weren’t just abnormally large trees.

  They were houses, one-story log houses clustered around a central clearing.

  They looked like fairy houses. Honest-to-God fairyland houses. With the covering of snow, the scene looked like something out of a movie.

  And when Sal, in all his goat-legged glory, stepped out of one of the houses and waved to him, he felt Mara practically vibrate with shock.

  And in the backseat, Arin started to babble.

  “Mara, look at me.”

  She didn’t turn right away. It took her several seconds but when she finally did, she began to sign, so slowly he actually understood most of it.

  “He’s exactly what you think he is. He’s salbinelli.”

  Her hands moved again.

  “Obviously they’re not extinct.” He smiled. “There’s actually another one living here.”

  “Hey, it’s freaking cold out here, people,” Sal yelled from the doorway, making them both turn to look at him. “Get a move on.”

  Typical Sal. Blunt and to the point. And maybe more than Mara could handle right now.

  Mara grabbed his arm in a tight grip. If she wanted to leave, they were out of there.

  But when he looked at her again, she wore a grin a mile wide.

  “All right then. Let’s get inside before Sal comes out again. He doesn’t like getting his hooves cold.”

  She shook her head when he said hooves and he hid a smile at her obvious astonishment. Damn, he liked when she smiled. He felt as if the world brightened around him.

  Yep, he’d definitely gone sappy. If his brother could see him now, Lark would fall on the ground laughing. And Race wouldn’t care one damn bit.

  Mara made him happy. And now that they’d moved their relationship to the next level, he wasn’t going to let her get away.

  Hell, he was occasionally a wolf. If she tried to get away, he’d track her down.

  “I’ll get the kid. Be careful getting out over there.”

  There was more snow here, at least six inches. Mara didn’t seem to notice as she plowed through it to reach his side. With the baby in his portable carrier, they hurried to the cabin, barely taking time to knock the snow off their feet before Mara pushed through the door.

  She stopped just inside, forcing him to crowd her and get her to move in a few more feet so he could close the door behind him.

  When he looked up he realized why she’d stopped.

  “Hello, Race.” A tall, dark-haired man with a wide smile and distinct Etruscan features walked toward them, his hand held out. Imposing was a good word for him and Race instinctively stepped in front of Mara. She didn’t handle meeting new men easily.

  A split second later, he realized who this man was and bowed.

  “Selvans. Greetings.”

  Apparently his mother’s insistence that he learn some manners as a kid had stuck. At least enough to know what to do when he met an Etruscan god.

  “Nice to meet you, son.”

  Straightening, Race found himself looking into bright-green eyes. He took the god’s hand automatically and shook.

  Then that startling gaze transferred over his shoulder.

  “Hello, Mara.” His voice had softened and behind him, Mara shifted, moving to his side to take the God of the Woods’ hand.

  “And this,” Selvans’ gaze dropped to the baby, who stared up at him without making a sound, “must be Arin. Nice to meet you too, little man.”

  When Selvans held his hand out to the baby, Arin grabbed for it like babies did. Which made Selvans draw in a deep breath and his mouth curve in a bittersweet smile.

  “Yes, I see. So the signs are correct. I had wondered…”

  Selvans seemed to be speaking to himself, though he could be talking to the baby. Hell, Arin could talk to animals. Why not gods?

  Selvans straightened and smiled at Mara again. “Well now, who’d like some hot chocolate? Sal makes a mean cocoa. I’m going to have mine with a shot of peppermint schnapps. Then we have some things to discuss.”

  Mara began to sign but Selvans held up one hand with a wry smile. “I’m sorry I don’t understand sign language. But one of the things on the agenda today is breaking the rest of that spell. As a matter of fact, let’s see if we can get that taken care of right away. Mara, I’d like you to meet Scarlata.”

  A woman Race hadn’t noticed came forward from the other side of the room, where Race realized another man stood as well. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen them, especially the gorgeous redhead. Then again, meeting a god and worrying about Mara consumed most of his concentration.

  He’d have to watch that. Couldn’t afford to get sloppy.

  “Nice to meet you, Mara.” The woman’s voice held a trace of an Italian accent, husky and deep. “I understand the streghe weren’t able to break the spell on your vocal cords. I believe I can do something about that, if you’ll let me.”

  Race watched as Mara took a moment before nodding then turned to Race and lifted her hands.

  “Oh crap,” he interrupted as he set the baby on the floor. “I forgot I had this.”

  Reaching for the baby bag, he pulled out the whiteboard Dorian had left on the porch this morning. He swore Dorian could read minds.

  As Mara gave him that smile that made his blood heat, she took it from him then began to write.

  What makes you think you can break this spell?

  Scarlata grinned. “Because I’ve got a few secrets up my sleeves that even the streghe don’t. And with Selvans and a few o
f my other friends, I think we have just a little more magic than even the streghe.”

  What are you?

  The redhead threw her head back and laughed and, from behind her, Race heard another baby gurgle.

  “Well, there are some people who call me a b—”

  “Scary, honey, no one calls you anything other than beautiful. Not if they want to continue breathing. Hi, I’m Justin.” The other man in the room walked forward, now holding a tiny, pink-blanket-wrapped bundle. “And this is our daughter, the eighth wonder of the universe.”

  Scarlata snorted and rolled her eyes at Justin but the look she gave the baby said she totally believed his boast. “Also known as Celestina. And I’m folletta. And fata magic works differently than enu magic.”

  Folletta. Holy shit.

  Race felt his mouth drop open as he tried to wrap his head around the fact that Scarlata was an actual folletta. He’d thought they were extinct. Obviously not.

  As he shook his head, Mara turned to him with a puzzled look.

  “Enu are the human branch of the Etruscan magical race. Fata are the—”

  He’d been about to say creature-based but that wasn’t right. Some of the fata resembled humans almost completely, except for their pointed ears. Or wings.

  “We’re the non-human branch,” Scarlata finished for him. And then turned to show them her back. Just as pink wings fluttered through slits in her shirt.

  Race tried to hold back his gasp but didn’t quite manage. Holy shit.

  “Now,” Scarlata turned, her wings disappearing once again, “let’s see if we can fix you.”

  Mara took the folletta’s outstretched hand automatically, still trying to process the fact that this woman had wings.

  Amazingly beautiful pink wings that made Mara want to smile. She vaguely remembered reading stories as a child about the enu and the fata.

  “Have a seat, Mara. Sal and I are going to do a little preliminary examination and then we’ll see if we can break that spell.”

  “Nothing to worry about.” The little half-goat man jumped onto the seat next to hers. “Those damn Mal won’t get the best of us.”