“Holy shit!” I exclaim in wonder.
Flint smiles again. “Beautiful,” he whispers. But his eyes are fixed on me, not the light.
The glow from my hands casts an ethereal light on his face, highlighting the sharp line of his jaw and the deep color of his eyes. I feel a pull, irresistible, toward him. Like I do every time. The power within me seems to resonate with the desire that shimmers between us.
He doesn’t say anything else. He doesn’t need to. He just closes the distance, his hands reaching outfor me. The moment our fingers touch, the glow, still shimmering, intensifies, expands, until it is wrapped around us like a cocoon of light. I can feel his heartbeat against my chest, steady and strong, matching the rhythm of mine.
His lips find mine in a soft, exploratory kiss, deepening with each passing second. I melt into him, my body pressed against his as the power between us surges. The world around us fades, leaving only the two of us, lost in a dance of desire and magick.
Flint’s hands roam my body, tracing every curve and dip with a reverence that makes me ache with need. I can feel the power pulsing through my veins, fueling my every movement, every touch. I run my fingers through his hair, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss until we’re both breathless. I might tug a little harder than necessary, making him growl against my mouth.
He lifts me effortlessly, my legs wrapping around his waist as he carries me to the edge of the rooftop. The lights of the city twinkle below us, but all I can really see is him, his eyes dark with passion and something more — something deeper and more profound. He sets me gently on the edge, his body hard against mine, his lips tracing a path down my neck. His teeth nip at my skin, causing small electric shocks through my body. I arch into him, the power inside me responding to his touch, sparking to life with every brush, every caress. The glow around us pulses in time to our heartbeat, a visual representation of the connection between us.
I drop my legs to the rough surface of the rooftop, allowing Flint’s hands to find the hem of my dress. He slowly trails kisses down my stomach. I shiver with the anticipation building with each touch, each kiss When his fingers finally find the edge of my underwear, I gasp.
He looks up at me, eyes dark with desire. “Let me see you.” He whispers. The gravel in his voice almost unravels me. It’s heady, hearing the want, the desire in his voice and knowing it’s forme. That I, little old Casie, can bring him to his knees.
I nod, my breath coming in short gasps as he slowly peels away the fabric, his touch sending shivers down my spine. The glow around us intensifies, casting our bodies in silver light as Flint’s eyes roam over me, drinking in every inch of exposed skin. His fingers find their way between my thighs, his touch gentle and firm, coaxing a moan from deep within me. I buck against his hand and I can feel my power throb. He slips a finger inside me, his thumb circling my clit in a slow, torturous motion. I cry out, my back arching as waves of pleasure roll through my body. His lips find mine once more, swallowing my moans as he drives me higher and higher.
I can feel the power and the orgasm building within me, threatening to erupt. The power and light pulse in time with my erratic heartbeat, as Flint’s fingers move inside me. I wrap my legs around his waist, boosting my ass onto the ledge, needing more. He complies, pressing himself against the heat between my legs. I can feel his thick, hard cock straining through his pants.
He pinches my clit between his finger and thumb while growling “good girl” in my ear, and I come completely undone. The light I’ve created erupts into a starburst, scattering like diamonds to fall across the sky and all around us.
Before I have a chance to catch my breath – or even marvel at my awesomeness – Flint has somehow disappeared his pants and is laying me on a cushion of air, protecting the skin of my back from the harsh surface. Ican feel the head of his cock pressing against me, the promise of pleasure making me ache with need. In one single, fluid motion, he thrusts into me, stretching me. Filling me completely.
I cry out at the immense invasion of his body filling mine, the sensation overwhelming. The power within me surges again. Flint moves against me and I meet him thrust for thrust. The pleasure builds impossibly high. His lips find mine once more, his kiss deep and passionate as he continues to ravage my body. I can feel the power ofusbuilding brighter, more vibrant than before. I can feel it coursing through my veins, infusing every breath, every shudder.
I feel the shudder run through him as he growls my name. I come undone, my body straining and milking him. He tenses and then roars my name as he fills me.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
The late afternoon sun casts long shadows across the park, the warm golden light filtering through the trees. While Ash spends some much needed time alone with Annemarie and Betsy, under the guise of practicing further, I remove myself from the line of fire. Probably literally. The progress she has made is promising, but I’m trying desperately not to let my hope run away with my common sense. Things couldstill go sideways and we’ll be stuck here. I need to remember what’s at stake.
But it’s so beautiful to watch her rediscover all she’s lost, all she'd locked away. To watch her come back into herself.
People are out walking their dogs, joggers passing by with music pounding in their ears, and I can hear children playing, their giggles carrying on the wind like specters.
I’m so lost in my thoughts of Ash that I nearly miss the unsettling stillness at the far corner, near where the trees grow dense. A man stands, cast in shadows. Head down, hood up. I reach out with a tendril of power and know he’s watching me. With a snarl, I recognize the greasy feeling of this particular human.
Fucking Brett.I watch through narrowed eyes as he adjusts his baseball cap, which seems like overkill given the hood in the hot weather. I know his eyes are on me, despite his best attempts to try to appear like he belongs, just another man hanging out at the park with no real purpose.
His lack of child and activity should betray his lack of belonging to anyone, really.
Even being who I am, the feel of his eyes on me makes my skin crawl. I know he showed up here expecting that she would be with me, but he’s doomed to disappointment.
I’ve tried to be good. I know the human world is weird, especially in regards to cisgender, heterosexual, white men likehim.I‘ve reigned in my temper and baser instincts to protect my soul-bound mate when this… thing… has shown up. Has harassed her. Hastouchedher.Has followed her and terrified her. And I deferred to the general recommendation — when in the human world, you play by their rules.
I feel him lying in wait when I spot him at the far end of the park, loitering near the swings. A grown man who has no business being there. The moment his eyes land on me, his mouth twists into that smirk I’ve come to hate — a smug little curl that screams entitlement, ownership. Rot.
“Flint,” he says, spreading his arms like we’re about to hug. “Long time, no see.” I can feel him chuckle at his own joke.
The rage that has always hummed beneath my ribs goes sharp. I keep my shoulders squared, jaw tight. “Stay away from Casie.”
He chuckles, stepping closer. “Can’t. She’s delicious when she’s flustered, as I’m sure you know. The way she tucks her hair behind her ear when she’s nervous. Like she’s just waiting for someone to grab her hand. I’ve seen it a hundred times.” He leans in close. I let him. “Sometimes… I think she does it just for me.”
I don’t realize I’ve moved until my fist connects with his mouth. The crack of bone and the spatter of blood should be enough.
It isn’t.
