Free Missing Magic by Karen Whiddon Page B

moved closer.
“Touch me,” he growled, his face inches from hers.
    She shook her head, then reached out her hand
to do as he asked anyway.
    He had to warn her. This wasn’t real. This
was a magical rebound. Now, with his magic channeled into his
libido, the overflow must be radiating from him, affecting her
too.
    This wasn’t real. She didn’t want him, not
really.
    But dragon’s lair, how he wanted her.
    He opened his mouth to tell her the truth.
She kissed him instead. As her lips moved over his, he felt himself
sinking into need. He wanted to refuse her, to help her resist, but
he couldn’t make himself push her away. Merely being kissed by her
made him more aroused than he’d even been in his life.
    Somehow, he broke free. “Dee—.”
    “I want to climb all over you, take you
inside me, swallow you up whole.” She sounded stunned, amazed, and
excited, all at once.
    “Dee—.” He tried again.
    But she climbed on top of him, settling
herself on his swollen arousal. Even through his braes, he could
feel her warmth.
    Damnation .
    He shuddered, pushing himself against her,
before he managed to get himself under control.
    “Stop,” he said, his voice ragged.
    “I can’t.” Again she moved her body, nearly
shredding the last tattered remnants of his self-control.
    “Dragon’s blood.” Cursing, he lifted her off
and pushed her away.
    “Stay there.” He bit out the words. “This is
not you or me. It’s magic.”
    “Magic. Hmmm. okay.” She kissed his hand, her
tongue doing things with his finger that had him longing to rip off
the gloves. “I’ll show you magic. If you won’t let me on top, you
come here.”
    “No! Look away from me, open your window, and
breathe. Please.”
    Humoring him, she did as he requested.
    He punched the button to lower his own window
and following his own advice.
    The moon seemed brighter than normal. He
could even make out the shape of the craters on the surface. That
was odd. And the stars twinkled brightly, like well-cut diamonds on
black velvet.
    “Are we done?” she asked. She sounded more
like Dee, less like the seductive siren.
    “No. Not yet. Keep breathing. Concentrate on
the moon.” Following his own advice, he could hear her doing the
same.
    Gradually, the urgent desire that had
overwhelmed him vanished.
    “Cenrick?” Dee sounded confused. “What just
happened? We… I.. why did we…?” Her voice faltered. She looked
away, her color high. “I am so sorry.”
    “Don’t be. It’s not your fault.” He gave her
as succinct an explanation as possible, ending with his own
apology.
    “That’s great.” She made a sound, something
between a snort and a sigh. “I’m afraid to look at you or touch
you. That was intense. What if the need comes slamming back?”
    “It won’t,” he promised, hoping he wasn’t
wrong. Exhaling, she massaged the back of her neck. “Okay, that’s
over. Now what?”
    Now he felt an overwhelming exhaustion. A
need to sleep so strong he could barely keep his eyes open. “I
don’t know about you, but I could use some rest.”
    “Yeah.” She put the car into drive and pulled
slowly around the building, then back onto the street. “Do you have
a place to stay?”
    Before he could respond, she shook her head.
“Of course you don’t. Looks like you’re sleeping at my place.”
    She sounded so apprehensive, he couldn’t help
but smile. “Thanks. And maybe in the morning we can come up with a
better plan.”
    “Yeah.” Her sideways look was laced with
speculation. “But first, we need to figure out what
    happened to you back there at Mick’s? Did
that Soul-stealer thing’s influence extend to you, even outside the
house?”
    “Yes.” He made the admission grimly.
“Whatever it was, it reached right inside of me and attempted to
rip out my core. Pretty powerful stuff. I couldn’t move, couldn’t
think.”
    “If it’s a machine, they must have had it
turned all the way up. That would explain how those two other