Free ATwistedMagick by Shara Lanel Page A

cock stayed hard and if either of them moved the slightest bit, it jerked a bit. When they both settled into stillness, he lowered his body to her, giving her his full heat and weight. He kissed her neck lightly, and she listened to his breath as it grew slower and slower, felt his cock soften inside her. He rolled off her finally and pulled her into his arms. She put her leg over his and relaxed into cozy sleep.
    * * * * *
    Gabe woke from his doze and twirled one of Shylah’s locks around his finger, admiring its silkiness and dark, dark color. She slept. Gabe couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so relaxed. There was always too much to do to keep his business running, too many crimes to solve. He settled deeper into the pillow and closed his eyes again. He didn’t want to start thinking about real life yet. But now his closed eyes felt forced and job thoughts intruded anyway, like the fact that he’d just slept with the subject of his investigation. God, where were his ethics? Apparently he’d left them in California.
    He opened his eyes. She was so warm against him. Her eyes closed with a soft fringe of long lashes. He didn’t want to disturb her, so he refrained from moving his body as he turned his head to look at the digital clock. Two a.m. The lamps on the nightstands were still on, not to mention the fluorescent light in the hallway. Geez, they’d not even paused, except to finally get between the sheets.
    She’d looked so delectable when she lay back on the bed. He’d just wanted to kiss her, just one kiss. He’d thought she’d change her mind after she’d gotten some coffee in her. He prayed she wouldn’t wake up and accuse him of taking advantage of her. A couple of times his investigative brain had intruded and said seducing her was the best way to gain her trust and get her to trip up around him. He told himself that this was not part of his investigation. No ulterior motives. But was that true?
    Carefully he slipped away from Shylah, trying not to disturb her sleep. He hit the bathroom and ran the water in the shower. Once it was nice and steamy he stepped in and let it sluice over his head. He was rinsing the shampoo out of his hair before he realized what had been tugging at the back of his mind—condom, or lack of condom, actually. ¡A la chingada! How could he be so stupid? He prayed she was on the pill. He had to ask her. She hadn’t stopped him at any point, so it must not have occurred to her either. God! He used condoms even if the woman said she was on the pill. He’d always tuck a fresh one in his wallet before a date, just in case, but a date had not been on his mind when he’d tracked down Shylah at her shop.
    Drying himself and combing his hair, he told himself that pregnancy was highly unlikely. It took most couples several tries. He’d never gotten another woman pregnant before, even when a condom had broken during the act. He remembered that clearly, because he didn’t get to come. The lady had flipped out when she’d realized what happened. She’d run to the shower to try to rinse him out of her, but he was pretty sure it didn’t work that way.
    So…highly unlikely. Nothing to worry about.
    For a moment, he thought about chickening out and not mentioning it. Maybe she’d never realize it.
    Yeah, until she misses her period.
    That was not going to happen. He had a life in California and a fledgling business and he didn’t need child support tacked on top. He certainly didn’t need another wife. Since a Protestant wife had caused such a rift in his family, he couldn’t imagine what they would think of a Wiccan.
    The knock on the door startled him. “Hey, are you done in there? I could really use…um…you know.”
    He straightened and made sure the towel was tied securely around his waist. He hadn’t thought about bringing his clothes in with him. He opened the door and Shylah stood there with mussed hair and her bundle of her clothes blocking all her private