Page 22

CHAPTER 22

J onah finished watering the plants lined up on the lower shelf and shut off the garden hose. He stepped back, admiring how the plants looked in the light coming through the greenhouse before checking his watch.

Elora would be home soon from work, and he checked on the thin green shoots sprouting from the starter trays before leaving the greenhouse and heading toward the house. He walked briskly in the cold air as fluffy flakes of snow drifted from the overcast sky.

He would take Elora out for dinner tonight, he decided as he let himself in the back door of the kitchen. There was a Thai place he used to go to all the time, and he wanted Elora to try it. Hopefully, she would love it as much as he did.

Is that it? Or are you trying to keep her distracted and out of the house so she doesn’t have time to pack up her stuff? Just like you’ve been doing for the past two weeks.

So what if he was? He liked having Elora and her stuff here. It made his house feel like a home and less like a damn morgue. He washed and dried his hands, cocking his head when he heard an unexpected noise.

“Elora? Is that you?” he called.

“It’s me,” she said, her voice faint but clear. “I’m in the front room.”

He joined her, what felt a little like panic shooting through him when he saw how much of her stuff she’d already packed up.

“What are you doing? I thought you were still at work,” he said.

“It was slow, so Charissa sent me home a little early.” She picked up a spell book and placed it carefully into a plastic tote before crossing the room to grab another pile of books she’d left on the floor.

Jonah immediately pulled the book out of the tote, glancing at it before setting it on the coffee table as Elora turned around. “What are you doing?”

“You don’t have time to pack right now,” he said. “We’re going out for dinner.”

She raised an eyebrow at him, holding onto the books in her hands when he tried to take them from her. “We are?”

“Yes.” He tugged on the books again. “There’s a Thai place I want you to try.”

“Okay, but,” she tried to skirt around him, wrinkling her nose at him when he caught her around the waist and pulled her and her armful of books against him, “I really need to pack first.”

“No, you don’t,” he said. “You’re not working Sunday. You can do it then.”

She laughed. “That’s, like, five days away, and I have a client coming by the apartment tomorrow to do a spell for them. I need my supplies.”

“What client?” Jonah asked.

“I don’t know. He’s new.”

“How did he hear about you?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” he echoed. “Did you ask him?”

“I forgot, but I have, like, ads out, and word of mouth gets me some customers. Jonah, you’re squishing me.”

He loosened his grip. “I don’t want you meeting this person alone.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “I do it all the time.”

“No, I was there with you,” he said.

“Jonah, it will be fine. I can take care of myself, remember?” Elora said.

“I don’t want you meeting someone you don’t know alone at your apartment,” Jonah said.

“Well, luckily for me, you’re not the boss of me and can’t tell me what to do,” she said with a small grin.

“I’m not kidding, Elora,” he said.

“Either am I,” she said. “I’m a grown woman who doesn’t need her friend with benefits telling her what to do.”

He winced at her icy tone. Christ, he was fucking this up when all he really wanted to do was keep her safe.

And keep her at your place because you’re a selfish bastard.

He ignored his inner voice and smiled at Elora. “The client can come here.”

“What?” she said, her shock evident.

“The client can come here,” he repeated. “There’s more room, right? And you already have all of your stuff here. Why pack it all up when you can perform the spell here.”

“You would seriously be okay with me bringing someone to your house to perform a spell,” Elora said.

“Yes,” he said. “As long as you’re good with me being here while he’s here.”

“That’s fine, but, Jonah, are you not tired of the mess and the chaos?” She studied the room around them. “Your house was very… clean before I showed up.”

He laughed and took the books from her, setting them on the coffee table with the other one. “I like the mess and the chaos.”

She looked at him in disbelief, and he pulled her into his arms again, kissing the tip of her nose. “It’s true. Having your stuff here makes the house feel like a home.”

“Okay, but I’m pretty sure your cleaning lady hates me,” Elora said.

“Oh, she absolutely does,” Jonah grinned. “She’s already sent me three texts about the candle wax being everywhere, and she said one of your books shocked her when she touched it.”

Elora giggled. “Maybe I should lock that particular book away. It does give out electrical shocks if anyone but a witch or warlock touches it.”

“How does it know the person isn’t a witch?” Jonah asked.

“Magic,” Elora said with an exaggerated eyebrow wiggle.

He laughed, and she slung her arms around his shoulders. “Jonah, are you sure you’re good with me not packing up until Sunday?”

“Positive,” he said, ignoring the voice in his head that was emphatically stating Elora wouldn’t leave Sunday either.

He couldn’t quite as easily ignore the truth lurking in his brain, though - that the idea of Elora leaving him, of spending every fucking night alone in the house with nothing but his thoughts and fears to keep him company, sent horror shuddering down his spine.

With Elora here, with her magic and her warmth and her way of bringing the house to life, he could forget about how badly he’d fucked up with Caleb. He could ignore his inability to shift and pretend like he was just a regular guy, living a normal life, with the woman he loved.

Love?

He did love Elora, and he wouldn’t deny it to himself, but loving her put her in danger. He’d been careful his entire career to keep who he was a secret, but Jonah was under no illusions that someday, the job he did and the choices he made would come back to haunt him. Revenge was a powerful motivator, and he didn’t doubt that there were people out there searching for him.

He’d seen what happened when shapeshifters allowed themselves to fall in love, to pretend that they were normal. They had their loved ones used against them - either by the Academy or by people determined to destroy them.

A life with Elora meant constant worrying for her safety, always looking over his shoulder for a threat. And forget having children with her. If their child were like him, they’d have to go into hiding for the rest of their lives. He’d die before letting the Academy take their child.

He realized with a start that he’d been zoned out for over a minute. He glanced down at Elora. She smoothed her hand over his forehead in a solemn gesture. “What was going on in your brain just now?”

He plastered a cocky grin on his face, shoving his fears to the deepest part of his brain. “Just thinking that I haven’t fucked you in this room yet.”

She smiled. “I thought you wanted Thai food.”

“I do,” he said before lifting her and carrying her to the couch. “But I can fuck you and take you out for Thai.”

He sat on the couch, making her straddle him as he pulled her shirt over her head.

“Is that right?” she said. “You’re so multi-talented.”

“I am,” he said, unhooking her bra and tossing it on the floor. He cupped her breasts, teasing her nipples with his thumbs until they were stiff peaks. She moaned and bent her head to kiss him.

God, he fucking loved how she kissed. She didn’t hold back and always gave him everything. Every fantasy he’d ever had about kissing her while he was trapped as a crow paled in comparison to the real thing.

She tugged his shirt over his head, giving his naked chest an appreciative look. “You’re so beautiful, Jonah.”

“So are you.” He kissed her again, groaning against her lips when she circled his flat nipples before lightly scraping her nails across them.

“Where do you stash the condoms in this room?” she asked.

He pointed to a small ceramic jar sitting on the side table. She leaned over and lifted the lid, grabbing a condom and grinning at him. “You’re the only guy I know who has condoms stashed in every room of his house, but it’s a smart idea when you’re as popular with the ladies as you are.”

His desire faded to be replaced by shame. Until he met Elora, he’d never been ashamed of his manwhoring ways. But now…

“Hey.” Elora cupped his face, making him look at her. “Your past doesn’t bother me, and I’m sorry if what I just said makes it sound like it does. It truly doesn’t, Jonah.”

“It bothers me,” he said hoarsely.

“It shouldn’t,” she said. “There is nothing wrong with having a large and healthy sex drive, and if both of you are clear that you’re not exclusive, then multiple partners isn’t an issue either.”

She hesitated. “Speaking of… are you sleeping with other people, Jonah?”

He stared at her. “No, Elora, of course not. Why would you think that?”

“Well, we aren’t actually dating, and we didn’t talk about exclusivity, so I wasn’t sure.”

“I’m not fucking anyone else,” he said, his voice harsher than he intended. His body stiffened beneath her as his hard-on did the exact opposite. “Wait… are you sleeping with other people?”

She laughed. “When would I be sleeping with other people? I’m either at work, or I’m here getting my brains fucked out by you.”

He knew his relief was as obvious and bright as an exploding nova, but he couldn’t help it. The thought of Elora being with someone else made him want to throw up.

She cocked her head, the condom still in her hand and her breasts still gloriously naked. “Do you want our friends with benefits to be exclusive, Jonah?”

“Yes,” he said. “I do.”

“Okay,” she said.

More relief shuddered through him. She stroked his chest. “You okay?”

“Yes,” he said. He cupped the back of Elora’s neck and tugged her down to kiss her again, hoping she couldn’t taste the desperation in it.

She sucked on his tongue, and his dick was back in the game. He unbuttoned her jeans, slipping his hand past her panties to cup her pussy. She was already wet and ready for him, and he groaned again before teasing her clit.

She rocked against his hand, her breath coming fast and furious against his neck as she clung to him. Her soft cries and low moans made him ache to be inside her, to fill her with his cock until all she knew, all she felt, was him.

Instead, he rubbed her clit harder, smiling with smug satisfaction when she arched her back and came all over his hand. He kissed her throat, nipping lightly at her skin as she came down from her high.

“Stand up, baby.” He pulled his hand out of her pants, his smile widening when she hopped off his lap and wobbled on her feet.

She giggled. “I’ve got orgasm legs.”

“Is that a technical term?” he asked as they both shoved their pants and underwear down their legs and kicked them off.

She straddled him again, tearing open the condom and rolling it onto his dick.

“Thank you, baby.” He lifted her as she grasped his cock and guided it into her perfect pussy. She blew her breath out as he helped her sink slowly onto his dick, gritting his teeth at the wet hot grip of her pussy.

“God, you’re thick,” she muttered as she settled in his lap, her soft thighs against his and her hands gripping the back of the couch behind him.

“Too much for you, little witch?” he grinned.

“No.” She scowled at him. “As long as you don’t decide to jackhammer into me.”

He laughed hard, and she made a little squeal and rocked back and forth on his dick. “Oh, that felt good when you laughed.”

“I could find a comedy show on Hulu and watch it while you use me for your insatiable appetite,” he said.

She gripped his shoulders and bounced on his lap. He muttered a curse and clamped his hands on her narrow hips, thrusting up into her with a hard, abrupt motion that brought another soft squeal of pleasure from her lips.

“Nope, this works even better,” she said. “Keep doing that.”

In the last few days, Elora had become more confident and more… well, honestly, a little demanding about what she wanted in bed, and he couldn’t have fucking loved it more. He loved it when a woman wasn’t shy about what she wanted or needed when being fucked.

“Whatever you want, baby,” he said before giving her exactly what she asked for.

Her cries of excitement grew louder, her body moving faster against his as she used the couch for leverage. Elora couldn’t always come without clit stimulation, and while he knew how this made him sound, he took it as a goddamn personal victory whenever she did.

But could you blame him? Her obvious surprise and delight when she did orgasm using just his cock made him feel like some sort of sex god.

“Ohhh,” she sighed. “Jonah, I think I might come.”

“That’s good, baby.” He tweaked her nipples, and she made a soft crow of delight, her back arching as she bounced faster.

“Feels so good,” she moaned. “I love your cock.”

He grinned. “He loves you too, little witch. Now show me how pretty you look coming all over him.”

“Yes, Jonah,” she panted.

Fuck, he was barely hanging on by a thread here. The slick slide of her pussy, its tight grip around his dick, had him on the verge of coming. He fucked Elora harder, wrapping his arm around her waist and holding her tight against him as he drove up into her over and over.

Just as he could no longer hold back, Elora made a loud cry, and her pussy clamped around his cock as she climaxed. He shouted her name and came hard, pumping into her over and over as the pleasure washed over him.

She collapsed against his chest, her hair sticking to his face and chest, her cheeks flushed, and her body quivering.

“Christ, that was good,” she whispered.

“So good.” He kissed her temple and held her closer when she tried to sit up. “Not yet, baby.”

She relaxed against him, tracing small circles on his chest with the tip of her finger. “You’re the only guy I’ve ever been able to have an orgasm with from sex alone.”

He kissed her temple again. “I like making you feel good.”

She sat up a little and smiled at him. “You make me happy, Jonah, and not just because of the incredible orgasms.”

“You make me happy, too, little witch,” he said, his voice low and intimate.

They stared at each other, the air between them charged with an energy that Jonah could almost taste. God, he loved her so much, and knowing he could never have anything more than this with her was killing him. Some day, she’d grow tired of the friends with benefits and move on, and he’d be left alone to mourn her.

Scarily attuned to his emotions, Elora touched his cheek and said, “What’s wrong?”

He forced a smile and sat her up on his lap. “Nothing’s wrong. We should hop in the shower and then get to the Thai place before you faint from hunger.”

“Yeah, okay,” she said, giving him a troubled look.

He made his smile more natural and said, “But don’t be getting handsy with me in the shower like you usually do, lady. I need fuel if you expect me to continue to service you sexually.”

She laughed and gently bonked her forehead against his. “I’ll be on my best behaviour.”