Page 10 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Moonlight (Midlife Menace #2)
“Oh.” I did my best to keep the hurt from my voice. “Well, then, I’ll just wish you a good night.”
He made a face. “Okay.”
So I couldn’t wish him a good night, either? Too bad. I wouldn’t be able to sleep without checking on my son. Maybe one day he’d appreciate those little moments. What I wouldn’t give to still have my parents around to wish me a good night. I fought back tears while downing the rest of my wine.
The air displaced above me as Des walked into the house. Knowing Puffy followed Des everywhere gave me comfort that my son was never alone.
Ric loudly cleared his throat. “He’s growing up. We can’t coddle him forever.”
“He’s twelve, not twenty.” I glared over at Ric, not liking the censure in his voice. “You said you’d take him to a ruggel game?”
He leaned back in his chair, running a finger along the rim of his goblet. “After things settle down.”
“Oh.” I didn’t bother masking my aggravation as I asked, “And when were you going to tell me?” I paused, heaving a breath. “His mother .”
Was I blowing things out of proportion? Maybe.
Did I deserve his scorn after immobilizing him?
Absolutely. But that didn’t excuse Ric criticizing my mothering skills.
Des was my child. I had a right to be consulted before Ric promised to take him to a public event, and not just because of Des’s safety, but because of his sensory issues with crowds.
It wouldn’t be as simple as going to a game.
The lion flashed in Ric’s eyes. “I was going to tell you.”
He should’ve told me before promising to take Des, but I decided to keep that part to myself, as I’d become very aware of the uneasy silence at the table.
Frederica loudly cleared her throat. “Conde Romero, what was it like to play ruggel for the pros?”
He gave a snort, waving her off with his goblet. “I told you to call me Ric, and my ruggel days were many decades ago.”
“Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!” Shu waved his hand, like he was a primary student vying for the teacher’s attention.
When we gave him curious looks, he blurted, “He was the best ruggel player in the world. They called him the Skull Crusher.”
Ethyl’s hands flew to her mouth, her eyes turning an alarmed violet. “Skull Crusher?”
“On the field.” Shu leaned toward us, his eyes alight with mischief. “Off the field, the ladies called him Tongue Thrasher.”
“Goddess,” I breathed. Yeah, he had an amazing tongue. I just hadn’t realized the rest of the female striga population knew it too.
“Does he live up to his name, Luci?” Ethyl asked, her eyes shifting to a mischievous green.
“Ethyl!” I scolded.
“Of course, he does.” Shu laughed. “Why do you think she was moaning earlier?”
Thank the Goddess Des had left the table. I didn’t have the courage to look at Ric as I sank in my seat. “We should change the subject,” I mumbled.
“Yeah, save it for the bedroom.” Shu elbowed my side. “Right, Luci?”
I winced, sinking lower while rubbing my temples. Why did they have to talk about this, especially when things were so awkward between Ric and me? “I have a headache.”
Ric gulped down the rest of his wine before pushing back from the table. “Maybe we should retire.”
“Good idea.” I abruptly stood, wobbling a little when the alcohol swirled in my skull.
“Good night,” I said to everyone, stiffly moving past Ric as he pulled out my chair.
He latched on to my arm, steadying me while leading me toward the door.
At least he remembered to play the gentleman in front of everyone.
I had a feeling the act would cease once we reached our room.
“Good night, Luci,” Ethyl called in a sing-song voice. “Tongue Thrasher!”
I winced at that, knowing the only thrashing I’d be getting tonight would be the kind where I would be forced to profusely apologize, and though I was sorry for my actions, I was also irritated by my boyfriend’s refusal to consult me in decisions about our future.
Colin had also refused to treat me as an equal partner, and I wasn’t about to put up with that again, no matter that Ric was incredibly sexy, rich, and amazing in bed.
Tongue Thrasher was an understatement! Goddess, I must’ve gone certifiably crazy to even think about giving all that up. I sure in hex hoped that this wasn’t the beginning of the end of our relationship.
I DIDN’T LIKE THE WIDENING chasm of silence that stretched between us as Ric walked me to our room or the deepening well of tension as he wordlessly slipped out of his evening jacket and handed it to his ghost servant.
I hadn’t had enough opportunity to savor how handsome he’d looked tonight, with his long hair slicked back in a queue and his short beard neatly trimmed.
Too bad we were still angry with each other, because his feline pheromones ignited a fire in me that only he could put out.
I tried not to be distracted by the tempting piece of beast flesh getting naked in front of me. My tongue practically hit the floor when he took off his shirt and unbuttoned his pants. Goddess, it’s getting hot in here.
Speaking of tongues...
“Tongue Thrasher?” I blurted, hoping to end the awkward silence.
“That was a long time ago. I was a horny young athlete then,” he said while slipping into long pajama pants and a thick night robe, cinching the waist tight and concealing all that delicious golden-tan skin.
He might as well have hung up a strobe light flashing, YOU’RE NOT GETTING LAID TONIGHT, LUCI!
“Hmm.” I heaved a sigh. The more I thought about that stun spell, the more guilty I felt.
I hadn’t liked it very much when Gus had used a stun spell on me the day he and his goons had arrested Ric.
In fact, I’d been terrified and furious.
And then I went ahead and used that same spell on my boyfriend.
What the hex was wrong with me? I’d acted too rashly while refusing to listen to Ric’s warning that my plan might backfire.
And holy dragon balls, had it ever backfired!
WitchTok was probably abuzz with videos poking fun at me, though oddly enough, I didn’t care about that anymore.
I was more concerned with how I’d royally hexed my relationship with Ric.
Ric went to a small server at the other end of the room and poured himself another glass of wine, his shoulders still taut for someone who’d already downed almost an entire bottle. “There’s only one witch I want to thrash now,” he grumbled, tossing back the entire glass in a few gulps.
Nervous laughter escaped my throat. “A good kind of thrash or a bad one?”
I shrank back, oddly terrified and turned on when he stalked toward me with all the deadly finesse of a predatory feline. “What would’ve happened if the demons or mercenaries had found us while I was under your stun spell?”
I resisted the urge to grab the wand in my pocket. “I thought the wards here were strong.”
He stopped within inches of me, his booming voice shaking my bones. “What would’ve happened?!”
“I-I would’ve protected us,” I stammered, less sure of myself by the moment. I should’ve begged for his forgiveness, promising him I’d never stun him again. Instead, my stubbornness won out, and I turned up my chin, refusing to let him intimidate me.
As his nostrils flared, I had the uneasy feeling he was smelling my fear, and probably also my untimely desire. I clenched my thighs together. Why did I have to get horny at the worst times? It was like his pheromones were my own personal sex crack.
“Would you have? Even if you’d been overrun by demons?” He let out a low, deep rumble that reminded me too much of “the purr.” You know, the thing he did with his tongue that turned me to putty.
Damn if my traitorous body didn’t react. I felt like a gnome caught between a cat’s paws as I gaped up at him. “Uh-huhhh,” I drawled, hardly aware of what I was saying. Get ahold of your libido, Luci!
He took a step back and loudly cleared his throat as his nostrils flared again, and I knew he smelled my desire. How mortifying!
“’Cause I can tell you what would’ve happened,” he continued, the anger in his words deflating like a popped balloon. “They would’ve killed me and your friends and taken you and Des hostage.”
“I’m sorry I stunned you,” I blurted. It wasn’t just my vag talking for me, even though she didn’t want to ruin the good thing she had going with Ric’s tongue.
I had time to think about my actions. I’d acted too rashly and felt like a bucket of troll dung for stunning him after all he’d done for us.
He grabbed my shoulders, desperation flaring in his eyes. “You will never use your wand on me again.”
The deep tenor in his words rolled through me like a clap of thunder, compelling me to obey.
Why did I feel trapped by his gaze, his scent, his warmth? Was he entrancing me? I felt like someone else was speaking for me as I gaped up at him. “I won’t, even though you wouldn’t have let me make that video if I hadn’t stunned you.”
“Hell, no, I wouldn’t have let you make that video!” He released my shoulders as if I was infected with Sprite Syphilis. “Look at the mess you’ve made of things!”
Whatever trance he’d had on me popped, my libido with it. “You are a condescending dragon’s ass, you know that?”
“Your actions affect all of us, Luci. All of us.” He paced the floor like a caged lion, fur sprouting along his arms and face as his voice dropped lower with each word.
“It’s my job to keep you safe, and I can’t do my job when you make decisions without me.
” He stopped, turning on me with an accusatory glare. “When you immobilize me!”
“You want me to include you in decisions? I didn’t even know where we were going until we got here.” I motioned toward the balcony doors leading to the freaking amazing view and the sound of waves crashing on the shore.
His upper lip twitched. “Is there something wrong with my island?”