Page 6 of Sugar, Spice, and Magical Moonlight (Midlife Menace #2)

“Sheesh!” Shu shot up. “The duties of a fairy godfather never end.” He snapped his fingers, and a pitcher of strawberry margaritas appeared on the table beside us, as well as five long-stemmed margarita glasses.

There was also what appeared to be a strawberry smoothie with a fat straw.

Des must’ve known it was a virgin strawberry margarita for him, as he jumped to his feet with a hoot and snatched the drink off the table.

He thanked Shu, who acknowledged my son with a nod.

An outsider would’ve thought Shu was being rude, but he and my son had their own language.

At least, Shu had his own language when dealing with my son, reminding me of an ’80s teen brat who was trying to earn Breakfast Club points.

Ethyl fluttered to her feet and poured everyone margaritas. “Thanks, Shu.”

“You’re welcome.” He leaned back in his chair, slathering baby oil all over his arms. “Now, buzz off while I work on my tan.”

Des returned to the house to negotiate with the gnomes.

Ric swam to my steps and knelt in front of me, his mouth suspiciously close to my secret sweet spot. If the others weren’t here, I would’ve already smashed his face between my legs.

“We should ask Shu for some of that baby oil,” I whispered.

Ric waggled his brows. “You don’t need it, mi amor .”

Ethyl snorted aloud, which meant she’d been listening to our conversation. Nosy little pixie.

AFTER WE HAD A DELICIOUS lunch of ceviche with ripe avocados by the pool, Des needed some decompression time to play video games in his room, so Ric and I stole the opportunity to take that “nap.” I admit, I was tired from almost getting killed by murderous witches, plus those two orgasms (though they didn’t count), and then baking all afternoon in the sun.

I carried my melty margarita while Ric led me up the marble stairs to his bedroom suite, which was even more lavish than his bedroom in New Mexico.

The bathroom was a suite in itself, with two separate toilet closets, sinks, vanities, and wardrobes on either end with a massive walk-through shower with pulsating nozzles, rain-heads, and doors on either end with a hot tub in the middle.

I loved that Ric didn’t act like a douchebag, despite his incredible wealth.

In fact, if I hadn’t seen his beautiful homes, I wouldn’t have known he was loaded.

I suspected his wealth put Colin’s parents’ money to shame, and yet he didn’t flaunt it.

One more reason I adored him. So, what was with my second thoughts ever since I’d agreed to be his girlfriend?

Was I just determined to sabotage the best thing that had come into my life since Des?

There was a term for people who deliberately destroyed perfectly wonderful relationships—dumbasses.

“You okay, mi amor ?”

I looked up at Ric, not realizing that we’d come to a standstill in the middle of his bedroom, our hands entwined, our breaths mingling as I pressed against his big, hard body.

Heavy drapes had been drawn over the terrace doors, and the room was aglow in soft, yellow candlelight, though I’d walked into a bright room with open doors.

No doubt, Ric had used magic to set the mood for that “nap.” Ric had disposed of my melty margarita, and a bottle of wine and two glasses sat on the table beside the bed.

“Sorry.” I pressed against his chest, relishing in his warmth. “A lot on my mind.”

He tenderly stroked my back. “Care to share?”

Share with him that I’d gone certifiably crazy and was having second thoughts about our relationship? I wasn’t that stupid. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I let myself get lost in the depths of his feline eyes. “I’d rather you make me forget.”

Was I horribly selfish for thinking of ending our relationship and, in the same breath, wanting Ric to make love to me?

Or was this a normal part of dating? Then again, nothing about our relationship was normal, and I decided to give myself some grace, considering the tremendous pressure I’d been under this past month.

I didn’t fight Ric when he led me to the big, comfy bed and helped me strip out of my bathing suit, tossing it to the floor. I was relieved when it didn’t float away, which meant the ghosts were gone. Hopefully.

I crawled under the silky covers that felt like cool water running over my skin and helped myself to a few fortifying sips of wine while trying to push negative thoughts from my head.

Ric tossed back several gulps of wine, then removed his shorts, his anaconda springing free and jutting toward me like a spear.

Goddess, I still couldn’t believe how big he was.

Considering he was part lion, I wasn’t surprised that he was hung, but his dick needed its own zip code.

When he climbed into bed beside me, his erection turned our covers into a tent.

How did he keep that thing up without a dozen dicker uppers and an air compressor?

And how had I ever enjoyed sex with Colin, who didn’t even need a compact tire pump to inflate his bite-sized boner?

Ric tenderly traced my collarbone with the tips of his fingers. “You know I’m here for you if you need to talk.”

But I didn’t want to talk and face emotions I was trying to repress. “I do.” I threaded my fingers through his silky hair and nibbled on his neck, loving the taste of his salty skin. “Thank you.”

He dug thick fingers into my back. “I won’t let anything happen to you and Des, mi amor .”

Me and Des. I couldn’t forget how much Ric cared about my son.

For that, I would be indebted to him forever.

His dedication to my son made me feel as worthless as a bucket of troll dung for having second thoughts about our relationship.

I didn’t deserve him. “I know. I appreciate everything you’ve done for us. ”

His low purr heated my skin as he nuzzled my neck. “It’s my pleasure to take care of you.”

And there it was. He wanted to take care of me, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

Colin had wanted to take care of me, too, to the point where I had no life other than waiting on him.

He’d tried so hard to dissuade me from opening the bakery, saying he didn’t want to compete with pastries for my time.

It wasn’t a surprise that Colin only cared about himself.

It was unfair of me to compare Ric to Colin, but I wondered what Ric would say when I insisted on going back to the bakery.

Would he try to stop me because he didn’t want to compete for my time?

Or was I overthinking this, and Ric was nothing more than an amazing guy who wanted to protect me?

I clung to him when his lips found mine, forcing tumultuous thoughts from my mind.

Ric cared for me, and I cared for him. Nothing more.

No reason to project my insecurities from my failed marriage onto this wonderful shifter.

When he rolled me onto my back, trailing hot kisses across my breasts and abdomen, I released all my worries with a sigh.

And when his mouth found my mound, drawing long, lazy circles around my tender spot, his feline purr shaking me to my core, I thought of nothing but the maddening desire pulsing through me and the need for him to never, ever stop.

I dug my fingers into his scalp as each stroke of his tongue brought me closer to release.

By the time he crawled between my legs, I was so ready for his girth, my chest heaving with each breath as he drove deep inside me and slid out with agonizing slowness.

I clawed at his back, my ankles crossed at his round buttocks, my hips thrusting to meet his while I strained for that pinnacle.

We quickly found a familiar rhythm, and I felt warm and safe in his arms, so perfectly right.

This was what I wanted, what I needed. I cupped his face, drawing him in for a heat-searing kiss while wishing we could remain suspended in this blissful moment forever.

His tongue dove into my mouth, stroking my tongue with erotic abandon and bringing me closer to release.

As he quickened his pace, I couldn’t hold back the flood of ecstasy that overwhelmed me, sweeping me under its tide, my powerful orgasm gripping his length and milking him as he stilled with a groan. Goddess, I’d died and found nirvana.

But my virile Latin lover wasn’t finished with me, his length still hard inside me as he kissed and toyed with my breasts until I was ready for more.

How could I have ever doubted I belonged anywhere but in Ric’s arms?

His tender lovemaking didn’t just drive away my doubts.

He made me believe in a whole new kind of magic, and maybe that was the root of my worries.

I was afraid of falling in love with him.