Constant Cravings (12 page)

I ignored him and started unbuckling his belt.

“Cold doesn’t affect me the same way, but you’ll freeze,” he said.

I pressed myself against him, pulling him down for a kiss. “Not if you keep me this hot.”

It was true. Liam opened his shirt and the instant I touched his bare skin I no longer felt the cold. I’d never been an exhibitionist and had no plans to start. However, I didn’t care if anyone saw us or not. The alley was clean and narrow. Most of the cars parked in front of Red covered the entrance fairly well. The odds of us being seen were slim anyway.

The fire escape was lowered near where we stood and Liam tossed his coat over one rung of the ladder. When he looked down at me I knew I was seeing him as he truly was. He didn’t use a glamour to hide the obvious difference in his appearance. But he did block the full effect of his beauty when he stood in the rain. Until now. For the first time I felt the extent of his power as I ran my hands over his body in reverence.

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I pulled off my coat and sweater, tossing them over the ladder as I turned back to him. His eyes flashed bright and I realized then it was his elemental powers that caused them to do so. It was as if the lightning he used before was barely contained beneath the surface.

I pushed him playfully and he hit the wall again. Rain cascaded down his body, completely saturating his shirt, making it cling to him.

“How are you going to get out of those pants?” he teased.

I took a step back, smiling at his challenge. “Watch me.” I unzipped my pants and pulled the wet vinyl down to my hips. Next, I turned so that Liam could see and bent over, reaching for the backs of my knees, giving him a good view of my ass. Simultaneously I slid down the zippers at the backs of my legs.

“Clever,” he said.

I turned back to him. “This way I don’t have to take off my boots.” I peeled the wet vinyl from my legs and Liam let out a growl worthy of a werewolf.

“You like?” I ran a finger underneath the string of my red lace thong. Besides my bra and stiletto boots, that’s all I was wearing.

“I love it.”

“I let Nym pick it out.”

He gave me a slow, side-of-the-mouth grin. “He’s so bad.” As I moved back to where Liam stood, I put my boot flat against the wall beside him. It was a deliberately provocative move and I felt powerful as I watched his reaction. He licked his lips, bringing my attention back to that full, perfect pout of his.

When I reached my hand inside his pants his sharp intake of breath was almost as exciting as the swell of his cock.

“You’re so big,” I moaned.

I felt his smile as he pressed a kiss against my face. “You say that like you haven’t seen it before.”

My laugh was throaty and full of desire as I continued to stroke him. “I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to it.”

I finished unzipping his pants and pulled them down to mid-thigh. “I don’t have any protection,” he said.

“Is there anything contagious about you besides your sex appeal?”

“No.”

I knelt in front of him as I continued to stroke the length of his shaft. “Then when you’re about to come, I want you to pull out.”

My words seemed to make his eyes burn brighter and when I took him in my mouth I thought sparks might fly from his gaze. He held onto the wall, his cries barely audible above the rain as I sucked him.

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I enjoyed watching him and reveled in the way his eyes rolled back when I licked the rain from his shaft. My lips stretched tight around him as I moved. Liam ran his fingers through my wet hair and guided his cock in and out of my mouth.

“Please,” he begged. “I can’t take any more.”

I liked hearing him beg for me, but I liked the feel of his thick cock even more. I used the ladder for leverage, putting one leg on the second rung as I wrapped my other leg around Liam’s waist. He pulled me to him and as I wrapped both legs around him, he turned so that my back was against the wall.

He pulled the thin panties aside and when he thrust into me I screamed. He paused and I could read the question in his eyes.

“I’m fine. Don’t stop.”

He moved slowly in and out. The rain splashed our bodies and thunder rumbled as he pumped my soaking pussy. Just the feel of his thick cock spreading me open was enough to almost make me come. I ached with the need for release. It seemed I’d needed him so long and now that I had him I was incapable of taking my time. When Liam reached between us, he barely touched my clit and I came.

I cried out as he thrust into me again and my muscles clamped tight around him.

“It’s too much,” he said, his voice strained. “I’ve got to pull out.” He withdrew from me and I clung to him as he held his cock between our bodies, turning slightly to the side, and came amid the downpour of rain. His cries of release were lost in another clap of thunder. He lowered me to the ground and we stood there for a few seconds, gasping for breath.

“I’d be so flattered if you told me that performance was for my benefit.” I jumped at the sound of Nym’s voice. We both turned to see him standing at the entrance to the alley just a few feet away. Liam stepped in front of me and passed me his coat.

“How sweet,” Nym teased. “It doesn’t bother you that your dick is hanging out, but you try to protect her modesty.” He laughed and gave his leopard print umbrella a twirl. “No need really. I’ve already seen the show. Nice dick though.” Liam sighed as he pulled up his pants. “You know, I don’t even care why you’re here at this point. Let’s just get Luna out of this freezing rain before she catches pneumonia.”

The rain didn’t feel freezing yet, but I knew it soon would. I guessed the delay was somehow connected to Liam’s magic. The situation was too comical for me to be offended at Nym’s remarks. Not that I would’ve been otherwise. It takes a lot to offend me.

“I do actually have something important to share,” Nym said. “I looked for you in the club and when Luther said you’d already left I figured you couldn’t have gone far without your car.”

“So you looked down the first dark alley?” I said, laughing.

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Nym shrugged. “It’s where I’d take a hot fae with all these werewolf pheromones in the air. The orgasm would be amazing.”

Nym wasn’t wrong in his assumption.

I pulled Liam’s coat tightly around me and stepped forward to put my arm around Nym’s waist. As soon as I touched the elf’s warm body I realized how cold I really was.

My teeth began to chatter as Liam said, “Your place is closest, Luna. Is it all right if we all go there?”

I nodded. At this point the very thought of my fireplace (and how far I was from it) made me shiver again.

“I’ll take her in my car,” Nym said. “I’ve got a blanket.” Liam gathered the rest of my clothes in his arms and motioned for us to hurry.

“It’s the remnant of winter fairy in his blood that keeps the cold from whomever he’s touching,” Nym explained as he held the door for me.

He hurried around and got behind the wheel. “Since you’re not touching him anymore, let me turn up the heat.”

“Nym,” I said, my teeth chattering harder. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you and the pimpmobile.”
And its great heating system.

He laughed and passed me the leopard print blanket I’d teased him about earlier.

“Like I said, you never know when you’ll need a blanket.” I snuggled underneath the soft fabric and thanked him again.

“You’re not going to elaborate on what happened in the alley, are you?” he asked.

I gave him a teasing smile. “Maybe later. I think you got the basic idea. How long were you standing there?”

“Long enough.”

Nym took a few side roads that before the veil was lifted, I couldn’t see. We reached my apartment in record time. Once we were in the building, I handed Nym my keys.

My hands were shaking too badly to open the door. Just as Liam walked up behind us one of my neighbors stuck her head out. She took one look at us and her eyes widened.

Liam laughed as she closed the door and we heard the lock turn.

Once we were inside my apartment Nym propped his umbrella beside the door.

“Go get out of those clothes and I’ll make some tea,” he said.

“Elvish tea is good for everything,” Liam said sarcastically.

“It damn well prevents catching cold,” Nym countered. “Now go get dry. What I have to tell you can wait a few more minutes.” As he spoke, Nym made a shooing motion with his hands and pushed us toward the hallway.

“I’m going,” I said.

Liam followed me into the bedroom and closed the door behind us. I slid out of my wet bra and panties while he kicked off his boots beside the door.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

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“Don’t worry about it. I needed to clean the floor anyway,” I said, and moved toward the bathroom.

When he didn’t respond I turned back to him. The look in his eyes said he was referring to more than the mud on the carpet.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I may be wrong, but I think tonight’s performance was out of character for you.

That’s my fault. I’ve had these abilities my whole life and I should have blocked the effects sooner.”

I put my wet clothes in a pile and my shaking grew worse.

“What I’m trying to say is I would never want to make you do anything you would find embarrassing or—”

While he was talking I closed the distance between us and put a finger to his lips.

The warmth of his skin was in stark contrast to my frozen digit and I trembled when I touched him.

“I appreciate your concern, but you shouldn’t worry. It’s true I wouldn’t normally jump you in an alley without powerful magic to persuade me. But that’s only because on my own I lack the courage, not the desire.”

Liam wrapped me in his arms and rubbed my back, easing some of my shivers.

“Let’s get you in a hot shower.”

I stepped underneath the water and listened as Liam stripped on the other side of the curtain.

“It’s about twenty-five degrees outside, how come I don’t have hypothermia?” Steam rose from his skin as Liam joined me underneath the water and pulled me close.

“My magic blocked most of the cold.”

He kissed my forehead and for a moment his arms tightened around me. I sighed and snuggled my face against his chest.

“The rain had a much stronger impact than standing in the shower.”

“I noticed.” Sarcasm laced my reply, but it was playful.

His laughter rumbled beneath my ear. “My grandmother said there was nothing like Mother Nature putting her two cents in.”

Even though I wasn’t looking at his face I could sense the humor of the moment had passed. When he spoke again his deep voice was softer and I could feel his sadness.

“She went out in a snowstorm years ago, and didn’t think anyone would see her.

Being a winter fairy, she craved the cold. Since she believed herself to be alone, Grandmother didn’t block the effects of her power. A man caught a glimpse through his window and ran out in search of her, in his nightshirt.”

“Oh my God.”

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“He died. I’ve always been afraid of something like that happening to me. I’d never forgive myself if you were harmed.”

I pulled back to look at him but left my hands against his chest. His eyes filled with tears as he watched me and even though I could sense his pain my heart soared. In that moment I felt like I could fly. Liam cared for me.

“I know,” I said softly.

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Chapter Ten

“Marco said he could sense my ability, that I wasn’t the first empath he’d met. Is that from being with you?”

“Yes. You said before that if you were going to read for someone you had to touch them, right?”

I nodded.

“Well, I’m sure you know this, but most empaths work by touch. They can feel the emotions of others this way, even pick up some imagery associated with those feelings.”

“Well, I picked up a lot more than that from Nym.” Liam laughed. “I think you were already empathic, just not as strongly as you are now. There are all kinds of psychic abilities; some people have more than one. I believe this applies to you also, only now your empathic talents have become predominant.” This worried me a little. “What about my palm reading business? Do you think I’ll still be able to do that? Before, I got glimpses of people’s lives and bits of emotions along with it. Sometimes I saw their future or could guess their future from the pieces I saw of their past. Does that make sense?”

He nodded. “I think if anything you’ll be even better.”

“I’m glad
you
have a good understanding of all this.” His expression softened again and his eyes sparkled with a new emotion, one I couldn’t quite place.

“Don’t think about it and you’ll understand more. Empathy is instinctive, like breathing. The only invitation you need now is a touch.” With these words he put my hand on his chest.

“Feel my heart,” he whispered.

He didn’t ask me to feel his pulse, but to feel his
heart
. That was something different entirely. Emotion flowed over me, gentle as the warm shower, but devastating just the same. My heart fluttered to match the pace of his as I was swept away.

He was afraid and unashamed to let it show. Afraid that whatever got Rachel was after me as well. Frightened of an almost immortal lifespan alone, and terrified that he was falling in love with me.

I pulled back with a gasp, unsure what to say. When Liam spoke his voice was soft and filled with emotion. “Once all of this is over, I can take away your craving for me…if that’s what you want.”

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I understood then. Liam was afraid I only wanted him because of his addictive qualities. That wasn’t the case. However, before I could say otherwise Nym knocked on the door.

“The tea is ready. Unless you’d prefer me to join you in the shower?” Liam smiled. “At least he’s consistent.”

He turned off the shower and got out first, handing me a towel. I was still shivering but not nearly as much as before.