Sixpence & Whiskey Read online

  “Your sisters won’t be declaring bear season over what happened last night, will they?”

  I shake my head. “For Jett, it’s always bear season, handsome. You have about as much shot there as Georg has of putting a ring on my finger.” I wave my middle one at him merrily. “Let’s just say, you get him to leave me the fuck alone, I’ll make sure they leave you all the fuck alone, all right?”

  He rolls those massive shoulders, looking pensive. “If it were up to me… But it is not. And Georg is not reasonable where you are concerned. He worries about you.” He studies me from under heavy black brows. “Would it be so terrible to be his queen? You’re friends. I know you care about him, Seph, even if you’re pissed right now. It’s a good match. You would want for nothing. And you would be safe with us.”

  I frown at this, thinking it an odd choice of words, as I am perfectly capable of keeping myself safe. At least when stupid bruins aren’t bribing near-gods to kidnap me and flash-freeze my magic. I’m not as strong as my sisters, but I’m not a goddamn wimp either. Then I remind myself: shifter. They think that way. Very he-man, or he-animal. Something very phallic, anyway.

  Stephen’s message is sincere though, so I answer it in kind.

  “It’s not gonna happen, okay? Georg deserves someone who wants him more than I do. Do us all a favor and make him see that, Stephen.” I clear my throat before dropping into my chair, which at least is nice and warm now. Shifters. They run hot.

  “Fine. I will try, when I find him. If you tell your sister that the next time we meet …I’ll not be the one taken from behind.” There is a devilish gleam in his eyes.

  I blink, then choke as the double-meaning hits me. “You really want me to put it like that?”

  He winks. “Yeah, Seph. Exactly like that.”

  “Okie dokie.” My sister is going to eat him for dinner and hang his pelt on her wall. “Hey, how’d you get in here anyway?” I ask before he clears the doorway.

  Stephen turns with a smile, a slow curving of what I belatedly realize is a very sensual mouth. Suddenly, I’m worried for Jett—and a tiny bit thrilled. This could be fun to watch.

  “Family secret.” His departing growl makes me grin before some much-needed whiskey hits my lips.

  6

  The woods are bright green, summer in full force. One of the sweet spots in the year, too early for massive bugs, late enough for actual warmth. The smell is heavenly, but not as heavenly as the feel of him beside me. Every time I get a glimpse of Jack through my lashes, it sends a thrill straight into my gut, and lower.

  I can’t help smiling like a loon, which is why I don’t look up very often. I always try for chill, but Jack can unravel that with a glance. He doesn’t seem to mind my occasional derpy-ness though. In fact, I think he finds it endearing, which is sealing my fate. I’m falling for him.

  Hell, I think I already went splat.

  Hand in hand, we trudge down the trail. A surprise, he’d said when he’d called me earlier. And then he’d made me risk running back into the house to grab a swimsuit.

  I love Jack’s surprises. My favorite so far was the motorcycle ride to Two Harbors for my birthday, tucked against his broad back, the bike and his body between my legs. It was much better than the couple of times he’s taken me on the wind. Jack travels that way a lot, but it makes me want to hurl. The bike, though, that was fun…and hot.

  That trip was over a month ago. I shiver and Jack glances over, eyes narrowing at my instant blush. I’m ridiculously shy with him, but it’s his own damn fault. Jack takes moving slow to a whole ’nother level.

  He’s kissed me, sure—just never as much as I would like. Kissing Jack is an experience I can’t imagine ever getting enough of. But he never does anything else. I know he’s weirded out by the difference in our ages. Hel-lo, me fucking too! I’m with a guy who existed long before I was a speck in anyone’s eye. Or even before my mother was, which in my case, is saying something.

  Speaking of which, my mother would bind my magic and lock me in my room for the next century if she knew who I was seeing, but I don’t give a shit about any of that. I just want him. Truth is, this man makes me a bit nuts. In every way.

  I thought that after my birthday Jack might get down to business, since I’m officially legal now, but no go.

  “What’re you thinking of, princess?” he asks, a teasing bite to his tone.

  I sigh and give him a sidelong look. “Nothing that would interest you. Apparently.”

  He looks away, but his lips twitch and I know he caught the jab. But he doesn’t respond.

  Typical. Getting any sort of a rise out of Jack, har har, is pretty tough. He’s mellow to the extreme around me, though occasionally I see something in his frosty eyes. Something dark and cool that makes my heart both stutter and race.

  “Well now, that is beautiful.” I stop short at the view behind Jack.

  The Lester River area is always awesome. A tangled woodland beauty that rambles through east Duluth in a maze of waterfalls and swimming holes, the most memorable of which is probably the Deeps, a cliff-diving paradise off Seven Bridges Road that’s haunted June to August by college kids and families alike. But the scene in front of us is more than nature, it’s magic. I can feel it in my bones. The river jumps off a perfectly smooth lip of stone, falling in ruffled sheets to a pool of deep emerald green rimmed by quiet pines that sway in the breeze.

  “That,” I point below, “is not real. Who’d you bribe for the illusion?”

  “It’s not an illusion. It’s real. For today anyway.” He shrugs at my frown, pulling my suit from his backpack and pointing to a huge tree. “Go change.”

  I take my suit from his outstretched hand and follow orders. “How’d you pull off the magic?” I call.

  Jack’s powerful as holy fuck, but even he can’t change a summer forest like this.

  “The sylphs like me.”

  “Do they now?” I peek at him from behind the tree and almost fall over.

  He’s bare-assed, without a goddamn stitch, bending over his backpack and rummaging for his swim trunks.

  What’s not to like?

  The man is pure deliciousness in human form. He’s powerfully built, but lithe. Taut strength flows in long, corded lines, thicker through his upper arms and the wide muscles of his upper back. Tanned skin just a shade lighter than walnut, smooth and flawless, covers all, except where it’s marked with ink.

  Those wicked tattoos ripple as he flexes both arms, indecipherable runes and patterns curling around biceps that make me lean my cheek against the tree, mouth half open, not even feeling the rough bark. Those wide, wide shoulders taper down and my eyes follow helplessly. He has dimples right above the hard curves of his ass. Dimples.

  Dear god, I think I’m melting.

  I duck back around the tree as he straightens, trying to not to pant like some horn-dog Peeping Tom.

  I’m never seen a man naked in the flesh. Masculinity is in short supply around my house, so there’s never been the accidental sightings I’ve heard about growing up from other friends.

  I’m glad my first peek is of Jack, but holy shit, my eyes will never be the same. I finish putting on my suit in a daze. Trying to pull myself together. Trying not to imagine what he looks like from the front bare like that…

  Oh lord, I’m gonna faint.

  Jack raises an eyebrow when I finally emerge. “You all right, princess?”

  My eyes immediately focus on the dark line of hair licking over the ridges of his abdomen, disappearing under the navy trunks tied low on his hips.

  “Yeah, just a little…hot.” My voice is way too breathless. Jack doesn’t seem to notice, giving me an almost cursory once over before walking hastily to the edge of the small cliff.

  “Exactly why we’re here.” His voice sounds funny.

  I glance down at my suit, wondering what the problem is as I follow him. The candy-apple red bikini is pretty sweet, if I do say so myself. Of course, I spill out o
f it, like I do most things. With a sigh, I yank the material down over my ass once, then give up. Why fight economics? It’s simple supply and demand; my ass demands more fabric, but it’s always in short fucking supply.

  Jack glances up when I stand next to him, that something in his eyes again. My hands clench at my sides, but before I can drive myself crazy trying to guess what he’s thinking, I’m in his arms. “Stop worrying, Seph.”

  I suck in air so fast, I squeak. He laughs, tightening his hold.

  “I’m not worried,” I snap, startled into being too honest, “I just wondered if you’re ever gonna kiss me again.”

  He doesn’t look surprised. Those thick brown lashes lower a fraction and I swear the color in his eyes deepens. “Always so impatient, princess. Good things come to those who wait,” he whispers. “Or hadn’t you heard?”

  “Who told you your kisses are any good?” I retort, trying not to squirm in his arms. God, he feels amazing. All that sun-warmed skin pressed against mine is making it hard to focus.

  “Were they mistaken?” His lips brush mine and I lose the thread of our conversation.

  “Hmmm?”

  His soft chuckle breaks through the fog, but before I can think up a reply, it’s too late. I’m being ruthlessly kissed. And I do mean ruthlessly.

  The feel of his mouth always takes my breath away, but this time it’s more. Jack’s always been controlled, almost a little deliberate when he takes my mouth. It’s incredibly frustrating and hot as hell. All that cool experience tempering my wild impatience. But now he’s kissing me like the kid gloves are coming off at last.

  He nips my lower lip, and I gasp, clinging to those broad shoulders, his muscles bunched and tight under my hands. When his tongue slides into my mouth, my knees buckle and my nails dig into hard, warm flesh. He tastes fiery and smooth at the same time, like spiced wine. I’m greedy for more.

  We’ve never kissed with so little between us. It’s doing...things to me. His bare skin under my fingers, the way his big hand slips into my hair, cupping the back of my neck, forcing me to my toes. The way his thighs brush mine, making my stomach do these weird flips inside.

  Whimpering, I try to press closer, but Jack pulls away. There’s a storm in his eyes now and the sight of it makes me a little scared. I can almost hear the air crackling between us, as if lightning is going to strike at any moment.

  Then he smiles. God, that smile.

  “Last one in is a rotten egg.” With one hand, he shoves me off the cliff. The free fall is over almost before I can register it, my scream swallowed by shockingly cold water that closes over my head like icy green silk. Sputtering, I surface just in time to see Jack slice through the water next to me.

  I flip him off when he surfaces. “Guess this means you’re the rotten one, eh?”

  “To the core,” he whispers in my ear, his breath hot against my chilled skin. Then he’s diving again. So deep, I can just see the sinuous shadow of him below me in the dark-green tones of the pool. I try to kick away, but I’m too slow.

  Strong fingers coil around my ankle and yank me under, pulling me to the waterfall as I sputter and kick at him, laughing so hard I almost choke.

  “Let me go, Jack, dammit!”

  He ignores my protests, drawing me under the torrent, the force of the water shutting my mouth and closing my eyes, burying me in a cascade of bubbles and froth.

  When I open them again, we’re in a small cave and Jack’s telling me to stand. The water is only about waist high on him, which on me is right under my boobs. The roar of the falls is oddly muted here. The cave walls slope in a too-perfect curve, covered thickly with moss like green velvet, blooming with flowers in gold and blue that leave a soft lily-like fragrance in the air.

  The waterfall is a frothy silver curtain, sealing in the rippling light that dances in time with the rhythm of the water. Sound is oddly muted here, soft and hushed, like an abandoned temple. I catch my breath, it’s so damn beautiful.

  The sylphs did good.

  Jack watches as I pivot, my eyes trailing from detail to detail. He says nothing when I finally circle back to face him. His arms are folded over his chest, his expression unreadable. He doesn’t ask if I like it, because the answer is obvious. But I know he can read the question on my face. Why?

  Oh, he’s gone out of his way to please me more than once, but this is over the top—and that’s not really his style. Jack’s all about the laid back.

  He never tries too hard, he doesn’t have to.

  I frown as a thought hits. Nah. But that kiss earlier…

  Something arch takes hold of me. My heart starts to pound. I raise an eyebrow and glide through the water.

  “Are you finally going to seduce me, Jack?” I say it, bemused and a little shaken at my boldness. He watches me come closer, not saying a word.

  When we’re inches apart, I lift my hand, splaying it across his broad chest. The kick of his heart is steady against my palm. His skin is damp and very warm. When I slide my hand lower, over those ridges I admired earlier, Jack flattens his hand over mine, stilling the movement. “When I decide to seduce you, princess, believe me, you’ll know it.”

  He looks suddenly angry—scary even, his jaw tightening to a blade-like sharpness. I falter, turning away, flushing. I should’ve kept my damn mouth shut.

  In the next heartbeat, his hand is cupping my cheek, gently enough it makes my eyes fill as he tips my face back up. My emotions are all over the place, my pulse racing. I want to run, but I want to stay more.

  “God damn it, Seph.”

  His lips cover mine, and I taste the water droplets there mingled with his spicy sweetness. Slowly, he turns me, so that I am facing the waterfall, kissing him over one shoulder. He pulls back enough that our lips barely brush, holding my gaze for what feels like forever.

  Slowly, Jack deepens the kiss again, making me moan, then his hands are all over me. Strong hands, slightly rough, and slick from the water.

  He runs them over my arms first, up and down, raising goose bumps. His fingers slide down to bracket my wrists as his mouth keeps me busy. He lifts them until my arms twine around his neck, my back against his naked chest. My fingertips run over his nape into the silky-wet heaviness of his hair. My breasts are ridiculously prominent now, thrusting up and out. They feel so heavy, achy and hot, it almost hurts.

  I wriggle, trying to ease the sensation, which only makes the damn things bounce and drives my craving for his touch up another notch. I barely resist stomping my foot in frustration. Jack laughs softly against my mouth, then his tongue slides against mine, hot and carnal. A distraction I can’t resist.

  When his fingertips finally brush the underside of my breasts, I gasp, going straight to my toes, arching like a cat begging for an itch to be scratched. And oh boy, do I have one hell of an itch.

  My nipples jut against the wet fabric of my suit, hard and swollen. His hands cup me, using just the right amount of pressure to drive me mad, teasing and squeezing. When his thumbs slide over those hardened tips at last, a choked cry rings out, echoing in the cave. It startles me, even though it came from my own damn throat.

  Jack makes a noise like a growl in return, a dangerous, male sound that makes my insides clench.

  His hips cup my ass, his erection hard and obvious, branding me with its heat. I can’t breathe, struggling with this growing weight inside me. This need.

  God, this is what it’s like. This is why women lose their goddamn minds over men. Because this feeling, it’s …

  Maddening.

  I swear I’d do anything he wanted in that moment, and that knowledge both terrifies and exhilarates me. Jack slides one hand from my breasts to the water between my legs.

  “Open to me, Seph,” he orders, his low voice melding with the cadence of the falling water, pushing my panic down, down and away. My thighs part of their own fucking will.

  Between my legs his hand moves against me. My knees buckle at the wash of sensation created by t
he pressure of his palm against my core. I whimper, turning my face into the warmth of his throat. With a harsh oath, he tugs the material of my bikini aside.

  “Jack,” My voice is soft and high, a veritable whine. “What’re you doing?”

  “You wanted seduced, princess,” he whispers in my ear. “Request granted.”

  My head falls back against his chest as his fingers slide against my center. I feel weightless, one with the water and air, but at the same time, full of fucking fire and earth and greed.

  I’ve touched myself, of course; many, many times. But it’s nothing to what his touch does to me. I swear I’d float away if it weren’t for his hold anchoring me to earth.

  He watches my face as his fingertips work me, as if he’s memorizing the exact pressure it takes to make me arch again, the subtle swirl that pulls a whimpering gasp from my lips, the precise rhythm that drives me to beg.

  Those grey-green eyes swallow me up, sucking all the light from the cave and turning dark as he pushes my body over the edge, just like he pushed me off that cliff…

  With a gasp, I wake up and snap to my feet, before swaying hard. My hands slap down on my desk, my arms taking the weight my trembling legs can’t hold. Dear fucking god in heaven. I hate my head.

  It just had to go there.

  I grab the whiskey and take a shot straight from the bottle, before wiping my mouth with a shaking hand. Once again, it occurs to me that I am not alone.

  This time there’s a goddamn gnome in my office.

  7

  “Looked like quite the dream.” Brown eyes sparkle as the gnome shifts in his seat.

  “Ugh. Just ugh, Merry.”

  He chortles. “Kind of early for a nap.”

  “Why didn’t you wake me up then, goddamn it?”

  He cocks his head, giving me an are you for real look that reminds me no matter how small he is, Merry is all male. “I should think that was obvious. Besides, I was rather hoping you’d finish.” He eyes me in apparent fascination. “I wasn’t aware women could have wet dreams.”