Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

Amalie's blouse came off over her head and the loosened bra along with it. She would have gasped at the suddenness of her nakedness, but it was what she wanted. What she yearned for. Billy held her gaze as his hands caressed over her bare shoulders and then slowly…so slowly…down to her breasts.

His thumbs played with her nipples as his big hands cupped her, warming her and exciting her down to her toes. He reclaimed her lips, all the while flicking her taut peaks with his talented fingers in ways that only heightened her desire. Then, he moved his lips off hers, trailing down her neck and pausing to nip gently here, then there, then lower.

Until he reached her breasts, where he lingered, laving his tongue over the excited peaks, sucking and nibbling exquisitely as her anticipation rose and rose. Then, his hands moved to the button of her jeans. She felt the warmth of his fingers as they probed inside the waistband so he could unbutton them, then he moved the zipper down, and his hands delved inside, cupping her rear as he lifted her slightly, moving the fabric of her jeans and lace panties down with one smooth move. Damn, he was good.

She squeaked when her bare buttocks came into contact with the cold stone countertop, and he raised his head to meet her gaze. She grinned at him and shook her head.

"It's cold," she complained with a laugh, and he snagged his soft, white T-shirt from off the floor.

"Lift up a bit," he said, placing her hands on his shoulders so she could use him to steady herself.

Between the two of them, he managed to spread his T-shirt under her on the counter, which made it both a little warmer, and a little…well…better for her to slide forward. Easier access, which at this point, she was all for.

"Just so you know," he said, coming back to her and claiming that place between her bare thighs as if it was his by right, "shifters only have young with their mates, so it's highly unlikely I can make you pregnant. We also don't carry diseases, so you're safe with me."

"And you are, with me," she told him, not sure if shifters could catch things from humans, but erring on the side of caution.

He smiled at her in such a way that her tummy did a flip. His hand rose to caress her cheek.

"I knew that already, sweetheart. You're a good girl, at heart. With a sexy streak that makes me burn." His voice dipped into that growly place again, and she felt it deep in her abdomen.

Damn. He was potent. She could probably come just from his talking to her in that growly, possessive tone.

"You have too many clothes on," she complained teasingly, her hands going to the button on his jeans.

He waited while she unbuttoned that top button, and she had to take a breath before sliding that zipper down, inch by inch, over the hard, hot rod of his desire. She couldn't help but stare. He was well formed and large. Make that very large.

Her dreams had been accurate in that, at least. Now, she wanted to know if he would feel as good inside her in reality as he had in the dream state. But first, she wanted to get to know the feel of him in her hands a little better. Do for him what he'd been doing for her. At least, as much as he would let her.

So far, the dreams had been proven correct. If things kept going that way, he'd stop her far too soon and turn the tables, bringing her to pleasure before he sought his own.

And just like that, he did as he had in the dreams. He stilled her hand on him and lifted it to his lips. His gaze met hers as he placed a kiss on her palm.

"Too much more of that, and this'll be over before it begins," he said, his eyes filled with both mischief and passion. It was a heady mix.

He moved closer again, and it was clear they were at a perfect height to do this right there on the kitchen counter. A first for her, but she was totally willing to give it a try. She didn't want to delay this any further. Her body was ready. Her mind had been ready since that first X-rated dream. Now, all they had to do was make it happen.

But Billy had other ideas, apparently. He pulled her closer, rubbing between her thighs as his lips claimed hers again, his tongue reigniting the flames that hadn't ever burned out. Even as his kiss went deep and her senses nearly overflowed with sensation, his fingers played with her body. Rubbing over the little nubbin at the top of her thighs that made her squirm in anticipation.

He tested her readiness, sliding one long finger within as she gasped into his kiss. She could feel the curve of his lips in a smile against hers as he drew away slightly.

"Are you sure?" he whispered, holding her gaze. His eyelids were low, sexy, his gaze exciting in itself.

"Come into me now. I don't want to wait anymore," she gasped as his fingers moved in and out in a semblance of what his cock would do in a moment, if she played her cards right.

He took her at her word, thank goodness, and removed his fingers, only to use them to guide his hardness into her core. He slid in slowly, inch by inch, alternately watching his progress and her face to make sure she was still with him. He was a big man, but her body was made for this. Made for him.

She'd examine that thought later. Much later. She'd never had such a startling idea about any man she'd been with, but Billy was proving exceptional in every way.

When they were fully joined, he paused for a moment, his hands going to her hips as he rested his forehead against hers.

"You all right?" he asked softly.

She nodded, struggling to speak. "I'm good," she assured him.

His grin widened. "I'm a lot better than good, and I'm going to make sure you are too, sweetheart. Just hang on to me. I'll take good care of you." As he spoke, he began slow thrusts in time to his words. Each sentence punctuated with an experimental slide that ended in bliss.

Her eyes closed of their own volition every few moments. She had to keep opening them to keep track of where she was. The temptation to believe this was all just one of those amazing dreams was there, but the feel of him was so real. So now. So…perfect.

The dreams had been great, but this… This was even better. At least so far.

As his thrusts went from tentative to commanding, she fell under his spell, hanging on just like he'd told her to. She felt safe with him. Protected. Almost cherished. She suspected he was going to give her the ride of her life, and he didn't disappoint.

Starting slow, then increasing his pace, he drove her passion higher. When she was making little noises on each of his thrusts, he altered the pace again and then moved slightly, and the angle was just different enough to make her cry out as he rubbed a place inside her that sent her to new heights.

Damn, he was good. The best she'd ever had. Not that she had a whole lot to compare him with, but unless shifters had some kind of special sexual mojo, Billy was truly gifted in the giving-pleasure department, in her opinion.

Eventually, she couldn't take any more. She wanted so desperately to reach the peak he kept just out of sight as he drove her into a frenzy. She clutched at his shoulders.

"Make me come, Billy," she cried as his pace increased yet again. And then, she was lost. Pleasure crashed over her in roiling waves as she came hard.

It was even better than in the dreams, and at last, she had her answer. The real-life man was so much more than the dream. The reality of Billy's lovemaking rocked her world in a way that she thought it might never be the same again.

After some of the best sex of his life, Billy wasn't sure what was supposed to happen next. He knew what he wanted to happen, but this was Amalie's turf. Her house. Her rules. Her body, of course. He couldn't go all caveman on her, no matter how much his inner lion was growling at him to do just that. He had to be a civilized lion. A civilized man.

Giving himself a silent pep talk not to grab her and take the stairs two at a time until he found a bed where he could bury himself deep in her body again for the rest of the night, he pulled out and helped her clean up. It was the civilized thing to do. He kept silent the beast that wanted to rage and claim, bottling it up and waiting to see what she would do next.

She very deliberately let the cat in for the night, locked the back door, and armed her alarm system. Then, she turned to him.

When she invited him up to her bedroom, he could have roared in joy. He followed her, loving the view of her curvy ass as she sashayed up the stairs in front of him. He probably had his tongue hanging out of his mouth like a pervert or something, but he couldn't help it. She was the sexiest woman he'd ever known, and she'd just given him a mind-blowing orgasm.

He wasn't quite sure he'd ever be the same.

Then, she went through the doorway into her bedroom, and he followed, pausing only slightly when he felt the strength of the ward on her bedroom door. Now, that wasn't normal. And it wasn't the kind of ward that just any old witch could cast. He looked at her, squinting a bit even as he grinned.

"You came loaded for bear, didn't you?" he quipped, glancing toward the door and back at her.

"A girl can't be too careful, even if she is trying to live without magic poking its proverbial nose into her life every moment of every day." She sighed a little and headed for the attached bath. "I'll be right out," she called.

He heard the water running as he took a good long look around the room. After examining the window where he'd seen her the night before, he felt the tingles of powerful wards on every entry point. Good girl, he thought. She might be hiding from her true nature for a little while in the world of man, but she hadn't left herself unprotected.

This was her safe room, he realized. She'd fortified this room as her place to go if the worst should happen. He wondered if she had some sort of escape route mapped out, but it seemed unlikely. They were on the second floor, and she wasn't a bird shifter who could use the roof to get away. He'd have to talk to her about her security arrangements.

Amalie walked out of the bathroom, her luscious body bare, and his mind stopped fretting.

Later. They'd talk later. Much, much later.

They made love again and again in the night, sleeping in short snatches. In between rest and pleasure, they talked about their likes and dislikes. Amalie discovered they had a lot more in common than she'd originally thought, and he revealed a little bit more about shifter culture to her. She was more and more intrigued by the way they managed to survive and thrive with so much magic, yet remain hidden to the rest of the world.

She'd never thought much about shifters before, but now, she found herself fascinated. She wanted to see his lion again but figured that was a bit too much to ask.

He asked her about her reasons for foregoing magic, and she found it easy to explain her motives to him. He didn't judge but seemed to understand and even commiserate a bit. Then again, he'd met her grandmother. He probably knew the old woman could be a bit…imperious.

"I understand why you wanted to get away from the coven. Those ladies can be somewhat overwhelming," he said at one point, stroking her hair as he held her at his side. She liked the way he absently touched her, as if touching her was an unconscious pleasure to him.

"It was the constant use of magic. The marsh witches never do anything the mundane way if they can use magic to create the same effect. I began to believe that was wasteful. Magic shouldn't be used for every little thing," she said, frowning a bit. "Of course, you know exactly why they can be so free with their power. They do that moon ceremony a lot, and it charges them with all sorts of excess energy."

"I guess," he allowed. "Of course, before they put the whammy on all of us who helped defend their homes, I never knew a coven could call on that kind of power."

"They can, but only under the right conditions. So, if we really are heading toward war with the dark side, it would be wise of them to conserve the moon power and build up a reserve. I tried to tell them that, but they didn't want to listen to me. A mere child. One of them actually told me to speak to her again after I'd lived a few centuries, and then, she might give my thoughts some consideration."

Amalie still felt embarrassed by the way that old witch had shot her down. She hadn't even told her grandmother about that particular confrontation, but that had been the straw that had finally broken the camel's back. That's when Amalie had started looking for a way to get out of the coven's area of influence and strike out on her own.

"That's pretty harsh," Billy said, making her feel glad that she'd finally told someone. Billy understood. He really was on the same wavelength with her, and it felt awesome.

"Yeah, that was really what made me leave. I couldn't stand by and continue to watch them use magic so cavalierly when, in all likelihood, there are dark times coming when we're going to need every last bit of power we can scratch up." She frowned, not liking to think about the dark portents that made her feel that way. Especially not when she was in bed with the literal man of her dreams. "Anyway, I left Long Island to get away from all the hocus pocus."

"So you could save it up for a time when it really is needed," he finished her thought, and she realized he was right. He turned to lean on his elbow and meet her gaze. "If it wasn't really rude and intrusive, I'd ask you what kind of magic you have." His gaze teased her just the tiniest bit as his fingers traced over her collarbone.