Chapter 17

Mari pushed up on her toes and pressed her body to Rio's as they stood together in the entry. "Are you sure you don't want to duck in somewhere for a quickie to get me through the long, cold hours without you?"

Rio chuckled, his eyes drinking her in as if he was planning on being gone longer than a few hours. "It's just dinner with Willow to go over club things. I'll be back before Cisco is even done with his storias."

She groaned in frustration. "He won't pay me any attention at all. You know how he gets."

"I'm sure if you're creative enough, you'll think of a way to get his attention." He leaned down to kiss her nose. "And if not, I'll make the wait worth your while."

"I'm holding you to that." She pulled his head down and kissed him soundly, letting him know what he'd be missing.

Rio pulled away reluctantly when she finally let him up for air. "I'm already regretting leaving." He laughed.

"Get out of here so you can get back to me quicker." She waited until he was through the door before she turned away, humming to herself. She didn't have any idea how she was going to get Cisco to acknowledge her while he was glued to his telenovelas, but she was certainly going to try.

When she slid into the television room, Cisco was in his customary place in the center of the large leather couch. He didn't even notice her enter as some implausible Mexican drama played out on the immense screen in front of him. She'd tried the direct approach of sitting on his lap before, and all it had earned her was an irritated growl. She'd tried enticing him with a blowjob and gotten nowhere. She understood now why Rio didn't even try when he was glued to his shows.

She slowly walked around the couch while formulating her plan. When she arrived on his side of the couch, she bent to unbuckle her platform sandals. She caught the flicker of his eyes toward her when she leaned forward in the skimpy camisole she was wearing, but she ignored him completely. She stepped out of the sandals and then slid her panties down her legs, leaving them draped atop her shoes.

The green ruffled skirt she wore just barely covered her ass, and she was keenly aware of that fact as she slid onto the cool leather to Cisco's right with her back against the arm and her feet resting on his thigh. This time, he spared her a much longer glance as her skirt rode up with nothing at all preventing him from getting an eyeful. Still, after a few moments, his attention returned to the television. Damn him. Well, at least she'd gotten a better reaction than last time.

Mari slid her cami up, stroking the undersides of her breasts with both hands before moving upwards to pluck at her nipples. Well, if he wasn't going to take care of her, she'd just do it herself.

She let her head hang back a bit and made herself more comfortable, tugging her nipples with a slow, patient motion she knew would eventually drive her to distraction but right now felt so good she wanted to bask in the sensation. Pulling and twisting the piercings, she worked at her nipples until they ached, and she felt her magic and her blood pulsing in time with her heart. Cisco didn't look her way again, not even when she bit back a moan.

But he did slip his hand between her legs absently, his knuckles stroking up and down along her seam lightly. She tried to scoot her hips closer, but he still ignored her completely. Without missing a beat, he plunged two fingers inside of her and rocked his thumb up against her clit. Mari moaned, lifting her hips up to offer herself to him as she twisted her nipples harder.

He didn't acknowledge her at all, just kept watching his show, even as he played with her. Fuck, it was hot. She rode his hand with abandon, but each time she got close to the edge, he withdrew his hand completely, only returning when she lay back in frustration.

After several such repetitions, she began to give up hope. Maybe all of this was an elaborate punishment for disturbing him. But she had no idea, because he hadn't uttered a word, and his eyes hadn't left the television since that first time he'd looked up her skirt.

She grumbled when she leaned back again. This time, instead of lowering his hand between her legs once more, he held it in front of her where she could see her juices glistening on his fingers from where he'd fucked her repeatedly. Still, he didn't say anything or look at her.

After what seemed like an eternity, he crooked his fingers slightly. She sat up, shifting onto her knees and sliding closer to him before wrapping her mouth around his fingers with the filthiest kiss in her repertoire. She stroked her tongue between his fingers, tasting herself on them and moaning softly. She sucked and fucked his fingers with her mouth until she was tingling everywhere from her frustrated desire and her magic.

He still didn't acknowledge her at all. Eventually, he withdrew his fingers from her mouth with a bored sigh and then moved to pull down his joggers. His cock was rock hard when he slid it free of the silky material, giving lie to the fact that he'd been unaffected by her.

Mari bent forward immediately, engulfing his cock urgently with her mouth, determined to give him the blowjob of his life. She worked hard, sucking for all that she was worth and driving her mouth down on him until she gagged, even though he didn't guide her as he usually did with a hand on the back of her neck. He sat with his right hand resting on her lower back as she bobbed up and down along his cock, for all the world ignoring her completely.

She took him deep over and over again until her jaw ached. Her magic twisted inside of her without an outlet, sending ripples of heat through her body. She whimpered around his cock as she finally gave up.

He lifted his hand from her back and paused his show. She shut her eyes, not daring to hope. Without a word, he manhandled her unresisting body until she was straddling his lap and pulled her down to impale her on his cock. She groaned with relief as her body stretched around him, her muscles squeezing him tight.

She didn't open her eyes as he flexed his body, driving up into her. He kept her still with his hands tight around her hips as he fucked her brutally. Her power bloomed under the unrelenting onslaught. She'd never felt anything as delicious as the way he thrust into her with every ounce of his strength and aggression. She came apart around him, crying out as her magic escaped her. She rocked her hips to take him deeper, even as she shuddered around him with her climax. He kept fucking her, hard and fast, his hands moving up her sides and scoring her lightly with his claws.

With a harsh growl, he came a few strokes later, pulling her down onto him as he drove deep. He chuckled when she collapsed against him a few moments later, burying his face in the crook of her neck and biting her lightly.

"Saints, that was hot," she groaned against him.

"Mmm." He curled one arm around her. "You almost had me there a couple of times."

She smiled into his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"When you bent over and sucked me down without a word. Fucking scorching."

She nuzzled against him contentedly.

His phone rang where it rested on the couch next to him, and he shifted to look at it. "It's Rio," he said by way of apology as he leaned to grab it.

She didn't move as he picked up.

"What's up, mi amor?"

He stiffened at once, a menacing growl that vibrated through her starting in his chest. "If you've hurt him, Argento, I'll tear you to pieces."

"Absolutely fucking not," Cisco roared. "I'm not trading you for him."

They stood in the entryway, glaring at one another. Cisco had risen from the couch the moment he'd ended the call, hurrying through the house and not answering Mari's questions in nearly enough detail until she'd put herself between him and the door and wouldn't let him go.

"It makes sense to do the trade. Once Rio is safe, you can come back for me with a fucking army. He won't hurt me," she said with a fair helping of distaste. "I'm too fucking valuable."

Cisco laughed harshly. "There are so many ways for him to hurt you without harming what he values." The look that crossed his face made it clear he understood that better than anyone. "Trust me, I know."

Mari put a hand on his arm. "You're bound to him. We need to get him safe so you can think clearly and do what you need to do. I don't know a lot about gargoyles, but I know that much."

Cisco grumbled, and a look of guilt crossed his bluff face. "If you knew more about gargoyles, you'd already know he's not the only one I'm bound to."

She stared at him, her mouth open, her fingers closing around his sleeve. She didn't know how to respond.

He shook his head. "I didn't want to have to tell you like this, but you need to know."

She finally found her voice again. "What does that mean?"

"It means even the idea of choosing between you is tearing me up. I can already feel my heart breaking." He looked down, unable to meet her eyes.

She moved her hand to his chest, rubbing gently until his gaze met hers again.

"But my bond to him means that if something happens to him after we get there, I can't keep you safe. There's no predicting what I'll do. The Frenzy is a thing everyone fears for a reason."

She understood the fear in his eyes now. The idea that he might lose control enough to harm her shook him to his core. She patted his chest. "Then we won't trade me. But we also have to make sure he doesn't hurt Rio. We know he doesn't think I'm a threat, or he wouldn't have told you to bring me with you. We also know he doesn't understand the extent of my power. Let's give him what he wants."

Cisco's eyebrows rose. "You think you can surprise him? Overpower him somehow?"

Mari nodded. "I know more about my magic now than I ever did when he knew me. Esmé said I can broadcast stronger than any sex witch she knows, and Greta told me that I could turn pleasure into pain. I can do this, Cisco. Let me help you."

He lifted her hand to his mouth to kiss it with a soft caress of his lips. "I love you, Mariana. I should have told you that sooner. I'm sorry I waited so long."

She felt tears gather, but she held them back. "I love you too."

As the emotion overwhelmed her, he pulled her to him, cuddling her against his chest and murmuring soothingly into her hair. "We'll get him back."