Chapter 89

Ann wasn’t sure how far into the trees they’d gone, but she was loving it. The smells around them were of so many plants. The light filtered through the branches like a spotlight, just for them. It felt magical.

“Not much further.” He pulled her closer and then helped her step over a large rock. “We used to come here to hide. To take a break.”

“From Brother Kale?”

“From all of them. The three of us were pushed hard to learn more, faster, so we’d be ready. Mitch had his family money and gadgets to distract himself.” He ducked under a branch that she was just able to walk under. “We were teenagers; we had a lot more on our minds than learned magic to help some girls we didn’t know.”

Ann laughed. “Yes, I can see that as a problem at that age.”

He grinned. “Brother Kale and West, sort of got it, but the others, they didn’t think it was pertinent.” He snorted again. “I don’t think they were ever teenagers.” He slowed down and then stopped. Turning, he took both her hands and then smiled at her. “It’s not a big, beautiful rural house, but it’s all I have right now.”

She blinked and looked around slowly. “Okay.” She didn’t understand.

His smile widened. “Look up, Ann.”

She looked up in the air and then sucked in a breath. At least twenty feet above her head was a tree house. It was rough looking; the boards weren’t straight and didn’t match, but there it was. “It’s a real tree house.”

“Yeah. built by Lee and I.” He chuckled. “We got into some big trouble when supplies kept vanishing. He released her hand and went around the large trunk. “Ladder is over here.”

She went around and saw it several feet from the ground.

“It’s grown a lot. It was much closer to the ground when we made it.”

Ann bit her lip. “Is it safe?”

He grinned. “It’s safe. It would probably still be intact even if the tree fell.”

She’d never had a tree house. She’d been an only child, and there were days she thought the only reason she’d been born was to carry on the bloodline until Bridget’s magic was needed again. “Can we get up there?”

Wes stepped back and looked up. “I can lift you to the first rung, but that means you’re going to be the first one to the top.”

“Okay.” she nodded.

“And the first one to greet any eight-legged crawlies up there.”

She looked up at it again. “I’ll brave it, but you had better be right behind me to evict any.”

He leaned down and kissed her mouth briefly. “Deal.”

When she had her feet on the rung, she looked down to see him coming up. Turning back, she went up carefully. She was climbing a tree in the middle of the bush, in the dark. This was crazy. She smiled. This might be the most interesting evening she’d ever had.

“You might have to push really hard on the trap door. It’s been a while since it was open.”

She looked up and saw she was only a few feet from the floor. “Okay.” She hoped it didn’t give her problems because losing her balance and falling to the ground would put a damper on the whole adventure.

Reaching up, she shoved on it. It moved an inch. “Any suggestions on how I do this without injury?” She glanced down at him.

“Stay in the center of the ladder. I’m coming up.”

She nodded and tried to make herself smaller as she clung to the rung with both hands. He brushed against her legs as he moved up. And then his face was level with hers. He gave her a brief smile and then reached above his head and shoved on the wood. It opened with a thunk as it swung around and hit the floor inside.

Ann smiled. “Okay, if there are any spiders in residence tonight. I’m coming in, and you better hide very well.” She heard Wes chuckle as she went up and climbed inside. She moved away from the hole and stayed there on her knees, waiting for him. She didn’t move while he closed the door and then crawled over to a corner and got something. A moment later, he had a can with a candle lit inside. He set it on what may have been referred to as a table for young boys and then added another candle to it. she looked around. As far as tree houses went, it was built well, as far as she could tell.

Wes pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight, and shone it up and down the walls and in the corners. “It looks like they took your warning seriously.” He turned the flashlight off and then went over to an old trunk in the corner. She was going to ask how they got it up here and inside but was more surprised when he pulled out a bag and unzipped it.

“I used to come here when I needed to clear my head; I haven’t been in a while.” He took a blanket out of the bag and lifted it to his face. “I tuck dryer sheets inside it.” He shrugged. He spread it out and then patted it but didn’t sit down. Instead, he went over and opened a very roughly built window. The moonlight filtered in and gave the space a glow.

Ann moved over and sat on the blanket and looked around. “This is built quite well.”

He sat down facing her. “We wanted it to last.” He cleared his throat. “The first one didn’t fair so well, and we crashed to the ground the first time it was storming.” He chuckled. “It inspired a bit more research and ingenuity for the second attempt.”

“And it’s still here.”

He nodded. “I doubt Leland comes here now, but I still do when I’m here.” He brushed some dust from his pants and then took off his shoes. “I wanted to spend some time with you, not at that house full of many other people.”

Ann smiled. “I’m good with that.”

“I wanted to distract you too, so you’re not overthinking Sunday.” His voice was quiet, and it made her pause. This was the man who looked so at home in the city, in his suit, delegating around the office, yet he belonged here, too.

“I think Sunday is going to come down to intuition and feelings more than heavy thoughts.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “I’m more of a plan-it-out person.”

She smiled. “I can see that.” She placed her hand against her chest. “I trust feelings.”

The candles flickered as a gentle breeze blew in the window. She almost laughed. She was sitting in the candlelight in a tree house. She could feel it when the energy in the small space changed. It went from casual to a more intense vibe. A humming was moving through her. She had to assume it was her magic because he was close, and there were no distractions.

He moved closer, keeping his eyes locked on hers. When he was close enough, he reached out and placed his hand on the back of her head and gently persuaded her to lean toward him. She did so very willingly.

His kiss wasn’t as fleeting as the first one; this time, it was deep, ravenous, and it sent heat coursing through her. She moved closer and ran her hand up his chest to his neck. She wanted to be closer to him. With a low rumble, he lifted his head and made fast work out of getting out of his jacket. Ann yanked her arms out of hers and let it fall behind her. Three years of simmering for each other was a few moments away from boiling over.

He scooped her up and set her in his lap before claiming her mouth once more. This time, it was a consuming kiss that she was sure was going to brand her soul forever his. An electrifying sensation moved into her, making her whimper. She could feel it moving, blending with her magic, and knew it was his. Later, she’d examine the idea that each person’s magic had a different vibration. She’d always known sex between them would be heated, but with their magic involved, she now suspected an inferno was going to be the result.

Wes tore his mouth from hers and grasped her hair, moving it from her neck so he could explore it with wet kisses and jolting nips. “Our magic—” He was breathless. “—wants more.”

All she could do was hum in response that was something close to an ‘mmm’. She was feeling a bit mindless right now.

“It wants to bond, Ann.” He pulled back and looked at her but then attacked her mouth again with hungry kisses.

She ran her hands into his hair and grasped it to hold on so he would keep kissing her. She’d breathe later. Right now, she needed this. She’d craved it for far too long.

He kept kissing her in a frenzied way, and then in the next moment, it was slower and sensual, and she was drowning in need, want, desire—all the words that meant yes, yes, and more yes. She was on her back, with him leaning over her now and honestly didn’t remember moving. Was that their magic, or was he that potent that she was drugged by being near him? No man’s mouth had ever devastated her the way he was. If that meant she was going to be addicted to him, she didn’t care. It had been a long, lonely existence, and he had the cure for all her sacrifices.

Wes made a deep guttural sound, and it vibrated through her making her gasp in response. He shifted her body so it was under his and leaned over her more, brushing her hair back from her face. When he lifted his head and looked down at her, his expression made her feel like a goddess he was worshipping. “Our magic—” He feathered a kiss on her mouth. “—there’s no going back if we bind it together. You need to tell me you understand that.” His voice was deep, and each syllable seemed to be connected to her core, distracting her. “It will be hard to control it, but we can if that’s what you want.”

Ann bit her lip and tried to focus on his words and the mouth they were coming out of. “No going back?” The man had turned her IQ into mush with just his mouth. “Okay.” She lifted her head and licked along his lips.

He growled and kissed her hard and then lifted his head again. “Is that a yes or a no? I need clarity, Ann.” His hand was moving up and down her hip, making clear thought very hard to reach.

“Yes. No going back.” She lifted her head and then let it drop again. “I don’t know how to do that.” She almost smiled that she’d managed a decent sentence.

“Me either. I guess we’ll figure it out.” He held her look for a moment. His eyes were asking if she was sure.

Weaving her fingers into his hair, she pulled his head back down and nipped his bottom lip. It wasn’t words, but he’d have to just accept her non-verbal agreement because she was done with speaking. She always knew if they ever got together, it would be like nothing before. Tree house, magic bonding hadn’t been what she’s imagined, but it was definitely like nothing in her past.

It could have been an hour or a few minutes, she wasn’t sure, but there was nothing but their breathing as they worked each other out of their clothing. When warm skin touched, they were so entwined she felt like she was a part of him. Complete. She felt complete with him.

She wanted to touch every inch of his body, and her hands were trying their hardest to do just that. His muscles flexed under her palms, and he’d reciprocate with a devastating kiss on her mouth, her neck, or any other skin his hot breath was near.

When his lips closed around a hard nipple, she gasped and grabbed his head. If he stimulated her much more, she was going to lose her mind. Three years of yearning was foreplay enough for her. Tugging on his head, he led his mouth back to hers.

The weight of his body between her legs made her moan with the anticipation of what was to come. When he lifted his weight from her, she dug her nails into his back, not wanting him to move away. Reaching, he took both her hands and weaved their fingers together as he pushed inside her. Twin moans from each of them broke the silence.

When he placed his lips on hers and began to move slowly out of her, Ann lifted her hips, not wanting there to be air between them. The buzz of her magic turned into a body-wracking vibration that heightened every nerve and sensation. When she felt him inside her, there was a moment of rippling that burst from them and radiated a shimmering light around them. It was brief, but when it started to fade, Ann suddenly felt like she’d found everything she’d ever needed in her entire life.

Wes leaned down, pushed his face against her neck, and started to move faster. The intensity inside her started to build as she moved with complete abandon and connected with this man who was transporting her to a higher plane she’d never been to before.

As she hit the peak and crashed over it, the sensations going through her were so intense they felt forbidden and magnificent.

Wes stiffened and shuddered. His didn’t stop moving, as she had come to know what happened with males, but continued to slowly build the rapture all over again. He kissed her mouth softly. “Do you—” He fought for air. “—need me to stop for a bit?”

Ann would have laughed, but a wave of pleasure surged through her. “In ten years.” Was all she managed to say.

Wes chuckled softly and then nudged her chin out of the way so he could make love to her neck with his mouth again.