Chapter 15
As some kind of cosmic rule, magicians weren't inclined to be early risers. That didn't stop Cosimo from waking up the next day, fine sweat covering his body, and his dick throbbing under the sheets.
The sun was barely up, and he resented that almost as much as he resented the too graphic dream he had about Marcella.
This fixation was getting out of hand. She had openly said last night that she was thinking about kissing him, and with his body still remembering the hot press of hers, Cosimo had silently prayed that she would put him out of his misery and do it.
She was the one who had set the rule about not getting romantically involved with people she worked with, so it had to be her who made the first move. It was the right thing to do. Marcella had endured too many men who had taken choices away from her, and Cosimo was not going to be another.
Giving up on sleep, he stumbled into the ensuite bathroom and turned on the shower.
He left the overhead lights off, letting the faint sunrise light his way.
He hated overhead lighting, especially first thing in the morning.
He settled under the steam and rested his burning forehead against the cool tiles.
His whole body was against him, still aching from the dream he had been having. He had been back outside Marcella's apartment building, one hand on the wall to block her from getting past. He had licked his way down the soft olive skin on her neck, all the way to her collarbone.
Her hands had buried in his hair as he had gone down on his knees right there.
The skin of her thighs had been so soft and hot under his reverent fingertips.
The skirt of her long dress had dropped back over him, enclosing him in the musky scent of her arousal.
He had pushed the black satin of her panties aside and had his first taste of that delicious, hot pussy.
"Fuck," Cosimo groaned, banging his head lightly against the wet tiles. His hand was already around his cock, precum leaking from the tip. He bit back a moan, this thumb running over it to smear down his length.
He had been attracted to her in the beginning, but the more he got to know her, the more he saw her passion and intelligence, and it was starting to drive him crazier than his dragon. He needed to get off, and then he would be able to think clearly.
He recalled the dream again, the scent of her, the secretive sphinx smile she had that said she knew exactly the turmoil she made him feel. Those intoxicating red lips would look so good wrapped around his cock.
Cosimo bit back a moan as he came so suddenly, he had to put a hand on the wet wall to steady himself. He tried to catch his breath.
He was a fifty-three-year-old man for fuck's sake.
He shouldn't be losing control of himself like he was some teenager with his first crush again.
He could go months without even a flicker of arousal or desire for anything.
All it had taken was the scent of Marcella's perfume, and he was reduced to a horny moron.
Want her pinned. Want her wearing my marks.
Want her soft body painted in our scent, his dragon growled out and forced the images of its plans into Cosimo's head.
His dick was hard again, his hand back on it, and for once, he didn't try to silence his dragon side and all the dark and filthy things he wanted to do to his strega.
Twenty minutes later, Cosimo dressed and went to find coffee. He felt wrung out and empty, and his mind was clearer than it had been in days.
His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he was surprised to see it was a text from Marcella. He blushed, seeing her name so soon after his shower. He opened it up, and all his sexy thoughts disappeared.
Carlo messaged me last night. They want to meet me tomorrow in Forli at 6. Renata has information on Maria.
You aren't going without us, he replied, his protective instincts going into overdrive.
I was hoping you would say that. They never specified that I come alone, and I don't think I could have faced them if they had.
It wasn't like Marcella to acknowledge she was afraid of anything, and Cosimo had to take a few deep breaths before he was able to write his reply.
You will never have to face them alone again if I have my way. Are you okay?
The dots danced for a full minute before Marcella replied, I will be. Have a good time with your boys today. Message me later, and we will figure out how we are all going to get to Forli x.
Cosimo was still staring at that small x when Yelena came up behind him and wrapped him in a sleepy good-morning hug.
"You are up early," Cosimo commented and took out another mug for her tea.
"Dragon is restless. It's worried about Marcella," Yelena replied and rubbed at her neck. "What's your excuse?"
"The same. Why are you worried about her?"
Yelena frowned. "She's exposed. I don't like it even with the wards."
"She's not in danger of enemies coming to attack her," Cosimo tried to reason.
"Not all enemies need to be near her to attack her. I put the wards around her apartment. No one can get in there without her blessing, but that won't protect her from dream magic."
"Or phones," Cosimo grumbled and told her about the message.
Yelena growled in a way that reminded Cosimo that she was always going to be a dragon first.
"They want to get her into their territory, where they have the most power. Her family's blood is in that land, and they have purposely cut her off from it. It should be hers with her ancestors to give her their strength," she hissed, pacing about the kitchen.
"I told her we won't let her go alone, and I mean it," Cosimo said, trying to ease her irritation. "You think it could be more sinister than to attack her self-esteem."
"They had been tearing at the protections around her apartment.
I could feel it," Yelena replied. "They still want her power, and while she was alone and friendless, they were content to ignore her.
Now that she's working with us, they won't let her power be used by anyone else.
They couldn't persuade her to return until now, but if we don't protect her, they will try to take her by force. "
Cosimo leaned back against the counter and thought. "Why are they so obsessed with the Sforza power? She is a strega like they are. She doesn't seem to be doing anything beyond a normal folk practice."
"That we know of. She is wearing a muffling spell."
"The bracelet? Yes, I know. She hasn't mentioned anything unusual. The strangest thing she has done is sing a kind of chant when she touched the statue of Minerva."
Yelena positioned herself beside him and leaned into him.
"I know what it's like to have to hide who you are, and I think she's doing the same.
She hasn't trusted anyone to show them." Yelena sipped her tea.
"I know your dragon wants her. You hide it well from the others, but I'm a dragon and I can see it.
I can smell it in the air when you are together. "
"She doesn't get involved with co-workers," Cosimo said, trying to find something to cling to.
"That's a flimsy excuse, and you know it. It's only us here, so tell me, would it be so horrible to consider taking another mate again?"
Cosimo couldn't push her question away or deflect it like he could with the others. She was a dragon, and they took another mate if they lost their first one. It was biological.
"I can't open up to someone like that and lose them again, Yelena," he admitted softly. "It almost killed me the first time."
She considered that for a long moment. "Maybe one day you will feel like the love you will get in return will be worth the possibility of loss."
Cosimo swallowed down the lump in his throat.
"It's not just that. My dragon is more awake now.
Marcella is nothing like Lisa. She wouldn't tolerate my overprotectiveness for long.
Her ex talked to her like trash in front of me, and I wanted to tear him apart with my bare hands.
I would end up smothering her with my fear of losing her. I can't do that to her."
Yelena drank her tea. "I don't think you give yourself enough credit. You don't smother any of us. You look after us, but none of us resent it. None of your fears change the fact that you have feelings for her."
"The dragon certainly has feelings. It never shuts up about it."
"The dragon is you. You need to stop fighting it, and then you will stop feeling like you're tearing yourself apart. Maybe if you work on that, the way you actually feel about Marcella might become clearer to you."
Unfortunately, Cosimo knew how he felt but wasn't brave enough to admit it out loud, not even to himself. Cosimo put an arm around Yelena's shoulders. "You are very wise, little one."
"I am very old, that's why. So listen to your elder. Go and spend time with the boys today. Clear your head," Yelena told him, resting her head against his shoulder. "And don't worry about Marcella. Us girls are going to make sure she is okay."
"Thank you. I don't think she is telling me all that happened in that message. Something is off."
Yelena smiled. "I'll get to the bottom of it, and I'll find out what she's hiding underneath that bracelet while I am at it."
Knowing that there was no point in arguing with a Greatdrakes woman when they had made their mind up about something, Cosimo kissed her on the forehead and started to make breakfast.
Marcella might feel more comfortable talking with women, and he knew no one alive could stand up to his daughters' interrogation techniques when they put their minds to it.