Chapter 29
It took until close to midnight for Cosimo and Marcella to finally be alone.
Despite Cosimo's trepidation, Marcella had read the statue of Minerva again after dinner.
She had described a forest area, and Bridget had used all her maps to find a potential starting point for their search.
It was possible that the statue could lead them to it energetically if they got close enough to its original temple. Anything was worth a try.
Cosimo had let them talk and plan around him. He had been thinking about Marcella, her mother, and the magic that was still pulsing out of her.
"You are looking pensive," Marcella commented and refilled their wine glasses.
"I'm thinking about how hard it must have been for you not to know how to control such a large part of your magic for your entire life," he replied.
Marcella handed him his glass. "It was too much of a nuisance left unchecked.
I never knew when a ghost would pop up and try to talk to me.
When the charm magic bloomed during puberty, it caused too many problems with strange men following me around.
We had to do something, and muffling it has helped. "
"It was still a locked-up part of you. I know what that's like," Cosimo said and drank some of his wine. "My dragon side is problematic, but we are working through it. You can do the same with your magic."
"You are very keen on trying to teach me," Marcella commented, a small smile dancing over her gorgeous lips.
"I want you to be happy with who you are and not have to hide or be afraid of any part of yourself," he said truthfully. "I might also want a good excuse to keep you interested in me once I find you those grimoires."
"I'm sure it's Bridget who is going to find the grimoires," Marcella replied.
Cosimo smiled fondly, thinking of Bridget's chaotic pinboards and journals. "She loves a research project, and you have given her the half we were missing."
"Valentine has also offered to teach me about necromancy, if I don't want you to do it."
Cosimo's eyes widened. "Really? That's a surprise. Valentine doesn't really like anyone that's not in the family."
"After he offered, Yelena told me there's no way I can escape now, and if Valentine couldn't give me answers, Arawan would.
She was quite adamant that he is the Welsh god of the dead.
You want to tell me what that is all about?
" Marcella asked, sitting on the couch closest to his armchair.
"Seriously, Cosimo, what even is your family? "
"Complicated?" he ventured. He needed to tell her the truth about the extended relatives in more detail than he had already.
She needed to know everything if she was ever going to accept what they could have together.
It might be the thing that frightened her off altogether. He had to risk it either way.
He gestured to the wine bottle. "You might need a bit more of that."
"I'm listening." Marcella topped up her glass again, and Cosimo laid out everything for her as succinctly as he could.
Not just the history of the Greatdrakes family, but the true story behind the return of the fae, the Ironwood family, and fae royalty inter-marrying, the issues with Norse gods, the mythic uncles, and all the enemies they had defeated or had possibly on the horizon.
Marcella didn't interrupt. She only sipped her wine and looked more thoughtful.
"And that's it. The whole bizarre truth.
We are always going to have someone trying to cause a fight with us or have a magical mess to clean up because no one else can.
This trip to Italy has been quite peaceful, all things considered," Cosimo said and drained his wine.
He fidgeted and ran his hands through his hair.
"I would understand if you thought that getting involved with me personally was a bad idea. You said it was before knowing everything, and you were right. Gods, some days it's too much even for me."
He hated saying it, hated the idea of her walking away from them once she had her grimoires. His dragon keened softly but didn't rage against trying to give her an out.
"It's most definitely a bad idea. Dangerous to my health, in fact," Marcella said, putting down her empty glass.
Cosimo flinched, her words a blow. "You are right. Being with me and my family means you will have a target on your back simply by association. I'm selfish for wanting you, and I still can't stop."
Marcella stood up, and he waited for her to say good night and leave him to wallow in his misery. Instead, she came to stand in front of him. Cosimo didn't move, didn't breathe.
Gods, she was so beautiful. She was still in the jeans she had been wearing at the graveyard, the knees dirty. Her braid was unravelling, and she was unkept around the edges compared to her usual pristine appearance. It was so damn sexy, he wanted to weep.
Everything about her was designed to make Cosimo lose his ability to think straight. It was worse now that she wasn't hiding all that glorious magic pulsing around her.
Marcella leaned down to run her fingers through his hair and tip his head back. Her dark eyes were so big, he felt like they would swallow him whole.
"Thank you for telling me the risks involved with your sprawling family," she said softly. "But I'm not going to be scared off so easily, bello. The time for that passed as soon as I let you kiss me."
"I'm not trying to scare you off. Only be honest before things go any further," Cosimo replied, swallowing hard because for him, he was already past the point of no return.
"It is very gallant of you, but unnecessary." Marcella's thumbs brushed over his cheeks, and her full lips twitched. "I would be crazy to walk away from a man who would cut fingers off people for me. Those don't come along every day."
"I'm not just a man," Cosimo pointed out.
"I know that too." Marcella lowered her face to his and whispered, "I can't wait to meet your dragon."
Summoned instantly, Cosimo's dragon rolled to the surface, all his senses heightened, and he knew his eyes would have changed color. "It likes you too much already."
"How awful for me to have a dragon's attention," she teased.
If only she knew.
"Is this your way of saying that you are still willing to let me court you?" he asked, needing her to say it out loud for him.
Marcella kissed the third eye space between his brows. "More than willing. It is new to both of us, Cosimo. We will just have to take things one day at a time, like the responsible adults we are."
Marcella kissed Cosimo so slowly and deeply, he thought his insides would melt. His hands came to the back of her thighs, guiding her in between his spread legs. He growled in warning as she pulled away, but she only pressed him back in the chair.
"Stay there. I'm not done," she commanded. Her red nails slid down his throat to the opening of his shirt and started to undo the buttons one at a time. "Keep your hands on the arms of the chair."
Cosimo hated the idea of not touching her, but he did as she asked. "What are you up to, little strega?"
"Exploring." Marcella's tongue licked over his collarbone, making his cock jump. "You did say I could be in charge next time."
"Doesn't sound like something I would say," Cosimo replied, sucking in a breath as her nails glided down his chest.
"All the same. You try to touch me, and I'll stop," she said and scraped her teeth over one nipple. His fingers tightened on the chair as she moved her way down his chest, kissing and licking and driving him crazy.
She lowered down on her knees between his legs and ran her face over the hard bulge that his pants did nothing to hide.
"You are killing me, woman," he growled.
Marcella only laughed huskily, one hand undoing his belt and pants as she licked over the skull of his tattoo. He was going to come untouched if she kept this up. She pulled his dick free, her hot palm wrapping around him.
"Now, I haven't done this in a very long time, but I can't stop thinking about it. If I do something you don't like, tell me, but don't you dare move those hands," she said.
Cosimo bit back a groan as she stroked him. "I doubt there's anything you can do that I won't like, tesoro. Everything about you drives me fucking wild," he admitted, his voice going husky. "I get hard just smelling your perfume."
Marcella licked him, and he bit the inside of his cheek to stop from moaning. She went slowly, exploring him with her tongue and fingers like she had all the time in the world. She sucked him, enclosing him in the silky heat of her mouth, and he actually whimpered.
"Fuck, Marcella," was all he could manage as he fought not to come.
Marcella's fingers wrapped around the base of him, stroking in time with her mouth, making colors dance in front of his eyes.
Claws shot out of his fingers, tearing the upholstery. Her eyes sparkled with wicked delight, her full lips red around his throbbing dick. She slid off a few moments later.
"Do you want to come?" she asked sweetly, her hand still stroking him.
"Yes," he growled.
Marcella's grin widened. "I bet you do."
She let him go and stood up. Cosimo let out a whimper, but she laughed softly and shimmied out of her jeans and panties. Cosimo could smell how wet she was, and his growl deepened.
"My patience has limits," he warned.
"I'm trembling with fear." Marcella climbed onto his lap and ran her wet slit against his cock.
"Such a sassy thing when you're in charge," Cosimo said through gritted teeth. "Enjoy the moment. I might not give you another chance."
"Yes, you will," Marcella whispered in his ear before biting down on his lobe.
Cosimo vowed he would make her pay for every teasing stroke. Marcella suddenly pressed him to her entrance and slid down on him, taking him all in one go.
"Fucking dark gods," he groaned, trying to breathe.
She was squeezing the life out of him.
"So good," she moaned, nails digging into his shoulders. She rolled her hips and kissed him. "Touch me, Cosimo. Touch me everywhere."
His hands were on her in a blink, his claws shredding her top and slicing through the front of her bra to free her breasts. He sucked one of her dark nipples into his mouth, and she cried out, her hands burying in his hair and holding him to her.
"Ride me hard, pretty strega. Don't hold back after all that teasing," he said, teeth dragging over the soft skin of her throat. His mouth watered, wanting to sink his teeth in and pin her down.
His hands gripped her full ass, bringing her down on him harder. Marcella's head tipped back as she gave herself over to her own pleasure.
"That's it. Take what you need, love." Cosimo brushed his fingers over her mouth, groaning as she sucked on them.
He moved them away and kissed her, needing to taste her and all the sexy sounds she was making.
He put his wet fingers to her clit, and her hand flew to grip his. "Show me what you like, Marcella."
"I don't know how much more of this I can take," she gasped, her fingers guiding his in slow circles. Her pussy clenched around him, and she bit her lip.
"You were made to take me. Your body is sin, and so hot and tight, I can barely restrain myself," Cosimo said, looking down at where they were joined.
Watching her using his fingers to heighten her pleasure and the way her eyes were clouding with lust, robbed him of his breath. She was so magnificent.
Marcella kissed him hard, her teeth catching on his lip before she started to come. Magic was shimmering around her like a heat wave, her skin starting to glow.
"Cosimo…" she whimpered as she began to fall backward. His hands moved to brace her as he lifted her off the chair and down onto the soft carpet.
"My turn," he said, dragging her leg over his shoulder. He licked the tattoo on her ankle, the last bit of tenderness he had in him. "Just remember to breathe, my treasure."
Marcella cried out with his first hard thrust, her nails dragging down his back as he pounded into her.
He would never get enough of her, all softness and burning heat.
His dragon wanted to claim her, bind her to him forever.
It knew that they would never be able to let her go again now that they had found her.
Cosimo was lost in her, every one of her expressions and sounds burning into his memory.
She matched his rhythm and only after she was screaming his name through another orgasm did Cosimo finally follow her, coming hard enough to see stars.
The carpet was shredded on either side of her from his claws, and bits of fluff littered all around them.
Marcella looked up at him, her expression dreamy. Her hands glided up and down his sides as he struggled to catch his breath. He gently lifted her leg from his shoulder, and she wrapped both of them around his hips, holding him to her.
He kissed her, slow and sweet. His claws disappeared, and he gently stroked the damp hair from her flushed face.
"Why do I have a feeling that I'm never going to tire of you?" she said, a teasing light coming back into her eyes.
"Because, tesoro mio, I'm going to do everything I can to ensure that you don't," Cosimo replied, meaning every word. "And when all else fails, I still have an excellent library to bribe you with."
"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten about the library," Marcella laughed and kissed him so sweetly that his heart turned over in his chest. He was so lost over her already that he was sure that he would give her whatever she asked for, do anything she wanted, just to keep her smiling at him.