Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Nineteen
A s Gus stood in front of the Caraway hallway mirror, he thought, I’ve never borrowed a merman’s clothes before . He didn’t really wear blues, greens, and grays—the colors weren’t his favorite—but he had to admit that the cool shades were growing on him the longer he wore them. Lucy and Callie had shooed Sirena upstairs to take a bath, while Alex took one look at Gus and immediately offered him a T-shirt and sweatpants. He had hung his cloak up on the porch after cleaning it outside, then called Diane to let her know that he was staying with Sirena.
“Have some fun. I’ll take care of Cinder,” she said.
“Thanks, sis.” Gus ended the call and went back inside the house. Alex stood nearby in the living room.
“Thanks for the clothes.”
Alex gave him a thumbs-up. His glittery scales on his brow and chin sparkled in the overhead light, hinting at his aquatic heritage. “No problem. It’s the least I can do after you helped my family.”
Gus paused, noting the clear love and fondness for the Caraways in his words.
When they had arrived at the house, Alex had fawned over Lucy with kisses and tender shoulder squeezes. The merman kept a close eye on Sirena and Callie, pouring them water and offering to order the food while they cleaned up. Callie gave him a huge bear hug before she left to pick up the pizza from Rapunzel’s Pizzeria. Gus, who, as a magician, made a habit of studying body language, picked up on the little actions people did. From the outside looking in at the Caraways, it was clear to Gus that Alex was already part of the family.
“I’m glad I could help,” Gus said. “It was a long day for everyone.”
“Why make an enchanted maze? I didn’t think October could get any weirder in the Grove,” Alex said. He shook his head in utter disbelief. “I thought the year we had haunted apple trees was the worst! We were dodging apples for weeks!”
“The maker probably got a little too extreme with his vision,” Gus suggested. “It’s like Jurassic Park . They were too busy thinking they could but they didn’t ask if they should make a magical maze.”
Alex shivered in horror. “Please don’t say that idea too loud. Our town is wacky enough that Jurassic Park: Jersey Shore could happen here. I don’t want to wake up to see raptors jumping my lawn. I have gnomes and a future wife to take care of.”
Gus let out a booming laugh. Alex, with his sense of humor, reminded him a lot of his friend Zeke. A swift rush of regret went through him at the idea of avoiding his friend’s texts.
He’d catch up with him soon. A soft footfall from the kitchen caused Gus to turn his head. The laughter dried up in his throat at the sight of Sirena.
He did a double take. Hello there, enchanting one.
She wore a fluffy robe that made her look like a tuft of blue raspberry cotton candy. Gus ran his tongue along his bottom lip, thinking about how she had tasted in the maze. She was fresh faced, her braids wrapped up into a side ponytail, her hands tucked into the robe’s pockets. All thoughts dropped from his head the longer he stared at her, delighting in her beauty. Sirena dipped her chin, her cheeks still rosy from the bath.
She pressed a hand to her chest, and he saw the ring. His ring.
Something selfish flared within him. She’s still wearing my ring.
Her skin took on a charming glow, as if she were covered in candlelight. She appeared to him like a flame. Uncertainty tiptoed into his brain as he pondered one question.
Could he possess enough magic to play with fire again?
She fidgeted under his attention. “What’s so funny?”
“I forgot,” Gus said. He peered at Alex, who glanced from Gus to Sirena, a knowing grin on his face like a big brother watching his little brother trying to flirt. Was he that obviously sprung on her?
She took a breath, then faced Alex. “Lucy called. She needs you at the house. The gnomes are asking about their lilac wine.”
“Ah, it seems we have a drink emergency,” Alex said.
He clapped a friendly hand to Gus’s shoulder, then walked out the front door, closing it behind him.
She tucked her hands into the robe’s pockets.
Her gaze fell on him. “I knew blue would look good on you.”
Gus pressed a hand to his chest; his heart sped up under her rapt attention. “Thanks, but I think I’ll leave the aquatic colors to Alex. I like to blend in.”
He itched for the rainbow tweed, brown, and beige colors that he wore every day.
Sirena leveled an easy stare on him. “August, you can do many things, but you don’t blend in. You stand out.”
He stayed quiet, letting her compliment settle into his skin. Sirena went into the living room and stood by the bookshelf. She pulled a leather-bound book into her hands and flipped through the pages carefully. He joined her, letting his gaze roam over her lush form. For him, there was nothing more alluring than a woman with a book in her hand. Gus rubbed his fingertips together to keep from brushing her skin or yanking open the robe to touch her again. Being around her brought out that side of him, the playful side of him that he was starting to miss.
“I bet you’re wearing something cute under that robe,” Gus said.
Sirena returned the book to the shelf, then faced him. “I’m afraid not. Just an old sleep shirt and shorts that have seen better days. I don’t want to accidentally flash anyone.”
“What about if you want to purposefully flash me?” he joked.
Sirena placed a hand to his chest. His skin tingled beneath her fingertips below the fabric.
“Under all those history geek clothes beats the heart of a rogue,” she said.
Hmm, he was only a rogue. “I’d thought I’d achieve rake or scoundrel status at least.”
A teasing tone entered her voice. “You’d have to compromise me in a gazebo first.”
“Is that a request?” he rasped. He could find a gazebo; he had a guy who could help him get one delivered within twenty-four hours.
Sirena merely smirked. “I had a lovely time in the maze,” she said. “I was worried that we’d… slip away.”
He touched her ringed finger. “We won’t have to worry about it happening again as long as we’re wearing our charms. Your ring and my pendant keep us grounded no matter what we do or where we are.”
Sirena let her hand run up and touch his pendant. Her thumb stroked the oval as she studied it. “So, you know what happened to us.”
Her eyes lifted and she watched him with a guarded squint.
This conversation was overdue. “I was planning to come over and talk to you. Magicians can sometimes bend certain elements and states with our will when we’re in a high state of emotion. We slipped into a time bubble due to our connection.”
“So, we have to wear these charms for the rest of our lives?” Sirena asked. “If we want to touch each other or be together?”
Oh, that was a good question. “Probably. Maybe. I’ll check the spell, but the charms are a temporary solution to our problem.”
“So, it can happen again if we don’t wear these charms.”
“Yes,” he said faintly.
Sirena dropped her hand away from his stone, letting it fall against his chest. It hit him like a wrecking ball. “I can’t afford to lose any more time.”
She stepped away from Gus. The air chilled between them.
Oh. Something close to dissatisfaction coiled through him like a satin ribbon.
She shut her eyes, then opened them. Regret flashed in her gaze. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. I made a wish. I wanted a second chance to fix my life and the universe delivered. I thought I could have a little fun this time around, but everything’s getting too complicated. My days are literally numbered, and I can’t afford to waste time on anything other than my magic.”
“Tell me everything,” he said.
Gus listened as Sirena explained the magic of wish tea and the start of the time loop. Her lip trembled as she told him about the unlucky October that had been swallowed by time. He knew he’d felt something was different weeks ago, but he’d dismissed it as déjà vu.
When Sirena finished her story, she pinned Gus with a stare. “I should’ve told you sooner, but… I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Why haven’t you told your sisters?”
“Kitchen witches clean up their messes,” she said primly. “My sisters have their own problems. I don’t need to bother them with mine. Do you remember anything about last October?”
He didn’t move. “I remember my birthday party vaguely. I know you were there.”
Sirena bowed her head. “We barely talked. I was so embarrassed about my life, and all I wanted was a do-over.”
An image of himself standing in front of a birthday cake covered in candles flickered in his brain. “I made a wish that night too,” Gus blurted out.
Her eyes widened a fraction. “I know it’s rude to ask what you wished for, but—do you know what you asked for?”
Gus shook his head apologetically. “I hope I wished for something good,” he said.
Gus watched the play of emotions on her face. Now that he knew that this time was his second chance, he was going to make the most of it. He was going to reconnect with Zeke, recommit to the man he was becoming, and he was going to figure out whether Sirena was truly his kindred.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me?” she asked.
He opened his mouth to tell her about their soul connection, but he held back. After everything that happened in the maze, he didn’t want to overwhelm her with more talk of magic and fate.
Instead, he pivoted. “I’ll help you prep for your interview at Lighthouse.”
Her eyes grew watery. “You still want to help me?”
She said the last word with disbelief as if she’d fed him a plate of gnome party leftovers. He’d take everything she’d feed him if it got Sirena the job of her dreams.
“I do,” Gus said.
“You’ve done so much. I feel bad that I can’t do more for you,” she said.
You’re enough. His soul wouldn’t stop speaking to him. “I’d like for you to keep coming to the society and working on preserving the recipes.”
“What about the… passion spell and the… everything sexy between us?”
Their time together meant so much, more than he could admit.
“What’s a little passion spell between friends?” he joked.
“We’re still friends?” she asked, and he noticed the hint of vulnerability in her voice.
He nodded. “Yes, we are.”
“What about our fun lessons?”
“I don’t think you need my help anymore. You played tag in a Merlin maze. You’re a fun expert now. I think you can teach me a lesson or two,” he said.
“I like the sound of that,” she said.
“I’m sure we’ll get this passion out of our systems—eventually,” he said. Gus almost believed the lie he just told himself.
Sirena regarded him with a speculative glance. “Sure.”
Secretly, he didn’t want to get rid of whatever he had for her. The fire he carried for Sirena wasn’t being extinguished, but rather he was feeding it the longer he stayed around her.
“I should probably head out.” He didn’t move but lingered. It would be the smart move to leave, to go back home and recenter.
Sirena glanced at the bookshelf. “Wait. I had an art book I wanted to show you.”
Gus scanned the cracked spines of the books. He’d help find her book and then he was taking his behind home. “What does it look like?”
“It’s wide and has a red binding,” she said.
He explored until he found a book on the third shelf and yanked it out. The book bounced and fell open to a random page on the floor. Sirena inhaled sharply and reeled back.
Gus peered at the page. What was so shocking?
A woodcut depicted a stocky woman lying in a wooded area while an eager satyr did very pleasing things to her. With his mouth. His hands.
The picture was so vivid he could practically hear their moans of shared pleasure.
He blinked as the images on the page moved and shifted before his eyes. What terrible and freaky magic was at work? The satyr was biting his lip as he guided himself inside his willing companion. The woman, in turn, spread herself and stared wantonly at her partner.
Gus glanced away to rein in his growing lust. They hadn’t finished with what they started in the maze. He pulsed with desire and fought the urge to run home to take care of himself. A wave of hunger swept over him, causing him to breathe heavier. Rougher. Gus looked at Sirena. Her hand was pressed to her throat, her lips parted as she watched the picture. Her dark eyes widened in shock and interest. After a strained instant, he scooped up the book and snapped it closed.
Gus dropped the book on a nearby shelf. His body throbbed, aware of her closeness. Of her scent. Of her softness. “That wasn’t the book I wanted to show you,” she sighed.
He opened his mouth to apologize, but she interrupted him.
“I wouldn’t leave my bed with that book.”
His imagination took that sentence and ran with it down the block. He could see her in bed wearing nothing but a T-shirt. Sirena would probably run her hands over her dips and valleys, tossing her head back and closing her eyes to shut out the world. How would she sound while she stroked herself? Would she pant in desperation, or would she softly moan as she climaxed? Would she wish that he was there to watch her?
He let out a choked response. “Really?”
Her eyes grew heavy with need. “Really.”
The remaining lust in his blood sent his heart pounding. Gus couldn’t ignore the ache that was growing from the inside out. How could any creature, human or otherwise, keep away from her? How had he stayed away from her for days? Resentment tightened in his chest.
He’d wasted so much time waiting, denying his one simple desire.
I want to take your breath away. Gus moved toward her. “Pause or play?” he asked.
Sirena watched with an interested eye. “Play,” she whispered and leaned forward into his space. “Let’s go have some fun.”
Over his magic career, Gus had found himself in various places and situations and had never broken out into a sweat. He’d snuck into a royal’s living room to return a book he borrowed. He even managed to hang out at the Metropolitan Museum of Art after hours to check out the Temple of Dendur. But walking into Sirena’s bedroom this chilly October night, he practically felt the beads of sweat roll down his face. The word “cozy” wished it was as comfortable as this room was. The queen-sized bed was pushed up against the wall, covered in a plush red comforter and pillows. It was the type of bed that you’d dream about sinking into at the end of a long day. Inviting. Beckoning. A place made for comfort.
The dresser was lined with jar candles, index cards covered with recipes, and hair care products. Ember, the prize Gus had won for Sirena, was perched there, looking regal. He liked having a piece of him in her space. The desk and chair combo held opened cookbooks, half-burned incense sticks and ashes, and a row of fragrant perfume bottles. His attention fell on the stack of spiral notebooks on the edge of the desk.
Gus pointed to the stack. “Spells?” he teased.
Sirena gave the notebooks an open smile. “No, they’re goals.”
She reached over and pressed a finger to his lips.
Sirena mouthed the words Don’t make a sound . Hot teeth of desire bit into his backbone.
They were playing the quiet game. He wanted to be the first to make her break, to hear her moan and end the silence. She shrugged off her robe and tossed it on the back of her chair. Gus yanked off his shirt and dropped it on the floor. Her attention followed the item, then snapped up to his chest.
Her gaze turned fiery. Game on. Sirena tossed off her nightshirt and stood in her shorts and sporty bra. Her breasts strained against the cups. Anticipation inched through his veins. He yearned to stroke her with his tongue and feel her writhe with pleasure.
She went over to her dresser and pulled out a box of condoms, then tossed them on the bed. He took a small step toward Sirena. Gus stripped naked, not wanting anything to get in between them. For too long, he had hidden behind his pretty words and illusions. Sirena approached Gus and stood before him. She traced the upright triangle, the alchemy symbol for fire, on his chest tenderly. He sighed at her feather-soft touch. Sirena took care with him, the same way he watched her handle onion-skin papers and fragile documents. Her fingers sparked pops of magic that tickled his skin. He gave her a wicked smile, felt himself harden and pulsate.
His mouth swooped down to capture hers, kissing her with reckless abandon.
One thought replayed in his mind as he tasted her lips: Next time .
Next time they’d be gentle and caring. Next time they’d caress and stroke each other tenderly. But now they were greedy and driven by one single goal: to burn together.
She pushed back from Gus and undid her sporty bra, freeing herself and showing off more skin. He stared down at her, his eyes taking her in. You are lovely and uniquely made.
She undressed quickly and closed the distance between them.
Gus caressed her broad curves, his hands unhurriedly exploring the lines of her body. She bit back a moan as he lowered his hands down her belly and touched her. He felt the slickness there and nearly came undone as he carefully explored. He looked at Sirena. She breathed heavily between parted lips, her eyes heavy with want. Gus bit the skin of her neck and drew lazy circles with his tongue.
Sirena released a stifled breath and yanked away from his hand.
Damn. Gus had almost gotten her to break. She wagged her finger at him in warning, then climbed into the bed while he stood at the edge. He watched the swing of her round ass twitching as she got comfortable. She lay on her pillows, her body prone and laid out like a goddess in waiting. Gus loitered at the edge of the bed. The thought of Sirena begging him to take her, whispering his name like an enchantment, made him impatient. Needy. He reached down and stroked himself. Wanting to feel her naked underneath him. Teasing her with what she could have if she invited him in. Sirena eyed him back and raised a saucy brow; the evidence of his arousal was clear and impressive to her.
Gus gestured downward. She gave him a ready nod. Yes. Please. Now.
He joined her in bed, his pendant swinging against his bare chest. A few well-placed kisses would send her over the edge. He moved between her thighs, eased them open, and pressed his lips right there. No. Not there. Right. There. Sirena arched her back and pressed herself against his mouth. A shock of pleasure and heat blasted behind his eyes the moment they connected.
He tasted her again, using his tongue and his lips to savor her. Sirena gasped and her breathing grew tense. Still, she didn’t say a word. Oh, she was stubborn. Gus wasn’t going to stop until he heard her say his name. Resolve stormed through his bones. Gus nipped the inside of her thigh and continued his mission, stroking his lips against her core. He felt her hands gently tug at his hair. The tugging encouraged him to keep going. Gus plundered her further, coaxing out more sweet gasps, but no words. The heat increased twofold, as if he were standing in the middle of a kiln and the air was ablaze. Her breath hitched higher and higher. It wasn’t enough.
I want to hear you moan.
He added his fingers to stroke her from within, to add a little friction to the slickness of her. A tiny moan escaped her lips. He felt her tighten around him. Good. She was close. So close.
“August, please,” she begged.
Gus peeked up from between her legs, feeling joyfully smug at the sound of her voice. She said my name. He continued stroking, and moments later she shouted in blissful release. He watched as the pleasure crashed down upon her in waves, her body shuddering with aftershocks.
“Do you know how sexy you look right now?” he said, panting.
She shook her head languidly, seemingly unable to form sentences. Gus could spend the rest of his life finding ways to make her speechless. The smugness changed into another deeper emotion—one that threatened to steal his sanity. No. This is about diversion. Fun. It can’t be about anything else.
“I need you inside of me,” she said.
Sirena pushed Gus onto his back. She grabbed a condom and unwrapped it. Keep it fun. She took the length of him in her hand, stroking him until he was hard and throbbing. He opened his mouth, and for a horrific second he thought he was going to say something heartbreakingly romantic. Something that would break his soul.
I belong to you. All I am, all I have is yours.
She quieted him with a searing kiss. He returned the kiss, being gentle and tender. His heart stirred, and she broke off the kiss. Now. No—he needed her yesterday. Sirena sheathed Gus, then straddled him, lowering herself inch by inch until hip met hip and flesh met flesh. He hissed out a breath once they were fully joined. Finally. As their bodies intertwined, Gus reveled in everything about Sirena. Her braids fell around her face like a curtain. Her scent, herbaceous and delightful, was so potent, all he could think about was staying buried within her for days.
She rode him hard, using him to pleasure herself.
Gus knew right then what it truly meant to burn, as they found their private rhythm. The moment when gasoline was fed oxygen and the chemical caught fire. The fire he fought to control tore through him, burning every thought he had. All that remained was the base instinct that fueled his actions: Possess her.
Charm her. Dazzle her.
He was burning so quickly, with every thrust and stroke, he felt his body threaten to combust. Gus trembled. There would be nothing left of him but embers.
“Sirena, I—” Gus rasped underneath her; his hands went to her soft hips and dug in. He wanted to hold back for Sirena, to let her find her release once more. His eyes didn’t leave hers, which grew hazy with ecstasy. She changed up her motions, eliciting a shocked groan from him as she slowed to a playful bounce. She rode him, rolling her hips around and around. Seconds later, he came, his breath escaping from his mouth in shuddering groans. She pressed kisses to his mouth, chin, and cheek and brushed her lips against his tattoo.
“You,” he sighed.
Sirena feigned innocence, blinking. “Me what? What did I do?”
“I had plans for you,” Gus said. Plans that included getting her on all fours and entering her from the back. Plans that included positioning a mirror in front of her bed and watching himself enter her.
“We’ll make the time for those plans,” she said. “Next time.”
Sirena swung her legs and freed Gus from underneath her body. She picked her robe up off the floor but decided to stay naked. Gus merely watched her while he cleaned himself up. He was naked in a witch’s bedroom. His body still craved her hands, her mouth… her everything. There was no way that he was going back to his original state. Being with Sirena had changed him at his fundamental core. His troubles would still be there in the morning, but for now he wanted to stay here in this bed.
He met her stare. She ran her tongue over her lips in eagerness.
“You keep looking at me like that—” He broke off. Gus leapt up and went over to Sirena. He held her face in his hands and kissed her until she was boneless. She pressed against him, skin to skin, and they crashed back into the bed. Apparently, “next time” was now.