Beneath An Ivy Moon (Legacy Of Magick Series, Book 4) (22 page)

“I bet every kid in the neighborhood comes here on Halloween for trick-or-treating,” Nathan said.

“This is nothing,” I warned him. “Wait until you see what goes in the front yard in a few weeks. A dozen carved jack-o’-lanterns, a bunch of cool props, and we even use a fog machine.”

“It sounds great,” Nathan said.

I thought I heard a little wistfulness in his voice. “Do you have any plans for the thirty-first?” I asked.

Nathan stood up and walked over to me. “No, I don’t.”

“You are welcome to drop by over here. We can always use another body,” I said, casually.

Nathan laughed at the double entendre. He stepped closer— closer than he ever had before. “Today was intense,” he said, staring down into my eyes.

“It really was.” I had to tip my head back to maintain eye contact. “I’m truly scared for Cypress,” I admitted quietly.

“I meant what I said, earlier,” he said. “I’ll help you keep her safe.”

Nothing he could have said would have meant more to me. “Thank you.” I moistened my lips against a mouth that had suddenly gone dry. I froze, wondering how that might have been interpreted.

Nathan leaned over, his mouth a breath from mine. I held my breath and waited.

I’m not sure who moved first. Maybe I jumped up in his arms, or maybe he scooped me up off the floor. But the next thing I knew for sure— his mouth was on mine, my arms were tight around his neck while his hands were all over me. I opened my mouth to his as he slid his hands down over my backside. I wrapped my legs around his waist and held on. I felt him move a few steps and we dropped down to the nearby couch.

Before I knew it my sweater was gone. The t-shirt followed soon after. I reached out for his gray shirt and pulled it free from his waistband. We tugged it off together and when he latched his mouth back on mine I let out an appreciative purr at the feelings of our chests being pressed together. I pulled back and ran my mouth down his gorgeous chest.

“Mmmm,” I murmured, cruising my mouth over some very fine pectorals and defined abs. His hands clenched in my hair, and before I could enjoy myself too much he pulled me back up to his mouth.

I felt him grope for my bra closure, and after a few moments he gave up, turning me in his arms to unfasten the black lace bra. Once freed, he reached around from behind and filled his hands with my breasts. I found myself braced against the arm of the couch while he helped himself. He kissed his way down my back and up my shoulders. I felt him unzip my jeans and his hand slid down.

I grabbed his hand. “Nathan,” I managed.

He flexed his fingers, and I damn near came right there and then.

I tossed my head back to look at him. “We have to stop. I don’t have any protection.” I made myself say it.

The expression on his face had every one of my muscles clenching. He slid his hand free, spun me in his arms, and I landed on my back under him on the sofa. He kissed my breasts, his teeth teasing and tormenting. “You smell like roses,” he said.

“Nathan,” I said, reaching out for him. My fingers landed on the proof of his desire. Every coherent thought in my head vanished.

His hand covered mine, and we both froze. I stared into his eyes and he into mine. “We have to stop...” he gritted out.

“We have to,” I gasped, easing my hand away.

“I know,” he said, leaning into my throat. His stubble rasped against my skin. For a few moments we simply held each other, panting.

Nathan slowly eased back to the other end of the couch. He stared at me for a long moment, and I let him. No point in acting shy now. He’d already had his hands and mouth all over my upper body. And Goddess knows I was enjoying the view of him shirtless myself.

“Holy crap.” I blew out a breath and stared at the ceiling. Eventually I sat up, and reached for my bra. I hooked it in the front and spun it around to the back. I looped my arms through the straps, stood up and scooped the girls into the lace bra cups.

I picked up my t-shirt and felt more than heard him stand behind me. “I like this,” he said as his lips rubbed over the crescent moon and star tattoo on my right shoulder.

“Thanks, it’s the family’s magickal crest,” I said.

He pulled back and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. For a moment I stood there with my head resting against his chest. “Ivy,” he said, and took a steadying breath.

We stepped apart. I pulled my t-shirt back on and watched him scoop up his own shirt from the floor. “I’d say something like, I’m not sure what just happened here.” I cleared my throat. “But that seems stupid.”

Nathan’s blue-gray eyes were almost lit up as he stood still, holding his shirt. “We’re attracted to each other and we acted on it.”

“Yeah, but I don’t usually do this...” I trailed off, trying to figure the best way to say it. “I have never done the ‘we almost had sex’ thing in my house. With my family right upstairs, with someone I don’t know very well.” I blew out a breath. “I don’t even know if you are in a relationship with someone else.”

“I’m not,” he said.

“Well that’s something, anyway,” I said. He continued to stand there— in no rush to leave. “Do me a favor Pogue,” I said, “put your shirt back on.”

He grinned at that. “Maybe I was wanting to show you
my
tattoo.”

Pleased that he was trying to lighten the mood I arched an eyebrow at him. “Oh yeah? Where’s it at?” I gave him the once over, but saw no ink on the front of his body.

He shrugged his shirt on. “You’ll have to guess.”

“I bet it’s on your butt.”

He blinked, clearly offended. “No.”

I tapped my finger against my lips as I considered. “Yeah, I think it’s a skull and crossbones. Something bad-ass and butch.”

“Please.” He rolled his eyes.

“Tramp stamp?” I said. “A butterfly, maybe?”

He laughed, and bent down and gave me a quick kiss. “Nope.”

I smiled up at him, reached around and gave his back side a friendly pat. “I’m betting it’s there.”

“Maybe I’ll show you sometime,” Nathan said.

“Maybe I’ll let you.” I kissed him back.

Nathan ended the kiss. He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “I should go,” he said, resting his forehead against mine.

I went and got his denim jacket for him and, playing the good hostess, I walked him out onto the front porch. The orange Halloween lights lit up the front porch with a festive glow. He went down a few steps, stopped and grinned at the creepy scarecrow that loomed over the front gardens. He walked back to me. For once we were eye to eye.

“Good night, Nathan,” I said.

“Ivy.” He leaned in and kissed me lightly. “I’ll call you in the morning?”

“Sure.” I smiled. “But not too early.”

Nathan laughed and moved quickly down the steps. I watched as he went down the front sidewalk and out the gate. I went back to the front door and waited until I heard his car start up, I saw him wave, and I let myself back in the door, locking it behind me.

I clicked off the lamp in the family room, closed the glass doors on the fireplace, and headed for the foyer. The decorated Halloween tree illuminated the main entrance of the manor and the staircase nicely. I trailed my fingers along the black branches of the artificial tree and swung around to head up the stairs— almost walking straight through my grandmother’s ghost.

I stifled a scream. “Jeez!” I jumped back. “Grandma Rose, you scared the crap outta me!”

My grandmother’s ghost stood on the bottom step, resting her elbow on the banister. As she had the first two times I’d seen her appear in the manor, she wore her bright pink sweater and jeans. Her silly straw gardening hat hung down her back. “Well.” She narrowed her eyes at me.

I pressed a hand to my heart. “Well, what?”

“You’re having yourself quite the adventure, aren’t you?”

I blushed.
Oh my Goddess, how long had my grandmother’s ghost been hanging around? How much had she seen?
“Have you been spying on me?”

She folded her arms. “I think ‘keeping an eye on you’ is the better way to say it.”

I shook my head. “That’s downright creepy.”

“You’re blushing,” she said.

“I am
not
,” I hissed. “Thinning veil or not, I am
really
tired of ghosts right now.” I stepped around her and marched up the stairs with her gentle laughter following me.

I made it into my room and quietly closed the bedroom door. I hit the lights, but only Merlin was there. His highness was sprawled, belly up, in the middle of my bed. Quickly I stripped out of my clothes and dropped them on the floor. I grabbed my night shirt from the hook behind the bathroom door and pulled it over my head.

Exhausted, I pulled back the covers and jumped in the big bed. Merlin muttered and rolled over. I shut my eyes and willed myself to sleep.

I was starting to drift off when I heard, “Sleep well, sweetheart.”

“G’night Grandma,” I mumbled. I smiled when I felt a kiss pressed to the top of my head.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Dreams chased me all night long. Disjointed images from the past, the present, and the probable future— one after another they melded and ran together.

Me calling desperately to Nathan, our hands clasped together... Victoria Crowly’s distorted face, shrieking and wailing... The earth shaking, tree branches snapping in storm winds... The surveyor’s maps, backlit, and the location of the old orchard illuminated... Cypress and I huddling in the cellar of the dormitory while the tornado roared overhead...Wrapping Nathan’s wrist with the piece of ivy vine... The foreman uncovering the skull at the construction site... Making love with Nathan in front of the fireplace... Jessica sleepwalking in Crowly Hall...Prudence Thornton sobbing about her stolen land... Cypress flipping the couch out of the way by her fingertips to get to Jessica... Nathan casting a circle around Victoria Crowly’s tombstone, candles blowing out, blood dripping from my fist, and falling down on the green grass... Cypress running towards me, while lightning struck far too close... A roll cloud that swallowed the world...

I sat up covered in sweat, my chest heaving. The sun was up, barely. I could tell it was early from the position of the light creeping in the windows. My phone was ringing, and it took me a minute before I could figure out what to do about that. I dropped my head in my hands and ignored the phone, as the dreams replayed in my mind.

Merlin walked over and sat in my lap. I grunted and patted his head.

When the phone started to ring again, I swore and felt around on the night stand. I found my phone and hit the accept button on the screen. “
What
?” I snarled into the phone.

“Ivy?” Nathan’s voice sounded through the phone. “Sorry, did I wake you up?”

I flung myself back on the pillows and tossed an arm over my eyes. “Nathan you should know, before we go any further... I am
not
a morning person.”

He chuckled. “Are you alright?” he asked.

It took me a second to answer. “Rough night,” I said. “Bad dreams. Give me a second.”

“Okay.”

Merlin walked up my chest and batted at my nose. “Merlin!” I pulled my face away. In retaliation the cat stuck his paw right in my mouth. “Aack!” I rolled over, dislodging the cat.

“What’s going on?” Nathan said, while Merlin howled.

“Nathan, can you hang on for a couple of minutes?” I asked, wiping cat hair off my mouth with the back of my hand.

“Sure,” he said.

I dropped the phone on my pillow, rolled out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. I splashed some cold water on my face, brushed my teeth, and used mouthwash for good measure. All while Merlin sat on the sink and silently supervised. “You are a rotten cat,” I told him, patting my face dry with a towel.

Merlin merely flipped his tail in answer.

I squinted at the sunlight as I climbed back into bed. I cleared my throat and picked up the phone. “Go ahead caller, you’re on the air,” I said, pulling the covers up to my chin.

Nathan laughed. “You sound awake now.”

“Whether I like it or not,” I said, yawning. “What’s up?”

“You said earlier that you’d had bad dreams last night?” He paused, then asked, “Precognitive dreams?”

“It was a weird mixture. Past, present, and the future.” I shuddered recalling the blood on the grass. “I dreamed of us doing a binding ritual at the campus cemetery. It was spooky.”

“Was Cypress in the dreams?” Nathan’s voice was soft, but serious.

“She showed up off and on in my dreams,” I said. “Why?”

“Because Cypress was in
my
dreams too. She was running towards me, and shouting.”

I flashed back to my dream images. “That’s similar to what I dreamt. And to be honest, it scares me that she was there in those dreams. I want her far away from all of this.” I swallowed past the emotions that welled up. “Was there a storm in your dream?”

“Yeah,” Nathan sighed. “Thunder, lightning, and this huge rumbling cloud—”

“A roll cloud?” I said, pushing the covers aside.

“What’s a roll cloud?” Nathan asked.

“Think of a massive storm front that looks like a waterfall of clouds. If you want to get technical they are called arcus clouds— you live in the Midwest long enough, east coast boy, and you’ll see one.”

“Do they usually precede a tornado?” Nathan asked.

“Or a severe thunderstorm.”

“Was there a roll cloud before the tornado last month?”

“No, not that I remember.” I waited for him to comment, but he remained silent. “So, what are you thinking?” I finally asked, when I could stand the silence no more.

“I think it’s significant that we both had similar dreams about a storm and Cypress.”

“I do too.” I sighed. “I think the binding we need to do is to
protect
Cypress, specifically.”

“How do you feel about breakfast?” Nathan asked.

“I have very fond feelings for breakfast. And for waking me up this early in the morning, you are definitely buying me something that involves both sugar and caffeine.”

A half hour later Nathan and I were crammed into a little café table next to the front window of the Blue Moon Bakery. As usual the place was hopping, but since it was a Sunday morning, the bakery was doubly busy. People waited in line in front of the deep glass display cases for doughnuts, pastries, and muffins.