Pyromancist (40 page)

“Taste yourself,” he commanded, “how sweet
you are.”

She opened her lips and let him slide his wet
fingers inside her mouth.

His gaze turned dark. “That’s my witch. Suck
them for me.”

She licked his fingers, flicked her tongue
around them and gently bit down on the tip as a preview of what she
had planned for another part of him, but before she could put her
intention into practice, his eyes changed to that mercurial color
Clelia knew meant delicious trouble.

In a second, she was flipped onto her tummy.
Josselin grabbed her hips and lifted her body until she stood on
her hands and knees. He stroked his palms over her back in a quick
and hard movement before taking her hands and placing them on the
headboard.

“Hold on tight,” he said, and she could hear
the effort of practicing restraint in his voice.

He moved back and gripped her hips between
his big hands, holding her in place. She felt the crest of his cock
press against the entrance of her pussy. She was soaked. He slipped
in easily, but her flesh still protested as it stretched to take
his size. He moved in fast, shallow strokes that made her feel even
slicker, the lips of her vagina even more swollen.

“Take a deep breath,” he said behind her, one
hand releasing her hip to push down on her back.

He plunged forward, giving her all of him,
taking everything she had.

Clelia cried out from the sudden intrusion.
He pulled back and slammed into her again, repeating the movement
with an increasing pace and intensity until Clelia thought she
would pass out from the pleasure that bordered on pain. Josselin
tightened his hold on her hip, pulling her into him as he pushed
forward, his breathing rugged and strained. Her orgasm built fast
and came instantly this time, but it was as intense as it was
quick. Her scream filled the room as Josselin kept on plunging into
her. Her knees couldn’t carry her weight any longer. She collapsed
on the bed with another cry as Josselin gave a final, hard thrust
that made her back arch. The groan he uttered, as his sperm shot
into her body was raw and primal. He convulsed, pushing himself
even deeper into her, keeping himself locked inside of her until
both their bodies went slack. He fell over her, his breath chasing
in her neck. After a couple of seconds, he lifted his weight off
her and turned her to face him.

“I love you, Clelia.”

“I love you, Josselin.”

They stayed in each other’s arms for a while,
until Josselin pulled away reluctantly. “Cain is waiting.”

Clelia flushed, thinking about what they had
been doing while he sat in their dining room.

“I’ve asked him to stay for dinner,” Josselin
said. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” Clelia said. “There’s a lot
to talk about.”

She moved off the bed and flinched at the
discomfort she felt between her legs.

“Come here,” he said.

He picked her up and carried her to the
bathroom. “Did I hurt you?”

She smiled. “No.”

“I’m sorry I got so carried away. It was just
... almost losing you...”

She touched his cheek. “I want you to make
love to me like you need to, Josselin. I’ve told you before, I’m
not a doll. I won’t break.”

He grimaced. “You’re so small.”

“And sometimes I need you to take me hard and
fast.”

His eyes immediately darkened. “I promise to
take you gently when we come back to bed.”

A cloud shifted over Clelia’s horizon when
she recalled Lupien’s revelation.

“Josselin,” she stared uncertainly, “there’s
something I have to tell you, something that Lupien said.”

At the mention of Lupien’s name, Josselin’s
jaw set hard, but he kissed her tenderly before lowering her to the
floor.

Clelia brought her hands together. “He said
that all the mothers of the babies like me die at birth.”

She watched the full meaning of the words
register, saw the pain and anger flash over his face.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking at her
feet.

He grabbed her wrists. “If you ever say
you’re sorry again, I’ll spank you. Listen to me.” He shook her
lightly until she met his gaze again. “First of all, we’ll check it
out to be sure the bastard didn’t lie.” He suddenly looked like
thunder. “And if it’s true, we’ll make pretty damn sure you never
fall pregnant.”

It was like a punch in her stomach. “You know
it’s true, don’t you? My mother...”

He pulled her into his arms. “Let’s not make
assumptions before we have all the facts.”

She pushed away from him. “Did Lann’s mother
pass away when she gave birth?”

He clenched his jaw. “Yes.”

“And Maya’s?”

There was a small pause. “Yes.”

Tears filled her eyes. “I see,” she said
softly.

“Clelia, listen to me. When did you have your
last period?”

She tried to remember. “Not so long ago.
Maybe a week.”

“Good. You can’t be pregnant. From now on, we
won’t take any risks.”

“But what about you? I know how badly you
want children.”

He sighed. “I want nothing as bad as I want
you.”

She couldn’t stop her tears from falling. He
wiped them away with his thumbs. “I’ll get the best medical advice
I can. I promise. Whatever happens, we have each other, do you hear
me?” She nodded.

“Say it,” he said.

“We’ve got each other.”

“Good girl.” He kissed her tenderly. “Now,
you look well loved, so let me rinse away the evidence unless
you’re willing to face Cain like this.”

Clelia smiled as he placed her in the shower
and soaped her down. He washed gently between her legs, making her
blush with his thoroughness. She watched him lather the foam over
his body, taking his big cock in his hand, and felt her body heat
for him again. His gaze followed hers and in a flash he had her
pinned against the wall.

“I could take you right here, right now,
again,” he said, “but Cain is waiting, so stop looking at me like
that.”

Clelia felt power at her newly found
femininity, and indescribable pleasure in her lover’s hands.

* * * *

Cain sat at the table studying an ePad when
they entered the dining room. He immediately got to his feet. He
bowed slightly and kissed Clelia’s hand.

“I’m glad to see some color in your face
again.”

She blushed some more, knowing that he knew
exactly what gave her such a flush on her cheeks.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting,” Clelia
said. “You and your team really must stop injecting me with
drugs.”

“Please,” Josselin motioned to the chair.
“Have a seat, Cain.” He reluctantly let go of Clelia’s hand to pull
out a chair for her.

Cain nodded at Josselin and waited until
Clelia was seated before sitting down again. “I have a lot to thank
you for, Clelia. A great enemy has been destroyed today.”

“Aren’t you upset?”

Cain smiled. “About what?”

“About Josselin aiding me instead of killing
me.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Josselin
tensing.

“Josselin loves you,” Cain said, as if that
explained everything.

Clelia shook her head. “I don’t
understand.”

Josselin pulled the bottle of wine closer. “I
think I do.”

Clelia looked at her husband expectantly
while he served them each a glass.

Josselin lifted his eyes to meet Cain’s. “You
knew I’d go after Lupien. That’s why you let me go in the first
place.”

Cain’s eyes crinkled in the corners. “Of
course. I knew if Clelia were alive, you’d find her and then
Lupien. Even if Clelia had been dead, you would have avenged her
death. It was only a matter of tracking you.”

“Then why did you let me go alone?” Josselin
said. “If you knew all along, why not send the team with me?”

“This was something you had to do on your
own,” Cain said. “You had to find and save your woman and then kill
her enemy.”

Clelia stared at Cain in surprise. “Why
didn’t you try to help us?”

Cain’s gaze was level. “I did.”

Confusion grew inside of her. “I still don’t
understand.”

Josselin took her fingers and squeezed them.
“Cain came to help you when you faced Lupien.”

“But how? I didn’t see you pulling out any
magic tricks.”

“The only way I could help you was not to let
Lupien twist you,” Cain said. He sipped his wine. “It was the only
way to save your soul.”

“I see,” Clelia said slowly. “If Lupien had
managed to twist me, you would have killed me.”

“Naturally, yes,” Cain said without blinking.
“I knew that Josselin wouldn’t be able to do it, but I couldn’t
allow Lupien to take your gift and become even more powerful.”

Clelia wasn’t sure how to react to that
statement. Of course, it made logical sense, but something inside
her protested at the ease with which Cain would have eliminated
her.

“And now?” she said, barely managing to keep
the quiver from her voice.

“May I have a word with Josselin alone,
please?” Cain said.

Clelia glanced at Josselin, who gave her a
nod.

“I’ll go check on the food,” she said,
getting to her feet.

Both men stood as she made her way to the
door. Passing the fireplace, she saw that the fire needed kindling.
The thought to stoke it went through her mind and immediately the
flames shot up high and hot. For a second, the act startled her,
and then a sense of wonder filled her as she realized that she had
just combusted a few logs with a mere thought.

She glanced back at the men, who watched her
with expressionless faces. What would they make of her now that her
art was no longer regressed? Would Cain still regard her as a
potential enemy? Josselin gave her a very faint smile, motioning
with his head toward the door, and she quietly left the room to go
check on the food in the kitchen.

Izabell was fussing over lobsters grilling on
the fire. From her short but friendly greeting, Clelia realized
that she didn’t know anything about the events that had played off
just a few hours earlier. Cain and Josselin probably wanted to keep
it quiet. She wondered how they were going to explain the explosion
that leveled Josselin’s house. Maybe Josselin could say he wanted
it demolished. With Josselin and Cain’s powerful connections, they
could get around the red tape; prove that it was an approved and
controlled explosion. Given the house’s history, everyone would
understand why he would have wanted something like that.

“Food’s ready,” Izabell announced.

“I’ll give you a hand,” Clelia said.

When the two women entered with platters of
stir-fried vegetables, grilled lobster basted with garlic butter
and sautéed potatoes, the men got to their feet again, their faces
tight. Clelia looked sideways at Josselin. His brow was furrowed
and his body tense. Wariness, combined with the emotional twist of
the day, suddenly made her feel weak and tired. She saw a flicker
of concern on Josselin’s face as she sat down too quickly, gripping
the sides of the seat for support. She tried to look brave. This
was about Josselin’s future, not about her.

Clelia didn’t miss the warning look Josselin
gave Cain. When Izabell left the room, he said, “I think we should
get to the point. The emotional stress is wearing her out.”

Clelia looked between the two men,
frowning.

Cain nodded. “All right.” He turned to
Clelia. “The fact that you’re Lupien’s daughter changes
everything.”

Her insides clenched in fear. Would the fact
that she had inherited bad genes warrant her elimination,
regardless of whether she was trying to do what was right? Did Cain
worry she’d twist at some stage, just because of who had fathered
her?

Instead of asking the questions on her mind,
she only managed to say, “How?”

“It means that you are much more powerful
than what we ever thought,” Cain said.

Clelia started shaking. She clasped her hands
together in her lap under the table. “I didn’t know he was my
father,” she said defensively. “I didn’t put two and two
together.”

“Neither did we,” Cain said, his voice
strangely reassuring. “It means that you’re a very valuable
asset.”

Clelia glanced at Josselin who gave her a
small, tense smile.

“Cain, I don’t follow,” she said.

“I’d like it very much if you joined the
team.”

Clelia’s mouth dropped open. “You mean
Josselin’s team? The taskforce?” She looked at Josselin again. He
seemed conflicted. “You’re not firing Josselin?” she said, needing
reassurance that she understood correctly.

“No,” Cain said, “it was never my
intention.”

“And bringing me on board was?”

Cain inclined his head. “Absolutely.”

“Why didn’t you say so from the beginning?”
she said.

“As I mentioned,” Cain said patiently, “I
first had to see which way you were going to turn.”

Up to then, Josselin had remained quiet, and
Clelia turned in her chair to face him.

“What do you want, Josselin?” she asked
softly.

He regarded her for a moment. “I’m not happy
about putting you in danger.”

She could sense that there was more behind
his words. “But?” she prompted.

Josselin shut his eyes briefly. When he
looked at her again, it was with acceptance. “I’ll respect and
support whatever you decide.”

Clelia understood the enormity of the offer.
Could she even do it? Did she have the capacity to work in such a
field?

“What would being part of the team entail?”
she said, directing her question at Cain.

“It varies between missions. You’d take an
oath to protect good against evil. I could lie to you and tell you
some pretty fairytale about the honor and glory, but that’s not my
style. As Josselin is well aware, it is, more than not, a dangerous
job. The truth is that you’ll put your life on the line and use a
forbidden art to fight for a greater cause. Ours is a secret
organization. We don’t follow rules or laws. We protect our own.
The financial compensation is good, of course. But when you take
the oath, your time–at least the time you’re required to
work–belongs to me.”