Page 66 of Buckle Up, Buttercup

Not that I ever could.

He slings his tail back around my neck and uses his wings to hold me flat as he places a hand on the back of my head. I turn my face to the side so I don’t suffocate on the damn mattress as he grips my left hip and pounds into me.

“Say we’ll never stop,” he demands, his voice rough and demanding. “Say that you can’t get enough of me, little witch.”

I’m so screwed. So totally screwed. Because I can’t keep this play. Before I even know what happened I’m coming to the sound of Hadrian’s satisfied, throaty laughter.

* * *

“You alright, Bluebell?”

Glancing to my right, I force a bright smile for Tiana. She’s working all day, and I just came in to do inventory and shelve some packages that arrived this morning.

Has it only been two days since that magical night in Laporte?

I’m meeting Hadrian and Petra shortly to go over to the team breakfast. I’ve just got to dodge my family until then, which could be hard since my brothers don’t have an appointment this morning. There’s a very solid chance they’ll be downtown.

“I made progress with the Bodice yesterday,” I whisper, careful not to talk too loud in case the building decides she isn’t into the progress anymore.

Tiana’s brows lift. “Progress? How do you know?”

I look around. It’s such a tentative progress.

“She opened the door for me.” I nearly squeal with excitement.

Tiana grins and rubs my shoulder. “That’s a definite improvement. See?! I told you things would be fine between you two.”

The Bodice rumbles overhead, but it sounds happy enough to me.

“You feeling alright, sweetheart?” I look around, cautious not to touch the building knowing she doesn’t like it when I do.

She rumbles again, and this time the sound is plaintive.

Tiana looks around. “I think she might want help, Bluebell. You should try.”

“Them critters probably got back in.”

Tiana and I whip around to find Rebekah, the Bodice’s original owner, standing in the doorway with both hands on her thin hips. She smiles, her vampire fangs showing.

“Don’t look so shocked to see me. Surely Hadrian told ya he called and I was on the way?”

Sputtering, I try to find the words to respond but fail to. He comm’d me a few times this morning but I was in meetings and not able to answer.

Tiana rounds the desk and crosses the floor, pulling Rebekah into her arms. “Bek, it is good to see you, honey. The Bodice ain’t been the most welcoming.”

Rebekah tsks and rubs the building’s front door. “Sweet girl, what on earth? I left you in the hands of the most capable black witch I’ve ever met. How could that not be a match made in heaven?”

The Bodice lets out a string of awful-sounding, displeased noises.

Concern brews in my belly, but my magic sparks and sputters at my fingertips in response to the building’s sad display.

“C’mere, Bloob,” Rebekah says, waving me toward the front. “I’m so sorry I haven’t been around. Just got back last night from two weeks in Santa Alaya with my grandbabies, and lords alive, it was so lovely. But I need you two to be happy together!”

When I join her, she takes my hand and slaps it on the wall. The Bodice rumbles, but the noise she lets out is less harrowing than in the past.

“Feel her,” Rebekah croons. “Past the pain. Just let that flow over you. She’s always been persnickety. I suspect we got a mix of that and something wrong going on.”

Shoeboxes fly off the wall behind Rebekah, but the vampiress just laughs. “I see you, girl.”