Page 6 of His Lucky Charm

“Hands on the desk,” he instructed, his breath hot against my ear.

I complied, bracing myself on trembling arms. Behind me, I heard the clink of his belt buckle, the rasp of a zipper. Then his hands were on my hips, gripping firmly as he pressed against me, his cock hot and hard against the curve of my ass.

“Wanted to bend you over since I first saw you,” he growled, one hand sliding up my spine to between my shoulder blades, gently pressing me down until my chest touched the cool wood. “The things I’m going to do to you, Eliot…”

His cock slid between my thighs, teasing but not entering. I pushed back against him, suddenly desperate for more friction, more contact, more everything.

“Please,” I heard myself say, the word foreign on my usually composed tongue.

“Please what?” His hand slid around to grasp my cock again, stroking slowly. “Use your words, Professor.”

“Touch me,” I gasped. “More. Anything.”

His chuckle was dark and promising. “I intend to.”

The hand on my cock quickened its pace, his thumb swiping over the head on each upstroke, while his other hand explored my back, my sides, my ass. He leaned forward to press open-mouthed kisses to my shoulders, occasionally nipping with teeth that felt sharper than they should be.

“Going to make you come like this,” he murmured against my skin. “Want to watch you fall apart for me.”

His hips moved in rhythm with his hand, his cock sliding slickly between my thighs. The dual sensations of his hand on my cock and his hardness rubbing against me sent sparks shooting up my spine. I was close, so close, pressure building at the base of my spine.

“Rafferty,” I warned, voice breaking.

“Let go,” he commanded. “Show me, Eliot.”

My orgasm hit like a freight train, tearing a shout from my throat as I spilled over his fist and onto the desk. My arms gave way, and I collapsed forward, only his arm around my waist keeping me from sprawling completely.

Behind me, his movements became erratic, his breathing harsh. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous when you come,” he growled, then tensed against me with a deep, animalistic sound that was almost a howl as he found his own release.

For several long moments, we stayed frozen in that position, his body draped over mine, both of us panting. Finally, he straightened, helping me up and turning me to face him. His eyes were softer now, his smile gentle as he brushed my disheveled hair from my forehead.

“That was…” I began, then stopped, at a loss for words.

“A good start,” he finished, pressing a surprisingly sweet kiss to my lips. “And definitely better than research.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I suppose I’ll have to revise my methodology.”

He grinned, reaching for tissues from a box on the shelf to clean us both up. “Does that mean you’ll be extending your stay in Cloverton, Professor?”

Looking at him—flushed, disheveled, and impossibly handsome—I knew my carefully planned two-week research trip was about to become much longer.

“I believe further investigation is warranted,” I said solemnly, even as I reached for him again. “For academic integrity.”

His laugh echoed through the small office as he pulled me against his chest. “I’ll show you academic integrity, Dr. Byrne.”

And as his mouth descended on mine once more, I had to acknowledge that some mysteries might be worth leaving unsolved—at least for now.

Chapter 5

I’d been in Cloverton for nearly two weeks, and two things had become abundantly clear:

First, my “research” had taken a decidedly unscientific turn, involving significantly more time in Rafferty’s bed (and office, and storeroom, and once memorably against the back wall of the pub after closing) than in the archives.

Second, something very strange was happening as the full moon approached.

“You’re doing it again,” I observed from my now-regular corner table at The Lucky Hound. It was nearly closing time, and the pub was mostly empty except for a few regulars.

Rafferty paused in his aggressive wiping of the bar top. “Doing what?”