would likely be gone by morning. Or, at the very latest, when he returned from his trip. Then things would be back to normal between them.
After a while she got up and carried her plate to the sink. She straightened up the kitchen, then went to her room. It was far too early for sleep, but Serena got ready for bed anyway, and curled up with the book of incantations once again. But this time the book failed to hold her attention—until she idly looked for some reference to what she had experienced in the attempt to read Merlin’s mind.
Nothing. As far as Gray’s
Spells and Incantations
was concerned, inhabiting the mind of another individual didn’t seem possible. There was no spell, and no mention whatsoever of the trick, which left Serena puzzled and uneasy. Was that why Merlin had been upset? Because she had inadvertently done something objectionable or unique?
Serena fully intended to ask him about that, but when she went down to breakfast early the next morning, he had already gone.
“He said he’d be at the office for a few hours, and then off on one of his trips,” Rachel said placidly. Middle-aged and utterly unflappable, she had beenMerlin’s housekeeper for years; exactly how many she never said, and she’d only smiled when Serena had asked her bluntly.
“He said it would just be overnight,” Rachel continued, “to expect him tomorrow evening, probably in time for supper. Did he tell you?”
“Yes. But he wasn’t specific about when he’d return.”
“I imagine he didn’t know for sure himself last night,” the housekeeper offered tranquilly as she set Serena’s breakfast in front of her.
“No, I guess not,” Serena responded a bit hollowly. She couldn’t help thinking that Merlin
had
known, that he had decided on this trip simply because his mental and emotional withdrawal from her hadn’t allowed him enough distance. And she still didn’t know what she had done wrong….
His fingers touched her breasts, stroking soft skin and teasing the hard pink nipples. The swollen weight filled his hands as he lifted and kneaded, and when she moaned and arched her back, he lowered his mouth to her flesh. She tasted faintly of salt, but more of woman, a taste that aroused him further and yet drew a hazy curtain across his mind. He stopped thinking. He felt. He felt his own body, taut and pulsing with desire, the blood hot in his veins. He felt her body, soft and warm and willing. His mouth toyed with the beaded texture of her nipple, sucking as if commanded by instinct. He felt her hand on him, stroking slowly, her touch hungry and assured. Her moans and sighs filled his ears, and the heat of her need rose until her flesh burned. His hand slid down her rippling belly to cup her, fingers probing her swollen wetness, testing her readiness. The tension inside him coiled more tightly, making his body ache, until he couldn’t stand to wait another moment. He spread her legs, positioning himself between them. Her hand guided him eagerly, and the hot, slick tightness of her sheath surrounded him. He sank his flesh into hers, feeling her legs close strongly about his hips. Expertly, lustfully, she met his thrusts, undulating beneath him, her female body the cradle all men returnedto. The heat between them built until it was a fever raging out of control, until his body was gripped by the inescapable, inexorable drive for release and pounded frantically inside her. Then, at last, the heat and tension drained from him in a rush, and he heaved at the intense pleasure of pouring himself into her….
Serena sat bolt upright in bed, gasping. In shock, she stared across the darkened room for a moment, then hurriedly leaned over and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. Blinking in the light, she held her hands up and stared at them, reassuring herself that they were hers, still slender and pale and tipped with neat oval nails.
They were hers. She was here and unchanged. Awake. Aware. Herself again.
She could
After a while she got up and carried her plate to the sink. She straightened up the kitchen, then went to her room. It was far too early for sleep, but Serena got ready for bed anyway, and curled up with the book of incantations once again. But this time the book failed to hold her attention—until she idly looked for some reference to what she had experienced in the attempt to read Merlin’s mind.
Nothing. As far as Gray’s
Spells and Incantations
was concerned, inhabiting the mind of another individual didn’t seem possible. There was no spell, and no mention whatsoever of the trick, which left Serena puzzled and uneasy. Was that why Merlin had been upset? Because she had inadvertently done something objectionable or unique?
Serena fully intended to ask him about that, but when she went down to breakfast early the next morning, he had already gone.
“He said he’d be at the office for a few hours, and then off on one of his trips,” Rachel said placidly. Middle-aged and utterly unflappable, she had beenMerlin’s housekeeper for years; exactly how many she never said, and she’d only smiled when Serena had asked her bluntly.
“He said it would just be overnight,” Rachel continued, “to expect him tomorrow evening, probably in time for supper. Did he tell you?”
“Yes. But he wasn’t specific about when he’d return.”
“I imagine he didn’t know for sure himself last night,” the housekeeper offered tranquilly as she set Serena’s breakfast in front of her.
“No, I guess not,” Serena responded a bit hollowly. She couldn’t help thinking that Merlin
had
known, that he had decided on this trip simply because his mental and emotional withdrawal from her hadn’t allowed him enough distance. And she still didn’t know what she had done wrong….
His fingers touched her breasts, stroking soft skin and teasing the hard pink nipples. The swollen weight filled his hands as he lifted and kneaded, and when she moaned and arched her back, he lowered his mouth to her flesh. She tasted faintly of salt, but more of woman, a taste that aroused him further and yet drew a hazy curtain across his mind. He stopped thinking. He felt. He felt his own body, taut and pulsing with desire, the blood hot in his veins. He felt her body, soft and warm and willing. His mouth toyed with the beaded texture of her nipple, sucking as if commanded by instinct. He felt her hand on him, stroking slowly, her touch hungry and assured. Her moans and sighs filled his ears, and the heat of her need rose until her flesh burned. His hand slid down her rippling belly to cup her, fingers probing her swollen wetness, testing her readiness. The tension inside him coiled more tightly, making his body ache, until he couldn’t stand to wait another moment. He spread her legs, positioning himself between them. Her hand guided him eagerly, and the hot, slick tightness of her sheath surrounded him. He sank his flesh into hers, feeling her legs close strongly about his hips. Expertly, lustfully, she met his thrusts, undulating beneath him, her female body the cradle all men returnedto. The heat between them built until it was a fever raging out of control, until his body was gripped by the inescapable, inexorable drive for release and pounded frantically inside her. Then, at last, the heat and tension drained from him in a rush, and he heaved at the intense pleasure of pouring himself into her….
Serena sat bolt upright in bed, gasping. In shock, she stared across the darkened room for a moment, then hurriedly leaned over and turned on the lamp on the nightstand. Blinking in the light, she held her hands up and stared at them, reassuring herself that they were hers, still slender and pale and tipped with neat oval nails.
They were hers. She was here and unchanged. Awake. Aware. Herself again.
She could
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