Little Witch Ch. 02

"Do not make me reach for you again, little witch. Come here. Now."

"Stop threatening me. You say we're mates? Fine, whatever that means, but you have to stop treating me like a misbehaving dog."

For a moment, his eyes went dark with rage and Elena braced herself, ready to feel the wrath she could see just below the surface. But something in her reaction must have startled him, for his eyes lost their ire and he was tugging at his black hair again, pressing down a few loose curls. He tore his eyes from hers and sat back down in the chair with a huff.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he barked out, exasperated.

"Then stop acting like it!" Was it wrong if the sparks in her eyes made him want to throw her down on the bed and show her who, exactly, was supposed to be giving orders?

"Trust me, little witch, if I meant to hurt you this would all have gone a lot differently."

"Then what is it you want? And don't," she ground out at his answering grin, one finger pointed at him harshly, "Say another word about coupling. That's not happening."

He settled back into the chair, barely chastised by her words. "I want you, little witch. Whatever I wanted before I set eyes on you, hands on you, lips on you, is dust and fragments. What I want is to protect you, to keep you close, to shred anyone who so much as looks at you. And I want your body, under mine, every single night from now until we fade into the afterworld. Of course, I'd be willing to settle for your body in any number of positions."

Well. What the hell was she supposed to say to that?

"I don't even know you," she whispered, mouth suddenly dry and her throat tight.

"Then I propose a deal. I will attempt to stop, as you say, treating you like a misbehaved pet. And you will stop running away and let me show you the mating bond. All of it."

Elena gulped at the meaning in his words, plain as day. "But I don't want-"

"Little witch," he cut in, the edge in his voice like a whip, "Everything in me is demanding that I take you, right this instant. However I have to, no matter the cost. If you want me to start threatening that family of mortals downstairs to get you to agree, I swear to all the gods above and demons below that I will. Let us try your way instead."

"Well threatening to threaten me is hardly any different than the threat itself, but if you want to give me a semblance of choice, I'll take that. I agree."

Warmth flushed through him, and the ache in his chest eased a fraction. "Swear it."

"I swear that you can use my body as long as it keeps you from murdering innocents and...oof!" Marcus pounced on her, throwing his considerable bulk across the narrow bed faster than her eyes could track, both hands cupping her face with surprising gentleness. His thumbs lightly stroked her cheeks, which were blooming a deep red.

"Marcus, I'm filthy, and tired, and I just-" He cut her off with his mouth on hers, hot and demanding.

Honey, pure honey. Marcus could hardly believe he was tasting her again.

She felt her body melt against his, mouth opening where he licked along the seam of her lips. The way his tongue danced in her mouth, at once burning and soothing, was unlike anything she had ever experienced. One hand moved to the small of her back, pressing her into his muscled chest and stomach. Something very hard and very male brushed against her thigh, and she hated the way it only deepened the ache between her own legs. With a gasp, she tore her lips from his and planted two delicate hands on the hard planes of his chest.

"Filthy. Tired. Not your toy." Each word was punctuated with a little shove against him, ineffectual thought it might be.

With an exasperated sigh, Marcus loosened his hands, but didn't release the little witch in his arms. She slid down his body until they were both kneeling, facing each other. Every place their bodies touched was another thrill of pleasure, and the way she was looking up at him with desperate eyes gave him more than a few ideas...

"Would you like a bath?" He murmured, a hand coming up to stroke her hair, using every ounce of self control he had gained in his very long life. There would be time, he reasoned with himself. It was hardly comforting, but just having her in his arms was enough to soothe some of the ache.

Elena jerked away from his touch to stare up into those bright blue eyes. "Really?"

"I will have Jace send one up before he goes back to check on James. But Elena," he warned, his voice dripping with wicked promise, "It will be a bath big enough for two."