White Magick Read online

  I saw when she hugged her arms to her. Knowing she felt exposed, I didn't turn her around just yet, instead working the tie on her full slip until it fell from her hips to join the dress.

  My breath hitched, as I stared at her thigh high stockings, held in place by clips that hung from the white, lacy pair of underwear she had on. She glanced at me over her shoulder, and I could see the hesitation then, knowing instinctively she wondered what I thought. Slowly guiding her around to face me, my gaze drifted over her matching bra, down her slender form and back up again.

  “Damn, Portia,” I whispered, feeling robbed of breath, as I studied her flares and curves in all the right places. “You're killing me. You're . . . perfect.”

  A shy smile played at her lips, and I lifted her out of the piles of fabric, taking her back to the bed. I didn't get on just yet, reaching for her shoes and slowly undoing the strappy buckles, taking advantage of every time I could stroke my fingers against her. Once they were gone, I straddled first one leg, and then the other, gently peeling her satiny stockings off and pressing my lips against the exposed skin there too. I couldn't help feeling pleased when her skin flared with goosebumps, thankful she seemed to be enjoying things just as much as I was.

  Raising up, I stared at her, chuckling when she grabbed me by the belt buckle, hauling me forward, her fingers swiftly undoing it before going for the button on my pants. She was ten shades of red by the time she hit the zipper, but hell if I was going to stop her.

  There was no reason to stop. Nothing was holding us back now. The next several minutes were spent in a flurry of nips and kisses, strokes and sighs until it really was just us, skin to skin, absolutely nothing between us. She really was the most beautiful thing I'd ever laid eyes on.

  I sent a burst of healing magic into her when I finally breached the last barrier between us, my heart beating so rapidly, I was sure she could feel it hammering in my chest. Dizzying pleasure raced through me as I made her mine, intent on only her satisfaction and bringing her to the same lofty heights, before the two of us collapsed in a heap together, a tangle of moans and kisses.

  Eventually, I rolled off her. “That was amazing,” I huffed out, and Portia burst out laughing.

  “It really was.” She moved, laying across my chest, her hair splaying out around her, eyes sparkling. “Let's do it again,” she whispered in a conspiratorial tone, and I grinned.

  Hot. Damn.

  “Are you serious?” I asked, and she bit her lip and nodded, drawing a finger over my skin.

  “You were pretty incredible,” she added.

  Yep. I really was the damn luckiest bastard on the planet.

  4

  I couldn't sleep any longer, despite the fact I'd only gotten about four hours. My memories flitted back over the evening before. I'd lost track of the number of times I'd made love to Portia through the night, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes switching places, sometimes on different surfaces. We'd literally worn ourselves out with all our experimentation as we studied each other's bodies. I knew every inch of her intimately, and I loved it.

  My body immediately reacted to my thoughts, ready for more such explorations, and I sighed, feeling like a whole new kind of monster, but in a good way. I was amazed to discover that having sex with Portia didn't dampen my need for her but only made me crave her more. It was insane how this girl could twist me into all kinds of knots.

  She was beautiful, lying there in sleep, so relaxed and peaceful. The covers were bunched at her waist, leaving her upper half exposed and my eyes traveled over her, feasting on her delicious curves. I couldn't help myself, drawn to her like a magnet, as I lightly kissed her face, moving to her neck before traveling on to her shoulder, continuing my downward path until she finally stirred.

  “Mmm,” she moaned softly, only adding to my quickly igniting fire within. I raised up, smiling at her as she opened her eyes, blinking a couple of times.

  “There's my beautiful wife.” I continued to rain kisses on her. “I didn't think you were ever going to wake up.”

  “What time is it?” she asked, her voice slightly throaty after sleep and I loved the sound of it.

  “Seven,” I replied with a chuckle, sliding my face back against her neck.

  “Seven!” She lightly smacked my arm, and I couldn't help laughing harder. “And you're waking me up already? We only got to sleep four hours ago.”

  I lifted my head so I could stare at her, grinning as I shrugged a shoulder. “I guess you didn't wear me out enough. You're gonna have to work harder at that.” I cocked an eyebrow at her.

  Right on cue, she blushed. “I think you're going to kill me before the honeymoon is even over.”

  I dipped my head back to her neck, sucking at my favorite spot, and she turned her head, allowing me better access. Little chill bumps raced over her skin. She so wanted it too.

  “That will never happen,” I added.

  “You're sure about that?”

  “Well,” I began, my lips brushing her skin as I spoke, “first off, I'd never do anything that would kill you. And second, I don't plan on our honeymoon ever being over.”

  Her breath caught as I nipped at her. “So, we're simply going to live in bliss like this for the rest of our lives?”

  “Works for me,” I replied, traveling lower on her magnificent body, and she sunk her fingers into my hair, holding me closer. She moaned again. I effin' loved those little sounds she made. “I told you before that once we crossed this line, there'd be no going back for me.”

  “Good,” she whispered, arching beneath me. “I don't want to go back.”

  I couldn't if I wanted to. Now that I'd had her and knew exactly what I'd been missing out on, I was hooked. She was my new drug, better than blood, better than power, I craved only her—heart, body, and soul.

  I kept her completely occupied until noon before guilt ate me for not stopping so she could eat. We both needed to keep our strength up since we'd be traveling halfway around the world in a matter of a few hours.

  I couldn't take my eyes off the short white nightgown she was wearing as I held her hand into the kitchen, clad only in a pair of cotton boxers. Her hair was a mass of tangles, and despite the hours I'd spent claiming her body, she still looked like some sexy virgin, but I knew the vixen that she really was.

  There was a large tray of fruit, with bagels and chilled cream cheese waiting in the kitchen. I'd ordered it yesterday before the wedding, with the delivery instructions that we weren't to be disturbed. I saw Portia's face flush when she saw it, and a quick dip into her thoughts showed she was embarrassed that someone had been in the suite and may have heard us earlier.

  “I like it when you blush like that,” I said, taking a juicy looking strawberry and holding it to her lips. “Hungry?” I knew she was. Her stomach had been growling in the bedroom, prompting me to get up.

  She took a bite, and strawberry juice ran down her chin. It was too good to pass up, and I licked it off. “Mmm . . . tasty,” I replied, staring at her with a grin.

  She blushed harder.

  Damn. So freakin' hot.

  “So, what are our plans today?”

  I knew she was trying to distract me, but it wasn't working. “I'm thinking of more of the same until it's time to catch our flight.”

  She didn't reply, her thoughts appearing to drift elsewhere while I took a couple of small plates and filled them with fruit for both of us. I watched her as she stared out the window to the Vegas strip below. Checking through our link, I realized she was worried about my mom and what she might be going through. I was concerned about her too, but I didn't want anything marring this time with my new bride.

  “Hey!” I said, dragging her from her musings. “No sad faces today.” Moving next to her, I ducked to place a kiss under her chin.

  “Sorry. I'm simply wondering what the future holds.”

  I wrapped my arms around her. “We'll think about that later. Right now, everything is about you and me.” I continued to nuzzle her, exactly the wrong thing to do because it simply set me flaming again. “Wanna try the kitchen counter?” I teased, feeling like a dick because I couldn't leave her alone. Not yet. It was a good thing we had a flight later. It might be the only break she got. I wasn't sure if all the magic thrumming through me helped, but stamina wasn't an issue for me. I felt like the Energizer bunny. I could just keep going and going and going.

  Portia caught me entirely off guard when she nodded. I thought for sure she'd push me away. Who was I to say no? I was thrilled, blessed at my good fortune over finding a girl as horny as I was.

  We finally made it back to breakfast somewhere around four in the afternoon, after a short nap and a long hot bath together. We gathered our belongings, packaging a few things to ship back to Sedona, like our wedding clothes and a few of the candles Portia wanted to save as memories.

  Though I was excited to get to Scotland, I had to admit I was sad to leave the penthouse. We'd made a lifetime worth of memories in the few hours we'd spent here. It was worth every penny of the five-thousand-dollar a night price tag I'd paid. Everything had been magical. Maybe we'd book this room for our first anniversary, and we could reenact it all over again. I smiled at the idea, all for it.

  By the time we boarded our flight and slipped into our first-class seats to New York, we were both exhausted. The events of the last few days were definitely catching up.

  “This is much better than the last flight I was on,” Portia said, leaning her head against my shoulder.

  Knowing she was referring to the flight after she was kidnapped, I hated she'd been at the mercy of my dad. “I'm sorry you had to go through that.” I rested my hand on her knee, rubbing it gently.

  She sighed heavily. “It's over. Let'
s not even talk about it.”

  “Fine by me.” I shifted my head against hers.

  I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until the plane started its descent into New York. Portia stretched beside me, obviously having slept too. It was crazy, but my heart jumped as I stared at her, loving that the two of us could literally go anywhere together. Nothing and no one could hold us back anymore. We could be together as much as we wanted. It was a wonderful, freeing feeling.

  “Hi,” she spoke when she noticed me watching her.

  “Did you sleep well?” I asked, unable to stop my gaze from raking over her.

  She nodded. “I always sleep better when I'm with you.”

  “Well, it's good we're married then because I plan on spending every single night of my life by your side.”

  Her hand slipped into mine as the wheels touched down. I loved the way her touch both grounded me and sent my libido flying at the same time.

  Our flight to London was departing shortly, so we didn't waste a second changing terminals, to avoid being late. We arrived at the gate just as they were calling for first class passengers to board.

  “How are you feeling? Tired?” I asked, once we were settled, unable to hide a smile as dirty thoughts filled my head.

  “Actually, I'm feeling pretty rested after our last flight.” Her eyes narrowed at me as if she picked up on my thoughts. “Why?”

  I leaned next to her ear, conspiratorially. “I thought you might have some interest in joining the mile-high club between here and London.” I was totally kidding. Sorta. Her perfume wafted to me, making me think of all the times I'd been pressed against her.

  Bursting into laughter, she flushed, just like I'd hoped. “You're going to get us kicked off the plane!”

  “That color really does look beautiful on you.” I held her chin and placed a peck on her lips. Her eyes flickered past me, and I shifted, noticing an elderly woman frowning at us. “Sorry,” I apologized, thinking of Brad and his complaints of our PDA. “We're on our honeymoon.”

  Her countenance changed completely, and she smiled. “Congratulations,” she said. “I hope you'll have a very happy life together.”

  “Thank you.” I stared back at my pretty wife. “I'm sure it's going to be perfect.” Man, I'd turned into a lovesick sap. I couldn't help chuckling and kissing her again. Portia always made me feel like I was flying high, and I couldn't wait to live the future with her.

  I decided to give her a break, intertwining our fingers and leaning back against my seat. I slowly rubbed my thumb against her smooth skin, loving the feel. I continued to rest, eyes closed during taking off when I felt her gaze resting heavily on me. I briefly opened my eyes, casting a sidelong glance at her to confirm it.

  “What?” I asked softly, shutting them again.

  “I was just thinking about how I'm never going to get tired of looking at you. You're beautiful,” she replied, and I couldn't help smiling.

  “You have it all wrong. You're the beautiful one in this relationship.”

  “No, I'm not.” She shifted, and I instinctively knew she was going to kiss me. I turned my head, so it landed on my lips instead of my cheek, like she'd intended. I gripped her chin, holding it there so I could keep the contact.

  “I love you,” I said into our link.

  “I love you, too.”

  Reclining back against my seat, I sighed as I stared at her, taking the opportunity to glance over her sexy form. “Stupid seven-hour flight.”

  She giggled.

  “Why are you laughing?” I asked, wishing we were all alone.

  “No matter how much you get, it's never going to be enough, is it?” She had the most incredible smile.

  “Not bloody likely,” I replied, utilizing the British slang. I flashed another hot look over her, undressing her with my eyes.

  “It is going to be a long flight.” I was glad she felt the same. We could be raging hormones together.

  “Well, I did offer a suggestion to help with that,” I teased, slightly inclining my head to the first-class bathroom.

  “As tempting as your offer is, it isn't going to happen.” She wasn't tempted at all, merely humoring me, not that I was completely serious. I simply enjoyed messing with her.

  I sighed heavily. “I was afraid of that. The proper wife in you is already coming to the surface.”

  She laughed and snuggled closer to me. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

  This time I was totally serious. “Portia, nothing you do is ever a disappointment to me.” I hugged her and placed a kiss on her head. Just being next to her made me so happy I could hardly stand it.

  5

  After landing at London Heathrow Airport and switching to another small flight, we arrived in Inverness, Scotland. We gathered our luggage and moved toward the exit until we spotted a short, stocky man dressed in a tweed style suit, holding an iPad with ‘Mangum' written across the screen.

  I released Portia's hand and extended mine in greeting. “Hi. I'm Vance Mangum. This is my wife, Portia.” I was never going to get tired of calling her that.

  The man smiled broadly, shaking both our hands. “Connell. I'm your driver from Inverlochy Castle,” he said, referring to the place I'd booked for us to stay. “Welcome to Scotland! Let me help you with your luggage.” He didn't wait for me to answer, immediately taking our two rolling suitcases as we followed him to the car. I almost drooled when I saw it, an incredible Rolls-Royce Phantom. Oh, hell yes! I couldn't wait to inspect this beauty!

  Connell opened the door for us, and once Portia was tucked inside, I went to help Connell load the “boot” with our luggage, despite his protests. “Cheers!” he added, warmly shaking my hand again.

  I nodded with a smile, and we both got in the car. I couldn't help an appreciative rub over the fine leather on the seats. “Great car,” I said, mesmerized with it. Maybe I'd buy one of my own someday, now that I could afford it. I'd had my eye on a Rolls Royce Wraith, too. This was definitely one area where I'd enjoy having a lavish fortune. Motorcycles and cars were my weakness—well, after Portia. We were definitely going to need a monster garage whenever we decided to settle down in a dream house someday. I'd love restoring cars just as much as building motorcycles, I was sure.

  “Bonnie, aye?” Connell replied, glancing back at me in the rearview mirror. “Most people are gobsmacked when they see this beauty.”

  “I can see why. She's like magic!”

  Collin's eyes narrowed. “Are you from Scotland?”

  I was puzzled by the question. “No. I have relatives here, but this is the first time we've been.”

  “Ah, I see. I just wondered when you said magic. That's a common term here. People use it when they're feeling positive.”

  I chuckled. “Good to know. I'm feeling very magical these days.” I glanced at Portia and grinned, slipping my hand into hers. He had no idea how magical I was.

  “Lovely. I see you're planning on being with us for a fortnight. You'll love the castle even more than the car, I can promise you that!”

  “We can't wait to see it,” Portia added, smiling. “We're here on our honeymoon.”

  “Ah! Congratulations to you both! I hope your stay will be chock-a-block with amazing things. Don't forget to try all the puddings and sweets around. Try the rhubarb soufflé. That's my favorite. You need to come back or visit when the weather is warmer. Nothing beats a picnic on the brae overlooking the lock with Ben Nevis in the background.”

  Between his Scottish brogue and some of the different terms he used, I had to pay close attention to get the gist of what he was saying. He might have been speaking English, but it definitely wasn't American English. Portia seemed to be having the same struggle, flashing me a confused look every now and then, but for the most part, we found Collin's conversation to be delightful.

  He continued on as we drove, pointing out different ‘glens' and ‘burns' as we drove along the ‘dual-carriage' road. I quite enjoyed listening to him go on about the area. Even in winter, it was still a breathtaking place, albeit cold.

  I heard Portia's breath catch when the castle came into view. “It's beautiful.” She smiled, appearing excited.

  “Fit for a queen,” I replied, unable to resist brushing a kiss against her neck. I'd looked for a castle on purpose, wanting to give her the best of everything. She deserved all the good to be had in the world, as far as I was concerned. I simply wanted to shower her with every kind of luxury and wonder.