Page 43 of Wanderer

A laugh broke free. My fated mate had feelings for me despite the odds. He was perfect.

Twenty

Riley

Getting the chance to fly was wonderful, running in my horse form was even better. Exhilarated, I slumped down into the nest of blankets alongside Gareth. He looked at me with such joy, passion, and pride that it nearly stole my breath.

Needing to feel him under me again, I pressed my mouth to his. He opened to me, letting my tongue explore. Gareth tasted of the mulled wine that was kept heated with some of Oscar’s magic. He had spelled this tent to be resistant to the wind and for the heater not to run out of fuel.

Gareth was waiting for me when I returned to the picnic. He’d piled a plate with my favorites, having learned them over our dates so far. My mate was attentive to my likes, dislikes, and anticipated them well. With him, I was in danger of being pampered, something I’d never had before.

We ate together in companionable silence, just enjoying the view. Being with Gareth was easy in moments like this. Oscar and Fen had set it up, so it was comfortable and warm despite the snow falling outside.

Done with my meal, I realized I was hungry for a taste of my mate instead. Our kisses over the last couple of days hadn’t been enough. I ran my fingers through Gareth’s hair, tugging lightly on the strands and making him moan. I kissed along his jaw, nipping at his ear before working my way down his neck. Bergamot and lemongrass scented his skin. He tasted delicious under my tongue.

Aware of our surroundings, I didn’t strip him, though I desperately wanted to feel more of his skin against mine. A bitter wind had found its way into our tent, and even with the heater and the blankets I had to work to suppress a shiver. I was grateful my clothes came with me when I shifted. I pressed kisses on his chest and abdomen before reaching his straining bulge. The denim was constricting him in a way that must have been painful. Being the caring mate I was, I popped the button and slowly worked down his fly, keeping eye contact with him. He moaned with relief as I freed his cock from the fabric of his underwear.

Gareth gasped as I leaned over and blew on the tip of his cock before licking a stripe along the length. He grasped at my hair, holding me in place as I took him deeper, sucking him down. This was just to take the edge off before we went back to his house. I tongued the slit and worked the shaft before letting him into my throat. I swallowed around him, making him curse and gasp out my name.

I felt so powerful on my knees for him. Turned on to the point of discomfort, I reached into my pants and stroked myself as I worked Gareth’s length. His grip on my hair tightened, holding me in place as he fucked my face. “Close,” he panted. “Fuck! Your mouth.” He pushed in deeper and held himself there. I could hardly breathe, but I didn’t care. He cupped my throat. “Swallow, baby, I want to feel it from both sides.” I did as he demanded, the heat in his eyes taking me to the edge. He pulled back, letting me gasp in some air before thrusting in again. He used my throat roughly. Tears pricked my eyes, and spit covered my chin, yet I loved it. “I’m going—”

With a final thrust, he unloaded on my tongue.

“Hold it there.” I loved this bossy side of Gareth. He grasped my chin and kissed me, sucking his cum into his mouth and pushing it back into mine. We swapped it back and forth as he reached for my cock. He stroked me firmly, then flicked a fingernail over my slit.

The bite of pain sent me over the edge. I couldn’t stop my cry and I spluttered and coughed as I came while trying to swallow at the same time.

“Easy,” Gareth soothed as he tried to clean me up and tucked us both away. He used magic on a cloth and then rinsed it with water from the lake. “I hope the kelpie liked the show,” he mused with a smirk. “Damn, that was hot.”

“It was.” Then what he said registered with my sex-drunk brain. “Kelpie?” The thought of someone getting to see Gareth like that made me furious. A burst of possessive anger burned away the languid afterglow that had made me sleepy. I wrapped Gareth up in my arms, hiding him mostly from sight.

“Yeah, we had a herd here, but now there’s just Dante. I heard he spends most of his time in his kelpie form in the water.” Gareth nuzzled close.

I changed our position and got us some more food. Shifting and sex had certainly worked up an appetite. “Well, I hope he enjoyed it. No more free sex shows here. You’re mine. Just mine.”

We packed up most of the picnic things an hour or so later as the magic faded, leaving us feeling cold. Rather than ask Gareth to use his energy to refill the spells, I decided that was enough of the lake. I wanted to get my mate back to his house so we could warm up in a shower or a hot bath before we went out for dinner. Gareth was getting an all‑day date.

As much as the thought of keeping Gareth in bed appealed, I also wanted to show off what a gorgeous mate I had. Now that I’d grown used to the idea of a warlock mate, I was proud that the fates had paired us together.

Gareth needed some convincing to leave the house. He tried to tell me we should just order takeout after he fucked me in the shower. It was only when I promised to return the favor after dinner that I got him to agree to keep our reservation.

When our main courses were delivered—a juicy steak for me, a chicken dish for Gareth—I asked the question that had been on my mind all day. “When Pax arrives, can I move in with you?”

Gareth shrugged. “Why wait until then? If it were up to me, you’d be living with me already.”

I hesitated to answer, then decided that the only way we’d move forward was if we were always honest with each other. “I loved today, I’m just not ready.” He smiled, though I saw his sadness. Eager to make him smile, I added, “Maybe after a few more dates I’ll be more inclined.”

When he grinned, I felt lighter than air.

“I’ll have you convinced by the end of the week.”

“Okay. Bet.”

Sure enough, by the end of the week I was regretting not moving my stuff into his house sooner. I’d refused to go see other warlocks, wanting to concentrate on my relationship with Gareth rather than using him for his connections. He didn’t quite see it that way, but all I had to do was suck his cock or offer my ass up for him to be diverted.

Over the week, I had been with him to his last class of the semester, sitting in the back row and trying not to distract him. I waited somewhat patiently as he turned in the grades and praised his students. Then, once they were gone, I’d gotten on my knees for him under his desk until he decided he would rather be fucked over it instead. “I’m going to get hard every time I see this desk from now on. Fuck, just the memory of you inside me gets me hot,” he’d complained on the drive back to my cabin.

Gareth had also taken me to the greenhouses, so he could check on the crops, showing me a plant he’d spent extra time on. It was thriving thanks to his care. There were plenty of magic users in the greenhouse, and I’d sensed that some of them had checked out my curse slyly by the way Gareth’s face had fallen a few times. I’d also seen a few shake their heads.