Parlor Tricks Page 5

  Sass spread her palms wide and placed them on Griffin’s muscular chest. God, what was he talking about? He was the beautiful one. Perfect … he was perfect. She closed her mouth over one of his hard nipples and rolled the taut flesh around in her wet mouth. She used the same spell she had used on his shirt to divest him of his pants and moaned when her hand made contact with his hard, throbbing cock.

  She felt fire spread through her. He was hard everywhere. Hard and so very, very, ready. She pushed him forward until his back met her couch and motioned for him to sit.

  He did.

  Sass, enjoying every moment, slowly slid the flimsy fabric of her dress over her head. She tossed the garment away, standing now before him wearing nothing but silk floral panties.

  “God … Saskia…” Griffin reached for her.

  Sass shook her head. “Let me…” Sass opened his legs, stepped between them and dropped to her knees. “I’ve dreamed of this … seeing you like this…” she murmured.

  “Oh baby … so have I…”

  “I want all of it tonight…” Sass lifted her eyes to meet Griffin’s. They were twinkling, dancing. “Will you give it all to me?”

  Griffin groaned. “Everything and more, baby…”

  Sass smiled. “Good … “ She licked the head of his cock delicately, slowly. “Good.”

  Sass heard Griffin’s ragged moan and took more of his hard flesh into her mouth. She hollowed her cheeks, curled her lips and sucked him into the tight vacuum she had just created. Her nails dug deeply into his muscular thighs as she quickened the motions of her mouth.

  “Saskia … Saskia … oh my God…” Griffin placed his hands on the back of her head and urged her to continue her sweet torment.

  Her head bobbed furiously up and down as she deep throated him. His hard, hot, cock was filling, stretching her mouth and still she took him as deep as he could go.

  He was throbbing now, full, pulsing wildly within her mouth. Her own flesh was crying out for him—begging her to take him within her body. Cream was seeping out of her aching pussy, dampening her panties.

  Sass, desperate, found her own hot, wet, flesh and began to tease it, rub it, pinch it with her fingers, as her mouth continued to feed on Griffin’s cock.

  “Baby … please … I’m…” Griffin thrust himself more forcefully into Sass’s mouth.

  Sass drew away, glassy eyed. “I need you.”

  Griffin nodded wildly.

  “I need you to fuck me now … hard.” Sass tore off her panties, straddled Griffin’s lap, and gently began to lower her aching pussy onto his engorged cock. She teased his begging flesh by rubbing the soft folds of her dripping pussy back and forth. She cupped her full breasts and squeezed, her head dropping back on a moan.

  Griffin, face red, heart thumping furiously, grabbed her hips and thrust her down onto his cock.

  “Oh … oh…” Sass gasped.

  Griffin, hands still dug into the soft flesh of her thighs, began to bounce her up and down. Her pussy was so wet, he could feel the scalding liquid of her desire dripping down his cock to cool on his legs.

  He growled as Sass slowly began to contract her inner pussy muscles. Each little contraction sent a lightning bolt of heat and pleasure through his entire body. His cock was swelling unbelievably harder, and he heart was beating so loudly he could hear it in his ears.

  She was fire and ice.

  He felt the scalding depths of her pussy milking him, taking him, wringing him dry … all the while feeling the deliciousness of being stroked by an icy hand. The differing sensations were too much … he was being thrown off the edge into a dark abyss of pleasure.

  And he wanted her with him when he fell.

  Griffin increased, quickened his movements and watched as Sass’s head dropped back, draping her thick hair around her flushed and sweaty body. He took one hard nipple within his mouth. His hands caressed, squeezed, raked over the silky globes, while his mouth tormented them with solid, wet, strokes … matching the movement of his cock within her heated body.

  Sass shivered and stiffened. Her legs tightened around his thighs and her mouth continued to open and close as if she were gasping for air. She arched back, ground her pussy down as hard as she could and came upon a scream.

  Griffin grabbed her waist, met her on an upward stroke and he, too, came—spilling his seed deep within her sated body.

  * * * *

  Griffin’s chest heaved up and down and he smoothed his hand down Sass’s damp, back. She laid on him … welcomed weight, wrapped around him like a human vise. She was incredible, this mystery … this gamin girl. Had he ever felt this way before? Had he ever known such feelings were possible?

  Griffin sighed. Father had told him, ‘Feelings are for the weak. Lust is good. Take out your lusts … but never get trapped in emotion.’

  He certainly lusted after Saskia. Actually, he had never wanted anyone the way he wanted her. Every time he saw her, he felt as if his heart was being gripped by an invisible hand. That first meeting had been a revelation. She beckoned him. Something about her … something … felt right … familiar. He had wanted her from that first moment. He had never been hit by such instant need before.

  And frankly … it scared the living hell out of him.

  Griffin Sampson didn’t need anyone. God, he could almost hear his father’s voice now, ‘Buck up boy. The world owes you nothing. If you want it, you have to take it. Don’t ever rely on anyone. Don’t ever trust anyone. In the end they’ll only disappoint you.’

  And hadn’t life thus far indicated the truth of his father’s words? His mother hadn’t wanted him; too wrapped up in her crazy experiments to make time for her non-talented son. His father had wanted him … if only to have someone to yell and rage upon. And everyone else in his life only wanted one of two things from him, sex or money.

  No. It was always the same. And even in this town where the unbelievable had to be believed … people were still people … and pain was still pain.

  Griffin shivered. His thoughts were making him cold. He felt the cold as it settled in his body and begun to freeze his bones. His eyelids felt heavy with … ice?

  His eyes popped open then.

  “HOLY SHIT!”

  Sass, jerked out of her sleep, by Griffin’s shout looked around. “Oh … oh … oh shoot.” She jumped off of Griffin and scowled. “Look at this mess. Damn it. It’s my fault for getting so…” she shot Griffin a smile, “distracted.”

  Sass surveyed the scene with undisguised pleasure. It was snowing in her living room. Her floor was a blanket of white and the rest of the room looked like a winter wonderland.

  Griffin was pulling on his snow-covered clothes, shivering violently.

  “If you wait just a minute I’ll have this cleaned up. I can start a fire and have some cocoa ready for us in no time.” Sass wrinkled her nose. A de-snowing spell … a de-snowing spell … had she ever used one of those before? Maybe it would be better to utilize a standard ‘helping hand’ spell.

  “Saskia…” Griffin shook his head. “This isn’t normal … this is totally…” he rubbed his temples.

  “I know, I know … I seem to have overdone it. Heck, I can’t even remember when I cast the spell. I think it was right before I had my orgasm though, or maybe it was right after yours.” Sass grinned. “Boy, we must have produced a lot of energy for me to be able to conjure up this amount of snow. I’m kind of impressed.” Sass winked. “I’d say we’re pretty hot—cool—stuff.”

  Griffin felt a raging migraine coming on.

  Sass came over to him and cupped his cheek. “I could help you with that, I have a…”

  “Aspirin,” Griffin said quickly. “Just an Aspirin, please.”

  Sass gave him a dirty look. “I was going to say I have a bottle of Advil somewhere around here.”

  Griffin nodded curtly. “That would be great, thanks.”

  Sass turned to get the Advil and then stopped. “Are … uhm … you’ll stay he
re, right?” She hated the quiver in her voice.

  Griffin sat down heavily on the snow-covered couch. “Do you have a blanket you could spare?”

  Sass’s eyes twinkled and she nodded.

  * * * *

  Well, it was going better than she thought—especially under the circumstances. He hadn’t run screaming from her house—yet. Although the tight lines between his eyes couldn’t be an indication of anything good. He was stressed, strained and probably going to give himself a brain aneurism.

  Sass had cleared out the living room—sort of. Her carpet and throw were still going to need to dry out. She had been able to get rid of the snow … not the excess moisture.

  In the end she had used a pretty simple ‘throw away’ spell. Any first level witch would have been able to conjure it. Simple or not, it got the job done. She had started a roaring fire in the fireplace and begun to put together her cocoa. She had offered Griffin some hot cocoa—he had opted instead for a glass of spiked spiced cider.

  She had settled them comfortably in her cozy kitchen. Griffin’s golden hair was drying with a slight curl, and he looked absolutely drool worthy. In fact, Sass was hard pressed not to ravish him on her kitchen counter.

  “This entire town is completely crazy,” Griffin muttered under his breath.

  Thoughts of passion fled. Sass stiffened and took another sip of her cocoa.

  “Absolutely abnormal…” Griffin continued on.

  Sass pushed her heavy locks off of her face and rolled her eyes. “You know what your problem is, Griff Sampson?”

  Griffin frowned.

  Sass leaned over the kitchen island, formed a steeple with her fingers and regarded him with her all-too-knowing eyes. “You’re a coward.”

  Griffin’s own eyes narrowed dangerously.

  Sass met his angry eyes and remained calm. “You are presented with the gift of magic every day. Every day you’re alive you breathe in the air, let it fill in your lungs, live the magic of life … and yet, in the face of this glory, you stand unmoved.”

  Griffin’s breath stilled.

  “You close your eyes and you walk a narrow path. You allow for no joy, no beauty, no … possibility. You see,” Sass smiled, “we … we who live in this town, call one another friend and share one another’s burdens … we’re the ‘normal’ ones.” Sass made a sweeping motion with her hand. “Everyone else … everyone out there … well, did you ever stop to think that perhaps they’re the freaks?”

  Griffin said nothing, because frankly, there was nothing to say.

  * * * *

  Griffin walked along Main Street, thoughts a jumbled whirl. He had finished his cider, Sass had finished her cocoa and without another word she had shown him to the door. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit—this feeling of emptiness. Why was it that he always seemed to be walking away from her? Walking away—

  Griffin swore. Goddamn it. He was always walking away from her. And then … then … something always drew him back.

  He had thought he had had enough of this insane town on his last visit nearly three months ago—when he had woken up with a pounding headache on Tina’s front porch. His sister had found him, covered him with a blanket, and waited for him to come out of his slumber. Tina had said he must have been so exhausted that he passed out before he could make it inside. Uh-huh, well that would have explained the sleeping part—it didn’t explain where his clothes had gone—why he had fallen asleep buck-naked.

  Griffin rubbed his eyes wearily. Things like that nutty event three months ago and the madness that occurred whenever he was around Saskia Riley … that was why it was better to stay out of Daring, Massachusetts.

  He never woke up naked on his doorstep in the city. He never was pulled out of a glowing aftermath of a truly great fuck by giant snowflakes falling from a living room ceiling. In the city … in his real life he never encountered ghosts, cauldrons or crooning turkeys.

  Of course … he never encountered Saskia Riley, either.

  No, the city couldn’t claim Saskia. And lately, all he seemed to want to do was to claim her.

  “Must’ve been a pretty lousy date if you’re wandering around in the middle of the night.” The voice that spoke was smooth, husky, and very sexy.

  Griffin turned to find Tabitha Spencer eyeing him appreciatively. “Hello, Tabitha.”

  Tabitha smiled. “Hi handsome, can I buy you a drink?”

  Griffin started to say no, but changed his mind. He could do with some company right now—nice neutral company. And perhaps a fresh perspective on things was just what he needed. Not to mention … Tabitha Spencer looked pretty normal to him. “All right, I could do with another.”

  Tabitha’s smile widened. “I know just the place.”

  * * * *

  Jessup’s Bar and Grill was tastefully decorated, served only the best in food and spirits and was shockingly … normal.

  Griffin took in the dark wood, crystal chandeliers, and heavy tapestries and nodded. It was exactly the sort of place he would frequent back home in the city. “Nice place.” His voice was surprisingly bland.

  Tabitha smiled seductively. “I thought you might like it. I thought it would better suit you than…” she laughed, “Pixie’s Pizza joint.” She said, naming the pizza parlor that Sass had taken him to.

  Griffin thought back on the pizza parlor where the pizza magically made itself and smiled slightly. Sass had looked really cute with red sauce on her nose and chin, sucking down spaghetti.

  “Yoo-hoo … handsome … are you still with me?” Tabitha snapped her fingers a bit impatiently.

  Griffin shook his head to clear it and nodded. “Yes.”

  “Good.” Tabitha lifted her glass of white wine, waited until Griffin held up his glass of scotch and smiled widely. “To … new friendships…”

  They clinked their glasses together.

  Griffin took a sip of scotch and stiffened when he felt Tabitha’s hand come to rest on his crotch—uh-oh, now this was too much of a new perspective.

  He plucked her hand away.

  Tabitha narrowed her eyes. “What’s wrong?”

  Griffin cleared his throat. “Nothing, nothing’s wrong.”

  Tabitha licked her lips invitingly and gave him a heavy-lidded smile. She then leaned over and planted her mouth firmly down upon his. Her tongue teased his lips for a moment and she nibbled delicately on his smooth, firm flesh.

  She pulled back when no response was forthcoming.

  Griffin sighed. “I’m sorry, Tabitha, but…”

  Tabitha’s eyes burned and her mouth curled into a sneer. “You have got to be kidding me. You can’t tell me you’re actually interested in that fuzzy-haired, skattle-brained idiot.”

  Griffin narrowed his eyes.

  “She’s a nobody, Griffin,” Tabitha spat out. “She sells charms and relics to crackpots. She’s a complete crazy.”

  Griffin sighed. Saskia did sell charms, incense, and odd bottles of what could only be filled with spices. And she was certainly crazy—if only just a little bit. And yes, when he was around her … very strange things happened. But sitting here in the false beauty of Tabitha’s cool, reserved, polished presence only made him realize how much he missed Saskia. He missed her gentle, knowing eyes. He missed her wild, gypsy hair in all of its abundance and her soft and smooth as porcelain skin. He missed her glowing smile and radiant energy. But most of all he missed her—her incomparable personality.

  * * * *

  Tabitha watched Griffin’s mind wander and her blood boiled. She didn’t need to be psychic to know exactly what he was thinking. She had never felt such fury in her entire life. He was here. Sitting next to her, drinking with her, laughing with her—and yet he wasn’t thinking of her. She had planned and waited and prayed for this moment, here it was, and it was going entirely wrong. But what burned her … ate at her … killed her … was that one puny no-account witch, could thwart all her plans.

  Tabitha wished she had Saskia
Riley here so that she could smite her. That girl had always been a thorn in her side. She had detested her when they were toddlers playing in the park. She had wanted to strike her down with some sort of incurable disease when they had attended The Academy together. And now … now there was nothing but a burning pit of absolute hate.

  She hated Saskia Riley. Hated her with such an all-consuming passion that there was very little room for anything else.

  Some might say it was unjustified—her hatred. Some might even say it was unwarranted. But Tabitha knew better. There had never been room enough for the both of them. And there never would be.

  Tabitha clenched her teeth. Nobody knew the real truth. Nobody suspected the reason behind Tabitha’s hatred of Saskia Riley. How could they know? Tabitha had erected shields and fought the intrusions and prying eyes for years. She would let no one destroy her dignity or take away her family’s hard-earned reputation. The Spencers had always been respected members of the community, Tabitha’s parents, Gertrude and Andrew had been the model parents. Tabitha had had everything, except the one thing she had wanted most … her father’s love. No, Andrew Spencer could never give Tabitha his love, that precious emotion had been reserved for the wife of his heart, the obsession of his life; Adeline Riley—Sass’s mother.

  Andrew Spencer had been obsessed with Adeline Riley, and his obsession had not stopped with her marriage to another man, or the eventual birth of her first and only child, Saskia. In fact, his obsession had stretched so far that he had begun to imagine his life with Adeline and Saskia, inventing in his mind the perfect family, Adeline, Saskia and himself … as father and husband.

  Tabitha’s mother, Gertrude, had put up with the nonsense for as long as she could. Tabitha watched as the thread of her parents’ marriage unraveled and the pieces began to fall apart. Years of listening to her father compare her mother to Adeline Riley and watching as his eyes passed right over her finally came to a head when Adeline’s husband and Sass’s father, Jeremy, had passed away and Andrew Spencer’s obsession came full circle.

  Tabitha licked her lips and tried to rid herself of her dark thoughts. She had put this behind her. No one in town knew the lengths she had gone to, to keep her family’s reputation intact. No one even came close to suspecting the truth; that Tabitha had done away with her father.