Page 74 of Feverburn

“Asto,”I urged her to let go, to feel it all as I pumped into her.“Asto.”

She collapsed on the bed while herperfectass bounced against my body. I had to slow down. I could feel her soaking my dick, squeezing it as she stilled with an orgasm. I battled my own, my chest tight as I watched my length slide in and out of her.

Bracing herself on one elbow, she reached between her legs and twisted to present two glistening fingers to me. “Taste what’s yours.”

She gasped as I sucked them dry between thrusts. As if pulling a trigger, I came hard. I couldn’t fight a loud groan, not caring if Hank or the entire town heard it. I collapsed half on her, keeping my twitching dick within her heat.

She hummed, holding my arm, signaling it was okay to stay on top of her as we both came down. She wiggled wickedly in adangerousgame of overstimulation, too much of a good thing. I kissed her shoulder in a silent plea, pulling out before she could try anything else.

I showered with her, both of us avoiding getting our hairwetso people didn’t think we fucked in the middle of the day. Walking back to my office, I swiped the Coke bottle and the T-shirt, recycling the bottle and ripping the shirt before throwing it in thetrashwith a smirk.

When I closed the store, I visited her for round two…and three…and four.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“What are you going to name this little golden nugget?”I asked, cradling him to my chest, breathing in the distinct puppy smell.

“Moose,”Kaylee smiled.“A nod to what brought me here.”

“So stinking cute! Oh, we have that book about the mystical symbolism around animals as guides for spiritual teachings. You should see what moose stands for.”I nodded towards the bookcase, watching Kaylee grab the book in excitement.

After checking the index, she opened the page and began reading.“The moose comes to you when you must rest and recoup, signaling a time of inaction and healing. Above all, the moose symbolizes stillness.”Kaylee’s face spread in a serene smile.“Ro, this gives me chills. I can’t believe I never thought to look this up! I saw a moose right before I was stormbound with Harley. I somehow missed the sign.”

The puppy wiggled against my chest.“Well, this Moose isn’t too fond of stillness. Hey, I saw a raccoon the other day. Will you look it up for me?”

Kaylee flipped to the correct page.“Mm, it says here the raccoon is about adaptability and sneaking around to outwit others. Much like the rings stacked on their tail, raccoon’s message heralds a time when the odds are stacked against you.”

My stomach curled in unease. “Is that all?”I asked.

“The mask around a raccoon’s eyes is symbolic of deceit, as if wearing a mask to hide away part of yourself from the world. Raccoon animal medicine encourages you to assess the areas of your life where you aren’t forthcoming with others or perhaps being deceived by situations.”Kaylee wrinkled her nose and closed the book.“That doesn’t sound like you. I’m sure it was a fluke. Critters are everywhere in this town. If it didn’t stop dead in your path or appear multiple times, I’d say it was just nature, not an omen.”

My shoulders slumped, caving in my chest as I handed Moose back to Kaylee with a sour sensation in my mouth as the lie fell out,“Yeah, omens are prettyrare.”

When I got home, leaning against the front door of my loft was a note in a mannish yet fancy scroll that saidAll In, along with a pretty bouquet. Sniffing the flowers, I shoved my worry to the back of my mind.

Summerbeaton like a steady drum. Since it was peak tourist season, we were busy at Silver Springs. We were also interviewed for the local newspaper and radio station. Then, all these food and travel bloggers discovered us and posted about it online. Scorned women and their witch’s brew. That brought all sorts of people in for some coffee and crystals, some witchy, some brokenhearted, some Karen-tastic, all good for business.

Our Shrine of Shame back by the bathroom was growing with more pictures of cheaters, and Scornful Saturday was always packed. Either I was grinding up coffee grounds at work, or I was grinding on Carson. I loved spending time with him in his cabin or sneaking around. It was fun and made everything more exciting.

I wasn’t comfortable with going public until the blessing. I needed more time and privacy. I moved here with everyone already knowing my business, and safeguarding Carson was an act of control I needed.

Meanwhile, I covered myself and my man in protection—herbs at his cabin, crystals in his pockets, and the occasional oil rubbed on our bodies while he chuckled. He was a good sport and religiously wore the necklace I gave him. It felt like our littlesecrethow he always had it tucked under his shirt. I had enough protective sigils tattooed on my body andmagicinfused in my life; I wasn’t too worried.

By mid-July, things took a turn for the better. Carson texted me to come over to his cabin when I got off work on a Saturday so I could spend the night and spend Sunday together. I brought fixings for my mom’s chicken enchiladas and cooked them for him. He was still taking business calls while pacing back and forth in front of the large windows, casting annoyed glances out at the lake while he swirled his whiskey in the thick tumbler.

He was off the phone when the food was ready and nearly moaned over his meal. It was great to care for him and give back somehow. We sat at the table long after eating, talking about our week. He stared at my empty wine glass with a knowing smirk before retrieving drop cloths to cover one side of the couch and coffee table.

I stood up from the table to get closer to the family room. “What’s this?” I asked as he picked me up in a hug.

Swinging me side to side, he kissed my neck. “Supplies,” he said with a final peck before he sat me down with a playful swat on my bum. “Can I get you more wine, babe?”

“Sure!” I said, giving Kiszka a belly rub. When he returned with the wine, a whiskey for him, he drank from the thick tumbler with a mischievous lift of his brows. “You’re up to something, I can tell.”

“I’m not up to anything. I’m trying to enjoy a night in with my beautiful girlfriend.” He took another sip of his drink, setting it down to crouch by the fire. I watch, sipping on my wine, as his shoulder muscles move under his light gray shirt. His rough hands placed wood strategically. After a few minutes, he had stoked it to a sputtering blaze. He stood up, brushing his hands together with a satisfied nod. “Good, now you’ll be nice and toasty.”

Was it a little chilly by the lake at night? Sure, but I couldn’t see past the obvious. “It’s July. How cold can it get in here?” I disputed.

“We won’t be clothed for long,” he said while washing his hands. He returned with two towels, plunking them down on the coffee table. “I’ve been wanting to help you get back to your creativity. And I have an idea.”

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