Chapter Eight

WARNING: This chapter contains strong language, graphic sexual content, and nudity.

I should have taken Dominic up on his offer. Even though it could be a huge mistake for me, it’s better than the hell I’m going through now.

I have a fake smile plastered onto my face as I whirl around a pole like a top, much to the delight of horny onlookers, feeling completely chagrined.

I keep trying to tell myself that I did the right thing by turning down Dominic’s offer. But as the night progresses, I’m starting to realize how imprudent that actually was.

If I were to move in with Dominic, not only would I finally be out of reach of Abel’s advances (though I’m probably safe in that aspect anyway thanks to Dominic’s malicious actions earlier today), I would have nothing but free leisure time. And that means more time to prepare for the spell that will return Ebony to me. The waning crescent moon won’t wait, and at long last, I have all the ingredients and am ready to begin. I won’t falter this time, and if I have to, I can use some sort of sealing spell on Dominic so that he doesn’t interfere. It wouldn’t harm him; it would just keep him out of the way.

When I climb down from the pole and begin to make my way back to the dressing room, my boss, Carter, emerges from the back room and beckons me to him. I scowl and make my way to the corner he’s standing in, which contains even more of the ridiculous giant cherries. I think the horn dogs that come here get the point...

“We need another girl here who isn’t afraid to let loose,” Carter says in his gruff voice tainted with years of cigarette smoke and probably other things he’s smoked that aren’t legal. “Do you know what that means?”

“I’m not sure I want to,” I reply dubiously.

“Lydia, you’re gorgeous. You need to show it off. And, as you know, we’re down one girl who showed it all off thanks to Jasmine. So, for your next dance tonight, I want you full-on nude.”

I can only gape. Is he fucking kidding me? I’ve made it abundantly clear since I started working in this hellhole that I will not strip down to nothing. The nipple covers are bad enough. And I don’t hesitate to tell him this.

“Lydia, do you want this job or not?” he demands after I state my case. “It’s not like it would be that much different from what you’re wearing now.”

I lividly narrow my eyes at this cocky prick who thinks he owns me and retort, “The only reason I work here is because I have nowhere else to go. I hate it here, and I don’t give a shit if that matters to you or not. I said when I first came here that I will never strip down to nothing. I will never parade around completely naked, and that’s final. If you don’t like it, you can find someone else.”

“Maybe I just will. Go home, Lydia. Consider this your last night until further notice. You’re on suspension without pay.”

That’s the last straw. I’m done. I narrow my eyes even more until they’ve morphed into ominous slits and spit into his face, “There’s no need to suspend me, Carter. I quit. Fuck you and fuck this place and I hope it burns to the fucking ground!”

Then, I turn on my heel, return to the dressing room long enough to throw my clothes back on and tell Angel what’s transpired, and leave this shitty place forever.

**********

“It only took you a day to call,” Dominic laughs as he lugs my suitcases into his massive new home. The place is beyond mystifying. It’s on the outskirts of town, not exactly secluded but not among the hustle and bustle of the city of Hillridge, either. It has a pool with cascading waterfall structure, hot tub, attic with recreation room, two-car garage for both of our cars, and four huge bedrooms that are each about the size of my old living room.

The best part is that it contains several rooms that Dominic isn’t using; I’ll be able to hide my grimoire, ingredients, voodoo doll, and other things easily (which are the only things I packed besides my clothes in large, unidentified boxes and crates), unlike in my tiny old apartment.

“Thanks so much for taking me in,” I say earnestly to my new roommate. I told him on the phone that while I’m staying here, our relationship will strictly be on the friendship level. He understood and accepted the terms of my moving in with him.

I returned to my apartment last night and called him. I felt slightly guilty about doing it, but I have nowhere else to go. Abel will kick me out as soon as he can, especially now that Dominic has beat the shit out of him for trying to get into my pants again, and here’s a halfway decent guy with his own place with room to spare, offering me to shack up with him. How can I refuse? It’s the only way, the only decision that makes sense, for everything that I’m striving for.

I called Dominic last night, but I didn’t come to his place until today. I had to pack and get some sleep first. Now, I feel refreshed and much better about my new decision.

Because this house was formerly owned by Dominic’s grandparents, the decor is a little outdated, but for now, it’s my new home (even though Dominic says he’s going to bring this house into the modern age soon). I can’t wait to plop down on the soft queen-size bed and finally get a decent night’s sleep, in the most feminine room of the house that won’t even need a makeover.

“I wish I could have seen the look on that bastard’s face when you told him you quit last night,” Dominic says in regards to my confrontation with Carter. “It serves the douche right. Like I said, you’re better than a stripper.”

“Thanks. I feel so much cleaner now that I’m not shaking my ass around a pole every night.”

“You can do it for me any time you want.”

“Dominic...”

“I said any time you want. I won’t ask you to. I’m just putting the suggestion out there.”

I look heavenward and sigh inwardly as Dominic visibly looks me up and down. This situation might be harder than I thought.

**********

The night of the waning crescent moon finally arrives. Dominic’s bedtime routine seems to vary nightly. I hope this will be one of his early nights.

I descend the stairs, my eyes and ears open in detection of any sign that, at almost midnight, Dominic is still awake. But the house is dark and silent. I take this to be a good sign.

As I exit the house cautiously, I make my way toward the nearby woods. Last week, I was exploring the lot for an acceptable place to perform this spell, and fortuitously stumbled upon an abandoned graveyard. I find this setting to be very appropriate.

I set my flashlight down on the ground, hoping no one will notice it. The moon is at its highest peak, and now is the time to begin the spell.

The incantation flows through my lips, having been practiced countless times already. I can feel the moon’s power shining down on me as the wind begins to howl and swirl my hair around. Lightning flashes in the distance, a common occurrence during conjuring spells.

My chant not relenting, the wind picks up speed and the lightning flashes come closer as I lower my hands to prepare for the moonstone to form in my palms. As the last word spurts from my lips, I feel a cool sensation. I open my eyes and see that lights not unlike tiny pixies are floating around my palms. As I continue to survey this amazing occurrence, the tiny lights pick up velocity until finally merging together into a brilliant white light. It’s so strong that I have to close my eyes so as not to go blind.

When it disappears at last, I feel a weight in my palms. I open my eyes again and see that a stone in the shape of the moon in the sky above is nestled in my hands.

The stone is beautiful, and it’s all I can do not to stand there for hours and gaze upon its splendor. But alas, I must return to the house before Dominic wakes up and gets suspicious as to why I’m gone.

When I return, I place the moonstone in my hidden room above the garage, which I’ve managed to conceal using an old bookshelf that doubles as a revolving door that only I can open. Dominic never goes to the garage side of the house, and if it weren’t so damn tiny and similar to the apartment I’d left behind, I’d be staying there myself. But it works great as a concealment tool for my magical items.

Once the moonstone is in place, I sidle back to bed and for the first time in two years, sleep undisturbed through the night.

When I awake, my heart is pounding with excitement, and also impatience at having to wait another three weeks until the full moon makes it appearance. It leaves me plenty of time to practice, but I already know the spell like the back of my hand. For the first time, I’m almost sorry I don’t have a job anymore, because at least that would give me something to do.

I pull myself up and out of bed, glancing at the clock. I see that it’s only ten. When I worked at the Poppin’ Cherry, I easily slept in until noon thanks to my long nights. But now that I don’t have an obligation to that place anymore, my hours are mine to control.

The day is beautiful, the perfect summer morning. Birds are chirping in the trees and there’s a gentle breeze that billows my hair around my shoulders.

I realize that I’m at a loss as to what to do with myself. Normally I’m preoccupied with figuring out how to pay the current month’s rent and getting ready to go to work. But I don’t have to do any of that here. I glance out the window and catch a glimpse of the backyard. I can’t remember the last time I’ve soaked and relaxed in a hot tub.

Finally, with something to do, I change into my swimsuit, grab a towel, and head downstairs. There’s no sign of Dominic, but that’s just as well; the last thing I need right now is for him to see me in my bikini.

Once I’m in the backyard, I toss my towel onto a nearby lounge chair and sink into the warm bubbles. I feel relaxed almost instantly.

As I soak in the tranquility, I try to contain my eagerness of what’s about to transpire in a matter of weeks. I miss Ebony terribly. She was my best friend, not only because she was a witch like me who I didn’t have to keep secrets from, but also because she was the only one I could ever tell anything. She was never judgmental, and even though I’m the older sister, Ebony was the one who seemed to take a stronger approach to protecting me rather than the other way around. We did everything together – we learned magic together, played together, exercised together, you name it. Since she’s been gone, I haven’t had anyone to enjoy such pastimes with.

I guess I haven’t realized how much I’ve missed the little things in life until now.

As I’m thinking this, I don’t hear the approaching footsteps. It’s only when I hear a familiar voice say, “G’day, shelia,” that I start, my eyes flying open and my body immediately going on the defense. I’m even ready to cast a spell if need be.

But it’s only Dominic, grinning at me in amusement over my reaction to his approach. He sits down on the nearby lounge chair and continues to gaze at me with humor in his deep brown eyes.

“Uh...hi,” I say. “I didn’t know where you were, and I needed to relax, so...”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. This is your home now, too. Feel free to go or do whatever you want. I was just out for a run and saw you, and since it’s so hot I figured I’d join you.”

“In the hot tub?”

“Well, figuratively. I’m actually going to dive into that pool first.”

“Oh, okay. I would, but I’m quite content here.”

“I understand. Just soak it up. I’ll be in the pool.”

Dominic turns on his heel and strides over to the diving board. He momentarily distracts me when he peels off his sweaty shirt and removes his shoes and socks. I watch him as he climbs onto the diving board, braces himself, and curls his body up into a cannonball as he dives in with his shorts on rather than swim trunks.

The resulting splash is thankfully far enough away from me that it doesn’t shower me in cold water. Dominic pops his head above the water and waves. I titter and wave back.

I lounge in the hot tub, letting the powerful jets whisk me away to serenity, while continuing to watch Dominic and his perfectly taut muscles glide through the water. Eventually, I lean back and close my eyes, and again I don’t notice when he approaches me. Only this time, he doesn’t sit on the chair. He actually climbs into the hot tub with me.

“What the hell?” I blurt out. Dominic just snorts and says, “Hey, can’t I come in the hot tub, too?”

“Well, yeah, it’s your house. I was just surprised.”

“I’m cooled off now. I need to get my knotted up muscles relaxed. Plus, I was hoping to talk to you.”

Oh God. When a guy says he wants to talk to you, nine times out of ten, that isn’t a good thing. He must notice my consternation, because he adds, “It’s nothing bad. More like morbid curiosity.”

I bite my lip and tread carefully. “About what?”

“About what happened that night.”

“What night?”

“Lydia, you’re smarter than that. You know what I mean. That night at my apartment when you got me to the point of nearly blowing, then going off and leaving me so that I had to wank out a release. Fuck cold showers; they don’t help me. I have to get off, not deflate.”

“Oh, right...”

“So? Why did you do it?”

What am I supposed to tell him? That I can’t be with him because of some century-old curse that could kill him? Or strip me of the very thing that defines me – my magic? Fat chance.

But I can tell him a half-truth.

“I got scared,” I confess.

“Scared? Of what?”

“I...Dominic, I’ve been hurt before. I don’t want to go through that again.”

“You seem way too tough to be so fragile. I bet you could handle yourself easy. You don’t seem like the type to cry over a broken heart.”

“Then you don’t know me very well, which is another reason I stopped. We don’t know that much about each other and we were...”

“Enjoying ourselves? Lydia, if there’s something you want to know about me, just ask. But don’t punish yourself. If you want something to happen, just let it happen. Don’t start overanalyzing shit. That’s a major turn-off for me.”

I look away, ashamed. Though I can’t comprehend why I should feel this way; what do I owe Dominic Taylor? Absolutely nothing. What is he to me? Right now, he’s technically a landlord that I don’t have to pay, so maybe that’s the problem. I don’t want to do anything to piss him off and end up having to live on the streets. I can’t conjure money with magic, and considering the laws of property ownership, I can’t create my own place and live off the map, either.

Or maybe it’s because, I might as well admit it, I’m kind of attracted to this guy. He’s hot, smart, not to mention fearless when it comes to defending things he cares about (which he aptly demonstrated when Abel tried to literally screw me over again).

Dominic is looking at me, waiting for me to say something. All I can muster is, “I’m sorry.”

Oh, that was good. That will make everything better.

Dominic just glares at me and rolls his eyes. “Lydia,” he says, “I don’t know what kind of shit you went through in the past, or what kind of douche fucked up your confidence and made you so distrusting, but I can assure you that, while I may be a lot of things, I’m not a prick. I don’t cheat, I don’t abuse, and I sure as hell don’t force.”

“What about when you kissed me in the kitchen?”

“I told you, I took a shot. But as I recall, you seemed to like it. At least one of us got off.”

I sigh and look heavenward. I stare at his glistening body, whether from the pool or sweat, I can’t determine, and feel the familiar throb between my legs. I can’t deny it. I want this man.

But only in one way. On my terms. The curse specifies that a witch whose secret is revealed must sacrifice her powers or the mortal who discovered that secret. This was especially difficult between lovers. But I’m not in love with Dominic. I just have needs that he’s willing to fulfill. It won’t harm anyone or anything if I allow him to do so.

And I still feel pretty guilty about leaving him hanging like that back in his apartment. I at least owe him an orgasm since he gave me such an intense one.

Besides, the only real threat is if Dominic discovers my secret. So I’ll be extra vigilant to ensure that doesn’t happen. I can be stronger than this curse.

But before I can say anything, he cuts into my thoughts.

“By the way, remember when you told me that if I ever needed anything, to just ask you?”

I nod.

“Well, there’s nothing I really need right now, but there is something I want.”

“And what would that be?”

“You.”

I gape at him with my eyes wide. In what way does he want me? There are boundaries that must be established here. And I don’t hesitate to inform him of this.

“Right now,” Dominic says, “I just want to finish what we started. And I know you do too. Admit it.”

I heave a resonating sigh. “Fine.”

“Say it.”

“I want it.”

“Tell me what you want, Lydia.”

God! This guy turns me on with his voice telling me what to do. I guess it’s because, like I’ve said, I like a challenge. I like someone who can challenge me. That’s probably one of the side effects of having magic and the ability to make people conform to your will if you so desire. Knowing that someone can do that to me without any supernatural abilities makes it irresistible.

“I want you, Dominic.”

This is all he needs to hear. Dominic clears the distance between us instantly, sloshing bubbling water onto the patio. The jets choose this moment to shut off, but instead of turning them back on, we create a rhythm of our own.

Dominic pulls me into his lap as he grasps my head in his hands and presses his lips against mine. I almost forgot how good they feel.

Our tongues intertwine, exploring the inside of each other’s mouth. Then, Dominic moves down and begins to use his tongue on my breast, which is dangerously close to being uncovered in this bikini.

I can feel his long, hard member poking into my thigh. My inner groin tenses as I realize how eager I actually am to experience it in full.

Then, in one swift and flawless action, Dominic unties my bikini top. It falls into the water and floats to the other side. My breasts are now fully exposed, in broad daylight, and he’s licking them with unrelenting intensity.

I straddle him, feeling his erection graze against my most sensitive area. I suck in my breath, which seems to arouse him even further. As if I’m not in control of my own body, I begin to gyrate my hips, which seems to make him grow harder.

“Oh, fuck, Lydia,” he moans against my chest. I grasp his shoulders. The anticipation is building inside me as much as it is him. Finally, neither of us can take it anymore.

This time, I make the first move. I reach down and undo the button and zipper to Dominic’s shorts. They also float away, and he practically tears my bikini bottom off. His dick is huge, and even with the water surrounding us, I can feel the sticky texture of undeniable arousal.

If we weren’t in the water, or if I could breathe underwater, I’d wrap my mouth around that huge cock again. But as it is, I proceed to give us what we both need. I’m so wet already, not only from the hot tub, that he slides in easily, but not without a little resistance due to it being so long since I’ve had a real man inside me, plus the immense size of his manhood.

“That’s it, baby,” Dominic groans as he grips my hips. “Ride me.”

“You like that?” I ask him, repeating his words from not so long ago, in a seductive tone.

“Oh yeah,” he sighs in contentment. “Work it, babe.”

“Wait, Dominic.”

“Don’t you dare stop again.”

“No, it’s not that.”

“What?”

“Can you please not call me babe? It’s what Abel used to call me.”

“That fucker. All right, I’m sorry. What should I call you?”

“I like sheila.”

“All right then. Work it, sheila.”

I giggle and resume my rhythm. He matches the pace, and within minutes I can feel my impending climax.

Only Dominic has been able to give me an orgasm so soon, and so intense. I’m slightly concerned about any neighbors hearing us, but then I remember that we’re not directly in town. If I want to, I can scream to high heaven.

“Cum for me, sheila,” Dominic commands. His words are my undoing. I explode around him in an orgasm ten times more intense than the one he gave me with cunnilingus. I call out his name as I begin to slide down into the water. But Dominic holds me up, and without ever breaking our connection, flips me over so that I’m now against the back of the hot tub and he’s plowing into me.

“Oh my God, Dominic,” I gasp. It feels like I’m going to come apart.

“You like that, don’t you?” he asserts. “You like me fucking you in broad daylight, when anyone can see you.”

“No one’s around.”

“True, but imagine if we had neighbors. You like that, don’t you?”

I’m unable to answer because I’m panting so hard. I can feel yet another orgasm building. I can’t remember the last time a guy has gotten me off so intensely, let alone twice in five or ten minutes.

But when my lower muscles clench around him, he grins, complacent, and continues to ram himself into me.

And that’s when I decide to stop being so quiet. He likes power? He likes control? Two can play that game.

“You’re not the only one who’s going to give orders,” I tell him.

“Oh? You gonna tell me what you want?”

“Yes. And right now I want you to shut up and give it to me hard.”

“Now that, sheila, is a turn on.”

“Then do it. Fuck me, Dominic, fuck me!”

Dominic complies, and I rake my nails across his back. I almost can’t believe it when I cum again...and feel him tense as he empties himself into me. Thank God I’m on birth control.

“How was that?” he asks me, the sweat returning to his perfectly chiseled body.

“Incredible,” I wheeze. “Just...incredible.”

“You’ve never been fucked like that, have you?”

“Never. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I may just grant that wish.”

I grin before I realize the full impact of what’s transpired. And then I excuse myself before I can begin to regret this rash (but very pleasurable) decision.