“Noteven then,” I replied, equally unsure of myself and my own stupid words,because seriously, what was with thatour songshit? I outstretched anarm. “Get up here.”
Noddingfervently, she raised onto her knees, coming toward me and unbuttoning hershirt as she went. Slowly, slowly,sofucking slowly, revealing a hint ofskin, a flash of bra, the bejeweled end of her bellybutton piercing, until the shirtopened, and her arms slid out. Now, I could have stared at the lace braconcealing her rounded breasts, the definition of her own lean stomach, or the windingroadmap of her hips and waist and thighs.
Butmy eyes were on the black feathers inked to her shoulders.
“Turnaround,” I commanded, and with a bite of her lip, she nodded and complied.
Itwas a crow, its wings spread, spanning the width of her shoulders. The detailwas beautiful, every feather so real I thought I could touch the downysoftness. I sat up, unhooked her bra and pressed my palm to her back, sliding overthe ridged hills of her spine until I could touch the bird’s talons, its beak,its wingspan.
“You’resurprised?” she asked, lilting on a giggle.
Ishook my head, moving to my knees and wrapping my arms around her waist. Iburied my nose into her neck, nestled my impatient dick against her ass, andwhispered, “Not even a little bit.”
“Hm,”she nodded with a sigh, tossing her bra aside then turning in my arms. Beforeshe could press her chest to mine though, I caught the glint of the barbellspiercing her nipples. So many fucking layers. “It just is, right?”
Whatshe was referring to, I had no clue. I couldn’t begin to delve too deep intothat head of hers as I pushed her back against the bed. I shucked her pantiesand my briefs to land somewhere on the floor. Because I had told her not tothink about rights and wrongs, so I was meant to commit to that agreement aswell.
Butit wasn’t easy, when our bodies joined together and I shuddered like I was afucking virgin who’d never been touched before. I was different, immediatelychanged, and unsure of what kind of magic she possessed or if I should fear formy life.It just is, it just is, it just is… I chanted in my head, lyingover her and holding still as my head bowed, pressing my forehead to hers. Settlinginto the new beat of my heart, and realizing there really are rights and wrongs,and this was …
Well,I didn’t really fucking know.
Tabbywrapped her legs around my waist and forced me deeper, until I thought shebecame me and I was her, and I wondered why the fuck I was still there with thewitch with the emerald eyes and auburn hair?
Grippingmy shoulders, she pressed her lips to my jaw and whispered, “I didn’t saywhen.”
***
So,this is what it feels like to sign your soul over to the devil. Inodded to myself, my arm still wrapped around her bare, tattooed shoulders.Imean, if this is the end of the world, it’s not terrible. I could live with it.
Tabbysighed languorously, pressing her multiple-pierced ear to my heart, as she drewan arc—back and forth, back and forth—over my chest with lazy fingertips.
“I’venever let myself do this before,” she mentioned in a voice shadowed with sleep.Her first words spoken since chanting my name like some sort of incantation.Casting her spell, ensuring nobody would ever utter my name like that again.
Witch.
“Dowhat?” I stared at the ceiling, committing the line of her jaw to memory withonly my fingertips.
“Fuckwithout feeling,” she whispered, her words wrapped tightly around an impendinggiggle. “I get it now. It’s so …freeing. It’s like, a, um … like anoutlet.”
Adull ache started in my chest as I nodded. “Told you.”
ThenI asked her, strictly out of curiosity, “What was it like with your ex?”
Tabbylifted onto her elbow, looking down at me with a questioning glare. “Look, Idon’t have an extensive backlist or anything, but I’m pretty sure you’re notsupposed to talk about other people you’ve slept with right after sleeping withsomeone else.”
Ilaughed, lifting a hand to brush the hair from her face and tucking it behindher ear. “You don’t have to worry about hurting my feelings with that stuff. Nostrings attached. Seriously, I wanna know.”
“Whydo you want to know?”
“Whydo you ask so many damn questions?” I laughed, shaking my head. “I’m justcurious. I’ve never fuckedwithfeeling before.”I don’t think soanyway.
Tabbysighed, pulling herself up to sit beside me. She was unashamed of her nakedbody, sitting tall with her breasts displayed to my wandering eyes. Most womenwould cover up after doing the deed, hide themselves away as though they coulderase the sins of our time together. But Tabby? She acknowledged that I knewher now and embraced it.
“Itwas, um …,” she bit a thumbnail, searching for the word, “comfortable? I guessthat’s the word for it.”
Ishook my head against my pillow. “No, that’s not what I mean. You’re talkingabout how it was after you had been together for a while, right?” She shrugged,then nodded. “Yeah, no, that’s not what I meant. The first couple of times,what were they like?”
“Well,I don’t know—”
