Cauldrons and Cat Tails (Moonvale Matches #2)

29. Kizzi

CHAPTER 29

Kizzi

T he tent was dark when Tandor and I finally slipped inside for the night. Embers were simmering in the fire pit, the light dim.

Tandor had hauled the cauldron to the carriage with a surprising amount of effort. We had almost considered borrowing a wheelbarrow, but his pride had gotten in the way. His muscles had heaved and strained as he hoisted the massive bowl across town.

It had certainly been a sight. I shivered as I thought about it. His raw strength. His power. His muscles and tendons gliding beneath his skin.

A tension simmered through the air, low and hot. I couldn’t quite figure out where it came from. Neither of us broke the silence.

Memories of last night flashed through my mind as I wandered over to my bag, letting my cloak drop from my shoulders.

I glanced at Tandor to find him sitting on the edge of the bed, his chin propped up on his hand. He was staring at a point on the canvas wall so fixedly I swore it would burst into flames.

I murmured a warning anyway. “Don’t look.”

It wasn’t like it mattered. He had seen most of my goods already anyway. And he liked what he saw .

I swatted the thought away like a fly.

He didn’t respond, simply continuing his strange stare. His eyebrows were pursed. I ached to know what internal battle he was fighting.

He couldn’t know… could he? He hadn’t walked into the shop early enough to overhear anything particularly damning.

He was thinking about something, though.

I hastily changed into my nightclothes.

As I tossed more logs into the firepit, Tandor finally snapped out of his concentration. He rose to his feet, pulled his cloak off, and planted his hands on his hips. He looked at me with a strange, twisted smile on his mouth.

My eyebrows pulled together. “...What?”

“I know what you did,” he said mischievously.

My stomach bottomed out. My pulse kicked up in my chest and a sweat broke out on my forehead.

This was it. Somehow, he had figured out the truth. This was the moment that Tandor would scream at me, and report me for outlawed witchcraft, and get me thrown in the dungeon.

But… he was smiling.

I gulped. “And what did I do, exactly?”

His smile grew into a triumphant grin. “You tried to ensnare me with a love potion, didn’t you? If you wanted me so badly, princess, you could’ve just asked.”

I choked out something between a gasp and a laugh. “I did what?”

He stepped toward me, still smiling in a way that wrinkled his eyes at the corners. Mirth lit up his features in an endearing way. My stomach pinched.

“You could’ve just asked,” he said again. “I’m afraid I’m already yours.”

My jaw dropped open completely. “Tandor, what in the realms are you talking about?”

He laughed heartily. “I’m just joking, I had to. You can’t blame me.” He grasped my shoulder and squeezed for a moment before letting his hand drop away. “But I know about the love potion. I overheard a few things at the witchy shop, and then I figured it out.”

All the air whooshed out of me in a hot exhale. “You overheard.”

He nodded. “I sure did. It took me a while to put it all together, though. And then I had to decide if I would keep my mouth shut. But I hate secrets. I really, truly do. I would’ve burst on the journey home trying to pretend that I didn’t know anything.”

I walked over to the bed, dropping down onto the edge and letting my knees give out. I breathed in deep, pulling air all the way to the base of my lungs. I held it there for long moments before letting the air rush out. My voice was shaky when I spoke. “Are you going to turn me in?”

“Turn you in? Why the fuck would I do that?”

My gaze caught his. “You’re not going to get me thrown in the dungeon?”

He stared at me blankly, a “what the fuck” expression on his face. “Pardon?”

“I drugged everyone! I drugged you ! I took away your free will! I—I took advantage of you!”

He dropped onto the bed next to me. He gently gathered my hands into his, squeezing them firmly. The warmth was more comforting than I had expected.

“You didn’t drug me, Kizzi.”

I sighed in exasperation. I thought he had figured it out, but apparently, he was still missing some important details. “I did. I drugged everyone.”

He squeezed my fingers. “Not me,” he said gently.

“At the potluck?”

“No.”

“Yes. Yes, I did?—”

He winced, looking abashed. “I didn’t eat your chili.”

It took a moment for his words to sink in. First, I felt a brief flash of outrage. How dare he? And then the shock was washed away by a heavy, overwhelming wave of relief. “You didn’t eat my chili?” I was repeating his words, I knew it, but my mind was whirling too fast to care.

“I—I couldn’t bring myself to eat it.” He pulled my hands to his chest. “But I didn’t want to offend you! I knew how proud you were of your dish. I just… I have a weak stomach. And I… saw a feather in it.”

I stared at him for a moment, slack jawed. His pulse thundered against the backs of my fingers where they were pressed to his heart. “You didn’t eat the chili.”

“I didn’t eat the chili.”

“You’re not enchanted with the love potion.”

“I’m not. No love potions. Just…” His sentence trailed off.

His eyes burned into mine hot enough to bring my blood to a simmer. The reality of what he’d confessed sank in. My stomach flipped a somersault. “You’ve had free will this whole time.”

He scooted closer, keeping my hands cradled to his chest like a treasure. “I have. I was never under any magical thrall. Only yours, little witch.”

I pulled my hands from his grasp and ran them through my hair, tugging on the strands. “If you would have told me you didn’t eat the chili, we could’ve avoided this entire misunderstanding!”

“If you would’ve told me what you were looking for and why you were looking for it, I could’ve let you know! We were on completely different pages.” He hesitated for a moment, tilting his head. “What eggs are you looking for, by the way? I heard you mention eggs back in Tidegrove, but I never figured that part out.”

I brushed the comment off. “Oh, just some dragon eggs.”

His eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Dragon eggs! You can’t just say that like it’s something casual.”

I shrugged. I slid my hands up over his shoulders, letting them rest there. “They’re just eggs.”

“The rare, mythical, extinct creatures?” He looked like he wanted to continue arguing but was having a hard time keeping his concentration.

“Mhm. They have some.”

“They have dragon eggs?”

“Mhm.”

“We are discussing this later. I have so many questions.” He brought his hands to my hips, tentatively scooting me toward him on the edge of the bed.

“Sure. Later.” I let my hands wander behind his neck, tugging slightly on the hair at his nape.

“Kizzi,” he said haltingly.

“Yes?”

“Last night, you?—”

“I thought it was the love potion,” I interrupted.

The tension slowly melted from his face, replaced with something warmer. “Ah.”

“I didn’t think… I didn’t think you actually wanted me.”

“I tried to tell you,” he said teasingly, “just how much I wanted you. So much.”

I tugged harder on his neck. “Shut up and kiss me.”

His laugh was a low, hot rumble. “Whatever you want, princess.”

As he leaned toward me, closing the gap between our faces, a rattle from the floor caught my attention.

Hex was rocking their jar back and forth, waves of irritation pulsing from them.

I snorted. “One moment,” I said to Tandor.

I extracted myself from the orc’s grip and scooped the small jar from the floor. I hastily untied the tarp, set the jar outside, and then sealed it up again, leaving a small gap so they could come back inside later if they chose to.

I didn’t care where they went, but they would have to entertain themselves for a while. I knew they wanted to flee just as badly.

Tandor was stifling laughter as I skipped back to the bed, hopping up onto his lap. His arms circled me easily. Naturally. “Kicking the familiar out?”

I nodded. “I’m not into voyeurism.”

“Bummer,” he joked.

“Maybe next time.”

His laughter died out when I pressed my mouth to his.

His lips were smooth and firm as they slid against mine in an intoxicating caress. My blood heated and my pulse pounded. His hands wandered up my back, my sides, my hair, as if he wanted to touch me everywhere at once.

And then he took over the kiss.

Tandor grabbed my waist, hoisting me up and shifting me on his body until I straddled him. My thighs stretched to the point of discomfort to accommodate his broad hips, but they fit.

He devoured my mouth, his lips stroking, his tongue tasting.

His hand fisted my hair, tilting my head back with a gentle tug. He groaned as I settled my weight onto his lap. His cock was hot and hard in his trousers, and I rolled my hips, reveling in the delicious friction.

My head dropped back as I let out a breathy sigh. I rolled my hips again, rubbing myself against him. He grabbed my ass and squeezed. “Kizzi,” he groaned.

His mouth dropped to my throat, kissing, nibbling, sucking. Arousal pooled in my stomach.

“Yes,” I breathed.

His hands moved to my nightshirt, tugging at the hem. I leaned back, allowing him to peel the shirt from my body. A shiver worked down my spine when the cool air of the room kissed my skin, but Tandor was on me immediately, his hot hands warming me.

His calloused palms slid over my back as he pulled me back into a kiss, more frantic this time. More heated. My hands roamed over his chest, his shoulders, hooked around the back of his neck. His skin just felt so good against mine, I wanted to keep exploring.

A shiver shot down my spine when he pulled my lower lip between his teeth, hard enough to sting.

I broke the kiss. I wanted more . He grumbled in complaint, but only for a moment. My mouth drifted toward his ear—hot and flushed, and so smooth under my lips. I kissed the delicate skin, dragging my mouth to the very tip, where I bit down lightly.

A garbled sound escaped his mouth, his hips bucking wildly. “Gods, woman. Are you trying to kill me?”

I laughed. “Are you into that sort of thing?”

“With you, I’d be into anything.”

“Fucking Gods.” My core clenched, sending a wave of hot need through me.

I continued my exploration, kissing his neck, his collarbones. I slid off his lap and yanked his tunic, aching for more of his skin on mine.

I had to stop for a moment to admire the orc in front of me. I had seen him shirtless, sure, but not like this . He was gorgeous. All smooth, green skin, and bulging muscle softened at the edges.

I let my eyes feast on his body—from the erection bulging in his trousers, past the curves and valleys of his strong torso, to his face, where he was grinning devilishly.

“Careful, little witch. I think you’re drooling.”

I grinned back. I couldn’t help it. “Shut up. Can’t I just admire you for a moment?”

He leaned back where he was perched on the edge of the bed, elongating his frame and letting his knees drop open. “Admire as much as you wish. The fates know I’ve been admiring you for ages, it’s your turn.”

My mouth went dry. Gods almighty, what a man .

“Trousers off,” I commanded. If I was going to look, I wanted to see the entire image.

He lifted a brow. “You first.”

I took that as a challenge. Slowly, maintaining eye contact, I unbuttoned my trousers, shoving them down over my hips, my ass, my thighs. The fabric pooled around my feet, and I stepped out of them, kicking them aside.

Tandor’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He brought his fist to his mouth to bite on his knuckles.

I spun in a circle, achingly aware that the only piece of fabric on my body was my undergarments. I didn’t feel exposed, like I thought I would. With the way his eyes were devouring me, I felt sexy. Powerful.

He tried to reach for me, but I flicked a tiny spark of magic at him, just enough to sting where it connected with his palm. He jumped, his forehead creasing in an expression somewhere between disbelief and pride. His arms dropped back to his sides. “Bossy.”

“Don’t touch. I said trousers off.”

Finally, he obeyed. He lifted his hips and slid his trousers onto the floor, leaving his undershorts on.

I tsked. I stepped forward, trailing my fingers over the waistband. I slipped my fingers under the fabric, just a bit. His erection bulged obscenely under the thin material, begging to be released. I tugged lightly. “These too, please.” I smiled my sweetest smile.

His chest rose and fell in a rapid rhythm. “When you ask so sweetly…”

The orc lifted his hips again, and I pulled the undershorts down, letting them drop to the floor.

His cock sprang free, rock hard and throbbing and impossibly huge. I knew it would be big, but seeing it at attention like this, I briefly feared for my own safety.

The size wasn’t the most shocking part. Through the head of his cock, silver and gleaming, was a shiny bar. He was pierced.

The slickness of my own arousal soaked through my undergarments.

I raised my gaze to find Tandor looking tense and nervous, his tusks biting into his upper lip. Was he afraid I would see him and find him inadequate?

He was wrong .

I dropped to my knees between his spread thighs, desperate to put my mouth on him. Desperate to make him lose control.

He tensed when my hands slid up his muscled thighs. “Kizzi.”

“Yes?” I glanced at his face for confirmation.

“You don’t have to…” His words trailed off to a groan when I reached his impressive cock, circling it with my fingers. My hand couldn’t close around his girth. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to fit him inside me, but I was excited to try.

I stroked experimentally, sliding my hand from root to tip and back down again. His skin was burning hot and so, so smooth.

A choked sound escaped Tandor’s mouth. I stroked again with more confidence, tightening my fingers around him, desperate for more of those reactions. I wanted to drive him wild. I glanced up to find his head rolled back, the veins in his neck bulging.

I leaned forward to drag my tongue up the underside of his cock. His thighs clenched. His hands found my hair, weaving into the strands and fisting.

I slid my tongue over the piercing, swirling in teasing, coaxing motions, letting saliva collect on my tongue. I tortured him for a few more moments, stroking and licking, before I took him into my mouth.

A pained groan escaped him. “Kizzi, yes, holy fuck. That’s—that’s so good.”

I preened at the praise and simply hummed in response. My jaw strained to open further and I struggled to shield my teeth, but I did my best. I bobbed my head, stroking whatever I couldn’t fit in my mouth with my hands.

His thighs practically vibrated with tension. His hands in my hair pulled tighter. “Ah! Stop—if you don’t slow down, I’m going to?—”

He pushed me back and immediately hauled me off the floor, tossing my body onto the bed. “You shouldn’t have stopped me,” I complained.

He crawled over top of me, laughing lowly in his throat. “You will be coming first, little witch. It’s my turn.”

Tandor planted a searing kiss on my mouth before trailing lower, yanking my undergarments off and dragging his hands and mouth down my body.

With a heated glance at my face, he settled between my thighs. My heart pounded in my chest.

His voice was gravel. “Gods, I’ve wanted to do this for ages.” He leaned forward, swiping his tongue over my slick flesh. He groaned in appreciation.

Hot pleasure simmered in my veins. I writhed under his ministrations, unable to hold still. He grabbed my thighs, pushing them up to my chest and spreading me open wider. My muscles strained in protest, but I didn’t care—I was putty in his hands.

His tongue swirled over my clit. Once. Twice. I gasped, bliss shooting up my spine. “Yes. Yes—keep doing that.”

He did—his tongue moving over my body expertly. When the waves of pleasure finally peaked, I screwed my eyes shut, holding back a scream. Shivers worked down my spine, through my limbs, curling my toes.

When the waves settled and the sensation became overwhelming, I grabbed Tandor’s hair, tugging him up.

He crawled up my body like a beast on the prowl, eyes gleaming.

He hovered over me, holding his weight up with an elbow. His head dropped to my neck. I ran my hands up his broad back, letting my nails graze his skin. I felt the goosebumps as they formed.

His cock notched at my entrance, swollen and throbbing. The shock of cool metal against my hot flesh made me shiver. A sudden wave of apprehension made me hesitate.

“Still want to do this?” he murmured against the skin of my throat.

Did I still want this? Absolutely. With every fiber of my being. But was I nervous? Definitely.

I took a deep breath, letting the fresh air calm my worries. I shifted my hips, rubbing myself against him. “Yes.”

He pushed forward, just an inch, enough to stretch my entrance. My breath hitched.

He lifted his head to meet my eyes. “Breathe. You can take it.”

I nodded, lost in his dark gaze. I could drown in the depths of his eyes. His dark brows were furrowed. He pushed forward another inch. Two. It stung, an uncomfortable stretching sensation, but I dug my nails into his shoulders, desperate for him to continue.

He pulled back before shifting forward again in a tiny thrust, and then he pushed further. Tingles of pleasure worked up my spine, slowly breaking through the pain. “You look so pretty like this, taking my cock. You’re doing so well.”

He continued, pulling out and pushing in shallow thrusts until he was bottomed out, seated to the hilt.

I was full—impossibly so, uncomfortably so, but his cock was fully seated inside me. I released a deep breath, trying to force myself to relax.

Tandor’s eyes burned into mine. His cheeks were flushed, his teeth were bared, and he was trembling with tension. He lifted his hand to stroke my cheek. “Are you okay?”

Was I okay? I was crammed full, underneath my favorite man who was staring at me like I hung the moons. I was more than okay. “Yes. I’m good. You can move.”

He pulled back, all the way to the tip, and slowly thrust forward, watching my face closely. My body stretched to accommodate his massive size.

His piercing stroked a tender spot deep inside of me, igniting a flame in my belly. I nodded frantically. “More.”

Pain drifted away, a mere memory as he thrust into me again and again. I tugged him down into a kiss as he fucked me into oblivion.

His tongue stroked against mine in a delicious rhythm. Pleasure pooled in my stomach, insistent and all-encompassing. My body ached for another release, desperate to explode again.

I threaded my fingers into Tandor’s silky hair, anchoring myself against the onslaught of sensations. I was drowning, and I never wanted to come up for air.

“Come, little witch,” he murmured against my mouth. “I have you.”

I whimpered. I was so close, I could practically taste it.

He picked up the pace, the bed shaking as he pounded me into it. I couldn’t breathe. His piercing stroked that tender spot perfectly. It was the push I needed. I shattered, falling over the edge as an orgasm tore through me. My head dropped back. My lungs struggled for air.

Over the roaring in my ears, I heard Tandor’s strangled grunt as he found his own release. He pulled out of my body and collapsed, careful to let most of his weight fall onto the bed beside me.

We stayed like that for long moments as we caught our breath—both of us entwined and sprawled on the bed. Sweat slicked my skin.

Eventually, my heart rate slowed.

“Holy shit,” I whispered in the darkness.

He pressed a kiss to the side of my head. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”