Stone Cold Fox Read online

  The thought might have made her nervous since the bad memories of her past had only recently been dredged up. But somehow, despite her recent trip down the horrors of memory lane, Jo found herself unafraid of Reese. Or at least, only a little anxious. Maybe it was the sincerity in his brown eyes, or the way he’d held her while she cried, or that soft, comforting kiss on the forehead. For whatever reason, she wanted to trust him.

  “All right,” she said. Untying the robe, she spread it open, baring herself from neck to knees.

  She had no bra underneath and her nipples hardened immediately in the slight chill. Her panties were still on though—a rose silk pair stretched tight over her pussy.

  Looking down at herself, Jo was embarrassed to see that the throbbing between her legs had had definite results. The sheer panel of silk over her sex was wet with her juices, making it cling transparently to her outer pussy lips.

  She started to close her legs self-consciously but Reese stopped her with a single touch on her thigh.

  “No, darlin’,” he said softly. “Don’t hide yourself. God, you’re beautiful.”

  “I . . . I’m all wet,” Jo protested. “I . . . the spell . . . the desire . . . being so close to you . . . I can’t seem to help it.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Reese assured her. “You’re beautiful, Jo.” He rubbed one big, warm hand up and down the top of her thigh soothingly. “But I want you to know something—we can stop at any time. If you don’t want this, all you have to do is say stop and I will. I promise.”

  Jo bit her lip and nodded slowly.

  “I . . . I believe you,” she said.

  “Good, because I mean it.” He stroked both of her thighs this time, easing them open so gently Jo barely realized her legs were parted. “Now,” he murmured, looking up at her. “This ritual is called ‘Bringing down the Moon’ or some people also call it ‘Worshipping the Goddess.’”

  “Wor—worshipping the Goddess?” Jo asked rather breathlessly.

  “Mm-hmm.” Leaning forward, he placed a hot, gentle kiss on her inner thigh, just by the tender inside of her knee. “Because that’s what I’ll be doing—first cleansing away the hurt and pain and then worshipping your female essence with my mouth and tongue. Is that all right?”

  “I . . .” Jo hesitated as he kissed her again, this time higher up her thigh. She’d never had a man do this to her before. She might have tried it in college—if her college career hadn’t been cut short by the attack. But aside from the other night after her spell had gone so spectacularly wrong, she hadn’t allowed any part of a man’s body to touch her between her legs. The idea of letting Reese kiss her there—of letting him put his mouth and tongue on her pussy—made her feel nervous and hot.

  And yet, as nervous as she was, she wanted it too . . . wanted to feel the soft, hot, gentle kisses he was placing on her inner thigh, in her most secret place—the core of her femininity.

  Reese was waiting patiently for her to answer and it was that—his patience and his refusal to rush or pressure her—that finally made her decide.

  “Yes,” she said at last. “Yes, that’s . . . that’s all right.”

  “Good.” He gave her a warm smile that centered more in his eyes than his mouth. “Now, do you want to take off your underwear, darlin’? It’s up to you—the ritual can be performed with or without, although I think without would be easier.”

  In answer, Jo raised her hips and hooked her thumbs into the sides of her rose-pink panties. She slid them down and Reese helped by pulling them over her feet.

  Jo expected him to toss the discarded garment aside but instead he balled it in his fist and brought it to his nose. He inhaled deeply and for a moment, his eyes glowed gold as they sometimes did when he was in his Shifted form.

  “God, darlin’,” he almost groaned. “You smell so damn good. Can’t wait to taste your sweetness.” He straightened up and tucked the panties into his back pocket. “First, though, I need to do this ritual before the water gets cold again. Are you ready?”

  Jo nibbled at her lower lip and nodded.

  “Yes, I . . . I think so.”

  “Good. Then spread your legs a little more, darlin’. We’re about to get started.”

  Taking the lamb’s wool cloth from the steaming, fragrant water, he wrung it out carefully. Holding it in both hands, he brought it first to his forehead, then to his heart, and then to his lips. Looking up at Jo, he spoke softly.

  “Jocasta Ferrell, the male in me worships the Goddess in you. You are precious and beautiful . . . delicate yet strong . . . my opposite but also my equal and my completion.”

  Jo’s breath caught in her throat at the lovely words of the ritual and the sincerity with which Reese spoke them.

  For so long when she looked at men—when she looked at them at all—she had seen only ugliness and hurt and pain waiting to happen. But with Reese, it was different. The firelight gilded his bare chest and broad shoulders as he knelt between her thighs and she thought she’d never seen so much pure, masculine beauty.

  Bending to her, he kissed the inside of her right knee and said, “If any has hurt thee in the past, I will heal thee.” He placed another kiss on the inside of her left knee and said, “If any has denigrated thee, I will raise thee high.”

  Straightening up, he brought the soft, fleecy cloth to her inner thigh. It was still warm from the hot, scented water and Jo shivered a little as Reese stroked it gently but firmly over first her left thigh and then her right. He dipped the cloth in the water again, wrung it out, and brought it back steaming.

  “If any sins have been committed against thy flesh, I will wash them clean away,” he murmured, pressing the soft, warm cloth to her outer pussy.

  Jo gasped and jumped a little, but didn’t pull away. His big, warm hand felt too good on her—she only wished the cloth wasn’t between them.

  Reese cupped her firmly, holding her sex in his palm with only the warm, wet cloth between his hand and her flesh. He looked her in the eyes as he spoke.

  “Thy body shall be my temple, to worship and adore.”

  He withdrew the cloth and dropped it back in the water. Then he scooted between her thighs again, his big hands on either side of her bare mound. He didn’t touch her . . . yet. But the feel of his gentle palms placed so firmly on either side of her throbbing pussy made Jo wish he would. The scented moisture from the soft cloth evaporating on her thighs gave her a cool, ticklish sensation which raised goosebumps along her flesh and made her pussy throb even harder.

  “Jo,” Reese murmured, continuing the ritual. “Thy sacred flesh will I heal and pleasure . . .” Leaning forward, he placed a soft, hot kiss at the top of her pussy mound, just at the start of her slit. “Until pleasure drives out pain. Until the present eclipses the past,” he continued, kissing her again, lower this time so that Jo felt his hot breath against her aching clit, which was peeking out from between her outer lips.

  “Oh, Reese . . .” she whispered, but he wasn’t done yet.

  “May that which was violated be restored,” he murmured. “May you be made whole by my touch . . . my kiss . . . my worship of your female beauty.”

  As he spoke, he spread her outer pussy lips fully, revealing her inner folds. Jo bit her lip to see how wet and shiny she was in the firelight—how swollen and needy her clit looked, throbbing like a second heartbeat between her thighs.

  But she didn’t have long to see because Reese leaned forward again and placed another kiss—this one right over her clit. Jo felt his tongue flicker out as he lapped gently at her little pink pearl and a wave of pleasure seemed to roll across her entire body.

  With a low moan, she slid her fingers into his thick, brown hair, gilded red by the firelight, and drew him closer. Reese came willingly, slipping his big, warm hands under her thighs and ass and drawing her to the edge of the couch. Eagerly, he lapped her again, this time starting at the bottom of her slit and dragging his tongue upward over the tender bump of her clit with excruciat