The Blender’s Bargain – Chapter 17

Archie

The walk back to the house is a blur of stolen kisses and wandering hands. Garrick carries me part of the way, my legs wrapped around his waist, my mouth exploring the strong column of his neck. His skin tastes of lake water and salt, and I can’t get enough.

We stumble through the back door, trying to be quiet but failing as Garrick bumps into the kitchen table, sending a chair scraping across the floor. We freeze, stifling giggles like teenagers, listening for any sign my father might have heard.

Silence.

“Guest room,” I whisper against Garrick’s lips, pointing down the hall opposite from where my parents’ bedroom is located.

Garrick nods, his eyes dark with desire as he follows me through the house. I’m acutely aware of the water dripping from our bodies onto the hardwood floors, leaving a trail of evidence behind us. But I can’t bring myself to care. Not now.

The guest room is small but cozy, with a queen-sized bed and a large window overlooking the lake. Moonlight spills across the quilt, bathing the room in a soft, silvery glow. Garrick dumps his discarded clothes on the floor, and I close the door behind us, turning the lock with a definitive click.

For a moment, we just stand there, drinking each other in. The reality of what we’re about to do hangs between us, electric and thrilling.

“Are you sure about this?” Garrick asks, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through me.

I step closer, placing my hand against his chest. His heart thunders beneath my touch, matching the frantic rhythm of my own.

“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” I whisper.

That’s all the permission he needs. His mouth crashes down on mine, hungry and demanding. I melt into him, opening for him as his tongue sweeps inside, claiming me. His hands slide down my back to cup my ass, lifting me. I wrap my legs around his waist again, grinding against the hard length of him through the thin fabric of his boxers.

He groans, the sound settling low in my belly. God, I want him. I’ve wanted him for so long, watching him from afar, admiring his kindness, his intelligence, his quiet strength. And now he’s here, with me, about to make all my secret fantasies come true.

Garrick carries me to the bed, laying me down with surprising gentleness. He hovers over me, his massive frame blocking out the moonlight, casting me in his shadow. The weight of his body against mine is delicious, grounding.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, trailing kisses down my neck, across my collarbone. “I’ve dreamed of this, of you, for so long.”

His confession sends a thrill through me. “Me too,” I admit, running my fingers through his damp hair. “I’ve wanted you since the first day we met.”

He lifts his head, surprise and delight dancing in his eyes. “Really?”

I nod, shy under the intensity of his gaze. “But I thought you weren’t interested. And then there was Lex, and —“

Garrick silences me with a kiss. “I’ve always been interested,” he says against my lips. “Always.”

With trembling fingers, I reach for the hem of his soaked t-shirt, tugging it upward. He helps me, pulling it over his head and tossing it aside. My breath catches looking at his broad shoulders, muscled chest dusted with dark hair that narrows to a tantalizing trail disappearing beneath his boxers.

I run my hands over him, mapping the contours of his body, committing every inch to memory. His skin is hot beneath my palms, despite our recent swim.

“Your turn,” he says, his voice tipped with desire.

I sit up, allowing him to untie my bikini top. The fabric falls away, and I resist the urge to cover myself. Instead, I watch his face as he takes me in, his eyes darkening, pupils dilating.

“Fuck, Archie,” he breathes, cupping my breasts in his large hands. “You’re perfect.”

His thumbs brush over my nipples, and I arch into his touch, a soft moan rumbling up. He lowers his head, replacing his thumb with his mouth, and I nearly come undone right then. The wet heat of his tongue, the gentle scrape of his teeth. It’s almost too much.

I thread my fingers in his hair, holding him to me as he lavishes attention on my breasts, switching from one to the other until I’m writhing beneath him, desperate for more.

“Garrick,” I pant, tugging at his hair. “Please.”

He lifts his head, his eyes meeting mine. “What do you need? Tell me.”

“I need you,” I say, pulling him up for a kiss. “All of you.” I look him in the eyes. “I want you to make me come. Make me forget.”

He groans into my mouth, his hips grinding against mine, and he’s hard and ready. The knowledge that I affect him this way sends a fresh wave of heat through me.

His hands slide down my sides to my bikini bottoms, hooking his fingers under the waistband. He breaks our kiss to look at me, seeking permission. I nod, lifting my hips to help him as he peels the wet fabric down my legs.

And then I’m naked beneath him, exposed in the moonlight. But there’s no time for self-consciousness, not when Garrick is looking at me like I’m the most exquisite thing he’s ever seen.

“Your turn,” I say, tugging at his boxers.

He stands, pushing them down his legs and kicking them aside. I’m a lucky girl.

After, for several long moments, we lie tangled together, our breathing ragged, our bodies slick with sweat. Garrick presses soft kisses to my face, my neck, my shoulders, murmuring against my skin. I don’t know what he’s saying, but whatever it is, he means it.

He’s wanted me for a long time… and I never knew.

Eventually, he disposes of the condom before pulling me against his chest. I curl into him, my head resting over his heart, listening to its steady beat.

“That was…” he begins, trailing off, unable to find the right words.

“Yeah,” I agree, smiling against his skin. “It was.”

We lie in comfortable silence, our bodies cooling in the night air. Garrick traces lazy patterns on my back, his touch soothing me toward sleep.

Sleep, Archie. Forget.

But even as exhaustion tugs at me, my mind races. Tonight was incredible, magical, everything I’d ever dreamed it would be, and more. But tomorrow… tomorrow we’ll have to face reality again. I wanted him to fuck me into forgetting, but I can’t. The magic, the danger, my mother’s disappearance, the quest to save the world — they’re all still there.

And I can’t shake the feeling that I’m dragging Garrick into something he never signed up for. Something that could get him killed.

I lift my head, studying his face in the moonlight. He looks so peaceful, so content. I trace the line of his jaw with my fingertip, memorizing every detail.

He deserves better than this chaos. Better than a woman with a magical bloodline and a target on her back. Better than me.

Garrick’s breathing deepens, signaling his descent into sleep.

Okay. This is it. I’ll leave before dawn, continue this quest on my own with the damned blender. I’ll find my mother, discover the truth about my heritage, and face whatever comes next — alone. No more collateral damage.

Garrick has already risked too much for me. I won’t let him risk any more.

I settle against his chest, allowing myself these few precious hours in his arms before I slip away into the unknown.