Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Games People Play*****

(Beginning between Chapters Eighty-One and Eighty-Two, then just before the end of Chapter Eighty-Two at the POV switch)

*****Warning: This Chapter contains sexually explicit adult content.*****

Garreth's Perspective

I turned the heat down on the stove to keep everything just warm as I swirled the stir-fried meat and vegetables around in the pan. I pulled my pocket watch out quickly and glanced at it. She's late. I sighed.

I turned around and grasped a couple of glasses from the cupboard and uncorked a bottle of wine. I had just set the wine to pour itself in the glasses when the door to my flat flung open.

Her long, brown hair swishing as her ponytail flopped on her back set my heart racing immediately.

"Garr! Guess what?" She enthusiastically called as she hung her broom on the wall and tossed her practice bag in the corner.

"No 'hello.' No 'Gee, dinner smells great.' No kiss?" I asked her sarcastically.

As she turned around, she dropped her flying cloak, revealing her tightly fitting practice uniform that hugged her small curves in a sensuous way. She shot me a glare and then a flirtatious smile spread across her lips. She came striding over quickly and jumped up into my arms.

Her warm, wet lips met mine. She hummed in approval. It sent shivers down my spine as her legs wrapped around my waist and my arms folded around hers, holding her tightly to my chest.

Our lips moved together in a familiar tandem dance. Her fingers laced through my hair as she pressed her firm body tightly against mine.

"Is that better?" She whispered softly; eyes closed with her forehead pressed to mine.

"Much." I conceded, running circles on her back as I took in her sexy, heady smell from practice and ran my fingers through her long ponytail.

"You had news?" I asked, my voice feeling throaty as I tried to stave off the growing desire within me.

"Yes!" She squealed, jumping down from my hold but still allowing my arms to encircle her.

"I'm starting as lead chaser in the next match!" She bounced on her toes with excitement.

"Really, Mels? That's AMAZING! I'm so proud of you!" I kissed her again, sweetly this time as she stood on her tiptoes to meet my lips. Soon, our desire fueled us once again as her limbs began to wind around me and her quiet moans into my mouth spurred on my own budding lust.

Just then, a tap at the window brought us both back to our senses and we broke apart. "Mail?" She asked, shooting me a glance.

"At this hour? I don't know." I walked over to the window, opening it tentatively and an owl swooped in quickly, dropping two heavy looking parchment envelopes on the coffee table and fluttered back out the window just as quickly.

I picked them both up at the same time. They were indeed heavy. The top one had Garreth Weasley written in a tidy scrawl at the top. The bottom one said Imelda Reyes in the same hand.

"Here. One's for you." I tossed it to her.

"Quidditch newsletters again? It must be your Catapults' fault because the Harpies don't send out announcements quite this often." She chided me.

"Well, I guess that's what we get for both playing in the Wales league." I said whilst turning my envelope over and running my finger through the seal.

The heavy parchment was detailed in a tight, fancy script and smelled like the ocean. I unfolded the parchment and read:

The family of Rachel Bennett cordially invites you to the wedding ceremony uniting her in marriage with Sebastian Sallow on Saturday, 2 September 1893 at 4 o'clock in the afternoon at their cottage home in South Wales