by T. M. Cromer
She faced Nash again. “That means you and me as well. Can you see your way to accepting me?”
When Aurora smiled, love shone for him. Perhaps that’s what Nash responded to when he held out a hand to shake hers.
“Thank you, Rorie,” Nash said.
Alastair found the emotion clogging his throat was too much to cut through. Nash, the most like him with his empathic ability, spoke for him.
“Let’s get those wards in place. Spring. Knox.”
The crowd separated to do their part in restoring the manor with GiGi leading the charge.
“Thank you, my love,” Alastair said to Aurora.
“About your sister and Ryker…”
He laughed and kissed her lightly. “One problem at a time.”
Epilogue
Three weeks later…
“Hurry, my love. We’ll be late for the wedding.”
“What are you doing in here? I’m trying to get ready.”
Alastair’s hungry gaze slowly swept her gowned form. His eyes lit with appreciation, and she smiled in reaction. Who would believe they weren’t a couple of horny teenagers the way they were unable to keep their hands from one another?
“You’re beautiful the way you are,” he said huskily as he moved up behind her.
Aurora watched their forms in the mirror as he bent and kissed the exposed skin beneath her ear. The desire always burning just below the surface flared hot.
“This is why men aren’t supposed to see women before a wedding,” she complained, tilting her head to the side to provide him with better access to the sensitive area of her throat.
“This?” He murmured as his velvety lips dropped butterfly-light kisses along the column of her neck. His hands came up to cup her breasts, and that simple touch was enough to have her turn to mush. She was putty in his experienced hands.
“Yes, this,” she retorted without heat. “You’re getting me all worked up, and I’ll have to walk out all flushed and unfulfilled. Everyone will know.”
His wicked, laughing gaze met hers in the mirror. “It’s not like you’re the bride, my love. You’ll be sitting next to me in the clearing, and all eyes will be on Winnie and Zane.”
She snorted inelegantly, and he chuckled.
One hand began drawing her the embellished blue silk of her dress up her leg and his other burrowed between the smooth skin of her breast and the lace of her bra. “But who says you need to go out unfulfilled?”
She slapped at the hand pulling up her dress. “Don’t you dare, you rogue! You said it yourself. We’ll be late.”
“What’s a few more minutes between family?”
His eyes dropped to the juncture of her thighs, and she gasped when she felt a pulse of magic and a soft stroke that felt like his fingers. “That’s playing dirty.”
“What is magic for, if not to have fun?”
His hardness was pressed against her buttocks, and she leaned back into him. “Hmm, and if we are sitting in the clearing and I magically stroke you? How will you hide it?”
“If you magically stroke me, I won’t be hiding it, and I wouldn’t try, Rorie my love. I’d sweep you up in my arms and teleport right the hell out of there.” He sneezed and scowled as he fisted his hand. “Just what we need, bloody locusts in the clearing.”
She laughed and twisted in his arms to take his face between her palms. As she studied his beloved features, she realized the parts of her soul that were missing, the ones most likely gone forever, weren’t that important. Because standing here, touching him, reveling in his love was the only place she ever wanted to be.
“I love you, Alastair. You make my life complete in a way I don’t quite understand. Thank you for defying this world and the Other to bring me back.”
He closed his eyes and swallowed audibly. It took him a moment, but when he looked at her, his eyes were the clearest, brightest blue she’d ever seen. A witch’s tell and a perfect indication of his happiness.
“I don’t know if my actions were overly obsessive or extreme, Rorie. I only know the idea of living my life without you by my side was more than I could bear to think about.”
“No, not overly anything. At first I was angry when I believed you put the girls in danger, but seeing them in love and enjoying the lives they’ve built… I owe you a debt of gratitude, darling. You did this for them.”
“No. I did it for you because I love you.”
She stroked his jaw and leaned in to kiss him. He met her halfway and kissed her in a manner that expressed everything he was feeling and more. Part of his gift was empathy, and he had the ability to share his emotions with a simple touch.
Just when things would have become heated, a knock sounded at the door to the bedroom. They pulled apart as GiGi sailed into the room.
“Scoot, brother. You have a bride to walk down the aisle, and I have to sneak Rorie to her seat so everyone can’t tell she’s been engaging in a serious make-out session with you.”
Aurora gasped and laughed. “I told you people would know!”
One arrogant brow lifted, and he claimed another quick kiss. “I’m happy for everyone to see you’re mine.”
“You’re incorrigible,” she sighed.
He put his lips to her ear and whispered, “Yes, and that’s where the fun is at.”
* * *
As Alastair stared down into her beautiful, sparkling eyes, she smiled. Cutting her mischievous gaze to the impatient GiGi, Aurora whispered, “The spell on her home is ready. We just need to find a way to get Ryker and her in the same location long enough.”
“You are truly a mastermind, my love.”
“It’s why you adore me so.”
“True. That, and your delectable body.”
She rolled her eyes and bit her lip to keep her mirth contained. Spinning around, she examined herself in the mirror. Aurora barked out a horrified laugh when she saw her mussed hair and smeared ruby lipstick. “How did you manage that?”
Their reflection showed his brows shoot up in comical disbelief and her answering scowl.
“Okay, fine, I know how, but bloody hell, darling, I told you we were late.”
He laughed and hugged her from behind as she elbowed him lightly in the stomach. “I’ll see you in the clearing. And for the record, smeared lipstick or no, you are the most incredible woman I’ve ever seen.”
“Oh, please,” GiGi sighed. “I don’t know how the two of you ever leave your bedroom long enough to get a damned thing done. Shake a leg, brother. Winnie is pregnant with triplets and standing in heels. Have mercy on the poor thing.”
She stepped to the mirror and swirled a hand. Aurora was as pristine as when he’d entered. GiGi grunted her satisfaction, checked her own reflection, and sailed toward the door.
“One more quick thing,” Alastair said. He dug in his tuxedo pocket and pulled out a small black box. Kneeling down, he opened the lid and offered it to Aurora. “It’s close to forty years overdue, but Aurora Fennell-Thorne will you marry me?”
“Oh, damn. I’ll go tell everyone we are going to be later still,” GiGi said. A slight sniff belied her grumpy words.
Alastair ignored his sister and waited for Aurora to get over her surprise.
“Yes,” she breathed out. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
She sunk to her knees beside him and held out her left hand.
He removed the tanzanite and diamond ring from its mooring and slipped it on her ring finger, where it caught a beam of the morning light as it landed on the two of them.
Aurora looked toward the window and smiled through her tears. “Isis’s blessing or Preston’s?”
“Both, I’m sure.”
From the Author…
Thank you for taking the time to read LONG LOST MAGIC. If you enjoyed this story, please leave a review. Thank you!
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Book
s in The Thorne Witches Series:
SUMMER MAGIC
AUTUMN MAGIC
WINTER MAGIC
SPRING MAGIC
REKINDLED MAGIC
LONG LOST MAGIC
FOREVER MAGIC
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