She peeked up at him, swung her hands behind her back and unclasped her bra. Her flesh spilled over into his hands, and he pressed her back onto the bed, his mouth replacing his fingers. When she moaned, a hungry sound, he pressed her legs open with his thighs.
“Please, Michael. Don’t tease me now.”
“Don’t ya want me tae take this slow, lass?” he asked, his accent getting stronger with his arousal. “I don’t know—”
“Now, Michael.” She peeled off her panties and guided the thick heavy head of his erection snug against her entrance.
“God Almighty,” he said, and then he thrust his hips and sheathed himself inside her.
There was a delicate barrier of resistance, but the sleek, hot warmth of her welcomed him. It was almost too much to take. He hadn’t dreamt that in all these years apart that she could still be a virgin. She cried out, and he held perfectly still. This pleasure tingling up and down his spine was too intense, reaching every cell, urging him to take her and—
“Michael?”
The blazing pleasure blasting through his head made her voice sound far-off, like it came from somewhere else. He swallowed and tried to answer, but no words would come.
Abby wriggled underneath him and gasped. She repositioned her hips, flexing them upward to accommodate him, and wrapped her legs around his waist. Those movements sent a wracking fireball of pleasure rippling through him. He closed his eyes and tried to assimilate all the sensations his beautiful Abby inspired.
“Michael, what are you waiting for?”
Her voice beat through the waves of pleasure and reached him. Had he already displeased her? He clenched his teeth and bit back a growl. Then he asked, “Are you okay, love?”
She reached up and cradled his face. “Look at me.”
He opened his eyes. She was smiling at him, not in displeasure, not in disdain. He thought he saw love there. Was it possible? It certainly was for him. He’d loved her since they were very young. Things were good and right and wonderful.
She sighed and wriggled again. “Answer me. What are you waiting for?”
He took another breath.
She moved her hips, and he almost lost it. Ecstasy shot through his whole body down to his toes and his hips bunched. Abby giggled.
“Michael—are there no girl leprechauns?”
“No,” he said. “No females.”
“So, then, this is your first time, too? Are you still a virgin?”
He didn’t speak, just pressed himself closer, further inside her until her eyes widened. She liked that. He nodded and held himself perfectly still.
“Okay,” she said, and kissed his neck with hot moist lips. “Let me show you what I want you to do.”
She wriggled again, pulled back from him. Michael panicked at first, but the friction felt insanely amazing. Then Abby continued his lesson.
“Now, push.”
He did, and she moved under him. Watched him. His eyes locked with hers and she nodded. “Again. With purpose. Harder this time.”
It took his brain all of two seconds to piece it together. Soon they found their own rhythm, movements fueled by passion and filled with love. He thrust himself inside her. She worked her body tight against his, and when she cried out his name sometime later, the spasms rippling inside her, the bliss on her face told him he’d gotten it right. The warrior in him rejoiced. He’d claimed his woman, and she’d claimed him in return.
The explosion of his own release followed Abby’s by seconds, and he collapsed atop her, both of them struggling to breathe, flying on the love they’d made together, their sweat-soaked bodies united and fulfilled.
“I love you, Abby,” he whispered without thinking.
“I love you too, Michael.”
He’d always been warned that capture was a leprechaun’s worst nightmare. It wasn’t. He’d allowed his one true love to find him, to catch him, and now he vowed to spend the rest of his life making every one of her wishes a reality.
Chapter 8
ABBY TIPTOED OUT of bed early in the morning. Behind her Michael snored, so she fixed them both a snack. The stark reality of how her life had changed in less than forty-eight hours was as delicious as the heavy whipped cream she used to top the dark fudge brownie. He’d loved her all night long, and Abby found Michael as generous in bed as he had been with his magic and gold. Any request she voiced, he made a reality. She couldn’t imagine a life without him now.
She eased back into bed with their treat and one spoon so they would have to share. As she curled up beside him, Michael’s eyelashes fluttered open and he chuckled.
“I’ve inspired your appetite?”
She rolled her eyes. “Indeed.”
He turned over to face her and rested his head on his hand. Long, thick, red-gold hair twisted around that handsome face, and on his bare chest he wore a medallion with Celtic runes. She felt she knew what they meant.
“Are those marks representing your clan, Michael?”
He nodded.
She fed him a bite of chocolate with their spoon then smiled when his eyes rolled back in his head with sheer ecstasy. Soon he was sitting upright and diving his index finger into the whipped cream. She giggled when he popped his finger in his mouth then sighed with satisfaction.
“You should get some sleep,” he said. His eyes were full of concern.
She fed him more chocolate and whipped cream. “Sleep’s the last thing on my mind, trust me.”
“Tomorrow we go shopping,” he announced. “You’re going to need a gown for the fairy ball.”
“What?” She sat bolt upright in bed. “Seriously?”
He nodded, took the bowl from her and set it aside. Then he sat up and kissed her. “A beautiful gown. And I’m going to need a tux.”
She couldn’t help but hope he was planning some sort of proposal. After this night, after finally finding their way back to each other, she prayed he’d want to stay with her forever.
†††
Michael
AFTER HE SATED their early morning passion, Michael listened to Abby breathe. She slept, but his heart ached. He knew that once the fairy ball was over, or at least very soon afterward, he’d be called to another assignment.
I’ll break her heart if I leave again. She’s thinking about forever, but the monarchs won’t allow me to live with her and keep my magic. He knew they wouldn’t.
He lay there awake while she slept, miserable and worn down. How could he have been so selfish? He should have never come back. He’d fulfilled her wishes, and his own, but by doing so he’d become responsible for destroying her and himself. He shuddered, and images of his ten years away from her flashed through his mind. Any time away after this night would seem like a similar separation. Pure punishment.
She moved in her sleep, some peaceful dream leaving a smile on her freckled face. Was she dreaming of him? He pulled her tight against his chest and prayed he’d figure out a solution to set them both free.
†††
Finding his tux was easy. Abby’s gown, however, proved an entirely different matter. He wanted to see her in emerald green, so they had to traipse all over the finest shops and boutiques in Savannah to find the right garment. Finally, in a tiny little store at the heart of the historic district, they found it. A tight princess bodice adorned with green pearls, lace and sequins sat atop miles of satin skirts. Abby modeled it for him, and he instantly told the saleswoman to write it up. He managed to ignore the ache of the thought of leaving her.
She was a stunning picture in emerald green, with those red curls falling down around her face. The dress was fashioned in Paris. Money wasn’t an issue. The shoes were. Luckily, he’d made the perfect pair of heels to match her dress. When they returned home to Isle of Hope, exhausted from their shopping, Michael paid two fairies in gold to go retrieve the shoes. He tipped them extra to hurry.
Abby called him into the kitchen. “I’ve prepared lunch. Are you hungry?”
S
he served a light meal of sautéed shrimp on a bed of greens. He ate the salad with joy in his heart then asked her what she had planned for the main course.
Her face fell. “Isn’t the salad enough?”
He scowled. “Have you seen my body? I need food, woman! I’m not that little thing who was cursed to be four-foot any longer.”
She laughed and looked appreciative of his much larger frame, defrosted a steak and grilled it up with potatoes. This she served with a loaf of French bread. Then, after eating a few bites of steak with him, she served a strawberry shortcake for dessert. As he dove in she said, “I need to go grocery shopping if you’re going to eat like this.”
He laughed, pulled her into his lap and kissed her. But all the time he was trying to find a solution. If he didn’t, she wouldn’t have to go shopping for him at all.
The fairies appeared at the door. “We’ve found them, McKnight.”
Michael invited them in, took the shoebox, and presented the contents to Abby. The look of pleasure on her face melted his heart. He wanted to stay with her forever. Playing house like this was a dream he’d gone over and over in his mind while he worked off his sentence, but such a dream was not for leprechauns. That was what the fairy monarchs would say.
The fairies made themselves scarce when Michael insisted on helping Abby fit the shoes. They sensed his true motives.
“Oh,” she said, inspecting them. Four-inch heels, studded with gemstones, the upper covered with emerald green satin and tied with miniature black bows. “I’ve never worn such a beautiful pair of shoes.”
“I had you in mind when I made them.”
He lifted the shoes out of the box and gestured for her to sit. She complied, and he knelt at her feet and removed her current footwear.
“Oh,” he realized. “This won’t do. This simply will not do.”
He dragged her into the bathroom and gave her the most sensuous pedicure known to man, and when he was finished she was so hot and bothered she could have cared less about his gift. So he insisted she model the shoes for him. Naked. Then they indulged in the best of both worlds.
Once the fashion show concluded, they decided it was best to nap for the rest of the afternoon, though Michael’s version of napping didn’t really include a lot of sleep. The fairy ball started promptly at midnight, and he insisted the respite would keep her from falling asleep in the middle of the show.
Chapter 9
DRESSED IN EMERALD green, from her custom-made dancing slippers to her fancy new ballgown, Abby took Michael’s arm, and they strode out onto the lawn to the Fairy Ball. This was sure to be the very best night of her life.
Tiny musicians filled the lawn with woodwinds, harps, strings, and percussion. The fairies served a banquet on both human-sized and fairy-sized tables covered with fine linens, and appropriately sized champagne flutes were passed around as well.
Glimmering lights filled the wooded property, and the heavenly scent of jasmine and magnolia hung in the balmy air. Hundreds of tiny fairies perched in the branches of the grand old live oak, and the tree buzzed with their light and laughter.
A stage had been set up near the river, with decorated chairs for the spectators. They’d laid a magical dance floor too, and she couldn’t wait to dance with Michael. Other couples were there dressed in colorful ballgowns and black and white tuxedos, but Abby couldn’t be sure they were human. Everyone waited in anticipation of their arrival.
Michael placed a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Do you like it?” he asked, his face lit with hope and expectation.
Abby’s tummy fluttered as if a thousand wing-beats took up residence there. Tears of joy threatened to overwhelm her. “It’s incredible,” she whispered. Nothing she’d ever seen came close to the magic manifested by her wish.
Before they were seated for the show, Michael led Abby to the king and queen for introductions. “Your Majesties Dionis and Melise, may I present Miss Abigail O’Malley.”
Dionis, dressed to the nines in his fairy royal garb, stood and reached for her hand. He wore a long white velvet cloak over his dress military uniform, which was dark navy, and boasting dozens of medals. His golden crown sat perched upon his head. His wings, the most elegant she’d ever seen, were shaped like dragonfly wings, gilded gold, and appeared quite powerful. Abby slipped her hand into his, and he kissed the back of it. “Welcome to the fairy ball, Miss O’Malley.”
Melise stood and hugged her. Much larger in size than the tiny fairies, the king and queen appeared almost human except for their stunning beauty and their wings. Melise wore a deep purple gown that contrasted long, blond tresses that appeared spun from pure gold.
“You’ve made a man out of McKnight, Abby. He learned to do good so he could please you. He’s very lucky to have found you still waiting for him,” the queen said.
Abby curtsied. “Thank you for coming back to my property. This is exquisite. I always imagined a big fairy ball would be just like this.”
Melise filled the air with laughter. “My staff has outdone themselves. Please enjoy the show.”
Michael escorted Abby to their seats, and together they watched the troupes of fairies perform. He held her hand the entire time, whispering softly in her ears. “There’s Nicolai and Matilda. They’re performing a fairy classic named Ode to Spring.”
Abby leaned forward on the edge of her seat, watching the fairies perform. Dozens of fairies joined in and danced, lighting the lawn up with their magic, but it was Matilda who stole the show with her ballerina type movements. Nicholai and Matilda reminded Abby of fancy ballroom dancers she’d seen on TV, and she couldn’t help herself, she cheered with the rest of the crowd as the two of them performed.
Once the show was finished, everyone was invited to dance. Romance filled the air, and the musicians played late into the night. Michael took Abby’s hand and led her to dance, Abby savoring every minute of their time together.
Other couples joined in. Even King Dionis and Queen Melise joined the ball, and they danced together under the moonlight and fairy lights.
Abby let Michael lead her, and in his new form, she found her dreams coming true. He wrapped her in his arms, then extended and twirled her outward with strong hands, then pulled her back again into his tall frame so fast she nearly lost her breath. Could he really be her one true love?
He cut a stunning figure in his black tuxedo, and with accompaniment of the orchestra playing in the background, he wooed and romanced her, twirling her to the sounds of the music. Then they simply swayed together, their right and left hands clasped, his other arm around her back, her hand resting on his shoulder. Their bodies entwined, she lost track of time and only had eyes for him.
During a pause between songs, Michael excused himself and went to fetch drinks. When he did, a pair of dancers sidled up to Abby. “We hope you enjoyed our show. You have the look of love about you tonight. Is McKnight responsible for that?”
Abby smiled, but she kept her hands close to her body. This pair seemed to give off a different vibe than the easygoing Matilda and Nicholai, and she was reminded that fairies were not of her world. Of course, neither were leprechauns.
“Do you know Michael?” she asked them.
“All too well. He cheated my dance troupe out of gold years ago. Too bad he’ll just disappoint you too.”
Abby reared back, furious. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I’ll thank you not to speak unkindly of Michael without him present to defend himself. How dare you!”
The pair of fairies just laughed. “He’ll have to leave, you know. He can’t stay with you. He’s a leprechaun, and they have duties to fulfill. Or didn’t he tell you that, Abby? Leprechauns are tricky. Leprechauns are impossible to keep trapped.”
Abby’s heart sped up and her face flushed. “He’ll never leave me. You’ll see. We’ve spent the past ten years apart and—”
“Yes, he’s done it before, hasn’t he?” one of the fairies interrupted. “Think about all those
years you spent alone. We know the story. You should have chosen someone else.”
Those words unraveled her. Abby tried to ignore them, but they were the worst words she could have heard. She tore off and searched the property, looking around the dance floor, but she couldn’t find him. Where had Michael gone?
“Michael? Michael!” She ran through the crowds of fairies searching for him.
At last she found him talking with the king and queen. Her pounding heart hitched as she listened to his words.
“There has to be a way. I want to stay with her forever, Dionis. Please, grant me this one last wish.”
“It’s always another wish with you, McKnight. I wish I’d learned my lesson sooner. Your wishes are difficult to keep up with,” said the king.
“I’m willing to sacrifice my magic if that’s what you want,” Michael announced. Abby couldn’t believe her ears. He was willing to give up his magic for her? But that was everything that made him him.
“Your gold?” asked the king.
“I’d give it all up to stay with her. There has to be a way.”
Abby stepped forward to interrupt. “Michael? No. What are you doing?”
He turned. “I’m asking them to release me from … Why are you crying?”
She shook her head. “Tell me what this is about.” She turned and pointed to the fairies who’d upset her. “They said … they said you had to go away again. Is that true? Do you?”
He reached out and dried the tears on her cheek, and glared over her shoulder at the fairies who’d upset her. “It’s not what I want. I’m trying to figure out a solution.”
Abby turned to Dionis and Melise with anger. “Is this more of your doing? Hasn’t he suffered enough? Are our tears of loneliness and heartache worth nothing?”
Dionis frowned. “McKnight needed to learn the lesson that greed is an unwise virtue. It was never our intent to see you suffer, my dear.”
“Well, I have,” she growled. “And I will suffer more if you take him away again.”
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