Rescued By The Fae Prince (Fae 0f Ballantine Book 3)

by Serena Meadows

  “Well, you won’t be able to do anything until they get home,” he reminded her, trying not to grin triumphantly when she nodded glumly. “So, I was thinking maybe we should go riding.”

  She studied him for a minute, the temptation evident in her face, but then she shook her head. “I don’t think I should. What would your parents think? I’m sure there’s something I can do in the lab until they get back.”

  He knew that he was going to have to push, and it annoyed him, but he put a smile on his face and said, “Please, it could be my way of making up for last night.”

  “Oh, I don’t know,” she hedged, but he could see he was beginning to get to her.

  “My parents won’t care,” he said. “They would want you to have a little fun.”

  He could tell that she was about to refuse again, but then something in her eyes changed and she said, “You just want to keep me out of the lab until your parents get back.”

  It took him a moment to answer, a bit surprised that she was as wise as she was intelligent. “No, of course not; you have every right to be there. I was just thinking that you might like to get some fresh air while we wait for my parents to get home,” he lied. “You do ride, don’t you?”

  “I haven’t in a long time, but I’m sure it will come back to me,” she said, not even realizing that she’d just agreed. “I don’t have any riding boots.”

  He grinned at her triumphantly, making her sigh, then felt a little bit bad, but if she got in trouble, he’d take the blame. “I bet we can find something that fits you,” he said, getting to his feet. “But first, I need some breakfast.”

  As soon as they’d both eaten, he had one of the staff find Faith, his mother’s assistant, a cheerful woman who’d always spoiled him. She came quickly, confused by the summons and worried that something was wrong. When she came bustling into the sunroom, a look of concern on her face, he felt bad and realized they should have gone to find her.

  “Reese,” she said, her chest heaving with the effort of hurrying. “What’s wrong?”

  He got to his feet. “I’m sorry, Faith, I didn’t mean to alarm you. Sit down here for a second,” he said, guiding her into a chair. “Nothing is wrong. I just need to ask you for a favor.”

  She heaved out a big sigh and collapsed against the back of the chair. “You scared me,” she said. “I swear, you’ll be the death of me yet.”

  Reese couldn’t help but smile at her, remembering all the times she’d stopped him from killing himself trying to do something stupid. “Let me get you a cup of tea,” he said, signaling for one of the servers.

  When she’d taken a few sips from the steaming mug, she set it down on the table and seemed to notice Sarah for the first time, and he realized that they hadn’t met. “Faith, this is Sarah,” he said, watching for the woman’s reaction.

  “Oh, dear,” she said. “I’m so sorry; you must think I’m rude. I was away when you got here. I just got home this morning. I was hoping to meet you in the lab later. I’m Faith, by the way.”

  “Mother’s assistant,” Reese added when she seemed confused. “Faith is in charge of the day-to-day running of the castle and about a million other things.”

  Faith beamed at him. “You’re just buttering me up because you want something,” she said. “Don’t think I haven’t figured out your tricks by now, young man.”

  He looked over at Sarah, who was smirking and looking down into her lap. “Well, I do have a favor to ask,” he said.

  “Ha!” Faith said. “I knew it.”

  ***Sarah***

  Before she knew what was happening, Sarah was being whisked to the back rooms of the castle, Faith chattering at her the entire way. “We’ll find you something in here,” she said, throwing open a door.

  Sarah stepped inside to find racks and racks of clothes, ball gowns, party dresses, and riding clothes hung in neat rows, filling nearly the entire room. What was left was filled with shoes of every type and style, lined up on shelves that reached all the way to the high ceiling. She followed Faith to the back corner of the room, and awestruck, stood staring as she sorted through the racks, pulling out things, then shoving them back onto the rack again.

  Finally, she parted the clothes and stepped through to the other side, leaving Sarah standing alone next to a rack of the most beautiful gowns she’d ever seen. Reaching out to touch one, she imagined what it would feel like to wear something like that, to come walking into a room and have all eyes turn to her. Soon, her vision was filled with her and Reese spinning around the dance floor, so she missed it when Faith appeared with an armload of clothes.

  “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” she said when she saw Sarah.

  Sarah pulled her hand back. “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t resist,” she said, blushing.

  Faith grinned at her. “It’s hard to believe that these are all cast-offs, clothes that someone wore one time and left behind,” she said.

  Sarah looked around. “You’re kidding,” she said, a bit shocked by the waste. “Isn’t there somewhere...”

  “We’re a wasteful bunch, we fa…the royals are,” Faith said, turning away from Sarah and starting back for the door. “Anyway, something in here should fit you.”

  She was sure that Faith had been going to say something different, but the woman, with a speed that surprised her, took off back down the hallway, and she had to run to catch up. When they got to Sarah’s room, Faith threw the clothes down on the bed and stood hands on her hips waiting for her, a smile on her face once again.

  “Go on then, try those on,” Faith said when Sarah just stood in the doorway. “But keep in mind they might be a little big.”

  The last outfit was the only one that fit even remotely well, but she still felt like a kid playing dress-up with her mother’s clothes. But when Faith saw her, instead of shaking her head and trying not to laugh, her eyes lit up. “This one will do,” she said.

  Sarah looked at herself in the mirror. “I don’t know; it’s awfully big.”

  “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of that,” Faith said, pulling a bell by the door.

  The next time she looked in the mirror, she wasn’t sure who was looking back at her, and she was so scared, she was tempted to strip off the riding clothes. “You look divine,” Faith gushed, chasing away her fear.

  With a few quick alterations, the deep purple pants and jacket fit like a second skin. Suddenly, she wasn’t the innocent girl who arrived a few days before. Instead, standing before her was a sophisticated, sexy woman, a woman who looked like she belonged in the castle. Turning from her reflection, suddenly uncomfortable, she shook her head and started taking the jacket off.

  “I don’t think so,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t pull this off.”

  “Oh yes, you can,” Faith said, picking up a pair of boots she hadn’t noticed before. “One of the girls found these in the back room.”

  Sarah hesitated, then took the boots when Faith shoved them at her. She sat down and slipped the first one on, letting her hands glide over the soft creamy leather as she zipped it to her knee. When the second one was on, she stood and took a couple of steps, realizing that the boots fit perfectly.

  Faith grinned. “I knew it, a perfect fit,” she said. “I think you’re ready.”

  “I can’t go out there like this,” she said, looking in the mirror again.

  “Why not?” Faith demanded as if she’d been insulted.

  “I just look...I don’t know...sexy or something,” she finally managed to say.

  Faith burst out laughing. “That was the idea,” she said. “Girl, you’ve got it, so why not flaunt it?”

  The thought made Sarah’s heart start pounding in her chest and her palms get sweaty. “I don’t...that is I’m not...I don’t want to embarrass myself.”

  “Oh, honey, you aren’t going to embarrass yourself,” Faith said, handing her a pair of leather gloves and a silly looking hat.

  “I’m drawing the line at the ha
t,” she said, taking the gloves, knowing she was going to be sorry.

  When she walked into the entryway and saw the look on Reese’s face, she wanted to turn and run back to her room. The mixture of surprise and desire on his face sent a wave of contradicting emotions storming through her, and for a moment, she stood staring at him, unable to move. But then he stepped forward and held out his hand, the surprise melting away, replaced by a look of pleasure.

  Breathless, she took his hand, looking up at him shyly, and hoping that she wasn’t about to make a fool of herself. “I told Faith that this was a little too much, but she insisted,” she said, noticing his simple jeans and boots.

  “You look fantastic,” he said, the desire in his eyes taking her breath away. “Would you like to take the path by the river or ride out into the countryside?”

  Sarah suddenly wasn’t sorry she’d let Faith talk her into the outfit, and some of her nervousness vanished, replaced by a sense of anticipation. “Oh, definitely the river; I got enough of the countryside on the way here. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful, but some trees would be nice.”

  As they walked away, Faith poked her head out from behind the huge plant she’d been hiding behind. She wasn’t sure what to think about the look in Reese’s eyes when he saw Sarah, what it might mean, and if it was a good idea or not. One thing was clear though; something was going on between the Prince of Loughmore and the human that had somehow joined their little community.

  Chapter Ten

  ***Reese***

  Reese had no idea how he was going to keep it together on the ride with Sarah, not with her looking like she did. He’d never imagined that Faith would dress her like that, and after last night, it was almost impossible to keep his body from responding to what he saw. When he’d come upon Sarah in the lab the night before, dressed only in a tee-shirt, he’d used his anger to chase away the surge of desire that had nearly drowned him when he saw her creamy thighs, but that wasn’t going to work today.

  He wished he could just push away his doubts about her, but they just wouldn’t go away. Now, he’d have to spend the morning doing his best to ignore the desire that surfaced any time he was with Sarah, a situation he’d never found himself in before. He’d had his share of romances in his life, some deeper and more meaningful than others, but he’d never felt this way about anyone, and it scared him.

  Walking next to her, he wondered what it would be like if he didn’t have his doubts, if he were free to pursue her, and his body filled with anticipation. Unable to stop himself, he reached out and took her hand, thinking again that it felt so right in his, but then it hit him. She was human, forbidden to him by many centuries of tradition and law, and he realized that what he was imaging was still impossible. It was one thing for his cousin and Keaton to marry Fae that were different than them, but marrying a human was out of the question, a leap too far.

  With a shock, it occurred to him that he was thinking about marriage, something he’d vowed to avoid for as long as he could. As the heir to the kingdom, he’d always known that someday he’d be expected to get married and provide heirs, but it had always seemed like a chore he was expected to do. Marry an acceptable woman, have a couple of kids, and replace his father someday.

  Now he was suddenly thinking about it in a totally different way, and that had to stop before he forgot what was expected of him, what his future held. Sarah was only a temporary part of his life, could never be there permanently, and he had to remember that. As fiery as the passion was between them, the only smart thing to do was to ignore it, let it burn itself out, but he hoped it wouldn’t take long because he only had a limited amount of self-restraint.

  When they got to the barn, he let go of her hand, a bit relieved to break the contact and promising himself he wouldn’t do it again. “Take your pick,” he said, gesturing to the stalls full of horses.

  Sarah walked up and down, then turned and looked at him. “Don’t you have one that’s just a little smaller?” she asked. “I’m not sure I can boost myself onto one of these.”

  “I’d be more than happy to help you,” he said, grinning at her.

  She turned away. “Maybe there’s a stool around here somewhere.”

  He sighed, knowing that he should be glad that she hadn’t taken the bait. “We’ll find something if it repulses you that much to have me touch you,” he said before he’d thought his words through.

  “I didn’t mean...” she said. “Fine, you can help me.”

  After she’d chosen her horse, he saddled it for her even though she claimed she was perfectly capable, but standing next to the horse, she looked so small and vulnerable, he couldn’t let her. “This horse weighs ten times as much as you do,” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t fight me on this.”

  She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest, an unhappy look on her face, but let him, then he quickly saddled his horse while she watched. When both horses were ready, he walked over to her and stood, looking down at her until she turned and grabbed the horse’s reins. It should have been simple to grab her waist and lift her up into the saddle, but when his hands touched her hips, he didn’t want to let go, want to pull her into his arms and kiss her.

  Sarah looked up at him, a question in her eyes at first, but then they widened with surprise, and she sucked in a deep breath. He would have leaned down and kissed her right then, but the horse whinnied and stepped away from them. She pulled the horse back over to them, then turned, waiting for him to lift her, and he had no choice but to place her in the saddle.

  Hands still tingling from where he’d touched her, he jumped into the saddle and kicked the horse into a slow walk. “We’ll take it slow through town,” he said, his voice a bit husky even to his own ears.

  “Okay, that sounds good,” Sarah said, her voice a little breathy.

  As they rode through town, his ardor began to fade, but it was replaced by another feeling he was very unfamiliar with. It seemed to him that every man they passed paused to admire Sarah on the big black horse she’d chosen, and with each set of eyes that raked over her body, he felt his jealousy grow. By the time they made it out of town, he was fuming, filling with jealousy, and thoroughly shocked at how out of control he was.

  But then they came up to the river, and Sarah gasped. “Oh, it’s so pretty,” she said, turning to smile at him. “Thank you for making me come with you.”

  Suddenly, he understood why he was such a mess; he was falling for the tiny blonde human who’d invaded his world and turned it upside down. Just seeing her smile with pleasure made him happy, made him want to make her smile even more, and he knew that he was in trouble.

  ***Sarah***

  As the trail wound through the forest following the path of the river, Sarah began to relax, the turmoil in her brain calmed, and she was able to simply enjoy the beauty around her. But the farther they went down the trail, the more she began to think that she’d been there before. It was impossible, she knew, but the feeling just wouldn’t leave her.

  Each time they came around a corner, she knew what they would find, and several times, she recognized rocks or trees that were especially unique. Afraid to say anything to Reese since he already didn’t trust her, she kept the feeling to herself, trying desperately to make sense of her memories. When they stopped for a break at an especially beautiful spot, the feeling grew stronger until she couldn’t stop herself from saying something.

  “This spot reminds me so much of someplace I’ve been before,” she said, stepping onto a huge rock that jutted into the river over a deep pool of water and sitting down. “I just can’t remember where we were.”

  “We?” Reese asked, sitting down next to her.

  She looked over at him, saw only simple curiosity in his eyes. “My grandfather and I,” she said. “We traveled together for a few years after I graduated from high school. I was only twelve and he thought that I needed to grow up a little before I started college.”

  “Where did you go
?” Reese asked, making himself more comfortable.

  When his arm brushed hers, Sarah had to concentrate a little harder to combat the thrill that rushed through her. “All over the world; you name it, and we tried to see it,” she said, the memory of those years washing over her. “It was great. Sometimes we camped out for weeks, and once we even stayed in an igloo that we built ourselves.”

  “That must have been amazing. I’ve never really been far from Loughmore,” Reese said wistfully. “Your grandfather must be an amazing man.”

  Sarah felt the sadness of his loss wash over her. “He’s been gone for eight years and I still miss him,” she said.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad,” Reese said, his voice full of sympathy.

  “It’s okay, you didn’t know,” she said. “He was killed in a car accident right after I started college.”

  “And your parents?” he asked, then looked like he wished he hadn’t.

  “They were killed when I was just three, a mugging one night when they went out to dinner without me,” she said.

  Reese was silent for a long time. “I’m sorry, Sarah, that’s rough. You’ve practically raised yourself,” he said.

  She shrugged. “It hasn’t been that bad. I have plenty of friends, and my work to keep me busy,” she said. “Don’t feel sorry for me. I hate that.”

  Reese was silent for a second, then he said, “Okay, no feeling sorry for you. Instead, let’s take off our shoes and wade around in the water a little.”

  Sarah was surprised by his suggestion, but the idea appealed to her. “Is it cold?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Nope, strangely enough, it’s kind of warm.” he said, tugging off one of his boots and then the other.

  Getting to her feet, knowing she’d never be able to get her boots off without standing up, she bent down and unzipped one of her boots, then slipped it off. She was just reaching for the zipper on the second one when she heard Reese make a strange sound and looked over at him. He looked away, but not before she caught the desire in his eyes, and felt a thrill rush through her.