by S. E. Smith
She chuckled. “That’s a pretty deep explanation for finding nothing,” she conceded.
He was acutely aware of her hand against his cheek, the way her thumb tenderly caressed him, and the way she continued to look deeply into his eyes. She stepped closer to him. She slid one hand down his neck to his shoulder while she rested the other against his chest.
“One of my professors once told me that the eyes are a window to the soul,” she murmured.
He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “What do you see when you look into mine?” he softly asked.
“Shadows,” she whispered.
He leaned forward and captured her lips. His heart thundered at her response. She could see the shadows, and yet she didn’t flinch. Hope surged inside him when her lips parted, and she returned his kiss.
He slid his hand up her arm and tangled his fingers in her hair. Their tongues touched, and she moaned. Her hand curled into the front of his shirt, and he could feel her fingers slip between the buttons until they were pressed against his heated skin.
It was the sound of whistles and laughter that finally pulled them apart. Irritation swept through Ashure, and he was tempted to send a rogue tidal wave over the group of gawking and catcalling teenagers. Tonya reached out and grabbed his hand when he started to lift it, as if she had read his thoughts.
“Let them have their fun. There isn’t much else to do around here,” she teased.
“If I must,” he calmly replied.
“Hey, old man, why don’t you get a room?” one of the boys yelled.
“Old man!” Ashure hissed.
“Or if your girlfriend wants some real fun, we can show her a good time,” another one added.
“Okay, you can teach the brats a lesson,” she muttered.
“Thank you. Now, to show them what a very old pirate can do,” he said with a wink.
“Oh, this should be good,” she giggled.
With a sardonic smirk, Ashure turned to the group of four boys who were still making snide comments. A lesson in manners would be beneficial for them.
“A cold shower should cool them off,” he replied.
Using a simple shower spell with a slight twist, he sent a downpour of icy water over the laughing group of boys, and their insulting remarks turned to shrieks.
Tonya giggled harder when the boys took off at a run and the downpour followed them. He added a touch of lightning to the spell, not enough to kill them, but enough to keep them moving. Tonya laughed out loud when a bolt struck one of the lagging teens in the rear. His squeal and sudden mad dash nearly sent the three boys ahead of him sprawling.
“Don’t forget the tall one who made the girlfriend comment,” she pointed out.
“Nor the one who called me an old man,” he chuckled.
He wiggled his fingers and thin lines of electricity shot out of the air around the group. Frantic yelps and a lot of hopping around ensued. He sighed when the group disappeared up the path into the forest.
Tonya fell against him, laughing so hard she was wiping tears from her eyes. She leaned her head against his shoulder when he wrapped his arm around her waist. His laughter mixed with hers.
“That is just too cool. It’s probably a good thing I never had that kind of ability. I would have gotten into a lot more trouble,” she sighed, wiping another tear from her eye.
He grinned at her. “I might have misused it a time or two. It’s a touch more difficult to get away with anything when you live in a world where others are as powerful or even more so,” he confessed.
His grin faded when she turned and looked up at him. Her eyes still glittered with humor, and her cheeks were flushed from their walk and her laughter. A sense of peace settled over him. Today had been a good day, despite Tonya’s determination to send him back. Fortunately, none of the portals had presented themselves. If they had, he might have had to pull Tonya along with him because he knew one thing for sure—he wasn’t going anywhere without her.
“We better go. The storm will be here in a couple of hours,” he murmured.
“Yeah, I guess we should,” she agreed.
“Tonya—” he said when she started to turn away.
She paused and looked up at him. “Yes?”
He reached up and caressed her cheek. “Thank you again for today. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed one so much,” he confessed.
She looked at him with a searching gaze and smiled. “You must not get out much then,” she said with a self-conscious laugh.
9
Dark storm clouds were building on the horizon just as Ashure had predicted. Tonya rubbed the goosebumps on her arms. Even with a long sleeve blouse and a light sweater on, she felt chilled. The storm tonight would be a fierce one if the strong wind was any indication.
She turned away from the window and walked over to the stove. She had started a big pot of chili shortly after they returned. Lifting the lid, she picked up the ladle and stirred the spicy mixture of meat, beans, and sauce. It wasn’t much, but it would taste good on a cold night.
She grinned when she heard Ashure yelling at the television again. There was a football game on. He had been totally absorbed for the last hour with the games, switching from one to another. Once he understood the basic strategy of the game, he was hooked.
“What were you thinking? Did you not see that man? You call yourself Giants? I’ve seen Pixies that are taller than the man you have running the ball,” he loudly groaned from the living room.
Stirring the chili, she ladled some into two bowls that she had set out on the counter earlier. She was about to pick one up when she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist and a cheek pressed against the side of her head. She stifled a yelp and immediately covered his arms with her own.
“You scared the shit out of me. I thought you were still in the other room,” she exclaimed.
“It is a—what do you call it—commercial break. They are very entertaining, but my stomach was much more interested in the delightful scents than the talking lizard that is obviously not real,” he said.
“Dinner is ready. You can eat—” she started to say before she looked up at the ceiling.
The lights flickered several times before they went out. The house groaned and shuddered against the driving rain and howling wind. She closed her eyes for a moment and groaned.
“What is wrong?” he asked with concern.
She shook her head. “I’m trying to remember where I saw a flashlight. I think there might be one on the shelf in the pantry. If I can’t find it, we’ll be eating in the dark,” she explained.
“There is no need to worry. One romantic meal by magic-light coming up,” he murmured.
Tonya felt Ashure’s light kiss against her temple before he stepped away. She blinked in surprise when he waved his hand, and a sprinkle of lights suddenly formed. They rose to the ceiling, making it look like a million stars had suddenly appeared indoors.
“How—?” she breathed in amazement, gazing up at the tiny lights.
“My mother was a Sprite. Fairy lights are as natural to us as breathing. I used to fill my room with them as a child,” he explained.
“They are so beautiful,” she murmured, enchanted by the brilliant, light green specks of light.
“I will give them to you every night, then,” he promised.
Her throat tightened, and she nodded. What could a girl say when a guy promised her Fairy lights every night? Clearing her throat, she picked up one of the bowls of chili and handed it to him.
“I made chili. It is one of those comfort foods that taste great on a cold night,” she said.
“I look forward to enjoying it,” he replied.
His warm, smooth voice made her think of other things he could enjoy. She gave a slight shake of her head to clear her wayward thoughts.
“Would you like milk, beer, or water?” she asked.
“Whatever you are drinking,” he replied.
She nodded.
“It may sound weird, but I love a nice cold glass of milk at night,” she admitted.
“Then milk it will be. If you will sit, I will get our drinks,” he said as he placed the bowl of steaming chili on the table and pulled out a chair for her.
She picked up her bowl of chili, walked over, and sat down at the kitchen table. With a bemused expression, she watched him open several cabinets before he found the one with the glasses. He grinned in triumph before he walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. He quickly poured two glasses of milk before he returned the container to the shelf and deftly shut the door with the heel of his boot.
“You’re pretty good at that. Who knows, if you get stuck on this side of the world you could always get a job down at the Pub or one of the burger joints. I’m sure they could find something for a former Pirate King to do,” she observed with a grin.
“Thank you—but no. I’ve served enough food and swabbed enough decks in my younger days to know that is not something I wish to do again,” he dryly replied as he placed a glass of milk in front of her and sat down.
“So, what does a Pirate King do all day?” she asked.
He laughed and shook his head. “Nothing very exciting, I’m afraid. Well, except for trying to avoid getting killed by an alien creature, skewered by a Giant, or killed by a Kraken. Mostly, I negotiate trade deals with the other kingdoms and keep the dragons from burning all of my ships to the waterline,” he said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “I would say, out of the most recent events, the Lava creatures gave me a moment of hesitation. Unlike a dragon, pirates—even those that are half Sprite—are not fireproof. When the Lava monster wrapped its molten hand around Drago, I thought for sure even the King of the Dragons had finally met his match….”
Tonya watched Ashure as he regaled her with wild stories that sounded like something out of a fairy tale. She was still trying to determine if he was serious about the alien, the Giant, and the Kraken. Her smile was shyly awe-struck when she realized that he was completely serious.
Once again, I have a story of a lifetime, and I can’t tell anyone about it, she thought with wry humor.
He paused and sipped the glass of milk. Amusement swept through her when he grimaced and looked at the glass with a critical expression. He patted his lips with the napkin he had lifted from his lap.
“I take it you don’t drink much milk,” she observed.
He gave her a wry smile and shook his head. “Not for a long, long time,” he replied.
She laughed. “It’s good for you. From the sound of all your adventures, you could use the added calcium,” she teased.
“Calcium…. My dear parents were rather remiss in pointing out that benefit when they sent me to chase the nanny goat,” he said, studying the glass again before he placed it next to his bowl.
“I can just see you chasing a goat,” she chuckled.
He gave her another one of his self-deprecating smiles and winked at her. “What was even more amusing was when the goat was chasing me,” he replied.
Tonya leaned closer as he told one amusing tale after another. It was obvious from the twinkle in his eyes and the humor in his voice that he had thoroughly enjoyed his unorthodox upbringing.
The more he shared, the more she thought of her own childhood. Her parents had been loving, attentive parents—when they were there. They had given her a great deal of freedom to explore, and living in so many different places had not only ignited her curiosity about the world around her but also given her an appreciation for how much in common people around the world had with each other.
“Dinner was delicious, thank you,” he said.
“It was nice, wasn’t it?” she said with a slightly self-conscious laugh. She rose to her feet and began gathering their empty dishes.
“I will clean. You cooked, remember,” he said.
“It will only take a few minutes to put away the leftovers and clean up if we do it together,” she said.
“That sounds nice,” he murmured.
“Yes—it does,” she agreed.
They stood in the magically lit kitchen gazing at each other with goo-goo eyes for a moment before she realized what they were doing and shook herself. Okay, maybe they weren’t goo-goo eyes, but the feeling was close enough to it that she felt her face become warm, making her turn and hide her discomfiture. Together, they cleaned the kitchen in companionable silence.
Her awareness of him had steadily grown all day, simmered during dinner, and finally exploded while they washed dishes. Things were definitely heating up, and it had nothing to do with the temperature inside the house or the fact that she had her hands in the warm, sudsy dishwater. No, it had everything to do with Ashure placing their empty milk glasses in the sink and then sliding his hands down her arms to dip them into the water.
“It doesn’t take two to wash a couple of dishes,” she said, looking at him over her shoulder.
“No, but I promised to help,” he responded.
His deep voice raised goosebumps on her arms, not to mention the feel of his hands as they slid over hers in the bubble-filled sink. The soft green tint of Fairy light danced around them, making the entire experience seem surreal. They stared into each other’s eyes, and she hissed when he curled his fingers around hers and he leaned down to kiss her.
Their breath mingled for a split second before he tenderly pressed his lips against hers. Tonya relaxed as Ashure’s arms tightened around her. The kiss was light, too brief, and left her wanting more.
“I think I might actually enjoy washing dishes again,” he murmured after he ended their kiss.
“You sure know how to turn the dishwasher on,” she replied without thinking.
His soft chuckle told her that he had caught her innuendo. She shook her head and looked down at the water. He reached down and removed the plug as the lights flickered and came back on.
“I’ll—I’ll finish the dishes. Why don’t you go see how your football game is going?” she suggested.
“Tonya—” he murmured.
She shook her head. “Go on. It will give you and Max something to talk about this weekend,” she said.
He smiled. “Yes, it will. I’m looking forward to it,” he quietly replied.
She nodded. He rinsed his hands and dried them before silently exiting the kitchen. It wasn’t until she knew she was alone that she slumped over the sink, took several long and deep breaths, and waited for her legs to stop trembling. The guy was driving her crazy. The thought made her groan.
“I can’t believe I invited him to meet Max,” she whispered.
She straightened and focused on rinsing the dishes and placing them on the dishtowel on the counter. Once she was finished wiping down the counters, she peeked into the living room where Ashure was watching the football game with avid attention.
“Max is going to love him,” she muttered to herself.
Figuring that he wouldn’t miss her, she decided to take a bath and then do a little work. She had an article to do before the end of the week. These regular publications kept her finances solvent—barely—but they would help to get her apartment in Portland back. Thanks to her little trip to Fantasyland she was officially homeless. Thank goodness she had found Mike, and he had written a letter giving her permission to stay here, otherwise she would be living in her car—or worse, back home with Max and Angela. Luckily, her former apartment manager had been sympathetic and held onto her few belongings because she was MIA and presumed dead instead of just another renter who’d skipped out. He had delivered her things to Max. That was another reason for seeing Max this weekend.
She closed her bedroom door, grabbed a fresh pair of panties and her oversized night shirt with a Dragonling reading a book on the front, and entered the en suite bathroom. Stripping off her clothes, she tossed them into the wicker basket in the corner. This bathroom was about the size of her former living room. She turned on the water in the large garden tub, walked over to the sink, and brushed her tee
th before piling her hair up on top of her head.
There was no way she was going to let a superb bathroom, especially one with a bathtub that she had always dreamed of spending hours in, go to waste. Leaning over, she tested the water and added some soothing bath salts she had picked up earlier. She rolled her towel to use as a pillow and stepped into the bathtub.
“Oh yeah,” she moaned as she sank down into the water.
She waited until the tub was close to overflowing before she turned off the water, leaned back, and closed her eyes. She smiled as she remembered the kiss. There was no denying that the guy was hot.
She groaned as she ran her hands up and cupped her breasts. She imagined that they were Ashure’s hands on her body. He pinched her nipples and they grew taut.
Oh, to hell with it! she thought, sliding one hand down between her legs. Maybe this will take the edge off.
She tilted her head back and spread her legs wider as she caressed her sensitive nub. She imagined Ashure between her legs, sucking on her. Her hips instinctively rose at the vivid image.
Her breathing grew faster and she moaned long and low when the image of Ashure driving his cock deep inside her opened the floodgates of her desire. Tiny fireworks exploded behind her eyelids, and she shuddered as her orgasm swept through her.
“Damn, it has been too long,” she whispered.
Opening her eyes, she smiled with satisfaction. She turned her head to look through the door into the bedroom as a deep yearning filled her. Yes, her orgasm would have been better if Ashure had really been there, but there was no way she was going to dance with the devil. She knew how hot the flames of hell could get and was smart enough to avoid getting burned.
“Dreams of you will have to satisfy me,” she whispered.
Sitting up, she reached for the washcloth and bath soap. The joy of the tub had faded with the last wave of her orgasm. She felt empty inside now as the residual heat inside her cooled.
She pulled the drain plug and stood up. The sound of a short knock and the door opening made her quickly scramble over the side of the tub. She cursed when she knocked her folded towel into the water.
