Reed tugged on his collar and glanced back at Marguerite his heart going out to her. “Sure, why not,” he croaked and then cleared his throat.
Milford lifted his eyes heavenward. He took a breath, reached over to grab hold Marguerites hand, and squeezed it gently, reassuringly.
Reed stepped forward and placed his arms around Raven. “You ready?”
“Sure.”
He dipped his head down and kissed her.
This time Raven put everything she had into the kiss. She tightened her arms and kissed him back, letting his tongue delve even deeper, twining with her own. She gripped the back of his strong shoulders, kneading them with one hand and slid her other hand to the base of his back, making him push against her even more. He moaned softly in her mouth, pulling her even closer, his fingers sliding up her back, Yeah take that Reed, her mind taunted, letting the flow of unbidden emotions spiral through her. She goaded him with her mouth, her body…she could feel how aroused he was. Round and round her mind spun riding on the crest of her pent up desires…
A tingling sensation started at her toes, and traveled up the length of her body…nothing mattered but them… right now… in this place…
No, wait… that wasn’t right. She needed to think of the Knight and Marguerite, getting them back to one another.
It was hard to focus, her mind kept being drawn back to Reed’s mouth on her own, and how hot she was getting from their shared kisses. Her hands had a will of their own; she couldn’t stop them from sliding lower, down his muscular chest. The very same one she had touched before when he was naked. She grabbed hold of the crisp fabric of his shirt and tugged. She wanted to feel his skin, no that wasn’t right… she needed to feel his skin. She slipped her hand under his shirt and heard his sharp intake of breath. A tingling sensation spread up her arm.
Reed trailed hot kisses across her face, to her chin and then his lips seized her mouth again. “Damn, you taste sweet,” he mumbled against her lips and then deepened the kiss. “
Everything spiraled out of control. They clung to each other, tasting, touching…their breath coming out in raged gasps trying to satiate the fire that smoldered between them and yet neither could get the respite they needed, the release they so hungrily sought from one another…
“I want to be inside of you,” Reed whispered breathily, and tugged on her lip, sucking it.
She moaned into his mouth, she couldn’t help it. His voice echoed in her mind, over and over as visions assailed her from another time. She saw another wedding much like this one. The man who looked like Reed—no that wasn’t right. Reed looked like the man. He was the one from her fantasy/vision in the room with the girl who was really Katherine. She squeezed her eyes tighter; she needed to think about Marguerite, not Katherine.
Reed was still kissing her, holding her face in his hands, like he truly cherished her. Like she, Raven was the love of his life…and he was hers. Yes, he was hers… like the Knight was Marguerites.
The amulet pressed between their bodies grew brighter … a sharp jolt ignited the fire that smoldered between them both. They clung to each other as the world they knew suddenly skewed out of focus, falling away piece by piece as their minds flashed to another time…making them spectators in another realm…
I’m Back
RAVENHURST * THE AGE OF CHIVALRY
“OOMPH,” Marguerite landed with a hard thud on the prickly floor of the forest. She laid there in a daze and stared up at the canopy of trees. Purplish hues of light slanted through the limbs that bobbed in the breeze above her head. She could smell the distinct scent of pine and earth. She breathed deeply. It smelled as though it had just rained. The moist air filled her lungs as the dampness seeped through her heavy cloak, which goaded her to get up off the ground. Crawling up she brushed the debris off.
“They did it!” she shouted in glee and spun around in circles, her cloak dragging across the ground, clanking loudly. They actually sent her back. She couldn’t believe it worked. She had her doubts…but here she was… back in the past. At least she hoped she was. She looked to her left and then to her right, half expecting to see Darias sitting upon his massive horse. But he wasn’t there….bloody hell. Did they send her to the wrong place? No, no, no… she shook her head. “Calm down Marguerite. Of course you are in the right time.” Saying it didn’t make it better. She waved her fingers in front of her eyes as tears formed. She sniffled and tried to keep them at bay, but they threatened to spill just the same. Oh take it. Nothing ever worked the way she wanted it to. She gathered her cloak closer to her body, and hugged her midsection while she tried to figure out what to do. She took a step, her cloak rattled against the ground, the damp earth already darkening the hem. She reached up to her neck…
“Bloody Hell!” The necklace was gone. She must have lost it when she fell. She lifted her hands, tucked her hair behind her ears, and stared at the ground. “Where in the hell was it?” she complained and kicked at dirt and leaves with the toe of her boot. That wasn’t working so she got down on all fours and looked. She picked up a stick and tossed it to the side when the earth began to vibrate.
The earth shook harder, and then it stopped just as suddenly and she knew she was no longer alone. You could call it intuition or perhaps it was simply because she heard reins jangling behind her. She knew that sound. It was a hard one to forget. Please be Darias. Please be Darias. Please be Darias.She wished, hoped, and prayed all at once. Slowly she crawled up to standing and turned around. And there he was, just as he had been so long ago. She rubbed her eyes just to make sure she was really seeing him. Oh, it was definitely him. She wanted to run to him, but couldn’t get her feet to move. Something in his expression gave her pause. He looked so different… well that wasn’t exactly right. He still looked devilishly handsome, even more so, if that was possible. But something hovered around him, something dark. She shivered and tried to gather her resolve. Was this going to be her happily ever after…unfortunately, she thought not.
****
THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES WITH
NOW AND FOREVER
Book five in the Ravenhurst series
COMING 2014
TAKE A SNEAK PEEK NOW
THE sun dropped lower in the sky as the sleek red sports car pulled off the main road. Gravel crunched loudly under the weight of the tires as the car maneuvered around one of the mortared columns of the wrought iron gate. The word “Find” emblazed on the personalized license plate. Turning the engine off, she checked her GPS to make sure she was in the right place and noted the time on her Movado watch.
Where in the hell was he?
She was officially out of her comfort zone. She was a city girl. Not some country bumpkin. “Shit.”
She didn’t like the look of this place. Not one bit. The only thing she had seen that could pass for civilization, if you could call it that was a small town, which was a good twenty miles back. She lowered the visor and checked her makeup in the mirror. Her auburn highlights glistened in the setting sun slanting in through her sunroof. She reapplied her lipstick: MAC venom red. It matched her perfectly polished nails. Once she was satisfied with her appearance she pushed the visor back up again, it snapped in place. She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel, her Tiffany jewelry clanking against it. What in the hell was taking him so long? She opened the door; her short dark blue skirt rode up her long shapely legs as she climbed out. Once outside she straightened the hem and turned to shut the door as someone grabbed her from behind. She was in mid scream….
“Shh, baby it’s me,” he whispered breathily in her ear as he swooped in and nuzzled her neck from behind.
She turned around in his arms. “Damn it Lucian. You scared me.”
He chuckled, and gave her a wicked smile. “Sorry about that.”
She sighed, her heart rate slowing. “Where have you been?”
“Watching you…over there.” He tilted his head, indicating the empty space near the gates.
S
he looked over her shoulder. “How did you get here?”
“I rode my bike. It’s behind the tree.”
“Why is it behind a tree?”
“I don’t want anyone to know I’m here,” he said and shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t think that is going to be a problem.” She cast a wary glance at their surroundings. Ancient looking trees towered above them, the leaves already turning vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow. Normally she would have enjoyed the colorful display but the place gave off an eerie vibe. It probably had more to do with her conscience then where they were.
“Come on.” Lucian reached out, grabbed hold of her hand, and gave it a tug.
Her arm jerked but she kept her feet planted in place. “Ah, I don’t think so.”
He gave her a strange look. “Why not?”
She pulled her fingers away and pointed to the ground at his feet where mud squished up the sides of his black boots. “It’s too muddy. My shoes…they will be ruined.”
“Come on. They are only shoes.”
“Not only shoes, these are Jimmy Choo’s.”
He laughed his voice husky, deep. “You can buy more.”
“Right… with what? My good looks?” She lifted her brow.
“Well you are pretty hot, but no. If all goes as planned I can buy you a store full.”
She gave him a doubtful look.
“What’s with the doubt? Haven’t I always come through for you?” He gave her a wounded look.
She started to feel bad, but not bad enough to ruin a six hundred dollar pair of shoes. “Of course you have.” She tried to placate him even though it was a fib…fine, it was more of an outright lie at this point. He had a tendency to drop the ball. “How are you going to do that?”
“I have my ways. Now come on.” He tugged her hand playfully.
She smiled then, she couldn’t help it. He had such a boyish look on his face. The brisk breeze flipped her short hair. She shivered and rubbed her arms. “Let’s sit in my car. It’s getting pretty chilly.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll warm you up,” he said but saw the look of dismay cross her face and sighed. “I can carry you if you like.”
“Right…”she scoffed, and rolled her eyes.
“What’s the matter? I thought that was every girl’s fantasy.”
“Fantasy?” she asked, her brows creasing.
“Yeah, you know, get swept up in the arms of a strong, handsome man.” He lifted his arm and pulled up his sleeve to expose his muscle, flexing. He gave her a wink and lowered his arm. “So you want a ride or not?”
“Fine, but don’t drop me.”
He gave her a wicked smile, leaned forward, and swept her into his arms. Her right shoe flew off her foot, sailing through the air and landed a good ten feet away.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Now you really are going to have to carry me.” She laughed as he swept her higher in his arms and started to stagger forward.
“Too heavy…” he huffed out between steps. “ What have you been eating?”
“You are so not funny.”
He laughed, making his chest rumble as he carried her easily over to a dry patch of grass under the tree. “I am going to set you down, make sure you hold the tree.”
She reached out and grabbed the tree with one hand as he let her body slide back to the ground. Her body pressed up against his. “Now what am I going to do? Stand here on one foot?”
“You’re ridiculous.” He released his hold on her and walked over to pick up her shoe. Mud covered half the leopard print. “Oops…” He made a face and lifted it in the air. “Sorry Cindy, it looks like this one is a goner.” He laughed harder when he saw the look of horror cross her face and walked back holding her shoe.
She jerked it from his hand and tried to wipe the mud on the grass. Now there was a big brown smudge on the side. She shook her head, irritated, and shoved it back on her foot. Once she was standing again she made a face. “So much for prince charming,” she said, crossing her arms. “I am going to have to find a new fairy godmother. You aren’t charming at all.” She said it as a joke. But once she caught the look on his face she immediately regretted saying anything. “I was kidding.”
He didn’t reply. He merely walked over and leaned back against the base of the tree and crossed his arms over his chest, the muscles in his arms bulged out from under the rolled up sleeves of his black t-shirt.
As always, he looked gorgeous. She took a deep breath, walked slowly up to him, and placed her hands on his sides. “Don’t be mad. I was only kidding. You know that….right?”
It took him a moment to respond. “Yeah, I guess.” He sounded like a despondent child.
She sighed and ran her hands over his shirt. “You’re all dusty,” she commented and brushed dirt off his shoulder.
“I know. It’s these damn roads. They are ridiculous.”
“Yeah, they are pretty bad,” she agreed and looked over her shoulder back towards her car. It looked more brown then red.
He watched her for a moment. “Did you forget something?”
She turned back around. “No. Not at all, my car’s dirty though.” She glanced down at her watch checking the time.
He narrowed his eyes. “You late for something?” he asked watching for her reaction.
“Don’t be silly.” She plucked at his shirt to cover her nervousness. “So, have you heard any news?”
“Not really.”
“That doesn’t sound too good.” She smoothed the palms of her hands down over his chest. His muscles flexed underneath.
His face twisted with disgust. “It’s Reed. He is such a tight ass. He’ll never change.”
“Why? What happened?”
He sighed and looked over her shoulder. “Nothing,” he said distractedly.
“Come on, tell me. Did you find it?”
“Not yet, but I will.”
“You haven’t found it yet?” she asked, not able to hide her irritation.
He looked pointedly at her. “Is that all you’re worried about?”
She sighed, and walked her fingers up his arm. “No, of course not,” she said and then lifted her hand to tuck a piece of his hair behind his ear.
“That’s not what it sounds like to me. You sound upset.”
“I am not upset,” she assured him, and stepped closer.
He narrowed his dark eyes and studied her face. “Hmm, interesting…”
“What is interesting?”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Well I can’t help that.” She turned to walk away but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him.
“I was kidding, too.” He gave her a smirk, doing a little payback for the prince charming comment. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers down her arm. “Come on baby, don’t be like that.”
“How am I not supposed to be like this, you never believe anything I say?”
“Maybe I need a bit of reassurance.”
She looked directly into his dark smoldering eyes. “Really? And just how am I supposed to do that?”
“Let’s see…”he said, pausing and tapping his chin in feigned thought. “ Oh I know. You can show me.”
She rolled her eyes. “How?” she asked incredulously.
“You need to ask that?” he added, looking sexy and wounded at the same time.
She sighed, and lifted her hand to his hair, tucking one of the long strands behind his ear again. “Your hair is longer,” she said, changing the subject.
“I know,” he said, lifting his hand and tucking a long piece behind his ear. “You like?”
“Yes. It looks nice. How about mine, you like?” She toyed with an end and pulled it forward.
His face was contemplative. “It’s a little short don’t you think?”
“Hey!” She smacked him lightly. “Short is in style.”
“Hmm, that doesn’t give me much to hold on to.”
“There are other thin
gs to hold on to, you know.”
“Oh I know.” He lifted his brow, and lowered his gaze down to her cleavage and pulled her closer to his body. He leaned forward and kissed her hard, his tongue delving into her mouth.
She kissed him back, swept away in the moment. His hands roamed freely over her, caressing kneading, squeezing. She pressed in closer.
His lips left her mouth; she cradled his head in her hands as he unbuttoned her blouse further, exposing her breasts. He cupped them in both hands. “I’ve missed the girls,” he joked, placing his mouth over the lacy fabric, and blew warm air against her nipples, making them harden within seconds. She sucked in her breath and tilted her head back to give him easier access. He toyed with them through the near transparent lace. “I see the girls have missed me as well.”
She moaned as he gripped her hips with his hands. Lifting his mouth back to hers, he kissed her hungrily, and then pulled away, leaving her breathless.
“I’ve missed your mouth.”
“Is that all you missed?” she teased and ran her hands up to his hair and pulled it free from the band he had it pulled back in. It fell down around his shoulders in soft waves. “That’s better.” She tugged on the ends and leaned forward to give him another kiss.
“Damn,” he moaned into her mouth, adjusted himself before he pushed her back away from his body, and walked around the base of the tree, over to his Ducati.
“Where are you going?” she whined in a breathless huff and tried to follow him walking on the toes of her heels so she wouldn’t sink into the dirt.
Put your hands here, he pointed to the seat of his bike.
She looked at him doubtfully. “I don’t think this is such a good idea.”
“Sure it is. Come on where is your sense of adventure?”
“Oh you want to see my sense of adventure?” She put her hands on the seat of his bike and leaned forward. The bike tilted. “Never mind, this is not going to work.”
DREAMS OF TOMORROW: A NEW ADULT TIME TRAVELING ROMANCE (Ravenhurst Series) Page 18
