Now and Forever:: A NEW ADULT TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE NOVEL (RAVENHURST SERIES Book 5)

by Lorraine Beaumont

  He lifted his head, his voice coming out harsh, “Raven!”

  In a snap, Raven opened her eyes. He had an unreadable expression on his beautiful face. Again, she was having another surreal moment of déjà vu. It was just like her heated dream.

  “Aren’t you going to answer me?”

  Raven blinked stupidly at not sure what he was even talking about. Suddenly he looked worried… unsure… which couldn’t be right. Reed unsure… never, her mind scoffed and yet the longer she looked at him, the more sure she was that he was. She cleared her throat. “I am not sure what you are asking me.”

  “Do you want me as well?” he asked, his stormy gaze holding her own.

  Hell yeah, she wanted him. “Yes,” she said.

  “Good,” he growled and buried his face between her thighs.

  Oh! She nearly came up off the bed. Her hands were in his hair, trying to push his face away but he buried his face even deeper, pulling her panties over to the side. Her legs propped over his shoulders, she tried to back away, but each time she tried, he pulled her further against his mouth. She gave up, trying to move. Each stroke of his tongue had her body arching against him even more. It was the most delicious, incredible feeling she had ever experienced. Closing her eyes, she let the moment control her, and within moments, she was spiraling.

  “Reed,” she cried, pulling his hair, while reflexively trying to close her legs.

  “No, keep them open for me…” he pushed against her thighs, “so I can taste you,” he breathed.

  “Reed,” she panted, writhing under him. The warmth of his breath made her shiver. She relaxed her legs.

  “That’s it baby… let go,” he urged and slid his tongue over the sensitive flesh once again, flicking it back and forth and then sucking hard. “You are so damn sweet!”

  One last deep stroke of his warm tongue she arched off the bed, bucking upward and completely shattered from within.

  It. Was. Amazing.

  Shredded remains

  THE AGE OF CHIVALRYRAVENHURST

  JILTING awake, Morrigan suddenly knew she was no longer alone.

  Standing in front of the fire, his inky black hair spilling over his broad shoulders… was Merlin.

  “WH—what are you doing here?” she stammered shocked he was in her room. He turned and her breath caught.

  “I am merely visiting you…for a time.” He lifted his hand to the mantle, pressing his palm against the stone in the center. The long velvet cloak he wore gaped away from his body revealing glowing ribbons of ink across his bare muscular chest.

  “Why?” she asked, regaining some of her lost composure and shoved a wayward piece of hair from her face.

  He turned, his light gray eyes settling on her. “Isn’t it obvious?” he asked, his voice deep, gentle, captivating.

  “No.” She fisted her hands at her sides, her nails biting into the delicate skin, narrowing her eyes at him.

  “You have done enough,” he said simply. “You need to leave them be. Let fate decide their paths.”

  She did not need to hear the names. She knew whom he was speaking of. Her ire spiked. “Who are you to tell me anything?” she raged. “You gave up that right a long time ago or have you so easily forgotten?”

  How he missed her fire. It burned so bright. He exhaled and ran his hand through his hair. “No.”

  The singular word was said with so much feeling she shivered even though her blood boiled from his effrontery.

  “I have not forgotten but it is time,” he finished.

  “Time for what?” she asked.

  Come back to me. “To let go,” he said instead.

  “Let go of what exactly?” She glanced toward the door. It stood ajar.

  He tracked her movement and with a flick of his wrist, the door slammed shut.

  “How dare you!” Lifting her hand, she glowered at him and flicked her wrist in the opposite direction. The door remained closed. Gritting her teeth she yanked her blankets off her body, she climbed from the bed and stormed over to the door. Using both hands, she pulled on the latch. It didn’t budge. She whirled around to face him, her hair floating around her shoulders. “Let. Me. Out!” she demanded.

  His lips lifted at the corner and he gave her a knowing look. “Ah…such vehemence,” he said, sliding his hand over the stone. “And here I thought you had forgotten about me.”

  “I d—did,” she spat, even though her voice betrayed her by faltering.

  He lifted his brow, peeking out from under his curtain of hair. “Interesting,” he said, rubbing his finger against the rounded stone on the corner of the fireplace, the muted gray color starting to turn red.

  “What?” she asked thoroughly agitated now and crossed her arms over her chest angrily. The stones on the floor became increasingly warm under her feet. She shifted uneasily.

  He released the stone. It turned back to a dull gray color instantly. He gave her an assessing look. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

  “Of course I have,” she disagreed. “Your eyes must be weakening in your dotage.”

  Merlin did not react outwardly but he felt the lash of her tongue inside. It felt as though she had sliced him with a blade. “Watch your tongue,” he warned and then softened his tone. “You may give me the wrong impression.” He lifted his brow at her.

  “What impression might that be?” she asked.

  His eyes slid slowly over the length of her body like a caress before his gaze traveled back to meet hers once more. “That you care,” he said.

  She wanted to kick herself for taking the obvious bait he had dangled in front of her like a meager scrap fed to some foul starving animal. She turned away from him and crossed hugged her stomach. Now she faced the wall with a worn tapestry of a young girl holding a raven in her hands only now noticing her hair was just as black as the raven’s feathers. She suddenly felt too exposed. She felt like he could see her most intimate thoughts and she hated it. “I have nothing to say to you.”

  “Surely there is something you want to say to me…” he said on a whisper. “ It has been a long time.”

  “No.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach tighter. Memories pressed out from the darkened corners of her mind. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. She could not bear to look at him. “Please go away.”

  “So soon,” he breathed, “but I have only just arrived.” His words slid over like fingers stroking her naked flesh, making her shake within. Not able to stand it any longer she chanced look over her shoulder. He was still standing near the fireplace, not behind her like she had thought.

  “Change your mind?” He lifted his brow in question.

  It felt like icy fingers were reaching into her mind pulling memories she had long since buried from her. She turned promptly away and squeezed her midsection tighter, her nails biting into the delicate flesh on her sides.

  “No,” she said again but this time the word lacked the vehemence of her earlier protestation. Visions of another time swam before her eyes as a long abandoned memory began to breach the surface …

  “As you wish,” he breathed.

  And then just as suddenly it was gone and a wrenching ache filled her, so painful she grappled for it. “Merlin!” she cried out.

  The sound of her own voice made her jolt awake. The fire crackled in the hearth, making shadows dance across the floor. She was once again in her bed. A cold sweat dripped down the sides of her face wetting her hair. She pushed it from her face, taking deep breaths.

  “Just a dream,” she told herself but saying it out loud didn’t take away the awful pain in her chest nor did it stop the flow of tears from streaming down her face.

  Marguerite waded through the tall grass. Torrents of rain pelted against her, drenching her completely. Trees swayed in front of her, creaking back and forth in the wind. Briars caught at her cloak, pulling at her but she persevered. With one last shove, she fell out of the brush and into the glen. The hidden one she had been at with Darias.
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  The sound of water spilling from the top of the mountain into the pool at the base was familiar and welcome.

  “I made it,” she huffed out, pushing her rain soaked hair off her face. Looking around she could see nothing but darkened shadows. Reaching out, she felt her way in the dark until she hit the trunk of a tree. Running her hand down the rough bark, she settled herself at the base. At least the rain was not as bad here. Branches covered with leaves gave her some protection from the storm. Sitting down at the base of the tree, she tucked her feet under her skirts. The cloak she wore was drenched, but she did not want to remove it, yet. Lifting her hood, she covered her head and spread out the cloak away from her body making a tent of sorts. At least it would keep the chill at bay since the inside was still somewhat dry. Leaning back against the tree, she closed her eyes. “What am I to do now?”

  Not having any ready answers, she finally lost the battle she had been waging with her exhaustion and drifted off into a restless slumber.

  The darkness of night engulfed Darias completely as he raced his stallion across the countryside, the torrential rain wetting him completely as he rode at a breakneck pace. He couldn’t breathe. He had no idea where he was headed but he had to get away before he went mad.

  Images of the girl that tormented his dreams and waking thoughts bombarded him again and again. It was as if a damn had been broken in his mind and the pain it brought with it pierced him like sharpened blades and still he spurred his horse onward, eating up the earth, kicking clumps of dirt in the air.

  The pain he endured, he had no choice. It was either that or he would surely lose what little of his mind that was still left intact—the part that was still untouched by the darkness that had ruled him for so long.

  One of life’s unsolved mysteries

  PRESENT DAYRAVENHURST

  “I’M hungry.”

  “But you just ate,” Raven declared, giggling.

  Reed cut her a knowing look. “I’ll admit you were rather tasty but I feel this,” he slid his hand under the covers and stroked the wet flesh between her thighs, “was more of an appetizer of what is to come,” he breathed, and lifted his brows as if he was daring her to say different.

  Raven’s entire body burned, ignited in a sensory overload. She wanted to kiss him, taste him, make him feel all the things he had made her feel. She wanted him to moan out her name in pleasure as she had his.

  Suddenly Reed leaned forward and kissed her almost savagely. Hovering above her, he asked, “Now where were we wife?”

  Wife! Raven looked deeply into the sexiest pair of deep gray eyes she had ever seen. They reminded her of the roiling clouds that gathered just before a thunderstorm. Suddenly she wanted to shout with glee, kick her feet in the air, flap her arms, and maybe dance a little jig while she was at it. The way he said that one word made her want so many things at once she couldn’t keep track of them all. Granted, she was missing the most important one of all…love…but that would surely come in time …right?

  But what if it didn’t? Reality came crashing in.

  What am I doing? She knew where this one-sided conversation in her mind was going. Oh no, no, no. Stop it Raven! And yet she couldn’t stop herself from opening her mouth anyway. “I am only your temporary wife…remember?”

  He pulled back and gave her a confused look, his brow creasing. She was right of course. It was a temporary arrangement. Shit! His raging hard-on began deflating like a flat tire—quickly and without warning.

  Perfect. Raven felt, rather than saw his reaction to her words. Now she had officially squashed her best movie sex ever moment. Without warning, her bottom lip started to quiver and her eyes filled with tears. She tried to turn away but the Reed was still on top of her.

  Reed looked at her, a squeezing sensation starting in his chest and for a moment, he thought he was having a damn heart attack. But the longer he looked at her face crumbling before his eyes he knew it was something altogether different causing the feeling. “Raven,” he began but stopped. What was he going to say? I like you kind-of, well at least enough to sleep with you but I am not sure if I want to stay married to you. That would go over real well. Fuck!

  He rolled off the top of her and fell onto his back. He didn’t bother to reach for her when she turned on her side either. He could hear her muffled sobs even though she was trying to bury them into her pillow. Pressing his palms to his eyes, he tried to get his emotions in order.

  What in the hell was he going to do now?

  His brother was missing. He had a treasure to find and the prospect of finding it actually scared the living shit out of him. But what was really fucking him up, was that he was married to a girl that three days ago he wasn’t even sure he liked. And yet, he had married for “the greater good” and now he had a sinking suspicion despite his best efforts to the contrary he may actually be falling for her and that terrified him most of all.

  A turn for the worse

  THE AGE OF CHIVALRYTHE HIDDEN GLEN

  DARIAS broke through the thicket, stripping pieces of his clothing off and dropping them onto the wet grassy floor of the forest as he made his way over to Marguerite. It was a sight to behold. His massive chest revealed in the glowing moonlight and taking measured steps, he walked deliberately over to her. She could barely keep her mouth from dropping open at the sight… words eluded her. By the look on his handsome face there were no words needed however. He knelt down in front of her and took her face in his hands, giving her one of his heart stopping smiles before he lowered his mouth to hers.

  That is where the dream strayed.

  A hand roughly grabbed hold of her hair, yanking it. She lurched off the ground. The length strained against her scalp as she came fully awake and with it, her wonderful dream was shattered and a nightmare had taken its place.

  “I see yer awake now aren’t you little missy,” slurred the toothless whoreson in front of her. Yanking her forward he pressed her face to his leg and spat a goodly amount of foul smelling sputum from his mouth onto the ground at her side. She tried to move back but one of his filthy hands lodged in her hair while the other squeezed her right breast brutishly. Her face was directly in front of his crotch. Without thinking, she leaned forward, and clamped her mouth over the area, biting as hard as she could.

  The filthy bastard howled in pain, promptly releasing her hair.

  Quickly she rolled to her side and jumped to her feet. With a speed spurred from terror, she ran. The weight of her cloak slowed her down. Reaching up she released the clasp and ran blindly into the thicket that surrounded the glen.

  “Bloody hell, what did you let her go for?” Colum demanded, swaying slightly on his feet as he walked towards his friend, a burly man with a greasy dark hair falling across his ruddy pockmarked face.

  “She bit me balls,” groaned Virgil, holding onto the aforementioned area with both of his hands, making a pained face at his partner.

  Colum swiped a bug off his balding head, and smiled revealing a blackened gap in the place of his front teeth. “We got a live one do we? And here ye were thinking to have a tussle with the lass eh, afore I could make it over here,” he slurred, wobbling briefly and reached out to steady himself on the tree at his side. “Serves ye right.” He spat on the ground, and batted away another bug making a dive for his head.

  “Eh, what’s wrong with sampling the goods afore we drag her back to the keep?” Virgil defended. “The witch didn’t say anything about that, now did she?”

  “No, I suppose not, but now yer gonna have to get through that thicket to find her.” Colum lifted his bushy brows up and nodded toward the dense overgrowth.

  “She’s got to come out sometime. When she does I will get her then.”

  “What if she don’t come back out?”

  “That witch ain’t paying me enough coin to go in there. Sides I got me some more drinking to do, I need to numb the pain coursing through my nether regions.” He placed his thick meaty hand back over the are
a and rubbed it up and down.

  “Most action you seen in some time, eh?” said Colum, laughing.

  “Give me the bloody flask Colum and quite yer laughing, else yer gonna be the one sorry.”

  “What yer gonna do? You gonna bite me balls too?” Colum laughed and then pitched forward, his face smashing into the dirt. The glint of metal sliced through the air, and plunged deeply into his back ending his laughter once and for all.

  Virgil lifted his head in time to see the same glint of steel slicing through air with lighting speed, plunging deeply into his belly. Shocked, he looked down at the hilt of a sword, a raven curled around the top of a red jewel that was now protruding from his stomach. He fell to his knees. In one swift movement, the sword slid back out. Regurgitated blood slid from the sides of his mouth. “What ye go and do that for?”

  Wiping the blood from his blade, Darias settled his black gaze on the man. “You were in my way,” he answered and re-sheathed his sword.

  Virgil gurgled and sputtered up more blood. “I would of moved,” he said, and then promptly fell face first onto the ground.

  “I would have killed you anyway,” Darias said, stepping over his now still form, making his way across the clearing to the thicket.

  Back so soon

  PRESENT DAYRAVENHURST

  MILFORD pulled out the key from his pocket and just like the last time he visited this place, the door swung open of its own volition, squeaking on its hinges. He pulled back the key, and stuffed it into his trouser pocket. Warily he made his way into the dimly lit chamber nervously patting the key with his hand. The lingering smell of incense and spells that had been conjured in the room tickled at his nose.

  “Back so soon?” The man asked from across the dimly lit chamber, his once black hair, now white, hanging about the feeble shoulders of an old man.

  Milford’s brows met in the middle of his forehead, forming a straight line. “It has actually been a good deal of time since our last visit my lord,” he disagreed.

  “Has it?” he asked. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  “Well, time does have a way of getting away from most of us my lord.”