Taking her hint, Nicolas pulled back and thrust forward again, setting a steady rhythm that had her body climbing toward her peak once more. She was thrashing, crying out with every slap of their bodies meeting, his pace increasing as his release neared.
Mandy looked up into the face of the man she loved with all of her heart and took in the love shining back at her through his eyes. That sight was enough to push her over the edge and she came with a keening cry, her body bowing beneath his. After a few more deep thrusts Nicolas joined her, her name passing his lips like a prayer.
He came down over her, his weight supported by his forearms as he rolled them both to their side. Strong arms pulled her into his side, and Mandy relished the moment, unable to remember having ever felt more safe or cherished in her life.
Chapter Nine
Nicolas clutched Mandy to him as his body struggled to recover from the most mind-numbing orgasm he’d ever experienced. She was his now. Forever.
He felt a pang of guilt over not having told her before that their sexual encounter had just sealed their fate. Their souls were bound together now. She was still human, for all intents and purposes, but she was also more. For however long he happened to live, she would as well. Her life force was now irrevocably tied to his own.
Unwilling to shatter this special moment together, Nicolas kept all of that to himself, instead focusing on his woman. She had been an innocent, so tight and hot that she’d nearly strangled his dick as she came apart beneath him, but now she must surely be sore. He felt like the worst kind of bastard. He’d not been the most gentle of lovers with her, despite his best intentions. In fact, he’d lost his head completely once he’d gotten inside her, and he’d ridden her rather roughly.
“Mandy?” She hadn’t uttered a sound yet, and he was beginning to get worried.
“Hmm?” Her voice sounded so sweet and sleepy, and Nicolas smiled. She was tired, no doubt completely worn out now.
“Are you alright? Are you terribly sore?” He knew that she would be soon, if she wasn’t already, and he knew the perfect thing for it too. “Let me draw up a bath with some of the special salts we keep on hand. They work to soothe minor aches and pains, so they should help.”
“Will you get in with me?” she asked, her voice low and soft.
His cock stirred at the thought of having her naked body against him in the tub, her soft skin slickened with soap suds. Yup, he was a bastard, thinking about sex again without even allowing her the chance to recover from her first time. Seriously though, he was just a man, and a man would inevitably think with his dick first when presented with a beautiful naked woman.
Mandy was the perfect example too. Her breasts were high, round and firm, her waist dipping in only to flare out to her generous hips. Those long legs of hers had the ability to enslave him with just the thought of them wrapped tightly around his waist. Combine all of those things with the sheer perfection of her peaches-and-cream complexion and her fiery curls trailing past her shoulders, and he was a goner.
Shaking his head to dispel those distracting thoughts, Nicolas smiled down at her. “You bet.”
He slipped out of bed and padded to the bathroom, filling the tub with warm water and adding a bit of bath salts as well before returning to the bedroom. “Are you ready?”
Mandy sat up, gathering the sheet as she stood and draping it over her like a toga. “Yes, I’m ready.” She turned to tug the last of the sheet from the bed before walking over to him and bestowing a sweet kiss to his lips. Damn, but the girl looked sexy even in a sheet!
“Let’s get you into that bath before the water gets cold.” He ushered her into the tub with minimal fuss, simply taking the sheet from her hands when she seemed to be fighting her modesty, which had obviously returned now that their lust was appeased. She quickly stepped in and sank into the water, which just reached the tops of her breasts. “Just relax and I’ll join you in a few minutes.”
Mandy quickly sat up, sloshing water about in her haste. “Where are you going?”
“I’m just going to go and grab that sandwich Garrett left for you and a snack for myself. I’ll make it quick, I promise.” Nicolas loved the fact that she didn’t want him to leave, but he knew she hadn’t eaten, and he wanted to take care of her.
He would always take care of her. So after a quick kiss, he left the room.
Racing down the stairs, completely naked and uncaring, Nicolas grabbed up the sandwich for Mandy, and an apple for himself then a couple of bottled waters before grabbing a serving tray and loading it up. Within minutes, he was running right back up the stairs. He was looking forward to feeding her in the bathtub, maybe even giving her a massage to help her relax afterward. And he was definitely looking forward to sharing her bed again, to waking up with her snuggled to his side, right where she belonged.
* * * *
Mandy watched as Nicolas strode from the room, the sight of his perfect backside bringing a smile to her face. To think that the gorgeous male specimen leaving the room wanted her.
She sighed, letting the warm water soothe her body and remembering the ecstasy she’d found in Nicolas’ arms. Now she knew why so many people were obsessed with sex. Mandy felt great. Better than great, actually, she felt wonderful. The best part was that her ability didn’t manifest like she’d feared it would. She felt so relaxed, and had trusted in Nicolas completely. It had just felt natural and Mandy knew that if anything did happen, they could handle it, together.
It was hard to explain, but she felt as if she were even more connected to Nicolas. When their climaxes had overtaken them, it was like a bond had been forged, something deep that was everlasting and real.
Lost in her thoughts, Mandy was startled when Nicolas appeared next to the tub, a tray in his hand, and bent down to kiss her lips. “What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“About what just happened, and how wonderful it was.” Mandy watched as Nicolas’ chest puffed up with pride, and smiled. “Are you coming in?”
“Absolutely.”
Nicolas set the tray down on the stool next to them and stepped into the large tub to sit behind her before wrapping his arms about her waist and pulling her back against his chest. A feeling of utter contentment descended, and Mandy simply allowed herself to bask in the moment.
Oh, yes, she could definitely get used to this.
“I can hear the wheels turning in that beautiful head of yours, so why don’t you let me in on your thoughts?” Nicolas whispered in her ear. The warmth of his breath against her neck sent chills through her body and brought her hormones to attention once again.
“I was just thinking about how happy I am right now. I never expected to meet someone like you, Nicolas. I guess I was actually starting to accept the fact that I would end up alone for the whole of my life,” she confessed. “But now, you’ve made me see that my gifts are nothing to be ashamed of. You’ve shown me love, and I don’t ever want to give that up.”
“Then don’t. Stay here with me, Mandy. We can set you up for your classes here and you can continue with your studies over the computer as I do.”
“You want me to stay with you?” He was offering her everything she could possibly hope for, but she had to make sure that she wasn’t misunderstanding anything.
Nicolas’ reply was so delayed that Mandy feared he had changed his mind just that quickly, but he surprised her with his next words. “There’s something that you need to know before you make any decision regarding our lives here. When we made love earlier, a bond was forged between us. We are bound together forever now, and I’m so sorry that I didn’t warn you of it sooner. My only excuse is that I’m a selfish bastard, and I couldn’t stand the thought of you possibly turning me away.”
Warn her? Hell, if he had told her beforehand what she would be feeling now, he would have been hard pressed to take it as slowly as he had. As for them being bound together, that didn’t sound too bad. After all, Mandy had already fallen in love with him. “I feel
connected to you too, Nicolas.”
“No, you don’t understand,” his tone reflected his frustration as he obviously struggled to find the right words. “Your life has been changed now. Now that our souls are bonded you will live for however long I do.”
Mandy tried to absorb what he was telling her, but could only come up with… “So, you made me immortal?”
“Not quite. You’re still human, nothing has changed on that front, but your life force is tied directly to mine now, and vice versa. As long as you remain healthy and avoid any fatal accidents, then you could potentially live for hundreds of years with me. You’ll even retain your youth for much longer than normal,” he explained, holding her a little tighter. “We could have many, many children with that kind of time.”
Live for hundreds of years? Have many children? The very idea was intriguing and frightening, but Mandy knew she could handle it. She could handle anything as long as she had Nicolas by her side.
Mandy turned her head and gave Nicolas a cheeky grin over her shoulder. “Well then, I hope you don’t get tired of me anytime soon, because it looks like you’re stuck with me now.”
Nicolas bent and kissed her soundly. “And I couldn’t be happier about it.”
After taking a leisurely bath, where Nicolas insisted on feeding her, they then enjoyed washing each other and basking in the afterglow still lingering. Christmas Eve was the next day, and Mandy was looking forward to her Christmas wish more than ever before.
* * * *
Nicolas and Jonathan each held a clear glass ornament, studying it as a small child would a bug. “You want us to do what?” Jonathan asked.
“First you take a small slip of paper and write down your Christmas wish. Once you’re done, you take the top off of the ornament, roll up your wish loosely and stick it inside. Put the top back on, and then just decorate it however you want. Don’t forget to put the year on your ornament,” Mandy instructed. “With the paper rolled loosely, it should open enough to see your wish inside. After New Year’s Day, when all of the ornaments are being packed away, you can see if you got your Christmas wish. If not by then, then perhaps it will come true in the coming year.” She shrugged, picking up her own ornament. “It’s a tradition I started for myself when I was younger. I guess it just gave me something to look forward too. I never asked for anything big, just stuff like good grades, maybe a raise at work, you know, little stuff.”
Nicolas leaned over and whispered, “What if I already have part of my wish?”
Mandy blushed, “Well, then I suggest you ask for the rest of it.”
“Oh, I intend to.” The devilish smile he gave her left Mandy wondering what the rest of his wish would entail, and she was looking forward to finding out.
Everyone began to pass around all of the craft supplies and Mandy noticed that Garrett was missing. “Where’s Garrett? He needs to come and do his ornament too.”
“I believe he’s in the kitchen,” Jonathan replied. “I’ll go and get him.”
Garrett emerged from the kitchen with Jonathan trailing behind. “Did you need something? Perhaps some cider to go along with your project?”
“Nope, we just need you.” At his perplexed look, Mandy explained. “If we’re going to be a family, and I hope that we are, then you need to be involved in every aspect of this family. That includes making ornaments with us.”
The smiles on Jonathan’s and Nicolas’ faces told her she had made a good decision, and she carefully placed an ornament in front of an empty seat, waiting for Garrett to come over. His face was easily read as a multitude of emotions flitted over his features. Confusion, acceptance, gratitude, and love all played out until he rewarded her with a big grin, making him look years younger as he finally came over to sit down.
“This should be fun,” he exclaimed. “I haven’t done crafts since these two were kids. Let me tell you, that’s been some time ago.” He laughed, the brothers joining him.
“How long ago?” Mandy found herself asking. They were immortals, yet they didn’t appear to be much older than herself, so how old could they possibly be?
“Um, let me see, they should be turning eight hundred and thirteen this coming year, I believe.”
Eight hundred and thirteen, as in years? Would she be capable of living to see that age?
“I’m a little younger than these two,” Anna chimed. “I’ll be five-hundred and sixty-three this year.”
“I think I’ll skip on the whole age reveal, if you don’t mind,” Garrett mumbled, drawing a few snickers from the brothers.
“I guess that makes me the baby of the family, then. I’m only twenty-two,” Mandy felt a little like an odd-man-out, being the youngest in the crowd, but Nicolas quickly banished that.
“You’ll be able to dazzle people with your age eventually. Not that we go around announcing our age or anything, but you know what I mean.” Nicolas gave her a wink and began jotting down something on his small slip of paper. “There, my wish is ready.”
Mandy quickly explained the project to Garrett, who loved the idea and dove into the making of his own ornament.
The day continued with them enjoying all of the things that families did during the holidays. The women retired to the kitchen for some last minute baking while the men tried their hand at wrapping. They finished decorating the massive tree, only pausing for a moment when they realized the top of the tree was rather bare.
Most of them were incapable of reaching that high, but the ten foot top was nothing for Mandy. Using her telekinesis, she managed to perch the star on top and even hung a few extra ornaments to even out the décor. With the presents littering the floor all around the tree, their multi-colored wrappings adding to the holiday cheer, the only thing more dazzling than the array of boxes and bags was the lights twinkling once Garrett turned them on.
“There.” Anna clapped. “It’s perfect!”
“This is quite nice, indeed,” Garrett added. “But now all little girls and boys should be retiring to their beds for the night.”
Mandy smiled as Nicolas and Jonathan rolled their eyes. It was clear to see how much the three men cared for one another. There were no hugs, no words of endearment, but you could see it in their eyes every time they looked at each other.
“Mandy, are you ready to head to bed?” Nicolas’ husky voice drew a blush to her cheeks and she couldn’t help but smile at him.
“Sure.” She rose from her seat and accepted his hand, allowing him to lead her from the room. At the top of the stairs, he turned to the left and Mandy frowned. “Where are we going?”
“To our room,” he replied, as if the answer should be obvious.
“But, my room was the other way.”
“Our room is down here,” his emphasis on the word finally sank in.
Mandy supposed that it was rather silly to think that she would remain in a room separate from his now that they were an official couple. With butterflies in her tummy, she followed Nicolas down the long hallway to the arched doorway at the end.
While most of the doors in the castle had been modernized with regular doorknobs, this one still boasted an ornate—and clearly antique—iron ring where the knob should be. The wood was stained a dark brown, yet obviously older than the other doors along the hall.
“This is a little different from the room you were in before. My room is two levels out of necessity, since this is one of the towers,” he explained.
“Your room is in the tower?” How cool was that?
“It was one of my favorite places growing up, so when it was just Jonathan and I here, I decided to do a little remodeling and make it into a suite.” Nicolas shrugged and opened the door to their right. “There’s no plumbing in the tower, so the bathroom and closets are through here.” The room was set up with a few dressers, a vanity table, an antique wardrobe, and the walls held racks and shelves, making it the biggest walk-in closet she’d ever seen. “The bathroom is through that door there. I think you’ll love the r
enovations I did in there, but we’ll get to that later. Right now I want to show you the tower.” Closing the door again, Nicolas then ushered her through the arched doorway into what would be their room.
Mandy made it all of about three feet into the room before she froze.
Amazing didn’t even begin to describe this room. It looked like it was straight from a movie set. The room itself was round, with a sitting area consisting of a dark green sofa, a cream overstuffed chair and ottoman, a large mahogany desk, matching shelves specially made to hug the rounded walls, and a tall, slender window on the far wall that let in a miniscule amount of light.
Noting her interest in the window, Nicolas explained. “That is known as an arrow slit. It was used by the archers to pick off the approaching enemy, but I had glass installed when I converted it into my room.” Moving past her, Nicolas took her hand and led her to a set of stairs off to the left. She followed him up the narrow flight and gaped anew at the sight of his bedroom.
There was a massive bed, which could easily hold four adults, specially made to hug the wall with its rounded headboard, and a slew of multi-colored pillows were strewn about the room making it resemble a harem room more than a bedroom. Plush rugs covered the stone floors and a small fireplace was glowing off to the side. This was a room made with comfort and…with seduction in mind.
That thought chilled Mandy. Had he seduced many women here during his eight hundred years? She knew it was unfair to wish that he had come to her as pure as she’d came to him, but jealousy wasn’t exactly a rational feeling.
“Do you like this?” Nicolas asked, looking nervously around the room. “I saw it in a magazine talking about women’s fantasies and figured that I would try it. You know, with the way Jonathan was insisting we were made for each other, I figured it couldn’t hurt. If you don’t like it then we can change it back. My room was so sparse before that I think a monk would have complained, so I had to do something.”
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