I chuckled. “You know, Emrys keeps looking at me as though he’s waiting for me to crack up, or break down or something. But to be perfectly honest with you, no, it wasn’t hard.”
Stopping abruptly, I turned around to face her; she was caught off guard and nearly bumped into me. I was sure that Emrys already knew this since he could read my mind anyway, but I wanted to get this out, to say it out loud and get it off my chest. “Can you keep a secret, Kelsey?” I asked, grinning.
“What? Oh, sure.”
I cleared my throat and said, “I have to admit, I really rather enjoyed it!”
The look on her face grew serious and with wide-eyed wonder. “You did?” Her tone showed me her sudden distress at my unguarded confession.
“Well, let’s face it, Kelsey. He killed some of our gatekeepers and guards! And we all know what his intentions were with me. If given the chance, he would have tried to kill Emrys. I think, in all reality, you’re lucky he didn’t ever hurt you physically.” I suddenly found myself feeling defensive. Turning back around, I began to walk again.
We came to an area where we could walk side by side, and she let out a loud sigh, saying, “That’s where you’re wrong, Lizzy. He hurt me every time he had the chance. Once I began to deny his advances, he forced himself on me. I’ve never told Royal; I’m too ashamed.” Her head hung low, and she kept her eyes on the ground.
“Why didn’t you ever tell anyone?”
“Well, besides being ashamed, he threatened to kill me mum if I ever said a word to anyone. If he had only said he’d kill me, I probably wouldn’t have kept my mouth shut. I was so miserable; death would have been welcomed by me with open arms.”
Once again, feelings of overwhelming hatred surrounded me. I was glad the clown was dead.
“Kelsey, has this happened since you’ve been with Royal?” I asked, holding my breath.
“No. The last time it happened was before the most recent gathering. I think once he met you, he focused his energy on a new conquest.” Her eyes met mine and I saw a twinge of guilt cross over her face. Even though it would’ve been hard for her to admit, I knew a part of her was probably relieved to see his attention had turned elsewhere.
“Do you think I should tell Royal about it?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.
“That would be up to you. At least you have that choice. I can’t keep a thing from Emrys,” I said, rolling my eyes.
She smiled at me, knowing exactly what I meant. “I can’t imagine how hard that must be for you, Lizzy. Sometimes the thoughts that go through my mind - well, I wouldn’t want to share them with anyone!”
“Believe me, I know what you mean.”
As we neared the edge of the garden and heard voices echoing into the woods, I whispered, “Some things are meant only for the sisters and girlfriends in our lives, and some things only for God. But, lucky me, I get to share it all with my husband. I guess if I were you and was able to keep Royal from more hurt and anger, then I’d keep those secrets to myself. Why cause more grief than necessary, right?”
Kelsey nodded, but before she could say a word the puppy started yelping, giving us away. The voices grew louder as we edged our way out of the woods and into the bright sunshine of the garden. All at once we were surrounded by a throng of worried faces, everyone talking at the same time. Royal scooped Kelsey up into his arms, no longer worried about repercussions of their secret love. He was now free to show his affections for Kelsey, and it was plain to see how excited he was.
“Thank goodness!” Royal said loudly. “I was so worried. Thank you, Miss Lizzy.” He took Kelsey’s hand and asked, “Where on earth were you two?” As she whispered her answer, he whisked her away down the pathway between the flowers and garden gnomes, out of our hearing.
More questions followed, again - everyone at once, but Priscilla’s voice the loudest.
“What the bloody hell was she doing in the woods? And would someone please explain what’s going on with me daughter and that Newling? She stood with her hands on her hips, and after realizing everyone had stopped talking, she lowered her voice and looked at me. “Do ye have a clue, Miss Elizabeth?”
I raised my arms in surrender mode. “She’s fine. She just needed a little time alone. Everyone can go about their business.” I glanced from face to face, smiling, and then turned to Priscilla.
“You’ll have to ask Kelsey that question yourself, Priscilla.”
She gave me a quick nod, and then surprised me by adding a wink. “Oh, and by the way, Miss Elizabeth, you’ll be glad to know - everyone round these parts wish ye nothin but the best. And no one more than me. You’ve got more ballocks than most males I’ve ever known!” She let out a happy cackle and turned toward the pathway. I couldn’t remember ever seeing her step quite that lively before as she pranced away. I wondered if she was just happy to know that Rohan would now be nothing more than a bad memory, or if something else was going on.
“Wow, sis, it looks like you’ve got a new fan!” Lindy smirked at me. I knew she had more questions but would ask me for the details later. She grabbed Gavin’s hand and said, with a sigh, “Well, that’s that. Let’s go back inside.”
Gavin turned his eyes to Emrys, who, with a slight nod, released them to take leave. He and Lindy followed Priscilla down the garden path, strolling leisurely. Apparently, now that the crisis was over, everyone felt relieved and was able to downshift into a lower gear, emotionally speaking. I glance up at Emrys and found him wearing a slight frown as he waited and watched while they all left the garden.
“And what exactly are you thinking about, my dear husband?”
He had a strange look on his face that I couldn’t quite place. He waited a few more minutes until we heard no more chattering, barking or footsteps. The sun was bright and warm. The breeze ruffled the leaves up high in the trees, and birds began to chirp as we stood there in silence.
“What is it?” I asked again.
He came to me and put his arms around me. With a soft and tender tug, he pulled me into his embrace. “Do you realize that we have not been alone since my return? I was gone for two nights and three days, and last night you were unconscious. What do you think is on my mind?” With my ear pressed against his chest, I heard his heartbeat increasing. He bent and nuzzled my neck, giving me tender kisses and tiny electrified nibbles.
“Well, we can certainly fix that!” I said. Reaching up, I took his face and pulled it to mine, and we kissed. His lips were sweet and tasted of cherries.
He pulled back and in his velvety voice, whispered, “Your lips are like blossoms kissed by warm rain.”
“Let’s go home, shall we?” I asked, feeling quite steamy.
He shook his head, his face all aroused with excitement. “No, I cannot wait that long.” He took my hand and stepped into the edge of the woods, surprising me with his persistence.
“Emrys! I will not make love in a graveyard!” I tried to resist his tugging, but to no avail.
He veered off the path which led to the ancient cemetery and found a small flat area between two huge oak trees. The forest floor was littered with a thick bed of fallen leaves, no doubt years’ worth, since the closeness of the trees made it impossible for the wind to blow them away. He took off his shirt and placed it on the ground and proceeded to undress me without a word. He took his time, but I sensed his urgency. I was a little nervous, and yet at the same time, amazed at his level of controlled arousal, which in turn stirred something new in me. I felt like a woodland fairy, completely nude and free.
He eased me down onto his shirt, keeping most of the leaves and tiny, sharp sticks from poking me, and placed my own shirt under my head. I watched him in fascination as he methodically undressed himself, placing each piece of clothing down near the tree roots. Just behind his beautiful head, far above in the treetops, a gentle wind blew, whispering secret love songs to us. I was unbelievably ready and reached for him as he kneeled down between my legs. Never before had I felt so
free, so earthy, so uninhibited. It was as if we were the only two beings in the entire world. Nothing else mattered, and nothing could stop us. Electricity engulfed the two of us as we came together, ignited. Hot searing currents flowed back and forth as the energy we produced seemed to cause a magnetically charged field around us. The air crackled with an electrical force, and the ground beneath us felt alive as though it had become fluid from the heat of our bodies.
Somewhere in the recess of my mind I heard his words echo out into the silent woods as he called out, “Oh....my...God...” My voice would have been but a whisper, as my throat had long gone dry from borderline hyperventilation. Most of my sensory faculties had gone numb: my ears nearly deaf, my eyes virtually sightless. All senses temporarily put on hold except for the one: the sense of touch. Time itself seemed to evaporate as it became altogether irrelevant. We were one, engulfed in eternity. And our convergence coincided with the most completely satisfying and the most intense, blazing conclusion.
While trying to release my grip on him, I realized I’d been clinging so hard that my fingers felt stiff, almost paralyzed, and I was sure he had deep fingernail indentations on his back. Emrys lifted his face from my neck, eyed me closely, and still breathless, asked, “Are you alright? I did not mean to be so rough.”
I smiled and let out a small chuckle. “Oh, yes. I am better than alright!” I pushed his hair back so I could see his whole face and asked, “How are you?”
He kissed me tenderly - first on my forehead, then the tip of my nose, and then my lips. “I do not think I have ever felt more alive,” he answered. “I had every intention of telling you how sorry I was that I could not control myself and forced you into the woods. But now, I do not think I am sorry at all. And something tells me you did not mind so much either.” He gave me a big smile.
“Emrys, you didn’t force me! I only resisted when I thought you were taking me to the cemetery. But then when I saw this place - well, I have to admit I was every bit as excited as you were.” My voice sounded muffled - my ears were ringing, and still breathing hard, I said, “You have no reason to be sorry.”
He took some of his weight off me as he rose up on his hands, and I inhaled and shivered at the same time.
“You are chilled. Let us get you dressed,” he said, jumping up and taking my hand to help me sit up. He handed me my things, and I hurried into my clothes, suddenly feeling over-exposed. Although we were certainly the only creatures around now, what with all the noise Emrys had made. I smoothed out my hair as best as I could without a hairbrush or a mirror, still sitting on Emrys’ shirt. I lifted up a bit and pulled it out from beneath me, shook it off and tossed it up to him. He pulled the shirt on and bent forward, reaching out his hand to help me stand. I stood up and instantly felt light-headed and dizzy and grabbed onto his arm to keep from landing back in the leaves. “You are not alright, Elizabeth!” He took me by both shoulders and steadied me as I tried to regain my balance.
“No, I’m okay. I just stood up too fast,” I explained, blinking away the dizziness. Though I didn’t say it out loud, he knew as well that my legs still felt rickety and weak, like I had just finished running a marathon. “Seriously, I’ll be fine. I’m fine.”
“Sure you are. I suppose we should get back before anyone notices we are missing.” He smoothed out his hair, slipped into his pants and shoes and after one last kiss, took my hand.
As we made our way to the trail in the woods, I turned and looked back for one more glimpse of our secret hideaway. I wanted to remember the spot, for future reference.
Emrys laughed aloud. “Well, look at you - the adventurous one! Now I am glad I could not wait. And here I thought I knew all there was to know about you, my love.”
We were still laughing when we reached the flowery trellis and, as we left the garden proper, we almost ran smack into Melinda. I wasn’t sure if my face would give us away and I wanted to keep our secret rendezvous private, even from my twin. We chatted a few minutes about nothing in particular, and I thought we were home free. But just before we made our getaway, Lindy reached out her hand to me with a saucy grin. “If you must play in the forest, you ought to make sure to check each other for obvious clues as to what games you’ve been up to, dear sister.” She shook her head. Stifling an even larger smile, she pulled out not one, but two crispy leaves from my hair. As she dropped them onto the grass she raised an eyebrow and added, “Hope it was worth it! Everyone’s been looking for you two for the last hour.” She turned and marched off snickering to herself.
I called after her, “It’s not what you think, Melinda!”
She glanced back over her shoulder, still laughing softly, and said, “Whatever you say, Elizabeth! But your secret is safe with me!”
I gazed up at Emrys as he watched my crazy sister walking away. His smile was like a Cheshire cat, a most unnatural look for him.
“So, now you’re proud of yourself,” I said, feeling a bit flustered. “This is sort of embarrassing, Emrys. I don’t want anyone to know what just happened, do you?”
His expression turned serious and he said, “Do not be silly. Melinda is just teasing you. She would never tell anyone. And besides, she is only guessing.” He took my hand in his and squeezed it. “Next time we will take your sister’s advice and be more observant.”
I pulled away from him and started walking back toward the estate. I couldn’t help myself, and using my most snarky tone, called out, “Maybe there won’t be a next time!”
He caught up to me in a flash. Falling into step with me, he put his arm around my waist and spoke just above a whisper. “My sweet, beautiful wife. You know you should never make threats you do not intend to keep.” His eyes beamed as he chuckled joyfully.
As usual, my thoughts had given me away. The second he mentioned the words “next time,” my mind had started swarming with scenarios that included soft blankets and glasses of wine to go along with our open-air activities.
“Yeah - yeah. Keep it up,” I giggled. “Maybe next time you can experience the thrill of pebbles and rocks beneath your backside!”
Emrys laughed even louder as he pulled me closer and said, “As you wish!”
CHAPTER 10
SATISFACTION
His musky-sweet scent still clung all over me as I undressed for my shower. The soap and water would remove everything but the memories - still so fresh. As the hot water flowed and warmed me, my mind went back to the cool forest and I recalled the way Emrys had undressed me, slowly, meticulously; the way his eyes made love to me before he even touched me. I remembered the fiery look on his face just before he joined me on the damp, leafy ground. And as I thought back to every detail of our lovemaking, soft shivers enveloped me all over again. Never before had I experienced such uninhibited exuberance. The shadowy forest brought out the nymph in me that I never knew existed, and not in a million years, would I have guessed that my reserved husband could be so adventurous.
I could still smell the damp earth of the forest and the amazing freedom it had given us, and already I looked forward to when we could enjoy another alfresco afternoon delight. But a sudden twinge of anxiety shot into me as I recalled running straight into Melinda. Emrys and I would have gotten away with our secret romp if she hadn’t spotted the lingering evidence. Lindy seemed quite amused when she’d plucked the leaves out of my tangled hair. Her teasing comments and the condescending way she’d said, “Whatever you say, Elizabeth,” had me wondering if she meant it when she said our secret was safe. But, in the meantime, I intended to wash away any visible remnants.
As I towel dried my hair in front of the mirror I heard someone talking in the hallway. Stepping closer to the door I craned my neck, and listened.
“He wants to set up an appointment with you as soon as possible.” It was Gavin’s voice. “Before he’ll commit to us, he said needs to meet with you – just to be sure.”
I assumed he was either talking about hiring replacement guards, or perhaps a delicious ne
w donor, and except for the brief moment of hoping this potential new donor tasted as great as the kitchen girl, Heather had, I lost interest in the conversation at once. Still preoccupied with thoughts of our tryst amongst the trees, I shivered yet again.
God, that was awesome!
Emrys’ deep voice jarred me back to reality when he said, “Go ahead and set up an appointment. You know my schedule. As a matter of fact, make it sooner rather than later.” He cleared his throat and went on a bit softer. “I do not believe Elizabeth will find the need to get right back into our fencing lessons, at least not for the next few days. Any morning this week should be fine. Be sure to tell him that I am sorry I missed him today.”
I went back to the mirror and combed through my hair, wondering if Emrys was still worried about the state of my mind. After all, it’s not every day one slays a rogue vampire. I closed my eyes while I continued combing; trying not to think about the new memory that he had just conjured up. But just then I hit a snarl and pulled too hard - jerking my head back - and jerking a memory of the rogue right back: Rohan yanking my hair angrily as he pressed his mouth over mine. Disgusted beyond belief, my stomach lurched. My eyes popped open, and seeing the wild fear in my crazy blue eyes, I squinted at myself in the mirror and mumbled, “Idiot.” I shook my head willing the memory to disappear.
Knowing he was dead did nothing for the picture still etched in my mind. Never before had I been so glad that Emrys had talked me into fencing lessons. If not for the lessons - and my new and extremely sharp sword, Rohan might still be a very real threat. I wondered if anyone had thought to warn me ahead of time about rogue vampires, would I have chosen this life at all? Oh to be sure,
I had definitely lucked out with Emrys. He was by far the best thing that ever happened to me in my human life. And yet, even though this danger was now past, a small voice inside of my head told me that just because I had managed to kill Rohan, there could still be more trouble on the horizon. No one could be lucky enough to be completely free of danger. Apparently, not even eternal beings.
The Ravenswynd Series - Boxed Set Page 68
