“Gwen. We aren’t together anymore. This world could, in no way, grant our marriage as legal since it was created hundreds of years ago. In my opinion, we stopped being together when you took up with Lance.” She flinched slightly but held her head up. She nodded, let out a deep breath and removed her hands from Arthur’s. She smiled at him and turned her gaze to Maggie, who had to physically make the mean look fall off her face. Gwen approached her and held out her hand. Maggie stared down at it for a moment and then shook it.
“I’m Gwen,” the woman said.
“Maggie.”
They dropped their hands and Maggie just looked at her.
“I’d like us to be friends,” Gwen said. “I also want you to show me that thing where you beat up Lucan.”
“Hey!” came a deep rumble from across the room.
“Ok,” Maggie said, unsure of what to do in this situation. Gwen nodded and then sat back down on the settee away from everyone. Alone, she looked perfectly content. Lancelot watched her every movement. There was a guy who needed some help, Maggie thought. She didn’t hate him but he also was not her favorite person at the moment. She found her opinions changing now she was meeting these people.
“So,” she said out loud, and everyone glanced over. She looked at Merlyn. “Mind if we use the hot tub?”
“Nope, take a left out the door and go straight back. You can see it outside through the glass.” She nodded her thanks and grabbed Arthur’s hand before bounding out the door.
“What is a hot tub?” She heard one of the guys ask as they walked down the hall.
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
The hot tub had its own enclosed patio. Arthur smiled at the sheer joy on Maggie’s face as she eyed the steaming, bubbling water.
“Naked?” Maggie asked, slyly. She didn’t need to tell him twice. He had his clothes off and was ready to go as she was still removing her shoes.
“What if one of the others shows up out here?” he asked.
“I doubt they will. Mel seemed to have an extensive list of rules to go over.”
He laughed as she stepped out of her dress. He stopped laughing and just stared. She was breathtaking. All soft lines and moonlight. He moved toward her and pulled the elastic out of her hair. He flipped it up his fingers and onto his wrist before taking her long braid in his hands and unraveling it. He spread her hair and ran his fingers through it. It was still stiff and curly from the hair stuff she had put in it earlier. He ran his fingers gently through before releasing it and stepping down into the hot water.
The cold night and the heat jolted him and he reached up to pull Maggie in. She let him lift her up and slide her into the water slowly, allowing her time to adjust as she went. When she was standing up the water lapped at the underside of her breasts and she sighed softly. He would never get tired of that sound. She slid her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest. He smiled and folded his arms around her as well.
She pulled back again and he frowned down at her.
“There are a couple of things we need to talk about,” she said, pulling away to sit on the ledge. Her breasts bobbed under the water and he sighed, sitting next to her.
“Okay.”
“How do you feel about Gwen? Honestly.” He sunk down in the water a little bit.
“Honestly, I don’t feel anything at all about Gwen. I used to love her, and then I hated her, now I think she is a child and I am sort of indifferent. Does that make sense?”
Maggie nodded. “How do you feel about me?” she asked, looking at the water as she fanned her hands through a jet of bubbles.
“I care about you.” He turned so he was facing her and lifted her chin to meet her eyes. “I know I enjoy being around you and I want to spend as much time as I can with you.” She smiled. “I can see myself falling for you…in the future. I can say I hope for it and I hope you can fall for me too, given enough time.”
She nodded and cleared her throat.
“Yes, I can see it in the future.” She splashed some water at his head.
“If you stop stealing all the covers.” He laughed and splashed water back at her. They splashed and laughed until they were both water-logged and starting to sweat from the steam. Arthur moved toward her and lifted her out of the water to sit on the ledge. He moved up to his knees between her legs and kissed her lips softly. She slid her fingers through his damp hair and leaned in closer to him. He pulled her toward him and she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her now chilled body against his hot one. He shivered at the contact.
They took their time kissing and touching each other and they were both panting by the time he pulled her back down in the water with him. He smiled at her wickedly and positioned her exactly on the bench in the tub. She frowned at him but complied. He reached out and pressed a button she hadn’t noticed on the side of the tub and a water jet shot up and over her sensitive flesh. She cried out and he moved around to press his body against her back. She panted as he wrapped his arms around her waist and dipped his hands below the water. He gently massaged her entrance with one of his fingers and she moaned and bit her lip. He slid the rough ridges of his index finger back and forth, in and out, and soon she was clutching his thighs with her fingernails. She cried out suddenly and her wet heat clamped around his finger.
He smiled and kissed her neck gently, removing his hand. She stayed with her head back against his chest, almost floating in the water. Soon she stretched out her arms and turned toward him. The wicked glint in her eyes made him slightly wary. She slowly slid her body over his and straddled him, his erection trapped between their stomachs. She lifted herself and slid on to his penis. He jerked and moved his arms to her waist, holding her steady.
“How does that feel?” she asked.
“Amazing!” he said, leaning in to kiss the hollow where her neck met her shoulder. “Perfect,” he whispered against her skin. She smiled, lifted herself slowly and slid back down carefully. They both let out a breath, the fog from the cold night and the heat of their mouths twining together.
“Interesting,” a voice interrupted them and Arthur instinctively clutched Maggie to his chest to hide her nakedness.
Morgana sat on the ledge of the water staring at them.
“How long have you been there?” Arthur asked.
“Don’t you know it’s rude to stare?” Maggie added.
“Not just anyone can speak to me like that and live,” she said softly. Deadly soft. Maggie swallowed.
They sat in the tub and waited for Morgana to speak again.
“I would like you two to do me a favor,” she said. “And in return I will owe you one at the moment of your choosing. Within reason, of course.” She ran her finger softly through a jet of water.
They both waited, still clutching each other tightly.
“Should you have a child, I would like you to name Lucan as the godfather,” she said, gazing at them both in turn.
“Um...what if we break up? Or decide against children?” Maggie asked.
Morgana shrugged. “So be it. But, if you do...”
“We can pick our favor, no matter what?” Arthur asked. “Within reason.”
Morgana nodded. They looked at each other.
“Fine.” They both said in unison. Morgana smiled and bowed her head at them before simply disappearing.
“Let’s get out. That was odd and I want to roll around with you in an impossibly large bed.” She grinned and they climbed from the tub toward their clothes.
The others were gone when they snuck through the entryway. They looked around and climbed the stairs. When they got to the top of the staircase they found small smoke arrows pointing the way.
“Mel is one odd cookie,” Maggie said as they followed. “He’s lucky I trust him because under any other circumstances this wouldn’t be happening.” Arthur chuckled softly.
They finally reached their room and the smoke dissipated. They turned the handle and Maggie gasp
ed out loud. The room was just as beautiful as the rest of the house. It smelled like...bacon? Maggie charged into the room and found the tray of food at the foot of the bed. She lifted the lid and inside was a delicious looking spread of every breakfast food she could even imagine. Arthur came over and looked down at the food.
“He sure does know how to make a man never want to leave.” They sank down to the carpet as Arthur picked up random pieces of things and started eating them.
“What is this?” he asked, holding out a piece of pancake.
“That is a pancake,” she informed him. He nodded and kept eating.
“What is this?” Now he held out a piece of pineapple.
“That would be a pineapple,” she laughed. He nodded and kept eating. They both ate, occasionally feeding each other food and giggling. When they were done they climbed in the big bed and lost themselves in the feathers of the duvet.
Biography
Monica Corwin is a military analyst turned romance and erotica author. When she isn’t attempting to save the world she likes to stare out at the water in her back yard and play with her daughter. Monica has short stories published in a few small press houses and contracts for bigger novels forthcoming. In addition she is the founder of The Bibliophilic Book Blog, a popular book review website, and a former columnist for Night Owl Magazine. She can be found online at www.monicacorwin.com and www.twitter.com/Monica_Corwin
Legend's Fall Page 10
