by Saxon, K. E.
The woman’s wrath formed a rage-red aura around her ramrod-spined form.
Isadora sent one more glance in Sam’s direction before returning her gaze to her mother. “I’m staying with Sam.”
“Whoop!” Sam yelled.
She turned and faced him. “Sam, will you marry me?”
“—What! I forbid it.”
“—Hell yes.” He scooped her off her feet and gave her a kiss.
“You will put as big a blight on our family name by marrying this scum as your father did with his shenanigans. I simply cannot allow it. Come down off that rat’s nest of a vessel and return home with me right this instant.”
Isadora kept her lips locked to Sam’s but waved ‘bye’ to her mother. Then she wrapped both arms around his neck and sent her tongue deep into his mouth. “Mmm.”
Her mother stomped her foot. “This instant, Isadora.”
She was finding it hard to kiss and grin at the same time, but somehow she managed it. So did he.
“Isadora!”
“I love you, Sam,” she said against his mouth and then she turned back to her mother. “Here’s the phone. Catch.”
Her mother’s eyes bugged out and she lost all semblance of ladylike demeanor as she leapt up with both hands in the air.
Something extraordinary happened then. In mid-flight, the phone burst apart and, in a puff of pink sparkles and patchouli scented mist, transformed into the most beautiful woman Isadora had ever seen.
“Holy shit!” Sam yelled, shoving Isadora behind his back.
She grabbed his arm. “It’s the fairy. She’s not going to hurt us.”
As the fairy lady floated above the boat in a turquoise and purple silk Reformation style gown, a thought flashed through Isadora’s fashionista mind: Is that real ermine along the hemline?
“Isadora,” her mother yelled, “tell her to bless me.”
“No, my girl, you had your chance years ago, and failed,” the fairy said to Isadora’s mother before she swirled to face Isadora and Sam. “Ta-ta my lovelies,” she said and then shot high into the air, leaving a comet-tail of glitter in her wake.
Isadora’s mother screeched and stomped her feet. “This is entirely your fault, Isadora! If you’d only done as I told you to do, this never would have happened.” She jabbed her pointed, red-nailed finger at Isadora. “I wash my hands of you. You are dead to me.” She spun around and stomped away.
As Isadora stood numbly watching her mother’s receding form, the BlackBerry in her clutch sang out.
“You dropped your purse,” Sam said.
“Yeah, I know,” she said and reached for it, pulling out her phone at the same time.
“Hello?”
“It’s just me, Dora dear. Wanted to say one other little thing: Tell your daughters that I’ll be seeing them in twenty years or so. Well, must be off—it’s nearing Samhain, you know. Toodles.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Did you hear that?”
“Yeah, but what does it mean?”
“It means she’s going to curse our kids.”
There was a long pause. “Or bless.”
Isadora blinked at her BlackBerry. “Yeah. Or bless.”
“I really didn’t believe you about the fairy thing, not until a few minutes ago. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, well. Now that you know—are you still so sure you want to marry me?”
“Absolutely. We’re living a fairy tale, right? So—no worries, just ‘happily ever after.’”
Isadora grinned and flung her arms around Sam’s neck. “It’s about time.”
As she embraced him once more, as their lips melded in a tender kiss, a distant sound of tinkling feminine laughter floated down from up above and swirls of pink glitter and silver stars encircled them.
And that is how a little fairy magic made Delilah and Isadora’s dreams come true.
[The End]
Thank you for reading
Diamonds and Toads: A Modern Fairy Tale
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IF YOU ENJOYED THIS NOVELLA BY K.E. SAXON,
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY HER OTHER CONTEMPORARY WORKS:
A STRANGER’S KISS
When two lonely strangers meet in a bar on Valentine’s Day, they take passionate solace in each other’s arms, little knowing that they will soon meet again as business associates.
Karen Samuels has sworn off emotionally unavailable men, deciding her time will be much better spent building her fledgling graphic art company.
David Anderson, a widower of seven months is still deep in mourning and battling survivor’s guilt. Determined to open the restaurant that had been his wife’s dream, and on the recommendation of his best friend, he hires a graphic artist, sight unseen, to create the perfect logo.
SHE knows his heart belongs to another.
HE knows he could give her his heart, but he doesn’t deserve to be happy again.
THEY know that falling in love will only bring more agony and despair.
But, FATE knows otherwise.
OTHER WORKS BY K.E. SAXON
Available May 2012
Highland Vengeance
Book One in the Highlands Trilogy
By
K.E. Saxon
A Family Saga / Adventure Romance
Set in the turn of the thirteenth century Scottish Highlands, this is the story of Daniel MacLaurin, a handsome, rugged warrior-laird haunted by his past, and Maryn Donald, the beautiful, high-spirited lass destined to help him find his heart's ease.
After his mother and grandfather, the only family he has ever known, are viciously murdered in a surprise invasion when he is a lad of 13, Daniel spends years focusing on training as a warrior and rebuilding his fortress, determined to control the world around him so that nothing like it will ever happen again.
Maryn Donald is a wild child; a lass who, as the only offspring of her widowed father, has been indulged in her high-spiritedness. So much so, that she takes matters into her own hands when she sees that the neighboring clan is mistreating their horses. She impetuously steals them and then, as recompense for her crime, must wed the powerful, wealthy young laird about whom she's heard such disturbing rumors: Daniel MacLaurin.
HIGHLAND VENGEANCE is a steamy adventure romance, but it is also a family saga. It's the story of how a man overcomes the horror of his past to find love, connection, and contentment once more.
* * *
Available August 2012
Highland Grace
Book Two in the Highlands Trilogy
By
K.E. Saxon
A Family Saga / Adventure Romance
BAO AND JESSLYN’S STORY
The second in the Highlands Trilogy, HIGHLAND GRACE begins where HIGHLAND VENGEANCE ended, giving you Bao and Jesslyn’s story.
Set in the turn of the 13th century Scottish Highlands. When widow and devoted mother to a five-year-old, Jesslyn MacCreary, discovers her brief encounter with her laird’s long-lost brother has resulted in an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, she is thrust into matrimony with its exotically handsome, angry, and seemingly unwilling, father.
Bao Xiong Maclean, by day, a contracted warrior for William, King of Scots, and by night, a lover for hire to the pampered ladies of the king’s court, is fighting his attraction to the lovely flaxen-haired widow whose family is the reason he and his mother became slaves to the man who sired him: Jamison Maclean.
* * *
Available November 2012
Highland Magic
Book Three in
the Highlands Trilogy
By
K.E. Saxon
A Family Saga / Adventure Romance
CALLUM AND BRANWENN’S STORY
The third in the Highlands Trilogy, HIGHLAND MAGIC begins where HIGHLAND GRACE ended, giving you Branwenn and Callum’s story.
Set in the turn of the 13th century Scottish Highlands. After fleeing her wedding to her Norman betrothed and being swept into the Irish Sea during a storm, Branwenn Maclean finds herself once more in the land of the Highland Scots. Little does she know, however, that the maimed man who drops through the ceiling of her hiding place is none other than Callum MacGregor, the man who both vexes and beguiles her.
Callum awakens in a darkened sea cave believing he’s being nursed by a sea nymph. Little does he know, however, that the fey creature is in actuality none other than his massive warrior Maclean cousins’ foster sister, Branwenn, the lass that has taunted and haunted him since his first encounter with her one year past.
* * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K.E. Saxon is a third-generation Texan and has been a lover of romance fiction since her first (sneaked) read of her older sister's copy of "The Flame and the Flower" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. She is a member of the West Houston Chapter of Romance Writer's of America and is a devoted subscriber to the Romance Divas online forum. She has two cats, a 24-year-old cockatiel, a funny, supportive husband, and a garden that's been fried by the recent drought. When she isn't in her writer's cave writing, you can find her puttering in her organic vegetable garden or in her kitchen trying out a new recipe. An animal (and bug) lover since before she could speak, she made pets of all kinds of critters when she was a kid growing up. Her mother even swears that she made a pet of a cockroach one time (but K.E. doesn't believe her). She likes to write funny, sexy romances.
* * * *
LOVE IS THE DRUG
Available October 2011
EDITORIAL REVIEW:
From Romantic Times (RT Book Reviews)
~ 4 STARS ~
“Saxon's latest is a wild ride, touching and sentimental. Jason and Julie are two wonderful people battling themselves and the attraction they feel for each other, surrounded by a colorful cast of supporting characters that add depth and dimension to a plot that is just as entertaining.”
BOOK BLURB:
A Texas bad boy meets his match in the shy, virginal sister of his sworn enemy.
This is the story of Jason Jörgensen, an excitement-loving bad boy and Julie Del Mar, the quiet, romantic dreamer who breaches his devil-may-care façade and helps heal the frightened boy inside.
Conceived during a violent rape, Jason knows deep down that he’s no good. So, as far as he’s concerned, his plan to never have children is not only sound, but also the right thing to do.
Julie, orphaned at twelve, has now lost her surrogate parent—her older sister—to suicide. Returning to the only real home she ever had and someday making her own family is her most profound wish.
Uncontrollable passion brings them together, but will a pregnancy test tear them apart?
Teaser:
Summer 2009
“That burger I bought you at the airport doesn’t seem to be sobering you up,” he said. Stopping in the entryway, he dropped his carry-on to the floor and looked down at her. “Maybe you should lie down for awhile—take a nap—before we go down to the casino.”
Julie’s gaze was pretty bleary when she turned it up to him. She blinked and stuck out her lower lip. “No. I wanna have some fun! Live on the edge! You promised.” She put her face closer to his. “Hey, has anyone ever told you how pretty your eyes are?”
“Pretty? No. That’s—”
“Well, they are.”
“—not a description a guy usually wants to hear about himself, if you know what I mean.” He grinned down at her. “But thanks. I think.”
“I like your lips, too. Keanu Reeves lips. Mmm. Sexy.”
“Keanu Reeves? You mean that dude from the Matrix? You like him?” The flash of jealousy took him by surprise.
She plopped her other arm over his shoulder and said, “Yeah. I always wondered what it’d be like to kiss those lips.” Then she planted one on him. Tongue and all.
And he returned it. In a flash, he had her up against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist and his hands on one of his three favorite places: her sexy, hot little ass. And this time, when he pressed the ridge of his erection against her center, it answered that pressure with the fire, the answering motion, that should have been there earlier, but wasn’t. Thank you, God.
But. She was three sheets to the wind. Probably wouldn’t even remember this later. And if she did—he'd be in the doghouse again, for sure. Shit! Jason broke the kiss. He rested his forehead against hers. They were both struggling for air. After about the fifth intake of breath, he could finally speak. “You still want to go down to the casino?” He was weak, he knew it. But, he swore to God, if she said no, he’d take her to bed right now. Doghouse, be damned.
Unfortunately—or fortunately, he couldn’t say which at this moment—the burger must’ve finally kicked in, because she nodded and said, “Yeah, sounds great.”
“Okay.” Even to his own ears, there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm in his voice. He stepped back and slowly dropped her legs until she was standing on her feet again—this time, with no support. “I’ll take you to one of the stores, too, so we can get you something to wear to dinner tonight.”
“Oh, yeah. Thanks.”
He strode over to the door and opened it. “Ready?”
“You bet.”
* * *
-End of excerpt-
