by Lauren Smith
His brows scrunched together. He hadn’t liked that answer, and he was dying to dig in and make her tell him more. Even if she couldn’t feel his frustration, the determined look on his face would have given that away. The muscles in his cheek twitched as he clenched his jaw.
“Very well,” he said. “Another round. Flip a card, lass.”
She held back the grin that wanted to sprout and did as he suggested. This time she won the round and could demand he answer a question. She should go easy on him, but the mercenary inside of her wouldn’t let her. “Are you ready?” she asked.
“Get it over with,” he gritted out.
She licked her lips. He stared as her tongue slid over them. His lust washed over her, raising her own desire to new heights. Killian would abandon this game if she suggested they get naked. She was still willing to do that, but later. This was too important to abandon yet.
“Was the former earl your father?”
She had some suspicions but couldn’t prove them. His answer would tell her if she was heading in the correct direction. The glare he shot her told her far more than his words ever would. He wasn’t particularly happy with her.
“No,” he said reluctantly.
Aubriella wanted to press him, but left it alone. The rules of their little exchange were clear. If she wanted to know more she’d have to win another round. She could wait until then.
She reached for a card and flipped it over. Apprehensively, Killian did the same. He won again and let out a slow breath. Wow, he really didn’t want to answer the next question. His luck wouldn’t hold out all evening though. They still had to do this twenty-three more times. If he was this nervous, what did he think she’d do with the information she gathered? He already admitted the earl wasn’t his father. Surely that was more dangerous than who had really sired him.
“Your move, my lord,” she reminded him. “What would you like to know?”
“Why do you think I need saving?”
He probably wouldn’t like the simple answer of because you’re a bloody fool… “We’re here, aren’t we? You’re about to go walk into a dangerous situation that you might not make it out alive from. I could ask you why you’re suicidal, but I won’t.”
He opened his mouth and closed it quickly. “It’s hard not to ask a follow up question immediately. I didn’t think this through. Your assumption is rather silly though. There’s nothing that’s going to end my life in this village.”
“Not here, no,” she agreed, but didn’t expand on her reply. He could think of that what he would. “Let’s continue.”
They flipped the cards several more times. She won each round, but didn’t press him on who his father was—yet. That was a question she wanted him to give her willingly. They were down to four cards each and his frustration grew with each flip of the card. They both turned over a card, and he shouted with excitement. “About bloody time I won again.”
She smiled. “It was bound to happen eventually. What’s your question?”
“This one might be a little difficult for you to answer,” he warned her. “But I would like to understand something. I realize you said you’re here to save me, but there was no way for you to know I was in danger. I made no decision to travel until the day before we left. You arrived a sennight before that.”
“I don’t hear a question in there,” she said warily.
“Are you a witch?”
She laughed. “I’ve been called that by my stepsisters from time to time, but no, I’m not.” Aubriella sighed. “It might be easier to explain to you what my particular gift is.” She decided to go easy on him and give him more than what he’d asked her for.
“And that is?” He lifted a brow. Skepticism spread through him like wildfire. That, and he hadn’t even learned about her time traveling aspect…
“I’m an empath,” she said. “Emotions are a part of me on a much deeper level. I don’t have the power to see the future.”
He chuckled lightly. “Is that all? Most women feel more than men anyway.”
“Not the way I do,” she told him. “It’s all right if you don’t believe me.”
She picked up her cards ready to let it go. If he didn’t want to understand her, then she wouldn’t force him to. The game still had to be won, and she was ahead in the stakes. Truthfully, they could end it now and she’d still win.
“You honestly believe this,” he said quietly. “Tell me what it’s like to be you.”
She glanced up at him and felt his sincerity. He did want to understand, and she’d dismissed him out of habit. Aubriella took a deep breath and tried to describe it. “When I let my shields down, I feel everything from everyone around me. Sometimes, when they are particularly strong, they can cross over from enormous distances.” She paused a moment. “Would you like a demonstration?”
He nodded. “If you think it would help.”
She closed her eyes and lowered her shield a fraction, reaching out to him. His emotions were a mixture of hope, disbelief, and… Her eyes flew open and she met his gaze. That couldn’t have been right. She tilted her head and studied him. “You love me?”
“What?” He stood up and knocked the table over in his haste to put distance between them. “That’s ridiculous…
No man wanted to have feelings he wasn’t sure of himself thrown at him. Aubriella should have thought better of it, but they’d surprised her so much she couldn’t stop herself. What was she going to do now? He would close himself off to her, and she might not get anywhere with him. Perhaps if she gave him something to focus on other than that particular blunder, he’d let it go. “What if I told you something even more outlandish?”
“I think we have had enough surprises for one night, don’t you?”
Her heart was breaking inside of her chest. She’d fucked up good this time. “I know you have more questions. How about I give some of them to you freely, and if you still don’t want to talk anymore, I’ll leave quietly.”
Killian had been pacing the room like a caged tiger. She couldn’t stand seeing him so uncertain. He froze at her words and ordered, “You’re not going anywhere. You leave this room, and I’ll hunt you down and bring you back in seconds.”
She smiled and crossed over to him. With each step she took, she unbuttoned the top of her dress. When she reached him, it was completely undone, allowing her to push it over her shoulders. Killian stared down at her as her dress pooled at her ankles. Every decision she made led her to this moment with this man.
“What are you doing?” His voice was hoarse and filled with an indefinable emotion.
“Giving you something words can’t,” she replied. “Please…”
After that, no other words were necessary. He yanked her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around him and reveled in the desire flowing over them. A million sensations tingled across her skin, almost overwhelming her. Her breath hitched for a moment as she tried to regain control of her emotions. Killian lifted her and carried her toward the bed. He set her down on the floor in front of it and tore off her shift. His gaze raked over her naked flesh, and she blushed as pink as he thought she would. Fire spread through her belly and he’d barely touched her.
When his mouth covered one of her nipples, her moans echoed through the room. He brought one of his hands to cup her mound. He skimmed her clit with his finger, and he pushed another deep inside of her. How had she gone her entire life and never felt anything like this before. Emotions were her thing, but this—it was indescribable. She wanted to beg him to give her more. As soon as she thought she couldn’t take more, he proved her wrong. Her moans of pleasure filled the room as she experienced her first climax.
She should have found someone to give her this sooner, but then she’d never have found Killian. Aubriella couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone other than him. Killian picked her up and set her on the bed and removed all of his clothing. He joined her moments later, settling between her thighs. His c
ock was hard and thick as he pressed himself inside of her. It burned with each movement. Aubriella wrapped her legs around his waist and met every one of his thrusts. She scraped her nails across his back as her peak started to build again.
Killian kissed her everywhere, her cheek, her lips, down the side of her neck. He whispered words of love and lust. Each one bringing her even closer to the edge, and when her orgasm hit, the world went black and she opened her mouth to cry out, but the world went black. For the first time in her life she was overloaded with emotion.
Killian’s climax hit the same time Aubriella’s had. He’d never felt anything like it, and he didn’t think he ever would again. When she’d blurted that he loved her, it had scared him. Love was the one thing he hadn’t thought he’d find and never wanted to. He hadn’t realized it, but somehow in the short time he’d been with Aubriella, he had fallen hard for her. This little sprite of a woman had buried herself inside his heart and not let go. It didn’t matter anymore what her secrets were. She owned his heart.
He rolled off of her and pulled her next to him. “Lass,” he said.
Silence echoed back and fear filled him. Had he hurt her? He sat up and stared down at Aubriella. Her eyes were open, but her face was blank. Why wasn’t she reacting? He brought his hand up to brush her hair away.
“Aubriella,” he said trying to rein in his panic. “What’s wrong?”
She didn’t even blink. He placed his hand over her heart and felt it beating rapidly against his palm. Why was she so quiet? What had he done to her?
“No,” he said desperately. He was on the brink of shaking her when she finally blinked. Her eyes were still unfocused, but he took the movement as a sign. What had she said before? She was an empath and felt emotions stronger than anyone else.
“Darling,” he said, kissing her head. “You were right. I do love you and I’m so sorry my first instinct was to push you away. Please don’t leave me now. I’d never survive it.”
She blinked again and her lips twitched. Was she trying to smile? Her tongue darted out and she swiped it across them. He breathed a sigh of relief at the movement. She brought her hand up to cup his cheek, but still hadn’t spoken. What was she trying to tell him?
“I didn’t tell you my biggest secret,” he said. “When you asked if the former earl was my father I started to panic. I didn’t think anyone realized I was a bastard. But my biggest shame is who my father is.”
“Who?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he understood it.
“The prince regent,” he said disgustedly. “My mother was one of the Queen’s ladies. She lived at court and caught Prinny’s eye. When she ended up pregnant, the king arranged her marriage to the earl. She was the Duke of Blackbourne’s daughter, and the scandal would have been too great for them to risk.”
Aubriella chuckled lightly. “I always knew you were a real prince.”
He scowled. “I’m nothing of the sort. I’m a bastard and shouldn’t have been given the former earl’s title. Odessa is his daughter in truth though. No one questions it because my coloring was too similar to the old man’s.”
“Consider it a blessing,” she said. “Some things were meant to be. Your mother was better off married to him, and you’re here for both of them. Don’t you think it’s time to stop feeling guilty for circumstances beyond your control? You didn’t ask for any of this.”
She was right, but he loathed to admit it. “I know.”
“I’m sorry I freaked you out,” she said. “I’ve never overloaded before. It took me a minute to yank my shields back up. It shouldn’t happen again.”
“It better not,” he declared. “My heart couldn’t take it.”
That had to be the most terrifying thing he’d ever experience. For a moment, he’d thought he killed her or at least something inside of her. It had been a bit of a wakeup he’d desperately needed. If not for her minor meltdown, he’d have been a stubborn fool a bit longer than necessary.
“What secrets are you keeping from me?” he asked lightly.
“Nothing much,” she said flippantly. “Other than I’m from a couple hundred years in the future.”
Killian blinked several times. He had to have heard her wrong. “Come again?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself,” she ordered. “You heard me.”
He had, but that didn’t mean any of it made sense. There were a lot of little details about her that he hadn’t been able to explain. She had odd phrasing from time to time, and then there was her weird description of her family. What had she said? None of them were alive at the moment. Did that mean they were alive? It was too much for him to take in all at once.
“Lass, that is impossible,” he said, bewildered.
She sighed. “I suppose it was too much to ask for you to accept it without digging for more information.”
“Would you, in my place?” he countered.
He wanted to believe her, but he was having difficulty grasping the concept. Time travel? It made his head hurt thinking of the possibilities. She’d claimed to have come to save him. Had she? Was there more he didn’t fully understand?
“No,” she agreed. “It’s not in my nature to take something at face value. In your place, I’d be skeptical too. I will explain a little bit now, and maybe later we can go into more detail if that’s all right with you.”
He wanted to say no. The need for answers filled him, as did the need to demand them, but for her, he’d find some patience. “Give me the basics, and later you can bridge the gaps.”
She remained quiet for a few moments and then began to speak. “It started when my cousin went missing. Genevieve was there one moment, and the next she was gone. I went to see Trenton—the man who loves her.” She stopped and glanced at him and then shook her head. “That’s information I can give you later. To make things simple, I read in a journal how it was possible to travel through time. My gifts make it easier for me, and I knew I had to come here when I caught a glimpse of you.”
“Your gifts told you that?” He tried to control his feelings because they might overwhelm her, but it was becoming difficult to hold them back. “I’m not so sure I will be able to believe all of this with no proof to back it up.”
“I see your point.” She nibbled on her bottom lip. “What can I do to make you see I’m telling the truth?”
He wasn’t sure. Was there any way to do that? “Can you at least try?”
“I’ll do my best on one condition,” she said. “Stay here with me tomorrow and forget about that meeting.”
“Why does it mean so much to you?” he asked.
He didn’t begin to understand what her motivations were. If she was truly from the future, she might know something about the meeting in Manchester.
“Because if you go,” she said emphatically. “You could die, and I can’t live with that.” And then she explained the massacre to him and what might happen if he went. As he listened, he couldn’t help but start to believe her tale. Either way, the outcome of the meeting would be telling. If it went as she described, it was a clear indicator she was from the future. He could take her at her word for now and give her some peace. When it was all over, he’d have the truth either way. Something told him that she would continue to surprise him for the rest of his life.
Killian remained quiet for several seconds. He didn’t ask any questions, unsure how to respond to her description of the bloody event. There was one thing he did want more than anything—her. “I’m glad you’ve told me everything,” he said decidedly. His next move had never been clearer. She was the love of his life, and he couldn’t let her go.
“Secrets are a hard thing to hold onto. Will you stay here with me?”
He would. “Aye, I believe I will.”
She smiled. “That’s good. I’d have hated to use the laudanum I smuggled along. It’s much easier if you stay here with me.”
He raised a brow. “Surely you wouldn’t actually drug me.”
“No,” she said. “It didn’t sit well with me and I’d already decided against it.” She frowned. “Can you forgive me for not being honest and considering such a drastic action?”
He wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She hadn’t gone through with it and he took a small comfort in that much. “Aye I don’t think there’s anything to forgive anyway. We both held things back and for good reason.” All he wanted was to move forward and have her as part of his life forever. “Right now, I just want to love you again.” He leaned down and kissed her lightly. “Will you consent to be my wife when we return to Kingsbridge. I want a proper wedding with my family in attendance.”
Maybe love wasn’t as bad a thing as he’d originally believed. He still wasn’t comfortable with some aspects of his life and how he’d come to acquire the title of earl. It was something he’d never fully be able to accept. He didn’t deserve it, and he’d do his best to make up for that fact. Aubriella was another matter. Loving her would always be the best part of his life, and he’d fight to keep her in it. If she didn’t agree to be his, he wasn’t sure how he’d react.
“I’d love nothing more,” she said, then smiled coyly. Relief flooded him at her words. “Now stop talking and make love to me again.”
“Greedy wench,” he teased.
“But you love it,” she countered.
Killian kissed her in response because she was right. Aubriella was the one he’d been searching for and didn’t realize he needed. Nothing in his world had been right until he’d found her. He’d be a prince for her if she wanted him to be, but he’d be happy as long as she was his forever. He didn’t need anything else.
Epilogue
Aubriella sat in her personal solar at the castle. She still couldn’t believe she was going to marry Killian. Her life had taken such a drastic turn she wasn’t entirely certain how.
“Pardon me,” a male said. “You have a visitor.”
