Gerard's Beauty

by Marie Hall

  Betty chewed on her thumb. “And if I fall in love with him? Does that mean he stays?”

  “He’ll stay.” Danika glanced at the wall opposite her.

  Betty tilted her head. The way the fairy had said it, more like a question than a statement of fact bothered Betty, but it didn’t really matter because Betty had no intention of falling in love with him. Though she wouldn’t think about him dying either, there had to be a way around that. No way would she be responsible for sending someone to their death. No way. Betty was plenty smart, she’d figure this out. “What about the other thing? The thing Galeta did to him?”

  “Put this on.” Danika handed Betty the necklace.

  The thin chain felt as heavy as a five pound dumb bell on her finger. She could barely stand to look at it. “I’ll put it in my jewelry box. I don’t want this thing on me.”

  “Doesn’t work that way, dear.” Danika swished her wand and unclasped the ring. “Move your hair.”

  “Why? I really don’t want to wear this.”

  “Because if you want to save his life, you must wear it at all times.”

  Betty wanted to refuse. But she shoved her hair off her shoulders instead and tensed as the necklace wound around her neck as if by invisible fingers. The moment it settled against her chest, warmth flowed from the pendant through her skin. Her entire body throbbed with liquid heat, from the tips of her pinky fingers to her toes. It was hard to describe, but it almost felt like the gentle swell of an ocean tide lapping against her breast. Her eyes widened and her mouth parted in an ‘o’.

  Danika patted the pendant and sighed.

  A rush of dizzying euphoria took hold of her, drove Betty to her feet, and she paced back and forth with restless energy. “I don’t want this. I’ve been burned. I don’t want to deal with another egotistical jerk and what... Oh no, wait a second.” She stopped on a dime, as another thought become painfully obvious. “He’s gonna have to stay here with me, isn’t he?”

  “Well--” the fairy wheedled, eyes scrunching in her face.

  “Oh jeez. Just wonderful.” Betty shook her head.

  “Get to know him, lass. If anyone can bring out the best in that man, it’s you. It’s there, just hidden. Make him see you.”

  “Why? What if I don’t want to?” After James, Betty had zero desire to begin another romance. She was tired of dating, tired of men, and so far Gerard had done very little to make her feel in any way romantically inclined toward him. The man could kiss like nobody’s business, but that was just sex. Betty wanted all or nothing, and refused to ever settle again.

  “Because you are his perfect match. Only you can awaken the shriveled mess of his heart, only you can break the curse Galeta planted on him.”

  Betty shook her head. What did the fairy possibly see in her to even make her think that? She and Gerard were oil and water. They didn’t mix, barely even got along. There was nothing there, chemistry maybe. But anything of any substance-- not a bit.

  “I can’t keep him here,” she crossed her arms.

  “He’s got no place else to go. Betty, you are it. His last hope. Love, that is the most powerful magic of all.” As she said it, her body began to grow translucent. “Love, it can move mountains.”

  She was fading, and Betty was still confused, still full of questions. “But what Galeta did. How do I break that?” she yelled at the barely there shadow.

  “Love conquers all...” The last words quivered on the air like the silken strand of a spider’s web.

  Chapter 8

  A knock sounded on the bathroom door. Gerard didn’t move off the toilet seat. “What?” he growled.

  “Gerard, its Betty,” her soft voice made his heart clench.

  “Go away.” He glanced back down at the dragonfly rug on the floor, dizzy with the reality of what’d just happened.

  How could Galeta have neutered him? Being bound to a woman was punishment enough, within the month they’d learn she did not love him and execute him posthaste. But now, now he’d never again know the pleasures of a woman’s body beneath his. Galeta might as well have killed him now.

  Galeta had warned him years ago, after he’d rebuffed her advances, that she’d make him pay. And she had. First with the twisted parody of ‘his’ story and now this. The muscles in his forearms locked with the strain of holding himself back from punching a hole through Betty’s wall.

  “Gerard, you need to come out. I think we should talk.”

  Women-- a pox on them all.

  He eyed the door and shot to his feet, slamming his open palm against the white paneled wood. “Come to gloat, to demand your due? What? What do you want from me?”

  His blood rushed hot in his ears. Gods the humiliation. Forced to do her bidding, knowing he could never feel another moment of pleasure again unless with her, and only if she fell in love with him. As if that could ever happen. She hated him already.

  Gerard pressed his forehead to the door. A sound, like the tapping of her fingers grated in his ears.

  “I’m sorry.”

  His fingers twitched. Why would she apologize?

  “Open the door, please.”

  He didn’t know what possessed him to open the door, but he flung it wide and her mouth parted on a wordless scream as she fell forward.

  Grabbing her under her arms, he righted her, and then glowered. “You asked me to open, you should have been prepared instead of tripping into me like a drunken whore!”

  Betty blustered, shoving strands of hair out of face. That’s when he noticed her spectacles. They were tipped at the corners, reminding him of cat eyes. Hideous things, but on her they looked adorable and he was shocked to note his pulse racing. That’s also when he realized he did not become hard, and the anger returned, sizzling hot through his gut. Growling, he walked out, forcing her to press up against the wall so as not to be run down.

  Gerard had no clue what to do. He felt lost and helpless, and those feelings so vexed him, he walked to front door intending to head out to the nearest bar and pound the first male face he saw.

  “Gerard Caron, you stop right there!” Betty demanded.

  Shocked, he paused with his hand on the knob.

  “Firstly,” she grabbed his shoulder and twirled him around, “you’re naked, do you have any idea how much trouble I’d get in for letting a crazy Frenchman walk the streets of the bible belt like that?” She gestured at him, a becoming pink flush rose high on her cheeks.

  He glanced down at himself and his lips twitched; nudity bothered her more than him. Though he did not care for the fact that her eyes lingered on his flaccid cock. He squeezed his eyes shut, wanting to shout that if he could, he’d be hard and ready for her.

  “Secondly,” she said slowly, drawing his attention back to her, “I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

  “Why do you care?” he asked after a hearts beat.

  She smiled, and when she moved closer, the hair slid off the nape of her neck, exposing the fluttering beat of her pulse. She was nervous? Of him? Of the situation? He wished he knew. Betty grabbed his hand and led him back to her living room.

  “We need to talk,” she said again, “Danika told me parts of this story. But you really have to give it to me straight. It’s not just you anymore. We’re in this together now.”

  She tucked her long legs underneath her bottom, and Gerard clenched his eyes shut. He couldn’t look at her, seeing her and knowing he could do nothing to quench his lust was as a dagger in the heart. Torture.

  “And maybe you should put this over your lap,” she smiled, tucking a fluffy pink blanket around him.

  He almost chuckled, relieved that even unmanned as he was, he still managed to make her want him. That was, until he saw the large face of a cartoonish cat staring back at him. “Gods mademoiselle,” he curled his lip, “so much pink.”

  “Hey,” she punched him lightly on the arm, “I’m a single girl. If I want to rock the Hello Kitty theme, then it’s my prerogative. Now stop st
alling and talk.”

  “Go change,” he ordered gruffly, scrubbing a hand down his jaw.

  “What?” her brows gathered and she looked down at herself. “I’m perfectly fine.”

  “Betty Hart,” he growled, “you wish to talk, fine I’ll oblige you. But change, I cannot focus for want of you, it is a small torture to see you and know I cannot have you. Change.”

  “You couldn’t have me anyway,” she huffed, crossing her arms underneath her chest and his mouth watered seeing the rounded globes inch higher.

  “Now,” he gritted and clamped his lips shut, choosing to ignore her jab.

  Betty narrowed her eyes, but after a tense moment, she finally stood and marched back into the hallway.

  Gerard leaned his head back, rubbing his throbbing temples, wondering how he’d ever last around her. His curse could be lifted, if she fell in love with him.

  Hell of a turn his life had taken. He’d tell her the truth, in all its unvarnished glory. She’d never believe him anyway, what did it matter?

  Her shuffling feet made him lift his head, and he laughed when he saw her glower. She wore a thick white jacket that covered her down to mid calf.

  “There,” she snapped, “better?”

  Still laughing, he nodded. “Much.”

  “Look at me,” she walked slowly to the chair opposite him, “I’m not even going to sit next to you.”

  He bit his lip, delighted to note her breathing hitch ever so slightly. Gerard slouched, stretching out his legs.

  “Ugh! You made me change, I really wish you’d do the same for me. I gave you some clothes earlier, why aren’t you wearing them?” Her nose did a cute wrinkle when she grumbled.

  The jacket might as well have been a big marshmallow on her. But even so, with her mussed hair and sexy glasses, she made him ache for a touch of that supple flesh beneath. For another one of those kisses that had stolen his breath only hours earlier.

  “They’ve been worn by other men. I don’t share,” he said, and her eyes widened. He licked his teeth, knowing she’d caught his double meaning. “What do you wish to know, shrew?”

  Her lips thinned. “For starters, Danika never could tell me why Galeta had a hard on for you. The she demon had revenge on the mind and I want to know why.”

  “Oh gods...”

  “Ah.” She held up her finger. “You promised.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Enfer.”

  She lifted a brow. “Oh hell is right. I’m waiting. In fact, I’ll wait here all night. Out with it. I’m involved in this now too, I need to know why. Danika gave me very little and call me--”

  “A nag,” Gerard supplied with a grin.

  She stuck her tongue out. “Whatever. I don’t care. You owe me. I think I just saved your butt from the fire, and I want to know that it was worth it. So start talking, mister.”

  “Because she tried to seduce me, I spurned her, and she’s never forgiven me for it.” He waited, knowing she’d laugh.

  She laughed. “Oh man, that’s rich. You, the guy with sex on the mind twenty four seven, expect me to believe that. How long were you guys bumping fuzzies before you decided to move on to greener pastures?” She lifted her brow.

  He had no idea what the hell that meant, but he was pretty certain he got the gist of it.

  “Gerard, you’re stuck with me for a month. I’ve got nothing but time.” She tapped her fingers rhythmically on her arm.

  “You don’t know me, Betty. You know nothing of me. Yes, I like sex. In fact, I love it. I know you do, any red blooded creature does. I won’t deny it.” He drilled her with his hard gaze, defying her to deny his assertion.

  After a moment she blinked and looked down at her feet.

  “I did deny her. She’s rather terrifying as far as females go. Those fangs,” he shuddered, “nasty creature that fee.”

  Betty nodded. “I noticed those things too. She’s pretty scary for being barely a foot tall.”

  “You’re taking this very well.” He cocked his head. “I’d have expected most mortals to deny what they’d seen. Run in terror, something.”

  Betty plucked at her jacket. “I’m not most mortals.” She chanced a fleeting glance at him, her brown eyes huge and warm in her beautiful face.

  What was it about the woman, the more he looked, the prettier she became. It was odd, and not altogether pleasing. Gerard frowned, shifting around. The blanket slipped, and like a laser her eyes zoomed to his lap. He patted it back into place. Her face flushed crimson, but she nodded in silent thanks.

  She swallowed and then looked directly at him. “I swear I’ll kill you myself, Gerard Caron...”

  The way his name spilled from her lips with her strange accent made his blood hot.

  “But I’m a card carrying geek.”

  “A what?”

  Betty ran her finger along her jaw line. Why had he never noticed the shimmering green of her sculpted nails? She had such delicate fingers, long boned and finely wrought. What would that hand feel like on him? His blood hummed and his body tingled. Those fingers caressing his balls, running long and slow down his hard cock.

  He clenched his jaw, and glanced quickly at the wall. Gerard might no longer be able to harden, but the desire hadn’t waned. And if he didn’t watch it, he’d keep himself in a perpetual state of phantom arousal and pain.

  “Oh jeez, I never talk about this.” Her eyes narrowed, and with an embarrassed twist of her lips, she got up, grabbed her bag off the kitchen counter, and then plopped back down on the couch next to him. She dug around the brown purse. “No laughing. You swear.”

  Did her voice shake just now? And why was that so damn adorable? He nodded. “No laughing.”

  Betty bit her bottom lip, and Gerard licked his own, wishing it were his tongue on her instead. The jacket was doing nothing to dull his desire. For the first time in his life he realized just how often he’d focused on sex and sex alone. Now that he couldn’t have it, he’d have to learn new ways to seduce and woo. The moment he thought it, he knew that’s exactly what he meant to do. He’d win his freedom by making her fall in love with him.

  It might be harder without the benefit of his skills in bed, but he’d succeed. He had no choice. Mind made up, he turned to her, deciding then and there he’d focus fully on her needs, wishes, and wants.

  She handed him a yellow card. Betty nibbled on her thumb, her anxiety so palpable his pulse quickened.

  Gerard glanced at the card. A cartoonish picture of two men engaged in a fierce sword battle stared back at him.

  “Hello my name is Betty Hart, librarian by day, and Manga superhero slash anime fanatic by night. I’m a member of the guild of Bleeding Heart Rebels and go by the name Eclipse. I’ve even been known to larp in college,” she squeaked out the last, wincing as she stared at him, looking like a frightened colt of what he’d think.

  Based off her reaction, he was fairly certain what she’d just admitted to was as heinous an embarrassment as they came. Gerard scratched his chin. “And that means what?”

  She covered her face with her hands. “You were supposed to be talking to me about this stuff, and here I am the one suddenly on the spot. Look,” she peeked out at him from between her fingers, “if you’re real nice I’ll show you what I mean some other day. Can we just get back on topic?”

  “But this is on topic,” he grinned, enjoying her sudden display of shyness as much as anything else. “I asked you why you’re so okay with all this, and I’m not sure what this,” he lifted the card, “has to do with that.”

  She snatched the card out of his hands and shoved it back into her purse. “That’s only part of it, the other part, and I guess the most relevant, is that Daddy was an astrobiologist.”

  Again he shook his head. “And that means?”

  “He believed in life on other planets. In fact, he was so sure of it, he wrote several books based on the truth behind popular mythos and the science of the fall of alien man. I guess you can say I came by my g
eek status honestly. Daddy taught me all he knew, and when I grew up, his words still made sense.” She shrugged. “I went to college, got a degree in psychology which I put to zero use, and discovered my dad wasn’t crazy, but brilliant.”

  “What made you certain he wasn’t simply a raving lunatic?” Gerard asked, genuinely intrigued. This woman was so different from what he’d known, gorgeous yes... but stimulating as well.

  Her smile was brilliant as she bounced up again and ran back down her hall. She came back seconds later with a large leather bound book in her hands. Gerard’s heart flipped when she opened the book and handed it to him. She pointed to a spot on the page. “Read this.” She fairly vibrated with enthusiasm.