Taffys Man
Page 4
She didn’t weep for herself because she adored Manny either way, but she knew it would be
difficult for him to lose his body so soon after obtaining it. She held him closer to her.
The tingle that had concentrated in her clit started to blossom, expanding to the rest of her nerve endings. Her hips moved in intense surges that she had no control over, and then her inner muscles clenched hard, bowing her back. She cried out wildly when the blossom came into full bloom and spread all over her body, reaching to the very tips of her fingers and toes. She heard Manny murmuring, but couldn’t understand what he said. The gentle tones of his husky voice, interweaving with her pleasure, made them one and the same.
With the waning of her sensations, she could breathe again. Her eyes fluttered open to find Manny watching her. He sprinkled kisses across her lips and cheeks as he continued to pump
into her. She ground her hips into his, hoping to make the experience as pleasurable for him as he’d made it for her. When his fingers tightened around hers and his kisses ended, she knew his time had come.
He drove hard into her then his whole body stiffened against hers. His eyes squeezed shut
and his back arched him away from her. A guttural groan rumbled deep in his throat and ended on a roar as he came inside her. When he fell against her, taking most of his weight on his arms planted in the mattress, his head nestled in the crook of her neck. She rubbed his back as she listened to his heavy breathing.
Only a few minutes passed until he rolled to her side and gathered her into his arms. “I love you, Taffy,” he murmured as soon as he’d caught his breath then placed a kiss at her temple.
The declaration of love startled her. “Oh, Manny—”
He interrupted her by placing a finger across her lips. “Let me finish. I wanted to wait to tell you until I could offer you more than just a hand. This body is temporary. I might never have a permanent one, so this might be the only chance I get. You have my heart, Taffy. I’ve loved you for a long time, and spending the past few days with you has only strengthened what I feel for you.”
Taffy rose up, resting on her elbow, and looked deeply into his blue eyes. “The past few
days have taught me something, too. You don’t need a body to be a good person with a good
heart. Look at my ex, the tooth fairy queen, Otto, and even Myrtha. My ex, the queen, and Otto are mean-spirited jerks, and even Myrtha can be spiteful. She only helped me yesterday because she wanted to stick it to Otto for whatever reason. They all have bodies, but none of them are as sweet and kind and wonderful as you are as a hand. Having a body doesn’t mean anything if
your soul is corrupt.”
She kissed him and he responded eagerly. When they parted, she was breathless.
“Do you think you can love me, Taffy?” he whispered.
She brushed back his hair, raking her fingers through the long, dark strands. What did she
know about love? She’d spent too much time in Sinful Sundaes on sugar drunks using toffee
shakes to try to drown the poor choices she’d made and the memories of lousy jobs where she wasn’t appreciated.
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, but hastened to add, “and it has nothing to do with if you ever get a permanent body or not. I escaped two jobs in a row that I didn’t like and a
boyfriend who didn’t deserve my attention. I’m on my way to a new job and a new place to live.
I’m going to discover who I am and what I want. The only thing I know for certain is that I care for you a great deal and I want you in my life. Is that enough for you right now?”
He smiled and gathered her into the crook of his arm again. “As long as we’re together, it’s enough, sweet Taffy.”
Taffy sighed and snuggled into his embrace, enjoying the feel of his hard body next to hers.
Too soon, it would disappear and Manny would revert to being just a hand again. She would
miss his body until the next time they used the Manifestival Mocha ice cream, but she would always have the essence of the man that was Manny with her. And that was enough, too.
* * * * *
When Manny heard Taffy’s even breathing and knew she slept, he slipped out of bed and stood on two legs. Surprisingly steady, he walked across the room until he reached the dresser with a large mirror. He stared at his reflection—brown hair, blue eyes, slightly oval face, and lean torso—and every part of him except his left hand giving off a pale golden glow.
He’d hoped a name would spring instantly to mind and the details of his life quickly follow, but nothing happened. The sight of his face barely triggered one of the flashes of vague
familiarity he sometimes experienced. He frowned and the stranger in the mirror frowned back at him.
Turning away because the quicksilver held nothing for him, he looked at Taffy in bed. He
loved her and knew she deserved more than he could give her as a hand. Perhaps Electra’s magic would one day furnish him a body, but it might take years. Did he have the right to ask Taffy to accept his love and fall in love with him, too? He felt himself start to disintegrate even before he saw the two golden ribbons unraveling the body he’d all too quickly become accustomed to. He returned to the bed and slipped beneath the covers next to Taffy, enfolding her in his arms again.
He wanted her to be the last thing he felt before his body disappeared.
“Manny,” Taffy murmured sleepily.
He didn’t want her to see it happen. “Shhh, go back to sleep.”
She entwined the fingers of her right hand with his left and snuggled closer to him. “You
didn’t look in a mirror…”
“I did, but I didn’t recognize my face. It seems familiar—things always seem familiar—but I still don’t know who I am.”
“I’m sorry.”
He thought she slept, but most of him was gone before she spoke again. “We forgot to take
your picture.”
=Next time,= he tapped his thumb against hers. =Go back to sleep, sweet Taffy.=
In a few more moments, he was nothing more than a hand again. He missed his body. He
missed holding Taffy in his arms. Would she regret her decision to continue their relationship after she woke up and had time to think about it? Would she come to resent that he couldn’t make love to her like a normal man unless they used the enchanted ice cream? In the end, he decided it didn’t matter. She said she wanted him in her life, and that really was enough for him for now.
Manny caressed her thumb with his and allowed himself to relax, secure in the warm
embrace of Taffy’s hand.
The End?
Be sure to check out the exciting conclusion of Taffy and Manny’s story, available for
purchase now!
Taffy’s Man (Part Two) by Lani Aames
In Spellfire, Texas, where love and magic happen, Taffy and Manny are still together a year later. In Part Two, Taffy has a good job and her relationship with Manny is going great. Manny has a special surprise for Taffy, and Taffy uncovers clues to both their pasts. But no matter the outcome, Taffy and Manny will always have each other.
Magical fantasy erotic romance novelette, approx. 10,000 words or 34 pages.
More Spellfire, Texas, Stories
Look for more Spellfire, Texas, books coming soon from Silver Heart Books!
Dina’s Double Delight
By Mae Powers and Lani Aames
Laurance Boudreaux enters Sinful Sundaes Ice Cream Shoppe for a Double Delight banana
split. Laurance doesn’t expect to get a double helping of trouble from Dina Diablo, a maleficus demoness. And Dina never expects the sexy Cajun to double her pleasure with a double delight of his own.
Spellfire Hextasy—A Spellfire, Texas, collection of three novelettes
By Mae Powers and Lani Aames
Shifting Sensations—Demvir shifter Adam Spellfire and witch Tristine Havoc always
feude
d. Yet Tris can’t help but succumb to Adam's special hot fudge delights.
Drifting Desires—Harpy Collins’s mistaken thoughts made her cautious of loving
elemental sorcerer Derek Spellfire. With magical caresses, Derek’s determined to give Harpy the love she craves.
Lifting Love—Harpy, Derek, Tris, and Adam brave the shifting swamp to find the Heart of Knowledge, a magical plant. Each one’s special power comes into play as they battle lurking dangers that try to prevent them from achieving their goal.
Spellfire, Texas, Where Love and Magic Happen
About the Author
LANI AAMES lives in rural west Tennessee with her family and a clowder of cats. She is multi-published in a variety of sub-genres of erotic romance. She also writes romance as Lanette Curington. She has been e-published since 2000, presently with Ellora's Cave, Samhain, Loose Id, Amber Quill, and Silver Heart Books. For more information about Lani’s other books, visit her website: http://www.lanettecurington.com/laniaames.html
More Erotic Romance by Lani Aames
http://www.lanettecurington.com/laniaames.html
Desperate Hearts
Talley Robinson returns to her hometown and the childhood sweetheart she left behind,
Mitch Holloway. They renew their relationship, but Talley insists they take it slowly this time.
Unexpectedly, another man enters Talley’s life and heart—tall and rugged Mace. Talley must
choose between the sweet and familiar love she has for Mitch and the wickedly playful and
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Contemporary erotic romance novella, approx. 33,000 words or 110 pages.
Dina’s Double Delight
By Mae Powers and Lani Aames
Laurance Boudreaux enters Sinful Sundaes Ice Cream Shoppe for a Double Delight banana
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Dreamscaper’s Desire
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Paranormal erotic romance novel, approx. 54,000 words or 180 pages.
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and Tony are stranded on what appears to be a deserted island in a small chain of islands called the Pirate Keys. Gillian’s sprained ankle makes her unable to travel, so she and Brandt wait while Paige and Tony cross difficult terrain to try to find help. Gillian and Brandt take advantage of their privacy to explore their deepest desires while learning an important lesson in love. Paige and Tony run into problems, with both their mission and their relationship, but discover that nothing matters more than love. And a centuries-old mystery draws to an unearthly conclusion here on Gillian’s island.
Paranormal erotic romance novelette, approx. 11,000 words or 37 pages.
Invictus
Serena Blackstone, a non-magickal mundane, is irresistibly drawn to the dark and dangerous
Dungeon Master of Strange Castle, Invictus Cross, and sets out to seduce him with a little help from her witch friend. Invictus Cross intends to discourage the sexy mundane because she
shouldn’t be with him. His dark past is sure to come back to haunt him, and he doesn’t want Serena caught in the crossfire. Serena is shocked by his peculiar sexual demands, but because her enchanted robe reveals Invictus is her one true love, she willingly puts herself at his mercy.
Paranormal erotic romance novelette, approx. 10,000 words or 34 pages.
Jingle’s Belle
A week before Christmas, Belinda Cooper finds an elf named Jingle in her rock garden. At
first, Bel thinks she’s finally gone off the deep end and he’s an hallucination. When she realizes the pointed ears are real and that others can see him, she has to accept him for what he is. As the days count down, Bel is reminded of what Christmas—and love—are all about.
Paranormal erotic romance novella, approx. 20,000 words or 67 pages.
Jule Reigh and the Jim Stone Affair
Interpol agent Juliet Reigh is hot on the trail of the international jewel thief known as Jim Stone. Jule is determined to get her man any way she can, and Stone rises to the challenge with a titillating dare. An Interpol agent and an international jewel thief look beyond their differences for the happily-ever-after every couple craves in this arousing sexcapade of romantic fantasy and spy-spoof thriller.
Contemporary erotic romance novelette, approx. 11,000 words or 37 pages.
Manimal
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Kelsey expects snow, forest scenery, solitude to get some work done without interruptions, and not much else. When she nearly runs over a naked man in the snow, she discovers he’s more than a man and his need to mate is strong.
Paranormal erotic romance novelette, approx. 11,000 words or 37 pages.
Master of Disaster
Since the day she inherited a mysterious artifact from someone she once interviewed, small-
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Paranormal erotic romance novella, approx. 30,000 words or 100 pages.
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Paranormal erotic romance novella, approx. 21,000 words or 70 pages.
Must Be Magic
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Contemporary erotic romance novelette, approx. 11,000 words or 37 pages.
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Contemporary erotic romance novelette, approx. 11,000 words or 37 pages.
Santa’s X-mas