by Kahlen Aymes
What he was doing wasn’t working for him. He checked himself in the mirror before he left and decided to change his shirt and run a comb through his hair. Back in the little deuce he headed to Abigail. If she was game, he knew exactly where he wanted to take her.
Chapter Five
The sun had just begun to set when he made his way back to Abigail’s front porch. Outside through the window he could see she had several candles lit on the end tables in the big room. A faint sound of music played in the air, slipping its way under the cracks in the door.
Just then she appeared. She didn’t know he was there, so he continued to watch. Abigail swayed, spun and turned herself around in time to the rhythm. In the dimmed light, he couldn’t help but notice how gracefully she moved.
A perfect picture played before him, except in his version he would be inside dancing in the dark with her. The idea of Abigail being the person he came home to night after night felt right. Maybe his grandmother knew something he didn’t.
He felt embarrassed when Abigail turned and caught him staring through her window. She moved to turn off the music and came to open the door.
“Hello, Dylan, is everything all right?” She looked up into those beautiful eyes of his and was ready to melt.
Nervous, he shifted his weight from one foot to the next. “It’s a beautiful night and I wanted to see if you would want to go for a drive with me.”
“Where?”
“Come and see.” Dylan teased her with those words. It didn’t matter where she went as long as it was with him. Maybe he would try to give her that kiss that he thought about earlier.
“Ok, just let me blow out the candles.”
Abigail wore that same bright smile when she returned moments later.
“Do you think I need a jacket?” she wondered, not sure of how far they’d be going or how long they’d be gone.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.” His words were dipped in silk. Abigail knew better than to meet his eyes and see the look that accompanied his words.
“Give me a clue about where we’re heading.” She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth. Dylan watched as her tongue licked her lip, making the plush lips even more appealing to him. Yes, before the night was over he would know how it felt to press his lips against Abigail’s.
Dylan set to heed his grandmother’s advice about wooing remembering that it took a series of events for his grandparents to realize they were a good match. For the first time in his life he was about to chase love, Abigail Love to be exact. If this was the first step in something with Abigail, he knew where he wanted their story to begin. So, following his heart, he took her to a location that he held dear.
A place that held a special place for him after the loss of his parents. “My special place . . . it’s my own private beach. Just an hour away, but it’s a great night for a drive. I would go when I needed my space. I loved my grandparents don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I just needed to be alone with my thoughts. So, I’d come up here and bring a blanket and lay for hours watching the sunset, the stars.”
Part of Abigail was tempted to ask him how many of these things he saw alone, but it didn’t matter. There were men in her past, not as many women as he had company with she was sure. “That is so beautiful, Dylan.” Dylan had shared something so close to his heart that it moved her.
“There’s something I’ve been wondering. Why end up in the middle of nowhere and befriend a lonely old widow?”
”Why not here?” Maybe there wasn’t any shame in admitting she tried to run away from her past to build a new future.
“Loki and I drove through the area and got lost following my GPS, and this place grew on me. I saw the for sale sign and got out and started looking around.”
”Wait,” Dylan interrupted, “knowing Gram the way I do, let me guess she drove down here to see what you were doing and before you knew it she was helping you pick out curtains for the place.”
Abigail laughed, this one was even bigger than the one he heard before. “You were pretty close to how it all happened. She ended up inviting me back to her place and we looked at picture albums over tea. She told me that this was the place where she raised her family with the man she loved. I don’t know . . . this is going to sound silly . . . ”
”Abigail, nothing you can say is going to sound silly.” He spoke to her with a kind endearing tone.
“Ok, I thought maybe if this place was filled with so much love and happiness, perhaps it would rub off on me too if I moved here.” It was what her heart desired most. Here it seemed to pay off since this place was leading her to Dylan.
”That’s not silly at all. Tell me about Loki.” Dylan realized there was a difference between pleasantries and getting to know a person. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Abigail. To understand what made her the beautiful woman sitting next to him today.
“I still remember the day I went to the pet shop. He was the little runt in the pack with one brown eye and one blue one. The owner offered to give him away to anyone who would take him. I took one look at him and it was love at first sight.”
Soon they reached their destination. Dylan was sure to take Abigail’s hand and lead her down the rugged path of crushed clam shells mixed in with sand until they entered a small clearing of beach. In the distance, Abigail heard waves as they crashed against the shore. He shone a flashlight for her to spread the blanket out on the soft sand. It wasn’t quite dark enough for all the stars to be out for the night’s show, so he decided to continue the conversation from the car. He asked her pointed questions that she couldn’t answer with a simple yes or no. He wanted to understand the way her thought process worked.
Dylan inched closer and propped himself up on his elbows, eyes still locked on hers. He listened as she opened up, getting a glimpse into to her soul. She even told him about the night she got the call about the accident. She hadn’t breathed a word of it to another soul before. Not in that kind of detail. Then when she finished it was his turn to share with her. He opened up about his hopes and dreams for the future.
“Well, my gram was right. She told me once I spent time with you I would see why she loves you as much as she does.” Dylan’s words were meant to be more than just a casual compliment. It reflected his feelings too.
“I’m quite fond of her. I’ve learned so much from her and like knowing I have someone close by.”
“Sit up, the show is about to start.” Dylan pulled Abigail close, close enough that she could feel his heartbeat. Together they watched as the stars took over the night sky.
He turned her slightly in his arms so he would have perfect access to her mouth. She felt the shift, waited for him to make the next move. She tilted her head to the left, opened her mouth ever so slightly wanting to invite him in. A cool sensation hit her nose, then another on her eye. Then heavens opened up and they poured. It took mere moments for Dylan and Abigail to be drenched from head to toe.
“Hurry, to the car.” Dylan grabbed her hand and ran with her through the rain. Inside the car they waited out the worst part of the storm. Dylan cursed under his breath. This couldn’t be happening. Being soaked to the bone wasn’t romantic. He turned on the car and noticed Abigail had begun to shiver, goosebumps raised on her arms.
“I’m turning on the heat. We’ll warm up soon.”
She was thankful for the steady tapping of the rain on the windshield. Otherwise, she swore he heard the nervous beating of her heart.
“Are you cold?” He looked over at the woman sitting in the seat beside him, noticing her shiver.
“A little bit.” She diverted her attention long enough to give him a weak smile.
“Thank you for bringing me here and sharing this spot with me.” Before Abigail got the last word out of her mouth, Dylan leaned forward to press his lips against hers. It wasn’t much of an earth-shattering kiss considering Abigail was still trying to warm up, but she kissed him back. Abigail fought against the lump
in her throat, trying to keep her composure. The feel of Dylan’s lips on hers made her want to lose all control.
That kiss was enough to let him know what Abigail was feeling for him. He wanted another chance to do it again.
Dylan moved to put the car into drive and the rain continued to pound relentlessly against his car. Streaks of light flashed in the distance. A storm was coming and they were smack dab in the middle of it. Dylan grabbed his phone off the dash. There were missed calls and texts all from his grandmother.
Grandma: Under a tornado watch, the road here is flooded. Stay safe.
“Well, I wasn’t expecting that.” Dylan passed his phone to Abigail to show her the message. If it was going to get worse, they would need to seek shelter together and quick.
“There’s no way for us to make it back home. You agree with that?” As much as he wanted nothing more than private time alone with Abigail, he didn’t want to make her feel coerced into the situation.
Abigail didn’t hesitate before answering, “I agree, let’s find a place to stay for the night.”
While Dylan worked on navigating through the storm, Abigail searched through points of interest on the navigation system until she found shelter within a reasonable distance.
According to the GPS, a local hotel was only seven miles down the road. A small convertible car wasn’t the sturdiest automobile to be driving in inclement weather.
Dylan had kissed her and now they were heading to a hotel. Abigail at least thought this required some sort of mention, but he never said a word. So she didn’t bring it up. The man lives in New Orleans and looks like the cover model for the sexiest man alive. He probably wasn’t fazed. Who was she kidding, it was barely a kiss, although she kissed him back to let him know she was interested as well.
Visibility was low, so he turned on his high beams and flashers and got them to the hotel safely.
Dylan stepped out into the rain to secure a room while she waited in the car.
Chapter Six
“We’re in luck, they had one room left. Let’s get you warmed up.” Dylan led the way down the hall to their room.
He was nervous, although he tried his best not to let it show. It took Abigail’s help to get the key into the door. The room was more than comfortable, it was beautiful. A few steps inside the room, was a separate living room area with couch, television, and fridge. There was a bathroom on her right and the bedroom straight ahead.
“Take a nice warm shower. I’m going to see if I can find us something to help us warm up. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
Dylan tried to resist the obvious physical attraction he felt. He fought hard and lost. As Abigail spoke he surveyed her body, the way the wet cloth clung to her she reminded him of a present, all that was missing was a big red ribbon to tie her up.
The dress clung to every curve, emphasizing those amazing breasts he couldn’t stop staring at. She noticed him and licked her lips. If he didn’t get out of there now he was going to lose his control. He put forth the effort to not just make this about something physical, he liked the idea of trying for something more with Abigail.
He distanced himself from the situation by grabbing a key and heading back down to the main lobby of the hotel. Surely there would be a place for him to buy food and possibly a bar to have a drink. Next to the main registration desk there was a short alcove with bottles of alcohol and snack foods. All he could think about was a naked Abigail in the shower. Quickly, he paid for his treasures and headed back to the room to wait for her.
The door to the bathroom was still closed when he returned. He tried to come up with something funny to say, or maybe he should knock on the door to see if she needed assistance.
What was he thinking? Dylan paced back and forth in the closed space. No matter what his body told him he felt and needed, he made a promise to his grandmother and to Abigail. He wanted Abigail to have the opportunity to see that even someone as messed up as he was could love someone like her as perfectly as he could.
She took her time and enjoyed the warmth of the water. Dylan was right, they were very lucky that they happened across the last vacancy.
Funny the way fate works. It was an odd twist of fate that led her to this property. That was her connection to Marvel, and Dylan by default. If Loki hadn’t taken a turn for the worst, she planned to spend that very day at the beach with him. Instead she met Dylan there at her lowest point.
The more time she spent with Dylan, the more she pondered the possibility of something beyond this weekend. They weren’t really strangers after all, when she considered all the intimate details Marvel had shared with her about Dylan. She knew for certain where details of her life were concerned, Marvel shared the same things with Dylan.
What was going on inside her?
She had only been here for a year. In just a span of 365 days, her life had made a complete turnaround. After the terrible loss of her family in that tragic fire, she wondered if there would ever be a place in this world where she’d feel she belonged.
She refused to stay in that same town she grew up in, or to even complete her college education. She hated that everyone who meant well looked at her with such pity. It made it hard to tell whether or not their feelings were genuine. And no, she didn’t want to die a lonely old woman, but what choice did she have in the matter?
Things happen, people move, they have accidents and die. Leaving you alone with nothing but the memories. Abigail knew what giving her heart to someone would mean, and she wasn’t ready to take that chance.
She had to admit that there was something she felt with Dylan. The time she spent in his company made her feel like they had already spent an eternity together.
It was because of Marvel.
She had filled Abigail’s head with so many stories about her grandson and made her feel like family. It as an illusion, one that would fade away soon after Dylan returned home. Or was it? There under the stars he showed her what was in his heart.
Maybe all of this was in her path for a reason.
She emerged from the bathroom wearing one of the white guest robes. Dylan was back, with alcohol and snacks. “Damn, you’re so beautiful, Abigail. I could look at you forever and never grow tired of it.”
He spoke in a low, soft voice, keeping his eyes on Abigail and pinning her back against the wall. With one look she told him a thousand things. The gentle way she closed her eyes and leaned her cheek into his touch.
God, he couldn’t hold off any longer. Dylan slid his hand around the back of her neck, helping her to stay in place. “I’m going to kiss you now, Abigail.” He continued to look at her, watching her eyes for some response.
The response was there instantly when he pressed his lips to hers. All he did was touch the tip of his tongue to her bottom lip. Barely tracing it before she opened for him. She pressed herself against him then begged for entrance with her own tongue.
Tongues tangled and fought for control while hands soothed and caressed. Dylan slid his fingers through the loop of her robe, needing to touch more of her.
He undressed then lifted her into his arms, kissing her as they made their way to the oversized bed. She was finished thinking about all the reasons why this could end badly, all that mattered was this moment. Here she wanted to give herself to Dylan.
Dylan took his time, worshipped every inch of flesh he came in contact with. He wanted her to feel cherished. When he filled her, it was pure heaven. Instinct told him to conquer, devour, and claim, but his heart told him to give her tenderness, so he did.
She opened that pretty mouth and let out the most beautiful sound in the world. The way she moaned his name was a glorious melody. “Dylan, don’t stop.”
His body shuddered, both of them dangled dangerously close to losing control, held together by a mere string. Dylan didn’t want it to end as he pushed deeper, thrusted harder till nothing was left but the echoing of their breaths in the moonlight.
As he laid with his arms wr
apped around her, he no longer worried about making space in his heart, she was already there.
At that moment, Dylan wanted to hold Abigail in his arms forever, protecting her from ever feeling alone again. He knew he could give her pleasure, romance, and the most important thing, love.
Dylan was the first to speak. “I just want to thank you for tonight, for this.”
“Don’t be silly, what would you have to thank me for?” It seemed awkward to have a lover thanking her for sex. What she shared with Dylan felt like so much more. For the last year Marvel had been bringing them together. Their hearts and souls already knew each other before this formal introduction. She knew tonight was about their bodies catching up to where their hearts had been led.
“Because you love me like no one else will, I have to make you mine forever.”
Fate did have a way of working things out.
About the Author
Misha Elliott is an old movie watching, wine drinking, book-lover. Once a northerner she now calls the Lone Star state her home. She can’t remember a time when books weren't a part of her life. Writing gives her a reason to talk to the voices in her head. When she isn’t writing, you will find her talking about books with friends or at the beach with her toes in the sand.
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To read other titles by Misha Elliott and to learn about upcoming releases, please visit her website.
Spellbound
by Ashlee Sinn
I cursed under my breath as I tried to wave the smoke away. The burning pile of charred meat sitting on the plate in front of me symbolized my failure once again.
“What’s that smell, Kenzie?” Bo bounced into the open kitchen of our new home, kissed me on the cheek, and then scrunched up his nose when he saw the remains of a spell gone wrong. “Did you just kill something?”
