by Karen Lynch
We left the city and drove through several small towns before Chris turned onto a gravel driveway. He stopped in front of a white two-story house overlooking the ocean. The house was hidden from the road by trees, and the view was breathtaking.
I got out of the truck and inhaled deeply of the cold ocean air. The breeze was chilly, but the morning sun felt good on my face.
“What do you think?”
“It’s beautiful,” I breathed, intrigued by some peculiar little black and white birds skimming across the water. I couldn’t tell if they were swimming or flying.
He put an arm around me and pulled me close for a quick hug. “Come on. I want to show you the house.”
Grabbing our bags from the truck, he went ahead of me to unlock the front door. I expected to enter a cold house, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it toasty warm inside.
“I called the caretakers yesterday and asked them to get the place ready for us,” Chris explained as we walked through a big eat-in kitchen. “They stocked the fridge and pantry for us, too.”
The living room was nice, and its best feature was the large window overlooking the ocean. There was a fireplace we could use, though the house was heated by a furnace in the basement.
Upstairs, there were three bedrooms and a single bathroom. I wondered aloud how a whole family could get by with one bathroom.
Chris laughed. “Times were different back when this house was built.”
He entered the largest bedroom and laid our bags on the queen-size bed. It was covered with a colorful patchwork quilt that had to be handmade.
My stomach did a little flip at the thought of sleeping in this bed with Chris. I didn’t know why I was nervous, considering I’d been sharing a bed with him for a week. But something about our trip and this room felt different, more intimate.
To hide my sudden shyness, I walked over to the window, which also looked out over the water. The original owners had really capitalized on the location when they built the house.
“How did your parents find this place?” I asked Chris without looking away from the window.
“They took a trip to the island, and they loved it so much they hired someone to find them a house. My mother would have been happy to stay, but there’s not much work for a warrior here.”
“I guess not.”
I’d learned about the island in my studies. It was one of the few places on Earth that was considered Fae territory. No one knew why the faeries had claimed it as their own, but it had been that way for as long as anyone could remember. They seemed to tolerate our people in small numbers, but no vampire would dare set foot on the island.
Chris joined me at the window. “Do you like the house?”
“I love it.” I faced him. “Can we take a look around?”
“We can do anything you want. But first, I’m going to make us some breakfast.”
He took my hand in his, and we went downstairs. Chris cooked while I tried the delicious homemade bread and jam provided by the caretakers. I made a note to thank them and let them know how much I’d enjoyed it.
After our meal, we set out on foot to explore the town. The sky was partially overcast, but the sun managed to break through enough to make it a beautiful day. It could have been raining, and I wouldn’t have cared as long as I was with Chris.
Living in Los Angeles, I’d gotten used to how strangers avoided interacting with each other in public. It shocked me when most people we passed here called out a greeting. I mentioned it to Chris, and he laughed at my amazement that people could be so friendly.
At noon, we stopped into a quaint little coffee shop for lunch, and Chris teased me about all the baked treats I consumed.
“All this fresh air makes me hungry,” I said after I’d eaten two of the little chocolate-covered peanut butter balls. “These are so yummy. You should try one.”
His eyes sparkled with laughter. “I will if there are any left when you’re done.”
When we finished our walking tour of the town, we headed back to the house. We made dinner together, and then we went down to the beach where someone had created a fire pit out of rocks. Chris got a fire going and sat with his back to a small boulder, tugging me down to sit between his legs.
I leaned back against him and sighed happily. This place was far removed from California and all that had happened, and I could feel it working its healing magic on me. “It’s so peaceful here.”
“We can stay here as long as you want.”
I tilted my head to look up at him. “On the beach or the island?”
“Whatever you want.”
He lowered his head, and my breath hitched in anticipation of his kiss. Disappointment washed over me when he playfully kissed the tip of my nose. It was sweet and affectionate, like everything else he did for me, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted him to kiss me like he used to, like he couldn’t get enough of me.
I stared at the fire again without seeing it. What if Chris didn’t want me that way anymore? I knew he loved me and he was even more protective of me now, but I was afraid he no longer desired me. I’d been with the Lilin for almost a week. What if that had changed how Chris saw me?
The fire died down, and Chris stood, helping me up. Hand in hand, we walked back to the house and up to the bedroom we were sharing. I brushed my teeth and then changed into my sleep clothes while he was in the bathroom. It was our nightly routine now.
When he came back to the bedroom, I was already in bed, waiting for him. He turned off the light and got in beside me. Wordlessly, he opened his arms, and I went into them.
“Love you,” he said.
“Love you back.”
I closed my eyes and let the steady sound of his breathing lull me to sleep.
* * *
Chris and I spent the next few days exploring the surrounding towns, getting to know the locals, and not taking life too seriously for once. When you are constantly protecting humans from the bad guys, it’s easy to forget there is a lot more good than evil in the world. Sometimes, you just need to get away from it all to understand that.
When the caretaker heard how much I loved her bread, a new loaf arrived every morning, along with another bottle of what she called bakeapple jam. She laughingly informed me that a bakeapple was a berry, not an apple, and she offered to give me some to take back with me. She looked insulted when I wanted to pay for it, so I didn’t bring it up again.
Every night after dinner, we went down to the beach to sit by the fire. We talked, but only about things we’d done that day or our plans for the next one. Neither of us mentioned what had happened to me, but I could tell Chris was waiting for me to talk about it. On our third night there, I finally found the courage to open up to him.
“He wanted to keep me…as a mate,” I said, never taking my eyes off the fire.
I felt Chris stiffen behind me, but he stayed silent, waiting for me to continue.
“I told him I had a mate, but he knew we’d never…” I cleared my throat. “He didn’t care that I loved you. He said I’d forget you eventually.”
Chris’s chest rumbled angrily against my back.
“I could never forget you,” I whispered.
His arms tightened around me, and he leaned down to press his cheek to mine. “I know.”
I took a deep breath. I had already told him I’d been locked in my room most of the time and that I’d mostly seen Adam at dinner with the other girls. Now that the time had come to tell him the rest, I couldn’t seem to find the right words.
Chris rubbed my arms. “You don’t have to talk about it if you’re not ready.”
I took hold of his hands and drew his arms around me again.
“Adam – the Lilin,” I amended, because Chris hated to hear me call him by name. “He thought he could use his power to make me love him like the human girls did. He…came to my room when I was asleep and fed his energy to me.”
Chris swore, and I could feel his fury simmering beneath the
surface. I tensed, waiting for him to stand and move away from me, but he stayed where he was.
“He couldn’t make me love him, but I started to…” I couldn’t say it. I couldn’t hurt him like that.
“You felt a physical attraction,” Chris said tenderly.
I nodded stiffly, and he kissed my temple.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of. You were under the influence of a powerful demon.”
My eyes filled with angry tears. “It shouldn’t have mattered how strong he was. He never should have been able to make me feel those things for him. How can you even touch me, knowing I let him do that to me?”
Chris lifted me and sat me sideways on his lap. I couldn’t look at him, so he turned my face toward his. The light from the fire showed me the fierce love shining in his eyes.
“You did not let him do that. He forced it on you.”
“But –”
“No buts. A Lilin’s power is designed to manipulate emotions, the same way a Master could make you believe whatever they want. They’re predators, Dove. I’d be just as susceptible to a Master as you were to the Lilin. Maybe more. Would you think less of me if that happened?”
I sniffled. “No.”
His thumb swiped at the wetness on my cheek. “Is this why you didn’t want to talk about what happened? You thought it would change how I felt about you?”
I averted my eyes, not wanting to see his disappointment. “Yes.”
He pulled me against his chest, and I laid my head on his shoulder.
“I love you, Beth, and nothing will ever change that. Tell me you believe me.”
I sighed, feeling lighter and happier than I’d been in almost two weeks.
“I believe you.”
Chris
Beth relaxed against me. She hadn’t been herself since the night I brought her home, and everyone I’d talked to had said she just needed time and love. I’d give her whatever she needed for however long she needed it.
It killed me to know what she’d been going through because of that bastard. He’d messed with her mind and made her believe she’d done something wrong, that she was unworthy of my love. I wanted to bring him back to life so I could be the one to kill him.
She hadn’t told me about the night she’d killed the Lilin, but she would when she was ready. It was enough that she’d been able to open up to me about what she was feeling.
I held her close and looked out over the water that sparkled under the full moon. When my mother had suggested this house for a getaway, she’d confided she had always thought there was something magical about the island. Seeing the light come back into Beth’s eyes over the last few days, I was starting to believe my mother was right.
Beth lifted her head and looked at me before she leaned in and brushed my lips with hers. It was the first time she’d initiated a kiss since she’d come home, and my breath stalled as I waited to see what she would do next.
She placed her hands on my shoulders and slanted her mouth against mine. I opened to her, letting her take the lead, and nearly lost my mind at the first swipe of her tongue against mine. Fire ignited in my blood, and I stifled a groan when she raked her fingers through my hair and held my head in place as she kissed me slowly and thoroughly.
I protested when her mouth left mine, and she let out a sexy little laugh as she trailed kisses along my jaw. When her tongue traced the shell of my ear, it was all I could do to sit still. I wanted nothing else but to lay her down on this beach and worship every inch of her body.
Hot breath washed over my ear, and the world stopped when she said, “I need…”
“What do you need?” I asked huskily.
“You,” she whispered.
I cradled her face in my hands and looked into her beautiful gray eyes. “You have me.”
Her teeth tugged at her bottom lip, and her eyes filled with uncertainty. I grazed her lip with my thumb and felt her tremble.
“What is it, Dove?”
“I want to…” She glanced away self-consciously. “I don’t know how to make it good for you.”
Make it good for me? I stared at her profile for a moment before her words sank in. She was trying to seduce me.
My chest expanded, and I could barely keep the grin off my face. God, I loved this woman.
“It’s good because it’s you,” I said, wishing she’d look at me and see the truth in my eyes.
“I know we have the bond, but you’re used to experienced women, and I’ve never –”
“Stop.” I captured her chin with my hand and gently forced her to face me again. “I’m glad you have no experience because it means I am the only man you’ll ever have. You may not have noticed it, but I’m a little possessive when it comes to you.”
She gave me a small smile. “I might have noticed that.”
“Good.”
I stood with her in my arms and set her on her feet so I could douse the fire. She laughed when I swung her into my arms again and started walking to the house.
“I can walk, you know,” she protested half-heartedly.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
I entered the house and carried her straight to our bedroom. When I looked at the bed, I was surprised to suddenly feel nervous. I’d imagined this moment so many times, and I wanted to make it perfect for her.
Setting her on the edge of the bed, I knelt on the floor between her legs, putting my face level with hers. I reached behind her and freed her hair from its ponytail, letting it fall in soft waves around her shoulders. Moonlight poured in through the open curtain, bathing her in a soft glow and making her blonde hair gleam like white gold.
“What?” she asked hesitantly, making me realize I’d been staring at her.
“You are so beautiful.”
I put a hand on the back of her head and pulled her toward me as I leaned in to taste her sweet mouth again. She met me eagerly, and what started as tender soon became hungry and urgent. Without breaking the kiss, I removed her coat and then my own. I had her shirt unbuttoned before I pulled back, panting.
“Am I going too fast?”
Her answer was to grab the bottom of my thin sweater. I raised my arms, and she pulled it over my head, throwing it somewhere behind me. I smiled and returned the favor, freeing her from her shirt. Nudging her chin up with my nose, I gained access to her throat and leisurely tasted every inch of her skin down to the swell of her breasts. The sight of them rising and falling with each quick breath nearly undid me, but I forced myself to stop and make sure she was still with me.
“Beth?”
“Don’t stop,” she said in a low throaty voice that sent a bolt of raw lust through me.
I pressed light kisses above the cups of her delicate satin bra as my fingers found the tiny clasp at the front. My heart raced like it was my first time when I moved the cups aside and bared her to me.
“Perfection,” I whispered roughly as I dipped my head again.
Her fingers dug into my shoulders, and I almost growled with satisfaction to be the first – and the only – male to know her body and to give her pleasure.
Lifting my head, I met her heavy-lidded eyes. I gently pushed her down on the bed, and she looked up at me with so much love and trust that I suddenly found it hard to breathe.
I kept my gaze locked with hers as I removed her short boots then unbuttoned her jeans and eased them over her hips and down her long legs. Reverently, I ran my hands from her ankles to her thighs and hooked my thumbs in the top of her panties.
She let out a small gasp. “Wait.”
My hands stilled.
“I want to see you.”
I smiled and stood, my hands going to the button of my jeans as I kicked off my boots. She rubbed her lips together nervously, and I expected her to look away. But her eyes followed the journey of my hands as I unfastened my jeans and pushed them down. I stepped out of them and watched her for any sign she wanted me to stop. Seeing none, I lost my last piece of clothing an
d stood there as her gaze moved over me like a caress.
“Can a male be beautiful, too?” she asked when her eyes settled on my face again. “Because that’s what you are.”
I leaned over her, bracing my arms on either side of her head.
“I’ll be whatever you want,” I murmured as she pulled me down for another searing kiss.
Mine, Solmi, mine, my Mori chanted impatiently as my mouth left hers, and I began a slow, thorough exploration of her body. I took my time, learning every curve and hollow, and reveling in each breathy moan I drew from her. I could have spent hours just adoring her and bringing her pleasure.
“Chris,” she said thickly.
I looked up to see tears shimmering in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m so happy.”
I gave her a wicked little smile. “And I plan to make you happy every night for the rest of our lives.”
She laughed and wiped her eyes. “As long as I can make you happy, too.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem.” I shifted my body, and desire flared in her eyes again.
“Chris,” she whispered.
“Yes, Dove?”
“My Mori is going crazy. Is that normal?”
“Mine, too. They’ll calm down soon.”
I settled my body over hers and lowered my head to trail kisses over her face. When my mouth covered hers again, she responded with a hunger that rivaled my own. Her eyes locked with mine as I made love to her, and I knew that no matter how long I lived, I’d never see anything as beautiful as she was in the moment our Mori joined forever.
It was sometime in the wee hours of the morning when we finally curled up together under the covers, sated and content. Beth lay with her back to my chest and her head on my arm. Her fingers toyed with my hand that lay against her stomach.
“Can’t sleep?” I asked her.
“I can’t stop thinking. I keep expecting to wake up and find out this was all a dream.”
I nipped her bare shoulder with my teeth, and she sucked in a sharp breath. “Does that feel like a dream?” I asked, pressing my lips to her soft skin.
