Kissed by Magic
Page 11
The spasms took her, and she cried out, her muscles contracting around him as waves of ecstasy rolled through her. His breaths came faster, his thrusts more urgent, until his legs stiffened beneath her and a rush of heat filled her deep inside.
Spent, she collapsed onto his chest. His heartbeat comforted her. His arms protected her. He was perfect. She didn’t feel cursed. She felt like the luckiest woman in the world.
His arms locked around her. He held her tight, occasionally touching a finger to her hair or pressing a kiss to her head. She snuggled closer. He made her feel loved. Cherished. She recognized the miracle for what it was.
For the first time in six hundred years, the castle felt like a home.
Chapter 13
Lance awoke to a nipple in his side and a sword at his ear.
“Off with his head!” shrilled a female voice.
“Why does everyone want to cut off my head?” he muttered. “Can’t a man go a week without death threats?”
“Smite him,” a deep voice commanded.
Marigold shot upright, blushed scarlet at the crowd’s collective gasp at her nakedness, and threw herself facedown onto his chest.
“Papa, no!” she shouted into Lance’s ribcage. “I love him!”
At this, Lance risked opening both eyes to take stock of the situation. He was still on the floor, his clothing scattered around the room, but the observatory was no longer surrounded on five sides by a solid sheet of ice. It was glass. Crystal clear.
And there were about two hundred people crowded in here with them.
He recognized them all from the tree. Several milkmaids, an army of knights, a few dozen revelers, Chaz from New Brunswick, Baron Westinghouse of East Surrey, the sketchy gangster with the tommy gun… And of course, the king and queen of the castle.
Also known as the parents of the naked woman sprawled on top of him. The bright pink of her cheeks and the wide smile on her face indicated Marigold’s dual embarrassment and delight.
“It worked,” she whispered, her fingers squeezing his arms. “It worked. All I had to do was learn to let go.”
“But speak the word,” said the owner of the sword from somewhere above Lance’s head. “And I shall separate this blackguard’s worthless head from his body.”
“My cousin Hadrian,” Marigold whispered into Lance’s ear. “He gets like that. Try to ignore him.”
“Well, knave?” came a deep voice that could only belong to the king. “What have you to say for yourself?”
Apparently, Lance’s cue. He pushed up onto his elbows and did the best he could to produce a this-isn’t-what-it-looks-like smile.
The king’s scowl was terrifying.
“Your Highness,” Lance began.
“His Majesty,” Marigold hissed in his ear. “Mama prefers Her Highness.”
“Your Majesty,” he tried again. “My name is Lance Desmond and I’m in love with your daughter. I recognize this may be less than ideal circumstances for a family reunion, but since I’d been planning on making things a little more permanent with Marigold… With your blessing, I’d like to court your daughter.”
The king didn’t even have to think twice. “Off with his head!”
Cousin Hadrian lifted his sword in preparation to strike and turned to smirk at the crowd.
Lance sighed. He didn’t want to ruin his first impression by killing one of Marigold’s cousins, but the dude was doing so much grandstanding with his broadsword, he really gave Lance no choice.
When the downward whoosh of the blade sliced through the frosty air, Lance shoved Marigold to safety, sprang up and behind Hadrian, and placed the warrior in a firm chokehold. The sword clattered to the stone floor inches from where their heads had rested.
Cold fury laced every syllable of Lance’s words. “If you ever put Marigold in danger again, I will kill you. I don’t give a damn who you’re related to.”
Hadrian’s lips were turning blue.
Nobody moved. Nobody spoke.
The queen clutched her husband’s arm and rose on tiptoe to reach his ear. “It seems… Perchance we were a bit hasty.”
Marigold wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. “Very hasty. See what happens when people get hasty? Hadrian’s going to swoon at any moment.”
On cue, her cousin thumped onto the floor in a dead heap.
Decision made, the king inclined his royal head. “Lance, was it? Squire, fetch the man a cloak. Maids, prepare the ale. Come. We have much to discuss.”
Epilogue
Marigold stood on the starboard side of the deck, her heart so full it could burst. Her parents were there on the dock to see them off. Sancho would join them at any moment.
Lance had worried that the pirate ship might feel like another cage, but how could it with the entire world stretching out before them? Marigold couldn’t wait to set sail. By letting go, she would be free at last.
The past six months had been a whirlwind of activity—getting an identification card, getting acclimated, getting married. The castle had been opened to the public for the ceremony, and there hadn’t been a single inch of free space.
Which was perfect, since—in the absence of a kingdom to govern—Papa had agreed to lease Sancho an entire wing of Castle Cavanaugh to become a souvenir and gift store, in exchange for Sancho agreeing to manage the property. His old Pawn & Potion had moved to the great hall. Visitors pilgrimaged from all corners of the globe to see the famous castle and purchase trinkets.
Due to Lance’s insistence, not a single manuscript had been removed from the library. Instead, they’d raised the money to pay off his bounty with a few jewels from one of her decorative hair combs. The library was now a climate-controlled vault for medieval scholars, the castle itself a world heritage site.
Today, she and Lance were setting off on another adventure. The idea was never to spend more than three consecutive months at sea nor on land. Home would be wherever they happened to be together. The plan was perfect. As was their marriage. Marigold had painted a new portrait, this time of their wedding day, and the canvas now hung above a large triptych inside the main cabin.
Footsteps boomed down the wooden dock, marking Sancho’s arrival. The big man’s gray hair was styled into something Lance called a fauxhawk—it looked rather like the tail end of a duck curving up from Sancho’s forehead, if you asked Marigold—and the bone necklet once again encircled its owner’s throat.
“Lance! Mari!” he shouted up to the ship. “You guys’ll be back by Three Kings Day, right?”
“With bells on,” Lance called back. No way was he missing his favorite cake. “You’ll have the roscón waiting?”
Sancho cocked his thumbs and forefingers like pistols. “Always do. Where you headed first?”
“Bermuda,” Marigold shouted down with an excited wriggle.
Sancho whistled. “The island?”
“Boring.” Lance swung his arm around Marigold’s shoulder and drew her close. “The triangle!”
Sancho’s mouth dropped open.
“Bye, Mama! Bye, Papa!” Marigold waved eagerly as the ship began to drift from shore. “We must be off. Adventure awaits!”
* * *
THE END
What will happen when a magically-challenged apprentice fairy destroys a no-nonsense archaeologist’s greatest find?
Find out in Must Love Magic, the next romance in the 12 Magic & Mayhem series!
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Courtney Milan calls Must Love Magic “ridiculously awesome.”
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Get Yours: Grab Must Love Magic here!
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In order, the Magic & Mayhem books are:
Kissed by Magic
Must Love Magic
Smitten by Magic
* * *
In order, the Gothic Love Stories are:
Too Wicked to Kiss
Too Sinful to Deny
Too Tempting to Resist
Too Wanton to Wed
* * *
In order, the 12 Dukes of Christmas:
Once Upon a Duke
Kiss of a Duke
Wish Upon a Duke
Never Say Duke
Dukes, Actually
The Duke’s Bride
The Duke’s Embrace
The Duke’s Desire
Dawn With a Duke
One Night With a Duke
Ten Days With a Duke
Forever Your Duke
* * *
In order, the Rogues to Riches books are:
Lord of Chance
Lord of Pleasure
Lord of Night
Lord of Temptation
Lord of Secrets
Lord of Vice
* * *
In order, the Dukes of War books are:
The Viscount's Tempting Minx (FREE!)
The Earl’s Defiant Wallflower
The Captain’s Bluestocking Mistress
The Major’s Faux Fiancée
The Brigadier’s Runaway Bride
The Pirate's Tempting Stowaway
The Duke's Accidental Wife
* * *
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Must Love Magic
Enjoy an Office Space-meets-Princess Bride romantic comedy!
* * *
Daisy le Fey is good at a lot of things: Math, science, accidentally turning people into pumpkins... Unfortunately, she's hopeless at the one skill hiring managers look for when filling open positions for magical beings: Magic.
* * *
When she jeopardizes her apprenticeship by getting involved with sexy mortal Trevor Masterson, it's one disaster too many. In order to earn her wings, she's going to have to ditch the human–and her one chance at true love.
* * *
Get Yours: Grab Must Love Magic here!
Acknowledgments
As always, I could not have written this book without the invaluable support of my critique partners. Huge thanks go out to Janice Goodfellow, Darcy Burke, Emma Locke, Erica Monroe, and my wonderful beta crew. You are the best!
Lastly, I want to thank my Historical Romance Book Club and my fabulous street team. Your enthusiasm makes the romance happen.
Thank you so much!
About the Author
Erica Ridley is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of paranormal romantic comedies and historical romance novels.
In the 12 Dukes of Christmas series, enjoy witty, heartwarming Regency romps nestled in a picturesque snow-covered village. After all, nothing heats up a winter night quite like finding oneself in the arms of a duke!
Her two most popular series, the Dukes of War and Rogues to Riches, feature roguish peers and dashing war heroes who find love amongst the splendor and madness of Regency England.
When not reading or writing romances, Erica can be found riding camels in Africa, zip-lining through rainforests in Central America, or getting hopelessly lost in the middle of Budapest.
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Let’s be friends! Find Erica on:
www.EricaRidley.com