“Hey,” she choked out, feeling as if her belly was suddenly filled with a million butterflies.
“Hey, yourself,” he responded, leaning forward and brushing his mouth against hers.
“What’s going on? You’re…you’re in the sun.”
“Thanks to you,” he laughed in reply. “I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“It is. It’s a wonderful surprise,” she husked, her eyes sparkling happily. “But, what is all this? Where are we?”
Without a word, Rayne suddenly dropped down to his knee in front of her, a small box held in his hand and Mara felt those million butterflies instantly take flight; fluttering around in her belly with a vengeance.
“Angel,” he husked, his incredible eyes boring into hers. “Marry me. Be my mate. Live with me for eternity.” He opened the box and she suddenly found that she couldn’t breathe. A beautiful round diamond twinkled back at her, with two deep red rubies in the shape of teardrops flanking either side of the flawless stone. It was stunning! Her hand went to her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.
“The rubies signify drops of blood…one for each of us, binding us together forever,” he explained softly, that unmistakable heat in his eyes, and she couldn’t help herself. She threw herself at him with everything that she was worth! Wrapping her arms around his neck she knocked him down to the sand as she reined kisses on his face as she giggled uncontrollably.
“Is that a yes?” He laughed, and she nodded.
“Yes! Oh, yes!” She cried.
Rayne tenderly placed the ring on her finger and kissed it. “Mine for eternity,” he murmured.
“Yours,” she agreed softly, her blue eyes sparkling.
His mouth came crashing down on hers and he kissed her hungrily, his hands moving across her body with desperate need.
“I love you, Rayne,” she said against his mouth, her words nothing more than a contented whisper, but it spoke volumes.
He stood, lifting her up with him and swept her up into his arms. “I love you, Angel,” he responded as he began to walk with purpose towards the beach house.
“What are you doing?” she giggled in surprise; yet loving the feel of being held in his strong arms. “Where are we going?”
“Home,” he replied. “The house is ours.”
Mara looked up at the house looming in front of them and smiled. She had mentioned once to Rayne how much she loved the ocean, and he had done this… How had she gotten so lucky?
She could see Christmas lights of every color twinkling inside the house and felt her heart skip a beat. This was going to be their home. A place where she and the man she loved more than life itself were going to laugh, love and probably fight for eternity…and she could not have been happier about it!
And… as she watched the glittering lights of the huge Christmas tree that stood in the front window so invitingly, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would never forget about the holidays ever again. Not when she had the most amazing man to share them with.
The End
Megan Daniels hurriedly pushed her way past the throngs of overly cheerful holiday shoppers mulling about and made her way down the street; her head down as she tried to fight off the bone chilling cold. Christmas lights twinkled and flashed all around her, which only served to darken her already foul mood.
Thanking the powers that be that it was finally Friday, and she would be able to just lock herself away for the weekend, she rushed past the happy families as they laughed and juggled their purchases in their arms, plotting their next stop on their holiday hit list.
God! She really hated Christmas! The lights, the people…the festive feel in the air. Carols playing wherever you went. It was pure torture!
She realized taht she was always just a complete downer this time of year; but when you were all alone in a big city, the holidays were just another painful reminder of the emptiness that seemed to constantly surrounded you. Who would have ever thought that you could feel so lonely with thousands of people all around you?
Megan shook her head as she made the quick turn down the alleyway; away from the bustling Christmas shoppers and merry-makers, and headed towards The Port of Call wine bar. All she wanted at the moment was to grab a nice glass of wine and unwind a bit before heading home to her silent apartment. Was that really asking all that much?
She knew that her solitude was her own fault, and she accepted that; but when everyone you had ever loved in your life left you…it was inevitable that you would just get to a point in your life where there just wasn’t anything left to give. We all had our limits, didn’t we?
Her father had deserted she and her mother when Megan had been only four. Having decided that he didn’t want to be tied down to a nine to five life and a family, he had met some buxom red-head at work and took off to places unknown; forgetting all about the life he used to have and the daughter he cared nothing for.
Then, as if that hadn’t been bad enough, her mother had succumbed to that bitch we call cancer when Megan was seventeen, leaving her all alone in the world. Thankfully there had been a little money to tied her over until she had graduated high school and found a job. That was one of the main reasons she had left small town USA and moved to the city the day after she had received her diploma…it was much easier to get lost here.
She grimaced slightly when her mind, with a will of its own, drifted to David. Guh! She didn’t even want to think about that mistake! What a lying, worthless bastard! She had trusted him! She had lived with him for almost two years and that slimy piece of shit had been screwing around on her the entire time! And the worse part of it all was that she hadn’t even seen it! She had been that blind!
No, she thought with a determined shake of her head and a straightening of her shoulders; being on your own was the best bet. It was safe. At least this way there was no depending on anyone but yourself, and at the ripe old age of twenty-nine, she was just too damn tired of being let down to open herself up to anyone ever again. How sad was that?
She walked through the door of the bar and quickly made her way over to the tiny table in the far corner, away from the couples stealing kisses as they sipped their Merlot or Rieslings. Good Lord! She thought with a frown. She just wanted to find a nice deserted island and disappear!
She draped her coat over the back of her chair as a pretty, yet undeniably much too perky blonde came rushing over to take her order, smiling and nodding happily as she did; and God help her… but Megan found herself just wanting to slap the bubbly right out of the poor girl. Ah, crap! She really had turned into a miserable, cynical bitch. Just what in the hell was wrong with her? She was too damn young to be such a witch!
She gave the poor girl her order; trying her best not to sound like the loser that she knew she was, and the waitress nodded once again before dashing away.
Megan watched from the corner of her eye as the couples sitting around her laughed and flirted, a small part of her almost longing to have that connection, but she quickly pushed the thought away. No. She was much better on her own.
The waitress set her glass down and wished her a Happy Holiday, and Megan tried to return the girls smile as that sense of melancholy washed over her. Christmas was just under a week away and she had no desire what so ever to celebrate it at all, and she realized that she really was pathetic.
She tried to shrug off her self-pitying thoughts and took a healthy sip of her wine, enjoying the warmth that it brought to her belly. She really needed to do some serious work on trying to lose the Ebenezer Scrooge attitude. It was getting to a point where she couldn’t even stand being around herself!
“May I join you?” The deep, smooth voice jerked her roughly from her thoughts and Megan looked up to find a very tall, very distinguished looking man standing in front of her. He just oozed class and money, but it was in a way that was almost crass.
She swallowed the lump forming in her throat as a chill began to make its way up her spine. There was just someth
ing about his eyes that set her alarms bells off immediately. They were a light blue, so light, in fact, that they looked almost white and were intense in a way that had a shudder running across her and setting her nerves instantly on edge. Talk about a goose walking over your grave!
She bit back the snarky reply that instantly came to mind and tried her best to give him as polite of a smile as she could muster, realizing with a deep, dark sinking feeling in her gut, that this wasn’t the type of guy that you wanted to piss off by being rude…at all.
“No, thank you,” she murmured, trying to be as nice as humanly possible. Her eyes quickly darted around the bar, desperately searching for any possible help available in case she needed it. She was suddenly feeling like a cornered animal.
He stared silently at her, his mouth twisting up in a smile that did nothing to relieve her unease. It was smug and almost predatory. Oh, God! This man was a total creeper, she thought; her hand tightening on her glass to the point that it was almost becoming painful.
After what seemed to be an eternity, he gave her a slight bow, his eyes not leaving hers for a moment. “As you wish. Perhaps another time, then.” With that, he turned and drifted back through the crowd and over to the bar, looking back at her with that same smile plastered across his lips as he did, and she shivered.
Megan knew she was a somewhat attractive woman. Her thick chestnut hair hung in waves over her shoulders and her huge blue eyes were framed by long, dark lashes. Her mother had been striking, and Megan had been told all her life that she looked just like her. Not to mention, that she got a lot of attention on the rare occasions that she went out. But, she had also become extremely adept at shooting down anyone who tried to get close to her. In fact; she damn well excelled at it. But this guy was different. He was just…odd.
Oh, so not what she needed tonight! Megan downed the rest of her wine and dug in her purse, pulling out a twenty. She tossed it on the table and stood, slipping on her coat. The waitress came rushing over and smiled. “I’ll be right back with your change.”
“Keep it,” Megan replied, gracing her with a small smile. It was about the best that she could manage at the moment. Her entire body had suddenly turned to ice. “Merry Christmas.”
“Oh, wow! Thank you,” she said, practically beaming now and Megan found herself wondering how someone could be so happy. The girl leaned in and whispered loud enough so only Megan could hear. “You would think people would be a little more generous around the holidays,” she laughed with a rolling of her eyes. “But, nope, not in the least. So, really; thank you. You made my night!”
“I’m glad I could,” Megan replied, a genuine smile crossing her face. “Have a good night… and a nice holiday.” With that she left the bar, thankful that her apartment was only a few blocks away. All she wanted at the moment was a hot bath and then her warm bed. Heaven.
As Megan made her way down the alley that cut through to the courtyard of her complex, the hair at the back of her neck lifted as another chill ran down her spine. She looked around, but the street was deserted, only the twinkling of Christmas lights illuminating the darkness as she walked, and she quickened her pace.
She had almost made it to the back entrance of her building when a figure stepped out from the shadows; effectively blocking her path. A startled gasp burst from her lips as she recognized the creeper from the bar, and she felt her knees instantly begin to shake as a sense of doom settled itself over her.
“I’m not accustomed to being turned away, my sweet. I’m afraid that it doesn’t sit very well with me,” he whispered, his tone low and dangerous; yet Megan could hear him clearly, even over the wind whipping around them and she frantically looked around for anyone who might be near enough to help her. It was only a moment later she felt pure panic seize her as she realized that there was not a soul in sight. The courtyard was completely deserted.
In a flash that was almost too quick for her to even comprehend, he had her pushed up against the wall of the building, his hand at her throat and his long, tapered fingers squeezing the air from her lungs. She could feel the cold bricks pressing into her back as he held her gaze.
He took a deep breath, bringing his face dangerously close to hers. “You do smell delicious,” he whispered and she shuddered once again.
Megan slammed her eyes shut as she waited for what was sure to come next. She only hoped that he wouldn’t kill her. But she had every intention of going down kicking and fighting. She would not give him the satisfaction of cowering to him.
“Step away from her, Devlin.” Megan’s eyes snapped back open at the sound of the deep, masculine voice that drifted across the courtyard, and she felt her heart instantly stop dead in her chest at the sight of the man standing there; illuminated by the moon.
He was tall; at least six four, and insanely muscular. He only wore a light leather jacket against the single digit cold of the evening and a pair of faded blue jeans that hugged his muscular thighs like a second skin. His black hair was cut short, a piece falling across his forehead, and she suddenly had the insane notion that she wanted to swipe it away from his face and feel it’s silky texture. His jaw was strong and squared, showing just a shadow of beard that only enhanced his rugged features favorably.
She was jerked from her thoughts when the hand at her throat tightened, and she squeaked in pain, her head beginning to spin as her eyes filled with tears.
“I said to step the fuck away from her,” the stranger growled, and the creeper barked out a short, amused laugh. The pressure disappeared as he let her go, and she found that she couldn’t stop herself from dropping to the ground in the snow like a sack of potatoes as her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
“You know, Jax; you really must quit interfering with my dinner plans. It is becoming somewhat tiresome.”
Megan watched in horror as the two men circled each other- their gazes locked in silent battle as they growled and glared at the other. In that next moment, she thought for certain that she would pass out when the creeper bared his teeth and she saw… fangs!
What in the hell?
She tried to get to her feet while the two men were sizing each other up, but found she didn’t have the strength. Her head was spinning as the horror of what was happening hit her full force and her muscles felt as if they were nothing but useless noodles.
Suddenly, her savior charged the asshole from the bar and the two men slammed into each other with a mighty thud; the sound cracking through the night air with a sickening smack. She heard growls and curses as they slammed each other against the building, the earth seeming to rumble beneath their feet as they did.
She watched as the one her attacker had called Jax delivered a solid blow to the assholes’s face that knocked him to the ground.
In the next instant, the man’s maniacal laughter filled the courtyard and she watched in stunned silence as he jumped right back up to his feet as if it hadn’t had the slightest effect on him at all! She felt her heart stop as she noticed him pull a knife from the waistband of his trousers.
“Watch out!” Megan screamed, her body still shaking with terror. “Knife!”
Creeper darted forward in a flash of silver and struck, hitting the other man in the side and she heard him grunt in pain from the impact.
“No!” She screamed, and that bastard actually turned to give her a smile, his eyes glowing like that of an animal caught in the headlights of a car. Oh, God! Just what the hell was happening here?
It was in that instant that Jax struck, knocking the vile creature once again to the ground and seizing his throat in a deadly grip. The two men rolled and struggled and finally, creeper broke free and took off running – his footsteps crunching in the icy snow as he disappeared from sight.
Megan gathered up every ounce of courage that she could muster and forced herself to stand. She walked unsteadily to where her rescuer lay prone in the snow and looked down, her stomach tightening as she did. She could see a patch of red against the
perfect white of the ground on which he lay immobile, and her heart slammed painfully against her ribs. Oh, please, don’t let him be dead! Don’t let him be dead! He had only tried to help her!
She heard him groan softly only a moment later and fell to her knees beside him; her breath coming out in quick, ragged gulps as a sob tore from her throat in relief. She felt the hot sting of tears roll down her cheeks as everything that had happened in the last ten minutes came crashing down around her all at once with all the power of a nuclear explosion.
Jax cautiously pushed himself up to a sitting position and shook his head…the pain that was throbbing in his side pulling the breath from his body is one swift motion. Christ… that really hurt.
He looked at the woman hovering beside him, her amazing blue eyes wide with fear, and grimaced. Dear God, she was breathtaking.
“I’ll…I’ll call for an ambulance,” she croaked, her lips trembling and he wasn’t sure if it was from the cold…or shock. They held a slight blue hue so it was really anyone’s guess.
He shook his head vehemently. “No, I’m fine. Don’t call anyone.” He ground out against the stinging in his side.
“I…I live right there,” she stammered, pointing to her building. “Let me at least get you inside and take a look at where he…he cut you.” He knew that she was trying extremely hard to keep it together, and Jax wanted to ease her fear. For some reason that he couldn’t even begin to fathom… he wanted that more at this moment than he wanted to get his hands on that filthy bastard.
Jax nodded and tentatively started to push himself to his feet, and was suddenly aware of the feel of her arm slipping around his waist, and he had to admit – it didn’t feel half bad. He caught a whiff of her amazing scent and felt a shiver run up his spine. Jumping Jesus, he silently cursed, she smelled like peaches and cream! Soft, sweet…delicious.
She led him to the door and stopped, her eyes frantically searching the area. “What’s wrong,” he asked through clenched teeth, trying hard to keep himself from losing his balance. He knew he was losing blood…and losing it fast, and he really didn’t want to pass out on her. She was frightened enough as it was.
Magical Holiday Love (The Anthology Novella Series Book 4) Page 5