Moonlight, Monsters & Magic

by Linda G. Hill

  His hand visibly trembled as he brought it up to her face. While she expected him to meet nothing but air, she gave a breathy sigh when she felt his warmth on her jawline. Surely this was a dream? She closed her eyes and felt the strength of his body. But it wasn’t until his lips met hers that she knew true bliss.

  This man’s touch left her feeling innocent and new. Desirable. A feeling she had been denied for almost two years, since the accident.

  His mouth moved against hers as if he worshiped her very being. And when he reached out to brush her nipple with his thumb, she didn’t stop him. Instead, she groaned and felt an intense rush of moisture between her legs. Dear God, she actually wanted him! She didn’t know his name, but already she was becoming lost to his embrace.

  When he pulled back, his breathing was harsh as he rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t know how bad I want to be inside of you right now. How long I’ve waited for this moment.”

  Laura lifted her gaze to him. It was strange, but she felt … connected to him in some way, as if their fates had been aligned long ago. It was crazy. It was madness. It was right. “Don’t stop.”

  Chapter Three

  Markus was instantly hard. Surely, he hadn’t heard her right. She should be pushing him away, screaming that he was a demented pervert and threatening to call the cops, not admitting that she wanted him, too.

  But something in her warm, chocolate-brown eyes called to him like no other woman’s ever had. He had never felt anything that compared to this moment. It was as if he had been going through the motions of life without ever truly living it. This woman made him feel alive.

  “Who are you?” he whispered.

  She smiled softly. “Does it matter?”

  He swallowed and said, “My name is Markus.”

  “I’m Laura.”

  Laura. The name suited her.

  “Are you going to make love to me now?”

  His cock throbbed behind the zipper of his jeans. I must be out of my fucking mind, or else I’m one depraved son of a bitch, he thought, but that didn’t stop him from bringing her closer. She leaned into his touch and he had to clear his throat to speak properly. “Do you have a room here?”

  Her eyes sparkled. “We don’t need a room.” With that, she slowly peeled down the straps of her sundress and let it fall to the floor.

  Markus felt the breath leave his lungs when her curved, luscious body was revealed. Fuck. He was in serious trouble. Speechless, he ripped his t-shirt off over his head and threw it to the side. His muscles flexed involuntary when she bit her lip. She must like what she sees. With a burst of pride, he made quick work of discarding his shoes, socks, jeans, and boxers. He stood before her in all his masculine glory, his cock jutting forward eagerly.

  Her eyes widened as she eyed his erection, and she dropped to her knees. When he felt the wet warmth of her mouth surround his shaft, he threw his head back with a guttural groan. “God, yes,” he purred. She took him fully, sucking him all the way to the back of her throat, and he saw stars. He forced himself to look down at her dark head where she was working him over good. “If you don’t want me to come in your mouth, you need to stop,” he warned.

  For an answer, she merely picked up the pace. Within seconds, the hot friction of her mouth had him flexing every muscle in his body. Shouting, he poured himself into her with his release. It was the best blowjob he’d had in his fucking life.

  His legs felt rubbery. She stood up and licked her lips with a husky murmur of pleasure. It was enough to cause his sated cock to stir back to life.

  With a sudden burst of energy, Markus grabbed her around the waist and walked her backward until she was against the wall. He was never so glad that he’d kept himself in shape as he lifted her torso and brought her legs over his shoulders. His hands on her delectable derriere, he had her glistening core right in front of him. Talk about easy access. “Your turn,” he nearly growled, right before he put his mouth on her.

  He teased and tormented her mercilessly with his tongue while breathing in her enticing feminine musk. Within minutes she exploded with a cry of ecstasy. He drank in every single wave of her pleasure, assured that she was completely satisfied before he allowed her to slowly slide down his body. Her brown eyes were heavy lidded, the pupils nearly eclipsing any color. Her cheeks were flushed, and her dark hair was a perfect mess. She was fucking beautiful.

  “I want you,” he panted. Spinning her around, he bent her down and, positioning himself at her entrance, he slammed into her wet heat. His knees nearly buckled. She felt so good, and he knew by the way she moaned and ground her enticing backside into him that she felt the same. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he began to pound into her. He reached around and cupped her full breasts as she braced her hands on the wall in front of her. Her breathing was quickly becoming labored, and with an erotic cry, she pulsed around him with her second orgasm.

  Her contracting, inner walls had him grabbing her hips as they both found their second release. He nearly blacked out with the pleasure of it. “Fuck.” It was all he could manage to say as he slowly withdrew from her. Even after such an earth-shattering episode, his cock was still half-erect. He shook his head as he forced himself to pull his boxers and jeans on. Never—not even in his early twenties when he was ready to have sex at a moment’s notice—had he been able to recover so quickly. He was completely rejuvenated. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d had a one-night stand, but at least he knew the damned woman’s name and bought her a few drinks at the bar first. That didn’t happen here. He might have even imagined that he was in love with his ex-wife all those years ago, but after being with her, he realized that that had all been a lie.

  Who the hell is this woman?

  ~~ * * * ~~

  Laura leaned against the wall, completely boneless. She would have grinned if she’d had the strength. As it was, she felt as if she could sleep for a week. An eternity—the very word that caused her to snap out of her haze.

  Markus bent down and picked up her sundress. As he carried it over to her, she admired his muscular physique. His jeans sat low on his hips; her heart began to pound anew. He said nothing, just held out her clothes.

  “Thank you.”

  Markus watched her every movement.

  She slowly covered up her nakedness, as his reluctant gaze returned to hers. “You’re welcome.”

  It all seemed so trivial after the explosive passion they had just shared. Her lips twisted, then she allowed the mirth to break free.

  He rolled his eyes with an answering chuckle.

  Once their amusement had died down, Laura tilted her head and asked, “Where are you from?”

  He pulled his shirt over his head and shrugged. “The Midwest, Missouri, to be precise. I’m a professor.”

  “What do you teach?”

  “English Lit.” He slipped on his socks and shoes and bent to tie the laces.

  “What brings you here?”

  “I thought about doing some hiking.” He rose to his full height. “But now I’m not so sure. But enough about me. What about you? What’s your story?”

  She didn’t answer because honestly—what could she say? Instead, she reached out and took his hand. “Come with me.”

  ~~ * * * ~~

  Markus allowed himself to be led forward like an obedient dog, but for some reason, he didn’t mind. This trip was turning out to be a lot more interesting than he’d planned, and not just because of the mind-blowing sex fest. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Laura.

  They passed the massive fireplace, through the room, and down a long hall. He had to ask, “Where are we going?”

  She just looked at him over her shoulder with a seductive promise. His cock instantly responded.

  When she pushed open a door to reveal an Olympic-sized indoor pool, he stopped short. With a skylight for a ceiling, the sun shone down on the water causing it to glimmer like a thousand tiny diamonds.

  But it was the woman in
the midst of it all that stole his breath. Once again, she had stripped off her dress. Tossing another coy glance at him, she asked, “Care for a swim?” just before she dove under.

  Markus quickly peeled off his shirt. He didn’t need to be asked twice.

  Chapter Four

  The four days that followed were like something out of a fantasy. But no, Markus amended to himself. Not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined the time he had spent with Laura at the chalet. It wasn’t something he could put into words.

  And it wasn’t just the sex, although that had been wonderful and rather plentiful. There wasn’t a single spot left untouched in the lodge. They were like two newlyweds, lost in one another while the world outside faded away.

  The only thing that brought him around to reality was Laura’s reticence to speak about her life or her family. Whenever he brought up the subject, she would shift it, usually by distracting him in some … pleasant way. He finally stopped asking. What remained a bit odd was that not a single person showed up to intrude on their bubble of happiness. It was as if they existed solely for one other.

  For the first time on any trip he’d taken, he hadn’t stepped one foot outside of his interior surroundings, and it had been the best week of his life. So much for shaking hands with Bigfoot, he mused. He had no regrets.

  But tomorrow, it was time to go home. And he was torn.

  He didn’t want to tell Laura goodbye, but what the hell else was he supposed to do? He had an established life back home, and while he didn’t know much about the woman currently resting in his arms, it was reasonable that she had a life somewhere too.

  Bending, he brushed his mouth against hers, lightly kissing her awake, wanting to make the most of what time they had left. As she stirred and those lovely brown eyes opened, their simple embrace soon became a lot more.

  ~~ * * * ~~

  Markus stood at the front door, keys to the rental in one hand and his suitcase in the other. “I have to go.”

  “I know.”

  Neither of them made the first move to part. Markus knew he would never forget the sight of her in that sundress. He wondered if it was the only one she owned; she hadn’t worn anything else.

  He clenched the keys in his fist, relishing the discomfort of them digging into his palm. “Can I call you?” God, that sounded absurd, and it a moot point. He couldn’t drive out and see her every weekend or take her on a date on a Friday night. He lived halfway across the fucking country.

  He felt the light touch of her hand on his cheek. “Goodbye, Markus.”

  So, this really was it.

  Markus didn’t trust himself to speak. He turned and walked out the door, unable to look at her any longer. His chest hurt badly enough without adding a bunch of empty promises to it.

  Without looking back at the lodge that he would remember until the end of his days, he put the car in drive and sped away from the only thing that had breathed life into his lonely existence.

  Although Markus knew he should be getting to the airport, as he approached the same café he’d had lunch at on his way to the chalet, the urge to stop overtook him.

  The little silver bell rang upon his entrance. A middle-aged waitress with bright red hair, approached him with a smile. “How are you today, sir? Just one?”

  “Yeah.”

  She led him to a nearby bench and set a menu down in front of him. Rattling off the day’s specials, she brought out a pad and pencil, then waited to take his order.

  Markus hesitated, his tongue refusing to obey his command to speak. Finally, he asked, “Do you know anything about the owners at Tipton’s Chalet?”

  The waitress looked at him curiously before she asked, “What do you mean?”

  Markus barely refrained from tapping his finger on the table in his impatience. “The ski lodge just south of here. Do you know anything about it?” Or more importantly, a woman named Laura?

  “I know what you’re talking about,” she said slowly. “I’m just surprised you know about it.”

  “I just spent the last week there.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not sure where you were, but it wasn’t the chalet. It burned down nearly two years ago now.”

  A strange roaring sounded in Markus’s ears as he tried to comprehend what the woman was saying. He clenched his fists and fought the rage that wanted to burst forth. Something wasn’t right here. Either he was being lied to, or …

  She nodded her head. “It was a terrible tragedy. Mr. Tipton perished in the fire, while his daughter was severely burned …”

  “What was her name?” he demanded, causing her to blink in surprise at his tone. When he practically jumped out of the seat and grabbed her shoulders, her eyes widened. He knew he was scaring her, but he didn’t really give a damn. “Do you know what happened to her?”

  She gasped. “Laura Tipton, but the last I knew she was in a hospital in Seattle … Sir!”

  Markus ignored her calls as he flew out the door.

  ~~ * * * ~~

  Half an hour later, Markus stared at the image before him and wondered if he wasn’t losing his fucking mind. The lodge, in which he had spent the most amazing week of his life with the most amazing woman, was nothing but a crumbling pile of black ashes and charred timber. At first, he thought he’d made a wrong turn, but he had spent countless hours staring at that same mountain. He knew he was at the right place.

  Except it wasn’t.

  “Laura!” He took off at a run, across the same bridge that ran across the same creek and skidded to a halt where the front entrance used to be. The frame now stood, bracing the empty shell of a once-grand resort.

  He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Laura!” he shouted. It didn’t matter how many times he called her name; there was nothing.

  Just when he was about to tell himself that he seriously needed to check into a psychiatric facility, Markus noticed something fluttering in the breeze. Among the carnage around him, a single piece of paper softly landed at his feet. He frowned as he bent down to pick it up.

  His reservation.

  Holy fuck.

  ~~ * * * ~~

  Markus drove back to Seattle in record time. He didn’t care if he missed his flight—he wasn’t leaving until he knew exactly what the hell was going on.

  He stopped at the first hospital he came to and ran inside. When there was no Laura Tipton on the patient list, he went to the next, and then another. He wondered if he was on a wild goose chase, or she if had already been discharged, but finally, at his fourth stop, the nurse looked up at him with a wide expression, and he began to hope.

  “Room 503. Critical care.”

  “Thank you,” Markus said curtly. His mind whirred. He had to see things for himself. See her.

  The elevator seemed to creep up to the fifth floor. When the doors opened, he stepped out into the hall, only to stop short. At first, he thought he was looking at Laura in the waiting room, but then he realized that this woman’s hair was too short, and her stance was all wrong. But there was something about her that caused him to speak up, “I’m looking for Laura Tipton.”

  The woman’s head shot up and she frowned at him. “Why do you want to know?”

  Relief surged through him, followed by a ruthless determination. “I need to find her. Please. Can you tell me where she is?”

  The woman gave a heavy sigh. “My sister …” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Laura is very fragile right now.”

  Markus reached out and held her hands. “Please,” he reiterated. “I know none of this makes any sense, but I think … I can help her.”

  The woman’s dark eyes studied him closely for a moment, then she shrugged her shoulders in defeat. “I suppose it can’t hurt.”

  He followed her down a corridor to an open door.

  She hesitated. “She’s just inside.”

  Markus gave a brief nod and walked in. The first bed was empty; a drawn curtain hid the second. His courage faltered te
mporarily, but with a deep breath, he slowly came around the barrier and allowed his eyes to rest on the woman in the bed.

  What he saw nearly caused his knees to buckle.

  It was definitely his Laura, and yet, it wasn’t the same woman. Moving forward, he swallowed the lump in his throat. He stared at her prone, sleeping form for several minutes, just attempting to get his brain to process what he saw. Terrible twisted scars covered her lovely skin, skin that he had kissed and caressed just hours before. Monitors hummed and beeped, breaking the silence around them. He wanted to rip them apart. “Laura?” Nothing. “Laura, I’m here. It’s … Markus.”

  One of the monitors spiked suddenly and began to beep. Slowly, Laura’s eyes fluttered open. When she turned those brown eyes on him, a single tear fell to her hairline. “You found me.”

  And this time, Markus did fall to his knees.

  Epilogue

  One year later …

  Laura held on to Markus’s hand as he carefully helped her out of his car. A smile blossomed on her face, although she had no idea what he was surprising her with. No matter what it was, she knew she would be thrilled. The past twelve months with her husband had been the happiest of her life.

  Once she had woken up from her coma and saw his handsome face, she realized that he hadn’t been a figment of her imagination at all, but a true, flesh and blood man that she loved with all her heart and soul. Not long after she was released from the hospital, he told her he would relocate to Washington State. Then he asked her to marry him. She didn’t even hesitate when she said yes.

  She clutched his hand now and felt her grin expand. Her happiness was so complete. He didn’t even seem to notice her unsightly scars; he looked upon her with true devotion. Laura felt more whole than she ever had been before.