by penny watson
His hot, fevered skin enveloped her, overwhelming all of her senses, and she loved it. She laughed and rolled him to his side, smacking their bodies against the wall. A shower of books rained down upon them, sliding from the shelves. Oskar raised his hands to protect their heads from the onslaught.
“Me on top.” Oskar held her down and grabbed her wrists to restrain her.
“No!” She shook her head. “It’s my turn.” Their tussle rolled them back and forth across the hallway, scattering books over the Oriental rug. They jockeyed for position, devouring each other’s mouths, clawing each other’s skin, nipping, biting, fighting for dominance. Oskar grabbed her ass hard with his giant hands and squeezed. Kiana moaned in pleasure and bucked against him.
“You’ve got the sweetest, hottest ass, Kiana. Damn, it feels good.” He finally held her down, pinning her to the floor. He twisted her body sideways, spread her legs and buried his face between her thighs. She thought she would die. She’d never felt anything this naughty and wonderful and liberating. Oskar’s tongue lashed her sweet spot, as though he relished the taste of her.
“You taste like the sea. Like a tropical storm,” he said.
Kiana reached down and stroked her hands through his hair. Every cell in her body felt tensed and ready to explode.
She grabbed his hips and pulled him to her, desperate to taste him and pleasure him the same way. She pressed her face against the thick crop of hair at the base of his shaft, inhaling his delicious scent. Her mouth explored every inch of him, raining soft kisses on his hot skin, licking and sucking and finally enveloping his length between her lips. She heard Oskar groan as he continued to feast on her, and she smiled to herself, knowing how much he was enjoying her attention.
They only lasted a few minutes in that position, and then suddenly Oskar was turning her, pressing her flat on her back, and entering her. Both of them were panting and breathless, but he pushed her on, riding her hard, insistent on her climax. Bands of sternschnuppen began to dance around the room, giggling and singing and bursting into flashes of light. The pleasure started in her toes and worked its way up the length of her body, building in intensity until the crescendo hit her full force and she screamed in wonder. Every part of her felt alive, on fire, ecstatic to have this man deep inside of her. And then he was shouting his own release, filling her up. His mouth came down on hers and he kissed her passionately until he was completely spent.
He shuddered once and blinked down at her, his eyes looking drowsy and satisfied. “I’ve been searching for you, and I didn’t even realize it.” He whispered the words and turned her gently onto her side.
And I’ve been searching for you. A green-haired punk snowboarder with a heart of gold. The son of Santa Claus. The man of my dreams.
“Why are you crying, sweetheart?” Oskar stroked the side of her face with his rough fingertips.
“I am?” She reached up and felt her wet cheeks. “Oh, I guess I am. Sorry.”
“Are you sad?” he asked.
“No. This is so wonderful, in every way. I love… having you inside of me, making love to me…” She hesitated and gazed up into his face.
Tell him, Kiana. Don’t be afraid.
“I love you, Oskar. I’m not sure how it happened so fast, but it did.” Kiana held her breath, awaiting his response. Her heart thundered as the seconds ticked by, and then Oskar rewarded her with a huge smile.
“I love you, too, Kiana. I didn’t expect this. I’ve never felt this way before, not with anyone.” He touched his lips to hers, gentle and soft this time. “Falling in love with you has been an amazing surprise.” He swallowed nervously. “I want a future together. Somehow. I know I don’t have a lot to offer you…”
She leaned up on one elbow, perplexed. “What do you mean you don’t have a lot to offer? I don’t understand.”
Oskar reached for her and pulled her tightly into his arms. “I’m the freakin’ Director of Elfin Resources at the North Pole. Not exactly a glam job for the ages, is it?”
She shook her head in disbelief. “Are you nuts? I don’t care if you don’t have a ‘glam job.’ The elves respect you, they need you, they depend on you. And so does your father, your whole family. I don’t think you have any idea how important you are to this place.” She paused and feathered her thumb across his cheek. “You are fearless, and loyal, and full of integrity. You’re the man of my dreams,” she whispered.
Oskar frowned. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. You really believe all that stuff?”
She nodded. “Absolutely.”
“And you want a future with me? Can you imagine living here? I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen over the next year. The Überholen is coming up, and one of us will be taking over for my Dad. It could be me, I guess. How do you feel about that?”
She trailed her fingers along his chin. “I don’t care if you’re the HR guy, or Santa, or just a snowboard bum. I want to be with you.”
Oskar still appeared doubtful. “What about giving up your life in Manhattan?”
“I have a secret to tell you.” She lifted a brow at his questioning look. “I hate Manhattan. I hate the noise, the pollution, the constant, never-ending stimulation. I would love to live here and enjoy the peace and quiet and tranquility of these beautiful evergreen forests.”
“Sometimes the elves get rambunctious. Then it’s not so peaceful.”
“No problem. I can take it.” She smiled at him.
“I was thinking that when we rebuild the Rec Center, we could add a really killer library.” He wagged his brows at her. “We’d need a rockin’ librarian to run the place.”
Kiana tried to hide her grin. “Hmm. That sounds interesting.”
“Also, I think Gabi wants to stay… and Mr. Frosty, too.”
She blinked her eyes and nodded. The thought of Gabi leaving to live with another family filled her with sadness. The three of them together felt right. “We already feel like a family, don’t we? Gabi is wonderful, full of life and spirit. I think it’s a wonderful idea, Oskar.”
His eyes filled with tears. “Hell… I can’t believe this is happening.”
“You’re crying, too, Bad Boy.”
“I am? Yeah, I guess I am.”
The sternschnuppen rolled down his face with the tears, making a sad sigh. Then, they giggled and slid down his nose like a slide, flying off into the room.
Kiana grinned. “Um, are those fireflies making fun of you?”
Oskar laughed. “Yep. That’s affirmative.”
She kissed the tip of his nose. “I like rolling around on the floor with you. Wanna do it again?”
Oskar shot her a wicked smile. “It would be my pleasure, Moon Goddess.”
Normally, Ingo loved the early mornings in Glasdorf. He liked to watch the dark night sky, dotted with stars, fade away into a peachy sunrise. But this morning he dragged his feet, knowing how a man must feel on his way to the executioner.
Lys was alive. Wiebe was dead. Glasdorf was safe. But unfortunately for Ingo, a terrible heartache was about to take place, and he was guilty as sin. Lys walked along next to him, clutching his hand in solidarity as they neared Oskar’s cottage. Loki and Hie trailed behind.
“Try not to fret, Ingo. I’m sorry the reversal spell didn’t work,” Lys said.
Loki slapped his shoulder. “Don’t worry, my friend. You did the best you could.”
Hie nodded in sympathy. “We’ll back you up.”
It hurt Ingo’s pride that he’d failed at the spell. After his enormous success thwarting the Dark Magik earlier in the day, he was sure he could nip the Zottig Herz. The spell behaved strangely, appearing and disappearing at will as he struggled to capture it. There was nothing he could do now but admit his guilt to Oskar and pray that the boy’s heart would not suffer too much. After January eleventh, it wouldn’t matter any more. His feelings for the Suddie would vanish, since they were never real to begin with.
“I hope the
Klaus family will forgive me. This was an awful thing to do. I am so ashamed.” Ingo hung his head.
“You saved all of Glasdorf yesterday. That’s got to count for something,” Loki said.
“Yah. Even if the Council reprimands you, it shouldn’t be so bad,” Hieronymus added.
Lys squeezed Ingo’s hand. “Oskar is an understanding man. He’ll forgive you.”
Ingo took a deep breath and rapped on the door to the cottage.
Oskar pulled open the door and glanced at Ingo and his friends in surprise. “Hey, what are all of you doing here?”
The lovely Sudlander stood behind the Klaus boy and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Do we have visitors?”
Ingo nodded. “I’d like a word with you, Oskar, if you don’t mind. I am sorry to bother you so early in the morning.”
Oskar laughed. “No worries. Gabi and Mr. Frosty were up at dawn, and made us go sledding. We’ve already had hot chocolate and donuts from Klaus Küche.”
Ingo and his friends stepped into the foyer. The domestic scene shocked him. The Klaus boy, always known for his wild and risky bachelor ways, looked like a family man. Gabi was curled up on the sofa with a stack of books, Mr. Frosty was peeking inside from a window, and Oskar had his arm around Kiana’s shoulder, anchoring her to his side. The youngest Klaus smiled at her with love in his eyes.
Oh hell. Damn me for doing this. Ingo wished he could step back in time and undo New Year’s Eve.
“I… uh… have something to tell you. You’re not gonna like it.” Ingo stared at his feet.
“You’re all right, aren’t you? I’m assuming you and Lys both got checked out by Hector.”
“Oh, yes, of course. It’s not that.” Ingo looked up at Oskar’s confused expression.
“Go ahead, Ingo, it’s all right,” Lys murmured, squeezing his hand.
Ingo swallowed nervously. “Well, I was out of sorts on New Year’s Eve. Felt sorry for myself, I guess, since Per got that damned promotion from your brother.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. Gotta talk to Sven and get all of that straightened out.” Oskar nodded thoughtfully.
“I was pretty drunk, and… uh… unfortunately I ran into Wiebe at Dag’s. He really rubbed it in my face about the promotion. He suggested I kast a spell on you since it was your fault Per got promoted instead of me.” Ingo hung his head in shame.
“What? You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Oskar said sharply.
Ingo looked up. “I wish I were kidding. I was stupid enough and drunk enough to listen to Wiebe and take his advice.” He paused as Oskar’s eyes narrowed.
“What the hell are you telling me, man?”
“I kast a spell on you. On New Year’s Eve. It’s called Zottig Herz, or Ragged Heart. I tried like hell to reverse the damned thing, but it’s not taking. I don’t know why.”
Kiana frowned. “What exactly does this spell do, Ingo?”
“It’s a vengeance spell. The recipient will fall in love with someone who will spurn him and break his heart, just as the spell kaster has suffered a heartache. It’s meant to balance the scales, so to speak. It lasts until the first full moon after it’s kast.”
Kiana paled. “Oh my God.”
Oskar’s face was red with anger. “How dare you interfere with my life! You have no business playing around with the magik that way, Ingo. And you know it. Why would you kast a spell like this on me? How did I ever cause you heartache? All I did was tell Sven that Per designed the Mother Bond figurines. I don’t get it.”
Ingo glanced at Lys and shook his head in mortification. “Uh, Wiebe taunted me about my feelings for Lys. Said if I’d gotten the promotion instead of Per, then maybe she’d notice me.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Lys cried. “That is not true. I don’t care about your position in Sven’s woodshop, Ingo. I love you for who you are.”
“We told him the same thing, Lys,” Hie said. Loki nodded.
Oskar glared at Ingo. “I can’t believe this. You kast a spell on me for that?” he asked incredulously.
Ingo sighed. “In the light of day I realized it was wrong, and made no sense. But on New Year’s Eve, Wiebe twisted things around and I got caught up with his nefarious plans.” He looked at Oskar and shook his head. “I am so sorry.”
Oskar looked away from him and turned to Kiana. He stroked her head gently. “It doesn’t matter anyway. The spell is bullshit. Kiana and I are in love. For real. No one is breaking anyone’s heart, so the spell didn’t work.”
“It will,” Ingo answered hoarsely. “Believe me. Sometime between now and the eleventh of January, your heart will be broken. The spell will not be denied.”
“How do you know this?” Oskar shouted, refusing to accept Ingo’s explanation.
“The spell pairs the recipient with an… unsuitable partner. Someone he does not belong with. It is only a matter of time before their differences result in a rejection, heartache.” He looked at Kiana who was deathly white, her eyes wide. “I am so, so sorry. You have no idea how badly I feel about this. I would do anything to spare both of you this pain.”
“I don’t believe you,” Oskar said. His voice was low and shaky. “Kiana and I are in love. We’re planning a future together.”
Kiana interrupted him. “Ingo, what do you mean by ‘unsuitable partner’?”
Oskar turned to Kiana and grabbed her shoulders. “You are not seriously listening to this crap?”
Kiana peered up into Oskar’s face, her eyes brimming with tears. “Be honest, Oskar. You were surrounded by supermodels and instead you started talking to me. I looked like a frumpy librarian. I know from Gregor you like snow bunnies. I’m hardly your type.”
Oskar shook his head vehemently. “I thought you were fascinating from the first moment I saw you. That’s the truth.”
“Maybe it was just the spell. Not a real attraction,” Kiana answered softly.
Oskar pointed at Ingo. “Look what you’ve done! She’s doubting my feelings for her. Son of a bitch.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I refuse to believe this. It’s just not true.”
Ingo sighed. “Have you had any strange occurrences lately? Weird dreams?”
Oskar’s head snapped up. “What do you mean by that?”
Kiana sobbed quietly and stepped back from them. “I dreamed about Oskar. I woke up covered with snow and ice.”
Oskar’s face blanked. “You did? I dreamt about you, too. In Hawaii. I woke with sand on my hands…” He sat down on a bench in the foyer. “Jesus. This can’t be happening.”
The Suddie covered her face with her hands and cried. “I thought it was real. Finally…”
Oskar stood up and pulled her to him. “I don’t care what Ingo says,” he said with a shaky voice. “I love you. I know this is real.”
Kiana reached up and touched Oskar’s jaw. “I wish I could believe that.” She turned to Ingo. “What happens on January eleventh? When the spell is over?”
Ingo sighed. “Then your feelings disappear. Any false love you had for each other, the heartache, all of it. It’s gone. Since it was never real to begin with.”
Kiana looked at Oskar, trembling from head to toe. “I’m going home.”
“No! You are not leaving.” Oskar’s voice was glacial.
“It’s better this way. I don’t want to hurt you. There’s only seven days left until the spell is over, and then…” She cried and covered her face. “It won’t matter anymore. You won’t care about me, it will all be forgotten.”
Oskar shook his head. “That will never happen. I don’t care what Ingo says.” He turned to him, vibrating with anger. “I will never forgive you for this, Hertz. Never. You are just as bad as Wiebe.”
“No!” Lys yelled and held tightly onto Ingo’s arm. He was thankful for her support, for he felt like collapsing to the floor. This was much, much worse than he could have ever imagined. “That’s not true, Oskar. Ingo knows he made a mistake. He is trying to do the right thing now, spare the two of
you any more suffering.”
Loki put his arm around Ingo’s shoulders. “That’s harsh, O. Ingo feels like hell about what happened.”
“Yah!” Hie added. “He is nothing like Wiebe. That’s not fair!”
“Isn’t it?” Oskar asked, his eyes blazing with fury. “You elves just can’t help yourselves, playing with magik spells and butting into other people’s affairs. Kiana and I have something special, and nothing you do or say is going to ruin it.”
Kiana wiped the tears from her face. “Please, Oskar, take me home. To New York. The last thing I want to do is stay here and wait around until I hurt you in some way.” Her voice broke and she shook her head. “I just need to be alone,” she whispered, resignation in her voice.
“Kiana?” Everyone turned to see the little Bändiger standing in the hallway, a look of anguish on her face. “You’re not going away are you?’
Kiana blinked back a fresh batch of tears and knelt on the floor. “I will miss you so much, honeybee. I’m sorry. I don’t belong here.”
The Honigbienchen ran into the Suddie’s arms and Ingo felt a dagger of regret slice into his heart so deep, he didn’t think it would ever heal.
God forgive me.
Oskar took a gulp of his beer and slammed the mug on the sticky bar top. “Another one, Dag.”
Dag shook his head in disgust. “Good God, O, you look like hell. Don’t you think it’s about time to head home and shower?”
“What? I smell?” Oskar sniffed his shirt and shrugged. “Not as bad as those Teufelchen, anyway.”
“Close enough,” Dag countered. “How long you gonna wallow in it? The girl’s gone. You got work to do.”
Oskar rolled his eyes. “Aren’t you Mr. Sympathy? I thought bartenders were supposed to be compassionate and understanding about people’s problems.”
“Yah, well, not me. I’ve got no sympathy for you at all. You let some ridiculous spell dictate your life. You should just call the girl up and ask her out. Start over again. The spell’s over anyway.”
“Huh? What are you talking about?” Oskar sat up on his stool.