She quickly took off the other boot, then straightened up, sat down on the rock again, and dipped her toes into the water, not daring to look at him again. The water was warm like he’d said, and she wiggled her toes, staring at them, trying to ignore the sound of Reese wading into the little pool from the shore a few minutes later.
“You really should roll up your pants and come all the way in,” he said, forcing her to look at him.
When she did, she couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of him with his jeans rolled up to his knees, standing in the middle of the pool, a silly grin on his face. “You look like a little kid doing something he’s not supposed to,” she said.
“Come on, it’s better out here,” he said, walking around and sighing with pleasure. “The sand feels good on your feet.”
She stood up and pulled her pants up to her knees, feeling silly, then walked over to the bank and waded in. After a few steps, she understood what Reese meant; the sand under her feet was soft, the water rushing around her legs warm and soothing, and she sighed with pleasure.
“It does feel good,” she said, still trying not to look at him. “Too bad it’s not a little deeper; this would be a good place to swim.”
“Oh, lots of people come swimming here,” Reese said, the tone in his voice making her look up. “It’s a well-known skinny-dipping destination. Want to give it a try?”
Sarah felt her cheeks pinken instantly, and the images of Reese naked in the water that popped into her head made her begin to throb deep inside. “Oh, I don’t...that is...I’ve never...” She was so flustered she couldn’t finish a sentence.
Chapter Eleven
***Reese***
Reese knew that he shouldn’t be enjoying embarrassing Sarah so much, but when she blushed like that, her eyes looked even bluer, and the look of desire that sprang to life made him feel warm all over. What he hadn’t planned on was that his teasing comment would send her scurrying out of the river, but she turned and headed for the shore.
“Sarah, come back,” he said, starting after her. “I was just teasing.”
She turned to look back at him just as she stepped down, and he saw her foot slide out from under her a second before a look of panic spread across her face. Wheeling her arms in the air, trying to regain her balance, she almost went tumbling into the water, but he caught her and scooped her into his arms at the last moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly for a second, then seemed to realize where she was and relaxed.
He stood with her in his arms, his heart pounding as desire raced through him, along with a new and foreign feeling that it took him several seconds to identify. Looking down at her, he was filled with a deep and overwhelming need to protect Sarah, and it took his breath away. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt before, deep and instinctual, and he let it wash over him until he was able to breathe.
“Thank you, Reese,” Sarah said. “I think you can set me down now.”
“I don’t think I want to,” he said, a bit shocked that he’d spoken the truth.
Her eyes widened, and he saw the vein in her neck begin to pulse. “I think you should set me down.”
“I think that’s the one thing I shouldn’t do,” he said. “I think what I should do is kiss you. It’s all I’ve been able to think about since the moment I met you.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but he lowered his mouth to hers and cut her off. After only a moment of her hands pushing against his chest, she sighed deeply and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her lips were warm and soft against his and when he slipped his tongue into her mouth, she tasted sweet, only making him want to kiss her more. Deepening the kiss, he tasted and teased until she was kissing him back, her soft moans of pleasure making his entire body throb with anticipation.
Setting her on her feet, he pulled her into his arms, aware of how small she was, and gently pressed her body against his, the feeling of her breasts against his chest sending thrills through his body. Her nipples were hard against his chest, and he couldn’t resist sliding his hand around from her back to cup one in his hand. Sarah gasped and held onto him tighter, as he flicked the taut peak with his thumb.
The ground beneath them began to shake, and for a second, he thought it was the pleasure pounding through his body, but only seconds later, the quiet of the forest was filled with the sound of an explosion. They jumped apart, both scanning the forest around them, then Sarah’s eyes got big and she pointed into the sky behind him.
He turned, horrified to find thick white smoke billowing into the air right where the castle would be. Sloshing out of the water as quickly as he could, dragging Sarah behind him, he said, “We have to go.”
Only a few minutes later, they were thundering down the trail, Reese throwing looks over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t going too fast, but Sarah looked safe and secure behind him. They arrived in town to find it deserted and didn’t slow their pace as they raced for the castle, the white plume of smoke still pouring into the sky. When they got to the castle, it was surrounded by a milling crowd, all anxious to know what was happening inside. Reese jumped down from his horse and pushed his way through the crowd, which parted for him, letting Sarah sneak in behind him.
He stopped on the top step and held his hands up. “I’ll let you know what’s going on as soon as I know,” he shouted, then slipped inside, making sure Sarah was behind him.
They ran through the entryway and down the hallway to the lab. His mind filled with images of the worst, he burst through the door to find his parents staring at a fire burning in the lab. When they heard them, they turned, their faces pale in the bright light from the fire, then looked back at what was left of the lab.
“Oh, my God,” Reese said, rushing over to them, Sarah right behind him. “Are you two alright?”
His father nodded. “We’re fine, we got out before it exploded,” he said, but he looked a little shocked.
“What happened?” Sarah asked, her face filled with worry.
“We got your email and decided to try the modifications you suggested,” his mother said, looking over at Sarah. “Something must have gone wrong.”
The fire in the lab had begun to burn down, but his anger burst to life when he heard his mother’s words. He turned on Sarah. “This is your fault,” he said, all the terrible things that could have happened crowding his brain. “They could have been killed.”
“Now, Reese, it’s not her fault,” his mother said. “We should have waited for Sarah to explain better, but when we got home and discovered that you were out riding, we just decided not to wait.”
He was suddenly so angry; he wasn’t willing to listen to reason. “I knew it was a mistake to let you come here,” he said, pointing his finger at her. “I don’t know what you are, but it’s clear that you’re up to something; you almost had me fooled with your innocent act. You did something to the prototype when you were in here last night, and this is the result.”
When Sarah just stood staring at him, her eyes full of shock, he took a few steps towards her. “Who are you working for, the Unsee—” he started to ask, but his father cut him off.
“Reese, you’re behaving like an idiot, and it needs to stop now,” he bellowed. Then in a much quieter voice, he said, “Sarah, why don’t you go to your room?”
***Sarah***
For a moment, she could only stand there staring at Reese, his words echoing through her head. She’d clearly missed something, but now wasn’t the time to defend herself, so she took Stephen’s advice and ran from the room, her heart racing with a mixture of fear and anger. Back in her room, she locked the door and threw herself onto the bed and let the tears come, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to think rationally until they were gone.
She sobbed away the anger and frustration, then lay on the bed, exhausted and confused. If she’d known that coming there was going to be so traumatic, she would have declined, stayed as far away as she could. It had been clear from the beginnin
g that Reese was suspicious of her, but she’d never been able to understand why; now he’d blown up on her after an especially wonderful kiss and she was both hurt and angry.
Replaying the entire scene in her head as she lay there, she began to wonder if there was something wrong with Reese; his words in the lab had been strange, almost deranged, paranoid. He’d accused her of working for someone, but she hadn’t been able to hear who, so she assumed he thought she was a spy or something. None of it made any sense and she was ready to give up; they’d just have to find a way to work together without her being here.
A knock at the door made her jump, then cringe, but a female voice said, “We thought you might like to have dinner in your room tonight, Ms. Sarah.”
When she opened the door, one of the servers from the sunroom was standing in the hallway, a cart full of food next to her. Sarah stepped back hoping it wasn’t obvious that she’d been crying, and let the woman push the cart inside the room, giving her a shaky smile as she passed.
“Thank you, that was very nice of you,” she said, hoping her voice sounded normal.
“Oh, it’s not that big of a deal,” the woman said, waving her hand in the air. “It’s not usually like this around here. Master Reese hasn’t been the same since he came home.”
“Home?” she asked, wishing she could just forget Reese existed. “Has he been gone?”
“Off fighting the Unseelie,” the woman said, then got a strange look on her face and started backing out of the room. “I put a little of everything on there for you, but I’d better go.”
The woman was gone before she could stop her, the word Unseelie hanging in the air. Realizing that she was still in her riding clothes and smelled like a horse, she stripped out of them and went into the bathroom, the server’s words still echoing in her brain. Now she knew what Reese had said, but had no idea who or what the Unseelie were, only that he’d been fighting them, and he thought she worked for them.
As she showered, she racked her brain, trying to remember if she’d ever heard of the Unseelie, but couldn’t come up with anything, other than a vague feeling her grandfather had mentioned them once a long time ago. The memory was there, buried far enough that nothing about it was clear, only the sound of his voice as he said the word. A feeling of apprehension washed over her; she suddenly didn’t want to be in the shower any longer and quickly finished cleaning up.
Dressed in her heaviest pajamas, she ran a comb through her hair, beginning to feel better, then sat down to eat something, hoping that would help. Heart heavy with disappointment that her dream job had turned into a nightmare, she picked at her food, trying to make herself eat. Finally, tired of trying to pretend that her hopes and dreams hadn’t just been crushed by a slightly crazy man, she put the covers back on the food and climbed into bed.
When there was a knock at the door a little while later, she got up and opened it, expecting to find the woman coming to collect the cart, but instead, she came face to face with Reese, his eyes full of anger. “Someone tampered with the prototype, and when my parents switched it on to try what you suggested in your email, it exploded. You could have killed them,” he said through clenched teeth. “But maybe that’s what you were after all along.”
Instead of the fear she expected, she felt anger begin to build, and staring in his accusing eyes, she let it grow. “I never sent your parents an email,” she said, “and I didn’t do anything to the prototype.”
“I’m not going to fall for your lies this time,” Reese said, advancing on her a few steps. “See, I’ve finally got you figured out Sarah.”
“There’s nothing to figure out, Reese,” she said, standing her ground even though she wanted to retreat into the bedroom and slam the door. “I’m just here to help your parents with the hydrogen engine. I don’t work for anyone else, and I’m not here to steal their idea.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that?” he asked sarcastically. “There’s no way you can be who you say you are. You just can’t be, it’s not possible, and I’m tired of listening to your lies. I’m going to prove I’m right once and for all.”
This time, when he advanced on her, she couldn’t stand her ground and found herself backing up into the room. “Reese, stop, you’re scaring me,” she said, wondering if she should scream.
Chapter Twelve
***Reese***
Reese wanted to slap the truth out of Sarah; he was tired of playing games with her, and after the last few hours listening to the staff whisper behind his back, he’d had enough. “Don’t try and use those big blue eyes against me,” he said. “I know what you are, and I’m going to expose you once and for all.”
He grabbed her and pulled her to him, but as soon as she was in his arms, a wave of desire washed over him, and his body warmed. She struggled in his arms, but he held her still, his hands wrapped around her upper arms in a grip so tight, the skin began to turn white. Her eyes were full of fear, and he knew that she was about to scream, so he covered her mouth with his, kissing her until she began to relax.
When he pulled away from her, his body demanding more, he pushed the desire away. “I’ve never kissed a Pixie before,” he said. “It’s quite enjoyable. Too bad I won’t be doing it again.”
Sarah stared up at him, a look of confusion on her face. “What are you taking about? Did you just call me a Pixie?”
“You didn’t think I’d figure it out, did you?” he asked, triumph on his face. “But I did figure it out. I just wish it hadn’t taken me that long.”
“What are you talking about?” Sarah asked, looking at him as if he were crazy.
“I know you’re a Pixie, Sarah,” he said. “It’s so obvious when you put it all together; your amazing intellect, the way you can be around Fae without any bad effects, even your being able to resist me. There’s no way you’re human.”
She tried to pull away from him. “I think you’re crazy,” she said. “Let me go.”
“No, not until you prove to me that you’re not a Pixie,” he said, grinning down at her. “It’s really very simple, just show me your ears.”
Her face paled and he knew that he had her. “I don’t like to...” she trailed off, then tried again. “My ears are strange.”
“I knew it; now you’re going to tell me some story or something,” he said, letting her go and sweeping the hair back from her ears.
She pulled away from him and made it a few steps before he grabbed her again. “Now what do you have to say? I saw them, Sarah; they’re pointed.”
The tears in her eyes almost got him. “They’ve been like that since I was born,” she said.
“Because you’re a Pixie,” he said. “You can drop the human act; it’s not fooling me anymore.”
“Reese,” she pleaded, “you’re not making any sense. What do you mean I’m a Pixie?”
He could only stare at her wondering how long she was going to play the game, how long she was going to play dumb. “You know,” he said. “A Pixie. Some people call them sprites, but Fae call you little creatures Pixies. The funny thing is everyone thought the Unseelie had wiped you out, but I guess a few of you managed to survive.”
“Fae?” she asked, her face turning pale. “Are you trying to tell me that you think you’re a fairy or something?”
He laughed. “You really aren’t going to let this go, are you?” he asked, then when she only looked up at him, her eyes full of fear and confusion went on. “First of all, we don’t like to be called fairies; we prefer Fae, and yes, I’m a Fae just like you’re a Pixie.”
“I don’t believe you; you’re crazy,” she said. “I came here to help your parents. I’m not a Pixie and I think you need some professional help.”
“Then how did you get here?” he demanded, shaking her a little.
“I drove here,” she said, thinking about her trip to Loughmore. “Through the same landscape for hundreds of kilometers and a huge bank of fog. I spent the night at Minerva’s inn, remember?”
<
br /> Some of his anger began to drain away. “Then explain to me how you managed to get through if you’re not a Pixie,” he demanded.
“Through what?” she asked.
“The barrier,” he said, “between the human world and the land of the Fae. Humans can’t do that Sarah; it’s just not possible.”
His hands relaxed on her arms and she scooted away from him. “Are you trying to tell me that I’m in some kind of fairyland and the only reason I can be here is because I’m a Pixie or something?” she asked.
“Are you trying to tell me that you’re not?” he asked.
“Yes, Reese, that’s exactly what I’m telling you,” she said, looking at the door. “I think we should go find your parents.”
Reese almost believed her, wanted to believe her but wasn’t quite there. “There’s one way to find out,” he said, a challenge in his voice.
She sighed. “Okay, if it will get you off my back, but you’re not touching my ears,” she said, holding her hands over them. “They’re very sensitive.”
“Come with me then,” he said, holding out his hand.
She looked at it but didn’t take it. “Lead the way,” she said, her voice shaking.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said. “I’m sorry about grabbing you earlier.”
When she didn’t respond, he led the way to the library, not sure what he was going to prove, but driven by something deep inside him to go there. He stepped inside the huge room, looked at the shelves filled with books, trying to remember where what he needed was shelved. Sarah stood next to him, staring wide-eyed at the room, her mouth hanging open in shock.
“This is incredible,” she said, following him to the back of the room.
Rescued By The Fae Prince (Fae 0f Ballantine Book 3) Page 7