Romancing Austin

by Riley Bancroft, Evelyn Berry, Cara Carnes, Jax Garren, Irene Preston, Rebecca Royce, Chandra Ryan

  “Don’t you remember that first night when you made me listen—really listen—to the concert outside?” His rough breath stroked the skin along her neck and shoulders.

  “Mmm-hmm.” She would agree to anything as long as he kept forging the blazing trail of kisses across her shoulders and over her chest. The bristles on his cheeks tickled her skin, causing warm fluttering tingles to start in her body.

  “It made me think of all the music we could make together…all the rhythms we could explore—slow and soft—fast and hard,” he accompanied his words by rolling his hips, teasing the flesh between her legs. “The pulses and beats.” Her breath bellowed in out of her lungs in time with the demanding pace against her hips. He nipped at her breasts, his teeth leaving gentle stings of pleasure behind, then tugged on her nipple. She arched her back, crying out in pure pleasure. “The blissful crescendos.”

  She shook, needing his touch, needing him, “Dallas.”

  “Was there ever a more erotic sound than my name on your lips?”

  Her eyes widened as a new kind of fire invaded her body, building an aching pressure between her legs. It was so delicious, but she wanted more.

  Dallas returned to her breasts, sucking on one nipple and then the other. He cupped her sex, pressing the heel of his hand against her clitoris, creating a wicked beat, a perfect rhythm to his suckling.

  She clutched at his taut shoulders and tightened her heels around his waist, bringing him closer.

  But it wasn’t close enough.

  His hands slid down her thighs, cupping her ass, and guiding her in making this new music with him. This time, when he inched into her tightness, she was ready. He held her gaze, the blue flame in his eyes searing her, but she never looked away.

  He tilted his hips, sliding deep inside her with one long rapturous moan.

  Dallas was right. They knew how to make some fine music together.

  He led and she followed, but with every beat she internalized the rhythm deeper. With every thrust, her body quivered to an even higher pitch, building until they moved in harmony.

  She tightened her thighs as he drove deeper inside her, his rumbling words reverberating through her body, taking her higher and higher. Aurora gasped and met his eyes as she came, her sheath milking him while he moaned in time with her eddying pulses. Aurora dropped her head in the crook of his neck and mumbled into his ear, “Thank you for showing me another happy, Dallas.”

  He chuckled deep in his chest, and her sensitive nipples tickled with the vibrations. He kissed her earlobe, “How about an encore performance?”

  11

  Aurora disentangled herself from under Dallas’ heavy arm and slipped out of bed quietly as possible, resting her gaze on him for one last time. The muscles on the inside of her thighs were sore and memories of their lovemaking tingled all over her body. His chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm. He reached over and curled his hand, grasping nothing but twisted sheets, then his eyes opened.

  When he focused on her in his white dress shirt, he smiled. “I thought you looked beautiful in your diamond dress, but seeing you in my shirt…” He must have seen something on her face causing him to rise up on his elbows with a questioning look on his face. “What’s wrong?”

  “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

  His gaze fell to her bundled dress in her arms and jerked up to meet her eyes again. The sleepy lover had gone. “Where are you going?”

  “I have to go now.” She dropped her head down so he wouldn’t see the tears stinging in her eyes or the heartbreak she knew would be reflected in their wet depths.

  “You can’t leave.” He leapt out of bed, his nudity enough to encourage her to forget her duty. He rushed forward and held her hands between the both of his. “How can you leave me now?”

  She caressed his face, loving the way the tickling bristles scratched against the softness of her skin. He kissed her palm, and she soaked up the softness of his warm lips against her hand the way she’d seen the dry ground drink up rain. “We found happiness together.” She looked up into his eyes, storing the contrasting blue color deep in her memories. She wanted to hold on tight to the memory of the two of them intertwined together. “I will never forget you, Dallas. Please believe me, but I must go.”

  “Why? Do you have to leave to go home?”

  Tears shook free from eyes and slid down her cheeks. She nodded her head yes. She couldn’t speak over the anguish choking her throat.

  “I know this is happening so fast, but stay here. With me. I want to know everything about you, and we just got started.”

  “I wish I could.”

  She ran out of his room while he struggled to find his clothes among the tangled sheets on the floor. Ignoring his pleas for her to stop, she dashed down the hall and gathered up Manuel for the long journey home. His wing was still sore, but he seemed recovered enough to take them home.

  Home? She didn’t know where home was anymore. She heard Dallas stumbling around, so she quickened her steps. She had to get out of here before the loss consumed her.

  The antique grandfather clock she passed in his living room began to chime midnight.

  It was too late.

  Aurora shuddered under the reality of what was to come.

  Titania. Servitude. Eternity.

  A blast of cool air threw open the bay doors and white hazy moonlight beams flooded in…along with a human-sized Aunt Titania. She stood like the queen she was, head high, shoulders back, and draped in robes of gold, silver, and a myriad of jewels. The gems had been arranged to resemble vines and flowers, and on her head was a crown of golden butterflies. Their wings ruffled as the air sucked out of the living room, closing the doors with a bang.

  “Well, well, well niece. Where is my tribute?” Titania craned her graceful neck to the right and to the left, making a dramatic show of searching for the musician she already knew was not there.

  “You already know I did not get him.”

  “Was this a deliberate insult to my crown, Aurora?” If it was possible, Titania grew even taller.

  “Of course not, Aunt Titania.” She kept her gaze locked with the fairy queen’s. Aurora had made her choice out of love, and nothing Titania said was going to make her regret the sacrifice. “I had one wish to give, and I used it.”

  “Knowing full well if you did not find the human Reed you would be my servant for all eternity?” Was Titania reminding Aurora of her sacrifice to break her? To get her to beg for forgiveness? Why was she doing this? Why didn’t she just clap her in irons and take her away?

  “Who is this woman, Aurora?” Oh no, she’d forgotten about Dallas. He had put on his discarded black tailored pants that had once graced the floor. His broad chest was bare and his hair disheveled from all her hair pulling.

  Titania flicked her wrist in his direction, and Dallas went unnaturally still. Prickles of fear plucked the nerve endings along Aurora’s spine at Titania’s display of power.

  “Who is this human, Aurora?” Titania demanded as she glided around the statue-still form of Dallas Tanner. “He has a certain rawness I admire. Was he yours?” She reached out with one hand and ran the tips of her fingers over his bare shoulders and down between his shoulder blades. “Quite impressive, niece.”

  That was it. “Titania, if you’ve come for me, then take me, but do not harass my human friends. I will not stand for it.”

  “You’ve only known him for four days. What made him so special you would risk your life and future for?”

  “His courage.”

  “Courage?” Titania tilted her head to the side and arched one royal eyebrow in disbelief? Did she practice in front of a mirror?

  “He gave up everything to start a new life.”

  “Sounds like laziness to me.” Titania crossed her arms. “But humans are not the most industrious of beings.”

  “He is not lazy.” Aurora clenched and unclenched her fists as she held her arms rigid at her sides. It certainly would not d
o if she took a swing at her aunt, even if she was the queen of the fairies. “Dallas had a hard job far away, but he gave it all up to do something he really loves. He practices for hours, going over a few notes again and again until he gets it right. He’s the most hard-working man I know and it’s been an honor to share what little time I had left with him.”

  The quick flash of a smile on Titania’s lips confused Aurora. Perhaps her aunt was smirking? “So honorable to earn your love?”

  Aurora widened her eyes. Love. Did she love Dallas? Yes. Yes, she did. The self-realization, even if her aunt did help her talk it out, crystallized her resolve to make sure he came to no harm.

  “I do love Dallas. With all my heart. Please tell me you will not harm him, and I’ll gladly go with you and serve you until the ends of my days.” She reached over and grasped his still hand in hers and squeezed even as her heart raced in her chest, cracking under the pressure of losing him.

  “Calm yourself, niece. I want nothing to do with this human.”

  Aurora’s shoulders relaxed as the tension slowly eased out of them. “Thank you, Aunt. Aurora tugged Dallas’ shirt tighter around her waist and cradled Manuel in the crook of her arm to keep from crumbling into a million pieces on the floor. “May we go now?”

  “I think not. I only came to see this human and the life you have chosen for yourself.” Titania glided further into Dallas’ house and inspected the interior of the living room, flicking a royal finger at the fireplace. A second later a toasty blaze shot up and began to crackle.

  “What?”

  “Your mother wasn’t so sure you would fall for it, but I knew if you left the security of the forest for a few days, you would soon find a human to suit you.”

  “My mother?”

  Titania shook her head and a few of the golden butterflies rustled with the agitation. “Your mother is completely fine, Aurora. She had confided in me she feared you would spend the rest of your days in the safety of the Hills and she desperately wanted you to experience the love she had with your father…so”—she shrugged her shoulders—“we came upon a plan for you to kidnap a human for me.”

  Aurora still couldn’t quite believe what her aunt was telling her. It was all a trick? To get her to leave her home? “But what about Zephyr? What if I really did kidnap the man-child Reed?”

  “We knew your impulsiveness would work in our favor. I made sure you were alone with the bracelet…and you took the bait. And if you did bring me Reed, I would have deemed him unworthy and thrown him back like a too small fish.”

  Burning waves of anger flashed through Aurora, and she clenched her jaw to keep from yelling. “You played with my life as if I was some cold chess piece on a board.” She spat out.

  “We did what was needed to do. The only interest you ever had was listening to stories from elders about the human world,” she said and shook her head. “You’d never be satisfied in the forest and …we thought you’d find happiness here… and why are you so upset? You found love.” Titania gestured at Dallas. “You may stay here, if you wish.” The last part of her sentence was said reluctantly, as if Titania couldn’t understand why anyone would want to remain in the human’s world. “But beware. Your memories of fairy life will soon fade until they are nothing but dreams. You will have no powers and live the rest of your days as a human, Aurora Barton.”

  Titania flicked her hand again.

  Dallas released from her hold, bent over at the waist before falling to his knees. Aurora ran to him and put her arms around his shoulders, but his wide eyes betrayed his shock. It would take some time for him to shake off Titania’s spell.

  Give it all up? Forget everything she once was and stay human? “My mother…?” Pinpricks of grief hurt her eyes and slipped down her cheeks. She would never see her mother, Zephyr, or any of the other fairies ever again. Dallas put an arm around her shoulders while Manuel patted her hand with his one good wing.

  Titania drifted closer to them. A faint glow of fairy dust illuminated her, reflecting off the hundreds of golden butterfly wings poised to form her crown. “Your mother made a tough choice, too. Do not dishonor her by treating this decision lightly.” She curled a finger and tipped Aurora’s chin up. “What is your choice?”

  When she imagined spending the rest of her days as Titania’s slave, she had wished she could spend more time with Dallas. And now she had all the time in the world. The sudden change of fortune dizzied her, but this was a decision they should make together. Aurora turned her head up and caught his unfocused gaze, pleading he would understand her. “Would you mind if I stayed on for a few more days…years? It’s probably a little longer than you wanted, but —”

  He shook his head vehemently. “It’s perfect. Do you remember the wish I made last night?”

  She nodded first slowly, then a little faster as she comprehended his words. He wanted her to stay with him.

  He leaned down and kissed her.

  She closed her eyes and pulled his head down until their lips met and they half-laughed and half-kissed. A bright glow of light burned behind her closed eyelids and was gone. They both jerked apart and looked around. “Titania’s gone.” She sank down into a nearby chair before she fell down. A small beaded purse appeared out of thin air and fell into her lap. Manuel jumped on to the chair’s arm, and she opened the bag to find identification, plastic cards, and paper money for one human female, Aurora Barton.

  Thank you, mom and Aunt Titania.

  I love you, my sweet Aurora, and wish you the happiest of days. She sat up and searched wildly around the room for her mother.

  “Uh, Aurora?” She blinked away a few more wayward tears until Dallas’ utter look of confusion came into focus, “Can you tell me what just happened?”

  —

  One year later

  “These are very beautiful pieces, Miss Barton. Oh, I forgot you were recently married, you’re Mrs. Tanner now.” Olivia Windsor’s soft accent was light and genteel with a curl at the end of certain words. Aurora loved to talk to people from all over the world and learn new things. Fortunately, her jewelry making abilities gave her the opportunity to relish in her pastimes.

  “Please, call me Aurora. It was a whirlwind romance…almost like a fairy tale,” She giggled, inviting the woman to join her. “And yes, I’ve been married for almost three months, but the name change does take some getting used to,” she looked down at the bracelet the other woman was holding. “That’s one of my favorites. It’s pure silver with stones from all over the state of Texas.” Aurora glimpsed a tall, handsome man approaching her booth, and she curled a hand around his neck, bringing Dallas’ head down for a kiss.

  “I was going to ask ‘how’s it going,’ but based on the exuberance in that kiss, I’m going to assume it’s fantastic.” His warm smile reached up into his eyes until his handsome face beamed down at her. He tightened his arms around her waist one more time before reluctantly letting go with a gentle pat on her stomach. They’d found out that morning they were going to be parents, but planned on keeping the news to themselves a little while longer.

  “Beyond fantastic, Dallas.” She straightened and motioned to the lady pretending not to notice the very obvious public display of affection, “May I introduce Olivia Windsor, regional buyer for Italy’s finest jewelry salons? She stopped by to look over the ‘Fairy Magic’ collection.”

  “You are one of the top artists at this conference, Aurora. My employers have reviewed your portfolio on-line, of course, but instructed me to make your acquaintance to go over a few business proposals for future orders.”

  Aurora switched to what she called her ‘business mode’ and made plans to meet Olivia for dinner at a local Austin restaurant—all the while she was bubbling inside with excitement.

  Aurora watched Olivia turn the corner around a lane of booths before giving a little shriek and throwing herself into Dallas’ arms, “Can you believe we might be selling in Italy?”

  Manuel dozed upside down from
his perch, ruffling his wings and pretending to be annoyed at the interruption, but he released a few open mouthed chatters before calming down again. She’d have to find him some juicy bugs so he could help them celebrate.

  “I’m not surprised. You enchant everyone you meet. You enchanted me the moment I saw you.”

  “I did not. You thought I was some tardy page turner you were forced to work with.” He shook his head while he unwrapped the small blue bun Aurora had tied her hair in. It unfurled around her shoulders, great curly waves tugging on his hands as he held her head gently between his palms. “Every day you meet the world full of hope and joy.”

  “If I’m full of hope and joy, it’s because I have you by my side,” she whispered, reaching up and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

  “There you go again, enchanting me. I love you.”

  From Evelyn

  Howdy Reader!

  Thank you for picking up Romancing Austin and reading “Enchanted”! I’ve had so much fun with our ensemble of authors and can’t express how grateful I am for being included in this anthology. I’m lucky to call Austin my home and honored to call these ladies my friends.

  One of the cool things about being a musician (in my humble opinion) is knowing how to read another language. Like a good book, reading and listening to music has the power to transport us to different times, places, and infuse us with a roller coaster of emotions.

  I hope you enjoyed Dallas and Aurora’s story as much I enjoyed writing it. I got the idea for Dallas and Aurora when I had to turn pages for a local musician. So, be careful when you meet a writer…you might end up in a book.

  If you’d like to learn a little bit more about me, my books, and if we’re nerdily compatible, please visit www.EvelynBerry.com. My social media drug of choice is Twitter, but I can also be found on Facebook.