by Lynn Crain
“What does Angie do?”
“She’s a nurse. She has been for about five years now…she started college when she was only sixteen and graduated at the top of her class when she was nineteen.”
“Wow…she must be one smart lady.”
“She is…she puts me to shame…even though we started college together and everything, she graduated a full year before me. She’s had a hard life.”
“And she’s all alone just like you are, isn’t she?’
Tessa tried hard not to let tears fill her eyes but she failed miserably. “She was my rock when my parents died. I don’t know what I would have done without her. As for her, she was in foster homes until she met me. My parents decided to take her in and she emancipated herself when she was sixteen even though she still lived with us. My parents had set up a very small trust fund for her and she’s kept it growing every year.”
Jedrick raised his hand and stroked her cheek. “I’m glad you two had each other. I’m sorry that you and Angie’s life wasn’t so good.”
“Thank you.”
Grabbing the tray he moved it out of the way and scooted closer to her. His fingers tangled with her hair and he pulled her toward him. “I hope you don’t mind that I promise to make each day something special.”
This man said all the right things. Tessa looked down at her hands. She didn’t know what answer to give. “Thank you.” She felt the tug on her hair and looked up into his blue eyes.
“You’re very welcome.”
His tender kissed unnerved her. Never had any one evoked the feelings that this man could in her. And she’d only known him for two days. Could it be possible that the elven magic had warped her brain? Or did it indicate that her heart really did know what was best for her? First he kissed the tip of her nose, then her eyes and finally, he satisfyingly kissed her soft mouth and she could feel it all the way to her toes. At this point, she didn’t care about the answers to those questions because his mouth felt so wonderful on hers.
Jedrick pulled back. “I could do that all day, but it wouldn’t accomplish a thing except keep us in bed. And I want to show you my world today.” He stood and threw back the covers. “So why don’t we take a quick shower together and get going?”
Tessa arched an eyebrow at him, remembering the ‘quick’ shower from yesterday.
“Maybe quick isn’t the word I was looking for.”
Smiling, she took his hand and tugged him after her. “Quick has nothing to do with it.” Once inside the huge bathroom, she did a slow striptease.
“Woman, don’t tease the elf.” His voice slid over her like a silken glove, intent on enclosing her within its grasp.
Squealing in delight, Tessa jumped in the shower that could easily hold four people and turned on the warm spray. She wasn’t surprised when he followed her in but didn’t expect him to turn her away from him. “Can you reach the shampoo over there?” he questioned lightly. “I’ve wanted to wash your hair the moment I saw you wash it yesterday.”
Bending down, she grabbed the soap and squeezed a large glob into his hands. “I can do this…you don’t have to,” she murmured.
“Not on your life,” he said and held his hand high. “I love your hair and can’t wait to run my fingers through it.” He massaged her collarbone in an effort to make sure she understood that this was what he wanted.
He weaved his hands in her curls, taking the fragrant shampoo with his fingers. Slowly, he massaged her scalp in gentle circles, making sure that each strand of hair received its fair share of attention. Jedrick pushed her head under the shower to rinse the soap from her tresses. “Don’t open your eyes yet,” he whispered, “there’s still soap in your hair.”
Tessa waited expectantly with her eyes closed, not knowing what to expect. Soon, she felt his hand touch her stomach and inch toward her breasts. “Hey…that’s not fair,” she said.
“Who said life was fair?” he whispered close to her ear. Rubbing the rest of the soap away, he replaced his mouth with his tongue and began to lave her ear gently. He understood that human ears weren’t as sensitive as elf ears, but he knew hers were responsive to his touch. He was rewarded with moans. Moving down the front of her body, he stopped at her breasts and took first one then the other nipple into his mouth, working them up to a hard peak as his hands massaged the heavy globes.
“These are just beautiful,” he commented and continued on his way down.
“I’m glad you think so,” she gasped, feeling his tongue rim her bellybutton and continue to go lower.
He stopped at the top of her mons. “Put your leg over my shoulder.”
“Okay,” she breathed and lifted her leg to rest on his shoulder. As soon as she repositioned her leg, his mouth assaulted her already slick slit. Her body jerked as a quiver of excitement raced through her veins. God, did it get any better than this, she wondered vaguely as her senses were brought to the edge and back. Passion boiled just beneath the surface, turning into wave after wave of molten heat. It would take so little to push her over the edge.
Jedrick looked up with a satisfied look that said no matter what happened, Tessa would not be leaving because the sex wasn’t good enough—he would make sure of that. He reached up and captured her breasts with his hands and squeezed. Slowly, he brought her back to a moaning peak, but wouldn’t let her leap over the edge. “I’m going to stand up and I want you to put your legs around my waist.”
She stood there gasping for breath in great gulps. He was good…really good. “Okay,” she whispered hoarsely. “But I think I’m too heavy.”
Jedrick stopped for a moment. “Elves are incredibly strong,” he answered and continued raining kisses on her water slick flesh as he came to a stand. Gathering her in his arms, he lifted her like a feather, holding her snugly against his body. Urging her legs to wrap around him, he gently eased himself into her and pressed her back against the cool tile. “Do you know in the Kama Sutra that this position is called a supported congress?”
Tessa offered him a shy smile before securely wrapping her arms around his neck and shoulders. “What a funny name for a lovemaking position.”
“The whole book is very informative,” he whispered and slid out of her to thrust back in again.
Tessa’s head went back and she let out a moan. “That feels so good.”
“Yeah…” Jedrick whispered concentrating on their pleasure.
All too soon the magic began to swirl and tremors began to mount deep within her. Tension coiled tight as his thrust brought her nearer to the edge of the abyss. Previous experience didn’t hold a candle to what she now felt for this man…this elf-man as he’d called himself. But this time something was different, something deeper was happening as the magic seemed to seep into her very soul. Passion inched through her veins with incredible slowness and touched the depth of her feelings and emotions. Something whispered to her very core and broke free in a fiery display of burning embers as the orgasm ripped through her body.
The magic burst out from both of them as the passion ebbed to a warm glow.
Tessa slowly slid down his body until her feet touched the floor. She had to work hard to stay upright because her knees wanted to buckle. “Heaven forbid…I don’t know how much more of that I can take.”
Jedrick smiled at her and reclaimed her lips in a surprisingly gentle kiss. “That good, huh?” he questioned, a slight chuckle in his voice.
She shook her head. “You don’t know? You can’t tell?”
“Well…it’s always nice to hear.”
She took his face in her hands. “You are a very wonderful man and a kind, considerate lover. And falling in love with you is the only option that I can see.” Standing on tiptoes, she kissed him with a gentleness that she had never felt before this moment.
Chapter Seven
It took them another hour to get out of the house and to the workshop. And Tessa was in awe from the moment she stepped out of Jedrick’s sleigh. The whole compound was lik
e nothing she’d ever seen before. It reminded her of a government facility without the drabness or the security.
Jedrick had explained to her on the way over security wasn’t needed because of their location. When, Tessa frowned at this, he explained that elves had the power to hide anything that needed hiding. That’s why no one ever knew they existed at all. As far as any one was concerned, the compound wasn’t even a blip on the radar.
She wondered at the nature of this phenomenon. “Wow…you should sell whatever it is on the open market. With the world the way it is today, I’m sure elves would be paid millions,” she remarked.
“We’ve talked about it. Imagine what the world would be like if elves with magic powers lived everywhere. The balance of power would be tipped toward those with the most money.”
Tessa sighed. “Point taken…that wouldn’t be a good thing...it’s a blessing then you’ve hidden yourselves here. Just how many elves are there?”
He smiled. “There are lots of us hidden around the world. But the areas we call loinnir are shrinking alarmingly fast.”
“What are loinnir?’
“Literally translated, it means ‘shining glade’, but it’s basically the area where our magic has influence.”
“There are more elves than what are here?”
“There are elves almost everywhere in the world. But most of the areas are remote, inaccessible places where most people don’t want to be or even care that they exist.”
Standing in front of what looked like any other high tech building; Tessa could almost feel as if she were in any normal industrial park in the world. But there were a few subtle differences…first of all it had windows and actual ornate carvings on the outside walls…and when she walked inside it seemed homey with a warm and friendly atmosphere.
“Since we are so isolated and because we are in a loinnir, we don’t have to worry about security, just like I explained,” Jedrick said in answer to her unasked question.
She glanced around the lobby and noted that it looked like an FAO Swartz store she’d visited in San Francisco once during the holiday season. “This looks like…” she began.
“Yeah, they had our design…we thought that up years before they did…and Santa decided to just give the idea away once for a Christmas present to a down-and-out designer.”
Tessa laughed. “Well, if someone did ask for it, then they should by all means get it.”
“There were some pretty mad elves the year when that happened. You have no idea.”
“Unfortunately, I’m afraid I do know about angry coworkers. The company I work for has so many cutthroat people, it’s amazing. I never knew a group of people so inclined to hurt others as that group.” She sighed then and thought about all her colleagues at work. All of them were selfish, she realized with a shudder, so selfish they couldn’t even be honest with themselves or each other. Closing her eyes, she understood this place was somehow changing her.
“What’s wrong?” Jedrick’s concern plain on his face.”
She shook her head as if clearing the cobwebs that had suddenly formed there. “I’m not really sure.”
Jedrick didn’t have time to deal with her worries because Eggther and his brothers, Ardan and Cuinn, were coming their way. “I think the welcoming committee has arrived.” He indicated the three men hurrying toward them.
Tessa turned to see them striding purposely toward her…one held himself with all the grace and magic she’d always felt elves possessed…and the other, an exact four-and-a-half-foot miniature, tried hard to keep up. Then there was a dark-haired brother she’d only talked to briefly the other day. She inclined her head.
“Ardan…Eggther…Cuinn.”
Eggther, not being shy, blurted. “How did you know who I was?”
She smiled. “Well, Santa told me you were usually the one who did the greeting at the design shop and Jedrick explained to me who everyone was and their function on the way here.”
Eggther frowned. “Oh…so you two were talking about me?” he questioned.
“It wasn’t anything bad…I can assure you. Everything was on the up and up. Jedrick has nothing but glowing praise for you.”
Eggther eyed Jedrick suspiciously. “Why are you being so nice to me all the sudden?”
“Didn’t you help bring Tessa back?” Jedrick questioned.
He threw up his hands. “Whoa…wait a minute…you can’t pin that on me. Santa did that all by himself. And actually, I protested.”
Tessa took in his serious look. “Something about me puking in the sleigh, if I remember correctly.”
“Why, that’s downright embarrassing,” stated Eggther. “We thought you were out.”
She leaned down and gently kissed him on top of the head. “That’s what you get for thinking.”
Eggther flushed bright red and went running from the room, shrieking.
Tessa broke out in laughter. “He’s easily intimidated, isn’t he?”
“He may be, but I’m not,” a deep voice behind her stated.
Turning, she saw Jedrick’s brother, Ardan and knew that this man really didn’t like her. And for some reason, she knew not to take it too personally. “I don’t imagine you would be,” she stated quietly.
“Ooo…touché, brother.” Jedrick just smiled, took Tessa’s arm and lead her toward the back of the room toward the wide spiral staircase that wrapped around one side of the foyer.
Tessa frowned at Jedrick. “That was rude.”
“Rude but true.”
“Mother wouldn’t like it if she knew you were talking to me that way.”
Jedrick turned to stare at his brother. “And she wouldn’t like it if she knew that you were being a smartass, either.”
Ardan flushed deep red and he inclined his regal head. “I deeply apologize. I will save my questions for later.”
Tessa watched with trepidation Ardan’s receding back. “What was that all about?”
Jedrick sighed. “Ardan really detests his human side and does his best to be rude to any human we come in contact with. I don’t know what happened but I don’t remember him being like this when we were younger. Somehow med school changed him…and it wasn’t for the better.” He frowned and placed his hand in the small of her back. “We should probably go to my office.”
“Usually people who are that arrogant started out that very same way.” Tessa eyed him as she let him guide her along.
Laughter rang rich and deep in the large foyer. “I guess he probably was…I never really thought about it. But Cuinn has never been arrogant a day in his life. Have you, Cuinn?”
“Depends on what you mean by arrogant. If you mean that I’m not arrogant about what I know, I’d have to disagree with you. Are you going to have time today to go over some things that need working on in the programming department?”
Jedrick looked down at Tessa. “Are you game for doing a little work in the design wing before finishing the tour?”
“Sure…I would really like to see what you guys work on.”
“That’s wonderful,” Cuinn answered. “I heard you tell my parents yesterday that you are a computer programmer. We can always use some fresh minds and new blood here.”
“Yes, I am.” She looked at Jedrick and squeezed his hand. “And I could use a mental challenge right now.”
“Great. You know why Ardan was here, don’t you?” Cuinn asked, turning back to his brother.
“No…why?”
“It’s almost the first of the year and you know how fanatical he is about getting everyone’s physical done early. And I imagine he was going to ask you some very pointed questions about Tessa. I swear I don’t know what he does most of the time either. I mean there aren’t that many of us.”
Jedrick frowned for the second time in the last ten minutes. “I’m glad that he’s taking the health of the staff seriously but the questions about Tessa would have had to wait anyway.”
Tessa watched this exchange with a lump of concern growing
in her stomach. She could only imagine just what kind of questions that he would have asked. “Well, are we going anywhere gentlemen?” she inquired, pushing the negative thoughts from her mind.
“Sure…let’s go on up,” Jedrick answered and lead them toward a large curving stairway.
The building was only three stories that she could see but the atrium went all the way up to the top. It appeared there were three wings off each landing of the staircase. The atrium had everything the outside was missing….trees, flowers…grass.
Tessa continued to gaze around her in amazement. While this building was obviously meant for a specific purpose, it had a large open feel and not the small cramped cubby-hole-style offices where she actually worked. The offices she could see as they passed them in the corridors were large and spacious, with custom built furniture.
Jedrick and Cuinn kept up a lively conversation about possible designs for next year while Tessa listened with rapt attention. This was something that she could really sink her teeth into, programming wise. Finally, Jedrick came to a set of double doors at the end of a hall and pushed them open.
Tessa gasped. This wasn’t an office, this was a suite! “You could live here,” she gasped in delight.
Jedrick glanced at his brother and smiled. “Yes…you could. This office comes complete with a large bath and a Murphy bed.”
She walked around in awe. Now this was an office…she thought. Tessa could see herself in an office of this type. She’d never thought herself much of a corporate type but this just might change her mind. She walked to the window and looked out. Today was a beautiful crystal clear day with crisp air and wonderful blue skies. One could almost see forever. She tentatively touched the window feeling the chill.
“The view is gorgeous.”
“Well…if you say so…everything is pretty flat. And white.”
Tessa looked back at him. “But it’s so pristine…so pure…it’s like the world has started all over again.”