by A. C. James
Niall stopped. “What?”
“You said it’s because I’m fertile. So it’s not real.” Is that a cop-out? An excuse because you’re afraid of getting close to anyone, whether they’re supernatural or not? You didn’t seem to care before. She’d let her subconscious blame her for not getting laid tomorrow and not think about its accusations while Niall stood fully erect in front of her.
“Aye, you are, but that’s got nothing to do with this.”
He moved faster than was humanly possible and pulled her forward, kissing her hard. She pulled away. Felicity wanted to slap him, and she didn’t know why she hesitated.
“I certainly have no intention of mating with you.”
He didn’t look pissed anymore. Felicity could see the hurt in his eyes, but she ignored it and lifted her chin.
Niall’s eyes hardened. “Then you can forget about this whole thing. Tomorrow it’ll be nothing more than a dream.”
Felicity felt the same surge of persuasion she’d felt when he’d asked her to mount him coursing through her, but it was easier to be angry at herself for kissing him like some desperate tart than think about it.
“Fine by me. Trust me, you’re not that memorable,” she lied.
She spun around and started across the field, praying that she wouldn’t twist her ankle in some hole in the dark and be stuck out there.
“Fine, ye stubborn pain in me hole. Suit yer self and walk back for all I care. Stubborn arse woman,” he yelled at her retreating back.
Adrenaline, fear, and agitation were strong motivators to put as much distance between her and Niall as possible. Her legs felt like they’d give out from the hard ride, but she managed not to let it show. She marched away from him and left him standing naked in the field. She smiled. At least that part gave her a small amount of satisfaction. She bloody hell wasn’t about to admit that him cursing at her in that thick Irish accent of his had a damn thing to do with the curve that shaped her mouth as she stumbled across the field.
Episode Two
Chapter 1
Felicity’s head pounded in rhythm to Cyn’s snoring, which she could hear her clear through the wall between their adjoining rooms. After a certain point the human body just doesn’t recover quickly enough; she imagined she’d passed that point around her fifth or sixth pint last night. Except, the really crazy part was she thought she’d only had one drink. Right? But that didn’t explain why it felt like someone was stabbing her through the eyes with an ice pick.
Felicity groaned.
All she knew was that she couldn’t stop thinking about that sexy, charming, infuriating man from the pub. Why did she think he was infuriating? Bloody hell, was he a double-dose of hotness! So then why the small pang of irritation, when he’d been polite, charming, and had even walked her back to Pier House? A man like that had ‘Cyn’ written all over him, but she seemed interested in Niall’s friend instead. She half wished it were the other way around, because she was working and not ready to jump into anything…except maybe a quick hop in the sack. Wham, bam, and back to London before anyone got their feelings hurt.
Nah, who was she trying to fool? She wasn’t ready—not yet. And it was way too much to think about until she had a cup of tea and two aspirin, anyway. She pulled a pillow over her head to drown out her friend’s excessive snoring and the morning light intruding into her room at Pier House.
But her mobile sounded off with a monotone robotic voice, telling her to answer it.
Damn. She really had to get rid of that obnoxious ringtone. Felicity felt around on the nightstand until her hand met with her phone, and she brought it to her ear. “Hello?”
“You sound hungover, but Cyn must be worse because she’s not even answering,” Nathan said.
Felicity had no idea how it’d gone with Tomas after he and Cyn left the pub together, but she wasn’t going to tell Nathan she’d met someone. She was sure to hear all about her friend’s evening over breakfast. Unless Cyn kept on snoring like that and missed the morning entirely.
“We had a late night. She’s still sleeping. That priest introduced me to the woman who took the photograph. Jenna Hall.”
“And what do you make of it?”
Felicity paused, not quite willing to commit to anything yet. “It’s hard to say, but after breakfast she’s going to show me where the photo was taken, and then we’ll take a look at the construction site where these ‘accidents’ are supposedly happening.”
“Well, keep me posted. Don’t forget to blog your preliminary findings. You know they love following along as the investigation unfolds,” Nathan reminded her.
“Right, right.”
After a cup of tea and two aspirin.
“And make sure you let me know if anything interesting happens. But I’ll speak to you later.”
“Right, I’ll ring you tonight then.”
Nathan paused. “One last thing before I go…”
“What?”
“I want you and Cyn to be safe out there.”
They were in the middle of nowhere—the Aran Islands were practically the end of the earth—but she knew what he meant. He was just doing what all men did when they were miles away from women they cared about, and when, in his case, he was completely in love with one of them. And Felicity knew all about interesting from some of the cases they’d had before. But the only thing intriguing was her dream last night, and that was a conversation to have with Cyn, not Nathan.
“We will. Speak to you later.”
She hung up and buried her head back under the pillow, from which she’d only partially emerged to take his call. She’d had the wildest dream. Definitely interesting, that was for sure. It was foggy, muddled, and messed-up, but thinking about it made her hot. She’d dreamed about Niall last night. And in that dream he’d walked her back to Pier House, but then he’d shifted into a black stallion with glowing eyes that shone as bright as the moon. She’d never had many erotic dreams, but maybe her imagination was on overdrive since it had been quite some time since she’d shagged anyone. After the break-up she’d buried herself in work.
Of course, she was sure her subconscious had injected the supernatural story she was chasing into her dreams. It was the first púca sighting Everyday Supernatural had investigated. From the moment the photographer told her about the portal, she’d had a powerful feeling that told her maybe there really was something going on. The rational and pragmatic Felicity reasoned there was an explanation, but the part of her that had investigated cases in the past, cases that proved to be the real deal, knew to follow her gut.
It wasn’t just the dream—she couldn’t get over how thinking about last night and meeting Niall made her mouth go dry. But the dream was part of it.
She’d climbed onto the stallion’s back, riding him through the darkness that closed over the island and shrouded it like a veil. The jarring pace of galloping through the countryside had terrified and exhilarated her. Niall was magnificent in stallion form, with his sleek, black coat and a surprisingly soft mane that she’d twined her fingers through like a lover. Her thighs tingled at the dream-memory of being wrapped around his body, holding on until he stopped in front of a stone wall.
Goosebumps broke out on her arms and a shiver shot straight to her heavy breasts as she recalled the sheer masculinity that had struck her when he shifted back into a human and stood naked before her. They’d stood so close, and then their bodies had pressed against each other, lips crashing and hands roaming.
But it was just a silly dream, and not a very good one as far as she was concerned. She’d pushed him away like she had every other man after William wrecked her. She’d left Niall in the field, stark naked, rather than indulging in what she didn’t have the guts to do, even in a dream.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
She jumped at the knock on her door, a moment before Cyn tumbled in with wild hair and a wide yawn.
Chapter 2
Niall tossed back a whiskey, which as far as he wa
s concerned was perfectly respectable, even at this hour. He was due for it, after the stiff predicament Felicity had left him with in his pants last night. As next-in-line to his father Fallon, clan chieftain, he’d never been rejected. If he had to guess, that was probably why he was still at half-mast even now. But if he must bring a mate back with him, then he imagined she’d do the job properly. His stallion was more than enamored with her curves, and the man in him was coming round as well after tasting her lush lips.
Wonder what the rest of her tastes like.
Niall turned from the hearth as Tomas entered the room. “You slept late. Did ye learn anything from questioning Felicity’s friend?”
Tomas looked tired and a little confused. “Felicity?”
“The lass from last night who was with her.”
“Aye, sorry. I’m sure they’re both harmless. I’m just a wee bit surprised you remember the lass’s name, is all.”
Niall scowled. His reputation beyond the veil was often less than chivalrous, and completely non-committal when it came to the female púca-shifters in his clan. He was surprised by his growing need to mate with Felicity, when not long ago it was the last thing he’d wanted to do. But Niall had to admit it…she was starting to appeal to more than his stallion. The need to protect her surfaced from his steed, but the man in him couldn’t stand her sad, faraway look when he’d asked if she had a mate. He never wanted to see her torn apart like that, and once he discovered the cause behind the disturbance in the veil he’d make damn sure it never happened again. Wait. What was he saying? What had she done to him? Shapely and sexy beyond belief wasn’t even the half of it when it came to Felicity Forrest.
But he wasn’t about to admit that to his best mate. “Aye, doing my duty to protect the veil, and that means keeping track of details…including the lass’s name.”
Tomas shifted to his other foot, a smile tugging the corner of his mouth. “Right.” He paused. “What color is her hair?”
Brown like sweet honey.
Niall was gobsmacked at the direction of his thoughts and irked at Tomas for knowing him far better than he cared to admit.
“What are you going to ask me next? The color of her eyes, or perhaps her shoe size? How should I know? I’ll clatter ye in yer jaw if you don’t stop giving me that dose of bullshit.”
Tomas laughed. “And how did it go with Felicity?” his friend asked, rather than rile him further. Good, because after the night he’d had, he wasn’t in the mood for it.
“Aye, drinking and having a laugh, then I walked her back. But she came here to write a story— about púca. And she has a photo of you in your stallion form. But I think you’re right about them being harmless. I don’t think they’re the reason for the disturbance in the veil.”
That wasn’t the whole story, but it’d do. No need to tell Tomas he’d taken her for a ride and she’d left him in a field with blue balls. His stallion had nearly chased across the field after her. Niall wanted her, of that much he was sure. Still, after watching that foal die last spring, and its mare sharing the same fate as his mother, he didn’t know how he could possibly promise he wouldn’t end up hurting Felicity in the end. Bearing a púca was hard enough for a female púca-shifter, but it was even harder on a human. If the foal or filly shifted during birth, it could cause trauma to the mother. If its mother was human, that could mean death. But if childbirth didn’t kill her, she’d share púca blood from the birthing process, becoming half-púca herself and aging as they did. She’d never be able to shift, or have any other abilities, though. Years ago, farmer’s daughters who’d been sacrificed to mate with their kind had done so willingly. Despite the risks, they’d wanted a chance at ‘immortality’. Some had died, but others shared long, happy lives with their mates.
“Aye, they may be harmless, but if she writes the story, more people will come to the island. Those who’ve lived here their whole lives and have forgotten the traditions might start believing as they used to. The veil might remain open, and we’d have to guard it more closely…like before,” Tomas said.
“She won’t write it.”
“How can ye be certain of a thing like that?”
Niall thought about the desire wafting off her as he’d scented her in the crowded pub, and later as she’d stomped across the field. She’d made an angry retreat, but her body betrayed her—she wanted him.
He grinned. “I have my ways.”
Then he thought about how she’d felt with her legs wrapped around him as she rode his stallion. She’d almost come during that pounding ride. So close, he could feel the pulsing between her legs, feel her heat, and smell her arousal. Nothing had ever felt so right. Her thighs gripping his body and her fingers wrapped in his mane was exactly where he wanted Felicity to be. Forever, his stallion added, but he ignored it.
“And what ways might those be?” Tomas asked.
He’d managed to seduce most of the female púca-shifters in his clan. Bloody hell, most of the fillies in the Realm lusted after him. So seducing Felicity would be fun. Of course, he was only doing this to protect the veil, to guard the Realm. Besides, if he didn’t bring back a mate, his sister would be saddled with a piece-of-shite excuse for a stallion. You keep telling yourself that, his stallion huffed derisively.
“I’ll give her a ride she won’t forget.”
Chapter 3
Felicity groaned as Cyn flopped onto the bed, her hair fanning across the duvet. She brought her head up from where she’d buried it under the pillow to find Cyn grinning from ear to ear.
“I take it you had a good night,” Felicity said as she propped herself onto the pile of pillows.
“Not just good…bloody amazing.”
Oh, boy. This guy was in for it.
Cyn’s enthusiasm continued before Felicity could respond. “Tomas listened to me like everything coming out of my mouth was the most fascinating thing he’d ever heard. And you know I’m not really one for talk. I’d much rather shag him from now until Tuesday, but the way he hung on every word…well, let’s just say I think this one might last more than a day.” Cyn looked positively devilish as she paused for a breath. “He might even last a whole week.”
She restrained herself from rolling her eyes. “Right. Have fun with that.”
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“I know you.”
Cyn grinned. “Okay, you have a point. There’s just one thing I don’t get.”
“What’s that?”
“He seems really into me, but when I invited him back to my room he said he wanted to see me tomorrow. He didn’t come up. It was sweet that he was a gentleman, but he didn’t even kiss me. Not a peck.”
Man. This is way worse. He must really like her, and she has no idea what to do with it.
“I know this is a new concept for you, but some guys want to get to know you before they bang you.”
“You’re bloody hilarious! I get that, I do. I’m just impatient. Want to hear something really weird?”
“Mmmm…”
“I feel like I already shagged him. My inner thighs hurt so bad I think I’m going to enjoy that nice big tub after breakfast.”
Strangely, Felicity could relate. She felt as if she’d ridden the stallion from her dream last night. Her legs were achy too. “Well, enjoy your soak. I’ve got some work to do.”
“Oh, don’t worry. It’s my birthday! I have one mission for this trip, but you should consider having a little fun too. How did it go with Niall?”
She didn’t want to think about Niall. “Okay, I guess. But I have another blog post to write after breakfast. I don’t have time. You go ahead and have your fun. I’m not stopping you.”
Cyn sighed. “There’s no saying you can’t work and play.”
She knew that, but she wasn’t ready. She didn’t know when she would be ready, either. Right now, it was easier to focus on the story she was sent here for than to consider Niall. No matter how much she was attracted to him, she didn’t wa
nt to get hurt again. It was too much. Even though a holiday fling appealed to part of her, it would be wiser to absorb herself in her work.
“It’s just William and I only broke—”
“Do you really think he hasn’t moved on?” Cyn interrupted, her voice suddenly dropping in volume. And her tone had grown serious.
“I don’t know. And I really don’t care who he’s shagging.”
Cyn bit her lip.
“What? You know something, don’t you?”
“I didn’t want to tell you—”
“Tell me what?”
“He’s seeing someone.”
Felicity grew quiet.
“I’m sorry,” Cyn said.
She didn’t want him back, but the memory of their last fight was a festering wound. It kept replaying in her mind, even though she tried to block it out. She owned who she was: her life, her successes, her failures, her body. She firmly believed that no one could make you feel unworthy unless you let them. And truth was, most days she was happy being her. A supernatural blogger, recently single, who answered to no one but herself. That felt good. Better than good. Still, she had to know what Cyn was about to tell her, even if she felt sorry for the unknown woman who about to make the same mistake she had.
“How do you know that?” Are you sure you want to know? She hated second-guessing herself.
Cyn fingered a loose thread on the quilt. “I saw him at a restaurant the other day having dinner with another woman.”
“Maybe she’s just a colleague. It could’ve been a working dinner. People have to eat.”
“They were holding hands.”
Felicity looked away. Suddenly the unravelling thread Cyn was toying with mirrored her feelings.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I didn’t know how, and I didn’t want to see you looking like you do right now. You have to let it go. It’s time.”
Of course Cyn was right. The ones you loved the most sometimes had a way of hurting you the worst. They could tear your heart out while it was still beating, and crush it with words that could never be taken back. William had been really good at that. He’d taken every ounce of trust, used everything she’d ever confided in him, and turned it against her whenever they fought. Or spewed venom whenever he drank too much. Their last knock-down, drag-out fight was the one that had made her walk away with what little dignity she had left.