by Nina Bangs
And even as the waves of sensation washed over her, slowly receded, leaving her so weak that she sank to her knees, she knew that this wasn’t it.
He’d given pleasure, but taken none. There’d be another time, the right time for it, when he’d join her. Almost fearful, she lifted her gaze to his eyes, then relaxed. These weren’t the eyes of the man in her reality experience. This man’s eyes were heated with emotion, hot desire. He didn’t have his game face on tonight.
But it wasn’t right that she’d done all the enjoying. “I want to—”
Reading her intent, he shook his head. “There’ll be another time.” His gaze drifted to the great hall. “My time.” He glanced back at her and smiled.
“You’re really fixated on your gypsy fantasy. You’re a stubborn man, Brian Byrne. Do you always get what you want?” Surprised, she paused. Stubborn. A character flaw. If she were really searching for the perfect mate, he wouldn’t qualify.
“I never get what I want.”
She followed his gaze down to where his arousal rose hard, strong. It triggered a twinge that indicated her body would be eager again as soon as it caught its breath. Meanwhile, she’d allow herself one touch. One touch to hold her over. Reaching down, she slid her fingers along the length of him, felt his deep shudder, his iron control. She wanted to test his control. Soon.
“But I will, babe. Count on it.” His words were a harsh whisper.
Overconfidence. Another flaw. The scary part was that she didn’t care. She wanted every inch of his imperfect self. Her body wasn’t discriminating, and her mind was growing less so by the minute. Maybe perfection was overrated.
Besides, why should she worry about his lack of perfection, when she was clearly far from perfect herself. She was greedy, self-indulgent, impulsive, shameless—
Brian interrupted Ally’s cataloging of her questionable character traits by standing, then helping her to her feet. She stood docilely as he handed her bra to her, pulled up her panties and jeans, then pulled her sweater over her head.
She fastened her jeans and shoved her bra into a pocket as she watched him try to fasten his own jeans. He winced. She felt a totally inappropriate twinge of pride that he was still hard for her. Was that pathetic, or what? Other people took pride in things like curing disease and building better rockets. She took pride in making a man hard. No, not a man. This man. There was an important truth in that distinction. She’d think about it later.
“I think we have a visitor.” Brian’s voice was low, alert.
“What?” She turned, expecting to see Katy or the Old One.
A dark horse stood watching them. Sleek-muscled and the color of the night, the horse turned its head to stare at the field where their horse rested hip shot. The horse’s long wild mane blew in the wind that had gradually picked up.
Ally took a fearful step closer to Brian, and he wrapped his arm around her waist as the horse turned its gaze back to them. It watched them with glowing yellow eyes for what must have been only moments, but seemed forever.
Finally, it turned away and galloped toward Ally’s horse on silent hooves.
“Ohmigod! The pooka. Katy has to see it.” Ally raced toward the wagon. Standing outside, she shouted. “Katy. The pooka!”
Katy pulled open the wagon door and peeked outside. “Where?”
“There . . .” Ally turned to the field. She saw nothing but their horse . . . and an open gate. The pooka had done his mischief and was gone.
Katy frowned at her. “I don’t like to be fooled. I haven’t seen one darn fairy or ghost on this trip. I’d better see one soon.” She took a closer look at Ally, then smiled. “Seems like your bra slipped off when you weren’t looking.” She went back inside.
Ally exhaled sharply. Damn. She looked up toward the castle. Brian had gone to his shelter. He was the cause of all her emotional turmoil, and now she was seeing pookas.
Alone she stared into the night, and somehow wasn’t surprised when she saw the pooka standing on the other side of the wagon. Its yellow eyes mocked her.
“Oh, shut up.” She climbed onto the wagon and went inside.
Chapter Sixteen
Ally rubbed her eyes while figuratively scratching her head. What the heck had happened last night? She glanced out at the pale morning light, then took a sip of her coffee. Neither action inspired her.
Last night she’d stood naked in front of fairies and any wandering ghosts who cared to stand around and watch. Oh, and pookas. She couldn’t forget her pooka.
Ally enjoyed sex. Even sex with Dave had been okay. Not great, but okay. Ordinary. She was an ordinary woman. She usually had sex in darkened bedrooms, not because her body embarrassed her, but because ordinary people did it in ordinary places.
Last night? How would she describe herself? How about totally out of control? Not a hint of pink anywhere on her bare body. Blushing hadn’t been an option.
She’d explained away her reaction during the reality experience. That woman wasn’t anyone she knew. The sensual massage gone wrong? No excuse, but at least she’d done it in an enclosed space.
Last night had simply been . . . Wow! Why this reaction to Brian? She didn’t have a clue. Hmm. Cap’s potions? Ally smiled. She’d forgotten about those potions. Good. Someone else to blame. Her conscience was clear.
“If you didn’t stay up so late writing that book, you wouldn’t be half asleep in the morning.” Katy was putting things away, getting the wagon ready for their trek to the Cliffs of Moher. “Too bad this wagon doesn’t have headlights. We could’ve gone at night, seen tons of spirits.”
“Right.” Thank heavens for no lights.
“When’re you going to let me see your book?”
“Soon.” Never. This couldn’t be the book she’d send to her editor. It was too personal, too much about emotions, not enough about the sex Mavis wanted. It was too much about Brian, not the faceless one-night stand her editor would expect. She couldn’t seem to stop writing about what she felt inside when she was supposed to be writing about surface sensations.
“I’ll get the horse ready.” Ally put her empty cup in the sink, grabbed her clothes, and left the wagon. Luckily, no one was around as she headed for the bathroom.
When she came out, she found Brian already busy with the horse. He turned to gaze at her. How did he do that? Just a glance, and poof, she was standing in her emotional birthday suit.
“You look tired.” She fiddled with the harness.
His smile was rueful. “Couldn’t sleep last night. Troubling thoughts.” His gaze turned intense. “It’s your fault, babe.”
Ally felt a lot better. Misery really needed company to be fulfilling.
An irritated hiss warned Ally they weren’t alone. The Old One sat on a nearby wall, and she wasn’t a happy cat.
Brian smiled. “The Boss doesn’t feel she should be shut out of this trip. She thinks it’s her right to go wherever she wants.” His smiled widened. “I tried to sneak past her, but she’d sprawled herself across my doorway.” He offered an aside. “The Boss likes to protect her investments against marauding night visitors.”
Katy had left the wagon and wandered over to listen.
“Anyway, I stepped on her tail. I don’t know what she called me, but I’m pretty sure it had two syllables.” He shrugged. “She’s here, and she wants to go with us.”
“I’ll talk to her.” Katy’s militant expression didn’t bode well for a calm discussion as she walked over to the wall.
Ally focused on Brian. “I’ll drive.” She’d definitely try to convince him to ride inside the wagon with Katy. If cell-phone use while driving impaired concentration, she didn’t even want to think what Brian Byrne beside her might do. The police would arrest her for driving while under the influence of the most intoxicating male in the universe. How dangerous would that be? “Keep me company?” So much for definite tries.
“Interfering old biddy!”
Ally frowned. Every interfering old b
iddy within ten miles would hear Katy.
“Wouldn’t ride anywhere else, sweetheart.” He gave the expected response as he stroked the horse’s neck.
Ally followed the motion and recalled the slide of his fingers across her skin, felt the prickle of goose bumps along the remembered path.
But just as she had yesterday, Ally sensed an underlying emotion, a tension that had nothing to do with his words. She didn’t have time to analyze that hunch, though. They had to get moving before all the noise woke Cap and Jupe.
She paused to listen to the assorted feline screams, growls, and mad-as-hell spitting noises. She sighed. “This will not help us sneak away unnoticed.”
Unexpectedly, the calm discussion ended and Katy rejoined them. “Let’s get moving fast. I think she’s going to wake the others.”
Uh-oh. The Old One was headed for Jupe’s shelter in bounding leaps.
As one, Ally, Brian, and Katy clambered onto the wagon.
Brian settled himself close to Ally as she guided the horse down the path to the main road.
Katy hovered in the doorway. “I’ll go inside and read that book of yours on Irish fairies, Ally. If there’s one of those merrows around, I want to know all about her.” She started to close the door behind her, then paused. “Oh, remind me to thank Cap for bringing that thermos of coffee over real early this morning. With everything going on, I wouldn’t have had time to fix any before we left.” She glanced at Brian. “There’s some left. Would you like a cup?”
“No. He doesn’t want any.” Ally hoped she didn’t look as frantic as she felt. “It was awful coffee. Bitter. Yuck.” Calm down. Logic said that all her reactions to Brian couldn’t be potion induced. But logic wasn’t on her menu this morning. Ally wanted to believe Cap’s potions were the culprits because the alternative would plunk responsibility for her actions, her feelings, directly on her own slumping shoulders. And she wouldn’t fall for someone like Brian, a man she’d have to share every Monday night while the universe watched.
Katy cast her a curious stare. “Tasted great to me. Made me feel all tingly and perky. Bet Brian would like to feel that way.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
Katy nodded and closed the door behind her.
Ally’s relief was short-lived.
Brian moved even closer. Now she felt all tingly and perky. Wow! If this was potion-induced, it was good. She’d have to tell Cap to go commercial with the recipe. There wouldn’t be a droopy sex drive anywhere on Earth.
Ally was as far over as she could go without leaping from the wagon. She considered that option for a moment, then dismissed it. He’d only stop the wagon and scrape her off the road.
“Look at all the empty seat you have. Maybe you should use it. I’m feeling a little scrunched here.” She cast him a glance she hoped said, I am not responding to your body, nana nana.
His wolfish grin didn’t reach his eyes. “I want to get as close to you as I can—” his smile disappeared—“while I tell you about my childhood.” He didn’t move away.
“Okay, let’s get this out in the open. What’s with this sudden need to tell me about your childhood?” She would have crossed her arms over her chest if she hadn’t been holding the reins.
He narrowed his gaze. “Don’t you remember? Cap was giving you some helpful hints. I think it went like, get Brian to open up about his childhood and you’ll have him. Lucky for me, Jupe heard you.” Anger and something more gleamed in his eyes. “So I’m making it easy for you, babe.”
“Jupe heard Cap. He didn’t hear me say anything. And we all know what a disinterested party Cap is.” Now she remembered. The rustling sounds.
Brian’s anger horrified her, but it also intrigued her. Women must want to get to him on an hourly basis, so why all the anger over what he thought she had done? A thought worth exploring.
“But hey, I can see that telling me about your childhood will start your day right, so I’m all ears.” She tried to grin, but it didn’t quite work.
He looked startled. “You really want to hear about it?”
She didn’t try for casual this time. “I want to hear about all of your life, so your childhood is a good place to begin.” Ally’s intensity surprised even her.
This could be a huge mistake. The more she learned about him, the more she’d have to remember once he’d gone. And sometimes more wasn’t better.
“Why?” His tone suggested he couldn’t care less about her answer.
Ally gazed at the horse’s ears, searching for the perfect lie. “It’s part of the 2002 dating ritual. Telling a partner about your life gives a sense of intimacy, a feeling that you know each other, care about each other. It’s part of the foreplay.” What a bunch of garbage.
Brian shrugged away her comment, as he probably shrugged away so much in his life that he didn’t want to hear.
“I don’t remember much before I was six years old. When I was six, my mother left me in a spaceport. She told me she’d be back and to be a good boy. She never came back, and I was never a good boy. Guess we were both batting zero.” His voice sounded neutral, as though he were telling someone else’s story.
Ally didn’t believe that voice. She glanced at his face, but he’d turned away to watch some sheep grazing by the side of the road.
“How did you survive?” Ally leaned against him, as if bodily contact could ease the pain of the boy he’d once been.
He didn’t move away from her. “There’re lots of things a six-year-old can do to live on the outer planets. Social programs are pretty much nonexistent, so it’s every kid for himself. I learned to steal and carry messages that an adult couldn’t carry safely.”
He paused, and for a moment she thought he wouldn’t continue.
Six years old. Ally couldn’t imagine a six-year-old on his own. At six, she’d felt safe, cherished. Her most traumatic moment had been her first public appearance. She’d been a celery stalk in her class play.
“There were other . . . services I could perform.”
She had no words to describe her emotions. Her churning stomach, her rage, were enough.
He scowled, and she had the feeling he hadn’t meant to tell her this much. She wasn’t sure she could take this much. But if he thought he’d drive her away with the horror of his childhood, he didn’t know Ally O’Neill.
Brian glanced away from her. “I did what I needed to do to survive.”
Ally didn’t care whether he wanted her touch or not; she put her hand on his thigh and squeezed. “If this is supposed to send me screaming into the night, it isn’t working. I just wish I could reach through time and strangle the bastards who’d prey on a small child.”
She felt the tension leave him as he placed his hand over hers. His soft laughter washed over her, leaving her feeling warm inside.
“I guess I never thought it would scare you away.” He rubbed a circular pattern with the pad of his thumb on the back of her hand. “I was hoping it wouldn’t because Cap was right about something. You get to me, babe.”
His admission hung between them, a connection Brian didn’t need, but wanted more than anything he’d wanted in a long time.
He sensed her sigh, felt her fingers pushing into his thigh, massaging the tight muscles. Amazing. No matter what part of his body she touched, she always touched him. Brian had always thought he knew who he was, but the part of him Ally touched was a stranger.
“Then you don’t believe I’m plotting with Cap?” She slanted a small smile his way.
Brian shook his head. “When Jupe first told me what he’d heard, I lost my temper and jumped to conclusions.” He gazed at the passing rock walls, and green checkerboard fields relieved by yellow-flowered gorse stretching into the distance. “I don’t know why it made me so mad.”
She didn’t follow up on his comment. “How did you get started in your career?”
He grinned. “I picked Jupe’s pocket while he was waiting at the spaceport. He caught me, but didn’t
press charges after I agreed to listen to his proposal. He’d been scouting the outer planets looking for men he thought had the right look, attitude, and sex drive to make it big in the games. Jupe’s always been a great judge of talent.” His grin faded. “I owe him a lot. I was sixteen when he caught me, and I trained for two years, then went pro. I never looked back. I’ve been in the league for twelve years.”
“So how do you spend all your wealth?” She tightened her fingers on the reins and stared fixedly between the horse’s ears. “I asked you once before, but you didn’t give me a straight answer. Guess you didn’t trust me. Do you trust me enough now?”
She wanted his trust. Her body language shouted how important it was to her.
Suddenly, he relaxed. He’d tell her the truth. No one else besides Jupe knew what he did with his earnings, but he wanted Ally to know. “I support homeless kids all over the outer planets. Make sure they have places to live, enough to eat, education, and career choices.”
“Like you never did.”
She didn’t sound teary, and he didn’t hear any pity in her voice. Good thing. If he had, he would have joined Katy inside. He couldn’t believe he’d told her about his kids, but the telling felt good. “Don’t make me into a martyr. I’m at the highest level of my career. I’m a hero to Monday Night Sex fans everywhere.” He hoped she’d smile because all this emotion was making him uncomfortable.
“You’re a hero to me, too, Brian Byrne.” Her soft answer made his day. No, it made his lifetime.
Brian decided that no matter how spectacular space was, there were still places on Earth that could make you suck in your breath. The Cliffs of Moher had that effect. The caution sign they’d passed on the way in, warning of “very dangerous cliffs ahead,” was a classic understatement. And not one guardrail. He wondered how many people had taken a header off these cliffs.
He stood with Ally and Katy on the sandstone ledge where dozens of other tourists milled, staring down almost seven hundred feet to where the Atlantic dashed itself against the cliffs, sending jets of spray into the air. Wow was about the only comment that came to mind. He stepped back.