Christmas At Thorncliff Towers

by Marina Myles

  “Rogers brought me in the coach,” Isabella replied. “Apparently, he’s known where the Gypsy camp is for some time.”

  Grace Ann pulled away from Isabella Winthrop. “Lord Winthrop isn’t going to let Constantin stay here and be with Karina. But they love each other desperately!”

  Lady Winthrop flung her husband a wide-eyed look. “Is this true? You’re forbidding Constantin from being with the woman he loves?”

  After the earl hemmed and hawed a bit, he pulled himself up darkly. “I don’t appreciate this situation, Bella. Constantin’s brother stole food from my home. That’s why Constantin agreed to take Viktor’s place as a stable hand.”

  Karina stepped forward. “No, my lord. I was the one who stole from you.”

  Constantin gasped. “Don’t, Karina!”

  “Lord Winthrop deserves to know the truth. The members of my tribe were incredibly hungry that night, but I had no excuse for letting Viktor take the blame. I’m ashamed of my actions.”

  Winthrop growled.

  Isabella went to her husband. “You have no idea what it’s like to be hungry, my lord. But I do.” Her eyes were dark, golden spheres. “Regardless, what’s past is past. Tomorrow is Christmas. A time for forgiveness and fresh starts.”

  “But this Gypsy woman defied me,” the earl bellowed.

  “Look at me.” Isabella cupped his face in her hands. Winthrop was forced to pry his flaming eyes from Karina to his wife.

  “All I want for Christmas is peace,” Isabella murmured. “Give these people your blessing. Now.”

  Time seemed to stand still. Then, as if it were the most difficult thing he’d ever done, the earl offered Constantin and Karina a curt nod. Sweeping Grace Ann into his arms, blanket and all, he tromped out of the wagon—his wife right behind him.

  Before she disappeared, Lady Winthrop turned around with a warm smile. “I expect both of you at the manor tomorrow afternoon. We’re having a delicious Christmas feast. And there will be more than enough food to share.”

  7

  The wagon door closed. Karina’s heart skipped a beat. As Constantin pulled her into his arms, a plethora of emotions washed over her.

  “Lady Winthrop’s invitation was generous,” he said, sensuality coating his voice. “But who’s thinking about tomorrow?”

  When Constantin had changed into the wolf and disappeared into the forest, it’d been the worst moment in Karina’s life. She worried that she would never see him again.

  Even now, the possibility sent her stomach into a flurry strong enough to rival the blizzard outside.

  “I love you with all my heart,” Constantin said. Taking her face in his hands, he kissed Karina hotly, deeply. Her senses sang with desire. And while his tongue rolled with hers, she felt his muscles relax. His apparent happiness sent elation spiraling through her. It also multiplied her attraction to him tenfold.

  Constantin held her tightly enough to make their bodies melt into one. But then he drew back and gave her a contrite smile. “I’d love to stand here and kiss you all night. But I must go to Papa Stoica.”

  Now that Constantin was back at camp, optimism rose within Karina like a giant wave. “I can heal your grandfather. But I need your permission.”

  “You have it!” he said excitedly. “After you turned me into a wolf, I have every faith in you.”

  Karina blew out the candle and they left the wagon. Limping through the snow, Constantin held her hand. With a hushed and reverent silence, they entered Papa Stoica’s wagon. Viktor jumped off a stool and embraced his older brother heartily. Constantin murmured something about how he’d missed Viktor. With a rueful smile, Viktor clasped his arm, then nodded to their grandfather.

  Once Constantin caught sight of the elderly man, his lungs hitched. His grandfather’s breathing was labored and the white sheets he was tucked under matched the paleness of his face.

  “Papa—” the word caught in Constantin’s throat. He looked up at Karina imploringly. “Please work your magic.”

  Nodding, she extracted something from her satchel.

  Karina and Constantin were gone for at least two hours—and when they returned to Karina’s wagon, both were overjoyed.

  Karina urged Constantin to sit. “Papa Stoica is an extraordinary man,” she said, reigniting the candle.

  Constantin ran his hands through his hair. “Can you believe he was telling stories five minutes after you healed him? Incredible!” He paused. “Thank you, Karina.”

  “You’re welcome.” Her heart fluttered at the sight of his dark skin against the candlelight. She looked down at his leg. “I can heal you too, Constantin—if you let me.”

  Doubt shadowed his expression. He hesitated.

  “You said you had every faith in me . . .”

  He gave her a sheepish smile.

  “It would make me feel less guilty,” she went on. “The day I shattered your leg replays in my mind all the time. Every time I see you walk, I cringe.”

  “My limp has been a damned nuisance.” He crossed his arms. “And I lost my cane in the forest.”

  That was all the prompting Karina needed. She moved to a tiny bureau in the corner and withdrew a small box. Lifting the lid, she brought it to Constantin. He stared into the bottom of the box and studied a pair of crossed sticks surrounded by a circle of herbs.

  “Isn’t that the kind of case you used on my grandfather just now?”

  She nodded. “These boxes are called bìcábens. After I draw an ailment out of someone, I quickly place that ailment inside the bìcáben, wrap it with wool then spit on it. Tomorrow I will bury this one, plus the ones I used for Papa Stoica and my leg. Once they’re buried, no one can open them again.”

  “So, they’re small Gypsy caskets,” Constantin murmured.

  “I guess you could call them that.” She sucked in a breath. “Most importantly, they seal in evil.”

  Constantin went a little pale.

  “Are you ready for me to heal your leg?”

  He rolled his shoulders back. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Silence filled the wagon. Heart pounding, Karina picked up a black feather. She ran the feather up and down Constantin’s crippled limb as she said, “Devora ce este rau. Arata rau în afar.”

  Devour what is bad. Show evil the way out.

  Karina dropped the feather and closed her eyes. As her body vibrated, she raised the bìcáben in front of her and hastily snapped its lid shut.

  Constantin grabbed his shin. “I feel a tingle!”

  Karina nodded. She wrapped the box with wool while he tried to stand and put weight on his leg.

  “My limb feels a bit like jelly,” he said. But then his strength seemed to surge. Soon his jaw dropped and he was strolling around as if his bones had never been shattered. Astonished, he sank back into the chair.

  “This is amazing!” he cried.

  Karina saw his eyes mist over. She’d never seen him cry until now. Suddenly, tears rimmed her eyes, too. His walking without a limp was something she’d only envisioned in her best dreams.

  As pride swelled within her, she sat on his lap and curled her hands around his neck.

  “Thank you,” Constantin said with sincerity.

  “You’re welcome.”

  He smiled. “Now I know how Papa Stoica felt.”

  She let out a laugh. “When you’re his age, I think you’ll be just like him.”

  He cocked a brow. “Old and wrinkled?”

  “No. Colorful and energetic.” She kissed his cheek, then trailed her lips along his sturdy neck. “And you’ll be just as handsome as you are now.”

  He shook his head. “I might not have any hair.”

  “I won’t care.” She nuzzled closer.

  “I hate to think of either of us growing old,” he said. “You can stay young and beautiful by using your witchery, can’t you?”

  “Now you’re a fan of magic?” she teased. Then she added, “Sadly, I’m not powerful enough to stop the aging p
rocess.”

  “In that case, may we live ‘til we’re one hundred—and die making love.” He laughed.

  “As long as we’re together,” Karina said huskily, “I don’t care where life takes us.” Her wild heartbeat put an exclamation point on the statement. She pulled away and looked into his brilliant emerald eyes.

  He met her stare with hunger. A sultry smile tilted his mouth. He stood and helped her to her feet.

  “I thought you’d never tell me you loved me,” she murmured.

  “I’ve always loved you,” he replied. “I was just too stubborn to admit it until now.”

  She chuckled. “I thought I was the stubborn one.”

  He raised her hand and kissed it.

  “Constantin. You don’t always have to be the responsible one. It’s all right to let go sometimes.”

  “Is that an invitation?” he asked provocatively.

  “Yes.”

  As he bent his head close to hers, Karina felt strands of his straight brown hair swing against her face. He looked so handsome. And despite the fact that it’d taken nine years and a split second of “what if I never see you again,” their mutual love had finally seen the light of day. Her body tingled with happiness.

  “Tell me you’ll never be scared of me again,” she prodded softly.

  Constantin caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I’ll say it, if you promise to stay married to a werewolf.”

  A smile tugged at her lips. “You’re not a werewolf. If you were, you would have killed me and Grace Ann in the forest. The light prick of my ring triggered your transformation. But the scratch that left you scarred wasn’t enough to make it permanent.”

  He exhaled. “I figured it was something like that.”

  Bundling her in his arms, he kissed her. Karina’s mind spun in circles. Now that their friendship had bloomed into romance, she didn’t have to send him flirtatious nuances anymore. Nor did she need to be jealous of other women. No amount of black magic spells could have brought about a better conclusion.

  Constantin plundered her mouth greedily. Tilting her nose up, Karina arched against him. He pushed the shawl from her shoulders and traced the curve of her neck down to the low neckline of her dress. The tops of her breasts heaved above the material.

  Constantin glanced down and moaned at the sight. Stroking his hand over her breasts, he took the time to rub them adoringly, gently.

  Standing this close to him, Karina felt the escalation of his pulse. She also felt the thrust of his stone-hard shaft. Curiosity flowed through her and she let her hand wander to his groin.

  “Yes,” Constantin said. “For God’s sake, touch me.”

  Fingers trembling, she fisted his aroused penis and fondled it through his trousers.

  “Christ. That feels good!” In an impatient motion, he swept her off the floor and laid her on the bed. When he settled next to her, he gazed at her outstretched body. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured before he rolled on top of her.

  Karina looked into his endlessly-green eyes, at his intriguingly crooked nose and full lips. Mesmerized, she twined her fingers into his hair and brushed several strands away. As a girl, she dreamt of Constantin kissing her innocently. Now, as a woman, she dreamt of him sharing her bed.

  Just like this.

  Could anything be more perfect?

  Dipping his head lower, he trailed his hot tongue over the rise of her breasts. It warmed her on this cold, winter night.

  “I want to see all of you,” he rasped. Sliding a hand between her shoulder blades and the mattress, he unbuttoned her dress from the back and peeled the fabric forward until her breasts were exposed. Her nipples flared high and throbbed with anticipation. After he moistened his lips, Constantin closed his mouth over one of the buds. Karina felt him lick around it in hot, tight circles. Then he used his tongue and teeth to play with the hardened point until she squirmed with delight.

  Moisture filled her undergarments. She pressed his head closer.

  “Do everything to me,” she urged. She’d never been shy—and she wasn’t about to start now.

  “Oh, I intend to.” Constantin grinned.

  By now, the space between Karina’s legs was ripe for his touch. Her chest constricted as he edged her thighs apart with his knee. Because he seemed just as anxious to make love as she, he lifted her hem and found her core without wasting another minute. Petting her folds eagerly, he breathed with impatience. Karina responded by threading her hands around his neck and opening her legs to him with desire.

  As Constantin’s lips tilted into a devilish smile, he skated his hands up her body and fingered her long, tumbled hair. A shiver ran along Karina’s spine. He kissed her deeply again and she let out an uninhibited moan. Once he dropped his touch and located her clitoris, she saw heaven’s gates.

  She cried out as he stimulated her to a climax. Then she held her breath as her ambrosia flowed in astounding puddles.

  The snowstorm howled violently against the wagon’s walls while Constantin yanked off the rest of Karina’s clothes and then his. In the brief moment he stood, Karina glimpsed his large shaft. Erect as a broomstick and framed by a patch of ebony curls, his cock was the most magnificent thing she’d ever seen.

  “I’m ready to make you mine,” he said gruffly. Muscles flexed, he moved between her legs and met her stare. “Ever since you showed up at Thorncliff Towers, eyes flashing, I’ve been hard for you. But don’t worry, my love. I’ll be gentle.”

  She nodded. He cradled the back of her head with one hand while he positioned himself to enter her. Lord. Karina pushed a dry lump down her throat. Was it possible to feel incredibly sinful and wholly complete at the same time?

  She assumed she’d find out in a moment.

  Using the tip of his penis, Constantin plied her folds apart and slid in his sex. It hurt at first, a blinding pain like someone was trying to shove a square peg into a round hole. But as he slipped one of her breasts into his mouth and lapped at her nipple, her dew flowed again. The pain vanished.

  Locking his elbows, Constantin lifted his torso off the bed and gave a firm thrust. Karina smiled. She watched his thick arms bulge and his hulking shoulders broaden.

  As he pumped his way to bliss, he smiled at her, too. Grabbing her ankle, he lifted her leg and kissed her calf. Peering down, he gazed at the spot where they were joined.

  “That’s an amazing sight,” he rasped. “You’re amazing.”

  He groaned louder as he drove in and out of her. Karina felt his slick shaft create a fantastic friction. And when he lowered his hand and rubbed her bead with his thumb, she reached a pulsating summit for a second time.

  This, she decided, was better than magic. Better than the greatest meal she’d ever eaten—better even than donning Lady Winthrop’s beautiful amethyst dress.

  Sweat beaded on Constantin’s brow. “Good God! I’m coming—” The bold words caught in his throat. As Karina’s sex vibrated, he shot his cream inside her.

  As content as a cat, she pulled him close. His pulse was stammering; she could feel it. And his heart drummed uncontrollably.

  “You’re my everything,” he whispered against her collarbone.

  “I love you so much,” she whispered back.

  They lay in each other’s arms for hours. Outside, the sparkling snow whipped around the trees in aimless swirls . . . in as much of a hurry to stop as Karina and Constantin were to leave one another’s side.

  Sensing that it was past midnight, Karina stroked his hair and muttered softly, “It’s Christmas Day.”

  “Merry Christmas,” he said with a smile.

  She laughed. “We may not celebrate the holiday, but the most incredible things seem to happen to us around this time of year.”

  He flung his eyes wide. “You’re right. It should be our anniversary, of sorts.” Pausing, he ran the tip of his finger over her lips. “What can I get you for Christmas, Karina Petri?”

  With a toss of her wild, black
hair, she shook her head. “I already have the perfect gift.”

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Do you think Karina Petri’s magic ring helped her gain Constantin Stoica’s love? Not a chance! Because the ring merely prompted his temporary transformation into a wolf, Constantin came to his senses on his own. Of course, Karina’s fiery ways didn’t make it easy for him!

  When I decided to base this novella on the Brothers Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel fairy tale, the dark and unsettling story inspired me to go outside my proverbial “character” box and create a femme fatale heroine. Karina Petri, who stirs up trouble without really trying, represents everything womanly, seductive, and mysterious. Her one weakness? Her true love’s touch.

  In continuing the Hansel and Gretel theme, it was fun making Constantin more scrumptious than any bonbon on the gingerbread house! (As these passionate Gypsies discovered, sometimes it’s rewarding to give into temptation!) Even more fun was straying from the classic fairy tale to make the witch the heroine of the story.

  For those readers who wrote to me wanting more of Draven and Isabella (my hero and heroine from Beauty and the Wolf, The Cursed Princes #1)—thank you! I had a ball giving you a glimpse at this couple’s first Christmas together . . . complete with holiday chaos, an intruding Gypsy, and a bewitching elixir. I didn’t think you’d expect anything less at Thorncliff Towers.

  Please look for Cinderella and the Ghost (The Cursed Princes #4), coming February 2015.

  CINDERELLA AND THE GHOST

  A stroke of paint and a stroke of luck. Will

  they come together to create magic at the

  stroke of midnight?

  Please turn the page for a sneak peek at

  Marina Myles’s twist on the world’s most

  beloved fairy tale.

  1

  Present day

  Among the inky midnight shadows, Jean-Daniel Girard, formerly the Viscount de Maincy, stirred inside his portrait. It was stifling inside the two-dimensional painting, but it wasn’t the stuffiness that made him want to escape. Instead, the profound sense of change Jean-Daniel felt inside his beloved home was prompting him to emerge tonight.