by DHP Authors
As she walked out to the hen house, her dog, an Irish setter named Roux bounded up to her.
“And where have you been this morning, Roux?” she asked.
He barked and ran a few feet ahead of her.
“Anxious for a scrambled egg, are you?” She smiled. That silly dog was the only real friend she had, and she adored him. She’d scramble the eggs for their lunch.
But instead of heading to the hen house, Roux ran in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going?”
The dog barked and ran back to her side, jumping around excitedly.
Berta shook her head and went toward the hen house.
Roux again ran in the opposite direction, barked and waited.
She realized the dog wanted her to follow him. “All right. I’ll play your game with you, but not for long. I need to gather these eggs.”
She followed the dog through the field past the mown grass and into the weeds that were still damp with dew. Her jeans were getting wet midway up her calves, and she was about to tell Roux the game was off when she noticed something…someone…lying in the grass up ahead.
She crept closer. It was a man. He had dark red hair and a neatly-trimmed beard. His face was chiseled and handsome, despite the bruise on his left cheek.
“Excuse me…are you all right?” she asked.
Dumb question. Of course he wasn’t all right. He was lying in a field.
She dropped to her knees, no longer caring about the dampness or the cold. She took his hand. It was still warm, in spite of the cool morning air. She hoped he hadn’t been lying there long.
“Sir…please…can you hear me? Please…you have to wake up. I can’t help you if you don’t.” There was no way she could carry…or even drag…this large man to her house.
For some reason she couldn’t fathom, she bent over and put her lips to his. His blue eyes flew open, his arms shot around her, and he rolled over, pinning her beneath him. His tongue sought access to her mouth, and Berta opened to him, arching her body against him as she returned his kiss.
The man drew back and blinked.
Berta could tell he was still dazed. “Can you walk?”
He frowned. Then he slowly rolled off of her and sat up. Berta stood and held out her hand. He took it and carefully rose to his feet.
“Come with me,” she said.
He nodded.
As Berta led the stranger back toward her house, Roux picked up the forgotten egg basket and ran on ahead.
With one arm around his waist and one supporting him with the hand he was holding, Berta struggled to get the man home. He was tall—at least a foot taller than she—and he was broad and muscular.
She finally got him to the house and into her bedroom. The house was small, and she didn’t have a guest room. She walked him over to the bed. He slumped onto it and closed his eyes. The effort it took him to get here had been more difficult than she’d realized.
She had to get him out of his wet clothes. She untied his boots and slipped them off his feet. She took off his thick cotton socks and tossed them onto the floor. Next came the jeans. She unbuttoned them and slid them over his trim hips, down his sinewy thighs, and over his calves.
She hesitated only a moment over the underwear. With one hand on the waistband of the boxers and the other beneath the man’s back, she lifted him enough to remove the garment. She tried not to look. She swallowed…hard. But remembering how it had felt to be beneath him…
She looked. She drew in her breath. Oh, my!
She was glad, for once, that she hadn’t made her bed yet. She quickly drew the covers up over him before she began to drool. This man was hurt. She didn’t need to be lusting over him. At least, not yet.
She unbuttoned his shirt, her hands gently moving over his chest and shoulders as she removed the shirt. He had bruises on his torso to match the one on his face. Someone had beaten this man and left him there in the field. Why?
She dropped the shirt onto the floor with the other garments. She’d put the clothes in the washer as soon as she knew he was going to be all right.
After she’d covered him up to his neck, she caressed the unbruised side of his face. He seemed to glow for a moment. But that was impossible. It had surely been just a ray of sunlight bursting through the window.
She brushed his hair off his forehead. There was that glow again. Had it been so long since she’d had a man in her bed that she was imagining him bathed in a heavenly light? She’d have laughed at herself had she not felt so pathetic.
She wanted to go put his clothes in the washer, but she hated leaving him. She leaned over and whispered, “Are you all right?”
“Yes, love,” he murmured.
Her lips curled into a smile. Berta had no idea who he thought he was talking to, but she was one lucky gal.
****
Reghan stirred in his sleep. Who was the golden-haired princess who’d invaded his dreams? Had she merely been a fantasy? A balm to soothe his pain?
The last thing he remembered before going to sleep was Sloan and his men ambushing him…beating him. He’d been foolish to travel out so far past the heath alone. But something had been drawing him.
The aroma of bread baking jolted him from sleep to wakefulness. His stomach growled. When had he eaten last?
He opened his eyes and looked around the room.
Where am I?
It was obviously a woman’s room. There were lace curtains on the windows, a vanity with an array of makeup and perfumes, a white overstuffed chair in a corner that served as a reading nook given the stacks of books and magazines on the shelves surrounding the chair.
He realized he was naked beneath the satin sheets and the down comforter. He sat up. His clothing had been neatly folded and was at the foot of the bed.
He heard a woman singing softly somewhere in the house. Her voice was beautiful, and he wondered briefly if it was the princess he’d dreamed of. He shook off the fantasy. How could it be? It was more likely some hag who’d been sent by the clurichauns to stand guard over him.
He threw back the covers and grabbed his clothes. They smelled nice…like a meadow of wildflowers. He put them on.
He followed the sound of the woman’s voice. He found her in the kitchen. She was standing at the stove with her back to him. She did have golden hair, and it was arranged in some sort of intricate knot at the base of her neck.
“Who are you?” he bellowed. “And why have you made me smell like wildflowers?”
She turned and laughed, a delicate tinkling sound that made him want to smile. He didn’t, though. His breath caught. It was her…his princess. Was it she who had drawn him here?
But, no, this was some sort of magic. She couldn’t be so lovely…so…splendid.
“I’m Berta,” she said.
Berta means splendid. “You’re a mind reader! A sorceress!”
“Because you’re hungry and I’m making dinner?” she asked. “No. That simply stood to reason since you’ve been sleeping so long. How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ll be on my way!”
The oven timer went off, and she removed a loaf of freshly baked bread.
“Won’t you at least stay for dinner?” she asked. “It’s been a long time since I had anyone to cook for.” She smiled. “Except Roux, of course.”
“This Roux…was it he who brought me here?”
“Roux is the dog. I brought you here.”
“You?” He scoffed. “A wisp of a thing like you brought me here yourself?”
“Well, you did help.”
“You are a sorceress,” he said.
She walked closer. He could smell the white floral essence of her perfume. He closed his eyes in order to resist placing his mouth beneath her ear lobe and trailing kisses along her throat.
“I’m just a woman,” she said softly. “Please eat your dinner. Then, if you feel up to it, go.”
“Fine.” He quickly moved away from her and sat at the table where she’d put two place settings.
“I hope you like roast beef and mashed potatoes,” she said. “For dessert, I even made a cake.”
“Chocolate?” he asked.
“Good guess.”
“Good nose. I smelled it.”
She laughed again, and he couldn’t help but smile this time.
“Well, now, there’s a wonderful sight!” she exclaimed.
He continued to wonder who this woman was and what hold she seemed to have over him. Had she bewitched him in some way?
She filled his plate with roast beef, potatoes, and two slices of the warm bread now dripping with melted butter.
“Is milk okay, or would you prefer coffee or water?” she asked.
“Milk, please.”
She gave him a glass of cold milk, filled her plate, got herself a glass of water, and then sat down across from him.
“I told you my name,” she said. “What’s yours?”
He studied her for a moment. “Your name really is Berta?”
She shrugged. “I guess it’s old fashioned, but it is what it is.”
“I am Reghan,” he said.
“Nice to meet you, Reghan…though I’m sorry it wasn’t under better circumstances. What happened?”
He dug into his food.
“Hey, I get it if you don’t want to tell me,” she said. “But if there’s someone out there looking for you, I’d like to know.”
He swallowed. “Why?”
“Because if there’s still someone who wants to hurt you, I don’t want to be caught in the crossfire. Don’t you think you at least owe that much reassurance to the person who rescued you?”
“There is someone who would still like to hurt me,” he said. “But I’ll leave here as soon as I eat. And I’ll leave you a gold piece for your trouble.”
“I don’t want your gold. And I don’t want you to leave if you’re not well enough to go.” She blew out a breath. “I guess what I was really asking was if you did something to deserve being beaten and left in a field. Did you murder someone or something?”
He glared. “I did nothing. The only thing I did was not be a clurichaun!”
“What’s a clurichaun?” she asked.
“You don’t know about clurichauns?”
“No.” She looked at him so guilelessly that he knew she must be telling the truth.
“Clurichauns are enemies of us leprechauns,” he said. “Their tribe has been trying to eliminate ours.”
Her green eyes widened, and she got up from the table.
She came around to where he was sitting and started to put her hands on his head.
He leaned away from her. “What are you doing?”
“You must have a head injury,” she said. “I saw the bruise on your face, but there must be more damage than I’d realized. I have to get you to a hospital.”
“A hospital? A human hospital?”
“Oh, that’s it. We’re going right now!”
“I’ll not go to a hospital!” he shouted.
“Please! Don’t you see that I’m only trying to help you?” she asked.
He saw the sincerity on her face, and when she touched his arm he had to close his eyes against the wave of emotion that rose up in him. What was it? What hold did this woman have over him?
“Sit back down and eat your dinner,” he said quietly. “I’m fine.”
“I don’t think you are. You’re spouting stuff about leprechauns and…and some other kind of cons… I’m afraid you really could have a serious head injury.”
“Please. I...I was joking.” Could it be that she didn’t know he was a leprechaun? Or was she merely pretending?
“Well, don’t scare me like that again. Before I sit back down, let me refill your plate. You must’ve been starving.”
She took the plate to the stove and got him more of everything.
“This is delicious,” he said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And thank you for rescuing me,” he said.
“You’re welcome for that too.” She smiled. “Although you owe that to Roux. I wouldn’t have even known you were there had he not found you.”
Reghan nodded. “We have amity with animals.”
She gave him a strange look but said nothing. She sat back down and ate her dinner.
****
Berta was confused by this strange, gorgeous man. He’d obviously told her the tale about the clurichauns to avoid telling her the truth about who had beaten him and why. And he didn’t want to go to the hospital. That raised a red flag. But somehow when she looked into those sky blue eyes, she knew he was a good person. He hadn’t deserved that beating. She knew it.
He finished off his second plate of food.
“How about I get you that cake now?” she asked.
“Please.”
The boyish anticipation on his face made her smile.
“With vanilla bean ice cream on the side?”
“Yes. Thank you,” he said.
She sliced off two pieces of cake and put them on dessert plates. Then she scooped ice cream onto the plates. She put spoons on the sides of the plates and carried the plates to the table.
“I am grateful for all that you’ve done for me,” said Reghan. “I do wonder why though.”
“Let’s blame it on the milk of human kindness,” she said.
“Human kindness.” His eyes narrowed. “That seems like an oxymoron.”
“Yes, it does sometimes, doesn’t it?” Berta asked. “Frankly, I’d stopped expecting it from anyone and was a little surprised to find I still had it in me. Thank you for showing me that I’m still a good person.”
“I understand why I have no trust of people. They’ve all proven themselves to be greedy and selfish to me,” he said. “But what happened to make you distrust them?”
She lowered her eyes to her plate. “Long story. When you’re ready to trust me with the truth about what happened to you in that field, maybe I’ll tell you.”
They ate their dessert in silence.
Berta knew Reghan wasn’t well enough to leave, but she wondered if he would anyway. She wished he’d let her take him to the doctor. She supposed she should’ve done that in the first place, but she’d needed to get him out of his wet clothing, and she hadn’t known how badly he was hurt, and the hospital was so far away.
Truth be told, the thought never entered her mind to take the man to the hospital. She was so scatterbrained today. What was wrong with her? She’d brought a stranger into her home, undressed him, and put him in her bed. And he called her a sorceress? He was the sorcerer. He’d cast some sort of spell over her.
She got up from the table and went to the sink. She put in the stopper, turned on the hot water, and squirted dish detergent into the flow.
She heard Reghan get up and bring his plates to the sink.
“Let me do that.” His voice was deep and husky, and it sent shivers through her body.
“I’ve got it. You should rest.”
He put the dishes on the counter by the sink. “I’m not helpless.”
She turned, and her face was right at his chest. She lifted her head.
Those brilliant eyes were boring into hers. It was as if he could see into her soul. He lowered his mouth to hers.
With a soft moan, she opened her mouth to admit his tongue. She sucked on it, tasting him before allowing him to capture her tongue and do the same.
He parted her legs with his thigh. She could feel his erection pressing against her.
She knew she was crazy, but she wanted him so badly. She gripped his ass and pulled him in even tighter.
That was his undoing. With a slight growl, he lifted her and carried her to the bedroom.
He laid her on the bed and began unbuttoning her shirt. He kissed her neck and her shoulder as he
removed her shirt. Then he unsnapped her front-close bra and pushed it off her breasts. He kissed one breast before taking her nipple in his mouth and sucking it.
She gasped and pulled his head closer, twining her fingers in his thick, auburn hair. She’d already creamed her panties, but this touch nearly put her over the edge. She rubbed her pelvis against his hard cock.
“Please,” she moaned.
“I will,” he promised.
He discarded the rest of her clothing and his own before he continued kissing down her body. His lips brushed against her navel…then the top of her pussy. She arched her back, practically begging him to eat her.
“Is this what you want?” he asked, flicking her clit with his tongue.
“Yes!” she cried. “Please!” She was shameless, pleading with this man to lick her, but she didn’t care. She wanted him too badly.
His tongue suddenly assaulted her clit, laving it as she bucked against his mouth. Her whimpers turned into a full-fledged scream as he bit her clit slightly and sucked on it. She held to Reghan’s shoulders as her orgasm rocked her body.
He slid a finger inside her pussy as he went back to teasing her with his tongue.
She was going to explode. She couldn’t stand this. But, oh, it was so good. Better than good.
He now put two fingers into her, pushing them in and out, preparing her for that big dick that she couldn’t wait to have driven deep inside her.
“Ride me,” she begged. “Ride me.”
He lifted his head and placed his mouth over hers. She could taste her juices on his tongue, and it was wildly exciting. He drove his cock into her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, raising her hips to meet his every thrust.
“Deeper,” she moaned. “I want it all.”
He pulled back just enough to raise her ankles to his shoulders. Then he pounded into her until they came together.
Her body weak and quivering with satisfaction, Berta lay panting against Reghan’s chest. “You’re the most incredible lover I’ve ever had.” Suddenly, she sat up. “The water! I forgot to turn it off!”