by Bonnie Lamer
I laugh. “Of course. Did you think we would say ‘it has been too long, we should just leave her there and go for dinner’?”
Xandra’s cheeks pink as she smiles. “No, I don’t think you’d do that.”
Pulling her in my arms again, with her brother at a safe distance so I do not make that mistake again, I kiss her. “Forever. I would wait for you forever.”
The darkening of her eyes tells me she would like me to prove that. In private. Soon. Once again I find myself counting minutes. “We should get them to their bodies,” she says pulling me back to reality.
With a sigh of severe disappointment, I say quietly, “Later.” I can safely say she agrees.
Walking to the edge of my circle, I release it. My extremely frustrated and angry Grandmother greets us. “Finally,” she growls but then pulls herself together to say calmly to Xandra, “Everything went well?”
Xandra nods. “Yes.”
With a nod, Grandmother turns to take down her circle and in less than a minute, they are all down. All of us look like we have spent a day and a half on the beach. We are a sad looking bunch. A shower is definitely in all of our plans.
Regardless of my need to freshen up, I follow Xandra and the two spirits upstairs to see them reunited with their bodies. The reunion of the two lost ones with Xandra’s parents is emotional to say the least. Xandra eventually has to break it up. “Um, Mom, we should probably…”
After enjoying the only true hug she has been able to give her son since she died, Xandra’s mother is reluctant but she does let him go. “Of course.” I know she is debating not letting him return to his body. I can see it in her eyes. She can protect him if he is a spirit. Ultimately, she is not the type of person to let her selfish desires interfere with her children’s happiness, though.
The transition back to their bodies is simple. When they are close enough, they are sucked in. Like an octopus sucking up a stray fish. Their eyes pop open just like an octopus’ would, too. Which is eerie. Even their wide grins do not really take the edge off from the eerie factor.
“We’re back,” Xandra’s Aunt Barb says. She stretches her arms wide. “I never thought it would happen.” Looking around, she says, “Where are we?” She is in awfully good spirits considering what she just went through.
“You’re in the Fae realm,” her brother tells her. “We brought your bodies here so if the Shadows tried to follow you out, they wouldn’t be set loose on the human world.”
Barb nods. “Good thinking. Very smart of you.”
Her brother gives her a funny look. “Thanks. Um, I’m guessing you two need a little time to rest after your ordeal.”
He doesn’t get to continue. “No, I’m fine,” Barb says waving her hand at the idea. “Just need to get used to being in this body again. I think I’ll manage that best if I’m up and walking about. Perhaps I could get a tour of this lovely house and realm?” She turns to Xandra for an answer.
To my growing impatience and dismay, Xandra says, “Sure, I guess. If you’re not too tired.”
“Perhaps it would be best to start with just the house for now,” Xandra’s father says. “We don’t want her to overdo it.” I could kiss him at the moment. I will not. I do not want cold lips when I kiss Xandra’s warm ones.
“What a worrywart,” Barb says as she stands up. She stumbles with her first step but is able to right herself before she falls. “I guess I do have to get my sea legs back again,” she laughs.
She is acting very peculiar. I do not remember her being this animated or overly cheerful. She seemed distracted and shy when I met her in her realm.
Xandra looks at her doubtfully. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait a few minutes?”
Barb stands up straighter. “I’m fine, really.” Great. I am tempted to hit her with a sleeping spell. She is taking away from my private time with Xandra.
“Follow me. I’ll introduce you to everyone after I show you around,” Xandra says walking to the door.
“Can I come?” Zac asks.
His mother gives him a stern look. “No. You’re going to rest.”
His lip goes out in a pout. “How come Aunt Barb doesn’t have to rest?”
“Because I’m not her mother.” I feel for him. I remember being a boy of his age and being left out.
“Ready?” Barb says in that overly cheerful voice she has developed.
A very long twenty minutes later, Xandra and her aunt find us in the kitchen. Hunger has trumped the need to shower for Grandmother, Tabitha, Kegan and me. Funny how I never even thought about food when I was waiting for Xandra. I must love her if worrying about her can turn my hunger off. I take another bite of the sandwich Tabitha made and at least some of my impatience abates.
“Everyone, this is my Aunt Barb,” Xandra says when they walk into the room. “Aunt Barb, this is Isla, Kallen’s grandmother, Tabitha and Kegan. You already know Kallen.”
“Hello!” a voice calls from the terrace out front. Great, Alita is here. Yes, she is a good friend but she is also another distraction for Xandra.
“Come on in! We’re in the kitchen,” Xandra calls out to her. To Barb she says, “That’s Alita. She’s a good friend of mine.”
Alita pokes her head into the doorway. “You are smiling, so I assume all went well?” she asks.
Xandra smiles. “Yup. Alita, this is my Aunt Barb.”
“Nice to meet you,” she says as she comes farther into the kitchen. She walks to the counter to grab a stool but she stumbles and suddenly looks like she’s going to faint. I reach out to steady her.
Tabitha also comes to her side. “Alita, are you well?”
Putting her hand to her head, Alita says, “I am fine. I seem to have quite the headache coming on, though.”
Tabitha turns to my cousin. “Kegan, help Alita upstairs so she can rest. I do not want her walking home if she is ill.”
Alita nods her consent and steps back towards the door. “Thank…aaah!” Both of her hands fly to her head now and she drops to her knees. This is strange. Alita has never been prone to headaches. Maybe she has a bad case of the flu?
Grandmother looks worried as well. “What is it child?”
“My head,” Alita says between clenched jaws. “I have never felt a pain like this.”
Kegan is by her side now and he scoops her up into his arms. Something they would both enjoy if the circumstances were different. I am tempted to say this aloud but I bite my tongue out of respect for Alita’s pain.
“I’ll go with them,” Tabitha says to Grandmother as she starts to follow. Grandmother gives her an appreciative nod.
“Should I come?” Xandra asks. Over my dead body.
Thankfully, Tabitha shakes her head. “It is probably just a migraine. If it is any more serious than that, I will call for you.”
“Perhaps I should lie down as well,” Barb says. “I’m also starting to feel a headache coming on.” Funny, she does not look like her head hurts. She has been babbling on to Xandra for the last twenty minutes seeming to not have a care in the world. I bet not even showing remorse for her actions, or offering up an apology or a thank you.
“Do you need help finding your way back to your room?” Xandra asks.
Say no. Please. I am willing to beg at the moment. Barb shakes her head. “No, I will find my way back.”
Grandmother gives Xandra an assessing glance. “You look quite tired yourself. Perhaps you should rest until dinner.” To me, she says, “Peacefully.”
Xandra’s face flushes but I do my best to put on a convincingly innocent expression. “Of course.” She is not buying it but she does not say anything more.
Time to make our escape. I grab Xandra’s hand and pull her from the room before anyone else can say a word. I pull her up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. Wrenching the door open, I lock it as soon as we are inside. And finally, she is in my arms. With no one else to distract her. Our lips meet in an explosion of passion. Every ounce of worry
that I felt over the past day and a half is poured into this kiss. A deep moan in her throat makes me want to kiss her harder.
“Do not make me worry like that again,” I say against her lips as we gasp for breath.
She smiles. “I’ll try, but I can’t make guarantees.”
Oh, that was the wrong answer. I scoop her up as she laughs and bring her to the bed. Letting her drop down, I kneel over her. “Then I guess I will have to make it difficult for you to be away from me.”
I lower my lips to hers and kiss her again until she absolutely needs oxygen. Her arms are around my neck and she is trying to pull my body down on top of hers. Tempting, but I think she needs to be teased a little. After all, she teased me.
Xandra moans in frustration and pulls her lips from mine. “You’re being mean.”
I laugh. God, I love that she wants me as much as I want her. “I am kissing you; quite thoroughly, I thought. That does not seem mean to me.”
She glares at me. “Very funny.”
In one smooth motion, I roll us on the bed until she is on top of me. Xandra squeals in surprise. “Is this better?”
That is a very happy smile on her face. “Much.” It is her turn to capture my lips and she puts my kiss to shame. So much so that I desperately want to remove all of our clothes and do a lot more than kiss.
In an unexpected move, Xandra breaks the kiss and rolls onto her side. She looks a little green. “Are you alright?” I ask.
She nods but even that slight motion of her head increases her green hue. “I’m just really dizzy all of a sudden. Maybe I do need a nap.”
Passion set aside, I am now worried that her trip to the Shadow realm took more out of her than she has been willing to admit. “I think that would be a good idea. I should leave you alone so you can actually get some sleep.”
I start to get up but she pulls me back to her. “Stay, please. I want to take a nap with you.”
Smile in place, I lie back down and pull her close. With a soft kiss on her ear, I whisper, “Sleep well.” She is fast asleep before I finish saying that.
Chapter 8
A soft kiss wakes me from the sound sleep I had fallen into. Without even opening my eyes, I deepen the kiss eliciting moans of pleasure from both of us. After a moment, Xandra rolls me onto my back. I open my eyes to find her staring down at me. Stroking my stubbly chin, she whispers, “Beautiful.”
Then she makes my shirt disappear. Oh god, everyone in the house probably just lost their shirts. Probably not quite as bad as losing their pants like I just have now. What has gotten into her? I like it but…“Xandra, we need to be careful.”
With a sexy grin, she traces a finger down my chest and stops right below my navel. I am torn between making her stop and asking her to continue. “I will be very careful,” she purrs and her clothes are gone now. Okay, I am going to stop thinking and enjoy every bit of her naked body.
Our lips collide and my hand in her hair keeps her right where I want her. Oh god, this is incredible. Her naked body is flat against mine and if she keeps moving like that, we are going to be doing a whole lot more than kissing. I want this so badly. The heat of her skin against mine is driving me crazy. I cannot hold back a feral growl deep in my throat as her hands work their way down my chest and stomach.
A wandering hand moving much farther down than my naval causes the greatest schism my mind has ever felt. With a desperation that scares me, I want her to keep right on going. But something seems off. The moral part of my mind is screaming that this is not the right time for this. She just got out of a dangerous situation and her emotions are probably running high. I cannot take advantage of that.
Unfortunately, morality wins out and I have to stop this. I vow to become immoral in the future because morality is proving to be quite painful. Grabbing her hand with mine, I ask, “Xandra, what is going on? You know that if we go farther, we will have to immediately be hand-fasted.”
She playfully bites her lip. Something she knows makes me crazy. “Mm, a lifetime of being in your bed.” Rolling onto her back, she leaves me utterly speechless as she stretches like a cat; her beautiful naked body just begging for my touch. I will not be able to stand much more of this. My willpower is only so strong. In the worst use of my magic ever, I dress us both.
“Hey,” Xandra practically shouts in anger. “I didn’t ask you to do that.” Then her clothes are gone again. “Are you telling me you do not want this body?” She runs her hands down her silky skin and I hear my willpower cracking. But now I am sure something is off with her.
It is hard to speak through jaws that are as tightly clenched as mine. “Xandra, you know I want you, your body, every single piece of you. But this is not like you. I think you may be unwell from your trip to the Shadow world. Perhaps we can finish this conversation when you have had more rest.” I dress her again. It practically kills me.
With a huff, Xandra rolls to her side facing away from me. I put my hand on her arm but she shakes it off. It is not long before her breath is low and even, letting me know she is sleeping again. How nice for her. My body is going to need a while before I can manage sleep.
Chapter 9
After my body finally relaxes, and I am certain that no one is going to run into the room naked because Xandra accidently removed their clothes, I fall into a light sleep. Sometime later, a sexy body snuggles up against me. Oh god, I cannot do this again. I do not have the willpower to say no again. Still, my body feels like lead as I roll away from her.
Xandra is puzzled. “What’s wrong?”
What is wrong? Nothing. That is the problem. “Xandra, you know I want you. Please do not make this harder.”
Now she is more puzzled. “Um, okay. What, exactly, am I not supposed to make harder?”
I tilt my head and study her face. Maybe she is aware of what she is doing. I keep my face schooled as I ask, “Are you ready to be left hand-fasted?” I did not realize how badly I want her to say yes to that until right this moment.
She scoots away from me like I just offered her a spider sandwich. “No. You know that.”
Really? That is her response? I am pissed now. “Then I would appreciate you not tempting me beyond reason.”
“Kallen, what did I do to make you upset with me?”
I am about to start off on a tirade until I look closer at her eyes. There is genuine confusion there in her eyes . Just as I am sure there is in my eyes now, too. “Do you truly not know what I am talking about?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. You weren’t mad at me before our nap, were you?”
I know what happened now. I start laughing which she does not appreciate. “I’m glad you find whatever this is amusing.”
It takes a minute to stop laughing. When I can finally speak, I say, “I guess I should have known from your use of magic that something was not right.”
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She looks so cute that I start laughing again. “I’m waiting,” she growls.
It is a lot harder to stop laughing this time. Finally, I manage to say, “Do you remember waking up an hour or so ago?”
She opens her eyes and gives me a weird look. “What are you talking about? Did I say something in my sleep that you didn’t like?”
Okay, time to stop teasing her. She is pulling magic and I am not sure she realizes it. That is a dangerous thing. “I believe you were sleepwalking.” I purse my lips and then modify my statement. “Well, not walking per se. More like sleep seducing.”
Xandra cocks her head and glowers at me. “I don’t sleepwalk. Or anything else.”
I reach out and brush a loose strand of hair from her cheek. “Oh, you most certainly do. And I must say, you do it very well.”
She sighs in frustration. “I do what very well.”
Propping myself up on my elbow, I use my free hand to stroke the soft skin of her cheek. “You woke up, or at least, I thought you had, about an hour ago and you attempted to seduce me. You e
ven removed both of our clothes.”
Color floods her face. “I did not.”
I smile. “You did. And you seem to have much more finesse with your magic when you are sleep seducing.”
“Stop calling it that,” she says as her cheeks turn a brighter red.
“You were difficult to resist. I wanted nothing more than to finish what you were starting. I am glad that I had restraint now that I know you were not awake. We were very close to having to become right hand-fasted.” I will not tell her how disappointed I am that it was only a dream on her part.
She closes her eyes a moment and then opens one a tiny bit. “Did I really make us both naked?”