Mystic Realms: A Limited Edition Collection

by Nicole Morgan

  She lifted her legs over his shoulders, squeezing his head between her thighs. His light chuckle brought more vibrations to her core and ground her pussy against his face hoping he would let her come this time.

  He grabbed her legs and pressed them down against the mattress so that he could have full access to her. Lucy felt exposed with her parts on display, but Ryan didn’t give her any time to think on it because his tongue was back on her clit and two of fingers were dipping into her. He had been tender the last time, because this time, he sucked hard at her clit then bit into it. The pleasure-pain was too much for Lucy. She screamed at the top of her lungs, “OH! MY! GOD!”

  She began to convulse over his thrusting fingers as they pushed into her faster. She shook with every tremor that coursed through her. He didn’t stop while she achieved her climax, though he reduced the intensity. As her body slowly wound down, she shivered with the aftershocks of pleasure. She had never experienced anything like that, not that she had much experience to draw from. Her fingers had been her only companion.

  Lucy gave a small sigh when Ryan drew his fingers from her. She didn't think she could handle any more. The one time had been very intense for her. He gave her clit a tender kiss before resting his elbows on both sides of her body to stare down at her. It was hard to define everything she saw in his eyes. Truthfully, she was a little terrified by what she saw in his eyes. His gaze was very possessive as they touched every part of her. His next words confirmed her thoughts.

  "Don't try to get me jealous," he said softly. Too softly. "You've given yourself to me, and you are mine now. Mine!"

  The last was said in a growl as his gaze fixed on her pink pussy. He trailed his fingers through the little thatch of hair on her mons. His free hand covered her breast, and he tweaked her nipple, almost absentmindedly. She closed her eyes as she felt her body's automatic response to him. He scared her with his intensity, yet she couldn't deny that she felt something with him that she had never felt with anyone else.

  Lucy stretched her body, and all the muscles she hadn't known could be worked out, screamed back at her. Who knew muscles could ache from just coming more times than she could count. She had been out of her mind with pleasure yesterday, so out of her mind that she had begged him several times to made love to her. One time, she had even gone so far as to shout, "Just fuck me already." He almost gave in. She had seen it on his face. But, in the end, he hadn't. He had said that night was all about her. He had made her come till she had begged him to stop, then he made her come some more till she blacked out from too much sensation. A smile slid onto her lips. It was strange yet right with Ryan. They had just met yesterday, but it felt like she had known him for longer because of the dreams. If anything, the real thing was much better than the dreams. His body was more solid. She knew his hurts and feelings. He didn't say he loved her. But, she had loved him even when he had been a faceless man in her dreams; she realized that now. It was the reason she had avoided anything that had tended to a serious relationship.

  She sighed, thinking of what she had to tell him if they were to continue this relationship, or whatever it was. She sat up, feeling nervous. How would he feel, knowing she was a 24-year-old virgin, especially after the things they had done in her dreams, after the way she had begged him to ‘fuck her.'

  Getting out of bed, she pulled on the shirt that he had cast off the night before. He had ruined her shirt, so she was left with his clothes for now. She contemplated putting on her jeans, then decided against it. Padding quietly out of the room on bare feet, she searched the apartment for Ryan. She had only seen the living room and his bedroom, and he wasn't in either, so, she decided to look around. The first place she came to was the kitchen. It was a chef's dream come true. It was just as big and spacious with lots of light coming in, like in the living room. There was an island in the center of the room, but the big ventilator hovering over it let her know that the cooker must be there. When she got closer, she realized he was using one of those glass top electric cookers. His kitchen made her feel like she could be a good cook just by standing in it.

  Smiling, she walked out through a second door, instead of the one she came in and found herself in the dining room. The dining room was open to the hallway of the apartment. She must have missed it the day before. Hardly surprising, because the room looked like it had barely seen any use. Everything in the room looked a little too pristine. She came into the hallway when she heard muffled voices. The voices were coming from a closed door that she must have also missed yesterday. She was going to knock when she heard her name.

  “What are you going to do with Lucy?” A voice that was unquestionably Andrea’s asked.

  She knew she shouldn’t be eavesdropping, but she also wanted to know the answer to that question.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  It was a different Ryan that she heard. He was obviously avoiding the question, and that put her on edge.

  "I mean, what are your intentions towards her? I've not known her for long, but I already consider her a friend. I don't have many of those, and I don't want her getting hurt."

  Lucy gave a mental nod of approval to Andrea. Oddly, she did consider the woman a friend as well. Though, her comment about ‘getting hurt’ worried Lucy. What could she mean?

  “You don’t have to worry about her getting hurt. We both understand that this is about need and nothing more. I need her as much as she needs me.”

  Andrea’s hiss of annoyance covered Lucy’s barely muffled gasp.

  "Did you tell her that or you just assume she understands? You can be pig-headed brother! You deny yourself the very thing you want the most and for what? How do you think she will feel if she finds out you only use her to soothe the beast? And how long do you mean to keep him from her?"

  “I don’t need anyone to love me. And if I have my way, Lucy will never find out about the beast. Not even from you. This one thing I will not forgive if you tell her.”

  "You just don't want to give anyone a chance." Andrea's reply was with equal vehemence, "You think you are the only one who suffers but you hurt us all. And no matter what you think, you will hurt her too. You may not want to give your love, but it doesn't change the fact that I love you, and our parents love you, and Lucy might love you if you give her the chance."

  “Andrea,” his voice was a broken whisper, “I can’t love her.”

  Lucy didn't wait to hear any more. She ran off to the room as quietly as she could, hurriedly put on her jeans. She had no choice but to borrow his shirt since he had ruined hers. Her bag and portfolio were still in the living room where she had left them. She had heard the siblings still arguing when she tiptoed past. She couldn't face either of them yet. She needed her space. She needed to think. Quietly, she left his apartment, hailed a taxi straight for her childhood home. She didn't want anyone to find her until she was ready to be found.

  Chapter Four

  Lucy had managed to avoid Ryan for a week. During that time, he had called her cell phone countless times. She hadn't tried to imagine who had given him her number, and she hadn't allowed herself to think too much about the conversation she had eavesdropped on between Ryan and Andrea. She suspected he might have called Con and Jake to find out her whereabouts, but she refused to pick either of their calls. She had come back to the mansion because she knew that neither Con nor Jake would expect her to go there. Ordinarily, she stayed away from the place, but when she ran out of Ryan's place she had needed the comfort of home, the home she had grown up in, that had father had lived in. Helen had been understanding and had given her space without asking any questions, which was unusual, but Lucy didn't overthink it.

  It was mid-day, and usually, Lucy would be in her studio creating new designs. Instead, she had moved the appointment dates for the few clients that had booked with her, and wallowed in self-pity. She was tucked into her childhood canopy bed, the drapes drawn around her so that she could convince herself that it was still night. A
knock on her door followed by the sound of t opening alerted her that Helen was done with given her space. Helen was the only one who had dared to enter her room without her express permission to do so.

  Lucy remained still hoping Helen would assume her asleep and let her be. It was not to the so. Helen, drew back the drapes without remorse, then went to pull back the curtains in the room, letting more light in. Lucy groaned as she shielded her eyes from the light. She waited for the chastisement to come, but what she heard surprised her.

  “After we buried your father and you moved out, I spent the next month in bed, smelling your father’s scent on the pillow, pulling out his shirts to sleep in. I managed to leave the room after that first month, but I just couldn’t leave the house. It always felt like I was abandoning him.”

  Lucy was still, afraid that any sound would stop Helen from speaking. It was one of the reasons she had left. Helen had absolutely refused to speak about Jeff, and Lucy had wanted to talk about nothing but her father.

  Helen had been facing the windows as she spoke, elegant, aloof and alone in her grey pant suit but now, she turned to Lucy.

  “I don’t know who he is, this man who made you come back under a roof you’ve refused to sleep in since Jeff died. But, whoever he is, you might consider giving him a chance. He is the first man to make you feel?”

  Lucy hesitantly nodded.

  Helen nodded as if to confirm something to herself, “Then, you don’t want to let him go. Love like this is truly rare and can be lost at any moment.”

  Lucy paled at the L-word. Yes, she loved Ryan in her own way, but she had never considered anything like what Helen and her father had.

  “How did you bear it?” she whispered.

  “Bear what?” Helen asked.

  “Losing him.”

  The steel determination that she knew Helen for came over her face. "I am not telling you that because you will not be worrying yourself about such things. You and this guy must have had a disagreement, but he is not dead. There is yet hope."

  Lucy sighed and confessed the one thing she had avoided thinking about, "He cannot love me. I wasn't looking to be loved, but he placed the hope in front of me and snatched it away," her voice grew hard and sarcastic, "He says he needs me, he even told Jake that he would marry me if that were what I wanted. Everything but love. Well, he can shove his offers. I don't need his-"

  “Lucy!” Something about Helen calmed Lucy.

  “I’m sorry. You don’t need this attitude from me.”

  A small smile tipped Helen’s mouth. She looked like a woman with a secret. “Well, I have just the thing to cheer you up.”

  She pulled an envelope from her pocket and gave it Lucy. “Willful Art Gallery is having a showing today. You’re invited.”

  Lucy lifted the already opened flap of her invitation and raised a brow at Helen.

  “Well, it could have been your mystery man. I was curious.”

  Lucy couldn't help the grin that covered her face. Helen's face grew stern. "You will get up, take a bath and meet me in the tea room. You and I are going shopping. Don't look so mortified; I am learning to accept your eccentrics. You will choose your own dress, but it has to be a dress."

  With that Helen winked and left her alone.

  Lucy reclined back in the bed. This Willful Art showing was just what she needed. Hiding away had not made her feel better. Perhaps she would actually enjoy this shopping trip with Helen.

  The bastard! She was going to kill him!

  She had been feeling almost perfect and much better in the dress she had gotten. It was black with a full, flared skirt and what would have been a strapless top but for the cobweb-like, transparent material that covered her chest, back and arms. Helen had been aghast at the cobweb quality but had admitted that the style suited Lucy. When she comes into the event, Jared Wilson, creative director of Willful Art had come to greet her personally. She hadn't considered why she had gotten an invitation, but Jared confirmed he had sent it in the hopes of enticing her to consider showing her art with them. She had been flattered and had ridden on a high cloud since until he showed up. She would have called it a coincidence if Con wasn't in tow, with Stacy.

  It hadn’t taken long for her buddy to simper to the Jazz, she thought uncharitably. Con had always dreamed of just being in the same room as Jazz as heaven. Walking into a room with him must simply be out of this world. The presence of the two men in the room turned the attention of the other guests, especially the female ones. Stace staked her claim by stepping closer to Con, who automatically put his arm around her. It was only then she noticed the tall brunette standing next to Ryan, though she couldn't imagine how she missed the stunning beauty. At the stairs, she tried to connect her arm with his, but he remained still and unresponsive as his gaze traveled the room. She realized too late that he must have been scanning for her. But, when his gaze landed on her and moved on just as quickly, she convinced herself that she wasn't disappointed. Everyone had gone back to socializing around art, and soon enough, Con and Stace had made their way to her.

  "Where have you been? Been calling you for ages!" Con gave her an unnecessarily loud kiss on the cheek. Stace rolled her eyes at this before giving Lucy a hug.

  “I did miss you,” she said, “I thought for sure that I would see you on Sunday as usual.” Lucy felt a twinge of guilt at this until Stace said, “Ryan Milton came over. He was a little consolation since the bear here, got to fawn over him. I didn’t even get to do anything. Con here wanted to impress with his skills.”

  Lucy sent a glare in Con’s direction.

  “What? He asked to be invited. You don’t honestly expect me to say no to the Jazz, do you?”

  Lucy shook her head. She shouldn’t have been surprised. Unconsciously, her eyes scanned the room for him.

  She found him by the drinks table, an adoring fan base in tow. Miss Brunette now stood in the fringes, and Ryan didn't even seem to care. He was focused on the women that surrounded him, quite like a hoard of piranhas. She hoped the ate him alive. She was disappointed when he charmed each piranha one by one. The smiling and signing of autographs didn't annoy so much as the flirting. He flirted with almost all of them and didn't protest when some requested body autographs. His job as a tattoo artist required him to design on people. Yet, that of all things annoyed her the most, especially after the spiel he had given her about hurting the people he tattooed on. Sure, marker autographs and tattoos were not the same things, but it still pissed her off. Anger built inside her and she decided, if he could flirt, she was doing some flirting of her own, if only to get him off her mind.

  Politely, she excused herself from Con and Stace, ignoring Con's quizzical look. She scanned the corner furthest away from Ryan and spotted Jared almost immediately. The man had been enthusiastic in his praise of her work without been flirty. He would be perfect. He wouldn't take her flirting the wrong way or be offended or be offended if she didn't do more than flirt. He had some admirers of his own around him, but when he spotted her coming to him, he excuses himself from them.

  “Lucy. How are you enjoying the evening?” He asked, offering her his arm. She took his arm, smiling up at him.

  "It's been quite lovely!" she replied a little over-enthusiastically, but she didn't lie. The night and the art had been lovely till he came. She mentioned an artwork that had caught her eye, and he immediately aligned their steps in that direction. When he started discussing the origins of the work and the style of the artist, she didn't have to feign interest.

  They had been in front of the same picture for almost twenty minutes when she felt that she was being watched. She easily figured out that it could only be him watching her. She didn't want to look but was beginning to feel branded with his eyes, when she finally peeked in his direction. He was staring at her, and the possessive look was back. His words from before came back to her.

  Don’t try to get me jealous.

  It made her angry. He had ignored her all evening, an
d all but told his sister that she wasn't worthy of his love. She was just turning her face away when he crooked that finger at her. He wasn't even smiling or subtle about it. How dare he! She raised her brows at him pointedly and turned her back to him. Jared was still talking, so she tried to pay attention to what he was saying. She was not going to let Ryan ruin a perfect opportunity for a showing at Willful Art. Though with what Jared had said there were very interested in her work, and she could expect a positive reception to her work.

  The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, but she ignored. She ignored it when she began to get that familiar haunted feeling. She ignored it when Jared's voice suddenly trailed off looking behind her. He wouldn’t dare something here, she thought.

  He would dare, she realized when he roughly turned her to face him, and she immediately found herself flung over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes, her face staring at his butt. In her daze and surprise, she didn't immediately react. By the time she got over her fascination with the entrancing muscles of his behind, they were halfway across the room. She pounded her fists against his back as best as she could then tried to kick him, but all she got was air. "Put me down you brute!" She hissed.

  A lowly muttered, "Behave!" was his only warning as he rested his palm on her bum. She heard the unspoken, ‘Or you'll get spanked.' She was so mad at him! She used one hand to support herself and pushed back her hair from her face. Surely, they wouldn't allow him to leave with her. Con wouldn't tolerate it.

  The first thing she saw was the staring eyes on them, but no one rushed to confront him. When she finally found Connor, he had a weird smile on his face. The same stupid smile he had when he confessed that he had finally proposed to Stacy. He pretty much looked at Lucy like he had just seen her go down the aisle with the Jazz. No help was certainly coming from that end. It was only then that she noticed the flashing cameras. Her humiliation was complete. She let her hair fall back to hide her face. Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God!