“She understood.”
“There was no excuse.” She sighed. “I had no idea until I got your letter that she died in that awful place.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I just wish I’d been there for her.”
Mr. Haines handed her a handkerchief. “She didn’t know how hard it was for you either. Finding out what happened to you broke her heart. She tried to get money to you, but Randall intercepted the letters and took the checks.”
“Selfish bastard,” Blair spat. “She shouldn’t have left them anything.”
“She didn’t.” Mr. Haines chuckled. “The ten pounds goes to me. After everything is said and done, they wind up with cab fare and nothing more.”
“Well, that’s something at least.”
“Of course.”
Blair peered outside. “Where’s the cab?”
“I’ll check.” Mr. Haines punched in the number but all he got was a busy signal. “Bloody hell!” he swore angrily. “I don’t think they’re coming.”
“Great.” Blair set her cup aside. “I guess that means we’re staying the night?”
“I think it does.”
“Good thing I had a big breakfast,” she quipped. Mr. Haines rolled his eyes.
“I didn’t. All I had was cereal.”
She searched the cupboards. All she found was a stale packet of crackers. “Five years-old,” she informed him dryly. She tossed it on the table. “Eat up.”
“I think I’ll pass.”
“What time is it?”
“Half-past six.” He glanced up at the ceiling. “I wonder what the accommodations are like?”
“Only one way to find out.”
They found three bedrooms in varying stages of decay. One had no bed, one had a cot, and the last one had a massive four-poster with velvet drapes. Blair and Mr. Haines flipped a coin.
Blair got the four-poster.
“I’ll take the sofa,” he sighed. He wished her goodnight and shut the door.
She placed the lantern on a bedside table and tugged off her boots. The satin duvet was covered in dust, but the blankets and sheets looked all right. Blair found a clean pillowcase in a dresser and slid into bed. The mattress was soft and cozy and she found herself drifting off to sleep.
He was waiting for her.
“What do you want?” she cried, running from the tall figure. In her dream he’d chased her through the garden. “Don’t hurt me,” she pleaded.
“I would never hurt you,” he breathed as he caught up to her and yanked her against him. She gasped and tried to pull away. “No,” he whispered against her cheek. “Don’t be afraid. Let me love you, Blair.”
“How…do you know my name?” She was confused and frightened. Especially when he trailed warm kisses along her cheek and curve of her chin. “What…are you…doing?”’
“Hush, sweet Blair,” he murmured against her throat, sending delicious tingles down her spine. “Let me love you.”
“How?”
In her dream he was a tall, handsome rogue with dark, piercing eyes and raven hair. She couldn’t see his face. “How do you want to love me?”
“Like this,” he breathed, kissing her lips. She melted in his arms and gasped as his tongue slipped inside her mouth to tease and seduce. “Lovely Blair,” he said thickly. “Open for me.”
She didn’t understand. In her dream she was wearing a nightgown that tied with a ribbon at her throat. “Open?”
He laughed softly and toyed with the ribbon. “This,” he told her. “Untie this and let me see you.”
“I—I can’t.”
Blair’s head fell back as his lips caressed her throat. He reached and untied the ribbon and her breasts spilled forth into his hands. She moaned as he cupped and massaged the aching mounds, spreading warm fire through her body. “Like this, my love?” he asked, darting out his tongue to lick the salty sweetness of her flesh.
Her hands gripped his shoulders and whimpered as his lips settled over a nipple. pulling it into the hot cavern of his mouth. Blair’s fingers twisted in his hair. “Oh, my love,” she whimpered, trying to breathe through the sweet agony. “More!”
“Yes,” he growled, tugging the nightgown off her shoulders and sucking wildly on her breasts. Blair moaned and did not struggle when he urged her down on the soft grass. He pulled her beneath him and tore off his own clothing. “I will take you now,” he said softly.
Blair gasped at the feel of his muscular body against hers and slid her arms around his neck. “Will it hurt very much?” she panted, eyes widening at the size of his cock. “I don’t think it will fit…”
“Hush, darling,” he soothed, lowering his hips between her trembling thighs. “You’re so sweet,” her dream lover breathed against her lips as he slid into her. Blair cried out in pain. She wasn’t a virgin. But he was so big. “Forgive me, darling Blair.”
“It hurts,” she whimpered, biting her lip in agony. “Make it go.” His head swooped down as he ravished her lips with is own. “I will,” he swore, beginning to move. Blair moaned and clutched him tighter. “You are mine,” he rasped. “Say it!” he growled, plunging hard and fast. “Say it and it will be so.”
Blair arched her hips and cried out, “I’m yours!”
Three
The orgasm tore through Blair’s body and she gasped, thrusting her hips against the sheets. When she could breathe again she lay panting and frightened. She’d never had such dreams and now they seemed to be gaining in strength and intensity.
She shook it off and thought it might have something to do with the sea air. Blair went back to sleep and rose just as sunlight filtered through the moldy curtains. She yanked on her boots and went downstairs to where Mr. Haines had spent a fitful night on the sofa.
Both the worse for wear, Mr. Haines called for a cab and this time they were picked up in under an hour and driven back to their hotel where they slept off the restless dregs of a night spent in hell. This time Blair got her sleep.
When she awoke, it was late in the afternoon and she ordered a light lunch and took a long, hot bath. Blair took the opportunity to think about the house. It needed quite a bit of work. And she had the money…
“I don’t know,” she muttered to herself. “Is it worth it?”
One thing was certain: Blair wasn’t going back to that house alone. She didn’t care what Mr. Haines said. It was haunted! All the time she was there she could feel eyes burning into her, roaming over her body, and she could have sworn she heard a man’s laughter after the door slammed in her face.
“Maybe I’m just imagining things,” she sighed.
Blair soaked a few minutes more and got out to dress and meet Mr. Haines for dinner. They had a lovely supper of seafood curry and discussed what Blair should do with the house.
“You could sell it,” he suggested. “We’d handle everything.”
“I don’t know if I should,” Blair sighed. “She left that house to me for a reason. Maybe she wanted me to take care of it, or something.” “She did love that old shack,” Mr. Haines chuckled. “If you decide to stay, you might want to rent a cottage. You can’t stay there.”
“That’s a good idea.” Blair wiped her lips with her napkin. “I suppose you’ll go back to London?”
He nodded. “It’s only temporary. I can assist you with the contractors if you want an estimate on renovations or assessing the value in case you want to sell.”
“Can you get me a cottage?” Blair inquired. “Something small. Nothing too expensive.”
“I can do that. And you’ll need a car.”
“Well,” Blair grinned. “I leave that to you. I think I’ll stay for a couple of weeks. Research the place and take in the sights.”
“Now that’s a good idea.”
She sliced into her chocolate pie and felt for the first time in her miserable life that things might turn out okay.
****
“What is your name?” she gasped as he thrust gently into her. Blair kissed him hungril
y unable to get enough of him. He growled and bit down on her lip. “Seth,” he groaned, slipping his hands beneath her. “Call me Seth.”
Her head fell back beneath his bruising kisses. “Seth,” she breathed. “Fuck me,” she pleaded shamelessly, digging her nails into his back. “You’re so big,” she moaned.
“And you’re so tight,” he gasped. Blair’s eyes flew open and his face appeared before her in all its darkly chiseled glory. She opened her mouth to scream and his tongue filled the void. “No,” he whispered against her cheek “Don’t be afraid. You were meant for me. For this.”
He was here. In her bed and giving her inexplicable pleasure. Blair cried out his name and clung to him. “Harder, Seth!” she panted, covering his face with greedy kisses. “Fuck me harder.”
He grinned above her and his face swam before her eyes. She had a vision of some ungodly creature with scaly skin and horns. Blair wanted to scream but Seth shook his head and lifted her thighs over his hips. He plunged in and out and she arched against him wanting more. She was begging him for it and felt no shame.
Seth laughed against her throat and gave in to her demands. Blair whimpered as excruciating rapture pierced her body. She fought the urge to scream and Seth pulled out to the tip.
“Scream for me, dearest Blair,” he rasped. “Scream and loudly.” “No!” she gasped, wincing as he slammed back into her. “I don’t think I can bear it!”
Seth’s head swooped down and ravished her mouth in a hot kiss. Blair shuddered and let go. Her scream was cut off with his tongue and she clutched and scratched at him. He caught her arms and held them over her head and rode her hard until he howled with pleasure.
Blair lay limp beneath him as he kissed and stroked her body soothingly. “What are you?” she whispered, sliding her hands over his powerful back. “And why do I want you so?”
He pressed soft kisses over her face and hair. “No need to know who I am,” he breathed. “Let us just have this.” He slid his hand down and massaged the tender mound. “I want you always like this.”
“Oh,” Blair moaned, biting her lip. “It was you in the cottage that day, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” he hissed, delving into the damp folds and thrusting his fingers in and out. “I’ve wanted this since the first moment I saw you. I knew you would be mine.”
“Yours?” she panted, arching her hips eagerly. “And are you mine?”
He chuckled and swirled his tongue over her nipples. “As long as you want me, dearest Blair.” Seth suckled and drew the throbbing peak into his mouth. “I will follow wherever you lead.”
“Oh, Seth.” Blair mewled and cradled his head to her breast. “Suck me harder.”
Seth let out a primitive growl and sucked hard, nipping and biting with his teeth. Blair arched her back and spread her thighs wide. His fingers felt amazing, but she wanted his cock deep inside her. He seemed to sense her desire and withdrew his hand, catching her whimpering protest with his tongue and sliding between her thighs. He threw his head back as he sheathed himself in her delicious heat. Blair screamed and wrapped her thighs around his hips.
The pleasure was indescribable as he ravished her swollen cunt. “Seth!” she sobbed, raking her nails down his back and drawing blood.
Seth’s eyes winced shut. He’d never get enough of her. Never.
Blair’s eyes flew open. Seth was gone. At first she thought it was a dream. But on further inspection, she could see her dream lover was indeed real. Her breasts were sore, her lips swollen, and a satisfied ache between her thighs told her all she needed to know.
Seth was real.
She was glad. Mr. Haines had rented her a cottage near the beach and it was isolated. Goodness knows Seth knew how to make her scream. Blair giggled to herself and took a shower. Sometimes she wished he were human so he could take her in the shower.
The next night in her dream, Seth did just that. He hauled her up against a shower wall and fucked her until she was screaming her head off. Naturally she was sore the next day. After a few nights of this, Blair decided to do some research at the local library.
She found out what Seth was and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
An incubus. That was her dream lover. Seth was a demon.
“And when were you going to tell me?’ she asked on his next visit. Her breath caught as his finger teased her nipple to a taut peak. “Seth!”
He grinned. “Is that a problem?”
“I don’t know,” Blair gasped as his tongue darted out to lick her breast. “Can this relationship work?”
“Do you want it to?”
“You know I do.”
Seth sighed in relief and suckled her breast. Blair threaded her fingers through his hair and cradled him to her. “I think I’m…in love with you,” she whispered.
His head shot up. “And when were you going to tell me this?”
“I thought you knew,” she giggled. “You’re always surprising me with things.”
Seth moved over her and kissed her tenderly. “You’re adorable. And I love you too.”
“I’m glad,” Blair sighed happily. “But I wish I could feel you for real.” Her hands slid over his sturdy shoulders and down his back. “I hate meeting you this way.”
“I know,” he breathed against her lips. “But it’s only for a little while, my love.”
“I want you inside me,” she begged, arching her hips wantonly. “Put it in.”
His eyes darkened and her mouth opened on a silent cry as he slid down and teased her with his cock. She gripped his shoulders, panting as he held off entering her and instead caressed her hungry clit. “That’s not fair,” she pouted, nipping at his chin. “You can’t make me wait.”
“I can try,” he whispered raggedly. “You’re so wet, love.”
Blair was growing impatient and reached down to take him in hand. He cried out and shuddered above her. His mouth swooped down as he plunged into her searing heat. “Seth!” she shrieked, wrapping herself around him. “Don’t stop,” she panted. “Don’t ever stop.”
“You feel so good.” Seth squeezed his eyes shut and rode her to the brink. Their screams shattered the quiet cottage and he sagged against her damp body. “That was nice.”
She curled against him and laughed softly. “Wasn’t it?”
“I can’t get enough of you, lovely Blair.”
“The feeling is mutual, sir.”
Seth nuzzled her ear. “And what will you do about the cottage?”’
“I haven’t figured it out yet, silly.”
“Want me to help?”
“Would you?”
He reached out and traced a long finger down her nose. “I want you to stay.”
“But the house needs work, Seth. I don’t know if I can afford it.”
“Eugenia left you the money. Use that.”
Blair smiled up at him. “And how do you know how much she left me?”
“It’s a secret,” he grinned.
Blair woke up missing Seth, but armed with a new determination to restore Pennhalow to its former glory. She got an estimate from the contractor and talked it over with Mr. Haines. He was dead set against it.
“You can’t!” he protested over tea. “I thought you meant the cottage.”
“But I thought you wanted me to restore the house and now you don’t?”
Mr. Haines turned bright red. “You’ll burn through all your money. I thought you wanted to go to school and be a chef.”
“I do.”
“If you restore the house you won’t be left with a shilling.”
“I’ll find the money,” Blair insisted. “I’ll have the house assessed.”
“They’ll tell you the same thing. The house isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.”
“Since when?” Blair’s eyes narrowed. “You’ve been talking to Randall and his lovely wife, the Wicked Bitch of North London.”
Mr. Haines choked on his bread. “I have not!” he wheezed. “They ba
rged into my office and demanded to know where you were.”
“And what did you tell them?”
“I told them you’d gone back to Tucson.”
“They didn’t believe that.”
“No,” he gulped. “They didn’t. They want the house.” He looked guilty. “I told them it belonged to you, but they wouldn’t listen.”
Blair swore. “So what does that mean?”
“They hired another solicitor.”
“And…?”
“They’re going to contest the will.”
She drained her glass of wine and asked for another. Blair staggered back to her little cottage thoroughly wasted. She fell asleep and told Seth. He was livid.
“They’ll regret this,” he swore. “Wait and see.”
Four
Randall and Heather contested the will. Mr. Haines told Blair to let them have it. “They’ll tie this up in ligation for months if not years. All your money will be gone. Let them have the bloody house.”
Blair figured he was right. “If I let them have the house, will I still have money for school?”
“Sure,” Mr. Haines said brightly. “You could always go to school here.”
“I don’t know about that,” Blair said sadly.
In the end, Randall and Heather got Pennhalow, and Blair got two thousand pounds and a ticket back to Tucson. Josie was there to greet her.
Blair burst into tears. “I lost the house,” she wept.
“I hope they choke on wood rot.”
“They might. The whole house is full of termites.”
“No!”
“Uh-huh.” Blair laughed a little. “And mice.”
“See? Revenge from beyond Eugenia’s grave, I like it.”
“I don’t. I liked that house.”
“Well, at least you got the money.” “No, I didn’t.” Blair retrieved her suitcases. “They paid me to go away.”
“You still have enough for school.”
“Sure.” “Or will you be planning a funeral?”
“I might as well,” Blair said sullenly. “I feel dead.”
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