Fae

by Jennifer Bene

  “I waited two thousand years for you, and you’re calling me impatient?” Neala arched an eyebrow and he laughed and spanked her ass lightly.

  “Shouldn’t you be speaking to me respectfully or something? Isn’t that in the curse somewhere?” Kiernan was teasing her, taunting her to get her wound up, but the way his eyes moved down her body felt like an electric tingle and it was deliciously distracting.

  “You’re the stalker, you should know better than anyone that respect has never been a strong suit of mine…” Neala reached between the two of them, stroking him through his pants, and she delighted in the way his breath caught and his jaw clenched as he fought to maintain control. “What I really think you should do, is take off all these clothes.”

  “No respect, and now you’re giving me orders?” Kiernan’s voice was unfocused as she continued to stroke him, his hips moving in time with her movements. Then, she pulled her hand back and his eyes snapped open on her. “Neala!”

  “Now who’s being impatient?” She grinned and he flipped her over, face down on the desk. Immediately pressing himself against her, grinding as he leaned over her.

  “Such a feisty Faeoihn…” he nipped across her ribs, brushing kisses across her back that had her squirming. He pressed a hand between her shoulder blades to keep her still and she loved it, loved that it was him, loved that she had teased him into taking action – and gods she wanted him inside her. “Stay absolutely still, please.” He was careful with his words, ensuring they weren’t an actual command, but she still grinned.

  “Such a bossy Laochra.” She barely got the words out before he brought a hand across one of the globes of her ass, and she jumped, then he repeated the same stinging spank on the other cheek.

  “I asked you to stay still, Neala.” His voice was a rumble from behind her, and she almost responded, but then he traced his fingers through the ample wetness that had been gathering between her thighs and all she could do was moan. “So, you want to go on another date with me?”

  “Yes…” she mumbled, rocking her hips against the desktop as he found her clit and began to roll it slowly, sending jerking waves of pleasure through her. The warmth of his bare skin pressed against her as he leaned forward.

  “And you want to have dinner with Elsie again, even though she’s going to do nothing but brag about how she knew we were meant to be together?” There was laughter in his voice, but it held the edge of his restrained passion as he dragged it out. He suddenly thrust two fingers inside her and she cried out, trying to keep her focus through the pulse that he was drumming between her thighs.

  “She was right, she deserves to know that, Kiernan.” Neala moaned as he found that bundle of nerves inside her and stroked it, his fingers curving over her pubic bone to bring her right to the edge.

  “True. What about the contractors? You really want to meet with them? Help with planning our home?” He continued the devious movements, and her pussy was so wet that she wanted to beg him to stop tormenting her, but his words woke up something even better inside her than the pending orgasm.

  “I want all of it, Kiernan, I want all of it. I want to plan our home, I want to plan our future – I want you.” Neala said it through shaking breaths, and he removed his fingers and she felt his cock press against her. Finally.

  “I love you, Neala, and trust me – I want to plan our future too, because you don’t have to want me, you have me. Forever.” Then he thrust inside her, filling her and stretching her to make her moan and grab onto the other side of the desk. His hands landed on her hips as he started to move, and each hard slap of his body against hers was punctuated with a wave of pleasure that crashed through her.

  Neala let go, letting herself ride the incredible intensity of his body moving against hers, that liquid heat building into an overwhelming need to break through to the other side. Her legs shivered, her body tensed, and he kissed her ribs, moaning against her skin as she tightened down on his hard cock. Then the tension inside her snapped and sent her sparkling into the kind of orgasm that left her nerves shimmering. He moaned her name, and a moment later she felt him come, his body weight pressing her harder into the desk under him.

  She couldn’t wipe the happy grin off her face. Post-orgasmic bliss, and the kind of wholesome joy that came from being loved completely by another person. He pressed kisses to her skin, murmuring about how beautiful she was, how lucky he was, and how much he loved her. The words filled her up and she wanted to turn over and wrap herself around him, she wanted to lock her heels behind his thighs and hold him to her. She wanted to be with her perfectly imperfect warrior, her lover who walked between the light and the dark, the man who could kill without flinching and the man who gave scholarships to boys he didn’t know just to make their mother happy. He was complicated, but so was she – and they had each other.

  “I love you so much, Kiernan.” She breathed it against the wood under her cheek, and she felt the satisfied rumble in his chest. Just as she was about to open her mouth again to elaborate on the myriad ways he was perfect for her, Kiernan’s phone went off. It was an irritating, loud song that blasted some choice words into the air.

  “Dammit, really?” he groaned, and she laughed.

  “Cole is calling again.” Neala turned her head to look at him and he slid from her, helping her to stand up so he could kiss her again.

  “He can wait? For after round two?” The hope in Kiernan’s voice made her want to laugh.

  “No, you’ve put him off for a month, and I thought you promised you weren’t going to ditch him again?” She smiled up at him and he grumbled, but she knew he cared about his best friend. He leaned over and grabbed the loud, buzzing phone and answered it.

  “Hey man – yes, I’m still coming – no, I’m not cancelling – I’m just…. wrapping things up. Twenty or thirty minutes? Deal.” Kiernan pressed the screen of the phone and looked back to her. “I’d rather be here with you, Glowworm.”

  Neala pinched the back of his arm and he yelped. She smiled, “You’re not the only one with a promise to keep, Kiernan. I have my own plans for the next three days.”

  “I know, I know. I guess this means we have to put clothes on?” His eyes trailed over her and she returned the favor, taking in the hard planes of his body, the strong cut of his jaw, the five o’clock shadow she’d felt brushing against her skin – and his vibrant green eyes.

  “Yes, we have to put on clothes and you need to put in your contacts. Remember? You need your creepy Laochra eyes to go see Cole.” She grinned and he faked a pout.

  “You thought my eyes were creepy?”

  “Oh, by Eltera’s grace, don’t even try to pout right now.” Neala grinned and he returned it, picking her up in his arms to walk towards the bedroom.

  “Fine, I won’t pout, but I’m going to enjoy every single minute I have with you until I have to leave, and I’d prefer if you’d get dressed really, really slowly.” He leaned down and kissed her, and she laughed against his lips.

  They got dressed, probably much more quickly than Kiernan would have preferred, and he stepped out of the bathroom. It was a strange sight to see the irises of Kiernan’s eyes black again, but there was no way he could see the other Laochra without the costume contacts he’d ordered. As Neala moved closer she marveled at how perfectly they covered the green, and she found herself tilting her head to try and see the edges.

  “Well, how do they look? Is Cole going to run me through with a sword when he sees me?” Kiernan tried to make it light, but they both knew there was a lot of risk with him going back, but it would be worse if he ignored his friend again. Until Neala was able to stay in their new, hidden home – Kiernan had to keep everyone away from his apartment.

  “From what you’ve told me, Cole would never hurt you. But they look perfect. You look like you did when I met you.”

  “I don’t look happier?” He grinned and she laughed as he wrapped his arms around her.

  “So smooth.”


  “You say that like it’s a surprise, when we both know how awesome I am.” He said it seriously, but Neala just laughed again and shoved him back a bit.

  “You made me a promise, Kiernan, now go fulfill it before your head is too big to travel, and do not make that a joke!” She smiled up at him, her own excitement catching up with her. “Please go get her?”

  “Of course, mo ghaol. Kiernan grinned and stepped back from her, swooping into a deep bow that she was sure he had actually perfected during the Renaissance. Then he shifted, and she had to rub her eyes to let herself refocus. It wasn’t five minutes later when she heard a high-pitched squeal from the living room.

  “NEALA!”

  Neala rushed into the living room and was almost tackled to the floor by the force of the five-foot ball of energy. A puff of blue hair was tickling her nose when she squeezed Irena back. The pixie hadn’t wasted any time calling Kiernan once she was settled with an organization that helped to get women back on their feet and out of the slave trade. Right now she was using a glamour to hide who she really was, but she was still Irena.

  “I’m so glad you’re here!” Neala couldn’t hide her own excitement, and they hugged again and jumped up and down. Kiernan was trying to hide his laughter behind them.

  “So, I brought a list of movies we have to watch. And I’m thinking our meals should revolve around sugar and pizza, and you said we would go shopping if you -” Irena was buzzing and talking fast like she always did when she was happy, but she stopped silent and let out an ear piercing squeal. “THE BANDS ARE GONE!”

  Neala grinned. “Yes, I finally convinced him to try -”

  “That’s amazing! It means we can go out, and you guys can go out, and I’m just so happy for you!” Irena let go of her glamour and her figure blurred for a second until the whir of pixie wings was audible, and then Neala saw the friend she knew so well. Blue skin and all.

  “With so much fun planned, I guess you don’t need me around then?” Kiernan faked a wounded look and Irena just rolled her eyes and jumped over to the couch to drop herself on it. Neala walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

  “I will always need you.” She kissed him softly, and she could feel when his lips spread into a smile.

  “It’s only three days, right? And this time nothing will happen.” Kiernan whispered into her hair as he hugged her tight against him.

  “I’m yours, and you’re mine. Forever. Eltera promised us that. Three days is nothing.” Neala whispered back.

  “I love you, Glowworm.” He kissed her, and she grinned.

  “I love you too.” With one last kiss he stepped back and grabbed his duffel from near the wall. Neala crossed her arms over her stomach and waved a little. Kiernan winked at her, and then shifted, but she wasn’t worried. She knew he’d be back.

  She’d spend the next three days being as normal as it was possible to be when ‘normal’ included an orphaned pixie and a Faeoihn trying to figure out modern day Seattle.

  Then he’d be back, they’d start the journey to save her sisters, however the hell they were supposed to do that, and the time they had spent apart wouldn’t matter.

  It wouldn’t matter because they really did have forever, and for once the future was something Neala really wanted to think about.

  END NOTES

  I just wanted to tell you thank you for reading this book. I wrote this book years ago and set it on a shelf because A) I wasn’t ready to show it yet, and B) I wasn’t ready to write it the way I wanted it. In mid-2015 when I picked the draft back up, dusted it off, and met Fae and Kiernan all over again – I remembered why I had needed to get the story on paper in the first place.

  That led to a months long re-write and a series of edits to get the story to where I wanted it to be, but I have to say it’s something I’m glad to have out there now. There are many, many more Faeoihn to save in this world, and many more books to come. Each one will follow a different Faeoihn as she struggles to find the one person meant for her, and each path to their happy ending will be unique.

  I do hope you stick around for the ride that the ‘Daughters of Eltera’ series will be.

  Before you go, it would mean the world to me that if you liked this book that you take a few minutes to write a review and capture how you’re feeling right now so other readers can find my work! Reviews are truly one of the most effective ways to help authors out, and I would be very grateful.

  Want to always know what’s going on, or get the inside track on upcoming releases? All of that is sent out in my mailing list, and I only send out one message a month – so please sign up!

  If you just can’t wait for more Faeoihn action, there’s a sneak peek of Book 2 in the series ‘Tara’ on the next pages, and if you’d like to check out some of my other books they’re linked at the end of the book.

  Happy reading, lovelies!

  Below is an EXCLUSIVE sneak peek of the next book in the Daughters of Eltera series, ‘Tara’. Keep reading for Chapter One!

  Chapter One

  Toulouse, France

  Alaric was the only one willing to sit outside in the morning chill of February, but with his coat pulled around him and a strong cup of tea in his hands he much preferred the solitude the outdoor tables provided. His eyes scanned the windows to his left and he watched as the crowd inside milled together, people talking and laughing over pastries as they planned their days. The door opened and he could feel a puff of the heat from inside generated by the furnace, the crush of bodies, and the constantly working ovens and coffee machines. A buzzing wave of French language crashed into him and his mind worked overdrive trying to translate the bits and pieces.

  “- he’s going to university –“

  “- one sugar, yes –“

  “- of course, I will call –“

  As if the last comment had been for him his cell phone started to vibrate against the table top, the screen didn’t show a number, but spelled out UNKNOWN in block letters. Like he didn’t know who that was.

  “Luca.” It wasn’t a question, Alaric knew who was calling because it was right on time. Two weeks since his last contract, just enough time to slough off any potential guilt that could have lingered, but not so long that he was out of practice.

  A chuckle came over the line. “Alaric. How’s Toulouse?”

  Of course he knew where he was, not even driving a stolen car from Germany and using fake credentials at the border was enough. Alaric once again glanced at his phone and wondered when Luca could have activated the GPS in it, or even when he could have had access to it. He had to get better at locking up his hotel rooms.

  “A chill in the air, but the view – spectacular.” Alaric turned his eyes away from the normal people on the other side of the glass, the cold air settling over him as he went through the motions with Luca.

  “Good. Listen, I wanted to know if we could talk,” a beat of a pause that most people wouldn’t have noticed, “in private.” Luca’s voice sounded upbeat, just a friend calling another friend on holiday, but the message had been received.

  “Absolutely, give me a minute.” Alaric kept up the friendly tones in his own voice as he reached into the messenger bag at his side and pulled out the small laptop and a bundle of cables. Flipping it open the machine whirred as it kicked on. Alaric was already plugging in cables in preparation for the next step. Oh yes, the conversation. “How’s the family?”

  “Busy as always, no one ever seems to come home anymore. Always out and about.” Luca’s voice held a hint of humor in it, the update on the other men in the organization coming across in code. Alaric had always thought that Luca’s favorite part of playing Bosley to all the angels he had out in the world was the opportunity to talk like a secret agent.

  Even though that’s kind of what he was. Just replace government agencies with private funding.

  “I hope you’re not too lonely there, Luca.” Alaric’s voice talked for him, filling the air time as the computer came on and he
started loading the phone encryption program. Once it was running, Alaric set the phone down on the table, plugged in the cables and picked up the little over-the-ear headset. The light in the program went green and as far as anyone who may have been listening was concerned, he was going through a tunnel of static that wouldn’t end until the program turned off.

  “We good?” Luca’s voice came over the line crystal clear and Alaric tucked his hand over the earpiece to muffle the wind.

  “We’re good.”

  “Just to be extra special safe, I have your signal doing a tango with cell towers from Spain to Egypt.” He was bragging, but Alaric didn’t care much, all the techno-babble that would come out of Luca if he asked a question, or made a comment, wasn’t worth it.

  “What can I do for you?” Alaric felt the cold in the air penetrate farther than it should have with his coat, the chill settling all over him leaving him in that mental state that kept him separate, and logical, and heading for the finish line. Just how Luca’s group had trained him.

  “We have a quick turn-around request, and you’re the closest to the action. Sending you an e-mail, decrypt algorithm A46JZX.” Luca’s voice was all business now that the conversation had really started, and Alaric logged the string of letters and numbers in his short-term memory while he brought up the email server.

  “A moment.” His touch opened up an email that looked like spam on the surface, an advert for a dating website offering a month of free membership. Ha ha, Luca. Hitting a few keys he brought up the decryption software and typed in the algorithm. In moments the real email appeared with three attachments. “What am I looking at?”

  “I need you to hear me out before you make a decision, Alaric.” Luca’s voice was strained, and he saw why immediately. The first attachment was full of timetables and maps. But on the top of the second attachment were a series of photos shot at some fancy party and they were all of the same woman, young, looking unreal in a long black dress. Honey blonde hair was pulled up off her neck in a messy bun, and she was dripping with jewels, a million-dollar smile lighting up her face as she was tracked through the party by whoever’s camera had been clicking. A forty-something man in a tux had his arm coiled around her in almost every picture, his chest puffed up with the pride of having her on his arm.