Waking Up

by Arianna Hart

  “We should talk. I feel like I know your body perfectly, but until this afternoon I didn’t even know your last name.”

  “Then you’d better put that robe back on, because talking’s hard to do when I see your naked body.”

  “I’ll pull up the sheet.” She patted the spot next to her. “Come on in and cuddle with me for a bit.”

  He set their wine glasses on the nightstand and slid into bed next to her. She ran her hands over his chest. He had a long, faint scar that ran from just beneath his armpit over his ribcage and disappeared in the line of hair on his belly.

  “I didn’t notice this before. How’d you get a mark like that?”

  “Spear thrust. I blocked it, but the tip skidded along my ribs before I could kill him. It wasn’t that big a deal. If the spear had hit me in the gut like he’d intended, I’d have been dead as that was before my run in with Morrigan.”

  “So none of the wounds you’ve gotten since the curse have left scars?”

  “Not a one. They heal almost instantly unless it’s something like beheading, then I need a few days in bed.”

  “You were beheaded?” She gasped in shock, then punched him when he laughed at her.

  “Just kidding. I’ve been stabbed and shot but never beheaded. Healing from a near-fatal wound is…uncomfortable.”

  “I’ll bet. So is Declan your real name or did you just take that because it sounds sexy?”

  “It’s my given name. I’ve used many others in my time, but for some reason I come back to the one my mother gave me every hundred years or so.”

  “That makes sense, in a weird sort of way. What did you do for a thousand years?”

  “Everything. For a while I lived in complete debauchery, traveling from country to country and bed to bed. I drank oceans of wine and ale. I’ve been in more battles than I can count and I’ve gambled away fortunes. None of it made me as happy as I’ve been with you tonight.”

  Her heart flipped over in her chest. “Really?”

  “Really. For the first time in what feels like forever I can be honest. You know my secret. I don’t have to hide anything from you. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my chest.”

  “But I can’t—”

  “Shhh, let’s not worry about anything but this moment. Something I’ve learned is that the future eventually takes care of itself. Let’s enjoy now.” He eased the sheet down until she was naked to his eyes. “I can’t get enough of your curves. You’re so lush and welcoming, and all mine.”

  “I should probably lose a few pounds,” she said weakly. She sure as hell didn’t feel chunky when he was looking at her like he wanted to devour her.

  “Bite your tongue. You’re perfect.” He traced his fingers across her breasts, lightly teasing her nipples before stroking the sensitive lower curves.

  She shivered as his fingers trailed lower across her abdomen. Lowering his head, he ran kisses over her belly and licked her navel. His warm breath teased the curls of her pussy and she squirmed with the sensual torment.

  Her thighs fell open as he made his way along the crease of her upper thigh. His soft hair brushed along her legs, adding more sensations to the mix. Fluid gushed between her legs as she waited breathlessly for him to touch her clit.

  Declan knelt between her wide-spread legs. She knew she should be embarrassed as he looked at her spread wantonly open to his gaze, but she was too aroused to care.

  “You’re so beautiful.” He bent his head and feasted on her pussy.

  Ciara arched her hips off the bed, pushing closer to his amazing mouth. His tongue swirled around her clit and thrust into her waiting passage. Blood roared in her ears as fire consumed her. Every nerve in her body seemed to be focused in between her legs as his lips and tongue stroked. Every. Last. One.

  He shoved two fingers inside her and thrust them in the same rhythm as their lovemaking. Her head thrashed on the pillow as the world seemed to explode around her. And still he licked her, until she begged him to stop.

  “Declan! Inside me. Please!” she almost wept.

  Kissing his way up her body, he captured her mouth in a surprisingly gentle kiss before easing his length inside her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to get him as deeply inside her as possible.

  “Let’s take this one slow, for a change.” He slid out inch by inch until just his tip was still inside her, then slowly eased back inside until his cock was seated to the hilt.

  Ciara ran her tongue along his neck as she unwrapped her legs from around him. Matching his rhythm, she pushed up as he came down, grasping and milking him with every frustratingly slow stroke.

  Remembering what he’d done to her, she trailed her fingernails along the cleft of his ass. His butt flexed with each thrust and she felt his muscles move against her hand. Boldly, she pressed her finger against the delicate tissue between his cheeks.

  “If you keep teasing me, we aren’t going to be able to take this slow and easy.”

  “Promise?” She reached around until she could fondle his sac and run her fingernail along the patch of skin leading to his ass.

  He gripped her hips harder and thrust faster. Flush with success and desire, she lightly bit his nipple, then licked away the pain.

  “Ciara, a Ghrá,” he practically growled in her ear before lifting her hips and pounding into her.

  With every thrust, she wound tighter and tighter until she thought she’d explode. Declan’s face above hers was fierce in concentration and sweat beaded along his brow.

  “With me. Come with me,” she gasped as the tide started to overwhelm her.

  He let out a roar as she spasmed in completion. Her body melted into mush and he collapsed on top of her. Aftershocks still shook her when his chest rubbed hers.

  “A Ghrá mo Chroí,” he whispered as he rolled off her.

  Within seconds, she heard deep, even breaths.

  He’d destroyed her then fallen asleep.

  Ciara grabbed a handful of tissues from the side of the bed and sighed deeply. Apparently, men hadn’t evolved that far in a thousand years. There was no way she could sleep now. She was way too churned up. Her body was boneless but her brain was working overtime.

  It was time to face facts. She’d fallen ass over teakettle in love with him. As illogical and insane as it was, it had happened, and there was no backing out of it now just because it didn’t make sense.

  If she wasn’t mistaken, he had feelings for her as well. Maybe it wasn’t love, but she was sure there was more than lust there. So where did that leave them? They cared for each other, she could totally see her life with him, but she couldn’t break his curse. She’d get old and flabby and he’d still be gorgeous. Could she live like that? Was that fair to him? If she truly loved him, shouldn’t she give him the freedom to maybe find someone who could have his child and break his curse?

  Pain stabbed through her, the force of it almost taking her breath away. Yet again, her body had betrayed her heart and she had to fight back the tears. She knew what she had to do.

  Curling up against his side, she took a deep breath. This was going to be one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

  “Declan, wake up.”

  “I’m awake. I’m just trying to regain the use of my limbs.”

  “Honey, we need to talk.”

  He rolled over and looked at her. “That is never good.” Sitting up, he leaned against the headboard and gathered her close. “Go ahead, lay it on me. I can take it.”

  “I think you should leave in the morning. You need to find the woman who can break your curse and since I’m infertile, I’m not her.”

  “Fuck that! I don’t want to leave you.”

  “And I don’t want you to go. But—”

  “But nothing.” He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, then captured her fingers. “What we have between us is magical. I’ve lived a thousand years and never felt its like. I won’t abandon it or you because of Morrigan’s whims. I don’t deny I
deserved her punishment. I was callous and selfish and didn’t care who I hurt, but I won’t hurt you. I won’t leave you.”

  Joy surged through her, suffusing every cell in her body. She knew she should protest, should force him to go, but it was so damn hard to go against everything in her heart. “I love you. I don’t know how it happened so fast but I know what’s in my heart.”

  “And I love you. I’ve never said that, felt that before. I can’t lose you.”

  “But if I don’t let you go, you may never find the right woman. The one who can save you.”

  “How do you know if I did find this imaginary woman, I wouldn’t turn to dust and die right then? That’s what happens when the fairies release you from under their hill. You think it’s only been a few hours or so but it’s actually been years. Once you touch mortal soil, you turn to dust.”

  “That’s only in stories and myths.”

  He gave her an arched look.

  “Oh yeah, you’re probably in a position to know whether that’s really true, huh?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Isn’t that a risk you’d be willing to take to end your torment? It must have been hell watching people grow old and die while you stay the same. I really don’t know if I could handle getting old and wrinkly while you still look the same.”

  “So you’re just going to give up? You’re not willing to fight for what we could have together?”

  Anger surged through her. How could he accuse her of giving up when it was the hardest thing she’d ever done? She was trying to do the right thing, the noble thing, and he was weakening her resolve.

  “It’s not fair. I know that sounds petulant and immature, but it’s just not right.”

  “I agree. I’ve finally found a woman to love and she doesn’t want to keep me.”

  “You know that’s not it. I’ve never felt like this before. You make me feel strong, powerful, like I can do anything I want.”

  “You can. You have such strength inside you.”

  “But I can’t have your child.” And the pain of that lack damn near killed her.

  “Then I’ll live with you, as long as I can for however long the gods give us.”

  Ciara gave up fighting him. She couldn’t resist his desires as well as her own. “We’ll have to move around every few years so people don’t realize you’re not getting any older.”

  “I own hotels around the world. We can stay in a different place every night, if you’d like. As long as you’re with me, I’ll always be home.”

  Her throat clogged with tears and she tried to blink them back, but a few spilled down her cheeks onto his chest.

  “Here now, what is this?”

  “These are happy tears. I love you so much.”

  As she reached across him to get a tissue off the nightstand her left wrist brushed against his chest. Her mark pressed against his and she felt the wetness of her tears before a blinding flash knocked her back.

  “So, my insolent warrior, you’ve met your match at last.” The voice was weird, like three women talking at the same time. It rang like a hundred church bells inside her head.

  “Curse you, Morrigan! Have you come to torment me more?”

  “Are you not deserving of such torment?”

  “Aye, but Ciara is not. She has done nothing to merit such treatment.”

  “So you would protect her?”

  “With my life.”

  Ciara did not like where this was going, but when she tried to speak, to defend Declan, she found herself unable to talk. She couldn’t move a muscle except to breathe.

  “What if I could give her her true heart’s desire? I have the power to fill her womb with a babe.”

  “What would be the price?”

  “She would discard you as you did my priestess.”

  Suddenly, she had the power to move, but shock froze her. This goddess, hidden in a flash of light, could give her a baby? But only if she lost Declan?

  “You are cruel,” Declan rasped out.

  “Not cruel, just.”

  “No,” Ciara burst out, finally able to speak. “I will not reject him to satisfy your sense of justice. I love him.”

  “So did my priestess, but he spurned her love and her child.”

  “That was a thousand years ago. And she chose to take her life and that of an innocent child instead of sucking it up and moving on. Don’t you think she should share some of the blame? Maybe if she hadn’t been such a psycho, when Declan came back from the battle he might have at least provided for the baby, even if he didn’t love her.”

  “You dare much, mortal.”

  Ciara’s muscles were frozen once again.

  “Leave her alone. I will not forsake her, nor she I.”

  “Even if it means you will suffer my curse through eternity?”

  Declan looked at Ciara. She still couldn’t move so she tried to show all her love for him in her eyes.

  “Yes. I’ll take what time I have with her and be thankful.”

  Relief ran through her body. He wasn’t going to give up on them either.

  “So be it.”

  The flames of the candles around the room shot to the air, scorching the ceiling and sending the smoke detector peeling. The power flashed and then went out and Ciara’s limbs were freed of their paralysis.

  For a second, the only noise was the alarm blaring, then Declan let out a deep breath. “Well, that’s done.”

  “Thank God. Or goddess. Whatever.” Ciara got up to take the battery out of the alarm. As she climbed out of the bed, she saw his chest and gasped. “Declan, your mark. It’s gone!”

  His chest was bare, without even a scar where the mark had been. He lifted her wrist.

  “Yours too. What does that mean?”

  “Maybe your curse is gone?”

  In her haste to reach him, she bumped into the nightstand that held the wine glasses. The fragile crystal tumbled and Declan lunged to catch them before they hit the floor. The glasses smashed together in his hand and sliced his palm open.

  Almost instantly, blood began to drip from the slice.

  “Hold on, let me get a towel,” Ciara said as she carefully stepped away from the broken glass.

  “No worries, this is only a minor wound. It will heal in a minute.”

  “Well, you’re covered in wine, so I can at least clean that up.” She grabbed a hand towel from the bathroom vanity and skirted the glass on the floor to get back to the bed.

  “Let me see.” She reached for his hand.

  “It should be almost gone—” Declan stopped mid-sentence and Ciara knew why.

  Blood still welled from the cut in his palm.

  “How long does it usually take to heal?”

  “From something like this? Less than a minute.”

  They both watched the clock by the bed. Ciara lifted the towel to see blood still oozing from the cut. The second hand ticked by. One minute passed. Then two. By the third minute, Ciara needed another towel.

  Declan let out a whoop and jumped out of bed. He wrapped his good arm around her waist and swirled her around the room. “I’m free! At last!”

  Ciara laughed in giddy delight as her head spun. “Not quite, you’re stuck with me.”

  “Forever and a day.” He captured her mouth in a tender kiss which soon turned heated.

  “Let’s get you patched up the old-fashioned way. I have some bandages in the bathroom. You may not be able to use that hand all that well until this heals.”

  “Clean me up and I’ll show you how good I can be even one-handed.”

  Ciara hurried to clean everything up so he could prove his point.

  As he made gentle love to her, Ciara’s joy knew no bounds. Things might not be easy, but with a warrior on her side they’d survive.

  Epilogue

  Nine months later

  “Push, love, you can do it.” Declan wiped the sweat off Ciara’s brow.

  The pain was hideous but she didn’t care. Every
second of her pregnancy and labor were gifts and she embraced them. Although, feeling the baby move was a lot more enjoyable than this ripping pressure.

  “I can see the head, just a little more,” the doctor said from between Ciara’s legs. “One more hard push and you’ll have a baby.”

  Ciara dug deep and pushed with everything she had in her. A primal shout tore from her throat as she felt the baby slide out of her body. There was silence then a tiny scream echoed in the birthing room.

  “It’s a girl! And she’s got a ton of red hair like her mom.”

  Euphoria coursed through her as the doctor laid the baby on her chest. Her daughter. Their daughter.

  “She’s beautiful,” Ciara said through her tears.

  Declan’s eyes were glassy as well. “Just like her mother. He leaned down to kiss Ciara’s sweaty forehead. “I’ll have to polish off my fighting skills to keep the boys away.”

  Laughter, that of three women at once, ghosted through the room. But only Declan and Ciara seemed to notice.

  About the Author

  Arianna Hart lives on the east coast with her husband, three daughters, two Siberian Huskies, and a fat cat. She loves to read, write, and listen to live music. She can be reached on Facebook and loves to hear from readers at ariannahart212@gmail.com

  Look for these titles by Arianna Hart

  Now Available:

  A Man for Marley

  Take Your Medicine

  Surprise

  Spitfire

  Dark Heat

  Devil’s Playground

  Snowy Night Seduction

  Leap of Faith

  A love to last a lifetime…or a dream turned to ash?

  Love in Flames

  © 2011 N.J. Walters

  Spells, Secrets and Seductions, Book 3

  When Esther goes along with her friend’s candle-magick spell, it’s not because she wants a lover. But a good old-fashioned one-night stand could be just what she needs to get her mind off Ryan Jameson. Having lost her father in the line of duty, she has no plans to lose her heart to a firefighter.

  Not that Ryan doesn’t heat up her nightly dreams. Those erotic fantasies invariably end in deadly flames—a still-smoking echo of her ancestral namesake, whose wedding day ended in the fiery loss of her husband. A man whose dying breath was a promise to one day find his beloved.