Prince, Prelude-Legend

by Claudy Conn

  “And you wish to change who she is?” Aaibhe eyed him.

  “No, I wish to stack the cards in her favor,” snapped the prince, and then in a gentler tone he added, “my Queen.”

  “No, my Prince. Some things must proceed as fate intended.”

  “And who is to say Fate didn’t intend for this prince to do what he does best…interfere?”

  She smiled indulgently. “I am to say.”

  When he rolled his eyes, she smacked his shoulder. He sighed heavily.

  “Observe and report.”

  “Yes, my Queen,” he said, but the Prince of Dagda had quite made up his mind to help when he could. Then he got a call in his head from Casey MacClean, bowed his head, and was off for Scotland…

  ~ Twenty ~

  “HERE!” ANNOUNCED JULIAN, dismounting easily and taking up his horse’s reins to tether him to a nearby tree branch. He moved then to reach for Maxie, and she laughed lightly. “What, my lord? Do you not think I can dismount without help?”

  He took her trim waist in his large hands. “I know you can, but the thing is, I don’t want you to.” He held her up against himself, easing her slowly down as he made certain her body pressed against every inch of his considerable rock-hard form.

  She caught her breath as she felt his hard, bulging manhood push against the folds of her riding dress. She smiled saucily up at his handsome face, saying flirtatiously, “Ah then, my buck, just what do you have in mind?”

  His blue eyes sparkled, and he made no attempt to hide the smoldering hunger that glowed in those deep blues just before his dark-lashed eyelids lowered. At that same moment his hands began a firm, determined sweep of her body, and she saw the lazy flutter of those lashes as they came up. She loved his hungry blue eyes as they devoured her, and she trembled as he shifted his gaze to her lips and whispered, “My future bride is luscious…”

  Maxie found she couldn’t speak, and her legs felt as though they wouldn’t hold her up. She did, in fact, buckle. He held her fast, but only so he could carefully lower her to the ground.

  Maxie’s horse eyed them with some interest. They had forgotten to tether her beside Julian’s horse. She moved off with a snort and began the serious business of grazing. The grass was cool beneath the shade of the trees, and it was rich with spring’s new sprigs. Julian’s horse watched them with no interest whatsoever and then tugged at his tether to reach a particular section of grass. A moment later he was free of the tree branch and joined Maxie’s horse in contented companionship.

  Their horses were loose and forgotten. At that moment, it just didn’t matter to Julian and Max. He was too busy undoing the buttons of her riding jacket. She was too busy helping him. He pulled at the soft green blouse she wore beneath the jacket and reveled at the fact that she wore no undergarment. Her breasts held him captive in the moment before he was able to murmur in passionate accents, “My hungry little beauty! How many men are fortunate enough to have a lady on their arm and a magnificent tart in their bed!”

  She laughed and ran her hand up his chest. “We are not exactly in a bed.”

  “Precisely, my little love…” he whispered as he dropped his mouth to her pert pink nipple and started licking and suckling, suckling and licking until she cried out with pleasure.

  His kisses made their way up her neck to her ear and then her mouth. His tongue found hers waiting and ready to waltz and dip as he guided her. He taught her things she never dreamt her body could feel, never thought she could do. He was tantalizing. His touch set her blood to bubble, and all she knew was that she loved and wanted him.

  Maxie raised herself up to meet his body, and she bucked like a filly in heat. He always made her beg for more. He would work her body into a frenzy, holding out on the thing she needed most. She wanted more; she wanted him, all of him.

  He wanted to take her slowly. His tongue played with hers, she responded in kind, and then he was licking at her nipples again and driving her mad. Her body trembled with excitement and was filled with shivers. She felt her stomach clench and her thighs tighten. She bucked against him. Her body was insisting he give her more…much more! This was what she wanted: him, here and now. It was why she had left off her undergarments…to have this moment. The ride over the fields in the saddle on her horse had managed to titillate her even further, and she was wet and ready!

  Julian had freed himself and took her hand and put it on his throbbing huge rod. He whispered, “Here then, woman, so impatient…for this? Is this what you want?”

  “Yes, yes…that…” She was already grabbing hold and marveling to herself over its size, its thickness, its ability to make lightning explode in her body.

  “Show me…” He was in a passion for her, didn’t know if he could wait to thrust it inside her, but was determined to play with her first if he could. It was nearly all he had been thinking of since last night.

  She stroked it and asked naughtily, “Like this…does this show you what I want…what I need from you, my big, hulking stallion?”

  She excited him beyond thought. He wanted her. He wanted to ram himself inside her and hear her squeal with delight. “You want it…and I am going to give it to you.” His tongue moved over her taut nipples in lavish style, and then he began nibbling at her midriff, moving further down, undoing the button of her riding skirt, pulling it up and away impatiently. He was going to have her…oh damn yes, he was going to have her, but he wanted to taste her again…

  He groaned as he parted the lips of her honeycomb and began lapping and nibbling. She was thrusting, shifting her hips, moving with ecstasy. Then he was reaching up, groaning as he fondled her breast, teasing the nipple expertly with one hand while the other hand found the soft tuft between her legs. He grabbed hold as he rocked it to and fro. She was gasping with an intensity of excitement she had never imagined she could experience, and then all at once she felt herself having a climax that burst into sparks of fire in her blood.

  Her body shuddered with each aftershock, and there were many as he continued to touch and squeeze and play with her clit.

  Then he was lowering her head to his cock and she was licking its length, kissing its tip, sucking at its power. He made an animal noise as he picked her up by her waist and turned her round. She found herself on her hands and knees.

  She gasped as he bent over her and fondled her breasts. She steadied herself with her hands as he rubbed and pushed at her fine butt with his cock, and then he started easing into her.

  He was moving slowly, teasing her…putting himself just a bit inside her and then taking himself out. She couldn’t stand it anymore and called to him, “Julian…please…” For emphasis she pushed back with her butt just to make sure he knew what she wanted!

  He laughed and held her rump, marveling at its beauty and telling her so. “What do you want, pretty girl…tell me what you want…”

  “You…taking me…now! Put that hard, dancing thing deep inside me,” she said in demanding terms.

  “Whatever my beauty wants, she will have,” he whispered as he thrust all of it, which was considerable, inside her.

  He rocked it, pushed it from side to side, making the walls of her honeycomb shiver with pleasure. He was bending over her, fondling her breasts and then up on his knees thrusting deeper, harder, holding her waist, saying things that made her mind dissolve into the passion she was experiencing. When she climaxed this time, it was met by his own.

  They collapsed together on the cool grass and held one another.

  He kissed her gently, saying her name, whispering in her ear, and then he pushed her on her back. Her eyes opened wide to see him hold his cock in position for yet another ride as he said, “Ask me, sweetheart…ask me to fuck you…”

  “Oh yes, please do fuck me…”

  * * *

  It was late afternoon, and tea had been brought to Lamia in her fire-lit library. She had a sip and studied Shamon. She had expected him to be out of sorts, and he was, but somehow he was not quite
as upset as he should be. He had liked Nell. In fact, he had liked Nell much more than was comfortable.

  When it came to women, she enjoyed playing with them. She enjoyed watching Shamon play with them. She thrilled to use them in any way she liked, but she never wanted Shamon to ‘feel’ anything for them.

  She had sensed that Shamon had a fancy for the voluptuous Nell, and for a brief time she tolerated this because she knew, in the end, she would bleed her dry. She would not, could not, put up with any competition in her own sphere.

  She had not looked forward to Nell’s death. For one thing, the chit had been amusing in bed and was subservient in a pleasant manner with even a sense of fun. Something about Nell had made her remember her own youth…before the gland, before the time … Another time…another place, she might have wanted Nell’s friendship. Such notions were absurd now.

  She watched Shamon eating a buttered biscuit and sipping his tea. How unlike him. He wasn’t as upset as she had expected him to be. When he told her that Nell had died—that the servants thought she had gone home to her family—she had told him how very clever he was and how resourceful she always found him. She was sure she was going to have to tolerate a few days of miserable gloom from him. She expected him to be moody and brooding, as he always was when one of the girls she took…died. It was part of his makeup. Such was Shamon.

  However, here he was eating and sipping tea. Was he getting better at hiding his unhappines, and depression?

  She probed his mind.

  * * *

  He felt her enter his head as he always did. He closed his eyes. Was he blank? He felt like he was blank. No…he heard his thoughts. Thoughts of Nell’s demise—it was as the prince had said, and he felt Lamia retreat. He felt Lamia’s satisfaction.

  He looked at her as she said, “Shamon…I am feeling so much better. Have my things packed and the barouche brought round…in an hour. We will leave by five o’clock and travel for a few hours this evening. I want to reach our place near Reigate by tomorrow evening.”

  “Ah, but, my lady…what of the sun?”

  “We will keep the curtains of the barouche tightly closed, and I will wear my veil…I must do this. I will do this.”

  “As you wish, my lady…always, as you wish.”

  “My Shamon,” she said affectionately and sat back to drink the remainder of her tea.

  * * *

  So much was happening all at once it was making Maxie’s head spin.

  Maxie’s father had sent two servants with the Reigate coach to London. They returned with Maxie’s wedding gown, which still needed some trimming. Mrs. Reigate had engaged a local seamstress whom she often used to make their gowns. She trusted the woman to do a wonderful job and finish the gown in time.

  No one was told about the wedding date—only the minister and Maxie’s parents. The servants whispered happily that the wedding date had been moved up and would be a private affair. If they found this odd, they quickly set such thoughts aside watching Maxie and Julian together.

  Maxie needed to go to town for a few accessories, and she discovered this trip was going to be a family affair. Both her parents and Julian decided they were going to accompany her. She looked at the three as she descended the staircase and said, “Really? You know I can manage a few ribbons and a veil.” Her green eyes twinkled at them.

  “Julian and I want to stop in at the pub, and your mama wishes to choose a few baubles as well,” the squire said lightly. “When you are finished you will join us and we will have high tea at that pretty teahouse your mama likes so well…”

  Obviously this was going to be a group outing. Maxie was happily resigned. She and Julian had not been alone in two days, and the squire had been up and about until the wee hours of the night so it had been impossible to slip into his room. When she reached the bottom of the stairs Julian strode forward and offered his bent arm.

  She looked up into his deep blues and had to restrain herself from pressing into his body. He touched her nose and whispered, “It won’t be soon enough, my girl…”

  “Hmmmm,” was all she trusted herself to say.

  She stepped outside and looked at the sky. It was still early afternoon, but the day had turned cloudy and gray. Suddenly she went very still. Lamia DuLaine was back. She could see her in her mind’s eye—she could see those amber eyes, and they were horrific. Maxie shivered.

  Julian frowned. “What is it, love?”

  “She has returned from DuLaine Castle.”

  “The devil you say! She won’t get near you, Max. Never fear it.”

  “She doesn’t know yet—about our new wedding plans. She thinks she has time, but I am worried. I think she will find out—however, that might work to our advantage. It might make her rush about with her own plans and make her careless. We could use that?”

  “What are you saying?”

  The squire had helped his wife into the coach and turned to give his daughter his hand. Max looked at Julian with a ‘hush’ signal and smiled as she climbed into its comfortable interior.

  They did not want to discuss the DuLaine in front of Maxie’s parents. There was no point in worrying them.

  * * *

  Lamia probed, looking for Julian, and this time nothing interfered with her vision. She found him climbing into the coach with Maxine and the Reigates. She laughed to herself. Surely he would soon be bored with such mundane occupation? Surely he would turn to an exciting woman for something that would stir his blood?

  It didn’t matter whether he did or not. Soon, very soon, she would get him alone. And then there would be no stopping the spell she would use to make him hers! She had quite made up her mind to it. One way or another he was going to be hers.

  What were they all doing? She probed Mrs. Reigate’s mind. Ah, shopping? Tea? Ribbons and pearls? Fine. Perhaps she would pop into the teahouse for a spot herself. Indeed. She could time this perfectly.

  She shifted to Maxine’s mind and started to probe. Nothing. How could that be? She could see absolutely nothing. She tried harder and was thunderstruck. This sort of thing had happened with others over the years. Every now and then, an individual’s mind was not accessible to her. The chit probably was a blank, she scoffed to herself. She turned to find Julian. Big, handsome, virile Julian of Talbot. What was he thinking?

  It was a flash, a picture of Maxine Reigate naked in his arms, and then the picture was gone. What was this? Had they slept together already? Impossible. The Reigate chit wasn’t the type, was she? Perhaps it was Julian’s imagination she had found?

  Oh yes, she was going to pay those two a visit in town.

  There was another thing. She was going to have to find a way to get into the Reigate household late at night…and soon.

  She was satisfied. She had a plan. A plan that most certainly would work.

  * * *

  The squire was throwing his head back with laughter; in fact, they were all laughing when the door of the teahouse opened and Lamia in her usual graceful style swept inside.

  She was stunning. Her blond curls dangled beneath a light green velvet hat. It was ornamented with a single feather and was tilted to one side. Diamonds hung from her ears, accentuating the pretty shape of her neckline. Her matching green Spencer was tight-waisted, and its bodice was cut low, showing a great deal of lovely cleavage.

  Maxie looked at her and nearly choked on the small sweet cake she was nibbling. Julian looked at her, and although she was a lovely sight, he saw something else and was repulsed. He made no effort to hide this from Lamia. That was a mistake.

  Lamia saw this at once and decided she would do more than make mischief. She smiled as warmly as she could manage and approached them to take up a seat beside Maxine.

  “How lovely to find you all here! What a pleasant way to spend a gray afternoon.” She sighed and brushed the shoulder of Maxine’s pretty blue gown. “Hello, dear Maxine. I am so glad I have bumped into you today. I would love to throw a dinner party for all of you
to celebrate your upcoming nuptials.”

  Upcoming? Mrs. Reigate immediately worried. Does she know we have moved the date up? How does she know?

  Lamia’s eyes narrowed. Mrs. Reigate looked concerned, but Lamia couldn’t probe her now because Julian was staring her down, trying to make her uncomfortable.

  Right then, thought Maxie. Time to send her on her way. “I am sorry, my lady. We have had to turn down invitations from even our closest relatives.” She didn’t bother to explain why.

  Lamia DuLaine was not used to hearing ‘no’. She stiffened. “Surely our proximity would allow—”

  “No,” Julian answered before she could finish.

  A serving girl had brought her a cup of tea, and she took it in silence and sipped. She attempted to probe the squire and was surprised to hear his mind saying over and over, Tea and crumpets, ribbons and pearls—tea and crumpets, ribbons and pearls.

  Silently she attempted to command, You will all come to dinner tomorrow night.

  “No,” Maxie said, turning to look directly into Lamia’s amber eyes. “No, I am afraid we simply cannot.”

  It had been a silent command that Lamia had given. Rarely could anyone refuse her silent commands. She looked at the squire and Mrs. Reigate. They were not smiling, and she silently attempted again. You and your wife will bring Maxine and Julian for dinner tomorrow night.

  “Yes, then, tomorrow night,” Mrs. Reigate said, succumbing.

  Maxine looked at Lamia. “I think you should leave. We are not coming tomorrow night or any other night.”

  Lamia stood up and almost growled. “What are you afraid of, little girl? Afraid I can make him mine?” It was out in the open now. They were enemies declared! She turned to Julian. Silently she ordered in a voice that had been created with Dark Magic centuries ago, a voice that could not be refused, Walk me to my carriage!

  Julian started to rise and fought the urge to obey her command. His will was strong, and the sudden vibration of the stone pendant he wore aided him in his effort. He sat back down, and Maxie’s eyebrow rose suggestively as she looked at Lamia, but she said nothing. Tell your enemy nothing. Keep them guessing, but learn as much as you can about their abilities.