by A. C. James
“I know it’s been a while since you’ve gone beyond the veil, but a woman could get the wrong idea about a beach.”
“Stop being a pain in me arse. It’s just a bunch of sand.”
“Bunch of sand,” Tomas said with a snort-laugh. “Right. Maybe I should give her a box of candy while I’m at it?”
Niall ignored him, focusing on Felicity’s full lips as she asked, “Why are the locals spooked, Mr. Archer? They believe it’s a púca. But what do you believe?”
“Tools move or go missing, and there was a message carved into the foundation.”
“Message?”
“Leave here. The púca will come for you.” Mr. Archer smiled. “It’s harmless really. Probably someone is trying to tell us they don’t want us here. They didn’t need to carve it for me to figure that out. Almost everyone has welcomed us. This will expand the tourist industry and bring revenue to the island.”
Mr. Archer eyed the priest when he’d said ‘almost’, but he could’ve meant the priest’s brother, Michael, who’d been arguing with him just before. Felicity seemed to catch that too.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Archer,” she said as she held out a hand for him to shake.
“My pleasure,” he said, taking her hand.
‘My pleasure’. We’ll show him, his stallion huffed.
“Come on,” Niall said. He moved toward an opening in the wall and edged through it.
When he reached the other side and began walking toward the group, Felicity turned in his direction. His stallion heard her pulse accelerate. It was a shame she wouldn’t remember their ride, but man was he glad she wouldn’t be sore with him today. They’d gotten off on the wrong foot. She might look soft and curvy, but the lass had a wee bit of a temper on her too.
Niall swallowed. He had to admit he liked that spark and wanted to see if he could ignite it without making her practically spit fire.
Chapter 5
Heat rose to Felicity’s cheeks as Niall walked toward them. The sun glinted off his brown waves and she imagined bunching muscles to match the hard angles underneath his fitted black t-shirt. She studied his face as he approached, trying to figure out how old he was. He was breathtakingly beautiful, but he had crow’s feet, around his eyes that crinkled when he smiled. Felicity found that flaw incredibly sexy. He had to be a few years older than her, maybe twenty-eight or thirty tops. Cyn nudged her. Apparently the priest had spoken, but she’d been too busy ogling Niall to notice.
“Sorry, thank you for your time, Father. You’ve been very helpful,” Felicity said, her mouth moving to form the correct response on autopilot because she couldn’t take her eyes off Niall.
“Aye, hope it’s been a help for your story. I have a meeting with a parishioner about our summer bake sale. You ladies have a good day.”
The priest left them, and as soon as he was out of earshot, Cyn elbowed her again.
“Owww. Would you stop doing that?”
Cyn grinned. “Don’t forget about our bet.”
“How could I?” Felicity asked rhetorically. “Especially with you jabbing me in the ribs...” Her mouth went dry.
Now the sun highlighted the amber flecks in his eyes. There was an intensity and confidence to Niall that seemed to turn her into a blubbering idiot whenever she was with him. God only knows what he thought of her. She was good at pretending to keep cool, but in reality she was a ball of jangled nerves as he closed the distance between them.
“Fine morning isn’t it, Felicity?”
Crap. Crap. Crap. It was hard to find her voice, but she managed to clear her throat and reply. “Good morning to you, too.” The words came out huskier than she would have liked. She had no idea why she responded to him almost instantaneously. Her heavy breasts tingled from the sensual thoughts running through her mind.
“Morning, Niall. Morning, Tomas. Sleep well?” Cyn purred, eyeing Tomas as if he were a tasty custard tart.
Oh, good grief. Cyn was impossible. She was already putting the moves on Tomas, who nodded and muttered good morning as if he was simply being polite.
“Nice day for a walk. Would you walk with me for a bit?” Niall asked. He glanced at Tomas, and it seemed like some sort of unspoken communication passed between them.
NIALL HAD TRIED HARD not to laugh at Felicity’s irritation toward Cyn when her friend elbowed her, but he couldn’t help wondering what this bet was about. As he walked toward them, his stallion honed in on Felicity. He could smell her again. She was fertile, and either consciously or subconsciously, she wanted to mate with his stallion. All he wanted was to run his tongue across every curve of her body. He could spend hours exploring every inch of her skin, rubbing his scent all over it, and memorising each dip and valley with his mouth.
Yes, take her. Make her our mate.
His stallion was getting impatient. He could barely contain the blasted beast. It was painful to acknowledge he was falling for her and there was nothing he could do about it. Whether it was his stallion’s physical reaction to her, or the need Niall felt to be her protector, or something more...didn’t matter. He needed her. Wanted her in a way that was almost savage. His restraint was wearing thin. Even if he was afraid of history repeating itself and had balked at the idea of finding a mate, he couldn’t imagine not tasting the half-moon of her lips or going a day without her. Damnit, man. Pull it together. He’d just met her and it wasn’t sane or rational to want her like a man dying of thirst needed water. But tell that to the beast inside him.
Her voice had turned husky when he greeted her, and he could hear her heart galloping like his stallion. Cyn certainly seemed to have a thing for Tomas, and he almost felt bad for the lass. It was really hard to suppress a grin at the annoyed look Tomas had given her. At least he’d remained polite.
-Go. Keep Cyn occupied for a while.-
-Aye,- Tomas replied telepathically.
“Have you been down to the beach, Cynthia?” Tomas asked.
“Not yet. Why don’t you show me?” Cyn said, and hooked a hand through his best mate’s arm.
“Do you mind if I steal your friend for a bit?” Tomas asked Felicity.
The lass looked nervous, but he’d made her forget about last night, and thankfully that appeared to hold up in the light of day. More than anything, he wanted to fold her into his arms and repeat their first kiss. He kind of liked the idea of seducing her all over again. He’d told Tomas it was to keep her from writing a damaging blog piece, but that was a bloody excuse. His stallion knew the truth, he knew it, and Tomas did too.
“Of course not. Have fun, you two.”
She pursed her lips together as her friend left with the hopes of tempting Tomas to her bed. At least, Niall imagined that’s what her intention was by the way she winked at Felicity. But Tomas already had a mate. He returned his attention to the object of his own stallion’s desire.
“And how did you sleep?” Niall asked, focussed on her face.
Her cheeks turned bright and rosy. Niall wondered if maybe she remembered part of the past night after all. “Fine. You?”
“Fine. Shall we walk a bit?”
She nodded slowly, and they walked side by side, not touching one another. They settled into a silence that was refreshing for Niall. The courtship and mating rituals female púca-shifters expected may have been easier for him to understand and certainly more convenient, but he never cared for how much they chattered. Now and then he’d glance at her from the corner of his eye. Her heart rate slowed, and she seemed to grow more comfortable around him as they continued to walk.
Suddenly she broke the silence. “Tell me something about yourself. About your family?”
Even though the silence was a refreshing change from the females in the Realm, he was glad she wanted to know about him. It was a promising sign that she’d welcome his courtship.
“Well, I’ve got two younger sisters. One is a royal pain in me arse, but I love her. Then there’s my dad—”
“What ab
out your mom?”
He didn’t want to think about his mother. Not when he was beginning to take pleasure in a duty he hadn’t wanted until he’d met her. How could he tell her the truth? That being his mate might mean immortality, or it could end her life if she bore his offspring. He’d have to tell her, and sooner rather than later. But Niall wasn’t ready. He hadn’t even shared who or what he really was. He’d get her used to that idea first.
“She died giving birth to my youngest sister.”
“I’m sorry, Niall.”
“Don’t be, love. It was a long time ago.”
She paused, appearing to grow thoughtful. “It must have been hard growing up in a house with a bunch of girls.”
“Aye, they can be a handful,” he admitted. Slowly, he met her eyes. “Sometimes you make sacrifices for family, but then it doesn’t feel like you’re giving up as much as you thought you were, after all...”
His voice had grown husky. It shocked the shite out of him how much he wanted her, needed her, in every way imaginable. He wanted to be her protector and it warred with his knowledge of the uncertainty of their future and what life with him offered. Niall hadn’t expected it to be like this, or for it to happen so quickly. His father’s words rang in his ears. You may find that you actually enjoy taking a mate. He’d yet to take her to his bed, but his stallion was convinced this woman was the one for them.
“It’s sweet. You must love them very much.”
“Aye, I live for my family.”
She studied his face, and he wondered what she thought of him besides the obvious chemistry electrifying the air. Sadness flitted across her delicate features, but she erased it almost immediately with a smile. Perhaps she’d been thinking of her parents. She’d admitted to him last night that she’d lost them both in a car accident years ago.
“But it’s just you and Tomas. Your family didn’t come with you. You must miss them.”
Oh, right. You’re on holiday just like her. Not on some secret mission to protect the veil and find a mate.
The veil was an inconvenience he wished didn’t exist as his stallion encouraged him to claim her. It was getting harder and harder not to touch her and make her his.
“Aye, but not when I’m with you, love.”
Felicity bit back a smile, drawing his attention to her mouth. “So what do you do, Niall?”
The curve of her mouth and his desire to taste it was too distracting. “Come again?”
“I mean, what do you do when you’re not on holiday. Where do you work?”
“Aye, I work for my father.”
“Doing what?”
“Breeding horses.”
“I spent every summer in a stable up until I went to University. I absolutely love to ride. Although I haven’t had much time for it these days. It must be wonderful working with animals. Are you in the Thoroughbred breeding industry?”
If you only knew the half of it.
He gave her a crooked grin and then coughed to hold back a laugh. “Aye, my family has been at it for generations.”
Her hand brushed against his as they walked along. The tingling sensation where they touched was tough to ignore. Its electricity intensified, and he hoped his eyes weren’t glowing amber when he looked down at her. They’d reached the end of the dirt road and were standing in front of his family’s cottage. He turned, and only inches separated them. Niall wanted to crush her to him. Instead he bent his head, his eyes focussed on her mouth.
He cupped her face, keeping his eyes open as his lips gently brushed across hers. They were soft and sweet, just as they’d been last night, except now there was a hint of cherry from her lip gloss. The kiss wasn’t frantic or devouring like their first one had been. He took his time, sweeping his tongue into her mouth with small swan dives. Felicity sighed into his kiss, surprising him when she nipped his bottom lip with her teeth. He groaned. He had to have her. It couldn’t be that Archer fellow, or anyone else. And a kiss wouldn’t be enough to satisfy his stallion this time...
Chapter 6
Felicity melted into him. His earthy, musky scent brought back her dream of riding through the night on Niall in stallion form. His kiss made her forget all the ways William had hurt her. The shield around her heart lowered while his mouth explored hers. Slowly, sensually, he kissed her until nothing mattered in the moment except for him. Except for us.
He surrounded her. She’d been so practical, careful, never letting her hormones call the shots. She wasn’t like Cyn. It wasn’t easy for her. Sex didn’t matter if her heart wasn’t in it. She’d agreed to the bet, even though she never engaged in one-night stands, because she wanted to erase the break-up that had shattered her.
Niall erased everything with his lips and the sweep of his tongue, but she was inexplicably connected to him—as if they were meant to be together. Kissing him was like coming home. A sense of destiny swept over her, and for a crazy moment she thought maybe Niall was the one and only person she was supposed to be with. It didn’t make sense. She never believed in love at first sight. Love grew through patience, sacrifice, and seeing through flaws. Facing the best and worst—being there no matter what. True love only existed in fairy tales. A fated love to last forever wasn’t meant for this world.
Niall’s eyes remained open as their lips touched. Finally, she shut hers against the endless possibilities reflected there and focussed on the sensation instead. It was a long, slow, deep kiss that felt like it could go on for days. His hands worked their way from her face to tangle in her hair.
He broke the kiss. “I want you, Felicity.”
“What do you suggest we do about that?”
“I have a few ideas, but I need to feel you. Taste you.”
Felicity wasn’t the kind of girl who got to hear that sort of thing. No one had ever talked to her that way. She marvelled that he’d want to be with someone with her curves, let alone her baggage or unusual profession. Her mouth felt like it was filled with sandpaper again.
“We should walk back to Pier House.”
He groaned. “No time. No need. I want you so fucking bad, Felicity. My cottage is right here.”
She regarded the quaint stone cottage they’d reached. It was the end of the road, literally. She was really going to do this. She was going to act on impulse and take what she wanted from this beautiful man. What on earth had gotten into her?
“Yes.”
He grinned. “Are you sure, love?”
“Don’t make me second-guess myself. I don’t usually do this sort of thing.”
His eyebrows rose, but thankfully he kept his bloody mouth shut. Instead, he tugged her through a gate and up the path leading to the cottage. They were half-walking, half-running, until he opened the door and they tumbled into a small foyer where a huge mirror framed in driftwood hung. Its shimmery surface reminded her of water. Niall closed the door with a kick and picked her up as if she were feather-light. Being carried in his strong arms made her feel safe, especially when he looked at her as if she were cherished. The protected feeling confused her, but she didn’t have time to think about it before they reached the bedroom and he planted her on her feet.
With a sexy half-smile, she slowly began to strip. She steadied her fingers on her first button and heard his breath hitch. Then she undid another one, growing more confident as she watched his expression.
“You’re going to be my undoing,” he said, his voice husky.
She bit her lip.
“Don’t bite your lip. This time I want to be the one to do that.”
Felicity laughed. Her blouse landed at her feet. She kicked off her shoes. The only thing left was her bra and the jeans covering her underwear. Had she known this was on the agenda today she’d have worn something sexier. At least they were pink and not her usual white ones.
“Now you.”
The amber in his eyes flashed wickedly. “Where do you want me to start?”
“A shirt for a shirt is only fair...”
&nb
sp; He pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it aside.
“Hmmm... Not so fair now. You’ve still got that on.” He nodded toward her bra.
Felicity pushed past the self-consciousness bubbling inside her. It was hard to resist the urge to cross her arms over her chest. Having large breasts always drew gawkers and perverted comments. She lifted her chin as she reached behind her back to unhook her bra and free her heavy breasts. The air teased their peaks as she dropped her bra beside her blouse. Niall walked across the bedroom and reached for her. She really hoped her boobs weren’t the first thing he grabbed for.
Chapter 7
Niall crossed the room, reaching for her hips. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her eyes, her lips, her hair...he loved every part of her. His stallion nodded in approval. Take her. Felicity edged away, but he couldn’t fathom why she’d want to put distance between them. Their chemistry was undeniable. Nervousness marred her features. Despite her sudden and unexplained mood change, he captured her around the waist and pulled her toward him. Her uncertainty subsided almost as quickly as it had appeared. Niall was drawn to her unlike anyone before—whether human or one of the female púca-shifters in his clan—and fate had pulled them together from beyond the veil.
She is part of our past, our present, and our future. Make her our mate forever.
She’d managed to ride him without coming to climax, so he thought it unlikely that she was his true mate, but he wanted to make her his anyway. So few ever found the one meant for them. Discovering the other half of yourself reflected in another wasn’t an occurrence that happened very often. He’d thank his lucky stars for the bloody blog bringing them together. Although he’d have to ask Tomas or the bartender what on earth a ‘blog’ was. Felicity would probably give him a confused look like she had when he’d made his little ‘online’ blunder, and he wasn’t about to do that again.