by Anne Manning
"Lucas! You nearly scared me to death." Annabelle glanced around. "Where's Mom?"
"In her room, keening like a very banshee." He tipped his head in the direction of the bedrooms. "Do you not hear her?"
The howl was faint, but audible, now that Annabelle paid attention.
"So, what set her off? Do you know?" Lucas asked, as he set his large well-formed hands on the bookcase and leaned forward.
More than anything, Annabelle wanted to just go fall into her bed and sleep, and forget everything for just a bit. But, she nodded wearily and waved him to follow her into the kitchen.
"Yes, I know. Dr. Duncan told me she thought Mom was buying into Erin's delusion."
"You were at the hospital? Is Erin all right?" Lucas asked, anxiously.
"I was there for a few minutes. The doctor sedated her. She said Erin was getting paranoid. Erin was sleeping when I was there."
Lucas slumped down at the kitchen table. "So, where have you been all evening?" Clear accusation rang in his tone.
"With Gaelen."
At Lucas's stare, Annabelle stopped. "What's wrong?"
"You went out with Gaelen?"
"Yes. He asked me to dinner," Annabelle answered, pulling off her wrap and hanging it over the back of a chair.
"He did?" Lucas asked, his eyes wide with disbelief. "That's a surprise. Unless..."
"Unless what?"
"Oh, nothing. Well, just that Gaelen's tastes must have changed somewhat." He glanced at Annabelle. "I didn't mean anything about you. It's just that Gaelen..."
Lucas's pause further depressed Annabelle with its confirmation of Dr. Duncan's diagnosis of Gaelen's preferences. She sighed.
"Don't worry, Lucas. I didn't think he wanted to spend time with me. Dr. Duncan filled me in already."
"Filled you in?"
"She told me about your brother." At Lucas's expectant expression, she explained. "She told me he's gay."
"Gay? Gaelen?" He threw his head back and laughed.
"Sh-h-h. Mom will hear you."
He swallowed his amusement, but the resulting deep-throated chuckle tickled Annabelle just hearing it.
"Why is it funny?"
"This was Linette Duncan?"
"I guess. The doctor on the psych ward," Annabelle said.
"Linette Duncan said Gaelen was gay?"
"Well, actually, she used the word 'fairy.' Not very politically correct, is she?"
"Clever girl," Lucas said softly, laughing again.
"What does that mean?"
"Oh, nothing," he answered, still chuckling.
"Well, is he?" Annabelle demanded.
"What? Gay?" Lucas shrugged. "I don't know if I'd use that word, but 'tis true Gaelen has little use for human women."
"Human women?" Visions of all sorts of strange practices passed through her mind, with the satyric, gorgeous body of Gaelen Riley right in the middle.
"No, no," Lucas spit out in the middle of a gigantic guffaw, "nothing depraved! I don't know why I said it like that. He's actually perfectly normal...for Gaelen." He eyed Annabelle. "How did it go?"
Not exactly reassured, Annabelle answered, "Fine. It was very nice."
Lucas nodded. "Gaelen always knew how to show a lady a good time."
"Lucas, is he gay?"
"My dear Annabelle, Gaelen loves women more than any other male I've ever known."
That was almost worse than thinking he wasn't interested at all.
"What does that mean? Why would Dr. Duncan lie?"
"Dr. Duncan was one of Gaelen's, ah, friends."
"Dr. Duncan?"
"Oh, aye. They were not involved for very long, however. Gaelen dislikes possessive women." Lucas chuckled. "Possessive ones are the only ones he dislikes. Linette holds a grudge a good long time, though. I suspect she was just trying to get Gaelen's goat."
"So, he's not..."
"No. He's not. Straight as I-95."
A little reassured, but still wary, Annabelle shrugged. "Well, I'm certain it wasn't my charms that induced the invitation anyway. I expect he only asked me so he could find out if I knew where you are."
He set his finger under her chin and tipped her face up to his. "I have never known Gaelen to do anything but what he wanted to do. If he only wanted to find me, he has other means at his disposal."
That sounded rather dire. She stared at him.
"What does that mean?"
Lucas laid his hands on Annabelle's shoulders and rubbed. "Dpn't worry about it right now. Why don't you turn in? We'll go over in the morning and check on Erin."
"All right." Annabelle turned toward her room, but stopped and faced Lucas. "Gaelen told me not to worry. He promised me she'd be all right."
An expression of wonder crossed Lucas's face, followed by a soft smile. "Did he now? I expect that's as good as gold." With a wink, Lucas disappeared through the door to the basement rec room.
Annabelle felt her spirit rising, in spite of everything. Should she go to her mother, whose keening wail still echoed through the house?
And what would she say?
A man I've just met promised that Erin would be okay. See, Mom? Nothing to worry about.
Even Mom wouldn't find any comfort in that.
No, she'd get some sleep. She wouldn't be able to do anything for anybody if she turned into an exhausted wreck.
When her head hit the pillow, her dreams were filled with Gaelen Riley.
* * * *
As he drove back to the hospital, Gaelen wondered why he didn't just probe her mind to find out if she knew where Lucas was. After all, it was in a good cause. Instantly, he chided himself.
"You've lost more than wonder, boyo. You've lost your sense of justice." Even as he spoke the words, he knew they weren't quite true. He hadn't violated her mind. But now he knew he was left with following her to find Lucas.
Before anything else, though, Dr. Duncan was going to get another visit.
He didn't trust himself to even speculate on what the pixie witch had planned for poor Erin, but the sight of the girl in a drug-induced haze had presented a universe of possibilities.
Parking in the underground garage, Gaelen hid in a dark corner and squooshed. Flashing up the empty stairwells, he arrived at the eleventh floor and gave himself a moment to recover from reconstituting.
"Whew," he whistled, peering around the door into the empty hallways. The Brute Squad was nowhere to be seen.
Gaelen stepped into the hall, softly walking toward Erin's door. He pushed it open gently and took a quick look inside.
She lay as still as death, only the faint movement of her breathing indicating her soul still occupied her body.
Gaelen let the door shut silently.
Voices echoed down the hallway.
Reaching into his memory, Gaelen tried to remember the form for inducing glamour--the enchantment of making a mortal see what the fairy wanted him to see.
Right now, Gaelen wanted the mortals to see nothing.
Stepping out into the path of the speakers, he waited. Neither noticed him. In fact, he had to jump out of the way so they wouldn't run into him.
"Ah, we never lose it, do we?" he whispered.
"What was that?"
"What?"
"Didn't you hear it? It was like a breeze blowing."
Gaelen smiled. He still had it. After years of shunning his fairy nature, he still had the gift. He strutted a bit as he sought out Linette Duncan.
Scanning around for signs of her passing, he picked up a sense that she was straight ahead. He followed his feelings and stopped before the door marked "Women--Staff Showers."
With a smile and a rising sense of anticipation, Gaelen pushed the door open and walked in.
Heads turned, though not one expression showed any alarm.
"Close that door!"
"Jeez, Louise! Were you born in a barn?"
"I didn't open it!"
Gaelen stepped out of the way as a tall, lean blonde wearing o
nly a towel around her waist nearly knocked him over.
He snapped his gaping mouth shut, stifled a whistle, and sought his target.
The fiery red mop atop Linette's head betrayed her. She stood at an open locker, still drying off. Several other women stood in the same aisle. Gaelen came up behind her and ran his fingertip up her spine.
Her yelp rang through the shower room.
"What's your problem, Doc?" one of the women shouted. "There're are no ghosts in here, are there?"
Linette swung around, bumping into Gaelen's large frame.
"Gaelen," she whispered, wrapping her towel around her.
"Yes, darlin', 'tis I. Your once beloved Gaelen."
"What are you doin' here? Get out!" She more mouthed the words than actually spoke them. Grabbing his sleeve, she dragged him behind the lockers and shoved as hard as she could.
Gaelen laughed. "Such a feisty, wee thing. I used to appreciate that aspect of your character, Linette."
"Hey, Doc, are you all right?"
"I'm fine." Her lips snapped shut like a turtle.
"It's probably better if you don't talk, Linette. Wouldn't want the doctor to be admitted to the ward, would we?"
She looked ready to skewer him on a rusty spit.
"Now," Gaelen continued, "about Erin Tinker."
The only response he got was a pair of burning green eyes promising pain and death.
Ignoring her silent threats, Gaelen went on, "I don't know exactly what you're planning to do with that girl, but you're going to cancel your plans right now. You'll release her tomorrow and then, my dear Linette, you will remove yourself from the affairs of the fairies for good."
His eyes strayed, following a well-formed brunette with the most exquisite...
"And, what's more, you'll stay away from Annabelle Tinker."
"That's what this is really all about, isn't it?" Linette asked, oblivious to the stares of the woman drying off next to her. "That woman has bewitched you, and now you're thinking of flaunting the law just as your brother did."
"What I do is my concern, and none of yours."
A different expression crossed the pixie features. "When did you become so interested in anybody else's troubles?"
Gaelen ignored the jibe. "Just pay attention, Linette. Release Erin tomorrow." In the ultimate last word, Gaelen squooshed and flew out of the shower room.
Linette seethed. How dare the man tell her how to do her business? She'd never tell him how to do his job. First, he dumped her, for no reason she could ever see. Now he's become infatuated with a plain Jane mortal woman. Not only that, but a woman with the power to destroy them all because of her profession as a journalist.
She shook her head at the stupidity of men. Why they couldn't be happy with their own kind, she didn't know. She accepted that the men of Faerie lusted after mortal women; she just didn't understand it.
More, though, she'd been hoping somehow to reconcile with Gaelen. He was the one she'd never gotten over. Now, this Annabelle Tinker had bewitched him, and her stupid sister and Lucas, the criminal, had created a situation putting Gaelen and Linette on opposite sides.
Well, they won't get away with it.
Linette jerked on jeans and a sweater and slipped on her espadrilles. She stopped by the nurse's station to make sure Erin Tinker was well sedated, and then she went looking for the Brute Squad. She'd need some help--some fairy help--to pull this one off.
Chapter Nine
"Annabelle, sweetling."
She met his sky-blue eyes.
He was here.
"Gaelen."
"May I stay?"
She smiled. "You have to ask?" She reached for him and he came to her, encircling her in his arms.
He nuzzled the side of her neck. She yearned for his kiss, though, and captured his face between her hands, bringing his lips to hers. They melded in perfection, sweet and gentle.
"Open to me, Annabelle."
She obeyed him willingly, parting her lips and welcoming the thrust of his tongue. He swept her, tasting her.
"Ah, like candy you are, girl." His smile warmed her all the way to her toes. "But we need some illumination here. Candles, I think."
She frowned. "I don't know where Mom keeps her candles."
His grinned and raised his beautiful hand and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, a buttery glow warmed every corner of her room. She glanced around.
A gasp escaped her lips as she took in the candles which had appeared on her dresser, bookcase, and both nightstands, already lit. Her gaze flew to his face. He looked like this was normal, when all she could feel was wonder.
"How did you do that?"
He kissed the tip of her nose. "Have you no idea at all, love?" He slipped from her arms and stood beside the bed. Ever so slowly, his fingers loosened the tie around his neck and pulled it out, tantalizing inch by tantalizing inch.
He shrugged his wide shoulders and his jacket fell to the floor. Then he unbuttoned his shirt, top to bottom, pushing each button free from its hole with exquisite slowness.
As the shirt slipped from his shoulders, her tongue darted out to moisten her suddenly dry lips.
A deliciously wicked smile curved his mouth. His fingers went to his belt and trousers. They fell to the floor, revealing his exquisite body.
All broad shoulders and narrow waist and...
Oh, my, my.
Her breath came faster as he leaned over the bed where she lay...
Naked.
How had that happened? Somehow it was fine for him to be in her bedroom, fine that he was even now bringing his beautiful naked body to her, but it jarred her that she couldn't remember taking off the St. Mary's nightshirt she had slept in for years.
This was a dream? Wasn't it?
She risked a glance back at him. He certainly looked real enough.
Enough for what?
She grabbed for the sheet.
"No, no. Don't cover what is so beautiful." He took her hands in his own and urged her to lay back on the bed. He stretched out beside her and traced her face with his finger, ending with her chin. He tipped her mouth up to meet his.
"Annabelle, I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you." His whispered confession stirred her deep inside. "Don't leave me, please."
"Where would I go? This is my room, isn't it?"
He chuckled. "Yes, of course. You did bid me stay?"
He'd asked it as a question, as though giving her another chance to say no.
"Stay." Her voice was a croaked whisper.
A smile broke over his face, just before his mouth slanted over hers, capturing her breath.
With one hand, he gently held both of hers prisoner above her head against the headboard. She arched against the restraint, offering him her breasts.
Wheat-gold hair brushed her skin as he nuzzled her, his tongue teasing her nipples to tight pebbled need.
"More, Gaelen, please, more." Her moan lingered in the air around them like incense.
"Ah, my sweet, yes, much mor-r-r-re." His lightly accented voice, deep and rumbling, whipped through her body, rippling in wave after wave and increasing her longing and want.
Keeping his word, he wrapped his long strong fingers around her breast. His thumb flicked her tight nipple, sending a charge of lust through her body. She tightened in anticipation, and sighed as a sudden gush wet her, her body's cry of desire.
She was hot and ready and so, so, willing.
Her legs splayed open. Cool air stroked and soothed the hot emptiness, begging to be filled with his hard flesh.
"Now, Gaelen." Her voice was a growl.
"Not yet, sweet Annabelle. Not yet." He growled too.
Annabelle jerked her hands free and reached for him, encircling his maleness. She rubbed her thumb over his tip and was rewarded with a single droplet of his wetness. With her fingertip she drew small circles over his moistened crown.
"Ah, sweet, stop."
"I can't stop." H
er fingers swept up and down, under and around, all over him.
Gaelen held himself above her, his sky-blue eyes staring into hers.
"Then let's not stop," he said and moved between her open thighs.
He settled into the cradle of her body. Annabelle again encircled him and guided him home.
Gaelen entered her, easily sheathing his whole length inside her.
"Ah, darlin', sweet..."
Annabelle felt him clear up to her heart. She felt her whole self being filled by him.
"Gaelen," she whispered into the charged air.
He thrust and withdrew, then again. Her inner muscles held him tight, caressing him, squeezing him, within her. She pulsed as the delight spread through her body. She closed her eyes.
The delicious pressure built, twining, twisting, coiling, ready to spring.
"Oh, Gaelen, yes. Yes."
"Yes, sweet."
The pleasure tightened, tightened, tightened, then snapped as she climaxed.
"Gaelen!" she cried out.
He thrust once more, his expression one of exquisite pain, as he filled her to the hilt and came.
"Annabelle..."
Sweetly dancing colors suddenly appeared behind his shoulders, red and blue and green and gold. She reached for them.
"Damn!" He shook with a huge shudder that echoed through her.
Then he disappeared.
"Gaelen!" Annabelle sat up with a jerk, not believing what she'd seen with her own eyes.
Cold fear replaced the heat of lovemaking, chilling her to the bone.
The buttery candlelight had disappeared. She glanced down.
She was wearing her St. Mary's nightshirt.
Her heart sank. It had only been a dream.But she could still feel the moisture between her legs.
* * * *
Gaelen's first realization was that he was flying, unable to stop. His mind, fogged by sexual satisfaction he'd never known, refused to be focused.
His brain cleared a little and he figured out where he was. Half-way to the moon.
"A sex bounce. Damn!"
A man his age should be able to control himself better.
How could he have been so stupid? To go to Annabelle in the Dream Realm like that, where she had no control or ability to refuse.