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The Wild Rose Press
www.thewildrosepress.com
Copyright ©2008 by Christina Phillips
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NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.
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CONTENTS
Dedication
Prologue
Present Day
Also available
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Foretaste
of Forever
by
Christina Phillips
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Foretaste of Forever
COPYRIGHT ©
2008 by Christina Phillips
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information: [email protected]
Cover Art by Angela Anderson
The Wild Rose Press
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com
Publishing History
First Scarlet Rose Edition, October 2008
Published in the United States of America
Dedication
I would like to thank my wonderful critique partners, Amanda Ashby, Sara Hantz and Pat Posner
for their unerring support, insightful comments
and ability to both crack the whip
and share chocolate whenever the need arises!
I would never have made it without you.
To Victoria, Charlotte and Oliver—I love you guys.
And to Mark, my real life hero. This one's for you.
[Back to Table of Contents]
Prologue
Elyesha rested one hand against the stone wall of the ancient castle and smiled as her lover emerged from the forest. The silver moonlight cast an eerie glow across the wild Irish countryside, and a warm breeze stirred the hot summer night.
"I thought you weren't coming.” It was a lie. She knew he would come. He always came to her. “These summer nights are so fleeting, Ben. It's wrong to waste a single moment when we can be together."
"One night,” Ben said, as he took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “I won't come back, Elyesha. And I'll be free of your mystic entrapments."
She laughed and cupped his aristocratic jaw. “You'll never be free. Haven't you realized that yet?"
His dark eyes captured hers, causing the breath to hitch in her breast. Would she ever get used to the haunting beauty of his eyes? Ever become so accustomed to the angle of his jaw or the silken touch of his glorious hair, that her body would no longer respond with instant, breathless desire?
"I realized that long ago.” He threaded his fingers through hers and drew her to his side. “But a man can hope."
She laughed and wound her arms around his neck, rising onto her toes to reach that mocking smile on his lips. “You'd be lost without me,” she whispered, and yet the truth was she would be lost without him. For thirteen years she had woven her spells around Ben, but in the deep recess of his stubborn soul he resisted all she could offer him.
"Your delusions fascinate me.” Ben wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her from the stony ground as if her weight meant nothing. His deceptive strength thrilled her and she pressed against him, delighting in the sensation of his hard lean body. “How do you think I survived before we met?"
She speared her fingers through his long black hair, and allowed the silken strands to trail seductively across her palm. “That's all you did, my love,” she said. “Survive. But with me, you live."
Ben stared into Elyesha's amber eyes and marvelled at her supreme confidence in their love. Did she truly have no doubts? “You call this living?” He'd called their existence many things over the years. Exquisite hell was the closest definition to how he felt when he answered Elyesha's tempting call.
She sighed and her warm breath caressed his lips. Despite his best efforts to resist the inevitable, the blood heated in his veins and spiralled inexorably toward his burgeoning cock.
Curse the gods. This woman only had to look at him and he was lost. Had been lost from the moment he'd gate crashed that Samhain gathering almost thirteen years ago and seen Elyesha demonstrate her formidable powers.
"Yes.” Her whisper dragged him back to the present. “I call this living, Ben. Anything less would be mere existence."
He laughed, half in despair at her continued refusal to acknowledge the true situation between them, and rammed her against the uneven stone wall. “Lust has blinded you."
She gripped his face between her hands and forced his head back. “Love opened my eyes.” She sounded so sincere. But how could she believe such a thing, when even her closest kin condemned their union?
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Elyesha hooked her ankles around Ben's waist as he strode through the castle's crumbling entrance. For a fleeting moment, she wished it had retained its former glory, but her ancestors had allowed the magnificent stronghold to fall into ruins centuries ago.
Besides, it didn't matter where she had Ben. So long as she had him. And soon—she would have him forever.
In the Great Hall, with its soaring arches and remnants of ancient grandeur in the carved four poster bed, he paused and she slowly slithered from his grasp. “What shall we do now?” she said, tilting her head to one side and allowing her long hair to tumble provocatively over her shoulder. She traced one finger over the hard ridge of his erection and hid a smile as Ben clenched his jaw.
"No suggestions?” She raised one eyebrow and trailed her finger over his groin and toward his chest. She didn't know why he fought against her some nights. What did he hope to achieve? Sooner or later, she'd get her way and then he would see how foolish all his protestations had been. “Perhaps I'll strip you naked,” she suggested, loosening the ties on his scarlet linen shirt.
He didn't reply, except to give the merest grunt of a laugh. She tugged his open shirt from his britches and admired his perfectly sculpted chest, before sliding the shirt over his shoulders and along his finely muscled arms.
"Enjoying yourself?” There was a rasp to his voice, as if he tried to deny the rising desire between them.
She shot him an exasperated glance. “I intend to enjoy myself far more before this night's over.” She tugged at the fastenings at his crotch, deliberately prolonging the procedure as she massaged his rigid shaft. Occasionally she found Ben's inhuman self-control infuriating, but even that didn't matter. Because, in the end, he always succumbed.
But sometimes, she wished for the early years. Before Ben had rebelled against their relationship. Before his misguided sense of honor had risen its unwelcome head and corroded their perfect world.
Impatiently she thrust the thought aside. She admired his honor, but had no intention of destroying what they had at its altar.
"So long as you're enjoying yourself.” Ben's sardonic comment penetrated her thoughts, and wet heat flared deep in her pussy at the look on his face. He was no longer rigid with self-control but lust, and his eyes glowed with rising des
ire. “I exist for your amusement, Elyesha."
She ripped the last fastening free and dragged his pants down his muscled legs. “Never forget that.” Her voice was uneven, her heart hammering against her breast. How could he do this to her, after so many years? She had only to think of him to want him, had only to see him to desire him. And when he teased her, she knew in her heart she would willingly die for him.
If she was only given the chance.
He hauled her to her feet. “And now it's your turn to entertain me.” There was no hint of reluctance in his eyes now. Only love. For her. She wrapped the knowledge around her heart and knew it wouldn't be long before Ben made the final commitment to her.
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Ben allowed Elyesha to pull free from his grasp and, as she flung back her head, her midnight black hair brushed the stone floor. He ached to bury his face in that silken cloud, tangle his fingers through the wild curls, and salve his corrupt heart in the heat of her embrace.
Instead he remained perfectly still and watched her sensuously gyrate to a rhythm only she could hear. Slowly she peeled the calf length summer dress from her body and desire stabbed through every atom.
She was wearing a black lace corset threaded with scarlet ribbon, a scandalous piece of lingerie that enhanced the curve of her hips, the feminine dip of her waist, and her sinfully tempting breasts.
Hands on hips, she struck a seductive pose. “Do you like what you see, my lord?"
He raised one hand. “Come here.” He barely recognized his voice. When she didn't immediately obey, he made an imperial gesture of haste and Elyesha smiled, as if his aristocratic hauteur pleased her.
With leisurely disregard for his impatience, she sauntered toward him on scarlet stilettos. “It's a beautiful night. Why don't we take a stroll on the grounds? Admire the moonlight glinting on the lake? Or—"
"Or fuck?"
She pretended to consider that, pouting her full lower lip in that way that drove him insane. “Yes, I suppose that's an option,” she said. “You were so late tonight, there's no time for a walk in any case."
In the darkest corner of his mind, he found humor in her comment. Time was no problem for him. But for Elyesha, time meant everything. And dawn was approaching more rapidly than he cared to admit.
He thrust the thought aside. Elyesha was here now, and that's all he would focus on. In one swift movement, he swept her into his arms and, as she dragged her fingers through his hair, his senses became ensnared by her evocative musky scent. He quickly strode toward the brocade swathed bed.
Elyesha smiled as he lowered her to the bed. It wasn't often they made love in such conventional surroundings, but tonight she craved pillows and sheets and the archaic beauty of embroidered tester and drapes.
As he stared down at her, his dark hair framing the face which haunted her every moment, she began to slowly pull at the ties of her corset. His hand covered hers. “No.” His voice was husky. “Leave it on."
Heart pounding, she watched him kneel on the edge of the bed, as his fingers trailed across her exposed breast. His eyes never left hers. “I love you,” she whispered.
"I know.” A sad smile lifted his lips for a fleeting second, before he bent his dark head and flicked his tongue deep into her cleavage.
Need ignited low in her belly, hot and raw, sending tremors of desire to the center of her womb. “Tell me,” she panted, as she raked her fingers through his silken hair. “Tell me you love me."
For answer, his teeth grazed against the soft skin of her breast and she moaned, twisting her body against him, wanting more than he was offering. He shifted, until he was lying beside her, and finally raised his head to look at her again. “You know I do."
Yes, she knew. But she needed to hear him say the words. And he never had. As if the words held power, and he wasn't prepared to relinquish that power.
It shouldn't matter. She knew she held his heart, his soul, everything he was belonged to her, as surely as she belonged to him.
But still, she longed to hear him say he loved her. Would love her forever. How could that be too much to ask?
"I always will.” The words were so low she almost missed them. But she didn't miss the look on his face. Such agony, as if he had just confessed to all the sins of the world.
Her heart ached with combined love and despair. Would he never come to terms with who they were? Could he not see that they were meant to be together, despite their differing heritage?
She pulled his head down, claiming his lips. Only when he surrendered deep inside her, night after night, did she feel they were truly equal. But she wanted more than that. She wanted everything from him.
And she would have it. Soon. Her powers were growing, and even Ben would no longer be able to resist.
"Stop thinking.” His hot breath scorched her lips.
"I'm not."
"I can feel you thinking.” He angled himself across her, his cock brushing against her thigh causing spirals of desire to ricochet through her blood. “It taints the air."
"I'm not thinking,” she panted. “But you're talking too much."
His teeth flashed in the gloom, as if he found her amusing. “That's the first time you've levelled that accusation at me."
She scraped her fingernails down his sculpted back, and then gripped his taut buttocks. He reared in reaction, towering over her like a conquering warlord. “Pick your moments, don't you?” she gasped, as she tried to suck oxygen into her deprived lungs. “We can talk afterward, Ben. For now, just fuck me into oblivion."
* * * *
Ben caught himself smiling again and despair flickered through his heart. It was always this way with Elyesha. She could make him forget everything. And he was afraid that one night, he truly would forget everything and give in to her seductive entreaties.
He slid his fingers around her breast, easing her from the corset. Her rosy nipple, proud and erect, taunted him from the center of her creamy globe.
He grazed his thumb over her hard peak, and her eye lashes flickered sensuously. Gods, what had he done to deserve this? With the face of an angel, the body of a courtesan, and passion of a succubus, Elyesha could have chosen anyone for her consort.
She had chosen him. And damned them both.
He sucked her nipple into his hot mouth, and her nails dug into his shoulders as she bucked beneath him. He held her breast still for his onslaught, suckling hard, flicking the erect nub with the tip of his tongue, grazing her delicate skin with his teeth.
It would be so easy to fall completely under her spell. To give her everything she demanded. He closed his eyes against temptation, but her allure writhed all around, clutching at his shoulders, his back, burning against his thighs and straining cock.
A groan of approaching surrender ached in his throat. He ripped his mouth from her and glared down at her. Glazed amber eyes meshed with his, full swollen lips parted for his pleasure.
He thrust his tongue between those lush lips, drowning in her sweet heat, seeking the heavenly oblivion only Elyesha could promise. She hooked her ankles over his legs, enticing him closer, and her wet pussy rubbed tantalizingly against his engorged head.
He pulled back, heart pounding, balls tight with need. “Too fast,” he said, voice hoarse with lust.
"I want it fast.” Her hands reached for him, fingers clawed.
Gods, yes, he wanted it fast and raw and to hell with the rest of the world. But he wanted Elyesha now and forever, and the only way to keep her was to be inside her. To prolong the moment for all eternity and he knew all he wanted was impossible.
"My beloved Ben.” Her whisper echoed in his heart and again he was lost. There was always another night where he could take his time, lingering over her luscious body, glorious hair, and sinful mouth. Another night when he could say his final, silent goodbye.
But not tonight.
She shifted and, with cat like suppleness, hooked her feet over his shoulders, around his neck, and dragged him back
to her. The way she always dragged him back to her, no matter how far he sought escape.
Her breath rasped against his shoulder, and her mouth moved over his burning skin. “Take me now,” she whispered, as her fingers curled around his aching balls.
His cock nudged her wet entrance and she surged upward, capturing him, sucking him into her welcoming channel. His restraint shattered and he thrust into her, pinning her to the bed with the force of his possession, crushing her beneath him, and sinking his face into the scented hollow of her tempting neck.
He flicked the tip of his tongue over her exposed skin, and she sank her teeth into his neck, sucking, tearing at his flesh, and primordial lust speared through his tortured body.
He ripped his head free and the dark enticement of fresh blood clouded the air around them. His erection responded immediately to the scent of the forbidden, stretching her wide and surging against the neck of her womb.
His blood smeared her lips. Inflamed by the image, he plunged his fingers through her hair, holding her still, before he ravished her mouth with lips, tongue, and teeth. Sucking his blood back into his body, leaving her with nothing but spiralling lust.
She made a sound of protest deep in her throat. For answer, he pulled his throbbing cock from her pussy, before plunging his length back into her, as he plundered her mouth with his tongue.
Her nails raked along his shoulders, drawing more blood. He rolled her swollen nipple between finger and thumb, increasing the pressure until her sweet cunt convulsed around his shaft, grasping him so tightly starlight shattered deep in his brain.
The rolling waves of exquisite pleasure thundered from the core of his being, tightening his throbbing balls, arrowing along his engorged cock. He pumped his hot seed deep inside her, drowning in her heat, surrendering to her mystic power, accepting that their destinies were inextricably entwined.
As the roar subsided, her legs slithered down his back, and he collapsed on top of her, crushing her onto the bed. Dazed amber eyes captured him as her fingers trailed languidly against his jaw.
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