by the compulsion to bracket her in the role of submissive female, needing him and only
him to make her life whole. A gusty sigh left firm lips as Teague began to shimmer in soft
shades of blue, the hues of air and water elements in translocation.
A hearty belly laugh followed the sigh, molecules realigning to materialise in a private cove
of stunning beauty and complete seclusion. A wanton witch had proved to be stronger
than him in deserting a warm bed for a day of toil. A few hours hard labour in constructive
endeavour in creating a house for his love could and would redirect a constant need to
have Aingeal in his arms, or naked in a bed.
The foundations in place and walls erected in sweet smelling logs, roofing materials lay
to hand, ready to be fixed to stout beams. Stripping to leather pants, braiding long hair
in a tight plait, a male more at peace with raging testosterone envisioned the day he and
his mate had a true place to call home.
Letting herself back into the flat after an uneventful but satisfying day, dealing with pushy
colleagues and mostly contented patients, Alex didn’t know what to expect from Teague.
The welcome from an incredibly sexy male could go only one of two ways. Either, he would
be waiting in bed ready to take her on a sensory, sensual ride into Teague-ville. Or, he could
have devolved once more into cold indifference, all because she had spurned his advances
this morning. The Bard rarely did half measures. He was an all or nothing sort of man.
Insecurity lived just below the surface of a shy smile. It wouldn’t take much to hurt him, and
she may have done just that by abandoning him this morning.
Walking into a flat devoid of her mate, Alex hadn’t considered a third option. Or, he could
have just buggered off… Taken his bat home… Decided she wasn’t worth the effort.
The Bard had obviously retreated to Edanholme in a fit of the sulks, which meant he was
out of contact. Even the modern miracle of an I-phone couldn’t breach the borders of
different dimensions. The only option left to get her mate back in time for a promised
night of music was to relay a message through Cat.
Tapping out a text, she asked politely, for the Queen of paradise, to kindly remind Teague
he had a date tonight. The swiftly answered text made her grin, a wide smile of fiendish
delight.
Of course angel, I have nothing better to do, than play go between. You must have royally
pissed him of, if the Tiger’s not ripping the place apart, waiting for his lady love to come
home? Finger flying over the screen, Alex crushed any hopes of unearthing the real reasons
for the distancing of a besotted male.
Something similar to that, and no, I’m not telling you what… She didn’t have long to wait
for a rude reply to wing across the ether. Rat-bag, you’re not fun anymore…
Chuckling to herself Alex wandered into the bedroom to step out of her uniform.
The bed was immaculately made, not one crease marred the smooth surface of
the duvet. Teague must have been in a reasonable state of mind, to play at being
a domestic goddess
“Greetings, My Lady…” A lusciously husky voice sounded from the doorway.
Whirling around Alex soaked up the view of long, lean menace, arms crossed over
a leather clad chest, wide shoulders holding up the wall. Narrowed eyes gleamed
in deeply amethyst shades, a sure sign of surfacing desire in contradiction to a lazily
relaxed stance.
Stripped to bra and pants, uniform and outerwear scattered across the floor, every
nerve in her body jumped in anticipation as she waited breathlessly for him to pounce.
Nope… He stayed holding up the wall, a seductive smile curving firm lips.
“Aren’t you feeling well…?” Sarcasm never went amiss, especially when he wanted to
make her sweat a little. Picking up discarded clothes, feeling slightly self-conscious
under a smouldering gaze, a prickly little female padded bare foot towards the
bathroom.
“I feel as always Aingeal… In awe of thy beauty…” A low voiced whisper rushed over
her skin in a fine breeze of cooler air.
“Fine… I’m going to have a shower…” The words had barely left lips, before a solid
body brushed past her to bar the bathroom doorway.
“Not without me… We have unfinished business.” Dropping a bundle of clothes at
her toes, Alex closed the few feet of floor space to look up into eyes glowing with
opaque white fire. “Fair enough….”
A wide smile on scarlet tinted lips, Alex finished dressing in jeans and sweatshirt, her
whole body aching. The soft ache of desires fulfilled, in the shower, on the carpet, to
culminate on a now totally wrecked bed. Teague lay sprawled across tangled sheets,
ivory skin luminescent under mundane electric lighting.
“This treat you have in store… Will it prove to be more entertaining than thee?”
Seductively raspy tones ran down her spine, across her belly, to give her hormones a
massive shake up.
“Maybe…” Tugging on Ugg boots she dressed for winter with the summer of love in
her heart, and the pulse of longing beating her resolutions to death. It wouldn’t take
much to get her back into bed.
“I doubt that, Lady High Fell…” Rolling onto his stomach, a blanket of silver flowing over
the smooth muscle of a broad back, Teague rested his chin on one hand. Eyes once more
a misty shade of lilac, a sly smile brought to life mischief on a perfect face.
“What do you wish for me to wear for this enigmatic venture?”
Alex gurgled, an infectious spurt of dirty laughter. Whatever he wore would be bland,
in comparison to the participants at the party they were about to attend.
The Bard was in for a dose of culture shock. Big time…
“The usual… Human suit, jeans, jumper, coat and boots...” He was in for a very strange
evening, in even stranger company. The tickets for this rare event bought hastily before
all the seats were sold out, sat safely in her purse.
Pulling on Sidhe leathers Teague employed glamour to supply more appropriate attire
for a foray into the unknown. Crystal blue eyes watched in rapt fascination, following
the transition to Doc Martens, faded jeans, white t-shirt and khaki parka with a fur lined
hood. “Cute…” She stood entranced, arms crossed over her own pink parka, eyes
wide in sheer speculation. “In fact, you’re yummy…”
“Do you have a wish for me to make love to thee in this guise?” It was in no way an
idle question, the Bard was jealous of everyone, including himself. The most basic of
insecurities of a male deeply in love with a flighty wench.
Sapphire eyes narrowed, the thought had never occurred to her. “Eeew… No… It would
be like cheating. Don’t even think it… My preference runs to long, lean and Sidhe.”
A little shiver of distaste ran over her frame, it just wouldn’t be right.
A slow smile spread across a coarsened face as Teague released the breath he had been
holding onto. “Thank you…”
Uncommon words from any of the Fae. Gratitude implied an exchange of gifts, usually
something you really didn’t want to part with. In offering thanks, the Bard now owed
a debt to Aingeal. He would give his life for her, it was all he owned.
“No proble
m… I meant it.” Holding out a hand, a wicked little smile twitched at her lips.
She couldn’t read his mind, but recognised jealousy in all its forms.
“Come on gorgeous… Stop fretting, it’s time to party.”
The overnight flurries of snow had melted to mush during the short hours of a cloud free
day. Freezing rain came with darkness and a sharp drop in temperature. Opening the
outer door to the apartment block, Teague following very close behind, Alex rocked
backwards on the doorstep. Black ice coated pavement and roads in a slickly gleaming
sheen. “Shit, this is going to be fun…”
The Bard had been intrigued by snow. Ice was a whole different ball game, one that could
lead to bruises, if not broken limbs. Translocation was out of the question.
It was a case of brave it out. Or admit defeat, and take the cowards way out in a trip to
paradise for a swim in warm seas. Shaking her head a determined female gripped at
long fingers attempting a wary step onto a slick pavement. The chance for him to enjoy,
or not, a sample of humans off-loading their inhibitions wouldn’t come around again
for years. If she could make it to the road without bouncing on her backside, the odds
were good that it had been salted and gritted. “Do we have a problem Aingeal…?”
The Bard stood clueless in the dark hallway, disturbed by the hesitation and trepidation
at leaving the building.
“Yep, ‘Fraid so… The walk will be treacherous. The rain is freezing as it hits the ground.
Step where I step, and please be careful. If you fall, I’ve no chance of picking you up.”
A disgusted snort resounded at her back. “I do not fall…”
The snort faded to a faint ‘oh’ of surprise as Teague slid sideways across the pavement,
shock in wide violet eyes. “Told you so…” She murmured smugly.
Edging to the road, a more cautious male following on her heels, Alex rubbed her foot
on tarmac finding more grip. “This is not a happy pastime…”
Eyes locked onto his feet in total concentration, Teague almost fell into Aingeal’s arms.
“Stop whining like a big baby. Think of it as a life skill.” Hand in hand, she led the slow
way across a wide road thankfully shy of traffic, towards a bustling plaza, a glaringly
modern construction of glass, metal and stone, enclosing restaurants, wine bars and
their final destination, a cinema complex.
“Where do we go…?” Hardly daring to breathe with every step he took, Teague had a
death grip on warm little fingers. Pointing straight ahead Alex grinned in expectation
of an outrageously uninhibited couple of hours.
“That-a-way... We are going to see a film, a flick, a movie… Similar to my television
but much, much bigger.” Her answer told him absolutely nothing.
Freezing rain wasn’t a pleasant encounter. It upset the balance and coated exposed skin
with stinging spray. “We could have stayed in thy abode to do this…”
Exasperation etched each word in a gusty sigh of a sentence.
“No, it wouldn’t do the film justice…” Alex wasn’t ready to give in. Her enjoyment
would come from watching his reactions to a totally nonsensical storyline.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Once inside the building, Teague felt a slightly intimidated by a moving staircase which
headed high into a glass walled structure. The more usual elegance and dignity of the
Sidhe deserted him as he tripped over the last step. Catching his arm Alex smiled at a
grimace of discomfort, it made him appear more human, less otherworldly and remote.
He grinned back at her, acknowledging a clumsy stumble with good grace on altered
features.
Following a formidable female in bright pink parka, the Bard’s mouth dropped open in
surprise at throng of strangely dressed humans milling between window seats and a row
of gleaming counters offering food and beverages. Ushering him to an empty seat, a low
chortle of laughter brought wide violet eyes to Alex’s face in disbelief.
“Enjoy the view, while I get popcorn and drinks…”
Gaze locked onto a colourfully attired female, Teague daren’t look around. It didn’t make
any sense to alien eyes. He felt claustrophobic, over dressed, and afraid that Aingeal
meant to desert him amongst a noisy gaggle of very bizarre humans. A mini tornado made
it to the food counter and back to a shell shocked male in record time.
“Why are males attired in female undergarments and lacy leggings…?” Blank faced,
Teague assimilated a corset, black panties, fishnet stockings and high heels on a huge
hairy male sporting red lipstick on a Bearded face.
“It’s all part of the adventure… The film has spawned a cult following over many decades,
to become an interactive festival of music, laughter and downright idiocy.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a ridiculous film, but it stays with you. In the darker
moments in life, there’s one song guaranteed to brighten the gloom. I’ll let you tell me
which one…”
Alex had chosen seats in the far right corner of the theatre. It meant Teague had room
to stretch out long legs, and not be too disturbed by being surrounded by wall to wall
nutcases.
The volume of noise grew to painful levels as chattering groups filled up empty rows.
The Bard slunk down in a plush velvet seat, head just about buried in his shoulders.
Raucous laughter and extreme costumes vied for attention, the ambient temperature
rising at the mass of hot bodies gyrating up and down the aisles. The majority dancing
in front of the wide screen.
“Is this it…?” Teague complained hoarsely, in the same bored tones a child would use
when asking harassed parents are we there yet? Alex flicked popcorn into his lap,
before shrugging out of her parka to lay it across her knees.
“Hardly… This is just the warm up.” The house lights dimmed, signalling the end to
wild dancing and the cessation of noise from a demented audience. You could have
heard a pin drop, or popcorn crunch between Teague’s teeth. A row of accusing eyes
turned in his direction.
The Bard lifted his hands in surrender at an inadvertent faux-pas. Undercover of the
obligatory adverts, he leant in to ask Aingeal what he had done that was so wrong.
“Eat the popcorn when it gets really noisy, no-one will even notice you then.”
She whispered back, reaching for his hand.
“Fine…” He growled out a nasty snarl, longing to toss the entire box over a pack of
hypocritical humans.
“Hush, it’s about to start.” Squeezing his fingers Alex hoped the film would work its
magic on a thoroughly uncomfortable warrior.
As the story progressed from slow build up to outrageously funny bed-hopping, the
bemused expressions on the Bards face were better than the film. The Time Warp
had him hooked. He was on his feet with the rest of the audience, singing along in
deeply husky tones. Triumph made her heart swell with pride for a xenophobic Sidhe
noble, who proved he concealed a completely off the wall sense of humour, and
energy enough for them both. Teague immersed himself in the character of the
transvestite Dr Frank N Furter. Eddie ex bursting forth on a motorcycle brought a
wicked glitter to violet eyes. “I want one of those…”
He mouthed the words over an of
f-key chorus. The finale came with boos and cat calls
from the whole theatre. It had been a thrill ride, and it was over for tonight.
Teague slumped back in the seat, head resting on the wall, lips moving as he sang
silently in a one man bubble of contentment.
Shaking her head, a loving smile on her face, Alex nudged him in the ribs to get his
attention. “Time to go, Mister, I don’t want to do this…”
Violet eyes opened slowly, the only part of his features truly belonging to the Bard.
“Twas… It was…” Hands flying wide, he was lost for a description of sublime lunacy.
“Stupendous, epic, soul searing, mind boggling…” Supplying random superlatives,
a laughing female dragged him to reluctant feet. They were the only bodies left in
a popcorn strewn shambles.
“Gloriously inane…” Wrapping an arm around her waist, he hugged his Aingeal in a
spine cracking embrace.
“And, you loved every minute of it.” Alex squeaked into his chest.
“Aye… It was truly inventive.” One finger tilted her chin up, to look down into a
melting blue gaze, he grinned slyly. “Can we do it again…?”
Laughing softly at the excitement in his voice, she prodded a long body into moving.
“It’ll be a flipping miracle if I can get tickets, but I promise to try.”
They emerged into the glass walled seating area to be met by a scene more at home
in the locker room of a gymnasium. High heels were being swapped for walking boots,
fleeces and sweat pants unearthed from a mountain of designer back packs.
“Have you seen the bloody weather…?” The burly Dr Frank N Furter impersonator
pointed out at the street. Snow drifted in big fat lazy flakes, a complete white-out.
At least if they fell over now, it would be a soft landing.
Plodding over mounting piles of snow a husky whisper sang in Alex’s ear, strong hands
gripping at her waist.
Teague’s delicious voice rang out in a belting rendition of the Time Warp as he led his
mate through the steps of the dance. In seconds they were joined in an impromptu
routine by Mister Beard and his friends. It was mad and spontaneous as Teague incited
mayhem on the streets of Halifax. Snow flew, bodies fell, but it worked. It was sheer magic…
Eternal Bond (Edanholme Book 2) Page 21