Hearts Unbound

by Rebecca Goings

  “Jareth, oh Jareth,” she whispered against his ear. “Please don’t do it. Please stay with me.”

  She could hear his low growl as he threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her away from him. His gaze burned with intensity as he stared at her, making her shiver.

  “I don’t know what I am going to do, Jessica. Your sister is gone and I know I should be upset. I should be angry and hurt. I should be losing myself at the bottom of a bottle. But damn it, woman, all I can think about is you.”

  He moved as if he was going to kiss her, but Jessica stopped him by placing her hand on his mouth. “Please don’t,” she said, lowering her gaze.

  “Why?”

  “It is not right.”

  His bark of laughter startled her. “I can think of nothing I’d rather be doing.”

  “I am sorry,” Jessica told him, tears once again shimmering in her eyes. “I am sorry for…bonding you to me. For making you feel things for me you wouldn’t normally feel. Can you forgive me?”

  “Can you not merely undo what you have done?” he asked.

  “If only I could,” she answered, fearing his reaction to her next words. “The shelmir bond is permanent.”

  He released her. “That is not possible. I know a shelmir bond can be broken.”

  “How do you know?” she asked forlornly.

  “Morana said that…” His voice trailed off. Jessica cupped his cheek once more to return his gaze to hers.

  “It can never be severed,” she whispered. “Our souls are bonded no matter how many lives we live.”

  Jareth stood abruptly. “Do not touch me,” he demanded, the look on his face torturous. “What makes you any better than the witch? Tell me that! You were so adamant to protect me from her, but all you’ve done is made me your slave for eternity.”

  “That is not true!” She gasped, shocked that he would even say such a thing.

  “Is it not?” he yelled. “We will never be free of each other!”

  “Is that what you wish?” Jessica was terrified of his answer.

  Jareth rubbed his face with both hands. “What I wish, my sweet, is for you to be gone, for my life to be back to normal, and for Cassandra warm and willing in my bed.”

  Jessica’s breath left her in a rush and she reeled as if he’d struck her. “I’m so sorry, Jareth!” she said brokenly, weeping into her hands.

  “So am I,” Jareth growled before he exited the room, slamming the door in his wake.

  * * *

  Jareth threw the brandy snifter into the fireplace of his study. It wasn’t long before the bottle of brandy followed it. With a loud yell, he ripped down many of the books from the shelves that lined the walls. Rage gripped his heart, and he wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact he was angry at Jessica for trapping him into becoming her shelmir, or if he was angry at himself for hurting her as ruthlessly as he did.

  What he’d told her was the truth. She was all he could think about. He’d paced this very room countless times during the past few hours until his servant came to tell him she had awakened. His heart had been lighter at the news and he was almost giddy as he strode down the hall to her room.

  Upon hearing that the shelmir bond was permanent, however, something snapped inside of him. Despite the fact that he’d seen Cassandra’s ruined body at the bottom of the ravine, it wasn’t until Jessica had told him the truth about their bond that he truly knew for certain he would never, ever have Cassandra. She was forever lost to him. She belonged to his brother.

  As he remembered Jessica’s sobs, each one ripped through him like a dagger. She was the woman who had saved him from death. She was the one who had saved him from Morana. Who knew what magic the witch was going to cast at him before her spell fizzled? Now that she knew he had a shelmir, Morana would stop at nothing to find her. If it was true, that Morana wanted Jareth only for herself, then Jessica was in grave danger.

  Every fiber of his being screamed at him to go make things right with Jessica, but instead, he sank into a chair near the fireplace. What the hell was he going to do now? He couldn’t decide if he wanted to throttle his shelmir or make love to her.

  With a groan, he laid his head back on the cushion and closed his eyes.

  Chapter Six

  Her creamy legs wrapped around his waist, and her soft sighs ignited his blood. Raising his head from kissing her neck, he took her mouth fervently, forcing a response. Her fingers tightened in his hair, making him wince, yet he thrust forward against her regardless.

  They were both naked, sprawled in Jareth’s bed, and the contact against her wet skin was his undoing.

  “I must have you, my sweet,” he panted, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes. Instead of the familiar face of Cassandra, Jessica’s face greeted him and his heart soared. He smiled down at her.

  “Take me, then,” she whispered boldly, stroking his thighs with her own legs.

  “You are mine,” he said gruffly, plunging forward into her heat, making her cry out as she threw back her head.

  “I am yours!” she exclaimed, bringing his lips back down to her mouth. For a few blessed moments, they remained joined in silent pleasure before Jareth pulled back to press forward once again. She was hot and wet. Jareth didn’t know if he’d be able to last longer than a few sharp thrusts.

  Just as he bent his head to feast on her rosy nipples, there was a knock on the door.

  “Your Grace? Your Grace?”

  Jareth sat up in the chair so fast, his head spun. Making a sour face, he glanced around his study and groaned, realizing that it had all been a dream. His erection strained against his breeches regardless. Smoothing his hair, he stood and tried to compose himself. His hands shook and his breath came in short gasps.

  The dream had been so real. The same one he’d had for centuries about Cassandra had now turned to Jessica in his fevered mind. As hard as he tried, Jareth could barely remember Cassandra’s face. It was all he could do not to throw open the doors and find his shelmir to ease his painful ache. The knock sounded again, ceasing his thoughts.

  “Your Grace?”

  “What is it?” he yelled, annoyed that he’d been awakened.

  The door opened and a servant peeked hesitantly around it. “The earl of Thornbury is here to collect his niece.”

  Jareth shivered, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped on him. A moment of panic seized his heart. He had indeed sent his servants to fetch Thornbury and inform him of the tragedy of Cassandra’s death. However once Thornbury left, Jessica would be gone. Truly gone.

  Steeling his features, Jareth muttered, “I will receive him in the drawing room.”

  “Very good, Your Grace,” the servant said with a bow before closing the door.

  With a deep sigh, Jareth ran his fingers through his hair and straightened his clothing. He hadn’t realized until that moment he truly didn’t want Jessica to leave. He had no right to keep her. She wasn’t his wife, nor was she his betrothed. An unmarried young lady simply could not stay with an unmarried man, no matter the circumstance, without her reputation being at stake.

  She was his according to their shelmir bond, but according to the law, she was not.

  Jareth strode to the drawing room without knowing what the hell to say in order to keep Jessica with him.

  * * *

  The earl of Thornbury was an imposing man; rotund with a thick mustache. His dark hair was thinning on top, and the clothing he wore was a deep shade of blue. Jareth seemed vastly underdressed in his dirty clothing.

  Another man sat next to the earl, seemingly younger than Jareth’s thirty years. Both men smiled and bowed.

  “Your Grace,” the earl said.

  “Your Grace,” the other man murmured.

  “May I present to you Lord Charles Brent,” the earl offered when Jareth’s gaze rested on the younger man. “He is the son of the baron.”

  “Please accept my condolences,” Charles said, offering his hand. Jareth took it he
sitantly.

  “Mine as well, Lord Brent. Thornbury.” He glanced at the earl. “Cassandra will be well missed.”

  The earl cleared his throat and nodded. “Indeed. I fear there is too much death in the country. Lord Brent and I will be moving on to London after I fetch my wayward niece. The death of her sister Cassandra, and so soon after her father…”

  “Yes, it is tragic,” Charles said, shaking his head.

  Jareth closed his eyes and groaned. He had forgotten about Cassandra’s father. Jessica’s father. The man had died in his sleep—of what Jareth could remember—but that hadn’t stopped Laith from accusing Jareth of killing their father outright to keep the betrothal intact. Jareth may have killed a lot of people over the years, but Lord Thornbury was not one of them.

  “You both are moving to London?” Jareth offered his guests a glass of sherry.

  “Indeed.” The earl’s mustache bristled as he pursed his lips while reaching for his glass. “Once Charles and Jessica are wed, we will be leaving posthaste.”

  Staring at both men, Jareth calmly put the bottle of sherry back on the liquor table without offering any to the younger lord. “You are her betrothed?” His outward appearance gave away nothing of the storm raging inside. Jessica was his. He had every right to her.

  “I do not have a contract written up if that is what you wish to know, Your Grace,” Charles said, taking the liberty to sit without being asked to do so. Jareth scowled at him.

  The rotund earl chuckled. “And you have yet to ask the dear girl, Charles.” His eyes twinkled.

  Jareth resisted the urge to fly across the room and rip the younger man to shreds. How dare he look so smug and talk so casually about marrying my shelmir.

  Clearing his throat, Jareth sat himself in an adjacent chair. “I believe I must disappoint you both.” He looked pointedly into their eyes.

  “Whatever do you mean, Your Grace?” Thornbury wanted to know.

  “I mean that I called you here to finish some business between the former earl and myself.” The idea had only just struck him. Jareth had done no such thing, but these men didn’t know that.

  “Oh?”

  “Indeed. You see, I was betrothed to Cassandra. Now that she is dead, I demand her sister in her stead.”

  A hushed silence came over the room and Jareth could tell both lords were squirming under his scrutiny. It was obvious neither one expected he would demand restitution. He smiled at their discomfort.

  “Your Grace, this is very unusual,” the earl said in shock. “Your betrothal contract was nullified the moment Lady Cassandra died.”

  “I am well aware of this,” Jareth continued, steepling his fingers, “and yet here I am, without a fiancée, without a hope of obtaining an heir.”

  “Surely, Your Grace, there are other women who might suit,” Charles protested, standing once more to pace in front of the window. His face reddened and hands clenched into fists as he strode back and forth, very displeased.

  “Perhaps,” Jareth said with a nod. “But I have grown quite fond of Miss Belstowe. I should like her to stay on here at Crichton.”

  The earl looked flustered, but not altogether displeased. Jareth was now a duke, thanks to Laith’s passing, and compared to the son of a baron, it was indeed a better match.

  “Jessica should choose!” Charles exclaimed as he glanced at both men. Jareth knew he was merely trying to find a way to stay in the earl’s favor.

  “I should choose what?”

  Jessica’s beautiful voice filled the drawing room. Jareth should have known that the familiar tingling in his skin meant his shelmir was close by. Turning to glance at her, his breath stuck in the back of his throat. She was exquisite. No longer wearing the dirty silk dress of yesterday, Jessica was clothed in a dark ruby gown, one that must have been left behind by Jareth’s late mother. It appeared to be a tad too big, but it complimented her body.

  Jareth stood, however she did not look at him. In truth, it was as if she made pains not to look at him. An ache twisted his heart. He fought the urge to cross the room and scoop her into his arms.

  “Choose your husband,” the earl finally said, breaking the silence.

  “I do not understand,” Jessica made her way slowly into the room. She was still pale, and Jareth could tell she lacked strength. What was she thinking, being out of bed?

  “My lady,” Charles began. “I’ve been meaning to tell you of my feelings for you. I have wanted to ask you for your hand, but I was too nervous to do so before now.”

  “And Crichton here has offered for you as well. Since your sister was killed, he wants you in her stead.” Thornbury tossed back the rest of his sherry, placing the empty glass back on the liquor table.

  Jessica took a deep breath and stared at her hands in front of her. Now more than ever, Jareth damned himself for his words to her earlier. He hadn’t truly meant them, but how could she know? If he was still a vampire, he would charm her to get her to see things his way. “You…have feelings for me, Charles?”

  Jareth’s gaze narrowed as she called the young lord by his given name. Charles smiled.

  “I do, my lady.”

  Jessica licked her lips and glanced up at Jareth. She looked as if she flinched when his gaze touched hers. “And you, Your Grace?” she whispered. Even from across the room, Jareth could see the shimmer of tears in her eyes.

  “I care about you, Jessica, that much is true,” he said. Jareth wanted desperately to shout that she was his and claim her then and there, but he knew he couldn’t. “I found you. In the woods. I was the one who brought you back to Crichton. I do not know what I would have done should something have happened to you.”

  Jessica was trembling. Could it be that this little girl cared for him that much?

  “I thought I merely dreamt that.”

  “No, you did not.” A few more moments of silence passed as Jessica looked back and forth between the two lords.

  “May I…may I have time to think on it?” she asked.

  “Of course, child!” Thornbury shouted with a chuckle. “With a decision as important as marriage, we wouldn’t want you to make the wrong choice, now would we?”

  Jareth swallowed hard and a dark cloud passed over him. “I must insist that while Lady Jessica makes her decision, you will all stay on as guests here at Crichton.”

  Thornbury’s eyes widened, but then his smile returned. “A fitting idea!” His eyes sparkled. Charles looked as if he wanted to challenge Jareth right then and there to a duel, but he wouldn’t dare. Propriety demanded that he accept the duke’s gracious proposal.

  With a curt nod, he said in a tight voice, “You honor us, Your Grace.”

  “Then it is settled.”

  Jessica glanced back up at him and Jareth recalled his erotic dream. It almost floored him. Feeling her naked body against him had been so real, he knew he wouldn’t be able to rest until it was a reality.

  He gave her a look he hoped she could read. If she wanted to take some time to decide which man to choose as her husband, Jareth was only too happy to help her make that decision.

  Chapter Seven

  Jessica sat by herself in the kitchen of Crichton Manor. It was the only place she could think of to escape both Jareth and Charles. She was confused at this odd turn of events and tried hard to ignore the choice she was now forced to make.

  The servants swirled around her, making bread and roasting meat, but none of them shooed her out. She was a guest of the duke, and thus allowed to wander where she pleased. Now that her uncle was here to chaperone her, no longer would staying in the manor of Lord Crichton tarnish her reputation.

  Jareth had shocked her with his offer of marriage. He’d only just spoken the words that had broken her heart. He would never look on her as anything more than a thorn in his side. And perhaps she was. She had weaseled her way into his life without asking his permission. What else could she expect but his disdain?

  Why, then, would he want to marry her?r />
  Perhaps he’d deduced she was the closest thing to Cassandra he’d ever get. Cassandra was now dead, bonded to Laith for all of eternity. Jessica was her sister, and there was a slight resemblance. Could that be why he had made his offer? He’d told her he could think of nothing but her, but Jessica knew that was only due to the shelmir bond. Even now she could feel him, wandering about his manor like a man lost. What was he doing?

  With a sigh, she wished she’d understood what becoming Jareth’s shelmir would truly be like. She’d been so blinded by her love for him that she didn’t see his curse, or his intense desire for her sister. Jessica had been foolish and she hated herself for it.

  Jareth was right in one regard. She had trapped him.

  Despite his harsh words, she still loved him, but she knew her love could never be returned. At least, not in the way she had hoped. Charles had proclaimed to have feelings for her, and at least that was something. Could Jessica live in a loveless marriage with Jareth? Despite the fact that he was bonded to her, she had a feeling being his wife might not be the best thing for her.

  Perhaps they would have better luck falling in love in their next life.

  For now, Jessica pondered marriage to Charles. Could she love a man who wasn’t her shelmir? Could she be wife to a man she didn’t think about every hour of every day?

  With a sigh, Jessica stared straight ahead with empty eyes.

  Her skin tingled and she rubbed her arms. It must be drafty in this old kitchen. Suddenly, a deep voice rumbled in her ear, one that made her heart leap for joy inside of her.

  “Hungry, my sweet?”

  With a gasp, Jessica whirled around to see Jareth standing perilously close to her. She stood from her chair and moved to put some distance between them.

  “I—I suppose I am,” she stuttered.

  “I have been looking for you. Did you think to hide from me in the kitchen?”

  “Why would you be looking for me?” She ignored his question.

  He smiled at her, as if her question were silly. Offering his arm, he said, “Come with me.”