ENTANGLED

by Eden, Cynthia; Kreger, Liz; Mayer, Dale; Miles, Michelle; Edie Ramer, Misty Evans,; Estep, Jennifer; Haddock, Nancy; Brighton, Lori; Diener, Michelle; Brennan, Allison

  She knew she should have been embarrassed, but God help her, she only wanted more of him, all of him. Mary Ellen reached for the waistband of his trousers and pulled them down his hips far enough that the hard bulge she’d felt pressing to her thighs sprang loose. Tentatively, she reached for him. His body was like pure stone, muscles carved from marble. He was a work of art, to be admired. She drew her fingers down his shaft, marveling over the hard velvet feel of him.

  “You’re going to kill me with your sweetness.” With a groan, he lowered himself, his body pressing her into the bed. Their gazes met and held, his eyes intense, so intense. “I know I shouldn’t do this. I’m a bloody bastard for taking advantage of you, but I don’t care. I want you, and you will be mine.”

  His words brought a heated thrill through her form. He pressed his lips to hers in a searing kiss as his hands dragged her shift down her body. The hair on his chest tickled her nipples. Hard and soft, the stark contrast of their bodies was completely erotic. His hands moved up her thighs to the curls hiding her femininity.

  “So lovely,” he whispered as his finger slipped between her damp folds. “So ready.”

  When his thumb found the sensitive nub, Mary Ellen cried out, arching her back. Pleasure after pleasure rippled through her.

  “Say you want me,” he demanded.

  “Yes, please, Aidan. Please.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, adoring the way the moonlight hit the angles of his fierce face. A lock of dark hair had fallen across his forehead, but did little to soften his features. How could she have ever thought he was dull and weak?

  “Tell me you’ll be mine forever.”

  A shiver of awareness moved through her body. She knew he meant the words. She knew by agreeing she was bonding herself to him forever. God help her, she wanted to. “Yes.”

  He shoved his knee between her smooth thighs. His erection pressed to her folds, the shaft like warm velvet against her sensitive skin. She couldn’t think straight when he touched her that way, when he whispered words of endearment into her ears. The ache that flared to life was almost unbearable. Mary Ellen arched her back, rubbing his erection between her thighs. She hadn’t a clue what she was doing, but when Aidan groaned, she knew she was doing something right.

  Aiden shifted and she felt the thick tip of his cock press between her folds. “I love you, Mary Ellen,” he said against her lips. “I’ve loved you since the first day I saw you.”

  For some reason, perhaps it was the intensity in his gaze, or the fact that she wanted to so badly, but she actually believed him.

  Aiden thrust forward, surging into her. Mary Ellen gasped as she felt the brief sting of pain. In her haste to have him completely, she’d forgotten the fact that it would hurt.

  “You’re mine, Mary Ellen,” Aidan whispered against her mouth. “Now and forever.”

  And he was hers. She could feel his blood coursing through her being. Feel his heart throbbing against her chest. Aidan was hers. Completely and utterly.

  He rocked his hips forward and any pain vanished. Aching need erupted deep within and Mary Ellen dug her nails into his back. “Yes, Aiden, please!”

  His large hands moved up her thighs, cradling her backside and bringing her closer to his body. “I love the way you pay such close attention to your clothing and hair as if you treasure your garments and ribbons.”

  She was barely aware of the words he said, only knew she wanted him to say more, touch her more, kiss her more. Mary Ellen pressed her lips to his shoulder tasting his salty skin.

  He lifted his hips and thrust into her again. The ache inside her flared to life, desperate for release. “I love the way you only read romantic poetry and gothic books, needing your happily ever after.”

  She groaned beneath him, wrapping her legs around his, bringing him deeper still.

  Aidan lifted his hips. “I love that you never want to hear bad news and leave the room if someone enters with a dark topic.” He thrust into her again. Pleasure rippled through her womb. Mary Ellen cried out.

  Aidan lifted his hips, his grip on her buttocks tightening. “And I love that you spend your days making sure the neighbors have enough clothing and food for winter.” He pressed a soft, gentle kiss to her lips. “But most of all, I love you.”

  He thrust into her one last time and Mary Ellen burst into a million white stars, spinning, twisting, floating through a reality she never, ever wanted to leave.

  Epilogue

  Three Months Later

  “You look lovely.” Meg gently smoothed the skirt of Mary Ellen’s dress.

  The cream-colored gown Mary Ellen wore with the silk material and capped sleeves that hung off her shoulders wasn’t ideal for winter weather, but she didn’t mind. When she’d seen the material she’d had to have it. The gown shimmered and glowed in the lamplight and complimented her red hair. The pearls at her throat and entwined in her curly locks were simple, but stunning.

  “You were married in the evening,” Mary Ellen said softly, watching her sister in the mirror. She’d always been close to Meg, but felt even closer to her now. Meg understood what it was like to be married to a man like Aidan.

  Meg paused. “Yes.” The blue gown she wore was cinched in at the waist, showing her lovely figure.

  “As I will be.”

  Meg nodded. “Yes.”

  They were silent for one long moment, lost in thought. So many emotions swirled through Mary Ellen, she wasn’t sure which to grasp onto. Nervousness. Excitement. Hope. Perhaps even a little fear, for everything was so bloody perfect.

  Meg stepped in front of her sister and cupped her bare shoulders. “You don’t have to do this.”

  The words were like ice water to her senses. The thought of not marrying Aidan was unbearable. “I want to.”

  Meg smiled and nodded. “I knew he loved you the moment he first saw you. Remember?”

  Mary Ellen flushed, embarrassed that she hadn’t known the true man when he’d first arrived. “He’d stepped from the carriage and I thought he looked rather destitute, sad, lonely. Then his gaze met mine and I felt some inexplicable emotion all the way to my soul. I knew then there was more to him, hidden deep within, I merely refused to acknowledge it.”

  Meg grinned. “He’s not a duke, or a lord of any kind. Although, he is quite well off since investing in Grayson’s shipping company.”

  “It’s not about titles or money. It never was, you know.” She smoothed down her dress, frowning when she saw a wrinkle. “All this time I thought I wanted someone financially secure. But it wasn’t about money. No, it was about being secure in a different way.”

  “How so?” Meg settled on the edge of a wingback chair that flanked her fireplace. They were in Aidan’s room at his cottage. He’d thought she’d want to be married at Grayson’s large estate, but no. She’d wanted to start their life together here…where they belonged.

  “Papa, as lovely as he is, wasn’t there for us, Meg.”

  Meg frowned and looked at the newly polished floorboards. “I know.”

  “He let his sorrow get the better of him. We couldn’t count on Papa.” She settled in the chair next to Meg’s, staring into the leaping flames in the fireplace. “I don’t blame him, but I never wanted to marry a man…” She didn’t finish, the words were too disloyal.

  Meg smiled and patted her cheek. “I understand.”

  And she did. Of course she did. They were sisters, but they were also best of friends and they’d gone through more than most sisters.

  Mary Ellen stood, fearful of more wrinkles. “It was never about the money.”

  Meg stood as well and drew her close into a warm embrace. “I’m so happy that you’ll be close by. Only a stroll away.”

  “I as well.”

  All too soon Meg drew back. “Now, I must go check on baby Violet before the wedding. You’re all right, then?”

  Mary Ellen grinned. “Yes, very well.”

  Meg left, closing the door softly behind her
. Finally alone, Mary Ellen let the moment sweep over her. Anticipation coursed through her very being, a giddy happiness that flared through her soul. She would marry Aiden. For the last three months he’d courted her. Brought her flowers, trinkets and chocolates until she’d had a large collection of gifts that any woman would envy. He’d insisted on a courtship, but she’d only wanted him. Now, finally, she would have him completely.

  A warm whispered warning said she was no longer alone. She didn’t need to turn to know who stood behind her. With a smile, she leaned back into Aidan’s solid warmth. “You’re not supposed to see me until the wedding.”

  “I had to.” He brushed her hair aside and pressed a kiss to her neck. Hot and cold chills danced over her skin. “Tell me.”

  “Hmm?” She turned to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked rather dapper and handsome in his black suit, but how badly she wanted to take that clothing off him. Would the guests notice if they were a tad late to the ceremony?

  “You said you didn’t truly need someone with money.” He cupped the sides of her face. “What do you need then?”

  His face was serious, so serious. She reached out, smoothing her hands over his cheek, soothing his obvious worry. “Someone who won’t abandon me when life is difficult. Someone who will fight for me. Someone who will love me unconditionally.”

  He smiled that sweet smile that always made her heart warm with life. “I think I can manage that.”

  She reached up on tiptoe, intending to press her lips to his mouth, but Aidan pulled back, resting his hands on her hips as if to keep her at arm’s length. “I can’t think when you’re touching me and I need to talk to you.”

  Confused, she allowed him to move away, even though his absence produced a physical pain. “What is it?”

  She tried not to worry when he paced to the windows, overlooking the dreary winter evening. The sky hung low with gray clouds, the landscape browns and yellows, but inside their cottage, it was merry and warm.

  “There’s something I need to tell you.” He paused at the windows by the bed. The very bed where they’d made love for the first time. The very bed where they’d admitted they cared.

  “You’re making me nervous, Aidan. What is it?”

  He turned to face her, his features uncommonly pale. “When you feed from someone…when you fed from me…”

  She stepped hesitantly toward him. “Yes?”

  “Damn it, Mary Ellen.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Feeding from me might have made you think you felt things you didn’t really feel.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  He closed his eyes and curled his fingers into fists. The emotion that crossed his face was almost painful to watch. “You don’t really love me. I wasn’t going to tell you. I wanted you so badly…”

  The words were shocking, certainly, but also confusing. “Is that it? Is that what has you worried?” She didn’t wait for his response, but laughed. “Oh Aidan.”

  He frowned at her, obviously not finding her response amusing. Eager to smooth the pain from his features, she rushed toward him. “You silly man, I loved you even before I fed from you! I was just too daft to admit it.”

  He was still frowning, but she didn’t miss the hope that flared to life in those blue eyes. “Are you sure?”

  She threw her arms around his neck, leaning into his hard body. “Positive.”

  His lips found hers in a possessive kiss that left her weak.

  A soft knock sounded on the door. “Mary Ellen! Grandpapa is here to perform the ceremony. Are you ready?” Hanna’s sweet voice called out.

  Mary Ellen grinned up at Aiden. “What say you? Are you prepared to be shackled to me forever? After all, your forever is a rather long time.”

  He brushed a curl over her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Forever and ever.”

  -The End-

  Books by Lori Brighton

  The Night Series:

  A Night of Secrets (Meg and Grayson’ s story)

  A Night of Forever

  The Wild Series:

  Wild Heart

  Wild Desire

  Other books:

  The Ghost Hunter

  The Mind Readers

  To Seduce an Earl

  Lori Brighton is a multi-published, award winning author. She writes historical romance, paranormal romance and young adult. Lori has lost an aunt, a grandfather and grandmother to cancer. This anthology is in honor of those strong individuals who have valiantly fought cancer and those who have supported a loved one through the disease.

  To find out more about Lori, visit her at http://www.LoriBrighton.com.

  FEEL THE MAGIC

  Liz Kreger

  Chapter One

  “It’s not too late to change your mind, Jessica,” Jenna said, her voice low. She shot a quick glance at the half dozen or so people gathered around and leaned closer. “Despite what I told the courts, once this is done, it may not be possible to turn you back into a human.”

  “I’m not changing my mind.” Her expression resolute, Jessica Mansfield tossed her hair back. It was long and thick, the nearly black tresses falling down her back in luxurious waves. She wasn’t a beautiful woman, but she was arresting. Of medium height, slender, she had a figure any woman would give her right arm for.

  But despite her good looks, she was dressed in what looked like secondhand clothes. The type you might find at a local Good Will store. The jeans were faded and at least a size or two too large. The hem was tattered and there was a tear where the back pocket used to be. The t-shirt she wore was also old and tattered, its original green faded to nearly gray. The lettering across the chest was illegible.

  Even wearing rummage sale clothes, though, she had a presence that drew the eye wherever she went. Jenna had known her for the past five months, and still could only count a dozen solid facts she knew about the woman. The investigator hired to do a background check had shown little beyond no family, a clean record, a job as a clerk at a coffee shop.

  “I was never meant to be a woman, Jenna.” Even Jessica’s voice was sexy. Husky. The type that made Jenna think of whisky and cigarettes. “I know I was born wrong. I’ve always known.”

  “Yeah, but a cat? I understand the whole man born in a woman’s body thing. But a cat born in a woman’s body?” Jenna let her voice trail off. It really was…odd.

  When Jessica Mansfield came to her nearly six months ago, Jenna had been ready to write her off as a crank. The Practitioner profession had only been legalized for a bit over a year and the talent was odd enough to draw the nuts out of the woodwork. The requests Jenna had had in the last two years bordered on ridiculous. A few of the milder ones were requests of everything from predicting next year’s Super Bowl winner, to spinning straw into gold and locating Big Foot.

  When Jessica had walked into her office at Lazlo & Associates and told her an off-the-wall story about how she’d always felt she should have been born a cat instead of a woman, Jenna figured she was another whack job and tried to blow her off. But Jessica persisted until Jenna finally realized she was serious.

  “It’s what I want, Jenna. It’s what I was meant to be.”

  Her desperate tone had given Jenna chills and she’d taken Jessica on as her client. They’d both gone through months of legal wrangling with the court system where she’d been ridiculed, accused of staging a publicity stunt, and been nearly thrown out three times. In the end, she’d prevailed. The papers were in place, the terms stipulated and agreements signed. All that remained was for Jenna to do the actual deed.

  Turn a woman into a cat.

  “Well, I supposed it’s appropriate that it’s Halloween Eve,” Jenna muttered as she removed her suit jacket and glanced around for a place to leave it. A coat rack caught her eye and she tossed it onto one of the hooks, next to a black judge’s robe.

  Actually, it really was a good thing it was All Hallow’s Eve. Magic might be based on
a type of science, but its power was still highest during the solstice. The full moon for the next three nights was a bonus. It would boost the magical energy by tenfold. Magic on steroids.

  Old time witches had that much right. Naysayers might scoff at the notion of Practitioners performing magic, but people were slowly discovering a use for the profession. Locating people, finding lost objects. Even police work. Dozens of old cases had been solved since the law enforcement agencies began using Practitioners. Jenna heard talk about assigning a Practitioner to the D.C. Police Force.