A smile lifted his lips. "No. Remarkably, none of that bothers me. In fact, I cannot imagine a day without them—without you." He gave her what he hoped was a significant glance. "Thank you for bringing a new perspective to the season. I needed it. I hope…" His words faltered, uncertain. "Well, I hope you receive everything you have asked Santa for this year."
She ducked her head as a blush stole across her cheeks. "The same to you, Blake." Then she disappeared into her bedroom.
Chapter Nine
Blake stood transfixed in the kitchen doorway as he watched Bethany pull two bread loaves from the oven. Thinking herself alone, she hummed strains of carols, and once or twice, she'd twirl over the floor as if waltzing with an invisible partner.
He thought her the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, with her cheeks rosy from the heat of the stove and her eyes bright and sparkling from what he hoped were happy thoughts. Blonde tendrils framed her face, curling along her nape, to tease him.
She brought an illumination to his home that was brighter than any star and he vowed to never give her up. He would talk her out of her ridiculous plan of leaving the next day, even if he made himself hoarse in the process.
This was why he'd been sent to live out the remainder of his life among the humans. For her and her children. To have a family. To experience unconditional love and to give it back without thought or consequence.
Lost in his musings, he jumped when he refocused his gaze on her and found her staring at him with a tiny smile curling her lips. "Is there something you wished to ask of me?" He swallowed but could encourage no moisture down his dry throat.
Please say you will stay.
"I could ask the same of you."
"How so?" She placed a glass dome over a rum cake she'd made then wiped her hands on her apron.
He shook his head, as if the action would clear his swirling thoughts. "The tree is in place and awaiting your decorating expertise." By will power alone, he moved from the doorway and closed the distance between them. "I was not aware you liked to dance. Would you allow me the pleasure of one set before we get to the business of Christmas?"
"We have no music much less a dance floor." Her hands fluttered as she struggled for an explanation. "This is hardly the proper venue—"
Blake pressed a finger to her lips. "Hush." He grinned when her eyes widened and her lashes fluttered. "I have just the thing. Wait here." Bounding down the hall, he pushed into his workshop, grabbed the music box and returned to the kitchen in less time than it took for her to remove the frilly white apron. "This is for you. I wanted to wait until tomorrow but find you can use it now."
As he held out the small, square box, his hand shook. Would she like the simple offering even though in all likelihood she had nothing to put inside? Would she be offended if it reminded her of her reduced status? He'd worked hard on the piece and had painted it black with intricate gold swirls and green vines on the lid. A few blue birds and flowers were nestled in the vines.
"Bethany?"
Finally, she lifted the box from his palm. "You made this?" She traced the design on the lid then raised it. The gentle, fairy-like tinkle of a waltz filled the small kitchen. "‘The Waltz of the Flowers’ from the Nutcracker Suite." When she met his gaze, tears sparkled in her eyes. "It is one of my favorites."
His heart resumed its normal beat. He hadn't been aware he held his breath. "I know." He wouldn't tell her how long he'd trolled through the shops of the city for the mechanism that would play that exact song.
"How could you know? You only met me a short time ago."
He shrugged. "I am an elf and in the business of knowing the desires of people I am close to." Advancing, he gently removed the box from her hands and laid it on the table. "I painted the flowers and birds in the same shade as your eyes. It may be empty now, but my hope is you will allow me to give you one trinket a year until it is filled to overflowing. Then I will craft you another, larger box and start the process over."
"Blake." She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "How can you be certain we are meant to be together for a lifetime? We began our relationship under a cloud of ugliness which hasn't yet been cleared, and I hesitate to continue—"
With a strangled sort of sound, he brought his arms around her and crushed his lips against hers. At times, words were merely extra noise. When he allowed her to breathe, her expression of pleased surprise made him grin. "I cannot explain why I feel this way, but I can tell you I have never felt so sure of anything." Sighing, he released her and stepped away. "Please consider staying with me beyond tomorrow." He had no idea the direction of her thoughts and wished he could navigate her inscrutable eyes.
Now that he had finally realized what had been missing in his life, how could he survive if she yanked it all from him?
"Save your answer. I must deliver the toys and stop next door. Mrs. Abermarle has a couple of things for the children. In the meantime, decorate the tree how you see fit. I shouldn't be away for more than a few hours."
Bethany laid a hand on his sleeve. "Come back as soon as you can. Christmas will not be nearly as nice without you." Before he could utter a word, she stood on tiptoe and placed a gentle kiss at the corner of his mouth. "Give your neighbor my regards."
"I will." His head reeled from the simple gesture. For the first time in his years of charity endeavors, he wished he weren't obligated to leave this night.
A gust of snowy wind hit Blake in the face as he alighted from the cab and paid the driver. Halfway across his snow-covered lawn he realized he still needed to visit Mrs. Abermarle. Damn it! Just when he had a cozy image of Bethany, wrapped in blankets, in his mind, reality dashed it away.
He stood in the snow and looked at his house, much as he had shortly after the arrival of his little family. Darkened windows met his gaze. No cheery yellow light flickered at the front window. Bethany must have retired already. So much for ushering in the holiday in her arms. He stared up into the sky that resembled black velvet sprinkled with stars for diamonds and fingered the jewelry box in the pocket of his coat. It had been there a couple of days, waiting, while he worked up the courage to give the cameo broach to her.
A commitment gift, the portrait depicted a mother with upswept hair who had her arms wrapped about two young children. That image made him think of the kids and how he wished to assume responsibility for them.
Now and always. In this decision, he would not waver. They were given to him as a gift from the universe and he accepted with somberness and thanksgiving. Learning to care for and love another person beside himself hadn't been as hard as he thought it would be when he left the Royal Court. Yes, he acknowledged to himself as he continued to stare into the unfathomable sky, he loved all three of them; would do anything for them.
As his happiness grew, his ears resumed their normal, pointed appearance. Both Bethany and John accepted him at face value. That alone could never have happened without intervention from The Divine. Was there such a being? Did a celestial plan make him into who he was? He didn't know and supposed he didn't care. He was an elf and had found the one group of mortals who liked him in spite of it. However, or why ever, their advent into his life had happened, he would be grateful for the rest of his life if he were able to keep them. Please, God, this was what he wanted for Christmas.
A family to call his own.
With a heavy sigh, he scuffed his boots through the snow, much like John would, and trudged across the yard. Once he gained his neighbor's porch, he stamped off the white stuff as best he could and rapped on her door.
Before he could puzzle out why his neighbor kept such bizarre hours, the door swung open and Mrs. Abermarle regarded him with a self-satisfied expression.
"It is an hour until Christmas, sonny. Darn near missed your deadline this year." Her hair, once again in rags, put Blake in mind of a surprised doll. "The Royal Court is pleased with your progress, boy, and has given me the authorization to issue you an invitation to rejoin if you should
desire it."
His jaw hung open. "I … you are from the Northern Realms?" He suspected she was different, but never would he have guessed she really was an elf as well. Somehow, being a nosy neighbor never equated to one of the Sovereign’s own.
She snorted in amusement. "It would seem love has reduced your once sharp brain to oatmeal. Of course I am! How did you think I am able to meddle in your life while keeping an eye on the neighborhood? And did you honestly think I would enjoy baking if I did not have magic to help, especially when your kids come over with no warning for treats?"
"I have no idea."
"Poor lost thing. Here are the toys for the children." She handed him a burlap sack. "In case you were wondering, I sent a polite note declining the invitation to the Royal Court on your behalf. I hope you live out your remaining days in true happiness and the love of the season. You belong here, not in the Northern Realm."
"Thank you." He continued to stare. "How did you know where my heart lay when I only just figured it out for myself in the yard?" A curious lightheartedness bubbled in his chest. He wanted to laugh or cry out his good fortune from the rooftop, anything to share the wealth of feelings that wouldn't be contained any longer.
A mischievous grin lit Mrs. Abermarle's face and the tips of her ears lengthened into points. "I have a knack for these things, and besides, you of all elves should know as the head elf, I have exclusive knowledge of what everyone desires for Christmas. How odd to find that the wish of your heart was the exact same wish of every member of your temporary boarders. I couldn't let the wishes go unfulfilled so I arranged to have you and Bethany meet at the restaurant."
"And the rest of her misfortune?"
"Some things are left best shrouded in mystery, sonny." She poked him in the shoulder with a long, bony finger. "You are letting the chill in and the snow is flying. Now go. You deserve everything that is coming to you. I’m thrilled you learned the lesson. Happy Christmas."
He had enough time to blink before she slammed the door in his face. His neighbor was the head elf, direct from the Northern Realm. Hell and damnation. He'd been duped all along. A slow smile lifted the corners of his lips. He couldn't be happier with the results.
Like a man reborn, Blake bounded across the yard to his own door. He'd no sooner gotten into the front room and removed his coat when he spied the Christmas tree. Dressed in the craft projects they'd made earlier, Bethany had fastened tiny candle holders to some the branches that would undoubtedly be lit tomorrow. A few packages wrapped in plain brown paper rested on the floor below and two of his socks hung from nails on the mantle, one for each of the children, stuffed with things he could only imagine.
Suddenly needing to plead his case to Bethany and prevent her from fleeing the next day, Blake slid the burlap sack beneath the tree and took the stairs two at a time, all the while careful to be as quiet as possible.
Flickering candlelight from his bedroom brought him up short. He pushed open the semi-closed door and his jaw dropped for the second time that evening. White pillar candles decorated his bureau top as well as the bedside table and lent the bedroom a warm, homey air. Bethany stood near the armoire, wrapped in his dressing gown, a very naughty glint in her wonderful eyes.
He swallowed. "Bethany?"
"I would like to give you my Christmas present now." Her grin was nearly as brilliant as the candle flames. "Since I have not had the opportunity to go shopping and could never repay you for the kindness you have shown me and the children, I'll give you the only thing I can." Her fingers fumbled with the belt at her waist. She shrugged and the robe fell to the floor at her feet. "Me."
Oh, God.
"Oh, God." The sentiment was worth saying aloud. He was rooted in place as he gazed at her glorious, naked body.
She wore nothing but a red velvet ribbon tied about her neck in a tiny bow.
"Happy Christmas, Blake."
* * * *
Bethany's breath grew shallow while he merely stood and looked at her. Would he reject her, turn away in disgust at her boldness? She shivered as the chill in the room sank into her skin and tightened her nipples. The unaccustomed weight of her unbound hair tickled her bare back. When he seemed to be made from stone, she attempted to cover her nakedness with her hands as disappointment settled heavy in her stomach.
"I apologize." How could she have been so stupid? "I wanted to give you the only thing I own that is truly mine, but now I have offended you."
"No." Emotion rasped in his voice. "I am honored by your gift. Humbled really." He closed the distance between them and adoration sparkled in his eyes. "I cannot accept your offering unless you truly mean it." He visibly swallowed then stroked his fingertips down her arm, his hand shaking. "I meant what I told you the other day. My offer of financial assistance has been withdrawn so you do not need to do this."
"I do." She cupped his head between her palms, let her gaze sweep over his dear face and his wonderfully strange ears. "I do not want the money. I desire you. Only you. You are all I have ever needed since your embrace in the alley. The money may have been the catalyst. It no longer has any bearing." She placed a kiss on his cheek and breathed in his scent that was now tinged with snow. "Somehow, we share a connection that defies the shortness of our relationship, but I feel we are meant to be together. Please, let me have this moment." She looked deep into his eyes and put every ounce of longing into that one glance. "Let me have you."
"My beautiful Bethany." He caught her in his arms, lifted her as if she weighed no more than a feather, and with a foot closed the bedroom door. "Dearest, I intend to accept your gift in the spirit it was given and return it to you tenfold."
Flutters filled her stomach as he laid her gently on the bed. The heat from his gaze warmed her and chased away the chill. She couldn't wait to feel his kiss, his touch. Impatiently, she watched him remove his suit jacket and discard it on the foot of the bed. When he kicked off his shoes and joined her, she let out a ragged sigh.
She reached for him the same time he gathered her into his arms. He was warm and solid and he belonged irrevocably to her.
Always.
Plucking at his waistcoat, she pushed it over his shoulders then began working on his bowtie. When its ends hung down like abandoned black ribbon, she fumbled at the buttons of his shirt. "I need to see you, Blake." The thought of pressing her body against his, feeling the heat of his skin drove her into a frenzied wave of lust.
"Patience." He captured her hands and held them above her head on the pillow. "We have the whole night." With a grin that promised dark pleasures, he lowered his mouth to her breast.
Her breath stilled at the exquisite sensations he invoked. She strained against his hands as he suckled at first one distended peak then the other. The heat from his mouth contrasted with the temperature of the room and she shivered. Her blood turned to fire in her veins. The rushing of her pulse in her ears only served to heighten the excitement, but he never stopped the gentle torture.
"Do you know what you make me feel?" She could barely force the words out while squirming beneath him. Glad when he released her hands, she returned to her task of relieving him of his clothes.
"Most likely the same thing I do." He claimed her lips in a kiss that teased more than caressed. "Crawl beneath the covers. I will be but a second."
Doing as instructed, she'd barely been settled when he joined her. "Your feet are like ice." In the process of edging away, her hand bumped against his rigid member and she paused. Never in her life had she seen a man naked, let alone been allowed to gaze, unrestricted, at his penis.
"Do you think I could…" Embarrassed, the question died in her throat. She looked away from his amused expression. I am too naive, too inexperienced, he cannot want me—
"Bethany." He captured her chin between his thumb and forefinger, turning her head so she caught his gaze. "This night is for your pleasure as well as mine. If you want to explore, do so. It is how we learn."
"But, I…" She coul
dn't summon enough courage after all.
"Like this." Blake took her hand and placed it against his erection. "It will not break, but I would caution against rough handling. Too much stimulation and our night will have very different results."
He was soft, almost like satin, but also silky. Hard and firm beneath her fingers, she felt ridges along the swollen length and wrinkles. "It is marvelous." She wondered how he would fit within her, ached for their joining.
"It is nature. Nothing more." Laughter echoed in his voice. "Are you finished?"
"Yes." The candlelight cast warm shadows over his face and highlighted his ears. "Make love to me, Blake. I can wait no longer." She spoke the truth. Watching him interact with the children all week then sharing in the remarkable sense of closeness and belonging had thrown fuel on her desire to belong and be loved.
He was the one man who could do that and support her in anything she wished to do with her life. He would encourage her and gently prod her to test her wings, yet he'd be waiting with open arms to welcome her when she needed him the most.
Perhaps he was her long-awaited miracle and she'd been brought to his doorstep because he needed her as much as she did him.
She swept her palms over the flat planes of his stomach and the softly muscled ridges of his abdomen. He was perfect. She drew her fingers through his chest hair, slid her hands over his shoulders that had tempted her since the first day and she held him closer, guiding his mouth to her breast, whimpering when he teased a nipple with his tongue.
She loved him. Despite the short time, with every particle of her being, she loved him and looked forward to building a life with him and perhaps … if they were lucky, perhaps have a child together.
Her brain shut down after that and she could only concentrate on the shivery sensations he made her feel.
Light caresses gave way to urgent strokes. Lips met with insistent need. Tongues clashed and explored. Blake's mouth seemed to be all over her body, covering her skin with moist, trailing kisses. He teased and circled her nipples with his tongue, tormented the buds with his fingers.
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