Why was nothing ever normal with Ariel? Rand watched as she hiccupped again and another flower dropped on the seat. He sighed. He should know better by now.
“Are you making these flowers appear?” Why did he even bother to ask? He already knew the answer.
“I think so. They’re buttercups—my flower.” Ariel’s voice was so soft he could barely hear her. “I’m sorry.”
He glanced at her. Were these hiccups the reason she’d looked so pale at his mother’s? The tightness remained in his chest as she huddled on the seat, small and wan, her knees pulled to her chest.
“Can I do anything?” The words escaped him without thinking. How could he make her smile again?
“Just take me home.” She met his gaze, her eyes luminous in the darkness. “Please.”
He drove as quickly as he dared, fighting the urge to speed. Too many little goblins roamed the streets tonight for that.
By the time he reached his house, the seat held a pile of yellow flowers, their aroma subtle, reminding him of Ariel. Ignoring them for now, he rushed to help Ariel from the truck. She leaned against him, appearing even more fragile, her eyes wide in her pale face.
Once inside, she sank onto the couch. “I’m afraid,” she whispered. “What’s happening to me?”
Ariel had been many things since he’d met her—enticing, infuriating, loving—but he’d never seen her vulnerable like this. Rand sat down and drew her into his arms. “You’ll be fine.” If he had anything to do with it.
Her head nestled against his shoulder as if designed to fit there and her soft curves were warm against his chest. Rand tightened his hold on her. Her well-being mattered.
And why not? She was carrying his child.
But more than that, she mattered. He kissed her hair lightly. Despite his defenses, she was managing to make him care about her.
“Do you think I’m dying?” she murmured, a tremble in her voice.
“Of course not.” He wouldn’t allow it. Besides, he’d been through too many pregnancies with his sisters. “You’re just pregnant. When Vicki was carrying Jordan, she was sick and miserable for months.”
“Months?”
Rand winced. Okay, maybe that hadn’t been the best thing to say. “Well, for you that should only be a day or so. But Liz breezed through her pregnancy. She said she threw up once, got it over with, and was never sick again.”
“She regurgitated her food?” Ariel shuddered. “A Fae would never do that.” Abruptly she hiccupped and a flower dropped from nowhere to land on the couch.
“No, you hiccup instead.” Rand smiled and nuzzled her hair, enjoying its silky softness.
“I’m trying not to.” She relaxed against him and Rand held her close, surprised at how right she felt within his arms.
As if she belonged there.
Forever.
He tensed. Lose that idea right now.
“I’m sorry I made you leave your mother’s early,” Ariel said, thankfully jerking his thoughts from dangerous territory.
“I didn’t mind, believe me.” He’d been ready to leave ten minutes after he’d arrived.
She started to speak, then paused as another hiccup emerged and a flower dropped beside them. “You have a large family.”
“You’re telling me.” He grimaced. Ten sisters. What had he ever done to deserve that?
“But they were so welcoming, so...so caring.”
He caught her note of wistfulness. The last thing he needed was for Ariel to spend more time with his family. It had been dangerous enough allowing her at his mother’s tonight. “They’re pretty overwhelming.”
He’d never known a time in his life when he hadn’t been surrounded by women and children, though he wouldn’t mind giving it a try. Until Ariel had disrupted his life, he’d been close to achieving that goal.
“I liked them. For mortals,” she added quickly.
“Don’t worry. You won’t have to see them again.” If his mother ever discovered Ariel was staying with him, he’d never know a moment’s peace. And if Mom learned Ariel was pregnant...
Rand shuddered. He didn’t want to go there.
“Do you dislike your sisters so much?”
He stiffened. What kind of question was that? “I love them,” he said emphatically. “I just want to live my life without women or children cluttering it up.”
When Ariel didn’t respond, he fought back his rising niggle of guilt. “All I want is to be left alone, to have peace and quiet. Is that asking so much?”
“No.” Ariel slid out of his embrace, her expression solemn, leaving his arms strangely empty. “I’m tired.” She rose to her feet. “Good night.”
He reached for her, unwilling to let her leave. “Are you all right? Do you need help?”
“I can manage.” She crossed the room, then paused at the staircase. “You needn’t worry about me. I’ll be out of your life as soon as possible.”
Turning away, she hiccupped and a flower dropped into Rand’s lap. He stared at its delicate beauty.
“Damn.”
“You owe me a ride.”
Stephanie jerked around as Dean spoke behind her. She’d hoped to avoid this. After a long Halloween night, all she wanted was to get home and sleep. As much as she loved her family, she always ended up exhausted after one of these gatherings.
“Get someone else to take you,” she retorted. Dean’s company was always dangerous.
“No, you’re stuck.” He grinned, so confident of himself she wanted to smack him. “I rode with Rand. Since he took off with your friend, you’re the logical choice. It’s not like my place is out of your way.”
She grimaced. He had her there. She’d have to drive right past his neighborhood to get home from here. “Fine.” She snagged her purse off the nearby kitchen counter. “Let’s go, then.”
Without waiting to see if Dean followed, Stephanie crossed the room to her mother. “Good night, Mom.” They shared a quick hug.
“Be careful, Steph,” Kathleen called. “It was getting nasty out there while we were trick-or-treating.”
“Drive carefully,” Mom added.
To Stephanie’s amazement, Dean joined them, dropping a casual arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry, Meg. I’ll make sure she drives smart.”
Mom bestowed a smile on him that she reserved for gods and movie stars, and Stephanie gritted her teeth. Why did he have to be so blasted charming?
Dean pressed a quick kiss to her mother’s cheek, then steered Stephanie toward the door. She jerked away from him, detesting herself for enjoying the warmth of his hold. They exchanged numerous good nights with the remaining family before they made it outside, with Dean gathering more of them than Stephanie. She scowled as she slid into the driver’s seat of her small Miata. Evidently her family liked Dean better than her.
“Keep that up and your face will freeze that way,” Dean said as he climbed into the passenger seat. He filled the space, his head brushing the roof and the rest of him way too close for comfort.
“Is that a medical observation?” She fired up the engine and took off in a hurry, anxious to be rid of him. Why did she have to be so aware of him? She certainly was long over her childhood crush.
“Jealous?” He grinned, irritating her more. “It’s not my fault everyone in your family loves me.” His smile faded and he brushed one finger over her cheek. “Except you.” She managed not to jerk at his touch.
“That’s ’cause I know what you really are.”
“Oh?” For once his tone sounded sincere rather than mocking. “And what am I?”
“You’re a...” Stephanie struggled to find the right word. What could sum up the way he’d treated her? “A scoundrel.”
“A scoundrel?” His grin reappeared. “I rather like that.”
“You would.” The car slid slightly as she rounded a corner, and Stephanie focused her attention on the road. “Kathleen was right. It’s a mess out here.”
The earlier sleet had changed to snow, the heavy wet flakes creating slick slush on the pavement. A perfect end to her night.
“So, what’s up with Rand?”
Stephanie jerked at Dean’s surprising question. How was she supposed to answer that? “What do you mean?”
“I mean the way he nearly had a cow when Ariel became ill. He took over like he had a right to.”
“That’s just Rand,” Stephanie said quickly. “After all, he’s probably been through this as many times as you have.”
Dean was always too observant, except when it came to her. He still thought of her as one of the guys, and she’d ceased being that a long time ago.
“I thought Ariel was your friend.” Dean glanced at her in the darkened car and she felt his gaze like a physical touch—warm and lingering.
“She is.”
“Then why did Rand rush over so quickly? Is something going on there?”
“Of course not.” Stephanie forced a laugh. Blast Rand for putting her in this position. “You know Rand’s sworn off women.”
“That’s what I’d always thought.” Dean paused. “Does he know she’s pregnant?”
“Yes.” Stephanie bristled. Of course, it was Rand’s baby, but if he wanted Dean to know that, he could tell him.
She wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel. “You know, Rand’s life is really none of your business.”
Dean chuckled. “Good point, Steve.”
That name never failed to make her blood boil. Didn’t he realize she was a woman? “Don’t—”
“Call me Steve.” He finished the statement for her. “But how else can I get that gleam in your eye?”
His words startled her and Stephanie turned to look at him. “What?”
“Watch out!”
She pivoted back to see two children dash across the street. She hit her brakes only to have the car skid on the slush. As she wrestled the steering wheel to regain control, she realized Dean had thrown his arm in front of her in a protective gesture.
The vehicle slid to a stop against the curb and she threw it into park, her heart racing as much from Dean’s touch as the close call. His arm and hand remained across her torso, a hair’s breadth beneath her breasts.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice slightly rough.
“Yeah.” It was the only word she could push through her constricted throat. Though “okay” at the moment was a relative term.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to distract you.”
Heck, just having Dean in her car distracted her. “Yes, you did. You like to cause trouble.” And the fact that he hadn’t removed his arm distracted her even further.
She met his gaze, illuminated by the nearby streetlight, surprised to find an odd gleam in his eyes. One very unDean-like.
“Poor Little Red Riding Hood, stuck with the wolf,” he murmured.
He had to be referring to her costume. Did he see himself as the wolf? That fit.
She was afraid to move, to breathe, too aware of his palm over her ribs. “Well, you know what happened to the wolf,” she said quietly.
“He gobbled up Little Red Riding Hood.” Dean slowly drew his arm over her ribs, barely brushing the underside of her breasts.
Her pulse accelerated as her breasts tingled with desire, her nipples tightening. “Not this Red Riding Hood.” She struggled for coherency. “This one would beat the crap out of the wolf.”
He lingered, his fingers splayed across her ribs, then removed his arm. “Yes, I imagine she would.”
But he didn’t look away, his gaze holding Stephanie captive. Was this how the wolf worked? By hypnotizing his victim?
She blinked and forced herself to look away. Gripping the steering wheel, she started the car again. She needed to get Dean out of here.
To her relief he didn’t speak again until she arrived at his sprawling house. “Good night,” she murmured, her gaze straight ahead.
When Dean didn’t reply, she glanced at him to find him watching her.
“Good night, Steve.” He beamed his devastating smile, the one that always brought butterflies to her stomach, and held up his hand before she could retort.
In one smooth movement he produced a large candy bar from his sleeve and handed it to her. “Thanks for the ride.”
He closed the door quietly, then climbed the steps to his front door as Stephanie stared at the candy bar. Snickers. Her favorite.
But he was treating her like a child.
Again.
Ariel groaned as she stretched beneath the heavy comforter on the bed. Judging from the sunlight slipping between the blinds, she had slept late again.
Why was she sleeping so much? As a Fae, she could go days without rest. But now she relished every moment she didn’t have to move.
As she stared at the ceiling, she vaguely recalled Rand peeking in several hours earlier to inquire about her condition before he ran some errands. Evidently, he’d accepted her sleepy mumble as confirmation of good health.
She searched within for affirmation of that fact. The baby was still there—alive and healthy. Better yet, she no longer experienced the odd pressure in her belly. Maybe her discomfort had been something she’d eaten.
Ariel ran her hands down to her stomach, then froze. By the Stones. She had grown.
Jumping from the bed, she tugged off her gown and examined her figure in the large mirror over the dresser. Her abdomen jutted out, providing ample evidence of the new life growing inside her.
She was deformed, off-kilter, her swollen belly destroying the sleek lines she’d maintained for centuries. Even her breasts were larger, the peaks darker in color.
Ariel immediately sought to clothe herself to hide the hideous sight, but only succeeded in creating one leg of a pair of trousers.
“Stones.” Wishing the malformed clothing away, she searched the dresser drawers for something to wear. She found several sweaters and pulled out a blue-gray one. Tugging it on, she found the material soft against her skin. This was definitely Rand’s sweater, for it fell to her knees and the sleeves hung down well past her wrists.
As she rolled up the sleeves, she examined her profile again. Better, but her belly still protruded.
No wonder it had ached and felt so tight yesterday. The baby had been growing. Rapidly.
Soon she would have a new life to cradle in her arms—a chance to feel needed again. A baby would cure her loneliness, her sense of not belonging anywhere.
With that thought foremost in her mind, she padded downstairs. Quiet filled the house.
Until the shrill ring of the telephone shattered the silence.
Ariel didn’t answer the ring. No one would be calling her and Rand had made it clear he didn’t want others to know she was there. But she did listen when his answering machine clicked on.
“Hi, Rand. It’s Lizzie. What happened with Ariel last night? Is she all right? And what’s going on with you two? Call me.”
Ariel smiled. Lizzie was worried about her. Had any of the Fae ever cared for one another like that?
A warm feeling centered in her chest and ebbed out to fill her veins. Someone actually cared about her.
True, Oberon had expressed concern when she’d wandered the magical realm, alone and lost, after losing her position as queen. But this was different.
Yet she couldn’t explain it. Was it because Lizzie was mortal? Or Rand’s sister? Ariel had met her only briefly and found the woman as open and warm as most of Rand’s family.
Why did he want to be away from them so much when they were a precious gift? One he obviously didn’t appreciate. Which was another reason why she couldn’t leave her child among the mortals.
This was her baby. Once it was born, Ariel would no longer be useless, unneeded. Its presence would fill this terrible emptiness inside her. It had to.
To pass the day, she tried watching the television, but she found the mortal antics tiresome. Did it truly matter if a person could guess the price of something?
She needed to do something...something for Rand. If he wanted to be away from his family, it was no wonder he found her irritating and useless. Perhaps if she could do something right for a change.
She had repaired his house after her incident with the message to Oberon. What more could she do?
Eat.
Ariel grinned. Her hunger pangs could not be ignored. She headed for the kitchen to peruse the refrigerator and to nibble at the fruit Rand had recently purchased. Aside from the recent addition of produce, it remained mostly empty. Even his bowl of green Jell-O contained nothing more than a spoonful.
She took out the bowl, an idea forming. She could replenish this for him. Rand enjoyed his gelatin and ate it almost every day. If she could create more, then perhaps he would like her.
Ariel hesitated. Why should that matter? He was mortal—nothing to her.
Yet he had been kind.
Setting the bowl on the counter, she poked at the wiggly substance and shuddered. How could anyone eat this?
No matter. Rand enjoyed it.
She had no idea how it was made, but surely her magic was capable of replicating this easily enough. With a wave of her hands, she set her magic to work.
Wonderful. The gelatin was growing to fill the bowl, just as she’d planned.
Wait.
Within a matter of moments, the goo overfilled the bowl and continued onto the countertop. Ariel frowned. That shouldn’t be happening.
She sent a counter-brush of magic to halt the spell, but the green, gooey gook kept increasing. “Oh, no.” She scooped up an armful and hurried to dump it in the sink, but by the time she returned, the counter was covered again.
There had to be a way to stop this. Why did her magic constantly fail her when she needed it the most?
In a few minutes, her attempts to shove the mass into the sink were useless. The gelatin now covered the entire countertop, including the sink, and was dripping onto the floor, wiggling as it went. Was it alive?
Certainly not, but the way the substance bounced and oozed over the floor gave her a moment of doubt. She had to stop this before Rand’s house filled with this stuff. He might like green Jell-O, but this was a bit much.
She tried a simple spell, but the growth only appeared to increase rather than stop. Her heart raced as she attempted to gather the gelatin into a single pile, but it refused to be contained.
What could she do? Already the floor was covered and increasing in depth. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be buried in this stuff.
She found a garbage bag and tried to fill it, to no avail. The Jell-O refused to stop. It now reached her knees, undulating as if alive.
“Stop, please stop.” She slipped to the floor, ending up waist deep in the green goo. This couldn’t be allowed to continue. She was Fae. Her magic was more powerful than this mortal substance.
Ariel closed her eyes, trying to ignore the swelling gelatin, and drew deep on the magic within her. It had always been a part of her, as subtle as breathing. Commanding it had never been difficult.
She would not allow it to be now.
The magic swelled through her veins, hot and prickly, alive with power. Yes, this would do it.
With a cry of satisfaction, she released her magic, then slowly opened her eyes. What would she see?
The gelatin had stopped. Thank the Stones.
“What the hell is going on here?”
She turned abruptly and spotted Rand in the kitchen doorway. Swiping at the gelatin coating her, she gave him a tentative smile. “Hi.”
Rand shook his head. Flubber had taken over his kitchen. Dear Lord, couldn’t he leave Ariel alone for even a few hours? “What happened this time?”
“I was trying to make you more Jell-O.” Ariel stared up at him, her eyes almost pleading. If not for the green gook all over her, she’d be an appealing sight.
“Uh-huh.” Rand didn’t enter the room. Instead he surveyed the pile of gelatin almost two feet deep on the floor and several inches thick on the counter. He’d be hours cleaning it up. “Don’t bother doing anything for me. I can’t take any more of your help.”
“I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Ariel’s voice trembled. “My magic is out of control.”
“Maybe you’d better stop using it.” He sounded harsh, but, damn, she was going to ruin everything he owned with her haywire attempts to help him.
She stared at him as if he’d suggested cutting off her head. “But it’s a part of me.”
“Well, your parts don’t appear to be working very well.” He started toward her, then extended his hand when she attempted to stand. “Be careful. Don’t fall.” He scooped up a handful of gelatin and threw it toward the buried sink. “What a mess.”
“I...I...”
At Ariel’s sniffle, he frowned. Was she crying? He hated it when women cried. His sisters knew he was a sap when that happened. Blast his temper. “Are you crying?”
“No. Fae don’t cry.” She sounded indignant, but he caught sight of the large drops trickling down her cheeks.
“Oh, hell.” He waded into the room and pulled her up into his arms, then froze, staring at her belly. “Dear Lord, you’re pregnant.”
“I told you I was. Even Dean said I was.” Ariel swiped at her tears and he reached out to catch one on his finger.
To his shock, it crystallized into a solid white stone that shone in the light. Rand frowned and examined it more closely. An opal? “You’re crying opals?” After everything else she’d done he shouldn’t be surprised, but crying opals?
“Fae don’t cry,” she repeated with a quivering lower lip.
Rand had to smile. “I hate to disillusion you, Ariel, but you are crying.” He touched that full lip, then caught more tears with his hand. As they left her skin, they instantly changed into gemstones. “And quite a cry at that.”
“But I...I...” She touched her face, leaving green smears, then stared at the moisture on her hand. “It must be the baby.”
Oh, yeah, he’d believe that. His sisters had been walking hormones during their pregnancies. If possible, he’d avoided them, never knowing when to expect tears or anger.
But he couldn’t avoid Ariel. To be honest, he didn’t want to avoid her. Even with her belly swollen, eyes red-rimmed, and green gelatin covering her clothing, she was enticing. “I’m sorry I yelled.” He kept removing her tears until they finally stopped, creating a pile of gems atop the Jell-O. He surveyed the mess. She’d meant well. His chest tightened. She’d been doing this for him, to please him. And he’d yelled at her.
Rand ran his hand over her hair. “It was nice of you to want to make me Jell-O.”
Her damp gaze met his. “Perhaps I should learn how to cook the mortal way.”
“I’ll teach you.” It had to be safer than letting her magic loose again.
“Thank—” She stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as she dropped one hand to her tummy.
“What is it?” Renewed panic jumpstarted his pulse. She’d seemed fine when he’d left this morning or he wouldn’t have gone. Was she still having problems?
A soft smile crossed her lips. Her face glowed. “The baby moved. Like a butterfly testing its wings.”
She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. “Wait. Wait. There. Did you feel it?”
He had felt a tiny tremor beneath his palm. A sense of awe filled him. His baby was alive. His baby.
No matter what Ariel said, he intended to be a part of this child’s life. He might not especially want women or children, but he wasn’t about to neglect a life he’d helped to create. Even if it was Fae.
He brushed his fingers against Ariel’s cheek. “It’s awesome.” From her expression, she experienced the same wonderment he did. “Thanks for letting me share.” At this moment, he could almost fool himself into believing they were a real couple, a normal man and woman expecting their first child.
Ariel’s eyes darkened, the color resembling the ocean depths, as she placed her hand over his. “Thank you, Rand,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Emotion that burrowed into his chest and lingered, heavy and warm. Without thinking, Rand sought her lips.
She sighed and melted against him, her mouth hot and welcoming. This kiss was different, less hot but no less passionate. Only this passion was built on sharing, or caring.
Was this woman claiming more than his home, his child, his life?
“Now this has got to be a good story.”
Rand jerked his head up at the familiar voice and pivoted toward the doorway. Oh, hell.
Dean.