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Relian took in the smaller form at his side. Cal stood close—so close he could brush his side against hers if he desired. And, oh, how he desired! He fisted his hands to keep from reaching for her. Those stubborn appendages seemed to take on a life of their own if he didn’t.
She’d touched him with increasing frequency since that day by the waterfall, and he’d been happy to return the favor. The fateful events of a week ago broke some reserve in her, anchoring her to his side more fully than anything else ever could have. But they never progressed past innocent caresses on the arm or cheek. He feared to push her, so he’d go at her pace—for now. She was still wary, but the binding was pulling at her, too. The evidence of that was in her eyes, in her touch, in her smile.
Guilt about his lies and withholding of information still bit at him, but he muzzled it, stuffing it deep within. What did it matter because the end result would be the same? She’d fall in love and bond with him. In the end, it’d all work out. It had to.
Time was a strange thing, though, and he’d never realized how much so until she’d arrived. The passage of time had never been of a concern to him before. Why would it?
His kind measured the passing of time by years, centuries, and even millennia. Minutes and seconds had rarely seemed important until now. Now snatched moments were all he caught with her. And he wanted to spend each and every one of them caressing her skin. The very tension of it hummed through his veins.
These times with her were both his pleasure and his torment. He gritted his teeth. The need to touch her grated like a wound, yet so did her absence. He could count the days she’d been in his world.
Nineteen days.
Not even three weeks.
Was that all? Barely three weeks of his life? He took a calming breath and resisted the urge to comb his hand through his hair. If he did, he’d probably tear it out. When had he started to count his days as if they were precious things, to be numbered and neatly ordered?
This was the mortal way of tracking time, but it’d never been his way, until now. An immortal mind was never meant to be confounded by the reality of finite time, at least as it stood by mortal concept. To live so fettered by time’s bonds confused his kind. Yet humanity had always seemed determined to ignore its existence, seeming to think they had forever. He shook his head.
How could they live with such temerity? He’d forgotten this aspect of humanity, as he’d been an adolescent when the separation occurred. Indeed, he’d probably been too young to notice. Young elves were much akin to their human cousins in the way they grew, only it took them centuries to obtain full adulthood and mortals a score of years.
Nineteen days she’d been here. How did Cal view these days? Even from her perspective, that couldn’t be so very long. Was acceptance coming to her? Her capitulation to his presence signaled it was, as did her close proximity. Still, he desired more from her. He wanted to be with her; he wanted to be in her. As so many times before, he slammed the steel door shut on his mind and willed his lower regions to behave. He had no right to want what she wasn’t yet willing to give.
Then again, how did he know what she wanted? Did she not stand close to him, trusting him?
He stopped abruptly and turned to face her. She halted but didn’t move away—a reassuring sign that caused desire to hum through him. Though sentries and other prying eyes could happen upon them, he didn’t care.
His gaze devoured her. Standing before him was the woman he’d dreamed of for years, even before he knew who or what she was, even before he’d met her when she was but a girl. Only in the last few months before her arrival had his dreams given any true hint of her outward exterior beyond her hair color.
To learn her race had come as quite a blow. He’d never considered she would be human. Why would he?
But it turned out she hadn’t been an elf or a human—she simply had been. No more and no less. Just herself, no race. It was an oversimplification, but one that resounded true to the depths of his soul.
Now that he knew her, he could see it had been her all along. There could be no denial in that. It had and could never be another.
Her fidgeting alerted him he’d stared at her for too long. Taking her hands in his, he offered her what comfort he could. The touch of her hands scorched his palms and fingers. Fiery sensation worked its way up his arms in a relentless path. He bit back a groan at the pleasurable pain. The binding was amplifying what would undoubtedly be his already strong reaction toward her, making it a hundred times more potent.
That bond burned through him, waiting to consume all until he wrestled back control. There would come a time when he wouldn’t be able to exert dominance, and he’d crumble under its effects. He couldn’t allow that to happen, not only for their sakes but for that of their worlds. They had to bond—and the sooner, the better. If she didn’t agree...
The thought he was already too far-gone to recover if she left wiggled around his brain like the most tenacious of worms. He’d swear the bond between them was almost completed if he didn’t know otherwise. For the pull to be so strong after such a short time was rare. Something was magnifying the effects. The veil had already interceded, interfered. Why not again? But what it did was no mere thing. It played a perilous game that could destroy two people, two worlds, if not all was dealt out satisfactorily.
He tugged her closer, and the invisible threads of energy that always existed between them intensified. The ecstasy of bond threatened to tear him apart. She had to see that her place was by his side. Letting her go wasn’t an option. His hands tightened around hers. Even if he’d wanted to voluntarily release her, it was impossible on so many levels.
***
Relian’s hands spread warmth through Cal’s arms that wasn’t entirely natural, and she shivered. His eyes pierced her, his regard not wavering. Though she wasn’t sure what was pushing her, she decided then and there she wouldn’t back down. She steeled herself not to break eye contact and kept her gaze glued to his face, determined to match his actions.
Match his actions... She gave a small smile. That had possibilities.
A bold idea took hold. He was so near that she could touch him without much effort. What would he do if she kissed that mouth she’d been hungering for? Relian had instigated their kisses at the waterfall. Since that day, she had no desire or willpower to keep him at arm’s length.
She drew a finger up his jawline. Relian sucked in a breath. As she placed a palm against his cheek and took in his widened eyes and dilated pupils, a thrill shivered down her spine. So she could take him aback. It was nice to know this emotion worked in reverse and that he wasn’t unfazed by her.
Cal let her hand rest there. He leaned into her touch. Turning his head, he placed his lips against her wrist, right above where the binding nestled. The warmth of his mouth forced a gasp from her. Relian had not only used her tactics against her, but he’d also aroused quivers of pleasure with a mere touch.
He gently slid his fingertips down the arm that cupped his cheek. Even through the material of her sleeve, his caress shot electric currents down to her toes. She drew back, quivering from all the warring thoughts and desires flooding her body. This wasn’t normal. No man had ever affected her this way.
Doubt leaked in and eroded the foundation she’d begun to build with him. She should step away. Relian might look like a twenty-something-year-old, but he was probably ancient enough to be her great, great, great...
Cal shuddered, this time not in pleasure. Though she was curious about his actual age, he likely gave new meaning to the phrase “older than dirt.” The one time she’d asked him, he hadn’t believed her ready for the truth. She agreed now. The probability of him being super old was one thing, but to hear it voiced as the cold, hard truth was another. She was making peace with this fact, but she’d be the first to admit she wasn’t there yet.
His hand stilled as if he sensed her indecision. She smiled slightly, and something loosened in her heart. She was here, in the garden...in Eria...with him. That was an unshakable truth. How much longer could she ignore what lay between them when it seemed everything conspired to bring them together? Shouldn’t she at least try to see where all this led? If it made leaving harder once her year was up, so be it. That might be a foolhardy way of thinking, but she’d worry about that later.
All she knew was that the denial of this chance, of this exploration, could well follow her around like a black cloud for the rest of her days.
Right now, he followed her lead. Her doubt fled. This moment, this finite slice of time happened at her discretion. Wanting to act before she regretted it or, worse, stopped herself, she slid both arms around his neck. A startled expression flashed through his eyes before it disappeared into the deepening gray of his iris. Satisfaction hit her. She could do this.
She pulled his head down toward hers, her eyes only open halfway. At first, the kiss was tentative. Soon, it deepened, lips opening and yielding to the other. First hers. Then his. Lost in sensation, she never wanted to wake from it. The rasp of his tongue inside her mouth melted her body into molten honey and wrung a sigh from her. He drew her lower lip between his teeth and delivered gentle nibbles before soothing the slight sting away with his mouth.
She pressed her body into his. The arousal that prodded her stomach told her he was affected as she was. He moaned and guided them to a nearby bench. After he pulled her down onto him, he settled her in his lap, her legs on either side of his hips and her knees on the stone. Her gown rode up to the back of her calves. Hopefully, no one would pass by or they’d get an eyeful of leg. Plus, their position wasn’t exactly modest.
His shaft pressed against her sex, and she groaned. Yeah, a very compromising position, one that had the heat flowing to her core. His arm snaked around her waist and anchored her firmly to him. He captured her lips in a demanding kiss, his other hand gripping the back of her head. She responded back to his nips and bites. His moans were the finest music she’d ever heard.
She placed her hands on his shoulders, but that isn’t where they wanted to be. And she couldn’t deny them their fun, so they slipped down farther, over his collarbones down to his nipples. He gasped into her mouth. After tormenting him for a few more seconds, she moved down and explored his ribs. Lean muscle rippled under her fingertips.
She meandered her hands up and pressed one flat against his chest, the palm resting over his heart. The beat was fast and strong, just like him. She rubbed against him, his member stiff against her. His hand slid up her leg and, once at the knee, snaked under the skirt of her dress. He drew little fiery paths over her outer thigh before his calloused fingers ghosted over to the inner portion of her thigh. There, his touch sent those electric currents straight to the area between her legs. When he ventured farther, her breath froze in anticipation. As his fingers slipped under the edge of her underwear, he froze.
He growled and drew his hand away, breathless, flushed, and looking like he could kill something. Her core clenched in need. Why’d he stop? She thumped her forehead against his breastbone. His fingers slipped under her chin, halting her actions and making her look up.
He pointed to a tree with a frown. The leaves rustled, and someone stuck an arm through the greenery to wave at them. As quick as it had appeared, the hand disappeared into the cover again. Cal gasped, warmth stealing over her face. “Oh.” Well damn, that put a damper on their heated moment. Their first time shouldn’t be aired on the Erian equivalent of a bad reality show.
Glancing around the garden, she couldn’t see anyone else, but that didn’t mean they weren’t there. If they hid in trees, who knew where else they might be? Relian held up four fingers. Four? Besides themselves, there were four others in the garden? Oh yeah, royally embarrassed now. No doubt she’d be known as that fast human woman who groped their prince in inappropriate places.
Her face still warm, she smiled wryly at her last thought. Inappropriate places, indeed, in more ways than one. And it was too soon. She may have decided to see where this thing went, but that didn’t include sleeping with him the moment they exchanged a few heated kisses.
With a groan, Relian ran his hands down her arms before he stood up and set her on her feet. Instead of letting her go, he held her close, his chin on her head. They stood there awhile. Her breathing mirrored his, choppy but slowing down as the moments ticked by.
He moved slightly, and she glanced up. His forehead came to rest against hers, and that kissable mouth curved into a pained smile. The infectious sight of it washed over her. Stifling a giddy giggle, she covered his lips in another kiss before they headed into the palace.
***
“You made out with him? You go, girl! How was it?” Maggie’s questions and comments poured out so fast, Cal could barely keep apace of them.
“Slow down. You’re way too excited about this.” She slouched against one of her bed’s posters, overwhelmed. So many emotions swam through her body, she didn’t know where to start or what to think. It felt like she and Relian had progressed way beyond kissing, but other than a few intimate caresses, they hadn’t. Still, something nagged at her. It’d been a close call. She would’ve slept with him if he hadn’t called a halt to their heated moment.
Relief and frustrated desire warred at that thought. It was too soon to take their relationship to that level. Sex would only complicate matters, especially if they didn’t stay together. And she still didn’t see how they could. With her past and their separate worlds, it seemed impossible. But that same past also reminded her that he was the male she’d literally been dreaming of for years. Oh, all that thinking made her head hurt.
“I’ve been watching you two dance around each other for long enough. If there’s a pointy-eared fellow for you, he’s it.” Maggie chortled from her chair. “Once you get over the fact he’s an elf from another dimension, it’s the perfect match. Arranged by the hand of destin— Well, the veil. But never mind that,” said Maggie, when Cal’s face darkened. “Maybe the veil was only a means to bring you two to the same place. If he were Earth-bound and going to our college, you would’ve met and ended up together, without any magical interference.”
“You think so?” Cal didn’t care for the thought that so much of her life may be prearranged. That went doubly for any relationship with Relian.
“Definitely.”
Maggie was one of her staunchest supporters in the whole Relian affair. She left it unequivocally clear if he made Cal happy, she’d give her blessing. Sometimes too enthusiastically. So many obstacles hindered a lasting relationship between them.
“How can you say that with such assurance? And he’s definitely not the next-door kind of guy, as you pointed out, which compounds problems.”
“He isn’t the guy-next-door type, but you were never this way with any guy you dated or they with you. I’m not stupid. I know the problems all too well. I’m here with you, after all, and see them with my own eyes. We don’t know how long we’ll be stuck here for sure, so I say take this time to see what develops with Relian. We’ll figure out the ‘ifs’ and ‘hows’ later if they arise. Who knows? This is faerie land, after all.”
Cal narrowed her eyes. “You’re going to get us in trouble. I have the oddest feeling that the king realizes what ‘faerie land’ means when you fling it around in his presence like a toddler with a new word. You just better hope he’s not biding his time until he exacts payment for your slights.”
Maggie waved Cal’s concern aside. “Pshh, he doesn’t scare me. He likes tormenting me too well to actually cause me any harm.”
“I don’t think he’ll hurt you, at least physically, but your pride just might take a dump in the mud if you’re not careful.”
“We’ll see. But let’s get back to you...”
***
“Ladies, your assignments, please,” Henril said briskly, sweeping into the library where he conducted their language and history lessons. The history ones were a new addition, as she and Maggie had gleaned just enough Elvish to be able to comprehend lessons originally created for young children. Cal would guess they were at a second-grade level. Not too shabby for only being in Eria for a total of sixteen weeks. Maybe she was being too generous, though? Maybe they were operating at a first-grade class? Nothing like being sent back to elementary school. She suppressed a smile, not wanting Henril to think she was smirking at him.
She shuddered and reached for her homework. No, that wouldn’t be good at all. He was a very stern male, not mean, but very aware of the authority he’d been given over them. She suspected he saw them as a challenge at which he wasn’t going to fail.
As he glided by their table, he swiped the parchments from their hands without a glance. His dove-gray robes billowed away from him most impressively. She and Maggie watched him as he sat down at the desk that had been placed in front of the table. He folded his hands and stared at them, not uttering a word. She hated it when he did that! He knew it unnerved them, which probably was why he did it.
He finally bent his head over a pile of books, silver hair falling over his shoulders. At least he was pretty to look at, not that she’d ever dare to mumble such a thing in his presence.
After picking two books out of the stack and tapping them twice, he smiled benignly. Cal shifted uneasily and heard Maggie do the same. They knew that look, damn it.
With a flick of his hand, he sent the books soaring toward them. Cal prepared to duck, but the book landed softly on the desk before her. The other one parked itself in front of Maggie.
“Read the first chapter of the book given to you,” he said, slowly enunciating each word for their understanding. “Then switch books, and read the first chapter in the second book. Am I clear?”
Both she and Maggie said, “Yes,” and dug into their books.
Hers was a history geared toward children and spoke about the founding of Eria. Their recorded history went back ten thousand years. Cal felt her mouth drop open. Holy crap. It made her wonder, not for the first time, just how old Relian and Talion were.
Reading was slow-going, but she felt she was getting a little faster every day. Interesting. There had been a lot of wars in Eria until the monarchy had been set up. Relief hit her when she saw that the first king had not been Talion. At least he wasn’t ten thousand years old. Then her relief died a swift, violent death. No, but he was the grandson of one.
Cal stifled a groan. So Talion was old, like really old. That meant Relian probably was, too. And not just a few-hundred-years-old old but truly ancient. Well, when she touched him, he certainly didn’t feel decrepit to her. No, he was stolid, muscular, and oh-so yummy to kiss and caress.
She sighed dreamily. What she wouldn’t give to be with—
Henril’s voice brought her back to earth—er, Eria—with a hard bump. “Lady Calantha, are you done daydreaming, or should I put your lesson on hold until you’re done? I’m sure your thoughts of the prince can wait.”
Warmth flowed to her cheeks. Was he a fricking mind reader?
Apparently, she’d said that out loud because he smirked, “No, just observant.”
Cal did groan this time and sunk down at least an inch into her chair. Maggie snickered. Cal wanted to elbow her in the side but refrained. God, how embarrassing.