Seduced in Shadow

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Seduced in Shadow ISBN 9781419917042 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Seduced in Shadow Copyright © 2008 Stephanie Julian. Edited by Carole Genz. Photography and cover art by Les Byerley. Electronic book Publication July 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

SEDUCED IN SHADOW

Stephanie Julian

Author’s Note In the contemporary world, magic holds no sway. But looks can be deceiving. Old gods remain. Old ways continue. Mythical creatures live among us…if you know where to look. The Etruscans were a mysterious civilization that came to prominence in what is now northern Italy. The ancient Greeks feared them. The ancient Romans revered them. Their culture was powerful and sophisticated on the surface. But what they kept hidden was much more interesting… Magic! The magical descendants of the ancient Etruscan race still walk the Earth. They comprise two groups. The Enu are of human descent, the Fata are spirits of the forests, water and air. Both have the ability to control the elements with the arus, the magic in their blood. For centuries, the Etruscans have maintained their culture, practicing their rituals and their way of life in the shadows, behind closed doors. But they live among us. And they’re more powerful than you’ll ever know.

Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Audi: Audi A.G. Disney: Disney Enterprises Inc. Dr. Dolittle: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Fortune 500: Time Inc. Corporation 4Runner: Toyota Motor Corporation James Bond: Danjaq LLC The Matrix: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Miata: Mazda Motor Corporation Spock: Paramount Pictures Corporation The Lord of the Rings: Saul Zaentz Company DBA Tolkien Enterprises Tinker Bell: Disney Enterprises Inc.

Stephanie Julian

Chapter One Why the hell did she do this to herself? Fiorella Johannson’s lungs stung, her knees hurt and the heavy-duty bra she wore to bind her 36Cs cut into her shoulders. She’d only started running fifteen minutes ago. She kept telling herself that she really didn’t have time for this. Becoming a freelance marketing consultant had meant she had to work twice as long and three times as hard to make almost as much as she’d earned at her former job with the nonprofit Children’s Foundation of the Winter Group. And she’d worked nearly sixty-hour weeks there… Oh yeah. She ran to reduce her stress levels. At least, that was what the doctor had prescribed. “Ellie, you need a hobby,” Dr. Prescott had said during her last visit. “Tranquilizers are not the answer to everything. Do you have a boyfriend? A girlfriend? Take up knitting, crocheting, a book club. Your blood pressure’s in the red and your panic attacks are increasing. Do you have regular sexual relations? What about exercise?” Crocheting? Ha! Sex? Not lately. Guys were taboo after the Daniel debacle and girlfriends in short supply since she’d returned to her hometown four months ago to live in her mother’s house while she started up her business. All her friends from high school had either moved away or were married with children and had little time to socialize. And her mom and her newly retired second husband were traveling around the country in a motor home and weren’t expected back for another two months. Because exercise had seemed like the lesser of all evils, she’d bought a pair of sneakers. Much less trouble than a boyfriend and they didn’t lie about their job or sleep with your roommate. 6

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Ellie had leaped into running with both feet, a bad habit that usually got her in trouble. Screw working up to a three-mile jog by walking first. That would’ve been boring. She’d started running at Gring’s Mill but the flat trails were uninteresting and crowded. She’d wanted something less populated, where she could hear herself think. Then she’d remembered Nolde Forest from an elementary-school field trip and here she was for her fourth go-round in less than two weeks. The protected woodlands had beautiful trails. She could hear the birds singing in the trees while the small creek to her left burbled. No one else was on the trails at six a.m. on a warm Sunday morning in April and that suited her just fine. Of course the park didn’t actually open until eight, but that was a minor detail. Inhale, one…two…three…four. Exhale, one…two…three…four. Damn, this uphill shit sucked. Ellie slowed to a walk to catch her breath, rubbing at the dull ache in her chest. A loud crack to her left startled a gasp out of her. She turned a complete circle, trying to see everything at once. Light haze softened the early dawn air, creating misty shadows through the large trees on either side of the path. Her heart pounded, and not from exertion. Someone was out there. She felt someone’s gaze on her but saw no one. Shaking her head, she started to jog again. “Stop, you idiot. You’re just scaring yourself.” After all, she was used to solitude. She spent a lot of time alone for her work. Hell, she actually spent a lot of time alone by choice. Wasn’t that pathetic? Another crack came from the trees and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Shit. Someone was watching her. Ellie glanced over her shoulder. No one there.

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Tilting her head back, she looked into the trees. No one ever looked up in horror movies. That was usually a big mistake when the killer jumped down and decapitated the stupid girl alone in the woods. Nope, nothing up there either. Okay, now she was really creeped out. Should she turn around and run back to her car? She stiffened her spine and continued running. No way. That would be admitting defeat. And though she may be cautious, she wasn’t a coward. But if someone actually jumped out of the woods, would she be able to fight him off? Ellie was on the average side of everything—height, weight, looks. Nothing special in her opinion. As if that would matter to a murderer or rapist. Another crack sounded, this one more like a series of pops. Did she hear footsteps to her left? She stopped, her gaze darting all around. A flash of movement to her left caught her eye and she screamed, just a short burst of sound. Two of the three deer that had walked onto the path in front of her leaped away but the third just stood there, staring at her. “Oh my God.” Deer. Just deer. Ellie took a deep breath and tried to slow her racing heart. “That wasn’t very nice, you know.” She shook a finger at the doe, which blinked large brown eyes at her. “You shouldn’t sneak up on someone like that. You nearly gave me a heart attack.” Tilting her head to the left, the doe snorted. And said, “You are trespassing. Humans are not allowed in until after the sun has been in the sky for a time.” “Oh, don’t give me that,” Ellie huffed. “I’m not disturbing anyone.” 8

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“Your huffing and puffing are very disturbing,” the doe replied before deliberately walking away. Ellie stared after her, shaking her head. “Hell, even Berks County deer are rude.”

***** Antonin de Feo watched the scene unfold from behind a large oak. He’d been tailing Ellie since she’d left her home this morning. A bit over a week ago, her brother Justin had contracted the security firm owned by Antonin and his two brothers to provide protective surveillance for his sister. Because Ellie Johannson was no regular mortal. She was the half-human daughter of Selvans, the Etruscan God of the Woods. For years, her father had kept her under guard—secretly of course—rotating a new man into guard duty every few months to keep them sharp. For the past week, Antonin and his oldest brother Camillus had shared her protection, following her every move, and she’d been none the wiser, never showing any sign that she felt their presence. But now, today, she’d acted as though she’d sensed someone following her. Interesting but not unremarkable. His brother Cam was damn near impossible to detect but some humans could pick up on Antonin’s proximity, even if they never saw him. Since Ellie was Selvans’ child, she probably had better senses than an etera, a regular human. But this… Justin hadn’t told him about this. His mouth curved in a smile. He’d been told she didn’t know what she was, what her father really was. If that was true, then how to explain what had just happened? How did she explain the fact that she could talk to animals?

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Well, he supposed “understand” would be a better way to describe the communication he’d just overheard. Ellie had spoken English and the doe had spoken deer but the females had understood each other just fine. Cool. After another huff at the doe’s retreating back, Ellie started running again, a plodding jog he could sustain until the end of time. But which she seemed to be having trouble with, if her heavy breathing was any indication. She had to be completely out of shape to be winded from this slight amount of exertion. As he followed her all the way up the hill, he stayed in the trees to her left, watching her thick, silvery blonde braid twitch down her spine, the curling ends reaching almost to the gap between her purple tank top and her black, skintight shorts. Creamy flesh peeked out as she ran, drawing his gaze to her flat stomach. From there, he let his eyes wander north. She had great breasts, though they were bound tightly by her bra. Even so, they had enough bounce to give him an aching hard-on. She wasn’t tall but she had a beautiful body—toned arms and legs, smooth stomach. Athletic but not muscle-bound. She had to do something to keep herself in shape. Or she had really good genes. And he knew where those came from… Yes, Antonin saw a little of her father in her Roman nose and lavender eyes, almost as big and round as the doe’s. And that mouth… Man, that mouth had shown up in his dreams lately. Erotic fantasies that left him hard and aching in the morning. Though they were harmless fairy tales in comparison to what he’d seen last night, watching over her as she’d gone to bed. As a linchetto, one of the Etruscan Fata races, Antonin could dissolve his body into shadow. That talent had proved to be a great advantage on jobs like this one.

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Around midnight, he’d made one final round of her mother’s house, just to make sure all the windows and doors were locked. Then he’d heard her mumbling in her bedroom. Stopping in her doorway, he’d nearly had a heart attack as he’d watched her pleasure herself. Yeah, it’d been a huge invasion of privacy but he hadn’t been able to drag himself away. Closing his eyes briefly, he could still see every detail… Ellie, naked, on her back on the bed, eyes closed. Her hands kneaded her breasts as her legs rubbed against each other, trying to ease the ache between them. She trailed one hand from her breast over her ribs and across her stomach until she brushed the curls between her legs with her fingertips. Slowly she let her fingers sink into the curls, her legs falling apart, unknowingly baring herself to him. With her thighs parted, she slid her hand down, rubbing her clit, dipping further until she reached the glistening lips that led into her body. She ran her fingers lightly around the plump edges then back to her clit, giving it a tweak that made her lips part on an indrawn breath. Her chest rose and fell at a faster pace, her breasts jiggling slightly with the motion. But then her fingers arrowed back between her legs and, with a practiced motion, she slid two fingers into her channel and rubbed her thumb against her clit, maintaining a steady pace until finally, finally, she sobbed out her climax. Then she’d sighed, rolled onto her side and fallen asleep. Aching so badly he’d been grinding his teeth, Antonin had gone back to his car to retake his physical body and jerk off. It hadn’t been nearly satisfying enough. And now he was hard and eager again just from watching her run. He had to have her. And by the Gods, he intended to.

***** Finally. Ellie reached the top of the hill, slowed to a halt and nearly fell over. 11

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Luckily a rough wooden bench sat on the side of the trail under a pair of tall pines and she dropped onto it gratefully. She should have brought along a water bottle… Then she felt it. The hair on the back of her neck lifted again. Someone, or more likely some animal, was staring at her. She huffed. “Jeez, would you please just come out already? I know you’re there.” She was expecting the doe. Whenever the wild animals realized she could understand them, they usually flocked to her in droves. Dogs, cats, squirrels, rabbits, rodents, birds, all those more used to humans, typically ignored her. Since Ellie had realized around the age of seven that talking to animals wasn’t exactly something everyone could do, she’d learned not to acknowledge her furry friends when other people were around. “It’ll be our secret, sweetheart,” her dad used to say. “Others just won’t understand.” Her mother had never truly believed in her ability. She’d just patted her on the head and rolled her eyes whenever Ellie had brought home another feral cat that had begged her for food. But since no one was around here this early, she could have another chat with the doe. Ellie gasped and nearly passed out from shock when a man—tall, dark and dreamy—stepped out from behind the trees. “Whoa, hey, I didn’t mean to scare you.” The man’s voice was deep, a little raspy, completely mesmerizing. He held up his hands as if in surrender but when he stepped forward, she screamed. And fell backward off the bench in her haste to get away. He stopped dead in his tracks. Heart pounding, Ellie scrambled to her feet, keeping the bench between them.

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Oh holy shit. This was it. This was what they warned women about in those running magazine articles. How could she have been so stupid? Alone in the woods at six o’clock in the morning with no one around to hear her scream for help. The man looked long and lean, a little over six feet tall she guessed. With those legs, he’d catch her easily if she ran. His arms bulged with muscle under the short-sleeved green t-shirt that clearly defined his broad shoulders and flat stomach, while his thighs filled out his worn jeans. Despite her fear, she could appreciate the sheer masculine appeal of the man. He was gorgeous. Straight, shaggy-cut black hair hung to his shoulders, long bangs off a side part nearly obscuring light-colored eyes…maybe gray. He wasn’t close enough for her to tell the exact color, and if she had her way, he wasn’t getting any closer. His face was all angles—chiseled cheeks and chin and straight, pointed nose. Hell, she thought she even glimpsed pointy ears beneath that silky-looking hair. A slight smile turned up the corners of his wickedly sexy mouth but it was the scattering of freckles on that nose that capped his appeal for her. Hell if she knew why. The real question was why he was lurking in the woods, stalking innocent women. With his looks, he’d be able to seduce any woman he wanted. Which made the situation all the more surreal. Okay, play it cool. You can get out of this. “Wow. You scared the hell out of me. I wasn’t…expecting to see anyone out here this early.” “You’re right.” His smile kicked in again and this time her breath caught in her throat at his pure masculinity. “There shouldn’t be anyone out here this early.” Right. Maybe she was reading this situation completely wrong. What if this guy was a park ranger? She’d gladly take a ticket for trespassing instead of rape and murder any day.

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Playing on her blonde, violet-eyed looks for all she was worth, Ellie fluttered her eyelashes at him and turned on the bright smile that had gotten her out of many high school scrapes. “I am so sorry. I didn’t realize… I mean, the sun is up and I just wasn’t thinking. Am I in trouble?” His smile widened and she felt heat that had nothing to do with the air temperature begin to pool low in her stomach. How inappropriate was that? From terrified to horny in two minutes. She really must be losing her mind. “No trouble from me,” he said. “I don’t work for the park service.” Okay, there went that idea. She took another step back. He stayed where he was. “So then what are you doing out here?” she asked. Cocking his head to the side, he seemed to consider his answer. In the horror films she’d loved to watch as a kid, the villain almost always said, “Why, I’m after you.” Which of course gave the ditzy heroine time to run into the forest, get hopelessly lost and manage to find the killer’s lair, making it easy for him to hang her on a meat hook. Finally, when she thought for sure he was going to pull a machete from behind his back and slash her to bits, he shrugged. “Taking a walk. I’m an early riser.” It sounded so plausible. Almost too plausible. She tried her smile again. “Okay. Well, I’ve had my break. I’m just going to get moving then. Nice to meet you.” He smiled again and nodded. “Nice to meet you too.” Then he turned and walked back into the forest, barely making a sound as he appeared to melt into the trees. Ellie took off down the hill, running all out. By the time she reached her car, she was gasping and cursing herself front, back and sideways for her stupidity.

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She’d let her imagination get away from her again. Just as she had in Philadelphia when she’d left her job. Fear had been part of the reason she’d run all the way home to Berks County four months ago. Fear that she was losing herself in her job, that she wasn’t cut out for a high-paced career in public relations. Today she’d just run to the car. It seemed she was always running away from something. She was such a freaking coward.

***** Whispering the spell to dissolve his corporeal body into shadow, Antonin followed Ellie all the way down the hill, cursing himself. That was not how he’d wanted this to go. Justin would have his head for scaring her. He’d wanted to make contact, charm her just a little. Typically, women loved him. He’d been banking on that to get her to talk to him, maybe ask her out, get close to her. Not have her run the other way. But damn, the view was just as nice going down as it had been coming up the hill. She had a perfect ass and great legs, even if they weren’t all that long. Still, she wasn’t much of a runner and if someone truly had been after her, she’d have been dead meat. He’d have to take that into consideration if anything happened. By the time she reached her car parked on the side of Route 625—since the park gates hadn’t been open yet—she was gasping for air. He watched her slump against the little red Miata, hands over her face as she tried to catch her breath. No, not trying to catch her breath… Shit. She was crying, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. Hell, now what?

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Maybe he should confess. How embarrassing would that be? He was supposed to be good at this. It was why Justin had chosen him in the first place. Ellie had made the job a whole lot easier by moving back here from Philadelphia. Not that he didn’t love Philly. It was one of only a handful of cities in the world where, strangely enough, he felt safe. However, in terms of sheer numbers, her move to Berks County had made it easier for her bodyguards to watch her. With his abilities, this should have been a cakewalk. Then he had to go and spook her. Justin’s directive that they not make contact unless absolutely necessary be damned. Ellie’s brother had chosen their firm for a reason. And Antonin had a job to do. To protect her at all costs and not to freak her out. But just as he was about to make his presence known to her, the doe from earlier poked her nose out of the trees. “Are you hurt?” she asked Ellie, though he knew anyone else listening in would hear only a soft snort of air. Ellie shook her head and wiped the tears from her cheeks as she glanced back at the doe. “No. I’m fine. A man on the trail startled me. Thanks for asking though.” The doe tilted her head to the side, blinking her large eyes. “What man?” “Tall-dark-and-handsome who scared the crap out of me.” He smiled. So she had taken notice of him. Nice to know. The doe snorted and shook her head. “I saw no other human. Only the linchetto.” Oh shit. Antonin rubbed a hand over his now-perspiring forehead. He’d been outed. Ellie frowned. “What do you mean, linchetto?” The doe threw her head again. “The elf.” Ellie’s mouth dropped open and her eyes widened in shock. “Did you just say elf?” The doe flicked her tail and pawed the ground. “The dark one.”

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Ellie’s brow furrowed. “An elf. Like Santa’s elf, with little pointy ears, about two feet tall?” The doe’s head moved from side to side. “No. He stands taller than you, though he does have pointed ears.” Ellie rubbed her forehead. “An elf. Right. Now I know I’ve gone over the edge. Isn’t it bad enough I’m God-damned Dr. Dolittle? Did you have to add elves to the list of things I don’t need in my life? Oh yeah, this is going to be a great day.” “Are you sure you are not hurt?” The doe’s head cocked to the side, wary and watchful. Ellie shook her head then dropped it into her hands as she leaned against her car. “No, I’m fine. Well, maybe not fine but at least I’m not sitting in a padded room wearing a straightjacket.” She sighed and lifted her head to stare at the sky, giving Antonin a clear shot at her perfect profile. “No, I’m standing on the side of the road talking to the deer. You do know I shouldn’t be able to talk to you, right?” Antonin’s lips quirked into a smile. He liked this woman. Sure, the package was grade-A but so was her mind. She was sharp and had a quick wit she wasn’t afraid to use on herself. He’d been falling for her since Justin had first approached them with this job more than a week ago. The doe snorted, a full-blown laugh. “Yes, I understand. Obviously you do as well. I have met others like you.” Ellie’s eyes blinked in surprise. “Really? I’ve never met anyone myself. I thought I was the only one. You met them here, in these woods?” “Yes. There was one just this morning. He asked about you. He was rude.” Antonin froze. Shit. Since no one of the Fata would have an interest in enquiring about Ellie, this could only mean one thing. The Malandante, the dark magic users, had found her. Justin had told him how Daniel Bonnini had nearly captured Justin’s mate, a folletta named Scarlata, some time ago. How the bastard had wanted her as a lab rat.

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Justin was worried that Bonnini would go after Ellie now that Justin and Scarlata were out of his reach. The Mal might try to use his sister as a bargaining chip. Bonnini must have finally decided to make his move. “Was this man an elf too?” Ellie asked, her wry tone clearly incredulous. “No, but he was not strictly human either.” Ellie shook her head in disbelief. “Then what was he?” Antonin had heard all he needed to. Time to intervene. Recalling his corporeal body, he stepped out of the trees, creating enough noise to make sure Ellie heard him this time. She started, her hand going to her throat, eyes widening in fear. Stopping on the other side of the car, he extended his hand over the hood. “They’re after you, Ellie. I can help.”

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Chapter Two Ellie thought her heart would pound out of her chest when the man she’d seen on the trail stepped out of the trees. She had the immediate urge to run but knew he’d catch her before she got more than a few feet away. Okay, don’t panic. You can handle this. “Are you following me? And how do you know my name?” He stepped closer to the doe then stopped, nodding his head. “Yeah, I am following you. But I have a good reason. Your brother Justin sent me.” What? Justin? That didn’t make sense. She hadn’t seen her brother in months. He’d been wrapped up in a new job, something about research and proof and their father. Every time her brother went on a “Dad bender”—going on and on about their dad’s ideas about fairies and magic—she could forget about talking to him. “Why would Justin send you? Does he need something from Mom’s house? Why didn’t he come himself?” Her eyes widened. “Oh God. Is something wrong? Did something happen to Justin?” Now a different fear grabbed her. The kind that had plagued her for years after their father had died so suddenly. The man across from her held up his hands. “Whoa, no. Nothing happened to Justin. Well…” He hesitated for just a second, making her fear ratchet up another notch. “No, nothing’s wrong with Justin. He just couldn’t come so he sent me.” This didn’t make any sense at all. “Why would he send you and not tell me? Who are you?”

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The man straightened and something crossed his expression. She’d never been able to read men well. It was why her relationships always ended in abject failure. Well, that and her inability to trust them. But really, most of them lied anyway. His lips quirked in a self-deprecating grin. Or maybe he was just getting ready to put something over on her. Ugh. Men. “My name is Antonin de Feo. Your brother and I have become good friends in the past few months and he asked me to come.” “But who are you?” “I’m your bodyguard.” Her mouth opened. She wanted to say something. She just didn’t know what. Other than the obvious. “Why would I need a bodyguard? And why would my brother hire one?” Justin was an environmental researcher. Before he’d quit his job for BD Enterprises, he’d been studying the migratory patterns of hawks. Then a whole slew of other questions kept coming. “Why didn’t Justin come himself? Where is he? Does this have something to do with his work? And why would that affect me?” Something about this didn’t ring true. She didn’t know this man and he suddenly showed up talking about her brother. No, she’d been taken in before and that wasn’t going to happen here. Antonin didn’t seem like a crazed killer, but who knew what he wanted? “Ya know, I think I’ll just give my brother a call when I get home.” As quietly as she could she lifted the door handle, ready to throw herself in, start the car and speed away. Luckily she’d only opened the driver’s side door and he was on the other side of the car. “Why don’t you come by my office tomorrow and we can talk there—” “Ellie—” “If Justin vouches for you, no problem, and we can get this all cleared up. Bye now.” She tried the door but it wouldn’t open.

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No, no, no. This was not happening. “Problem?” he asked. She clicked her remote again but the door still wouldn’t open. “No, no problem. I’m sure you have something to do. You don’t need to hang around here.” “Actually, yeah, I do.” Panic made her heart pound worse than the run had. She couldn’t believe no one had driven by since they’d been standing here. Maybe that would make him think twice about…whatever he was planning to do to her. Still, how did he know her brother’s name and her name? The key! Use the key to open the door. She deserved to be hung on a meat hook. Now she just needed to keep her eyes on the gorgeous possible psychopath and fit the key in the lock. She babbled on, “No, really, I’m just going home now and—” “Ma’am, do you need help?” Hearing a second male voice, Ellie nearly screamed. She didn’t embarrass herself quite that badly but the sound she made wasn’t much better. A middle-aged man wearing a forest green coat and pants and a hat imprinted with Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources emerged from the woods behind Antonin. He looked so normal she almost melted into a puddle of relief at his feet. Surely her “bodyguard” would leave now. Her first impulse was to run to the ranger and report Antonin, if that really was his name. On second thought, Ellie stopped herself. What if she was overreacting again? Her panic attacks were always getting her into trouble. And to be honest, Antonin was far more appealing than he was scary. If her brother had hired a bodyguard for her, he must have had a damn good reason. She didn’t want to have to bail Antonin out of jail if she complained to the authorities about him. If Justin had sent him, she could confirm it and apologize…later.

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But she needed to talk to her brother first. And she would. Just as soon as she got home. She smiled at the forest ranger. “No. I’m fine.” “Ellie,” Antonin said, his voice low and rough. “You need to leave now.” She didn’t question his sudden change of heart. “You’re right, I do.” Miraculously, the key slid into the lock on the door and she twisted it…only to pull the lever and have nothing happen. “Maybe you should come with me, ma’am,” the ranger said. “I’ll take you up to the center.” Ellie looked in his direction…and suddenly shivered. No, she definitely didn’t want to go with the ranger. At first glance, he had seemed like a normal guy. But as she looked at him again, there was something about him, something about his cold eyes that made her want to run the other way. Antonin snarled, “You’re not taking her anywhere.” Okay, this was getting too freaky. The hair on her skin rose as if a huge electrical storm had settled over her head. Her skin prickled into gooseflesh. What the hell was going on? The ranger barely glanced at Antonin. He simply kept smiling at her, walking toward her car. He stopped when he was only inches away from Antonin. The ranger’s smile seemed genuine enough but his eyes… They scared her. There was something unnatural about his fixed gaze, something evil lurked there. A new wave of panic hit her, this one more intense, more real somehow. This time she knew she had reason to be afraid. Ellie frantically yanked on the door handle again but it still wouldn’t open. “I believe you should flee,” the doe said to her. “Now.” “Ellie, get in the car.” Antonin practically growled the words but he never took his eyes off the ranger. 22

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“Miss, why don’t you let me take you up to the ranger station? You can call someone to come get you.” At the ranger’s cold voice, all her senses went into red alert. “Ellie, get in the car!” Antonin insisted. “I can’t,” she cried. She was frustrated and beginning to hyperventilate. Something about that ranger was terribly wrong. And something about Antonin suddenly felt terribly right. At that moment, she knew she would be safe with him. She could feel it in her gut. “The door won’t open.” In the blink of an eye, Antonin vanished…only to reappear behind the park ranger. From the look on the other’s man face, he was as shocked as she was. Her mouth dropped open. Surely she had just imagined that. Antonin grabbed the ranger around the neck and squeezed. The other man’s lips worked but no sound emerged. When the ranger dropped to the ground in a heap, the world went dark around the edges of her vision. Ellie blinked, trying to bring her rapidly blurring sight into focus…and found Antonin standing by her side. She tried to scream but couldn’t find the breath. “Ellie, don’t pass out on me now. We have to get out of here.” “What— How— I don’t—” “Ellie, breathe. Deep breaths, in and out. Come on. We gotta get out of here before he wakes up.” That snapped her out of the panic attack. She had to get in the car and get away from here. Everything was jumbled, didn’t make sense. When Antonin reached for her, the world went dark.

***** The fear on Ellie’s face right before she fainted punched at Antonin’s gut. He’d completely mishandled this.

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But he didn’t have time to obsess over that now. He needed to get her away from here. He’d had to nearly suffocate the fake park ranger and work a heavy-duty binding spell to keep him down. The guy was Mal. Antonin could smell it on him like a foul stench. Ellie lay pliant in his arms, her body warm and soft. Lifting her against his chest, he let her head fall against his shoulder. She felt good there. “What are you doing?” the doe asked. “Have you hurt her?” Antonin shook his head. “She’s fine. Just passed out. You could have given me a little warning about the company.” The doe snorted. “I did not hear him coming. He is evil, that one.” Undoing the locking spell the other man must have put on the car while they were still in the forest, Antonin walked around and slid her into the passenger seat, buckling her in. “Yeah, I know that.” On the driver’s side, he grabbed the keys off the ground where Ellie had dropped them then waved to the doe. “I wouldn’t want to be around when he wakes up.” “I do not plan to be. Will she recover?” “She’ll be fine. I won’t let anything happen to her.” Well, he certainly hoped nothing happened to her. Justin would have his head if it did. The doe snorted again and shook her head. “Be sure you do not.” Then she hopped off through the trees. Folding himself into the driver’s seat of her tiny car, Antonin stole a quick glance at Ellie, his gaze locking on those gorgeous lips, slightly parted and glistening. He knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if anything happened to her. First things first though. Get the hell out of Dodge.

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Pulling a U-turn, Antonin drove her little Miata as fast as he dared back to town. Back to what he hoped was safety. Cam would have to pick up the company Audi he’d hidden on the other side of the street when he’d followed her here this morning. Antonin wasn’t as familiar with the city of Reading as he would have liked. He’d only been in town a little more than a week, not long enough to find all the nooks and crannies, the hidden nodes and camouflaged hot spots that lurked in a city this old. Laid out by William Penn’s sons in 1748 along the banks of the Schuylkill River, Reading held secrets ancient and powerful. Magic not many outside of the Etruscan bloodlines knew about, much less believed in. The city had been dying a slow death for years, at least the non-magical part. Crime had overrun entire neighborhoods, leaving only small pockets of prosperity to flourish. The recent addition of a sports arena hadn’t done much to perk up the once-grand Penn Street but it was pumping some money back into the economy. Just enough to make the drug trade boom. Making it much easier for those like him to live relatively undisturbed and unnoticed as the police and other eteri had more pressing matters to attend to. Antonin reached the city in minutes. Sunday morning traffic on Lancaster Avenue was light and as he raced over the Bingaman Street Bridge, he kept a careful eye on his rearview mirror to make sure no one followed him. Even so, he took a roundabout route to his final destination, only turning into the unmarked alley off Plum Street when he was positive he didn’t have a tail. Ellie slept through it all, thank the Goddess. Muttering the spell to raise the garage doors, he slipped her Miata into the empty space behind his 4Runner, the doors nearly hitting the bumpers as they came down again. The overhead light blinked on as soon as the garage doors hit the ground. Releasing the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, he turned to watch her sleep.

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By the Gods, she was gorgeous. Aguane, the most beautiful of all the females of the magical Fata races, were plain Janes compared to this woman. The fact that she was a god’s daughter explained a lot, though her mother had to have been a beauty if Selvans had been attracted to her. Ellie muttered something he couldn’t make out but he clearly heard fear in her tone as she started to regain consciousness. Shit. He hadn’t planned on abducting her. Though if he were honest, he’d wanted to seduce her, get her in his bed and keep her safe there. Professional distance be damned. What the hell would he do with her now? Ellie should be safe here, for a few days at least. Until he and his brothers caught up with the guy who’d tried to snatch her. Antonin hadn’t recognized the fake ranger but that wasn’t a surprise. The Mal, evil bastards with a world-domination complex and ties to ancient witchcraft, had sent a flunky who had power but not a lot of brains. They probably hadn’t thought a girl would give them much trouble. And they hadn’t been expecting him. He should have killed the guy but that would have freaked Ellie out even more. And he didn’t want her freaked out. He wanted her to trust him. Because, eventually, he wanted her in his bed. With a sigh, Antonin got out and made his way to the passenger side. He lifted Ellie out of the car and carried her into the house. He’d chosen this townhouse south of Penn Street specifically because he could access the house through the garage. Safer that way. The house itself had been a mess when he’d rented it just after Justin had asked him and his brothers to watch over her. The building hadn’t been updated since the ’70s and it was filthy. The kitchen and bathroom were functional though and the location was close to Salvatorus, the salbinelli who ran the safe house for the Etruscan bloodlines.

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Antonin’s parents had used their considerable magical powers to get the house habitable. His mom, whose powers of translocation nearly rivaled his oldest brother Cam’s, had been gracious enough to redo the house with a few snaps of her fingers, transporting furniture from the basement of their home here. She’d also had the house sparkling within minutes. His dad had kicked in a sophisticated set of protection wards and new steel garage doors. The doors had appeared out of nowhere but no one in the neighborhood had noticed. Neighbors here didn’t bother to say hello, much less welcome new arrivals with cake and cookies. He wouldn’t be here long enough to make friends anyway. After this job was over, he would go back to his apartment in Philadelphia—hopefully dating Ellie. Though the largest Etruscan community in the States lived in and around Reading, Antonin liked being just another face in the crowd in Philly. Here everyone seemed to know him or know of him. Here he was the second son of Tana and Lucumo de Feo, the brother of Camillus, Teodoro and Valerio. The one born with the bassadone spell woven into his genes. There were only a handful of bassadone in the world, only a few male linchetti whose very essence was a powerful aphrodisiac to women. A few women were naturally immune for whatever reason. Not many though. Some women had been so susceptible they had tried to tear his clothes off before he could introduce himself. It’d made for some interesting dates when the power had first manifested itself at age seventeen. Over a hundred years later, he wished it wasn’t so easy sometimes, that a woman would want him for his brains and personality instead of his bred-in-the-bone attraction. Yeah, someone was going to revoke his guy status someday for thinking that. Still… Ellie sighed in his arms as he climbed the stairs to the second floor, her soft breath brushing against his neck. Sensation shivered through his body and he tightened his arms around her. 27

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Reaching his room, which was still dark due to the drawn shades, Antonin blew a stream of magic at the small light on the bedside table. He had perfect night vision but he didn’t want Ellie to wake up and be terrified because she couldn’t see. Laying her on the king-size bed, he let himself look at her…and looking made him want her. Her cheeks and chin were softly rounded, her lips full and dusky pink. Strands of hair had loosened from the braid and fell like streams of moonlight over her shoulders. Antonin reached for them, pulling a few tresses through his fingers. They felt like ribbons of soft silk. His hand drifted to her cheek, touching the warm skin. Then he let his fingertips brush her thick lashes. Ellie moaned in response, barely a whisper of sound, and twisted on the bed, making his cock harden. His gaze drifted down, taking note of her sweat-dampened clothes. He should wake her so she could change. She’d be much more comfortable without them. Grasping her shoulder, he shook her gently and watched her lids flutter open. Her beautiful violet eyes looked at him in total confusion. “Where am I?” His voice was calm and patient as he phrased his answer. “You’re in my house in Reading, Ellie. I’m Antonin de Feo, remember? I brought you here from Nolde Forest. I’m a friend of Justin’s. Do you remember what happened?” He watched her digest his words, watched as she sorted through her memories and came up with the right ones—watched the wariness come back into her eyes as she sat up abruptly. “That man in the forest,” Ellie said, eyes narrowed at him, “what did he want?” “To kidnap you.” He could see her muscles tense. “Justin really sent you here to protect me, didn’t he? From that man?” Antonin nodded. “And others like him.”

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She paused, her eyes assessing him. “And how do I know that for certain?” He held up one finger. “Hang tight for a minute.”

Ellie watched Antonin—what kind of a name was that anyway?—get up and walk out of the bedroom. She thought for a brief second about running but knew he’d catch her before she got out of the house. Besides, she didn’t sense any meanness in this man. She sensed only warmth. And strength. Not like the ranger at Nolde. That one had completely creeped her out. Still, she didn’t know exactly where she was. Antonin had said they were in Reading and she believed him. But someone had just tried to kidnap her. The evil of that ranger had been almost palpable. What the hell was going on? She started to hyperventilate. The panic fell like a weight on her chest. But she fought against it. When Antonin returned and handed her a piece of paper, she nearly had it under control. The handwriting on the short note was definitely Justin’s, unless someone had gone to a lot of trouble to forge it. Ellie, hon. She smiled as she began to read. Justin started every email to her just like that. Antonin’s okay. I sent him to watch over you. There’s stuff going down, stuff we’ll need to talk about. For now listen to Antonin. Stick close to him. He’ll keep you safe and we’ll talk soon. Ellie looked up to find Antonin staring at her, his gaze warm enough to make her thighs clench. God, he was gorgeous. Apparently the adrenaline rush of almost being kidnapped had passed, though residual fear still made her skin tingle. She’d never been a particularly brave kid. She didn’t climb trees any higher than she could safely jump to the ground. She didn’t walk by herself after dark. The riskiest thing she’d done lately was start her own business. And really, the only risk in that was to her bank account.

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Something about that park ranger had scared the crap out of her. And she hated being scared. With Antonin so near, all her early doubts evaporated. He had saved her from that ranger and he just felt safe. Besides, hadn’t Justin said to trust him? Her intuition told her to go along with that. Sighing, she tried to run her hand through her hair but it got tangled in the braid. With a huff, she pulled the braid over her shoulder and took off the elastic at the end so she could release the heavy mass. “So how long have you known my brother?” “For a while,” he hedged and Ellie looked up again—to find him staring at her, lust clearly visible in his expression. Whoa! Okay, that really shouldn’t make her sex clench and her heart race. Not after everything that had happened this morning. But it did! It had been awhile since anyone had looked at her like that, with that amount of desire. “And Justin wants me to stay with you? And I can call Justin whenever I want to check this out?” Why did her voice sound husky all of a sudden? “Go ahead and call him.” Antonin looked straight into her eyes, handing her his cell phone. “Justin’s number is saved. You may not be able to reach him right away but leave him a message and I’m sure he’ll get back to you as soon as he can.” Ellie found the entry, dialed and wasn’t surprised when Antonin was right. Justin’s cell went straight to voice mail. She left a message, feeling better for having made the call. What now? She took another look at her bodyguard—who just happened to be the epitome of the perfect male, at least the image of the perfect man she had in her head. The combination of dark hair and light eyes always made her heart beat a little faster. And those freckles—they were adorable, though he probably didn’t want to hear

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that. Guys didn’t want to be adorable. They wanted to be handsome, sexy, hot. All of which this guy was. As well as tall and lean and strong. He’d saved her from a would-be kidnapper and whisked her away to safety. A hero. And a hero deserved a kiss for his good deed, right? Would it be inappropriate to jump the bones of the man who’d saved her? From his intent expression, she didn’t think he’d mind…and neither would she. Trying to rein in her hormones, Ellie reminded herself that he was just her bodyguard, though she still wasn’t quite sure why she needed one. Her brother had sent him to keep her safe, not as her sex toy. Maybe she could attribute her inappropriate response to Antonin to stress. A naughty little voice in her head whispered, Didn’t the doctor tell me to get laid to reduce stress? With a sigh, she forced herself not to think about sex with Antonin. Instead she let her gaze drop and rolled her shoulders, trying to ease the discomfort of her bra strap cutting into her skin. “Do you, uh, want to get out of those clothes?” Antonin gestured to the chest of drawers in the room. “I can give you a t-shirt and some shorts.” Did she want to get out of her clothes? God, did she ever! But she didn’t want to put on new ones. Her gaze lifted again and caught the red-hot lust clouding his eyes. He wanted her too.

Antonin saw desire darken Ellie’s gaze and his own longing rose up to nearly choke him. Gods, he wanted her. He’d wanted her from the first moment Justin had shown him the picture of her he carried in his wallet, even before he’d seen her in person. 31

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Now, here, she wanted him too. And he was pretty sure it wasn’t due to the bassadone spell. She didn’t have that telltale glazed look in her eyes women usually got when he turned his full attention on them. No, she simply looked at him as if she wanted him. And that was its own aphrodisiac. Antonin swallowed and let his eyes slide down her body. Her chest rose and fell in a faster rhythm. His own lungs expanded, trying to suck in more oxygen. She lifted her arms and stripped her purple tank top over her head, leaving only her black bra. His mouth opened and he tried to say something, anything. “Ellie…” His feet moved him closer to the bed until he found himself standing next to her, close enough to touch. He reached out and eased his fingers through a few strands of her hair, soft and silky. Sitting next to her, he kept his eyes on hers. When her mouth curved in a gentle smile, Antonin knew he’d just lost the battle. He lowered his lips and sealed his mouth over hers. Just one kiss. Just a taste and then he’d pull back. Cool down. But her mouth was so warm and so pliant beneath his. She kissed him back as her hands settled on his shoulders, drawing him in, moving him closer until her breasts nestled against his chest. When she sighed, he released the inner leash he’d been holding on his lust. His hands splayed across her back, soaking in the heat of her body for a few brief seconds before he reached for the clasp of her bra. The damn thing was tight, almost as tight as a corset, but with only three hooks. When it finally gave up the fight, Ellie pulled back, did some little shimmy with her upper body and the bra slid down her arms.

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Her breasts spilled out, her pale coral nipples hard and pointed. Antonin bent to lick a path from the rounded side of her breast to the tip. Salty from her sweat, her taste twisted around his gut and yanked at his balls. Covering her breasts with his hands, he kneaded the firm mounds as he watched her eyes. They fluttered closed and she moaned, the sound turning him on even more. His cock tightened so hard he was afraid he’d come in his pants. And he definitely didn’t want to do that. He wanted to be buried deep between those gorgeous thighs when he came. Hopefully while she did the same.

Ellie let her head fall back as Antonin brought his mouth to her breasts again, nipping at the hard tips with his teeth. The sensation was sharp. Just the way she liked it. She wanted more, needed more. Her hands reached for the hem of his t-shirt and slid beneath to find hot firm skin, silky smooth. She wanted to feel it against hers. She yanked the shirt over his head, forcing him to release her breasts. God, the man’s chest was a work of art. Lightly covered with dark hair, perfectly molded with muscle. His abs were a perfect six-pack, his stomach flat with a thin line of hair leading straight into the low waistband of his jeans. Without thought, she reached for the top button and worked her way down to the last, her breath coming harder with each release. His hands tightened on her shoulders as she pushed the jeans and his cotton boxers down his legs, revealing his cock, ramrod straight and perfectly formed, the tip a pulsing deep red. He wanted her. How long had it been since someone wanted her? His hands released her shoulders and for a split second she thought he was pulling away…until he tweaked one nipple between his thumb and forefinger, making her gasp. She closed her eyes and arched her back, pressing herself into his hands. Maddening heat shot from her breast to her sex, moistening her.

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“Gods, Ellie, you’re so beautiful. I want to please you.” His husky voice was filled with passion. His words touched her, warmed her as much as his hands as they slid from her breasts to her stomach, smoothing along her skin. When they reached her shorts, he opened the button and unzipped them. His hand moved underneath her panties. Then, as if he couldn’t stop himself, he yanked at the clothes until she was naked. Lifting her hands, Ellie wrapped one hand around his cock and cupped his balls with the other. It was his turn to groan and her stomach flipped at the sound. It made her feel powerful, in control. Raising her gaze, she stared at Antonin’s face. With his eyes closed and his head thrown back, she read desire in the sharp angles of his cheeks and the taut line of his jaw. Desire for her. This gorgeous man wanted her. Her womb tightened at the thought, her sex clenching. With one steady motion, she pumped her hand from the base of his cock to the tip and back again, marveling at the silky texture of his shaft, at the heat beneath the skin and at the steadily increasing beat of his pulsing member. Her fingers barely reached around the base and she had one of those “Oh wow” moments women talked about but that she’d never experienced before herself. Antonin was big, bigger than any man she’d ever been with. She wanted him to fill her and ease the ache that throbbed between her thighs. Her lips parted and her lungs struggled to take in air. Tightening her grip on his balls, she loosened the hand on his cock until it barely touched the skin then let her finger drift over the tip, feeling the moisture gathering there. His hips thrust just once as if he couldn’t control himself then he groaned and covered her hands with his. He lifted them away from his groin and placed them on his shoulders. Her fingers gripped those broad muscles. She loved the strength she felt there. Then his hands came down on the bed to hold his weight over her.

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His eyes opened, his gaze connecting with hers. With slow, deliberate movements, he placed his knees between her legs, spreading her, making her open for him. The hair on his legs felt coarse, tantalizing her skin. A rush of wet warmth flooded her sex. As he sank on his haunches before her, her arms fell away from his upper body and onto the bed at her sides. Reaching for the bedside table, he opened the drawer and pulled out a condom. Once he had covered himself, his hands settled on her waist, his long slim fingers dragging along her skin until they reached her thighs. He pulled her forward, spreading her legs even more. The silky sheets allowed her body to slide easily but he drew her nearer at an almost unbearably slow pace. Ellie wanted him to hurry. Soon she would get what her body was begging for but if he didn’t move just a little faster, she was going to take matters into her own hands. Her butt slid up his thighs, the light covering of hair abrading her skin, until she was finally spread wide, her moist center almost touching the base of his cock, her legs wrapped around his back. Antonin didn’t move. His eyes dropped to stare at her as she lay there, exposed and wet for him. Ellie felt as though she should be embarrassed, but she wasn’t. His gaze met hers and she forgot about being embarrassed or frightened or anything other than hot for him. The look in his eyes was pure passion—all for her. She tried to lift her arms to reach for him, to grab his cock. She wanted to make him take her, end this ache, ease her pain. But her arms were way too heavy. As if he’d read her mind, he leaned slightly forward to touch the underside of his cock to her clit. The power in that touch made them both draw in a hard breath and her eyes shifted to his mouth. Where the rest of his face was all angles, his mouth was a perfectly masculine curve with a slightly fuller bottom lip. She desperately wanted to feel it on hers.

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Antonin pressed his cock down with one hand and fitted himself to her opening. He slid his other arm around her shoulders to lift her off the bed. Then gravity kicked in and she slid onto his shaft while he covered her mouth with his. Ellie wanted to cry out in relief to finally be filled where she needed it most but couldn’t because his tongue swept into her mouth and stole her breath. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she returned his kiss, tasting his unique flavor, while her sheath clenched around him. She inhaled his scent, a little woodsy, a little musky, a little like a cool breeze on a hot night. He wildly slid his tongue in and out of her mouth, tangling with hers, but his lower body was completely still. Ellie couldn’t bear that inactivity and started moving—just the tiniest bit, up and down his cock. Just enough friction to make her moan. Antonin tore his mouth away from hers to draw in a deep breath, obviously as affected by the sensation as she was. “Don’t move,” he whispered as if he couldn’t get enough air to speak. “Let me.” She turned her head, opened her mouth on his neck and let her teeth sink into his skin. His cock jerked fiercely inside her and his hips finally began to thrust. She licked the spot she’d just bitten. “Then move. I want to come. I need to come and I know you can make me. I want you to come with me. I want to feel you shoot inside me.”

Antonin thought his eyes rolled back in his head as the sheer carnality of her words shot through him like the taste of fine whiskey. Ellie’s pussy clamped tightly around his cock like a vise and he reveled in her heat. He had to move but he knew if he did, this would be over faster than he wanted. She was wet and sleek around him and she smelled so damn good—fresh and earthy and all sweet woman. And her mouth… The taste of her mouth was the finest aphrodisiac, going straight to his balls, making them hard as rocks.

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Her tongue licked a path from his jaw to his ear…and then he had to do it. Hands on her hips, he lifted her just enough to feel the intimate drag of skin against skin. Her deep moan sounded sexier to him than anything the most beautiful querciola, the Etruscan spirit of the senses, could ever utter. Antonin let her glide back down on his cock that one precious inch before he repeated the action, this time taking her another inch higher before letting her slide back down his shaft. Magic sang through his blood, nearly making him dizzy. But he couldn’t tell if it was his bassadone magic or just her. He picked up the pace now. Ellie wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her fingers were in his hair, kneading his scalp. It felt so damn good he wanted to get even closer. He needed to be deep inside her when he came. Antonin slanted his mouth over hers again, relishing her taste in his mouth, as he thrust in and out of her body. Goddess, she was sweet. He could do this all day, all night but then she moaned and came, her muscles clamping around him. Ellie dragged her mouth away from his to draw in a deep breath. Their eyes met, hers so lovely and amazed. Antonin wrapped both his arms around her body and held on as he exploded into her tight sheath.

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Chapter Three Clinging to the man who’d just given her the most awesome orgasm she’d ever had in her life, Ellie tried to catch her breath. The doctor had been right. Sex really was the best stress relief. She was no virgin but she’d never jumped a guy she’d just met before. Well, maybe I should do these things more often if they’re this good. Or maybe I should just do him more often… She could still feel him inside her. He was the most well-endowed man she’d ever been with. Her pussy had been stretched almost to the point of pain around him. But it hadn’t been a bad pain…more like a really good pain. And he was strong. His arms had held her against him as if she was a feather and he didn’t seem to be straining at all. The look in his eyes had made her sheath tighten around him, which had made his gaze even hotter. Did he think she was a slut? Would he think her even more of a slut if she wanted to do this again soon? “Ellie, sweetheart, are you okay?” She looked at him and saw no condemnation in his eyes, only desire and concern. It made her want to hold on to this man who’d rescued her. Hell yes, she was fine. So fine she wanted to go again. But eventually they’d have to get out of bed. Her legs were starting to cramp because she’d held them so tightly around his waist. She unlocked her ankles and he slowly pulled out of her then set her on her knees on the bed.

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Antonin rolled down the condom then asked again, “Are you okay, Ellie?” He watched her, his smoky gray eyes narrowed as if he wasn’t sure what she was going to do or how she might react. “I’m fine,” she said, coming up with a wobbly smile. She wouldn’t allow her gaze to drop below his chest. She couldn’t… If she did, she was afraid she’d never be able to tear herself away. He took a deep breath but when he did, she couldn’t help herself. She watched his hard chest rise and fall. Oh my. Sliding off the bed, Antonin walked over to the chest against the wall and discarded the condom in a trash can next to it. Then he pulled on loose cargo pants, not bothering with underwear. He reached into a drawer for a dark blue t-shirt. When he turned back to her, he held out the shirt. Ellie took it, pulling it over her head. Then she sat there looking at him, wondering what to do next. This wasn’t your typical morning after. She still had so many questions but she needed to talk to Justin first. Needed to find out what exactly was going on that she needed a bodyguard…a bodyguard she’d just had sex with. Antonin’s cell phone rang at that moment, startling her so badly she actually screamed, though not very loudly. Jeez, she had to get a grip. Checking the caller ID, Antonin handed her the phone, saying, “I think you should take that.” “Justin?” He nodded. Ellie grabbed the phone and answered. “Justin, thank God. Where are you?” “Ellie, what’s wrong? I got your message. Why did you call me with Antonin’s phone? Are you okay? Are you hurt? What’s happened?”

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The hard note in her brother’s tone startled her. Justin was the most easygoing, laidback guy she knew. As a kid, she’d followed her older brother like a puppy and he’d never sent her packing with a harsh word. After their father’s death, Justin had thrown himself into college then work and had turned more of his attention to his research. His very strange research. “No, I’m not hurt. I’m curious. I, uh, met,” Yeah, that’s a good word for it, Ellie thought, “your friend Antonin today. Tall, dark hair, gray eyes. What’s going on, Justin? What kind of trouble did you get into that you think I need a bodyguard? You have a little explaining to do.” “Shit,” her brother grumbled. “Yeah, I guess I do. But I need to do it in person and I can’t get away right now.” “Well, why don’t you give me the condensed version because I gotta tell you, I do not like being told I can’t go home—” “Whoa, wait. I thought you said you were okay.” Justin’s voice rose. “What happened? Antonin wasn’t supposed to show himself unless something happened.” “Well, something happened this morning on my run…” “What? What do you— Wait, you’re running? When did you start that?” It figured her knucklehead brother would pick up on that. “Just a few weeks ago. What, you don’t think I can?” As the younger sister, she’d always been trying to catch up to her big brother. She’d been competitive enough as a kid to think she could, even with a five-year age gap between them. Guess that’s what landed me in this mess in the first place. Wanting to follow in Justin’s footsteps. Before she’d left her job, she’d been on the fast track as a corporate fundraiser for the Children’s Foundation. She’d wanted to work with a company that made life better for kids who’d had a rough time—abandonment, illness, abuse. But after four years, the

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pace had gotten to her, as had the politics, the constant glad-handing and the corporate game. She’d wanted to make a difference but at the Foundation, she’d just felt overwhelmed. Justin had been the one to encourage her to quit, to use her talents elsewhere. “Hey, brat, come on. You know I think you can do anything you put your mind to.” He sighed so loud she could hear him through the phone. “But if I’d known you were heading out by yourself to run, I would have…” He sighed again. “Would have what, Justin?” “Shit.” His frustration came through loud and clear. “I wanted to do this… Well, hell, I didn’t know how I was gonna tell you this.” The tightness in her chest was back. “Justin, you’re starting to scare me. What are you talking about?” “Let me talk to Antonin for a second, hon.” “Oh no, Justin. You’re not getting out of this—” “I’m not getting out of anything. I’ll tell you everything you want to know…in person. But first I need to talk to Antonin.” “Justin—” “Ellie, I promise. Just give the phone to Antonin.” “Oh! Here.” She practically threw the phone at Antonin. “He wants to talk to you.” Antonin blinked once and she saw something like unease cross his expression. Pushing his dark hair behind one ear, he took the phone and turned… But not before she got a good glimpse of that ear. It was pointed. And not just humanly, slightly pointed. It was Tinker Bell pointed. It was the size of a regular human ear but where a regular ear had a curve, his had a definite Spock thing happening.

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Why hadn’t she noticed that before? Well, there were probably a few reasons— explosive sex being one of them. But the main reason was because his ears were hidden under his long hair. They didn’t stick out like Spock’s but seemed to be contoured to the curve of his head. When Antonin put the phone to his ear and said, “What’s up, Justin?” she couldn’t see it anymore. But it was there. Her brain pushed a memory to the forefront. Back at the forest, Antonin had seemed to disappear and reappear at another spot…at will. She’d thought she had imagined it at the time. Had she actually seen that or had it been a trick of the eye? She also remembered the doe telling her she’d seen an elf. Had the animal been talking about Antonin? Elves? No, that was just too weird. Justin and their father had always believed there were beings in the world other than humans. Mythological creatures like fairies and elves and trolls. Even though Ellie could talk to animals, she’d never believed in tiny little girls with wings on their backs and pointed ears. What the hell was going on? She dropped onto the edge of the bed and drew in a deep breath. Wearing Antonin’s shirt, sitting on his bed, she was surrounded by him. His scent, his stuff. It was all alien and yet she didn’t feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. She heard Antonin talking to her brother, though all he said was “Yes”, “No” and “Uh huh”. He kept his gaze carefully off her. Then he snapped the phone shut, grabbed something from another drawer in the chest and walked back toward her. He held out a pair of boxer shorts. “Your brother will be here in about an hour. The shower’s down the hall on the right. You can put these on after. I don’t figure you want Justin to find you in here.”

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She took the boxers but grabbed his hand before he could move away. He didn’t meet her gaze. “Your ears…” Antonin shook his head just once, his hair shifting back and forth, showing only glimpses of his earlobe but nothing else. “We don’t have ti—” “Oh yes, I think we do.” She wasn’t about to be put off, not now. “We have at least an hour.” Still not meeting her eyes, he sighed and shook his head again, but this time she took it as defeat. “The doe said you were an elf. What did she mean?” The words were out before she could stop herself. Now he would know that she talked to animals. But he didn’t seem to notice, only lifted his eyes straight up the length of her body. “Why don’t you take a shower and then we’ll talk downstairs.” His heated gaze remained fixed on her breasts. Ellie opened her mouth to argue then realized she was still naked under his shirt and when she was naked around this man, she did uncharacteristic things—like jump him. She was going to need a chastity belt without a key if she kept this up. Or if he kept staring at her like he was now. Jeez, he looked at her as if she was liquor and he was an alcoholic, as if he could see right through the shirt she wore. She liked that look. It made her weak in the knees and wet between her legs. It also made her feel just a little bit more in control of the situation. “Fine. I’ll take a shower. But,” she crooked her finger at him, “you come along so we can talk while I do.” Ellie wanted answers and if she had to resort to dirty pool to get them, she would. Walking across the bedroom to the door, she let her hips sway just the tiniest bit. He’d follow.

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Heart pounding, Antonin watched Ellie walk out of the room, hips swaying in a seductive rhythm. The shirt was long enough to cover the curve of her ass but left bare those enticing legs, so recently wrapped around his waist. He felt as if he’d just run a marathon—euphoric, lightheaded, winded and tingling from adrenaline overload. Damn, he wanted her again. But he shouldn’t have had her the first time. Her brother was going to tear him into little pieces and use him as the crunchy bits on his salad when he found out he’d had sex with Ellie. And her dad… Hell, he didn’t even want to think about that. Only it hadn’t felt like just sex. They’d shared a connection. Something that had nothing to do with the bassadone spell in his genes. Something real. Antonin wanted to keep her close, wrap her next to him in bed and just hold her. He’d never felt that way about anyone before. And that was frightening. He shut the door on those thoughts and decided to try his luck behind door number two. Not surprisingly, Ellie had found the bathroom. The house only had three rooms on this floor—two large bedrooms and one decent-sized bathroom. When he pushed open the bathroom door, he was greeted by the sight of her fiddling with the handles in the oversized shower stall. The shirt she wore had ridden up so he could see her naked beautiful ass. His cock twitched and hardened. Ready and willing again. Damn. Straightening, Ellie looked over her shoulder at him, her gaze considering. Did she find him lacking in any way? Did she see only the bodyguard who’d saved her this morning? Or did she see the man who couldn’t get enough of her? The man who was pretty sure he’d found the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

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Shit. He couldn’t have this affecting his judgment. Not now with the Mal up to their tricks again and Justin arriving soon. Grabbing the bottom of the shirt, she lifted it over her head and flung it at him. Caught off-guard, Antonin failed to catch it before it hit him in the face. Blessed Goddess, it already smelled like her. The snap of the shower door brought him out of the daze. Ellie stepped into the enclosure made of nearly opaque glass. Good. That was good. Unfortunately he could still see her blurry form and that, combined with the sound of the water and the thought of it making her skin slick and warm, made his cock harden. That would only lead to trouble. He closed his eyes. “So, Antonin, are you really an elf?” she asked in a sugar-sweet, innocent voice. Whoa! His eyes popped open and his head reared back as if she’d hit him. He was going to end up with whiplash at this rate. At least now his mind was back in the game. Did she even know what she was asking? He could swear she hadn’t believed the doe back at the forest. Antonin countered, “So can you really talk to animals?” Something hit the shower floor with a bang a second before she popped out from behind the shower door, hiding her body behind the glass. Her gaze was dark and surprised but he saw a little fear there too. “What are you talking about? Are you crazy? No one can talk to animals.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the closed bathroom door. “You can and so can I.” Ellie sucked in her bottom lip and sank her teeth into it, her eyes narrowed. “Why do you think I can?” He obviously hadn’t noticed that she’d told him so herself before. “Because you were talking to the doe at the park. She told you to run. And after you fainted, she told me I’d better take care of you.”

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Her throat convulsed as she swallowed. Then she retreated back into the shower, not quite slamming the door behind her. Through the glass, he saw her bend to pick up whatever she’d dropped. Then the scent of his shampoo wafted out on the steam. Damn, she was going to smell like him all day. In his mind, that made her his. He’d never been one to beat his chest and drag a woman back to his lair. Hell, they came to him too easily for that. But this woman brought out his caveman streak. In his mind, he could see her working the gel through her hair. The blonde strands would be glossy and sleek. The water would make her skin glisten, the liquid beading on the surface. He wanted to lick away every drop. The men in Ellie’s life were going to want to beat the shit out of him for touching her. But he’d take it. Justin would eventually understand. The man had just fallen in love himself… Was that what was happening to him? Was he falling in love with Ellie? The answer came through loud and clear. Hell yeah! Once Selvans understood that he wasn’t just looking for a good time, that this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with… Well, her dad would come around too. Sooner rather than later, Antonin hoped. His pants fell to his ankles and he had a condom from the box in the medicine cabinet in his hand before she spoke again. “You’re avoiding my question,” she said from the stall. “What did the doe mean when she called you an elf?” Grabbing the shower door, he pulled it open. Ellie’s head shot around to stare at him and her hands, frothy with soap, covered her breasts. He didn’t answer her question, just let himself take in the sight of her. The reality was better than anything he could have imagined.

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Her skin glowed from the heat, rosy and tempting. Water droplets clung like diamonds to her body. Though she had crossed her arms over her chest, it only served to press her breasts up into mounds, barely covering her nipples. Ellie tried to glare at him but she couldn’t quite make it work. She was breathing just as hard as he was. Desire, already simmering in his gut, came to a boil. Blood rushed to his cock, making him hard and ready. She took a step back and then another until her body pressed against the back wall. The water sprayed down between them, creating a hazy veil. Through it, he watched her eyes widen, though not in fear. His gaze slid to her lips, which parted as she took in a quick breath. Further down, her hands tightened over her breasts, plumping them even more. His eyes rested there for a moment. Her chest rose and fell, faster and faster. His own breath followed suit. Setting the condom on the shower shelf, Antonin reached for her through the hot water. The soft skin of her upper arms was warm and pliable as he ran his hands from her shoulders to her elbows. The scent of her arousal rose on the steam, making his gut twist. Needing to be closer, he stepped into the mist, drenching himself. The water streamed into his hair and down his face. He swiped his hair out of his eyes and away from his face. When she looked at him, her eyes widened to saucers. Her mouth parted and she lifted one hand away from her breasts to his left ear. She traced one finger from the lobe up the side to the point that proclaimed his heritage, the only outward sign of who and what he was. When her finger had circled the entire circumference, she ran it back to the pointy tip—and gave it a sharp tug. “Hey, that’s attached.”

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“I don’t… I can’t…” Ellie’s mouth hung open and he could almost see all her brain functions come to a complete stop. Hell, his ears weren’t that strange. Hadn’t she seen The Lord of the Rings trilogy? The films had gotten the shape right but not the angle. With his long hair, most people failed to realize what it hid. “Did you have them surgically altered?” She took his jaw in one hand and turned his head so she could trace his right ear. “No, I didn’t.” Her touch sent shivers through his body and a flash of heat straight to his balls. “You were born like this?” A smile quirked at his lips at her incredulous tone. “And what’s wrong with my ears?” Her eyes flew to his. He could tell by her stricken expression that she didn’t want to offend him. “Nothing! I mean, they’re just…different. I think—” Sweet Goddess, she was beautiful. “I think,” he moved closer and let his cock brush against the softness of her stomach, “you shouldn’t think anymore.” He sealed his mouth over hers and kissed her, putting his hands on her hips to lift her off her feet. Her immediate moan was answer enough to let him know she wanted the same thing he did. When she wrapped her legs around his waist and tilted her pelvis toward him, he shifted just enough to put the head of his cock between her wet lower lips. Ellie sucked on his tongue, her fingers twined in his hair as he worked himself into her, inch by excruciating inch. Goddess, she was tight and hot and if he didn’t move soon, he’d come just by being inside her. “Ellie, condom.” Antonin slowly pulled out of her again.

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It took a few seconds for her to open her eyes but finally she did. She reached for the little silver package on the shelf and ripped it open with her small white teeth before reaching down for him. Every second it took for her to roll the condom into place felt like an eternity. One he would gladly spend with her if only— Ellie moved her hips and his sheathed cock slid into her tight channel, just a few centimeters. Then she moved again and he slid in fully. The angle of penetration dragged her clit against the base of his cock. Kissing her wildly, he knew she was enjoying it just as much as he was, because she shuddered in his arms, her internal muscles clamping around his shaft, sucking him in. Ellie demanded and Antonin responded, letting her dictate the pace. The hot water beat across his back as her hands slid over his shoulders, stroking and smoothing. Her hips kept up a steady rhythm, helped along by his hands at her waist. Releasing her mouth, he drew back and looked down between them. Antonin watched his cock emerge from her body then disappear back into her. He was mesmerized by the sight, by the beauty of it, by his possession of her. He wanted to make her cry out with need for him. He wanted her to beg, to plead, to be completely overwhelmed by him. Without warning, he pulled out of her body and set her on her feet. Her anguished sob made his blood boil but still it wasn’t enough. He wanted to completely conquer her. “Turn around, hands on the wall.” To his profound relief, she didn’t hesitate one second. She turned, her hands slapping against the tile, and he wasted no time stepping between her legs and slipping his cock back into her body with one strong thrust. Ellie moaned and pushed back against him, the soft skin of her ass like silk against his thighs. Hands on her hips, he controlled her movements as he slowly eased in and

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out. She tried to make him go faster, to grind herself against him and clench her inner muscles to hold him in, but he wouldn’t let her. Antonin held her hips still as he drew his cock out and slid it back in, dragging it along her inner walls. Sweat dripped from his forehead to his nose. Dropping his head back on his next thrust, he let the steamy water wash over him then shook his head. Droplets flew around the enclosure, sprinkling over her back. Ellie moaned as if he’d just spanked her. The need to fuck her harder and faster, to make her stand here all day and take him nearly made him growl. He wanted to make her come until she couldn’t stand it anymore then he wanted to lay her on the bed and fuck her some more. He’d never felt like this before. “Please, please,” she whispered. Her words felt like fingernails teasing down his back. His balls tightened and he slid one hand from her hip to the front of her body, using his middle finger to rub her clit in time with his thrusts. Ellie’s orgasm came without warning. She moaned against the wall, her muscles convulsing around his cock until he was sure he’d never pull free. Not that he ever wanted to. Christ, he could die right here and he’d do it with a smile on his face. Then he was coming too. The climax hit him like a shot of lightning straight down his spine and through his cock. Hell, maybe this would kill him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he anchored her to him, not wanting her to slip and fall, not wanting her to move at all. He just wanted her to stay right here like this, his cheek against her back, his cock still pulsing inside her. Antonin felt her take every breath as if it were a struggle. Good. He felt the same. They stayed that way for several minutes, water dripping around them, until he felt her try to straighten. He pulled away and turned her to face him, taking a hard look into

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her eyes. She met his directly before her gaze slid to his ears. Then she shook her head in disbelief. Disbelief at what? Was she really that freaked out over his ears? Was she upset that she’d had sex with him again? What? “Ellie?” “Yeah?” Her eyes slid back to his and her languid smile made the band around his chest loosen. Sighing, he lifted her into his arms, shouldering open the glass door and setting her on her feet on the thick soft rug outside the shower stall. After discarding the condom, he grabbed a towel off the heated rack and started drying her. He patted her hair, soaking up some of the excess moisture, before wrapping it around her body and securing it at her breasts. Then he took another and dried himself, all the while keeping an eye on her. “You really are an elf.” Ellie shook her head, her expression one of wonder. Looking straight into her eyes, he nodded. “In English, yes, I’m called an elf. But my proper designation is linchetto. I’m a Fata, a member of a magical race of beings that originated in Europe in a time before history. My family can trace its lineage back to the ancient Etruscans.” Her pretty mouth dropped open again, making him wonder what it would be like to be taken in her mouth. He really had to get his mind off sex or…or Justin might catch them in the act when he arrived. Ellie moved her lips to say something but nothing came out. Not surprising since he’d probably just overturned her entire worldview. Most humans, even when confronted with irrefutable proof that there were other beings on the planet, refused to believe. It messed up their narrow outlook on life. Even though Ellie might be a little more open-minded than most humans, considering she could communicate with animals, she was still speechless, so he continued explaining. “My parents raised my brothers and me in the human world. They taught us how to fit in, how to hide the fact that we can make ourselves invisible 51

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by becoming smoke or mist or haze and that we can move faster than the human eye can see.” He didn’t want to go into the bassadone spell right now. It would confuse her even more. “The Fata have a longer lifespan than humans and we’re hard to injure.” Ellie drew in a breath as if she were going to ask a question. Then she held it so long he thought she might faint from lack of oxygen to the brain. When she finally released it, she just shook her head and didn’t say a word. Antonin wasn’t sure what she meant by that exactly but he took it to mean she wanted him to continue. He had to be careful though what he said now, because it wasn’t his place to tell her what she was. It was her father’s. Or Justin’s. And her brother would probably want to hang him by his ears if he spilled those beans. So what the hell else could he tell her? While he was thinking, she found her voice. “And the man at the park this morning? Who was he? Has he been following me too? Why did he pick this morning to try to take me?” “He’s part of a bigger organization we’re fighting and we’re pretty sure they want to get to Justin through you. But that’s probably something he should explain to you. I can tell you that your brother had someone watching over you. I’m not sure why they picked today to make a move. Maybe they thought they’d be able to find Justin without resorting to kidnapping you. I don’t know.” Her eyes narrowed. “But who wants Justin and why?” Damn, he hated not being able to tell her the whole story. He’d come inside her body, made her come in his arms. He wanted to take her back to bed. He’d never expected to fall quite so hard or so fast for this woman. Although he’d known she was special the first time he laid eyes on her. Antonin shook his head. “You’ll have to ask Justin.” Her head cocked to the side. “You don’t know?”

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Yeah, he knew. He’d just sworn to keep his mouth shut, which didn’t sit well with Ellie. But he wished he could wipe away the hurt and confusion in her eyes so he took the only route open to him. Antonin closed the short distance between them in a heartbeat, wrapped a hand around her neck and covered her mouth with his. Ellie let him kiss her for all of three seconds before she pulled away, shaking her head. “No more of that.” She held a hand out in front of her. “You kiss me and I completely lose my train of thought. And don’t you dare smile at me like that.” Blessed Goddess, she was beautiful in her anger. Her eyes shot daggers in his direction and, with her chin jutted upward, she looked like a queen. Antonin continued smiling. He couldn’t help himself. “Oh you…” Ellie turned and threw the towel at him then she grabbed the t-shirt he’d given her and yanked it over her head. Next she pulled the boxers up her legs, rolling the waistband a couple of times to keep them on her hips. Maybe the clothes would help them keep some distance, even though he could feel his desire for her rising again. Fat chance!

Ellie knew Antonin watched her every move. His slitted eyes burned into her as if she was performing a striptease and he’d been in jail for ten years. It made her feel sexy and desirable, neither of which had been in her vocabulary since she’d returned to Berks County and become a hermit. Of course neither had the word linchetto. She’d just had sex with a drop-dead gorgeous, incredibly sexy myth who knew she could talk to animals. Did she believe him? It sounded crazy, all that stuff about magic. And his ears…

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Her brother Justin was the smartest man she knew and he’d always believed there were things that couldn’t be explained through science or logic, that some myths had a basis of fact to them. Her dad had believed too. She vaguely remembered long walks in the forests in northern Berks County, just her and her dad. And the animals that had followed them, talking to her. He’d believed her when she’d told him she understood what the animals were saying and he’d convinced her of the need to hide that ability. As she’d gotten older, she’d learned too well how to hide her gift. She hadn’t wanted to be different from all the others kids. She’d wanted to fit in, to have friends, boyfriends. She’d known that would have been impossible if they’d even suspected she could talk to animals. She’d have been a freak, a weirdo. An outcast. Ellie took a deep breath and released it in a sigh. “So…magic really does exist?” Antonin nodded but didn’t speak. Instead he moved toward her, drawing her attention back to him. He’d pulled his cargo pants up and zipped them but hadn’t bothered to button them up on top, so they hung low on his lean hips. Good God, the man was absolute male perfection. He wasn’t overly muscled but he wasn’t thin either. His eyebrows were thick dark slashes over those stormy gray eyes and his dark hair— Okay, her raging libido was so not helping her right now. Every time she had a coherent thought about what was going on, it got messed up by the sheer beauty of him. Focus, Fiorella. “And Justin is in trouble?” Antonin sighed and shook his head. “I can’t tell you anything more about Justin, Ellie. It’s gotta come from him.” “But it has something to do with his job?”

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He just stared at her. She huffed. Fine, the man wasn’t going to budge on that issue. “Then tell me more about you. Where did you grow up? Who are your parents? What do they do? Where did you go to school? Did you go to school? Do—” Antonin held up one hand like a traffic cop. “Why don’t we go down and get something to eat and I’ll answer your questions. You should have something to eat.” On that note, he just walked out of the bathroom. Sighing, Ellie followed him down the hall to a narrow staircase that led to the first floor. Antonin guided her through the front living room, where dark heavy shades diffused the morning sunlight, to the dining room and finally into the bright white kitchen at the back of the house. He waved her into a chair at the table along the back wall. Through a large window, she saw a stunningly beautiful but small garden completely enclosed by a tall wooden fence. “Do you want something to drink?” he asked. “Water, juice, wine?” The clock on the stove said it was only eleven a.m. Screw it. “Wine, please. White, if you’ve got it.” He nodded, his expression sober. “Sure. Not a problem.” He turned to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of Italian Prosecco, pouring her a glass before setting it and the bottle on the table in front of her. She took a healthy sip and watched Antonin pause, as if listening to something she couldn’t hear. She glanced around, noting again the time on the clock. Only four hours had passed since she’d decided to get up and run this morning. “Should have stayed in bed,” she muttered. A slight popping noise made her turn her head. Antonin’s house was laid out like a row home, which meant she could see straight from the kitchen through the dining room to the living room at the front of the house. The blinds at the front window were

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opaque but left in enough light for her to see everything clearly—and she clearly saw what appeared to be a rip in the air in the middle of the front room. Ellie shook her head. Okay, maybe she’d fallen and knocked herself silly at the park this morning. Maybe all of this was a hallucination—which would suck big time, because the best sex she’d ever had would only have happened in her head. But at least that would explain why her brother Justin appeared to step out of that rip, along with a gorgeous redheaded woman. Ellie blinked a couple of times but her brother didn’t disappear. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. Justin shook his head as if to clear cobwebs, noticed her and lifted his hand in greeting. She heard him say, “Let me explain,” before she closed her eyes and let the darkness on the edges of her vision take her down.

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Chapter Four “Why the hell didn’t you warn her? Or at least keep her in another part of the house? Shit, she didn’t need to see that. Gods be damned, Antonin. What were you thinking?” As Justin continued to ream him a new one, Antonin tuned the guy out. He’d caught Ellie just before she slid off the chair then carried her to the sofa in the living room, telling Justin to go to the kitchen and wait. Justin hadn’t wanted to but his blood-bound mate Scarlata, her voice pitched too low for him to hear, had tugged on Justin’s arm until he’d followed, still swearing at Antonin. Justin was right of course. Antonin should have kept Ellie upstairs. But he’d been worried her brother would freak when he realized they’d had sex. It shouldn’t matter. They were both consenting adults and it really wasn’t any of Justin’s business what they did. But he’d wanted to spare Ellie any embarrassment and he was fucking sick of being unable to answer her increasingly difficult questions. Antonin shook his head to make sure his ears were covered. It was an old habit, hard to break. But when you’d lived in the human world as long as he had, you learned a few things about hiding. Ellie’s eyelids fluttered and finally she opened them enough to stare into his eyes. “I’m usually not a fainter,” she said right off, making him smile. “But you’ve got to admit it’s been kind of an odd day for me.” He wanted to kiss her but settled for tightening his arms around her. “Ellie, are you okay?” “Yeah. But,” she grimaced and swallowed hard, “did my brother really just…materialize out of thin air in the front room?” 57

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He nodded, keeping his gaze on her. “Yes, he did.” “And you’re a…a linchetto?” He nodded again. Ellie appeared to mull that over, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. He wanted to kiss her so she’d stop before she hurt herself. Lifting one hand, she slid her fingers into his hair so she could push it back behind his ear. Her digits stroked along the outer edge from the lobe to the tip, sending a shiver of pure eroticism through him. She touched his ear with the same reverence she’d stroked his cock earlier. And now he had a hard-on. Her lips parted as she drew in a deep breath and their gazes locked. “Is someone finally going to tell me what’s going on now? Because I’m afraid the next thing you’re going to tell me is that I have to choose between the blue pill and the red pill.” He smiled at her Matrix reference, relieved that she’d retained her sense of humor. “Good movie, but no, there are no pills. There are things you don’t know however.” Her mouth twisted. “That I figured out for myself.” She looked over his shoulder then twisted her head around to look behind them. “Where’s Justin?” “In the kitchen. Do you want me to—” Ellie put her fingers over his mouth and shook her head. Then she wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him down until their lips met. He opened his mouth over hers and let her kiss him. Antonin tasted a little desperation and a whole lot of heat in that kiss. He fell into the heat with a vengeance until it folded around him like a blanket. Her tongue flicked out to tease his and longing sizzled across his skin as his bassadone magic rose to her desire. Wrapping his arms around her, he drew her toward him, breathing in her scent.

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His hands tunneled under her shirt to get to bare skin, warm and silky. Arching into him, she pressed those gorgeous breasts against him, her rising hips calling to him— “Son of a bitch,” Justin swore. “What the hell is going on?”

Ellie gasped and drew back, eyes blinking at her brother’s voice. What was it about Antonin that made her lose all her inhibitions? It wasn’t just that he was gorgeous. No, there was something in his eyes, something in the way he looked at her. As if she was the most beautiful woman in the world and he couldn’t get enough of her. “Antonin, you son of a bitch. I’m gonna kill you.” Her brother’s voice sounded again. She glanced over Antonin’s shoulder, her eyes widening at the expression on Justin’s face. He looked ready to crush something, probably Antonin. His blue eyes seemed brighter than normal. So bright, they practically glowed… No, not practically glowed. They did glow as if they were lit from within. A pit opened in her stomach and she felt as if her body was being sucked into it from the inside out. “Justin, I do not think it would be wise to hurt Antonin.” The woman standing behind her brother laid her hand on his arm. “And I don’t think your sister is being made to do anything against her will.” “Red—” Justin addressed the woman. “Justin.” Ellie’s voice finally returned. “Shut up.” Luckily for her brother, he did. Though he didn’t look happy about it.

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Reluctantly Ellie eased out of Antonin’s embrace. For a few seconds, he tried to hold her there but she caught his gaze and shook her head. When she stood up, she held out her hand to the other woman. “Hello. I’m Fiorella Johannson.” The redhead’s mouth turned up slightly at the corners and Ellie had to hand it to her brother. The woman was gorgeous. “I’m Scarlata. I’ve heard much about you from Justin. It’s very nice to meet you finally.” “Nice to meet you too. And since you seem to be the only one here with any sense, would you please tell me what’s going on?” Scarlata’s smile widened and her laugh sounded like the low growl of a big cat. “Unfortunately it’s your brother who is going to have to do that.” Ellie turned to Justin, who continued to glare at Antonin, now standing by her side. “Justin, you better spill the beans now. I’ve had just about enough of not knowing what’s going on.” Grudgingly Justin shifted his gaze to her. “Are you okay?” Folding her arms across her chest, Ellie felt a little underdressed for the first time in Antonin’s boxers and t-shirt. But she couldn’t let that bother her now. “I’m fine. Spill. Now. I want answers.” Justin’s jaw clenched and Ellie thought for sure he was going to crack his teeth. Finally he took a deep breath. “Do you remember the stories Dad used to tell us when we were kids? About fairies…” At that Scarlata huffed and Justin sent her a sweet smile that made Ellie’s eyebrows lift. “And satyrs and dryads…and elves?” She knew where he was going with this but she only nodded. She’d been over this with Antonin already. “Well, they’re not just stories. They’re real.” Justin closed the short distance between them and put his hands on her shoulders, a grin finally appearing on his

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handsome face. “I’ve seen things in the past few months, Ellie. A whole world out there that you would never know existed. And we’re part of it.” A tickle of unease started in her stomach and Ellie had a sneaking suspicion she wasn’t going to like what was coming next. “How so?” “Through Dad.” She shook her head. “Dad’s dead, Justin. I don’t have a clue why his stories would affect us now.” Ellie waited for Justin to continue. When he didn’t, she prompted, “Come on, just spit it out.” Her brother grimaced. “Scarlata’s a folletta and Antonin’s a linchetto.” “So Antonin told me. Are you going to explain what the hell that means to me?” Glancing over his shoulder, Justin said, “Red, honey, would you…” Ellie shifted her gaze to Scarlata and felt her entire body become one huge mass of gooseflesh when she saw what appeared to be pink wings behind the woman’s back. “Are they… I mean…” Scarlata turned so she could see that, yes indeed, the wings were attached to her body. They were sticking out above Scarlata’s halter top. Ellie blinked a couple of times and in between one blink and the next, the wings were gone. Only an outline of them, like a tattoo, remained on the woman’s skin. The goose bumps faded and that pit was back in her stomach. With an effort, Ellie forced herself to nod and look at Justin. She could handle this. She was going to be fine. Her brother shifted his gaze back to Antonin and his expression visibly hardened again. Oh please. Ellie rolled her eyes. Justin had to get over his habit of treating her like a child. He had to get used to the fact that she was an adult and she could do whatever and whomever she pleased. Crossing her arms over her chest, Ellie gave her brother the look she saved for when he was being bossy. “I’ve already seen Antonin’s ears, Justin. And he’s told me a little.” Very little. But really, if that woman had wings that disappeared at will, well,

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then Antonin’s ears weren’t that big a deal. At least that was what she kept telling herself. In truth, Ellie was quite proud of how calmly she was handling this. The old Ellie would have been stuck in a panic attack already. But here she was, discussing elves and fairies as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Ellie.” Antonin’s voice sounded in her ear and, for a second, she wanted to melt back into him, wanted to return to his bedroom, shut the door and pretend none of this had happened. But that would be pulling an ostrich and if she really were an adult then she would have to deal with this crazy mess. Justin practically bared his teeth. “Back off, An—” “Justin, stop acting like an idiot.” Ellie moved back just a hairsbreadth toward Antonin. It was enough to feel the heat of his body and catch the faint scent of his skin. “You back off. I’m not ten anymore.” “I like your sister, Justin,” the redhead with the wings said with a smile. “She doesn’t take your shit either.” “Fucking hell,” came a deep masculine voice from the kitchen, “could you please hurry the fuck up? We don’t have all day, people.” Ellie had to lean to the right to see around Justin. What she saw in the arch between the kitchen and the dining room made her brain shudder to a halt like a frozen computer that needed to be rebooted. And when it did, memories started to re-form in her brain like the words to a favorite childhood book she’d long forgotten. Memories that seemed almost as if they were hazy pictures from someone else’s life. “Sal, Goddammit,” Justin said. “I told you to stay out of this.” Ellie barely registered anything because she was so busy trying to sort through long-forgotten pieces of her past. “We don’t have time for the easy way now, kid,” Sal said. “The Mal have got men on the move and they’re heading this way.”

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Antonin felt panic hit him like a blow to the gut. “How do they know where we are? No one knows about this place.” The four-foot salbinelli named Salvatorus shook his head, his curly black hair framing scowling Mediterranean features. He was built like a linebacker, except for the fact that his lower body was that of a goat and he had small black horns on his head. “I just know they’re headed this way. Maybe they don’t know jack about this house and it’s just a coincidence. But then I don’t really believe in those. Hey, Antonin, your girl’s looking kinda spacey.” “Ellie?” Antonin looked at her. Already on the move, Ellie paid no attention to Antonin. She slid past Justin and Scarlata and sank down onto her knees in front of Sal. She didn’t say anything, just sat there and stared. Antonin brushed past Justin to stand by her side, ready to tackle Sal if the horny little bastard so much as looked at Ellie the wrong way. But Sal just smiled. “How ya doin’, babe? Nice to see ya,” the salbinelli said. After about thirty seconds, Ellie nodded and the dazed look left her face, replaced by a smile. “It’s nice to see you again too,” she said. “It’s been a very long time.” “Yeah, it has.” Sal nodded, his smile growing. “Must be going on fifteen, sixteen years.” Ellie’s smile grew larger. “I was five, so it’s more like twenty years.” “You’ve met?” Justin’s incredulous tone didn’t appear to register with his sister because she didn’t bother to answer. “You’ve grown into a beauty, little Fia,” Sal said, raising one meaty hand to pat her cheek.

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Antonin nearly hit the guy before he realized it was more of a fatherly gesture. Luckily he checked himself before he did. Sal probably would have pummeled him into the ground. The guy might only be four feet high but he packed a wallop in his punches. Justin shook his head. “What the hell are you two talking about?” “And you haven’t aged a day,” Ellie continued her conversation with Sal. “I missed seeing you after those few months. I cried for weeks.” “Hell, now. I am sorry about that, Little Flower,” Sal said. “Couldn’t be helped though. When I got back from my trip, you were too old. You would have had too many questions.” “And I guess being able to talk to animals was enough for one girl.” Ellie shook her head, still smiling. “What?” Justin practically shouted as he started pacing. “Oh no fucking way. Would someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Finally Ellie turned to her brother, but not before giving Antonin a small private smile that lit a fire in his gut. “Grab a seat, big brother. I think you’re going to need it.”

***** “So you can talk to animals?” Justin said. “And you’ve been able to since you were a kid? And Dad knew? And you met Sal when you were a kid?” “Yeah,” Ellie said, still so amazed at the sight of her old friend that she couldn’t get the grin off her face. “Amazing, isn’t it?” Justin snorted, drumming his fingers on the dining room table they all sat around. “Amazing. Right. So you weren’t surprised by Antonin then?” “No, he definitely was a shock.” She shook her head, hoping like hell she wasn’t blushing bright red. “I was little more than a baby when I met Sal, Justin. And even now I can’t remember exactly what happened back then. I mean, can you remember 64

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things you did when you were five? I’m sure everything seems normal to a child that age, because they don’t know any better. And who would’ve believed me if I’d told them I met someone named Sal who was half-man and half-goat?” “We only met a few times,” Sal added with a smile. “Your dad was careful about that kind of stuff.” That kind of stuff? “What does that mean?” Ellie asked. “How did you know Dad anyway?” Sal only stared at her so she looked at her brother, who just sat there, shaking his head. “Ellie, I think you better listen.” “So are you finally going to tell me what’s going on?” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave Justin her best glare. “Yeah, we are,” Sal said. “Bonnini’s men are in the city and it’s not gonna be long before they hone in on Justin. You and Scary have to get back to Florida. And, Antonin, you need to take Ellie—” “No way.” Justin waved a hand over the table. “Ellie goes with me.” “Not gonna happen.” Sal shook his head. “We need to keep you two separated, split Bonnini’s focus.” “Daniel Bonnini?” Ellie asked. The people around her nodded. “The man we both used to work for? What did you do, Justin? Why would I need a bodyguard to protect me against a Fortune 500 business owner? Somebody please tell me what the hell’s going on?” She practically shouted the last words and everyone looked at her but still no one answered. And the panic creeped in. “Okay, that’s it. I need to know what else is going on. Right now. What aren’t you telling me?” Ellie looked into the face of each person at the table. Sal looked at Justin and raised his eyebrows. Scarlata looked at Justin. Justin took a deep breath. And Antonin… Antonin held out his hand to her. Ellie took it without a second thought, holding on to him as if he was a lifeline and she was drowning.

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Then Antonin turned to Justin. “Tell her. Now.” Justin sighed, his angry mouth a straight line. “It’s about Dad. Well, he’s… It’s kind of… He’s really…special—” “You make it sound as if I have brain damage, son,” a voice sounded out of nowhere. “Why don’t you let me take this from here?”

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Chapter Five Ellie knew she was losing her mind because the voice of her dead father was coming from behind her in the living room. “Sorry I’m late. Couldn’t be helped. I know you were trying to stall, Justin. This really shouldn’t have been your situation to handle. It’s mine.” Ellie turned slowly so she wouldn’t lose the tenuous grip she held on reality at the moment. She also held on to Antonin as if he was the only one who could save her. What, or rather who, she saw in the living room pushed her over the edge. “Hello, Fiorella. How are you, princess?” Her father stood there. Her dead father. Exactly as she remembered him from her childhood. He’d died when she was fifteen. Ten years ago. Her parents had already been divorced for five years but she and her dad had been close. Not as close as she and her mom, which she’d always attributed to the girl thing, but she’d loved her dad with all her heart. She still missed him. That couldn’t be him standing there. Which meant she’d finally lost her mind. Ellie wondered if anything else that had happened today was real. Maybe it was all just a dream, some weird, freaky dream she would wake from and call her brother to laugh about. Maybe she’d fallen at Nolde on her run this morning and was lying on the trail hallucinating. Or maybe she’d fallen, hit her head and she was in a coma. Or— The panic attack hit her like a load of bricks dropped from a great height onto her chest. Unlike other attacks she’d had—the ones that started with tight muscles, lightheadedness and faint nausea—this one sideswiped her with its intensity.

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Her heart rate went from normal to “holy-shit-I’m-gonna-die” in seconds. Her head swam and her stomach heaved. She couldn’t draw in enough air. It felt as if she’d swallowed a rock and it was blocking her air passages. Ellie closed her eyes, trying to calm down. Around her, she heard Sal and Justin yelling. No, not yelling. They weren’t angry. They were trying to help. Vaguely she heard the fear in their voices but she didn’t care about that right now. She knew she had to calm down or she would completely embarrass herself by throwing up and passing out. Unfortunately it’d happened before. “Ellie, I’m right here. It’ll be okay. Just listen to me, okay?” Antonin. His voice was calm in her ear, rational. It soothed her mind. Ellie opened her eyes and looked straight into his clear gray ones. “Sit up straight, take a deep breath and relax. Come on. There you go. Now take another one. It’ll be all right.” Surprisingly it was. Ellie took another breath, this one a little deeper than the last, all the time staring at Antonin. After a few more breaths, she knew everything would be okay. “Is that… Is that really my dad?” Antonin’s beautiful mouth tilted up at the corners. “Yeah. Hey, it’s okay, hon,” he said when her hand tightened around his. “Deep breaths. Just listen to me. Your dad’s an ancient Etruscan deity. His real name is Selvans. He holds dominion over the forests and all the creatures who live there.” Her mouth opened and she felt her lungs contract but she couldn’t speak. “Keep breathing, Ellie.” Antonin gripped both of her hands in his now, his thumbs caressing her skin. “You and Justin, as Selvans’ children, are in danger from a group of humans called the Malandante. The Mal also have magical powers but they’re prone to evil and they want to rule the world. If they caught you or Justin, or any of the Fata, they’d hurt you. Worse, they’d torture you until you turned and worked for them. Last

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year they tried to capture Scarlata. Somehow they discovered where she was living and set a trap for her. They baited it with Justin without knowing who he really was.” Her gaze slid to her brother, who was holding Scarlata’s hand. Justin nodded, his expression somber. “I know it’s a shock, Ellie. But there’s a whole world out there that we—well, I at least—never knew about. Red and I managed to get away that time but we were lucky and…we had some help.” He looked as if he wanted to say more but he shook his head and glanced over his shoulder. To where her father stood in the same place she’d first seen him. He hadn’t moved and his expression was pained. “Daddy?” Ellie’s voice trembled, making her sound like a little girl again. Her dad’s mouth held a faint grimace as he stood there, his hands in the pockets of his worn jeans, a white t-shirt stretched over his broad shoulders and chest. Her father was one of the most handsome men she’d ever known with his bright eyes the most pure shade of lavender. Well over six feet tall, he had curly black hair, strong features and the gentlest hands. He looked exactly as she remembered him. He hadn’t aged a day. “Yeah, baby. It’s me.” Ellie stood so suddenly her chair toppled over and nearly made her trip as she ran for him, throwing her arms around his waist and squeezing. “I missed you, Daddy.” His arms came around her, enveloping her. “I missed you too, sweetheart.” She drew her head back to look up at him. “Does Mom know?” Her dad shook his head, a frown twisting his lips. “No. It’s complicated but it’s for the best. She’s got a new life now, a new husband. She’s safer this way. Unfortunately you and your brother are now targets and that was never my intention. We’re still not sure how the Mal found out about Justin or Scarlata. Or why they decided today was the day to make a move on you.”

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“Are you really a…a…” She couldn’t say the word. It had sounded so normal coming from Antonin. He’d called her father a deity. An Etruscan deity named Selvans. A deity who was living and breathing and standing in front of her. The last time she’d seen her father had been the day before his death. Ellie remembered the overwhelming grief she’d felt for months afterward. Her mother had been her rock during that dark time, but the grief he had caused… “You faked your death. Why would you do that, Daddy?” Her dad nodded, pain evident in his eyes. “Because I was starting to get the looks. The ones from the neighbors, who were all growing old when I wasn’t. The ones from your mom were the worst. Your mom never would’ve understood who and what I was. I loved her and she is a strong woman, but finding out your husband is, or at least thinks, he’s a mythological god? It’s not something you agree to in your wedding vows.” He sighed, shaking his head. “It wouldn’t have been fair to her or to you and your brother to make you live your life constantly wondering what you are allowed to say and to whom.” That black pit was threatening to open again in her stomach. Ellie took a deep breath and forced away the dizziness, staring into her father’s eyes to center herself. It really was him. Tears welled up but she bit her tongue until they receded. “You’re an ancient god? From Italy.” He nodded steadily. “Yes, but from a good, long time before they called it Italy. I’ve seen the rise and fall of empires and someday we’ll get to talk about that. But I’m still, first and foremost, your father. I love you and your brother more than anything in the world and I don’t want any harm to come to you.” He cupped her face with one large hand and smiled sadly at her. “Unfortunately I don’t have the power I once used to control. Over the years, our powers have faded. I can’t just wave my hands and make everything better… But I can take every precaution to make sure you’re safe. I’m sending your brother and Scarlata back to Florida, where 70

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they’ve been hiding the past few months. I want you to stay here with Antonin until I find some way to neutralize Bonnini.” Her dad’s face tightened into an expression of pure fury. “That bastard thinks he’s safe in his little world. But don’t worry. I’ll get him.” Ellie had a momentary flash of panic. “You’re leaving me again?” Her father smiled and patted her cheek. “Just for a little while. We have to determine what the Mal are planning. I’ve put some extra protective wards on the house, so for the moment, you’re safest here. I’m leaving you in good hands with Antonin. Just sit tight for a little while, baby. I’ll be back.”

***** The house cleared pretty quickly after that. Sal and her father disappeared on the heels of Justin and Scarlata. Her dad practically had to twist Justin’s arm while Scarlata tugged on his other to get him to leave first. Her brother hadn’t been happy about it but he’d left—with a final, hard glare at Antonin. Then Sal had touched Justin and Scarlata and they’d disappeared. Literally. That was going to take some getting used to, Ellie decided. Hell, all of this was going to take some getting used to. Shortly after Justin and Scarlata left, Sal and her father did too. They went looking for the man who used to be her boss, Daniel Bonnini. Apparently he was the leader of the Mal. How weird was that? Standing in the living room, staring at the spot where her father had vanished, Ellie sighed, feeling as if someone had left all the air out of her—until a pair of warm strong arms encircled her from behind. Antonin pulled her back against his body, fitting himself to her. The gesture made her feel safe, protected. When he leaned close to whisper in her ear, she shivered. “Are you okay, Ellie?” 71

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She thought about his question for a few seconds before answering. Mentally she was picking her way through all the information she’d learned today, trying to keep it all straight, figure out what it all meant. Where she fit into it. Where her dad and her brother fit in. Her head was already pounding and a full-on headache wasn’t that far off. “Do you mind if I lie down for a while? I need a little time to think.” Ellie turned her neck to look at him. Antonin nodded, his expression solemn. “Sure.” “Would you…come up with me?” She didn’t want to be alone. If she were left to her own devices, it would all be too much, too overwhelming. Without answering, Antonin gathered her into his arms as if she weighed nothing and headed back upstairs. Her nose was on his neck. His scent surrounded her, pushing everything from her senses but him. Instant desire for him rose, strong and hot, shutting off her brain. Ellie welcomed the feeling with a sigh of relief. This she understood. This she could handle. In his bedroom, he set her on her feet and she wasted no time reaching for his pants. Antonin didn’t say a word, just let her unzip them. Before the trousers hit the floor, his hands were stripping her of his t-shirt and boxers. In less than five seconds, he had her naked and on her back on the bed, her legs hanging over the side. Ellie drew in a sharp breath that ended on a moan when he dropped to his knees, shouldered his way between her legs and put his mouth over her pussy. With his hand flat on her stomach, he held her in place while his tongue traced the outer lips of her sex, still slightly swollen from their earlier sex play. He lapped at her, tasting her juices. His lazy strokes made her wet and her blood boil.

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She reached for him, sliding her fingers into his hair, urging him to hurry. But the man had an agenda of his own. To drive her out of her mind. Antonin teased her with his tongue, swiping it between her lips then stiffening it before sliding it into her channel. It was almost enough. Her body arched, reaching for something he needed to give her. A release she wanted so badly she could taste it. But then he pulled out his tongue and blew on her pussy lips, his warm breath creating a different kind of friction. Not bad, just not enough. Her fingers tightened in his hair, trying to pull him closer, but he resisted. Even though she knew she had to be hurting him, she wouldn’t release him. He never even flinched. Placing his lips over her clit, he sucked the little bundle of nerves into his mouth and nibbled, making her cry out and shudder. Sensations streaked into her womb, making it clench. “Antonin, please.” She ached for more. He didn’t lift his head from between her legs but the hand on her stomach slid to her breast, caressing her with a firm motion. Almost there. His other hand spread her right leg open just a little farther before she felt his fingers enter her sex and fuck her while his mouth continued suckling on her clit. Tension built, the sharp pangs making her muscles tight with anticipation. His fingers moved in and out slowly at first, easily. But Ellie didn’t want easy. She wanted hard, wanted to scream and come so hard it hurt. She considered begging but she couldn’t form the words, her head thrashing from side to side. Antonin kept up a slow, steady pace until, finally, she felt the tension snap and her sex clench around his fingers as she cried out in orgasm.

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Antonin stood, Ellie’s cries still ringing in his ears. Her eyes were closed, her expression one of sheer pleasure. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman. His balls tightened in warning and he knew if he didn’t get inside her soon he was going to come standing here. With just a few movements, he grabbed a condom from the bedside table and covered himself. Then he rolled her on her side, curled himself around her pliant body and thrust inside her. He slid into her tight channel, the position making for a tight fit. A perfect fit. Bending her slightly forward with one hand on her shoulder, he let his hips take over, shuttling his cock back and forth between her legs into her still-pulsing sex. Ellie arched her back, pressing her hips even closer to his. One of her hands reached behind, searching. For him. Her fingers found his cheek, rubbed along his scruffy jaw then slid into his hair and urged him still closer. Even though his body wanted to race, Antonin forced himself to keep a slow, steady pace. He leaned forward until he could rest his mouth where her neck met her shoulder. Gods, her soft skin was like silk. He rubbed his lips against her, feeling goose bumps rise, then opened his mouth and bit her. Not hard, just enough to satisfy his need to mark her. Her gasp and the way her pussy clenched around him urged him on. “Ellie, come on, babe. Come with me.” She arched back into him again, the sound of her ass slapping against his thighs as sensual as her throaty moan. Sliding his hand to her lower waist, Antonin sank his fingers into the curls on her mound then further to her clit. Taking the little nub between his forefinger and thumb, he tweaked it and rubbed. When she came again, he wanted to roar.

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Her cry triggered his release. Pulsing heat seared through him as his cock jerked and shot cum inside her.

***** They took a lazy shower, got dressed and had a quiet meal. Antonin was just starting to get worried when Selvans and Sal returned around six that evening. They hadn’t found Bonnini but were still convinced the Mal were searching the area. The look Selvans gave Antonin told him Ellie’s father knew exactly what they’d done while he was gone. And that if Antonin hurt his baby girl, Selvans would hurt him. Antonin would have fallen to his knees and asked Ellie to be blood-bound to him forever if he thought it wouldn’t freak her out. The ancient ritual involved an exchange of blood during sex, a magical tie that bound their souls together through every life they might live, enabling them to find and recognize each other. But he didn’t think she was ready for that. So he kept his mouth shut and bowed before the God of the Forest, who lifted one sardonic eyebrow at him before turning to his daughter. The smile Selvans gave Ellie was adoring as he held out a leather overnight bag. “Stopped by your place for clothes, sweetheart. Enough for a week at least. Hopefully it won’t be that long but I don’t know.” Ellie slid Antonin a quick hot glance over her shoulder. “Are we going to stay here?” Selvans shook his head. “No, you two are going to the Hidden Hills sanctuary in Chester County. It’s a former Fata enclave. Most have moved away so it hasn’t really been inhabited for a couple of years. But there’s a cabin. You’ll be safe there until this is over.” “And how long will that be, Daddy? I have several projects I’m working on. I can’t let them down.” 75

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Selvans bent down to kiss the top of her forehead as if she were still a child. “I know, baby. That’s why I put your laptop and your cell phone in there. Be careful about using them though. Bonnini may be able to track them. Now go get changed. You need to get moving.” As soon as Ellie left the room, Selvans turned to him. Antonin straightened, bracing himself for…whatever the god decided to dish out. He’d never felt this way about a woman before and he was ready to fight for her. Even if she was the daughter of a god, she was still the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. So he’d better make this a good one. Bowing his head, he started, “Lord of the Green Leaves—” “Oh hell, kid. Can it.” Selvans cut him off with a wave of his hand. “You don’t think I can see how you feel about her? I’m not stupid or blind.” The god shook his head. “But I don’t want you to rush her on this. It’s going to take awhile for her to come to grips with everything.” Antonin blinked. Had Selvans really just given his blessing to their relationship? Gods, he hoped so. “Yes sir. I realize that.” And he did. Logically. But his heart was telling him to hurry the hell up and make her his. “Yeah well, make sure you don’t—” “Make sure you don’t what, Daddy?” Ellie was back. She’d slipped into a pair of knee-length jeans, her running sneakers—and his dark blue t-shirt. He really liked her in his shirt. “Make sure nothing happens to my baby,” Selvans finished with a rueful smile. “Or there’ll be hell to pay.” “All right, you two.” Sal walked into the center of the room. The little goatman had been uncharacteristically quiet until now. “Let’s get this show on the road.” Grabbing Ellie’s fingers in one hand and the overnight bag in the other, Antonin pulled her along with him. “This is gonna feel weird but it’ll be over in seconds.” He

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stared down into her eyes. “We’ll go together so I’ll be right there with you the whole time. Just hold on to me.”

Ellie had a brief bout of panic as Antonin explained how she was about to be moved from here to somewhere else by magic. Through that same rip in the fabric of reality Justin and Scarlata had arrived in. Okay, she could handle all of this. Her father was an Etruscan god and her brother was in love with a folletta who had beautiful pink wings. A salbinelli straight from the fairy tales her father used to tell her was about to make her disappear and reappear somewhere else and she was falling hard and fast for a guy who… Well, out of everything she’d learned today, pointy ears really weren’t that big a deal. Ellie turned to her father. “Will I see you again?” “Yes, I promise.” Selvans bent, kissed her forehead and hugged her close. Then he said to Antonin, “You better be as good as everyone says you are, son.” For one brief second, Ellie was certain she blushed fire-engine red, because he was good, so very good. “If you screw up and my daughter gets hurt, you will feel the wrath of the gods. Any questions she has, you answer. And come clean. Immediately. You should be safe at the Hidden Hills but don’t let your guard down for a second.” “I’ll protect her with my life.” Antonin’s hand tightened on hers. Warmth spread through her. He’d just said he’d die for her… This guy was too good to be true. Then something else registered. What had her father said? Antonin should come clean? What the hell did that mean? Her dad turned to her again. “I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”

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Sal reached out with his hand and Ellie felt as if she were being drawn through the eye of a needle backward by her spine. There was no pain, just the weirdest sense of being folded in on herself. She didn’t have time to consider what was actually happening because by the time she thought about it, it was over. And she and Antonin were standing…here.

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Chapter Six Ellie turned her head to look around and… Whoa, head rush. She tilted, almost falling over the overnight bag that had somehow ended up at her feet, but Antonin was right there to grab her in his arms and carry her to the couch only steps away. “Come on, Ellie. Sit down. The first time can be a problem—” “What did Dad mean?” She looked straight into his eyes as he stood over her. “Come clean? About what?” Antonin froze for a few brief seconds before letting her settle onto the couch. Then he straightened and stood in front of her. “There’s still a lot you don’t know…about everything.” Okay, that didn’t sound good. “Like what?” His expression went completely blank. “I don’t think we should do this right now. You’ve had a lot of stuff thrown at you in a short amount of time. I don’t want to confuse the issues any more than we need to. Not yet anyway.” Now why did that sound like a lame excuse for not wanting to answer her question? She let him hang for several long seconds, waiting to see what he’d reveal. His expression remained blank. And suddenly everything she’d learned today came rushing back at her with a vengeance. Just minutes before, she felt she could cope with all this new information. But now… Her father was alive and a god. She was more than a little afraid what that meant for her life. She hadn’t dreamed up Sal. Her brother was in love with a winged woman. And now, according to Antonin, all that was just the tip of the iceberg. What more could there be? Her brain was way too overloaded as it was. She had so much to

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think about she swore the buzzing in her ears was her brain trying to process everything. She couldn’t think about another thing. Ellie stood. “You’re right. Is there a bedroom in this place? Somewhere I can get some sleep? I just…need to be alone for a little while.”

Antonin stared at Ellie’s pale complexion. It was obvious she’d reached the end of her rope and he’d helped put her there, selfish bastard that he was. He pointed to the stairs at the rear of the room. “The bedroom’s in the loft. Bathroom’s probably up there too. I’ll just stay down here…” She turned and headed for the stairs, her back straight, her long hair swinging like a heavy curtain to her waist. She took the stairs two at a time, her slim legs pumping, and disappeared into the loft. “Well, shit.” Antonin wanted to hit something, preferably something that could hit him back. Gods be damned, he’d screwed that up every fucking way he could. “I am such a fucking jerk.” “Yeah, that about sums it up, you jackass.” Antonin turned to face the man who’d materialized in the room behind him. “Cam. What the hell are you doing here?” “Nice to see you too, bro.” His oldest brother Camillus sat on the couch, smirking. Anyone looking at them would have to search hard for family similarities. They looked nothing alike. Antonin took after their father, lean and tall, his features sharp and pointed. Cam’s body was stockier than any of his three brothers. The guy would never be fat but he was built like a freakin’ linebacker—all bulging muscle and broad shoulders. His dark hair curled around a face women thought was handsome. Cam had always been a chick magnet, potent without the damn bassadone spell Antonin was cursed with.

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Antonin loved his brother, all of his brothers, and would give his life for any of them. But right now, that smug look on Cam’s face was exactly what he needed to get rid of some frustration. He stalked over and took a swing. But Cam had been his big brother for more than a hundred years and he was damn intuitive. Cam dodged without using a relocation spell and clipped Antonin on the chin. “Aw, come on, Nino. I know you missed me but this display of affection is just embarrassing.” The implied “wussy” at the end of that statement made Antonin aim his next blow at his brother’s rock-hard stomach. Cam didn’t even flinch, though Antonin landed that punch. His older brother nudged him away like a fly now that the preliminaries were over and Antonin let him. “What are you doing here, Cam? Hell, I didn’t even know we were coming here until a few minutes ago. How’d you find us?” “Sal let me know what was going on. Said you had a situation you might need a hand with.” Cam smiled and Antonin’s jealous anger kicked up again. His brother just laughed. “Oh for fuck’s sake. Chill, Nino. I’m not here to poach. Mom and Dad are worried about you. I said I’d check in and report back.” Cam’s gaze flashed to the loft. “By the way, thanks for making me pick up the Audi at Nolde. Took me awhile to find it. Wanna tell me what’s going on with our charge?” Big brother to the rescue…again. Gods be damned, Antonin wanted to strangle Cam then beg him for advice. “I’ve fallen for her, Cam. I know it’s not professional but she’s great. She’s beautiful. She’s smart and sexy and I want to be with her. She wants me too and I’m pretty sure it’s not because of the fucking bassadone spell. But how can I tell for sure? Will I ever be able to tell?”

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Cam rolled his eyes. “Come on, Nino. You’ve lived with the damn spell all these years. You’re not a complete idiot, right? Why do you think she might only be interested in you because of the bassadone spell?” Because he wasn’t movie star handsome and charming like their youngest brother Rio and he wasn’t intense like Cam. He’d never had to be any of those things to get a girl because of the bassadone. “Because it always has been.” Cam snorted. “Fuck that. Get your head outta your ass and stop feeling sorry for yourself. You use that damn spell as a shield, you always have.” Antonin frowned at him. “What the hell are you talking about?” “You use it so you don’t have to commit. You can always whine and bitch that the women never really want you for you and then you can leave them.” “Fuck you, Cam. That’s bull.” Cam slashed a hand out in front of him, throwing just a tiny bit of the power he controlled straight at Antonin, who staggered back two steps. “Don’t even give me that poor-little-me routine. I’ve seen you at work, bro. You’ve gotten really good at love ’em and leave ’em.” Bullshit. Most of his relationships had ended because the bassadone spell eventually wore off and by then the women were tired of him. Cam was just trying to get a rise out of him. And he wasn’t biting. “What the hell do you want anyway?” Cam shrugged. Nothing ever fazed his big brother. “Told you. Just checking in. And since I’ve done that, I’ll let you get back to your miserable life. I’ll let the ’rents know you’re okay. If you need me, just give a holler. Later.”

***** Ellie listened to the men talk from her seat on the stairs to the loft. The height of the ceiling magnified their voices, making it easy for her to hear every word.

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She’d been on her way back downstairs to confront Antonin again. She didn’t want to be a coward. She wanted to know everything and she wanted to know it all right now. Especially whatever it was he was hiding from her. Then Antonin had spoken to a man she assumed was his brother and taken away all her angry heat. He wanted to keep her. A tiny corner of her heart melted—which made her want him again. But first she had to know what this bassadone spell was they were talking about. Was it a spell he had put on her? A spell to make her want him? Was there a way to tell whether he’d woven a spell over her? Would she want to know if he had? Was this what her father had told him to come clean about? Too many questions. Questions she wanted answers to. Ellie heard Antonin downstairs, pacing, prowling. Almost like a caged animal. Shifting closer to the banister, she looked down to see him stop and stare out the large window at the front of the house. With his arms stretched above him and his hands flat on the glass, he looked trapped, as if there was no way out. She followed his gaze out the window. All she could see was dark forest. Her dad had said they were going to Chester County, which bordered Berks. But she really didn’t know anything other than that. Ellie rose, knowing he’d hear her the second she did, and she wasn’t disappointed. Antonin swung around to watch her walk down the steps, his expression wary. She walked across the room, taking her time, holding his gaze. There wasn’t much furniture and she walked straight to him. When there was only a foot between them, she stopped, tilting her head back to look at him. He was so gorgeous and she knew, she knew, she felt that way because he was gorgeous. Not because of some spell he’d cast over her. “I take it you overheard that conversation?”

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She nodded. “That was your brother?” “Yeah. My oldest. Cam.” “You have others?” “Two more. Rio and Teo. They’re both younger. Because of our, ah, abilities, Rio, Cam and I have trained as security specialists most of our adult lives. We do personal security, information retrieval and gathering.” “You mean you’re a bodyguard and a spy?” He shrugged. “Pretty much, yeah.” When he didn’t elaborate, she decided to ask the twenty-four-thousand-dollar question. “Are you going to tell me what bassadone means?” He drew in a deep breath as if she’d hit him but nodded. “Literally translated, it means woman kisser.” Her eyes widened. “Oo-kay. And…” Antonin paced again and that pit in her stomach returned, the one that usually signaled a panic attack. This time, it felt more like dread. She wasn’t going to like what he had to say. “My parents are full-blooded linchetti,” he started, “and occasionally full-bloods produce children with…a few more magical attributes than normal.” She had no idea where he was going with his. Justin would have. He’d memorized their father’s tales as a kid, made them his life’s passion as an adult. Maybe if she’d listened a little more intently, she wouldn’t be so behind the curve. “And that means what? Come on, Antonin. Help me out here. Until yesterday, I didn’t know there were people like Sal and Scarlata in the world. At least I didn’t remember that I knew. I just spoke to my dad, who supposedly died more than ten years ago. Give me a break and just spill it. It can’t be that bad.” Or could it? Antonin’s grave expression made goose bumps shoot up her arms. Luckily the dread hadn’t morphed into panic yet. 84

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He took a deep breath. “I was born with the bassadone spell woven into my genes. It’s kind of like being born with the sickle cell gene.” “Are you sick?” He shook his head. “No.” Then he took another deep breath. “The bassadone spell acts like an aphrodisiac. It makes me irresistible to most women. Some are immune.” He grimaced. “Not many though. It’s not something I can turn off but I didn’t want it.” Ellie’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re telling me the only reason I want you is because you’re magically irresistible?” Antonin scowled at her expression of confusion, disbelief and anger. She was going to hammer him for this. Hell, if Ellie wasn’t immune, he would have taken advantage of her and he deserved to be punished but, come on, he’d never asked to be born bassadone. Sure, he admitted to loving it at first. He’d been able to get any woman he’d wanted. Only one or two women had ever turned him down. After a while though, the spell had wreaked havoc on his conscience and his self-esteem. What if no one really wanted him? What if it was all because of the bassadone spell? He’d always been careful and he’d never slept with all the women who’d come on to him. Still, when he did, it’d been like taking candy from a baby. And now it was coming back to haunt him, because the one woman he’d met in all these years who really held his interest was looking at him as if he were a piece of garbage stuck to the bottom of her shoe. He watched her shake her head, sigh then throw her hands in the air. “I’m not really sure what to do here,” she said. “Are you really telling me there’s something in your genes that makes women throw themselves at you?” “I know it must seem weird for someone like you…” Her eyes narrowed to slits again. “Wait, someone like me? What the hell does that mean?”

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“Someone who wasn’t raised in our world.” “Oh, so now I’m ignorant?” Antonin raked his fingers through his hair, ready to pull it out by the roots. This wasn’t going well at all. “No! Damn it, you’re twisting my words.” Sighing in frustration, he stared at her. She was so beautiful with that haughty look on her face, her arms crossed over her chest and one foot tapping an angry beat on the floor. Which just made him want her even more. With the exception of his mother, he’d never had an argument with a woman before, magical or not. After a while, the bassadone spell lost its potency. When that happened, those relationships always fizzled out. They never went down in flames with a huge blowout. So did her anger really mean Ellie wasn’t affected by the spell? So far, she’d shown none of the telltale signs women usually exhibited when they were under the spell. The glazed look, the unwillingness to confront him… No, Ellie hadn’t shied away from any confrontation with him, had she? If he made her really angry now, drew some real emotion from her, would that be the final proof that her feelings for him were genuine? He had to know for sure. This called for a little experimentation. “You’re not ignorant, Ellie. Just naïve. There’s a world out there that you know nothing about.” Antonin had to hide a smile when her mouth parted on an angry gasp. She was pissed at him. And that might be the most wonderful thing he’d ever witnessed. Her hands slapped onto her hips and the look she gave him blazed fire. “That may be but I will not have you speak to me as if I’m some sort of idiot, because I haven’t—” He reached out, snagged her around the neck and kissed her with everything he had. He wanted her so badly and he wasn’t going to wait anymore. She struggled against him and beat at his shoulders. It just made him that much more elated.

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Ellie was immune to the bassadone spell. She had to be.

She was going to beat the man over the head with a stick the first chance she got if he didn’t let her go right now. Okay, maybe not right now because, damn, the man could kiss. His lips applied just the right amount of pressure and when he slid his tongue into her mouth and licked at hers, sparks lit low in her body. Damn him. She should be pissed—and she was. Her anger curled into a little hot ball in her chest but after a few more seconds of kissing, it just didn’t seem worth it anymore. And she knew that wasn’t because of any spell. She simply wanted him again. Ellie didn’t push him away. Instead her arms wound around his shoulders, holding him in place. Her mouth opened wider for him. She was already getting wet at the thought she could have him again. Now. Here. She wrapped her leg around his hip, pressing her mound against the burgeoning ridge in his pants. His groan echoed in her head, stoking her desire. His hand cupped her ass, drawing her nearer so he could grind against her. His other hand laced into her hair, tilting her head at the perfect angle to ravage her mouth. If this was a spell, it was one she didn’t want to break. Antonin kissed her as if their mouths were made for one another. They fit together perfectly, her soft curves to his hard muscle. The heat of his body warmed her until her blood boiled. His kisses made her standing knee weak and when he broke away from her mouth to trail his lips along her jaw to her ear, she actually sagged. But he caught her in his arms and held her. She knew he wouldn’t let her fall. Ellie turned her head to bite his earlobe and he shuddered. She liked that. “Ellie,” he said on a rough sigh, “come with me.” He eased her away from him with his hands on her shoulders.

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They stared at each other for a few brief seconds until Antonin’s mouth quirked and he released her, only to hold out his hand. She cocked her head to the side and let him stew for a moment, watching him until she saw the slightest falter in his eyes. Then she slipped her hand into his, the warmth of his skin seeping into hers, making her treacherous heart beat like the bass line of a rap song. “Where are we going?” she asked, confused. She would have jumped his bones, and he was taking her outside, away from the nice large bed she’d seen in the loft? “There’s something I want to show you.” “What?” Antonin turned to smile at her and heat scorched her entire body. “It’s a surprise. I think you’ll like it.” “But—” “Trust me, Ellie.” He was asking for way more with those three little words than met the eye. She took a breath and nodded. She did trust him. His mouth quirked up another of those crooked smiles of his, the ones that filled her with warmth. They went outside. Antonin headed for the tree line of the surrounding forest. She caught a glimpse of the full moon directly above the rustic cabin, the clear sky filled with stars. Ellie had often wondered if there were other beings out there looking at Earth and wondering the same thing. So much mystery in the world. “Will you…tell me more about what you are? What…I am?” She felt his gaze on her for a brief second. “You are human. Genetically, we’re all similar. Even your dad and the other deities have a similar genetic makeup. We’re just different in the way our bodies and our minds process energy. The deities are at the top

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of the food chain. They have powers you can’t imagine. The Fata and other magical species of the world are able to harness the earth’s magic and bend it to our will. Most humans aren’t able to do that.” Okay, so far that all made some sense. “What about my ability to talk to animals? That comes from my dad, right?” “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” “What about you? About the… What did you call it? The Fata?” “The Fata and humans are just two branches of the same species. Like humans have different skin colors, Fata are different from each other in other ways. Some are folletti like Scarlata. There are linchetti and gianes and incubi and many more. But they all have the ability to use some form of magic.” Ellie shook her head. “I used to dream that magic was real.” Antonin smiled and she saw magic there. “It is. Let me show you.” They walked in silence for several minutes. The unusually warm air curled over everything, soaking into her skin. The rich scents of pine sap and new leaves infused the slight breeze blowing in lazy wisps, not even disturbing the branches. She heard no cars at all, no trains in the distance. No planes flew overhead and no dogs barked. As they continued to walk, she could see nothing but the dark outline of the trees. Then she caught sight of flickering lights ahead. Fireflies. Did fireflies live in the forest? “Antonin?” “Shh,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “They don’t like to be disturbed.” They continued through the woods along a path only Antonin seemed to see. When they stopped at the edge of a small clearing, the moon directly above them illuminated the scene. Ellie clapped a hand over her mouth to stop her gasp from escaping. Not fireflies. Tinker Bells.

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Only they weren’t all Bells. There were Beaus in there as well. She knew that because they were naked. The creatures ranged from six to twelve inches tall and their skin glowed so brightly they seemed to have haloes around them. Standing behind her, Antonin splayed his hands on her hips and drew her back against him. Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “We’re in Chester County in the Hidden Hill woods. This is the only candelas enclave in the northeast, maybe in all of the U.S.” Ellie couldn’t speak. The scene was enchanting. At first glance, the candelas appeared to be tiny humans with wings. But as she stared harder, she realized their bodies were shaped more like a butterfly’s, though they had human-shaped arms and legs. Their faces called to mind the anthropomorphized insects of Disney films— human, but not. They danced around a massive decaying tree stump in the center of the clearing. And not just on the ground. They also danced in the air, their tiny wings fluttering gracefully and in perfect sync. She didn’t hear music at first but then, at the very edges of her auditory sense, she made out a hum. A rhythmic hum that turned into a sweet melody. “Are they singing?” she whispered. “Yes, but you won’t recognize the language.” She tore her attention from the fluttering, glittering dancers and glanced back at Antonin, clearly visible in the moonlight. His gaze was on her. “They have their own language?” He nodded and she turned back to stare at the magical scene. “It’s ancient. No one but the candelas understands it any longer.” “Where do they come from?”

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“No one’s really sure about this enclave. It predates the arrival of Europeans. The first settlers in this area heard legends about glowing lights in the forest from the indigenous tribes who lived in the area, legends they’d been telling for centuries. They’re not usually so blatant in front of…” She waited for him to continue but she knew what he was going to say. Humans. Only she wasn’t completely human, was she? She was something…a little bit more. She was the daughter of a freaking Etruscan god. She still didn’t really know what that meant or would mean for the rest of her life. And it wasn’t something she could shout to the world but still… How cool was that? As the glowing figures pranced to their music, Ellie had the almost overpowering urge to join them. “Do they know we’re here?” “Definitely.” “Can I join them?” He hesitated for a second. “I guess you can try.” She stepped from the shadow of the trees and walked forward, smiling.

Antonin watched Ellie walk into the clearing, her careful steps taking her closer and closer to the candelas. The creatures stopped, their tiny wings fluttering as they held their positions, staring at Ellie. Since he’d only ever seen the creatures from a distance, he had no idea how they’d react to her. He’d never heard of candelas attacking so he figured she was safe from harm but he’d expected them to scatter the second she stepped forward. Ellie walked right up to them and held out one hand, palm up, as if she was letting a dog sniff her. No one moved for several seconds and then one tiny glowing female

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flew to her palm and set down. Though he couldn’t see Ellie’s face, he could imagine her smile as the little candelas fluttered her wings and danced. It only took moments for the others to follow suit. Leaning against a tree, Antonin gazed at one of the most beautiful sights he’d ever seen. Ellie, surrounded by a hundred or so glowing candelas, dancing in the moonlight. Even in denim and cotton, she was transcendent. Her long hair shone silver in the moonlight, shimmering around her shoulders and down her back. She smiled, laughed, her expression joyous. Her long legs skipped and hopped to the beat, her muscles flexing. Her breasts, unbound by a bra, bounced under his shirt. And suddenly it wasn’t so innocent anymore. His cock throbbed and his balls tightened to the point of pain. His chest felt as if someone had dropped a twenty-pound weight on it. The beat of the music became heavier, more sensual. His blood pulsed in time, straight to his cock. He didn’t know how long he watched, his body tense with need. An hour or more must have passed, because the moon moved considerably in the sky. Ellie either didn’t notice or didn’t care. She seemed lost in a world of her own until the candelas began pairing off and disappearing into the forest. It happened slowly but when only about a quarter remained, she turned to him. Even from where he stood, he saw the heat in her gaze, the tightness in her body. She started moving toward him, her eyes wide, her mouth no longer smiling. Her hands fisted in the bottom of the t-shirt. Christ, she was gorgeous. Then she pulled the t-shirt over her head and blew his mind. Lust spilled into his blood like hot lava, incinerating any lingering thoughts, except the need to take what she offered. Following her cue, he took off his own shirt. Then he

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pushed away from the tree, holding his feet in place by sheer force of will. He let her come to him. She took another few steps, her fingers hooked in the waistband of her pants. His breath exited his lungs on a short gasp when they fell to the ground. She stepped out of them, naked, without missing a beat and walked straight into his outstretched arms. Hands on her hips, he lifted her off her feet, his muscles barely straining. Dragging her up his body, he held her above him, her hair cascading down on either side of his face. Her hands clasped his cheeks and she settled her lips against his. Her tongue slipped between his teeth, silky hot. He could hold her like this forever if she continued kissing him like that. Ellie had other ideas though. Her fingers slipped from his face to trail down his neck to his chest where she played with his nipples, pinching them, rubbing them with her thumbs. All the muscles in his body grew tense with sexual desire. Antonin groaned and lowered her feet to the ground. He needed his hands free, needed to touch her as she did him. But when he’d lowered her, her fingers lowered as well—straight to his cargo pants. She had them open and down around his ankles in a flash. His boxers followed suit. His hands found her breasts, cupping their weight. Her skin felt like satin, soft as down, her nipples tight and puckered. He lowered his head, intending to take one nipple in his mouth, but before he could, she dropped to her knees, one hand encircling his cock, the other going between his legs to scratch lightly against his balls. Oh fuck. His head fell back against the tree hard enough to hurt but her mouth… Oh hell, her mouth took in the tip of his burning cock and sucked. Fire raced from his shaft through his balls and straight up his spine, clearing his mind of anything that wasn’t Ellie. With one hand cupped around his sac and the other tight around his cock, she played her tongue around the head, drawing on him like a piece of candy. The suction tightened his balls further then one of her fingers slid back to his perineum. 93

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Antonin looked down just as she removed her hand from around his cock and took more of him into her mouth. Her teeth scraped lightly along the skin, making him groan again. She smiled around him and took him in deeper, all the while rubbing that finger between his ass cheeks. Gods, he wasn’t going to last long. And honestly, he didn’t much care at the moment. As long as he could come. When Ellie picked up the pace, Antonin ran his fingers through her hair then rubbed a handful of it against the skin low on his stomach. Lightning flashed behind his closed lids as she took him deep in her throat then let him slide back out until her lips held only the tip of his cock. Her tongue swiped at the tiny slit and the lightning shot up his spinal cord. He heard himself pant out her name, warning her to slow down. In response, she ringed the base of his shaft with her fingers and squeezed then dragged her hand up to meet her mouth, which was on a downward path. Shit. Too late to stop. Can’t hold back. Antonin called out her name as he came, her tongue continuing to swirl around him until his cock stopped convulsing. With the last shudder of his orgasm still freshly imprinted on his body, he whispered the translocation spell and willed them back to the cabin.

***** Her lips still wrapped around his cock, Ellie realized they were no longer in the forest. She didn’t much care, not when Antonin’s gasps continued to fuel her own passion. The candelas and their lusty dance had made her blood boil and when she’d turned back to look at Antonin, his expression had made her want to give him as much pleasure as he’d given her already. It had seemed right to be naked under the moon in front of him. So she’d shed her clothes and bent down to worship him. 94

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“Ellie?” With one last lick, she let his cock slide from her mouth before she looked up, peripherally realizing they were back at the cabin. “How did we get back here?” she asked, only vaguely interested in the answer, much more interested in what he planned to do next. His smile made her sex clench. “Magic. Sex magic. Powerful stuff. On the couch, woman. Now.” Whoa! Was it wrong for her to be turned on by the command in his voice? It couldn’t be. Ellie rolled from her knees onto her haunches but she hadn’t gotten far when Antonin put his hands under her arms and lifted her off her feet. At his strength, her limbs weakened and her stomach turned somersaults. When he dropped her softly on the couch only a few feet away, she already felt an orgasm begin beating between her legs. Without shame, she leaned back onto the couch and spread her legs before him. Now it was his turn to kneel and he dropped between her knees, using his shoulders to force them even farther apart. Putting his hands under her thighs, he draped her legs over his broad shoulders and leaned into her. His mouth found her sex in an instant. The first kiss was light as a butterfly. The second made her want to slam her legs shut so he couldn’t get away…ever. His tongue shot out to lick the already weeping folds of her sex, to flick against her sensitized clit before he turned his head to press kisses along her inner thighs. She reached for his head to pull his mouth back where she wanted it—on her pussy—but then she lost her train of thought the second her fingers brushed his silky hair. So soft, like— Oh God. His mouth opened over her sex again, sucking on her tender skin before raking his teeth across her clit. A fierce shiver flashed through her body and she called

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out his name in a plea. Antonin answered by sweeping his tongue on that bundle of nerves until the first signs of orgasm finally broke the tension in her body. He held her on the brink of climax for several minutes, forcing her body to prolong the pleasure. Panting, her sheath clenching, she needed to come. She had to or she was going to splinter. Finally, when she thought she couldn’t take any more of the sweet torture, the sensation shot straight to her womb then through her entire body. Ellie cried out, her body wilting into the sofa. When she stopped shaking, Antonin pulled away. Spent, Ellie couldn’t even get her eyes to open far enough to see what he was doing. He lifted her in his arms and she snuggled up close, wrapped her arms around his neck and let herself drift off to sleep.

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Chapter Seven Ellie woke up to whispering in her ear. She couldn’t understand a word but she couldn’t ignore the tone either. Someone frantically wanted her attention. With an effort, she opened her eyes and gasped before she realized what was before her. The tiny female candelas glowed dimly, as if she didn’t want to disturb anyone else. The only other person in the room was Antonin and he was still asleep, flat on his back. He had been curled around her earlier but sometime later had wound up like this. Dead to the world. The candelas had her little hands on her little hips and was tapping her foot as she flapped her wings to suspend herself in the air. Obviously she wanted Ellie for something. Ellie got out of bed, managing not to wake Antonin. Naked, she followed the little glow down the stairs from the loft to the ground floor. She slipped on a shirt and panties from the overnight bag that was still lying where it had been dropped. The candelas flew to the window then looked back at her as if waiting for her to fly out with her. “Not gonna happen, little girl. What do you want anyway?” Ellie whispered. The candelas turned to say something in that alien language that sounded like one of those New Age songs that were supposed to relieve stress. Then the little creature pointed out the window.

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“You want me to go out there?” Ellie stepped up to the window and looked out. It was so dark she could barely see the trees. The moon must have set already. “Why do you want me to go out there?” More song-language, more pointing at the window then more pointing at her. “I really don’t understand what you’re say—” A shadow moved in the forest, startling a gasp out of her. The candelas spoke again, her agitation evident by the tightness of her tone. “Okay, so there’s something out there. I’d better get An—” Then Ellie started screaming.

***** Antonin woke to the sound of Ellie screaming. She wasn’t in the room so he flew out of bed and down the stairs, only to stare in shock at the front window, which was in thousands of pieces on the floor. Ellie was nowhere to be seen. “Ellie! Ellie, are you here?” Not a sound. Okay, don’t panic. Just because you don’t see her doesn’t mean she’s not here. He ran to the smashed window, wondering who the hell could have done that. No one was supposed to know they were here. His eyes scanned the forest. He didn’t see anyone out there. He looked around the room. Maybe Ellie had fallen behind the couch and he couldn’t see her. He checked. No, not there. He searched the entire cabin. She wasn’t anywhere to be found, which meant she had to be outside. Antonin stepped into the night air, realized he was naked and willed pants and sneakers into his hand. After pulling them on, he searched the grounds, calling for her. The only answer he got was the complete absence of sound. Something had scared off

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the forest dwellers… Something big if the size of the strange footprints in the mud was anything to go by. He sensed the presence of magic. Not Mal but definitely Fata. Fear got a stranglehold around his chest. Get a grip. She needs you. Figure something out. He closed his eyes, shutting out the anxiety, and concentrated. Then he took off at a run back to their bed.

***** Ellie felt the panic attack hit her in the chest like a battering ram. Her gaze darted about her new surroundings, taking in the stone walls all around, illuminated by one flaming torch hanging on the far end. It was a cave, one that seemed to have no entrance. She’d been taken out of the cabin by something huge and dark and foul-smelling. After blowing out the window—at least she assumed it had blown out the window without managing to get a scratch on her—the thing had grabbed her and taken off through the woods. She’d been terrified but had managed to keep her eyes open as long as she could. Unfortunately she hadn’t been able to see much, because it was pitchblack. Everything looked the same to her. Trees and more trees. Then she thought they had actually taken flight, though she wasn’t entirely sure. By that time, she’d had to close her eyes because she was becoming nauseous from the constant motion. When she’d finally stopped moving, she’d found herself here—wherever here was. She tried to calm down her nerves. Breathe, you idiot. You can’t help yourself if you pass out from a panic attack. She knew that but getting her body to listen was another matter. For several long minutes, she closed her eyes and blocked out everything but the sound of her breathing. In, out. Breathe in and hold for five. Exhale through the mouth for five. Finally, finally, her heartbeat returned to a normal pace and the crushing weight on her chest eased. 99

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Okay, what do I know? Well, she wasn’t dead, so obviously whatever had taken her wanted her alive. Hopefully not to be served as a main course sometime later. At that thought, the feeling of dread started to return. Not a good thing to think about. Focus! Ellie opened her mouth to scream for help then thought better of it. She was alone at the moment and preferred to stay that way, thank you very much. Reaching behind her, she touched cool, dry stone. She reasoned if she’d gotten in the cave, there had to be a way out. She made a full circuit of the space but found no openings. However, the torch flame flickered as if in a breeze, which meant there had to be a way to the outside somewhere. She just needed to find it.

***** Antonin grabbed the bedsheets in both hands and stuck his nose into them. Ellie’s scent was infused in the cotton. Blessed Goddess, they smelled so damn good he got half a hard-on just from it. But he didn’t have time to get lost in that. He had to get Ellie back. He was going to make that fucking bassadone spell work for him, instead of against him, for a change.

***** Ellie held the torch above her head, trying to see the hole that had to be there. As the smoke from the torch rose upward, it drifted toward the left then abruptly changed direction. The way out must be up there. How else would she have gotten in? The only problem was that the opening had to be at least ten to twelve feet above her. “Well, shit.” 100

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Could she climb it? She ran her free hand over the wall, holding the torch up with the other. The surface was rough—rough enough that she might be able to find handholds and footholds to pull herself up the wall. She’d never done anything like it before but there was always a first time for everything. She knew Antonin would be looking for her but she wasn’t about to wait around for someone to rescue her. Though a little help might be nice, especially since she could still feel the panic biting into her lung capacity… No. Enough of that. Ellie straightened. Whoever had taken her was probably just waiting for her to fall apart in here. Why else keep her somewhere like this? It was psychological torture. Nothing else. And she wasn’t going to fall for it. She put the torch back in the holder on the other side of the cave then reached up to find her first handhold.

***** The trail was easy to follow at first. Whatever had taken Ellie hadn’t bothered to cover its tracks, at least for a while. Then the tracks disappeared. Antonin stopped and looked around at the woods. Which way? Straight ahead? Or had they doubled back and turned? Closing his eyes, he pulled out the section of sheet he’d ripped off and held it to his nose. He felt the bassadone simmer in his blood and instead of trying to suppress it as he normally did, he let it bubble to the surface. He ached for her, from his chest to his gut and into his bones. He wanted her. His body throbbed and he let the pressure build until the hunger made him grind his teeth. Ellie. He had to have Ellie. Which way was she? Antonin turned in a slow circle. There. The throb in his groin intensified in that direction.

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He opened his eyes and started to run again until he hit the edge of the forest and found himself at the beginning of a newly built housing development. Before him, the earth had been cleared and leveled. What had once been farmland and, before that, forest now held square boxes of wood, brick and stone. The scents of torn earth, chemical treatments for weeds and freshly laid asphalt overlaid Ellie’s unique scent. “Fuck.” He felt the first stirring of fear shiver under his concentration. “Shit. Where the hell did she go?” And what should he do now? A small pinch on his ear made him turn his head. A softly glowing female candelas appeared by his side, chattering rapidly and pointing down the street. “Ellie?” The tiny female nodded and pointed again. Antonin took off at a run.

***** Holy shit, she’d made it. Ellie didn’t know how long it had taken her but finally she pulled herself into the tunnel above the cave she’d been in. She’d broken more than a few fingernails, was pretty sure she was trailing blood from her scraped knees and every muscle in her body trembled from exertion. Still, she had a grin on her face. She couldn’t wait to see the look on her brother’s face when she told him she’d climbed that wall with her bare hands. Justin probably wouldn’t believe her. Antonin would. But first she had to get out of here. Considering what had happened at the forest, she was almost sure that the Mal Antonin had told her about were behind it. She desperately wanted him here with her. He would know how to deal with them. Still,

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she knew he was out there looking for her. And he would find her. If she stayed calm and worked toward that end, everything would be okay. With one last deep breath, Ellie looked around. A faint light gleamed at the other end of the tunnel. She didn’t have a clue how far it was and she was more than a little worried about what she’d find at that end. But she couldn’t stay here. Standing up, she reached a hand above her but couldn’t feel the ceiling. The walls were smooth here, as if machine-made. She made her way as silently as she could down the tunnel, catching the scent of wood smoke in the air the closer she got to the light. She didn’t hear a thing—until a male voice said, “Please, come join me. It took you longer than I thought it would to get out of the pit. I had expectations about you that were not met. Now I’m sure you’re thirsty.” For one brief second, she considered running back to the pit and waiting there for someone to come get her. Antonin would find her. She knew— No, damn it. She could do this. Ellie squared her shoulders, took a calming breath and walked into the light. The scene before her was so normal it threw her for a second. A dark-haired man sat at a beautiful table set for two. He waved to the seat at the other end of the table. The space sparkled with light, from the electrified chandelier above to the candles on the table. The walls were made of plaster, the floor wood and the room looked for all intents and purposes like any other room—in a millionaire’s mansion. Ellie held her ground at the tunnel entrance. The guy, who looked familiar, seemed normal enough but nothing about this situation was normal. Hell, nothing had been normal in her life since yesterday morning. “Come in, Fiorella. You’re in no danger from me. I merely want to talk.” She didn’t move. How the hell did this guy know who she was? “You’re one up on me. I don’t know your name.”

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The man stood and she almost expected him to bow. “Yes you do. I’m Daniel. Daniel Bonnini.” Her mouth dropped open. Of course now she recognized him from the photos on the wall at the Winter Group, where she used to work until she’d quit four months ago. According to his own press, which she’d read often enough, Daniel Bonnini was one canny businessman and a great philanthropist. He owned several businesses, including the one her brother had worked for, BD Enterprises. He had also funded the Winter Group. According to her father and brother, this man wanted a member of the Fata to experiment on. And now she was going to lead Antonin right to him. “Ah,” the man smiled, “I see from your expression that you know who I am. Good, then I don’t need to do much explaining. Please, sit.” He again waved a hand at the opposite end of the table. “You have my word I won’t harm you.” Ellie stood her ground. “And I should believe that why? After you had some monster kidnap me? How did you find me? And what do you want?” Bonnini bared his teeth in a creepy grin. “Let’s just say it wouldn’t be in my best interest to hurt you. And the monster,” he smiled at the word, “I used to find you has an incredible sense of smell. All I had to do was allow it to sniff the sweater you forgot when you left the Winter Group and off he went. Now what I want you for is a little more complicated.” “Then explain it to me in simple terms.” The man just smirked. “I’m sure once your bodyguard tells your brother you’ve been taken, he’ll be on his way here to rescue you. Justin imagines himself a superhero now. We’ll just wait for him then I’ll only need to explain things once.”

***** “Damn, this is weird.”

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The candelas nodded in agreement, speaking in that indecipherable language then shaking her head in bemusement. At four thirty a.m., the sky was still dark, but not for long, and the streets were deserted, only a small cat darting in and out of the few trash cans waiting along the curb. As Antonin walked down the unfinished sidewalk, he noticed that only a few of the large houses were completed. Fewer still had anyone living in them. Only one had light shining from the windows. He stopped several houses away from that last house, the candelas landing on his shoulder, chattering away. He shook his head. He didn’t have to understand her language to know what she was saying. The place reeked of Mal. “Yes, I know it’s a trap. But I can’t leave her there. I was supposed to take care of her, keep her safe. I fucked up.” He felt a sharp pinch on his ear and a tiny foot stomped into his shoulder. “Ouch.” He rubbed his ear. “Okay, okay. I know. Talk later. Act now.” But what the hell was he going to do? There were some bad-ass wards protecting the building. He could sense them from here. But the front door was wide-open. Antonin took a deep breath. There must be another way. One that didn’t involve him walking in the front door. He didn’t have his brother Cam’s ability to teleport without getting hold of a shitload of power, like the sex magic he’d performed with Ellie to get back to the house. So he couldn’t surprise the bastard by materializing inside the house. But he was linchetto. He had other tricks up his sleeve.

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in Etruscan magical creatures if—no, when she got out of here. She sat at the table and pretended not to notice she’d noticed someone had arrived. Someone invisible. Crazy Bonnini with the freaky cold eyes had gone elsewhere. Earlier, she’d heard him walking around the first floor talking to someone but now everything was silent. He’d left her with a table full of food she refused to touch and a human-looking guard sitting in the hall outside the dining room. The man had barely glanced at her when she’d stuck her head out of the room but his bulging muscles and the gun at his side made her think twice about trying to get by him. She might not know much about this new world she’d fallen into but she figured if such things as candelas and sex magic were real then, well, she probably shouldn’t eat the food given to her by the man who was using her as bait in a trap. “Ellie, don’t act startled and don’t try to look for me. Keep your voice down. Are you okay?” Antonin. “Where are you?” she whispered, trying not to move her lips in case Bonnini had hidden cameras in the room. “Be careful. Bonnini’s in the house somewhere, there’s a guard in the hall and I don’t know how many others. How did you get in here?” “I’m right next to you. No, don’t move your head. I figured it was Bonnini who took you though I have no idea how he found us. He’s not as smart as he thinks, because I was able to slip past his wards. I’m going to get you out of here. Just sit tight.” “And how do you plan to do that?” A pause. “Still working on that.” Okay, this was weird. She was holding a conversation with a disembodied voice. Then again, weird was now a relative term. “Can’t you just…materialize me out of here like you did before in the forest?” “Uh… Well, yeah, but we’d have to have sex for me to be able to do that.”

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Not the answer she’d been expecting. She sat dumbfounded for several long seconds. “You’re kidding, right?” “No,” Antonin’s voice assured her, “I’m not.” Well, shit. Considering the danger she was in, that option was out of the question… Or wasn’t it? Ellie mulled over the suggestion. She wanted out of here. And it wasn’t as if sex with Antonin was a hardship. If sex would get them out without starting a brawl, it’d definitely be worth it. Besides, just the thought of feeling Antonin inside her was enough to make her wet—even though she was being held hostage by a madman. She knew she wasn’t under some kind of spell but she had either fallen so hard for this guy that her libido had shut off her common sense or she was certifiable. “Ellie, you okay?” She swallowed hard as erotic images of Antonin ran through her mind on a continuous loop. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” She took a deep breath. “So what are we going to do?” “I want you to sit tight. I’m going to check out the house, get the layout of the place. I’ll be back and then we’ll get the hell out of here.” “Antonin?” “Yeah?” She wished she could see him, touch him, just to reassure herself she hadn’t gone off the deep end. “Don’t forget me.” “I won’t go anywhere without you. Sit tight, sweetheart.” “Antonin?” “Yeah?” “I’d be okay with the sex magic.” A current of air brushed against her lips, sending a shiver down her spine. 107

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“I’ll be right back.”

***** Antonin headed out the door into the hallway. Even though he had dissolved his corporeal body, he was aroused to the point of pain just from thinking about having sex with Ellie. He considered running back into the dining room and taking her on the table. He knew the only reason she’d agreed to the sex magic was because she was desperate to escape. He would fuck her, if it came to that. Hell, he’d enjoy it. But damn it, he wanted Ellie to want him for himself and not because he was her only way out of this situation. He wanted her to make love to him and he’d never wanted anything so badly in his life. Antonin shook his head, reminding himself he shouldn’t be thinking about sex right now. The bassadone spell had led him here but now his urges were only distracting him and he had a mission to accomplish. He needed to get his head back in the game or he’d never be able to get Ellie out of here. So where was Bonnini? The house wasn’t huge but there were spells all over the place. Whoever had warded it had done well. The only reason those spells weren’t catching him was because he’d turned himself into shade with no substance. It was a skill every linchetto learned as a child, the most basic but also the most useful. He was virtually undetectable to most Fata and more importantly the Mal. He could return to his corporeal form at any time but then the wards in the house would light him up like a Christmas tree. Of course, if he had to resort to sex magic to get Ellie out, he’d have to materialize and build up enough of a charge in a very short period of time to teleport them both. He didn’t even know if it was possible.

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Slipping past wards as if they weren’t there, Antonin checked every room on the ground floor. Kitchen, living room, study, powder room. No one. Gliding up the stairs, he checked the five bedrooms, three bathrooms and the attic. Still no one. No way would Bonnini have left Ellie with only one guard. She was too big a prize, too important to risk losing her. The bastard had to be here somewhere. Back downstairs, he returned to the study. The rest of the house looked unlived in. The study at least looked occupied. A book and several papers lay on the desk. The book had no title and since he was a shade, he couldn’t touch anything. So no turning pages. The papers were lists of names and addresses. He skimmed through them. He knew some of those names. They belonged to people across the country with traces of Fata blood in their veins. Antonin’s own blood went cold. Shit. How long would it take until this fiend actually put together a list of full-blooded Fata living among humans? According to Justin, Bonnini wanted a specimen. Someone to experiment on, to use as a guinea pig for some nefarious plan no one knew anything about. No way in hell was he going to let that happen to Ellie or any of the Fata. The sound of voices startled him. They were coming from…inside the wall. Bonnini must have a secret room with a hidden entrance probably somewhere in this study. As Antonin slipped into the doorway, his gaze scanned the walls, looking for the entrance. He didn’t have to wait long. After a few seconds, the wall to his right slid back to reveal a room filled with computers, flat-panel TV screens and several desks. He would have been impressed by the James Bond vibe if Ellie hadn’t been in imminent danger. If he’d been on his own, he’d have explored that room. But when he saw what came out of it behind the dark-haired man, his blood chilled. His plans changed in an instant. They needed to get out. Right now.

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***** Ellie felt the air shift again and knew Antonin had returned. Bonnini hadn’t been back again, so that was a good thing. She also hadn’t heard any commotion that could mean Antonin had been discovered. That was good too. But it was awfully quiet and that just sucked, because it allowed her imagination to run wild. “Ellie, I’m here.” “I know.” Antonin didn’t answer right away. “You do?” “Yeah. I felt you come in.” “That’s impossible.” Men. “Not so much, bud. I knew you were here. Same as before. What’s going on?” Another pause. “We’re going to have to do this the hard way.” She had a pretty good idea what he was talking about but she had to ask anyway. “And what does that mean?” His snort sounded disgusted. “Exactly what you think it means. We need to have sex. And I can’t materialize until we’re both ready to come. I can’t risk setting off any wards. So we’re going to have to be…inventive. And fast.” How unsexy was that going to be, Ellie wondered. “I take it you can’t touch me in this state— What are you right now?” “Shade is the term you’re looking for. Like this, I’m undetectable by magic. But I also have no corporeal body so I can’t touch you.” “But you can see me and talk to me?” “Yeah. And believe me, I’ll be watching.” She could work with that…hopefully.

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“Come on, Ellie.” His tone lowered an octave, vibrating through her body. “You can do this. I’ll talk you through it. Stand over here against the wall and close your eyes.” “What if Bonnini—” “Don’t worry about Bonnini.” His voice held so much confidence she believed him completely. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” “Okay.” She took a deep breath and stood up, stepping over against the wall. She closed her eyes. “Say something.” Silence. Ellie huffed. “I can’t do this all alone, you know. I’m going to need your help.” “You’re beautiful.” She huffed again and opened her eyes. “Not really and that’s not helping.” “Yes, you are.” It was his turn to sigh. “I started falling for you from the first moment I saw you. Your brother showed me a picture. You were younger, maybe in college. You weren’t smiling, just staring into the camera.” She knew that picture. Justin carried it in his wallet. She’d always thought she looked a little sad in it but at least she didn’t look goofy. “You looked so mysterious. Your mouth had just a little bit of a pout and your eyes were wide-open and staring straight ahead, as if you were looking right at me. I fell so hard for you I swear I had bruises on my knees. I knew I had to kiss you sometime. To put my mouth on yours.” Okay, this is working. Her thighs quivered and her nipples ached. She closed her eyes again, so all she could hear was Antonin’s soft rasp then crossed her arms over her breasts, so she could cup them. “The first time I saw you in person was over a week ago. You were in your pajamas. You had your hair up in a clip and it was sticking out all over the place. All I wanted

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was to let it down so I could rub it all over my body. I wanted to strip you out of all that blue flannel, one piece at a time, until you were down to your underwear.” Another time, she might have been angry that he’d spied on her, watched her without her consent. But right here, right now, the voyeuristic aspect of it was a turnon. Antonin continued, “I had a few good daydreams wondering about your underwear. Was it silk, lace, cotton? I didn’t care. I just wanted to see it against your skin.” Ellie swallowed a moan, not wanting to draw the guard’s attention. With her eyes closed, all her other senses went into overdrive. Her body had become sensitized and she swore she felt Antonin’s breath on her lips. His voice stroked along her neck, down her breasts to her thighs. “That first time,” he said, “at my house was like a dream come true. Your skin is so soft it feels like silk against mine. I ran my hands all over your body. When I kissed you, you clung to me. When I caressed your breasts, your nipples hardened.” Just as they did now. God, the tips hurt and she wanted him to touch them so badly she moaned, throaty and way too audible. Her hands tightened on her breasts, massaging them. And Antonin continued. “I was as hard then as I will be when I take you now. I could feel that orgasm building from the base of my neck all the way down to my balls. They were so tight they hurt. And my cock… Blessed Goddess, I wanted to get inside you so badly I nearly came at the first thrust.” Her lungs couldn’t take in enough air. One of her hands remained at her breast, kneading, trying to ease the burn. Her other arm wrapped around her stomach, across the ache low in her gut, her hand sinking toward her mound. “Antonin…”

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“Shh. Don’t speak. Just listen. You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever been with. You fit me perfectly. You’re soaking wet just from the sound of my voice. Just listen to my voice.”

They were coming. Antonin heard the man and the beast who’d taken Ellie walk around in the hallway. They weren’t moving toward the dining room just yet but they probably would be soon. It should have doused his libido but the danger of the situation made his balls tighten even more. Ellie’s mouth was parted slightly, her nipples taut and puckered through her t-shirt, her hand making him crazy as she caressed her sex inside her panties. He wanted her bared to him. “Ellie, take off your clothes. I want to see you touch your pussy. Touch yourself for me,” Antonin demanded. She stripped herself naked in a matter of seconds. One hand tweaked her nipple while the other massaged her glistening sex. He could see goose bumps rise on her skin as her fingers flicked across her clit. “Now rub your juices over your pussy,” he commanded. Ellie moaned in response and did as he asked, first dipping into her sex then spreading the wetness. Her body shook with desire. Antonin’s heated gaze was fixed on her. There was a very real possibility that the moment he materialized, he’d come all over her stomach without ever touching her. And they couldn’t afford that. He blocked out everything but the sound of Ellie’s heavy breaths and materialized naked directly in front of her. As he recalled his corporeal body, he was so close to her his chest pressed against her breasts and his thick erection crowded against her belly. At the first touch of his

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skin, Ellie’s arms wound around his neck, her hips thrusting into his. She groaned into his mouth as he sealed his lips against hers. Oh God. Inside. He needed to get inside her. Condom or no condom. He lifted her straight up the wall and impaled her on his cock. Heat shot through him. Her back arched and her heels dug into his butt, nearly pounding on him, urging him to go faster. The voices were coming closer and then… Her internal muscles tightened around his cock and convulsed. And Antonin exploded inside her. Using what little brain he had left, he whispered the spell against her lips. They disappeared, the shouts from Bonnini and his monster fading as they dematerialized.

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Chapter Eight Ellie felt Antonin pulsing inside her as they rematerialized in his bedroom in the city. Arousal and adrenaline made her cling to him tighter and longer than she probably should have. But since he didn’t seem to mind, she stayed where she was. She never wanted to leave his arms. Did he feel the same way? As she listened to him breathe heavily in her ear, she wished… What? What exactly did she want? And more importantly what would happen now they had escaped? She didn’t know how long they stood there but eventually Antonin shifted. He pulled out of her sex but not away, keeping his arms tightly around her. Her thighs moistened with his cum. They hadn’t used a condom. There’d been no time, too much danger and she couldn’t care less. She trusted Antonin and she’d taken her pill yesterday morning and would do so again as soon as she got home. She’d be safe. She didn’t realize how close they were to the bed until he walked back a few steps and placed her on top of the sheets then followed her down onto the mattress. After a few more minutes wrapped around her, Antonin sighed and ran his hand through her hair, draping the strands across his chest. “Are you okay?” he asked. Ellie thought about that for a moment. “Yeah. I mean, I’m not hurt. And if you’re worried about not using a condom… I’m on the Pill, so no worries there.” She exhaled. “What was that thing back there? I’m pretty sure it took me from the cabin.” “I’m honestly not sure but I think it was an orchi. A kind of giant. I didn’t believe they existed until today. I don’t know where Bonnini found one but if he can, others

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can. They’re mean and nearly indestructible. I’ve heard they can track almost anything by smell and even fly. If the Mal are recruiting orchi, we’re in for more of a fight than we thought.” Her lungs contracted in fear but it wasn’t for herself. If anything happened to Antonin… “What do you mean, fight?” His hand stopped sifting through her hair and withdrew, leaving a yawning ache in her chest. “I mean, the Mal are up to something. Bonnini seems to be at the center of it but we’re not really sure what’s going on.” “‘We’ meaning who exactly?” “Those Etruscans who don’t want to see the Mal come into any more power than they already have.” His body moved and she realized he was shaking his head. “I forget you don’t really know what’s going on. There’s so much you don’t know.” And there lies the problem, she thought. She didn’t belong in his world. Not yet anyway. And Antonin was an integral part of his. He had a role to play in a war most people didn’t know was raging. He sighed again. “You’re not going to be able to stay here. We need to find you a safe place and…” She pulled away to prop herself on one elbow. “And what?” The quirk of his lips looked almost like a grimace. “And I have more work to do.” Work? So now she’d just been a job to him? And he was leaving? The thought hit her squarely in her heart, threatening to crush it. When the pain was almost too much, she felt like slapping herself. What was wrong with her? She told herself she couldn’t be in love with him. No way! Hell, they’d only met yesterday. She just couldn’t be in love with him. “Ellie, I—” “I should get a shower,” she interrupted, jumping off the bed as if she’d been hit by an electric cattle prod.

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“Ellie, wait—” His arms reached for her but she sidestepped him. “And I should get out of here. I’m sure you’ve got—” “Ellie, stop.” She fell silent, forcing herself to meet his gaze. Then she took a deep breath. “Antonin, really, I understand. I’ve got a lot going on myself at the moment. Work, Dad and…other stuff.” She laughed, though it didn’t sound very humorous. “There’s so much to learn, so much I don’t know.” “Ellie, come here.” Still sitting on the bed, he held out his hand. What was wrong with her that she wanted to take it so badly? Ellie clenched her hands into fists and turned toward the door. “I really need to take a shower. I’m sure my dad will find me somewhere safe to stay while you go do your work. And I’ve got work of my own to finish. Guess there’re no little work fairies to take care of that, huh?” Damn, now she sounded pissed off. And she wasn’t. She was just fine. Oh hell, she wasn’t fine. She was covering, she knew she was. She snuck a look over her shoulder and found him staring at her with a rueful expression. He dropped his hand to the bed and continued gazing at her. Was that hurt in his eyes? She couldn’t be sure. She knew she was being bitchy but that was much better than spilling her heart out and having him pat her on the head and walk away. She was just looking out for herself. With a halfhearted smile, Ellie turned around and walked out of the room.

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Hell, Ellie had been through more in the past twenty-four hours than most people lived through in a lifetime. If she stayed with him, she’d only be exposed to more threats that she didn’t need in her life. If he truly cared about her, he would let her go and leave her protection to her brother and father. For the time being anyway. And when he returned… Yeah, best not to think about that just now. He was about to get very busy. He had commitments to keep. And one orchi to track down. A monster who knew what the woman he loved looked like.

***** Ellie allowed herself to cry in the shower—silently. Holding back the sobs but letting her tears mix with the hot water. She dressed in the clothes she found on the toilet seat. Her own underwear, t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Obviously someone had been to her house to get them. She refused to think about how or who. Plaiting her still wet hair, she tied it off with a piece of dental floss, because she had nothing else. Downstairs, she heard voices from the kitchen. When she went down, she found her father and Sal sitting at the table. No Antonin. Her father’s remorseful expression told the whole tale. “Antonin summoned us. He told us what happened. He had to go, baby.” Ellie nodded, forcing her expression into a calm mask when all she wanted to do was run after him and tell him to be safe. And to come back to her. “Did he go back to get the orchi?” “Antonin’s good at what he does, sweetheart,” Sal answered. “He’ll be fine. Now we just have to find a safe place for you.” Safe. She snorted. “Yeah, about that… Dad, we need to talk.” 118

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***** It took Antonin an hour to get back to the house in Chester County where Bonnini had taken Ellie. It was empty. And not just empty of Bonnini and the orchi—but empty of everything. Not a surprise. Just fucking frustrating. Back in his car, he let his gaze roam the neighborhood. Only two houses on this street of the development were occupied and one of the residents had already left for work. He’d given Antonin a hard stare as he’d driven away. Antonin wondered what kind of look the man would have given the orchi. He probably wouldn’t have believed his eyes. Most eteri couldn’t grasp the fact that there were things in the world they couldn’t explain with logic. The air shimmered next to him, announcing the arrival of Cam, whom he’d called in to help. “So you got anything?” his brother asked. He shook his head. “Not a fucking thing.” Cam sighed. “I guess it was too much to hope we’d get a lead. Good news about your house though. Bonnini never got close. We don’t think he knew it was there. The wards in place are impenetrable. Bonnini never had a chance in hell of finding the house. Same for Sal’s. Both places are safe.” Antonin nodded. That was good. It saved him the hassle of trying to sell the building. Still, he didn’t know if he’d be able to sleep well there again. Everything would remind him of Ellie, keeping him up, making him want her—when he had the Mal to fight and an orchi who knew Ellie’s scent to take out. “She’ll be fine, bro.” Cam’s voice was low and smooth. “Give her a little time. Besides, you and I have an orchi to hunt down. Haven’t had anything that big to fight for a while. Should be fun.”

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Antonin shot his brother a look. “Only you would think this is going to be fun.” Cam’s smile turned feral. “Just think of all the mileage you’ll get outta this, Nino. You’ll be a hero. Ellie won’t be able to resist you. Of course she could if she really wanted to. She’s immune. Ah, there you go. Said the magic word, didn’t I?” Antonin hit Cam on the shoulder before he realized he was doing it. “You son of a bitch. You knew she was immune all along, didn’t you?” Cam’s grin made him see red. “You’re an idiot for not seeing it right from the start,” Cam said. “Hell, even I could see the bassadone spell never worked on Ellie, you wuss. She’s the daughter of a god. Of course she’s going to be more resilient than a normal etera. It only makes sense. You were just too slow to get it. So let me give you a bit of advice, little brother. Ellie is a rare catch. Even a blind person can see you love her and for some reason she seems to love you too. So after we take care of this situation, you go to her and, if she’ll have you, get yourself blood-bound to her.” Cam winked. “You’re not much of a catch but you might luck out. She could take pity on you.”

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Chapter Nine Ellie ran, not bothering to count her paces. She’d gotten much better at this whole running thing. Up the hill at Nolde Forest, she ignored the trails, preferring the challenge posed by the rocky terrain. The trees shaded the ground from the late June sun, already warm at six a.m. It was at least ten degrees cooler here than at her small house in Kenhorst, only a couple of miles away. She’d needed her own space when her mom and her second husband had returned from their trip a few weeks ago. She had too much to hide, too many things she couldn’t explain. She’d refused to go into hiding like her father had wanted her to. To abandon her life and job just wasn’t an option. But that didn’t mean she was going to be stupid. Her home had a state-of-the-art alarm system and a complex arrangement of protective wards. And she had a constant magical bodyguard. A rotating team protected her daily and she barely ever saw them. There’d been no reason for them to make contact. Bonnini hadn’t made another attempt on her or any other Etruscan descendant since her kidnapping. Her dad visited on a regular basis, just to talk or to help with her training. She still marveled over her newfound ability to work spells. As the daughter of an Etruscan god, her blood held arus, the magic inherent in all Etruscans. That arus allowed her to do incredible things. So far she’d learned only simple spells. Making candles light without matches and heating a plate of food by waving her hand over it. Just last week, she’d mastered the spell to make inanimate objects dematerialize.

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Making them rematerialize… Well, that was taking a little longer to figure out. But both her dad and Sal said she’d learn. Eventually. Even her freelance marketing business was beginning to take off, keeping her busy—and helping her keep her mind off Antonin. She hadn’t seen him since she’d walked out of his bedroom more than two months ago. But she’d missed him so much her chest ached with it. She woke up almost every morning wrapped around a pillow, dreaming it was him. She wanted him to come back to her, wanted to say she was sorry for leaving him as she had. And she wanted to beg him to stay with her. Forever. With a final push, Ellie reached the summit, stopping to take a deep breath. “You are becoming fast.” The doe picked her way around a tree stump to stand by her side. “And not nearly as loud.” She turned to give her friend a smile. “Thanks. How have you been? I haven’t seen you for a week.” The doe nodded. “I am fine. And you?” Ellie’s smile turned rueful. “I’ve been busy. Spell training takes a lot of time but I think I’ve finally mastered the dematerializing spell that has been giving me fits.” “Have you taken your full powers yet?” She shook her head. “I’m not ready to make that commitment just yet.” Frankly, she was worried about what might happen if she did. She’d talked to Justin about what had happened to him and, though he hadn’t advised her not to do it, he’d made a good case for giving herself a little time to fully understand what it would mean to her life. As the child of a god, she had hidden reserves of magical abilities stored in her genes. They could be unlocked, as Justin’s had last summer. But he’d nearly died in the process and she wasn’t quite ready to tempt fate that much.

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“You know,” she said to the doe, “I always felt kind of out of place in my life. As if I didn’t really belong. Now I realize I didn’t.” But she’d found one place that felt completely like home… With Antonin. Ellie sighed. “I really wish I knew where Antonin was. I’m worried about him. Dad keeps saying he’s fine but no one will tell me what’s going on and it’s just…frustrating.” The doe shook her head and Ellie could have sworn she smiled. That was, if a deer could actually smile. “I am sure you will see him soon. As a matter of fact—” “Ellie.” A voice sounded behind her. Her heart stuttered and her lungs gasped for air. Oh thank you, God. Spinning around, she flung herself at him, knowing he’d catch her. And he did. Antonin staggered back a step before planting his feet on the ground. His arms crushed her against his chest and his mouth came down on hers as if he’d been starved for her. As he lifted her off her feet, her tongue swept past his lips to invade his warm mouth. God, she’d missed him so much. She wanted to soak him in like sunlight, eat him up like chocolate and generally devour him like a lobster tail smothered in butter. Her body heated like that butter on a stove, melting all over him. Antonin returned her kiss with just as much passion, his hands holding her firmly against his body—his extremely aroused body. She could feel his erection throbbing between her thighs. He held her so high off the ground that if they’d been naked, he would only need to lower her a few inches to impale her on his cock. Just the thought made her moan. Naked. Yeah, that sounded good.

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With her mouth still on his, she couldn’t say the words for the spell. Luckily for both of them, she didn’t need to. All she needed to do was concentrate. In a flash, their clothing disappeared. Well, almost. She was still learning the ropes of this magic deal, still trying to remember every nuance. Even for simple spells like this one she forgot things sometimes. Like shoes and socks. Ellie huffed and looked at the sneakers on her otherwise naked body. “Shit.” Holding her tightly against him, Antonin laughed until tears rolled down his cheeks. “Oh Gods, Ellie…” “Sure, go ahead and laugh.” She tugged on his hair, longer now than it’d been the last time she’d seen him. Too damn long ago. “But you’re not exactly ready for any photo shoot in your combat boots.” She huffed as his boots disappeared. “Well, that’s just not fair. What about my sneakers?” Antonin smiled at her, the look in his eyes hot enough to melt the shoes off her. “I think you look kinda sexy in them myself. But if you insist…” In a blink, her feet hung bare in the warm June breeze. “Thank you.” Ellie kissed him again, a short smack on those gorgeous lips as she ran her hands over his back. He didn’t seem to have any injuries or any trouble holding her. “Are you okay? You weren’t hurt, were you? Where the hell have you been?” He opened his mouth to answer but she was on a roll. “You couldn’t call? Couldn’t email? I was so worried about you.” He drew back far enough to look into her eyes. “I’m fine. Honest. I can’t say I haven’t seen some fighting, because I’d be lying. Cam and I killed the orchi and that was a hell of a fight but I wasn’t hurt. I always knew I’d be coming back to you, Ellie. I was careful. I’ve missed you. I love you. Please, I—”

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Sealing her mouth over his, she cut him off and he let her, not fighting her at all. She didn’t need to hear more. There’d be time for explanations later. Antonin opened his mouth wider and encouraged her to slide her tongue against his. She slipped a tiny bit further down his body and the tip of his cock brushed against her clit. The sensation made both of them groan in unison. “Oh hell, Ellie.” His hand tangled in her braid, working the band at the end until he could get his fingers into the plait and loosen it. “I missed you, sweetheart.” “I missed you too. And I love you just as much, Antonin. Now get your ass on the ground so I can screw your brains out.” Laughing, he obeyed, dropping to his knees, still holding her. Ellie was so intent on kissing him she wasn’t sure how he managed it, but somehow he got them situated on the ground. Him on his back, her with her knees on the soft earth on either side of his hips. He’d barely hit the ground when she shifted and took his cock inside her body. She was so slick he slid straight in. His hips pumped up and his head fell back as she engulfed him to the root. “Oh Christ, Ellie.” His deep hoarse words fired her need. With her hands on his chest, she began a slow grind that soon made them both pant. God, it’d been so long. Too long. He would never leave her again. She’d make sure of that. She forced her eyes open so she could watch him—and found him watching her. His hands stroked from her knees to her hips, brushed past her waist to cup her breasts. She expected him to stop there but he didn’t. He continued to her shoulders then pulled her down. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she buried her face in his neck and inhaled his scent. He smelled so good and she’d missed him so much. Lost in sensation,

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she let him take over the rhythm, let him pump into her slowly and steady as he pressed kisses along her neck and shoulders. Then he lifted her chin in one hand so he could kiss her mouth. The sweetness of that kiss took her breath away and in a second, she came, her muscles clamping tightly around his cock, her contractions triggering his orgasm. “Gods, Ellie. I love you so much.” His voice sank into her soul, sealing in her love for him forever. “I love you just as much. No more running for me. Unless it’s after you.” Ellie gazed into his eyes. Antonin smiled, the beauty of it making her heart stutter in her chest. “Then let me tell you about something we call being blood-bound…” The End

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About the Author Stephanie Julian is an avid reader, who used to have a book-a-day habit. Then she realized she not only wanted to read books but write them, too. Romance has always been her first love, the sexier the better. Hot men, strong women and a heaping helping of magic dominate (and she does mean dominate) her blazing hot stories. When she’s not writing, she’s, well…she’s certainly not cleaning. And she only cooks when her guys complain that they're hungry (ain’t cereal grand!). Otherwise, she’s got her fingers on a keyboard, her butt in a chair and her head in the stars.

Stephanie welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

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Also by Stephanie Julian Seduced by Magic

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