Authors: Desconhecido(a)
He disappeared
into the bedroom, and she exhaled.
Dropping on to
the couch, she felt warmth where he’d been sitting.
What would it be like if he left, never to return?
He had been part
of her life for less than a week, and she couldn’t bear the thought of his not
being there.
Don’t be silly. You just like the newness.
Newness or not,
she couldn’t stop thinking about the huge amount of power she held over him.
She could send him packing back to the Faewild with a word.
But you won’t,
a little voice said.
She probably
wouldn’t. But she needed just a little more time to think. To find out about
him, before she put the seal of approval on this otherworldly arranged
marriage.
“I believe they
make a good fit,” Cade said as he emerged from the bedroom.
Molly struggled
not to let her mouth hang open. Cade looked resplendent in the suit jacket, the
black material hugging his wide shoulders. The trousers, too, skimmed over his
lean hips and showcased his long legs wonderfully. The shoes seemed to fit
fine.
He looked
delicious.
Molly hoped she
wasn’t drooling too obviously.
“You look great,”
she managed.
“As do you, my
lovely one.”
The way he said
it made her heart drop into her knickers.
Why
would I say no to a lifetime of this?
But she had many
questions for him first. And who the heck got married without at least one
date?
“I’m ready when
you are.” She started to walk to the door, then stopped with surprise when he
snagged her hand, and linked their fingers. The warmth of his palm against hers
made something inside her sing with delight.
They rode the
elevator downstairs, and Molly noticed that the two other women in the elevator
car kept sneaking envious glances at Cade. He seemed oblivious.
When they exited
her apartment building and stepped out on to the busy, smoggy
New York street
, Molly squeezed Cade’s hand.
“Will you be okay? I mean, do you… know what to do in our world?”
“I think so.” He
smiled at her, warmly. “I have studied your world on many occasions. I know to
walk when the green sign shows and not to when the red sign shows. I know how
to read the human language. I think I will not fit in too badly.”
Molly found his
confidence – and his study of her home – endearing. “The restaurant’s not far.”
She knew what walking in new shoes was like and didn’t want Cade's feet to
hurt. His experience of
New York
might well be scary enough,
without blisters.
They held hands
as they walked. Cade took in the sights and sounds around him like a sponge,
seeming very eager to learn everything about her neighborhood.
They passed a fat
cat sitting under a car, and it hissed at them. Molly started.
“It senses
something otherworldly about me,” Cade told Molly without hesitation. “It’s
because I shift into the same animal. Creatures have a sort of sixth sense like
that.”
“Oh.” On
reflection, Molly supposed, it wasn’t so weird. Cats probably wouldn't like
people from other realms.
She couldn’t
believe she had accepted it all so easily- either he’d somehow limited her
ability to think rationally, or she was much more affection starved than she’d
thought.
She supposed she
might feel differently when she woke up tomorrow, but for now, she just wanted
to do what she felt like, and see where it took them both.
Besides, she
yearned to show Cade a good time. If he truly had gone through all this trouble
to get to her, to crossover from his own world, she could at least make an
effort to get to know him. As far as she knew, no human man – what an odd
thought! – had ever made half as much effort for her.
That, at least,
spoke volumes in Cade’s favor.
Resolved, she
brought Cade to a small Italian restaurant that she loved and frequented. The owner,
Rocco, had gotten to know her very well because she often collected a pizza
from him on her way home from the library.
As soon as they
went inside, bell tinkled, signaling their arrival, and Rocco, a stocky man in
his early fifties, with salt and pepper hair at his temples, looked up from his
spot behind the counter. “Bella! It has been so long. And you have a friend!”
“Yes.” Thrilled
to be on an actual date, even if Cade was a Fae shifter, Molly tugged him
forward. “Rocco, this is Cade. Cade, this is my very good friend Rocco. He
makes the best pizza in
New York
.”
Proving he knew
about human customs, Cade offered his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
Rocco shook. “And
you. I’ve been asking Molly where she keeps all her men hidden. It’s nice to
see one. Now, sit, sit. Have the table by the window.” As he led them there, he
slid some menus from a holder on the counter and handed them to Molly. “Free
dessert, on the house.”
Molly patted her
stomach. “You only say that, because you know I won’t be able to manage
anything else after your pizza.”
Rocco laughed as
they sat down. “I’m sure Cade will finish whatever you can’t manage. I’ll be
back to take your order.”
Cade pulled out
Molly’s chair and then sat himself.
As he did so,
Molly reached out for his hand. “I’m already having the best time.” She’d
forgotten how much fun dates were, and how much she liked eating out. She
rarely had company for dinner.
Cade’s brow
furrowed. “You don’t eat out often?”
“No. There’s only
me.”
He toyed with her
fingers. “I was surprised by that. When I saw you, I said to Alianore that you
must already have a man. I am very lucky to have been given this opportunity to
be realmbound to you.”
“About that.”
Molly swallowed. Better to get all her questions out now. “What happens in our
lives? I mean, do you get a job, or something? Who would hire you?”
Cade grinned at
that. “I could work for Spellbound Treasure – the lady Etienne, who Alianore
will have mentioned to you, has a large business. They’ll always need staff,
especially if more Fae cross over, and Alianore said she expects her business
to thrive”
“Oh, okay.” Molly
paused, already deep in thought, and Rocco brought them bread and olives. Her
question had been answered easier than she’d expected. “And what about… I mean
this is so far in the future it’s crazy, but, kids? Will they be Fae? Will they
be a lot different to other kids, human kids?”
A small part of
her brain couldn’t believe she was asking these things, but the other part, the
organized part, wanted to know. Just in case.
“They will
know
they are different. They will feel
it in their blood. And, should they wish to pursue it, they may visit the
Faewild to learn about the other part of their heritage. But, in the same
manner, if they wish to ignore it and remain totally human, that will be up to
them.”
“Oh, okay.”
Seemed normal – like being half American and half Chinese, Molly mused. Being
of mixed race always came with challenges, but, while a half human, half Fae
child might struggle with their identity, it didn’t seem too huge a hurdle to
overcome. “It sounds so easy.”
“It can be.” His
green gaze met hers, and she felt as if she could fall into those deep emerald
pools. He chose an olive from the bowl Rocco had brought and offered it to her.
Molly parted her
lips, and Cade slid the olive inside. Molly wished she could have seen herself.
She felt as if she was living in a film; dining out with a ridiculously
handsome man, being fed seductively by him.
“More questions?”
Cade asked softly as he ate an olive himself.
“There will be.”
Right now, the Italian music in the restaurant relaxed her, as did his company.
“Let’s just enjoy the date.”
“Ah yes, the
date.” He offered her another olive, his thumb brushing the bottom of her lip
as he fed her, and his touch made her shiver. “Tell me. What shall we do on
this date?”
Chapter Five
Just then, Rocco
appeared at their side with a pen and a notepad. “Are you ready to order?”
Molly knew what
she wanted. “A large house special pizza, please. We’ll share it. And a bottle
of the house red.”
Rocco scribbled
on his pad with a flourish. “Anything for you, Bella.”
Molly blushed
self-consciously as Rocco walked off to place their order. “This is my favorite
place.”
“I can see why,”
Cade replied. “He obviously has… what is the phrase. A soft spot for you. Now,
about this date. What should I do? I could start by telling you that you are
beautiful, and that I am very much enjoying our time together.” He reached for
her hand and sandwiched it gently between his larger ones. “Were we to be bound
to each other, Molly, I would make this a regular… date. You are a woman who
deserves to be spoiled.”
His words melted
her insides. After so long relying on herself for everything, it was strange
yet blissful to take a back seat and let Cade tell how her wonderful he found
her.
Pain seared her
chest when she thought that, with a word she could send him back to the
Faewild.
“Tell me about
yourself,” she said suddenly, eager to learn about him.
Rocco brought
their wine and poured. Outside, it started to rain, and the water gently
pitter-pattered on the window pane.
“What would you
like to know?” Cade turned her hand over and stroked his thumb down the centre
of her palm. She shivered with the sensation.
“What’s your
family like?” If indeed he had a family.
“I have one
brother, Kyran.”
“And he doesn’t
want to come to the human world?”
Cade frowned. “He
has another problem. He is in love with a Fae from another realm. But because
of the history between the races, her family will not allow them to be together.”
Molly’s throat
tightened at the thought of the pain Cade’s brother must be suffering. “I’m
sorry to hear that.”
“He will work
something out, I hope.” Cade squeezed her hand. “Perhaps you could come to the
Faewild to meet him, once we are realmbound together.”
“Maybe.” Despite
her lukewarm answer, she itched to see his world, to breathe otherworldly air,
to meet the people who lived there, to set her feet on ground she had once not
believed existed.
“I would like
that.” Cade lifted the wineglass to his lips and sipped. “This is delicious.”
That made Molly
laugh. “I can assure you, many humans share the same opinion. Actually it was
here that I had my first meal in
New York
. Rocco gave me a glass of wine
because he said I looked like I needed it. I was so determined to live my dream
of being a writer.”
Cade’s face lit
with pride. “And now you are.”
“Yes, now I am.”
She sipped her own wine, looked up when Rocco brought the pizza over, with two
sets of cutlery. She thanked him. “But it hasn’t been fun, socially. You said
you were surprised that I didn’t have a man. It’s because I work so much. I’m
very career orientated.”
Cade didn’t shy
away as some men might have. “That is one of the things I like so much about
you, my lovely one. You are dedicated to what you love. You worked until you
got it. That is admirable.”
Molly flushed
with pleasure at his words. “Even so, Cade, I’m no picnic. I get tired and I
get grumpy. I might not be fun all the time. We might fight. What if you want
to go back to the Faewild?”
He lifted a
shoulder, unconcerned. “I have not waited so long for you just to run back at
the first… what do you call it… hurdle. But if I miss home, can we not visit?”
“Yes, we can.” He
made it so easy, Molly thought. So easy just to let him love her. “Let’s eat.
This smells delicious.”
“Hmmm.” Cade
breathed in, obviously pleased. “I am very much looking forward to my first
taste of human food.”
Molly grimaced.
“Of course. I’ve been feeding you…. Well, I dread to think what’s in cat food.”
Cade laughed. “Do
not worry. I suppose you could call it… an experience. I’m sure I will prefer
the food humans eat.”
As it turned out,
he loved it. And Molly enjoyed watching him eat, watching him savor every bite.
It seemed enjoying food had been lost in the rush and bustle of
New York
living, and sitting back and
relaxing wasn’t something Molly did often.
She languished in
it, and thrilled in the stroke of Cade’s hand over hers, the touch of his hand
on the curve of her face, and deep cadence of his voice.
He fed her bites
of pizza and olives. The way his gaze stilled on her face when she smiled made
her feel like the only woman in the restaurant.
Envious gazes
from other couples around them only added to the warm feeling that flowed
through her body.
Rocco came to
collect the empty plates. “Dessert?” he asked.
Molly felt fit to
burst. “I couldn’t.”
Cade brushed his
hand over hers. “Are you sure?”
Rocco smiled
knowingly. “Once you get home, you’ll be sorry. I’ll bring you the bill.”
After they paid,
Cade slipped Molly’s coat on to her shoulders. “Perhaps we can have our own
dessert when we get back to your home,” Cade whispered against her neck. The
flutter of his breath on her skin sent a thrill of anticipation coursing
through her.
“I’d like that,”
she whispered back.
They ventured out
into the night. The rain had stopped, leaving the pavements dark and shiny. The
air smelled of autumn leaves, car exhaust and freshly cooked chicken. Molly
wondered what the Faewild smelled like in comparison.
As they walked
Cade took her hand. “There is so much to see in your world.”
“You could say
that. I guess it’s more… crowded here.”
“It is more
colorful.” Cade looked around as they walked, getting closer to her building by
the step. “I think if I close my eyes I will miss something. When I was in my
shifted form, I looked out of the window constantly, taking in all I could.”
Molly didn’t know
if she ever wanted him to shift back to his cat form again. “It must have been
so frustrating for you.” She squeezed his hand.
He shrugged. “I
knew you were worth the wait.”
He’s so sure,
Molly thought, amazed, as she let them in to her
apartment, her heels clicking on the wooden floor.
Cade shut the
door behind them and gently disrobed her of her coat. “What do we do now, is
the date over? I must confess I hope it isn’t.” He folded her coat and laid it
over the arm of the couch.
Molly looked at
him, so out of place and yet so at home in her apartment.
How would I feel if he left?
Without knowing it, he had slotted
himself so perfectly into her life, filling gaps she hadn’t even known she had.
Her stomach clenched. I don’t want him to go.
“Come here,” she
murmured.
He walked over,
and she lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck. “I’ll tell you what
happens now. Make love to me.”
Chapter Six
Surprise paraded
across Cade’s handsome face. “I – Molly, lovely one, you know what it is you
are asking.”
“But I do.” And,
even though she’d expected it, she didn’t feel fear. Just excitement, rushing
inside her like a tidal wave. “I’ve had a better time with you in a few days
than I have with any man I’ve ever dated. And I’ve had to kiss a lot of frogs
to find a prince.”
“I do not
understand-”
She cut him off
with a deep kiss, amused at herself for using the colloquial term that he was
unlikely to comprehend. The amusement soon faded as he kissed her back,
releasing her hands to cup her face tenderly, his thumb stroking along her jaw
line, teasing, caressing, further igniting the fire of her need for him.
When she would
have moved to undress him, he changed the tone of the kiss, making it suddenly
light, soft, brushing his lips over hers, soft as the touch of butterfly wings.
He worshipped her
with kisses, dotting them over the apples of her cheeks, dropping a kiss on her
forehead, threading his fingers through her pale-gold hair.
As she sighed
with the sensations he caused within her, Cade pulled her closer, lining her
body up flush against his, and with a gasp she felt the hard ridge of his
erection as it pushed insistently into her lower belly. Heat flared between her
legs, and she remembered seeing his hardness in its full glory, long and large
and begging to be touched.
As she reached
for him, he stepped back. “We will go slowly, my lovely one. If I do something
you do not like, or if it any point you change your mind, I will stop, and
return to my animal form. Or, if I truly displease you… I will return to the
Faewild.”
“I won’t change
my mind.”
I hope I won’t.
But her
heart bumped almost painfully at his kindness. At a word, he would stop and
leave, never to return, just for her happiness. That sort of sacrifice was
something Molly could barely begin to comprehend – and the huge well of
kindness in Cade’s heart awed her.
She couldn’t let such a man go
– if indeed
man
was the right term
for him.
But right now,
she didn’t care what she should call him. He was just
Cade.
“I want to
undress you,” she heard herself say, her voice raw with desire.
At his almost
imperceptible nod, she ran her fingers around the collar of his t-shirt, and
then gently slipped the suit jacket off his broad shoulders. It whispered to
the floor, landing with a soft swish at his feet.
She spread her
hands over the firm expanse of his chest and inhaled. He smelled seductively
dark and woodsy, and her inner muscles clenched, almost painfully, with want.
Cade leaned down
to kiss her, and as he stroked his tongue over hers, she lifted the hem of his
t-shirt and, breaking the kiss, pulled it over his head. It went the way of the
suit jacket.
He stood half
naked before her, and Molly leaned into him, pressing her cheek against his
chest, listening to his heart beat. So familiar, so human, even though he was
anything but.
Before she
changed her mind, she let her hands move to the button of his suit trousers.
Her fingers brushed the covered head of his erection and they both inhaled
sharply.
“I want to feel
you touch me,” Cade whispered harshly, his breath coming in short pants now.
“So do I.”
Bolder, Molly popped the button and slowly drew the zip down. The motion freed
Cade’s erection, the tip swollen and ruddy, a small drop of fluid bathing his
skin. The suit trousers slipped to the floor.
Molly cupped him,
surprised at the heat and steel hardness of him, like metal covered in velvet.
She stroked back and forth, thrilling at the gasps Cade emitted at her touch.
“Let’s go into
the bedroom,” she whispered.
He nodded, then
bent and removed his fallen trousers and shoes.
Completely naked
now, he reached for her hand and linking their fingers. “I have slept on your
bed, in my shifted form, and wished to be able to touch you.”
The words sent a
shiver of delight, twined with lust, through her. “Now you can.”
“Yes.” He lifted
her hand and kissed each finger, then her palm. “And I will.”
They entered the
bedroom.
With other men,
Molly would have felt the need to fuss. To light candles, play music, dress up
in lingerie. But now she just wanted to be with Cade. It didn’t matter how. He
had been with her, watching her for a long time, and he had seen every side of
her. And still he had somehow fallen in love with her.