Luck of the Irish (12 page)

Declan ran both hands over his face and let out a sound of frustration. Tension filled him, along with an overwhelming sense of failure and for a moment he thought he might drown in the surge. However, when a pair of warm hands settled on his knees, a wave of relief fired through him, along with a flicker of desire. Declan opened his eyes to find Maggie kneeling between his legs and studying him closely with that glittering green gaze.

“Come on, leprechaun,” she settled both elbows on his knees and narrowed her gaze, “spit it out. Tell me what you’re afraid of.”

Declan let out a slow breath and let his gaze wander over the curves of her lovely face. He gathered a lock of her hair between his fingers and rubbed the silky golden strands while he tried to muster the courage to admit to her what he’d barely admitted to himself.

“Seems my girl isn’t the only one who’s observant,” he whispered.

“No changing the subject.” She tapped his leg playfully. “Come on. Cough it up.”

“I—I don’t want to lose her like I lost her mother,” he said gruffly.

“What do you mean?” A look of confusion washed over Maggie’s face. “I thought she died in childbirth, Declan?”

“Aye and I could do nothin’ to save her,” he rasped. “She was love of my life and she died in my arms. All I could do was watch.”

Maggie flinched almost imperceptibly but she held his stare with more seriousness than he’d ever seen. She sucked in a shuddering breath and dropped her hands to her lap.

“You’re not God.” The gentleness in her voice was matched by the tenderness in her gaze. “You may be a leprechaun with a magical amulet but as far as I know, that doesn’t include bringing people back from the dead. Does it?”

He shook his head and said nothing.

“You can, however,
love
. And that has a magic all its own. I’ve seen it,” she said in a shaky whisper. “I know you love your daughter. I see it in the way you look at her every minute of every day, the way you’ve carefully and meticulously repaired this cottage so she’ll have a home of her own.” Her lips quivered and those gorgeous eyes of hers glistened with tears. “So... instead of worrying about what
might
happen or what you can’t do, how about if you start focusing on what you can do?”

“I—I don’t have the foggiest notion what to say to the girl.”

“Sure you do.” Maggie let out short laugh before rising to her feet and moving away from him. She swiped at her eyes quickly and lifted one shoulder. “Love.”

Maggie went to the steps and glanced at him with an expression that hovered between wistful and sad. She settled her hand on the smooth banister and looked up the stairs toward the loft his daughter slept in.

“Tell her about her mother... about how much you loved her. I used to adore it when my dad told me how he and my mom met and fell in love.” A slow sigh escaped her lips. “I’d always hoped to find that myself someday. Have a man love me as desperately as I loved him...have a family of my own.”

She started to go upstairs and in that instant it dawned on Declan what a bloody ass he had been. Anastasia was long dead but Maggie and Aurelia were right her in front of him.

“Maggie, wait—”

“No.” She shook her head but refused to look at him. “It’s fine, Declan, really. I’ve stayed too long as it is. In fact, I think my presence here has done more harm than good. You should be able to get to know your daughter without me being in the way. I’m a distraction. Besides, you kept your end of the bargain. Tomorrow morning I’ll go home.”

Before he could utter another word, she vanished upstairs and into the loft with his sleeping daughter. Declan stood downstairs alone for what felt like hours and wondered how he had managed to cock everything up so damned badly.

D
eclan laid in his bed staring at the ceiling for hours. He couldn’t stop thinking about Maggie and that wounded look on her face when he’d spoken of Anastasia. A growl rumbled in his chest and he tossed his arm over his eyes wishing he could go back and fix that moment in time. It was true that Anastasia had been the love of his life. He never dreamed he’d love another woman—until he found Maggie.

The creaking of a floorboard captured his attention and sent his senses on high alert. A moment later, he heard the door to his room opening and his first thought was that it might be Aurelia. Perhaps the child had a nightmare? Declan pushed himself to a sitting position, the thin cotton sheet covering his nakedness. He never wore nightclothes but it dawned on him that perhaps he should now that he had his daughter in the house.

Every coherent thought vanished from his mind when he saw a familiar silhouette in the doorway.

Maggie.

She wore long white night gown and her hair was loose around her face, just the way he liked it. The door clicked shut behind her and she leaned against it briefly before stepping forward and pulling the flimsy fabric over her head. Declan’s mouth went dry as she tossed the dressing gown to the floor and strode to the bed completely nude. Her curvy feminine form was lit up by pale lavender light spilling in the window from the twin moons.

“Don’t say anything,” she whispered. “And don’t move.”

That was fine with him. Declan was relatively sure that all the blood rushed from his head to other parts of his anatomy and he was currently incapable of speech. The mattress dipped as she crawled onto the bed toward him. Her breasts swayed and the gold amulet glinted against her fair skin but long tendrils of her hair drifted down, partially obscuring his view. He clenched the sheet, his hands curling into fists as his body tightened in response to her surprise visit.

His cock throbbed with need as she remained perched on all fours and brought her face precariously close to his. Even though he was desperate to touch her, it was clear to him that she wanted to retain control and he was happy to give her that. It was a massive turn on to have her come to him this way, slipping into his room, rife with erotic intention.

“I know I’m leaving tomorrow.” Warm breath fanned over his cheek and he fought for control as she brushed her lips over his. Her musky feminine scent filled his head, making Declan crazy with need. He was almost dizzy from it. “But I want one more night in your bed and in your arms before I go.”

She settled both hands on his shoulders and in one swift move, straddled him. The heat of her sex settled over his rock hard cock and only the thin sheet separated them. Declan groaned and gripped her hips as she bucked against him with slow erotic pulses.

“Are ya tryin’ to kill me, lass?”

“Kill you? No.” Maggie leaned closer, her hands drifting up and cradling his face as she rolled her hips again in one wicked pass. “Torture you? Maybe.”

Declan sat up swiftly and tangled his hands in her hair, grabbing fistfuls of her silky tresses. He held her there, his mouth a scant inch from hers and the thick length of his erection pressed between them. Her breathing increased, and he took note of the way the heated flesh of her breasts pressed against his chest, expanding and contracting with each breath. Maggie wrapped her legs around his waist and her hands settled on his shoulders again. They remained that way for what seemed like forever, their bodies taut with need and desire, but neither moving.

“One more night?” He murmured. Declan tightened his hold on her hair and pulled her closer still. “That’s all ya desire?”

“You,” she whispered. Maggie’s fingertips dug deeper into the bulging muscles of his shoulders. “I desire you, Declan. All of you. Inside me. Around me. Above and beneath.” She flicked her tongue over his lips. “Everywhere... anywhere. One last time.”

On a curse, his mouth slammed over hers. Declan groaned when she opened to him, her tongue lashed along hers with swift furious strokes. They devoured each other and the kiss was filled with passionate desperation.

Kissing her deeply, Declan rolled with her so her body was splayed beneath his. She spread her legs and he settled between them as he pinned her hands above her head. He held her wrists with one hand while the other lavished attention on her full heavy breasts.

She arched into his touch, her nipple pebbling against the palm of his hand. He cursed under his breath and trailed kisses down her throat. It almost made him come right then and there. His groin tightened each time her body responded so eagerly and swiftly to his touch. Declan lifted his head and a smile curved his lips. Maggie’s eyes were closed and her lips, swollen from his kisses, were parted. Her breath came in short thready gasps as she writhed seductively beneath him.

“More,” she begged. Her arms still over her head, Maggie opened her eyes and spread her legs wider. “I want you inside me, Declan.”

“Not yet, lass.” He grabbed her hips and slid his body down hers, trailing kisses over her belly along the way. “There’s more to be done. I have to taste ya, Maggie. There’s nothin’ a man loves more that to give his woman pleasure and tonight, that’s all I’m carin’ about.”

Maggie bit her lower lip and whimpered as he hooked his arms over her legs and held her wide open. Declan pressed his lips against the tender quivering flesh of her inner thigh as he breathed in her arousal.

“Keep your arms over your head, darlin’.” He smirked and blew over her swollen folds and smacked her hip playfully. She titled her hips and wiggled them toward him. “That’s a girl. And no matter what happens, lass, don’t take those gorgeous eyes off mine for one second. I want to be lookin’ at ya when I make ya come.”

Maggie’s lower lip was between her teeth and she nodded almost imperceptibly. Her luscious body was taut and quivered with anticipation. Declan knew what she wanted and wasn’t ready to give in quite yet.

“Do ya know what I enjoy?” He murmured. Declan kissed the soft bit of flesh between her thigh and her sex. “Seein’ how ready ya are for me. Knowin’ that with the right bit of attention... on exactly the right spot... ”

“If you don’t do it soon,” Maggie rasped. “I’m going to do it myself.”

Declan stilled and arched one eyebrow before slowly shaking his head.

“As temptin’ as it would be to watch ya pleasure yourself, I’ll not be lettin’ ya do that...not tonight.” He flicked his tongue over her clit, making her body jerk in his arms but he held her, anchoring Maggie’s body against the bed. “Tonight...that job is all mine.”

Maggie cried out when Declan’s mouth covered her swollen folds and as his tongue flicked wildly over her clit, he was rewarded with a rush of sweetness. Her hips bucked against his mouth, reaching and straining for more, urging him to pick up the pace. Declan did as she wished but just when he’d sense her reaching the edge, he’d slow down. He teased and tormented her time and again, all the while, he held her hooded gaze.

“Declan,” Maggie growled. Eyes wild, she grabbed his hair with both hands and pulled his face to hers. “Fuck me.” She kissed him hard. “Right now. Seriously, I never thought a woman could go insane from being on the brink of an orgasm but I’m pretty sure it’s possible.”

“As ya wish,” he said through a deep laugh.

Declan rolled onto his back and pulled her with him, as though they’d done this dance a thousand times before. Maggie straddled him and in one fell swoop, he sheathed his cock with her feminine heat. He grunted her name and curled his hands around her waist as she lifted her body, impaling herself time after time. Arms over her head, her breasts bouncing enticingly, Maggie rode him hard and fast. Her pace increased and Declan felt his own pleasure building to the point of no return.

As their orgasms crested, Declan whispered her name and a soft green glow from both of their amulets filled the room. The light vanished almost as quickly as it had bloomed and for a moment, Declan wasn’t even sure it had happened. He blinked the sweat from his eyes as Maggie collapsed on top of him, pliant and spent with only the sound of their heavy breathing filling the room.

“Man,” she said through huffing breaths, “that’s the first time I saw stars.”

“Aye,” he said quietly.

Declan pulled her down next to him and enjoyed the feel of her warm body as it settled in next to his. He curled his fingers around his amulet and kissed the top of Maggie’s head, a smile curving his lips. Tomorrow he would ask her stay with him. The laws of the queen and the rest of the fae could be damned.

Maggie was his and he was never letting her go.

The End... for now...

A Letter to the Reader....

I know...you are wondering where the hell the rest of the story is, aren’t you? Well, I realized that Maggie and Declan’s tale had much more to it than I originally intended. That being said, there will be two more novellas coming in the Leprechaun’s Gold series. This is the first time I will be writing a series entirely about one couple’s journey. I hope you’ll come along with me on this ride through the fae realm and will enjoy getting to know them as I do.

Much Love,

Sara

S
ara is a graduate of Marist College, with a B.A. Degree in English Literature & Theater. Her initial career path after college was as a professional actress. Some of her television credits include,
A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns
and
Rescue Me.

In 2013 Sara’s novel UNTAMED won two PRISM awards—Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. Sara has been a lover of both the paranormal and romance novels for years. Her sci-fi/fantasy/romance obsession began years ago with the TV Series STAR TREK and an enormous crush on Captain Kirk. That sci-fi obsession soon evolved into the love of all types of fantasy/paranormal; vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and of course shape shifters. Sara is married to her college sweetheart, Will. They live in New York with their 4 boys.

She loves to connect with her readers and you can usually find her procrastinating on
Facebook
or
Twitter
. For a full list of Sara’s books and reading order, please visit her
website
.

Paranormal Romance

Amoveo Legend Series:
Unleashed
,
Untouched
,
Undenied (free e-short story)
,
Untamed, Undone, Unclaimed
,
Unbound (e-book only novella)