Saving Her Destiny (17 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

“So you don't think your sister-in-law will care if you ditch the family gathering?” Cara asked as they walked into her little cottage, not far from the beach. As they'd walked back, she'd told him about the things she'd seen—the Great Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, the Eiffel Tower, and even a cherry blossom festival in Beijing.

She'd been busy.

But now she was back. And it seemed whatever wanderlust she'd had faded, because she kept talking about how she'd been ready to come home long before she'd actually returned.

She closed the door to her cottage and locked it.

Duncan smiled. “No. Not now.” He strolled over to her and stroked her cheek. “Christy's probably happy to see me leaving with you. Though I'm sure later I'll get an earful when next I see her, if only because I never told her about you.”

She smirked. “Well, okay then. I don't think she liked me too much.”

“Don't really care,” he said, still smiling at her, as he gazed into her lovely eyes, marveling at the color, and how he lost himself in them every time he stared at her. Something he hadn't thought he'd ever get to do again.

See her, hear her voice, touch her skin…

Yet here she was. Perfectly fine, and staring back at him.

“What?” she whispered.

“I didn't know if I would ever hear your voice,” Duncan said. “It is the most beautiful sound.” He slid an arm around her waist.

“It did come back,” she smirked. “Really
came
back…” And burst into giggles.

Duncan laughed too and he rested his forehead against hers. They looked into each other's eyes, and regardless of the initial hurt he'd felt at her gallivanting around the world, he pushed it away.

She was here.

Here, right in front of him, and all was right with the world.

“Cara,” he whispered.

She smiled. “Kiss me, Duncan.”

He leaned in and their lips pressed together, this time not rushed, not hurried, and not desperate like it had been in the desert. He was going to take his time, truly savor every bit of her, more so than before. This would be something special for them both.

He carefully inched her lips apart, and their tongues tentatively touched and moved around one another. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and he pulled her to him, feeling the way her frame fit his, and the brush of her breasts against his chest.

She sighed as her hips rocked into his.

This felt right. In all the ways it should feel. She was supposed to be his, and they would be together. This was how it was supposed to be.

Him and her.

Together.

Cara broke the kiss and took his hands. “Come with me.” An ornery grin spread over her face, and he couldn't exactly make out her thoughts, but he could sense she had something brewing.

Duncan arched his brow. “As you wish.”

She dragged him through the little house toward the back, toward a small doorway. Her bedroom. Inside everything was all dainty, flowers and girly. Very Cara. He'd never been inside this room. He had wanted to see where she slept, but he never ventured back this way. He hadn't felt it was right to follow her in, and couldn't help the feeling now—old habits and all that.

He paused in the entry, released her hands and stared at her in her home. This was where she belonged. And he wondered if he would fit in her world of pretty, flowery, and delicate. He wasn't delicate in any way.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. “What is the matter?”

“I…” How could he articulate it? How did he explain the bundle of nerves? This wasn't just about the two of them having some intimate fun—this was more. He felt it deep in his chest. Their connection, coming to a strong fruition.

He was entering her world, in a very bold way. It wasn't as though he was afraid of committing to her. He was more worried—their feelings were out in the open now. They'd told each other how they felt.

Yet it didn't seem enough. It was too perfect.

He was almost afraid it was a dream—that he was back in the Fairy Realm, dreaming all this, and he was going to wake up, and she would still be gone, and he'd be alone.

She studied him. “You're nervous?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He shrugged.
“It is so surreal, the idea of being with you. Something I wanted for so long, but now that it's here, I'm terrified. Like it'll be taken away from me.”

“What's the difference between now and in the desert?” she asked, her voice soft and gentle, reassuring him that he could say what he thought.

“There, I… We weren't supposed to make it out of the desert. There wasn't supposed to be a Happily Ever After for us. That was it. Now, here we are, and we both made it. I—it doesn't seem real. Like I'm going to wake up, and you're still going to be gone.”

“I'm right here. I'm not leaving ever again.” She took his hand and squeezed his fingers.

“This is too perfect.”

“Nothing is perfect.” She pulled him into the room. “But we can build with what we have, right now.”

“And that is?”

“Each other.”

As if to prove her point, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him so passionately he stumbled and fell onto her bed.

They both laughed as she straddled his lap. “You're kinda clumsy for a rescue fairy,” Cara said as she adjusted her dress.

He smirked. “Well, we all can't be grace and dainty.” He stroked her small arm and kissed her shoulder.

“Good, because I have enough dainty, delicate, sweet stuff in my life, Duncan Molar. I need something gruff and grumbly.”

“You sure about that?”

“Oh yes,” she said, rocking her hips into his. She leaned in and kissed his throat, tugging at his T-shirt. “And right now, I think I need to see a grumbly guy naked.”

“Oh you do?”

She grinned. “Oh yes. Without sand, thanks.”

He winced, the cuts on his chest pulling as she jerked off his shirt and tossed it across her room.

Cara froze when she saw his chest. “What happened?”

He shook his head. “It was nothing I couldn't handle.” He took her hands and kissed them.

“But this looks bad, Duncan. Have you seen a healer?”

“It's fine, I promise. Just had some cooperation issues.” He didn't want to tell her where they'd come from or who had caused them, because he didn't want to kill the moment. Or upset her or worse. “They'll be gone soon.”

“Have you had some Fairy Tea?”

“I'll get some.” He stroked her chin. “Don't worry about it.”

She nodded. “I'm sorry,” she whispered as she held her hands out to touch him, but hesitated mid-air.

“They'll heal,” Duncan said.

“This… These are because of me, aren't they?”

“Don't worry about it.”

She shook her head. “You shouldn't have had to go through this for me.” She followed a particularly nasty laceration along his side as tears welled up in her eyes.

“They aren't your fault,” he said.

She paused and glanced at him. “Are you sure about that?”

“Nothing you need to worry about.” He put her hand on his chest, guiding her over his skin. Tentatively, she started exploring again. Duncan remained still, not wanting her to think her touch hurt him.

With every stroke, her confidence returned, and it revved his own desires.

She pushed him backwards on the bed and straddled his stomach. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Oh yes.”

She grinned as she slid down his body, peppering kisses all over his chest. She stroked the wounds gingerly, but it didn't stop.

Hell, her touch was like magic, making each wound feel better. Her kisses like soothing ointment, taking away all the pain, both physical and emotional from the last two weeks.

Duncan groaned with every taste she took, and as her tongue slipped along his stomach, he felt what little control he had start to waver.

Her fingers slid along the waistband of his swim shorts. “Huh, I never took you for a plaid guy,” she said, stroking the white and blue pattern on the fabric.

“Glad to surprise you—holy Hera! What did you do?” His eyes rolled back into his head when she jerked down his shorts, and his hips bucked when she kissed the hardest part of his body.

“Now, boy, calm down.” Cara giggled as she stroked him. She leaned in closer and took him in her mouth before he could protest.

Well, not that he'd protest, exactly, but the physical control that he'd thought he'd mastered over the years suddenly started to wane. And it seemed she was trying very hard to make him finish right where he was.

“Oh stars, Cara, please…” He pulled her off. He was ready to erupt, and he wasn't doing it in her mouth. At least not today.

The future, however, he wouldn't be against said idea.

“Taking away my lollipop?” She pouted at him, a twinkle glimmering in her eyes as she caressed his hardness again.

“This lolly has a much better place to be.” He slid his suit off the rest of the way and climbed in between her legs. It was his turn to play.

“Oh yeah?”

“Uh huh.” He pinned her arms over her head as he slid down her body. He shimmied up the dress, he savored every in it revealed. Legs, thighs, hips—

“You're not wearing underwear.” His cock suddenly went painfully hard. He'd glanced at her ass a time or two when they'd walked back to her cottage, but he hadn't thought anything about what was underneath.

“Oh darn, those underwear. They just slipped my mind.” She winked at him.

He shook his head. “You are incorrigible.”

“You like me like this.”

Duncan grinned. “I'm not complaining.” And he was quite thankful he hadn't known that at the beach, or he might have taken her right there, in plain sight of his family.

He kissed her all over her thighs, in the ‘V' where her hip met her torso, just skimming over the spot she wanted him to touch the most.

And he knew it too.

He could hear her mentally screaming for him to touch her there. She didn't say a word, just moaned and panted, but in her head, she begged. Hard.

She sighed when his palm grazed over her mound. “More.”

“More of this?” he asked, caressing her again.

“More….”

He increased his pressure.

More pressure, more moaning from Cara. As she delved deeper and deeper into the sensations, less of her thoughts were words—just sensations, how each of his touches stimulated her more. He slipped his fingers inside her, stroking and pumping into her.

In his mind, he could feel the orgasm under her skin burning, and how it begged to be released. It was a bizarre sensation—while he'd been with women in the past, he'd never had this kind of connection. This kind of understanding.

It turned him on even more, truly knowing exactly where she was, and when that orgasm was going to hit. He kept going, wanting to bring her to that pinnacle, and he added his tongue to his ministrations. She moaned and bucked against him.

“Come for me. Come, Cara…”

She let out a scream and he felt the orgasmic waves crash over her, like a tide blasting forth, and retreating. She panted as he climbed back to her and wrapped his arms around her.

“That was amazing,” Cara whispered, a tiny glint of sweat on her brow.

“Yes, it was,” Duncan said. They lay there like that for a few moments, and he savored her against him. He kissed her on her cheek, and she turned to him, and their kiss deepened.

She rolled on her side, threw a leg over his, and broke away from the kiss for a moment. “But we're not done here, mister.”

“Don't you want to rest a minute?” Just feeling it secondary had exhausted him, and he wasn't even the one who had had the orgasm.

She shook her head. “Oh no, buddy. I'm ready for round two.”

“You recover fast.”

She arched her eyebrow and ground her hip into his. “We women have to be ready for you men.”

“Because we're all gruff and grumbly?” He rolled on top of her and stroked her hair.

“Something like that,” she said, grinning.

And there was that dimple.

She was going to get him into all kinds of trouble with that grin and that dimple.

He adjusted his hips and slid inside her.

“I love you, Cara,” Duncan whispered.

“I love you too,” she replied.

Their eyes stayed locked as he began thrusting, building a rhythm between them. Cara matched him pump for pump and they slid along the waves again, this time, the tide was going to carry them to shore together.

It didn't take him long to bring her back up and follow a few seconds later. Her squeezing him as she climaxed probably helped.

This time, though, no storm tried to take her away. The air was still in her little room, though Duncan held on to her, half-expecting another sandstorm to steal her again.

It was stupid, because it was over. Cara wouldn't be taken away by another sandstorm. Yet he just needed to hold on to her.

If only for a few minutes more.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cara didn't think she'd ever spent the night feeling so much like she belonged anywhere as she did in Duncan's arms. Not that they'd slept much.

In the morning, she woke finally feeling better, and while Duncan was sleeping, she left to go get breakfast from a nearby coffee shop. She'd just walked in when Duncan walked out of the shower.

And the cuts were there.

She winced when she saw them. He might have said they weren't a big deal, but it was obvious he'd gone through hell while he looked for her. A pang of guilt stabbed her heart. She should have let everyone know she was okay. Not to worry, that she'd be home soon.

But she hadn't done it.

She felt so stupid.

Why had she trusted Malik? After all, she'd only just met him, and djinn were not to be trusted. How many times had she heard that before? She should have never believed Malik when he told her no one was looking for her.

Jerk probably cast some kind of magic to hide her. And she'd been so out of it from the scream, she didn't have a clue.

Oh, she would just punch that djinn if given the chance.

Duncan turned and glanced at her as she sat the coffee and donuts on the table.

“Hey there,” Cara said, trying not to let her guilt come through in her voice.

“Hey yourself.” Duncan pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his damp body, savoring the feel of his flesh against her fingers. Yet she skimmed over the slashes on his skin. If she couldn't feel them, they weren't there, right?

That was what she told herself anyway. At least in the moment.

The towel between them barely hid his growing desire underneath, Duncan clueless about her internal mental war. She pressed her hips into his, just in that right spot, to feel him in all his grown glory. Their bodies started to meld together, and Cara shut off her errant thoughts—worrying and stressing over everything now was foolish, when it was all done.

Well, mostly done, anyway.

Stop it! Not now!

Their kiss deepened, and Duncan had her against the wall, his hips rocking into hers, the towel tumbling to the floor.

“This is what matters, not the babbling around
.”

“That is right, this matters.”
Duncan's thoughts answered her.

Their kiss broke for a second and she gazed into his eyes. And like an epiphany, it just didn't matter anymore. All her worries, guilt, anxiety, it was gone.

She was here with Duncan.

Now
was all that mattered. Her worry and guilt would linger—that she knew, but she'd spend the rest of her life making up for her stupid decisions.

She would never let him doubt her faith in him again.

Duncan captured her lips in another kiss, and this one, Cara dove into with her whole heart—and her mind—reveling in the taste of him, the feel of his soft, slightly damp body pressed against her little maxi dress. He found the edge of her skirt and slid it up. Cara wrapped her leg around him and off they went.

Every time they touched, she wanted more of him, and he of her—their telepathic connection getting stronger by the minute, it seemed. It was the most beautiful and intoxicating thing she'd ever experienced. If this was what she'd been waiting for all these years, it was certainly worth the wait.

When they finally came up for air, Cara pushed away from him and straightened her dress.

Duncan kissed her as he retrieved his towel from the floor.

“I brought coffee.” She stepped over to the cups, wishing she'd gotten herself iced coffee instead of regular. He heated her up so easily. “Might not be very warm now,” she said, blushing.

“I don't mind,” Duncan said as he carried the towel back into the bedroom. She couldn't help watching his muscled ass as he walked away.

Stars, that was lovely…

A flash of green and Duncan came back out, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, his wand in hand.

“That must be nice,” she said, gesturing to the wand.

“It is helpful.” He picked up the coffee and took a deep drink. “Ahh, just how I like it. Tepid.”

She rolled her eyes. “Uh huh. Microwave's over there.” She handed him a bagel. “Eat up. I'm sure we both have busy days ahead.”

“Yes,” he said as he waved his wand over his cup, and the coffee steamed again. “I have reports to write and other things to take care of.”

“Nice,” she said, gesturing to the wand. “Seriously. I want one of those.”

He grinned. “Here.” He did the same to her cup, and her coffee was suddenly fresh and perfect.

They drank their coffee for a moment, and she just stared at him—the slightly mussed hair, the twinkle in his eye that she'd seen so many times before. She'd never realized what that twinkle meant.

And now she did.

Because his contentment radiated off him. In fact, she didn't think she'd ever seen Duncan so relaxed. The only reason she recognized it was because she felt the same way. She reached over and caressed his hand.

He squeezed her fingers back.

They both smirked, and Cara pulled back to drink more coffee. “I'm sure I have a mountain of work at the Magistrate's. I emailed him this morning and explained.” She looked down. “I mostly explained, anyway. But I still have a job, so I am sure there's plenty for me to do.” She glanced out the window across from the kitchen table. “The island may be magical, but it doesn't take care of itself.”

He reached across the table and took her hand again. “There is one thing I have to ask.”

“Oh yeah? What's that?” She glanced at Duncan, and realized his hand was twitching. What happened to the relaxed demeanor of just a moment before? Now he couldn't seem to hold his hands steady.

Like he noticed her watching, he let go of her and put his hands in his lap.

“What is it, Duncan?” Cara asked. She leaned forward. Was he okay? Had that breakfast sat wrong with him? If she wasn't mistaken, there was a slight glint on his brow. Had he just broken out in sweat? “Are you okay, Duncan? You're sweating.”

“Cara, I have to ask you something.” He rubbed his hands on his jeans.

“You said that already.”

He shook his head and didn't quite look at her. “I'm not good at this stuff. I never really was. It's part of the reason I quit being a Fairy Godfather. I couldn't quite
do
the romantic stuff. Not like the others could.”

What in the world was he babbling on about? “What are you trying to do?”

He brought his gaze to hers. “Ask you to marry me.”

Cara froze, her heart suddenly hammering at about a million miles per hour. “You…wait, what?”

This time, he took her hand, and it was sweaty—or maybe that was hers. Didn't matter, because she was now just as nervous as he was.

“Marry me, Cara. I mean it. This may not be the best situation, with me being still under contract, but we'll figure something out.” He squeezed her fingers. “I can't lose you again.”

Tears welled in Cara's eyes, and she opened her mouth to answer—to say yes—when a whirl of blue smoke appeared.

“I think you should,” came another voice, one that Cara had gotten very familiar with the last couple of weeks.

She turned. “Malik.”

Duncan leaped to his feet. “What are you doing here?” His wings popped out and bobbed in the air. He gripped his wand so tight his knuckles were white.

“Just watching,” Malik said. “Please do not let me interrupt.” The djinn's blue skin was almost subdued under the black clothes he wore, though the vest with red and gold embroidery reminded Cara of the ornate furniture in his cave house.

And his bare blue feet. Can't forget his bare feet.

“You don't need to be here, Malik,” Cara said. “This is not your business.”

The blue djinn crossed his arms. “Oh, but it is. You see, everything you do until your debt is paid is my business.”

“Cara, you didn't,” Duncan whispered.

Cara met Duncan's gaze, and from the look on his face, she was pretty sure he already knew the answer.

“Tell him, little screamer.” Malik stepped closer to her chair, and she could feel the desert heat on him—that dry, gritty smell seemed to permeate his pores even here on Avalon.

A smell she hoped she'd never smell again.

Cara shivered. She met Duncan's gaze, but when she saw the disappointment in his eyes, she just stared at the floor.

She clenched her hands in her dress, balling the fabric, hoping the gesture would calm her nerves.

But this part—this was her own making, her own mess. She'd let Malik's words twist in her gut, ball up and create this, well, excuse, to run away.

And run she did. Because she'd been scared of her own damn feelings.

And now she'd have to live with that mistake.

“Yes, I made a deal with Malik,” Cara said, after she brought her head up. What else could she do? She had to own it now. “I needed help. He offered to help me.”

Duncan inhaled a breath, and the entire room was silent for several minutes. No one breathed. Cara was afraid to, Duncan didn't seem to, and Malik…well, if he had anything to say, he was staying quiet.

Cara glared at the djinn. “You have horrible timing.”

He raised an eyebrow. “It would be in your best interest to say yes to this fairy's proposal.”

“Only if I don't rescind the proposal,” Duncan said.

Cara snapped her gaze to him, the words stabbing her in the heart. “You…you would do that?”

“In a heartbeat,” Duncan said. He stood. “If you cannot be honest enough to me to tell me about making a deal with a djinn, then how can I trust you?” He stood and started walking out of the house.

Cara stared at him in shock. “I was trying to save my own life. What else was I supposed to do?”

“There's always another option,” Duncan said.

“Seriously, you're walking out on me?”
Cara asked through their telepathy.

Duncan glanced at her over his shoulder, for just a second, his face stone cold. Then, he walked out the door.

And didn't even bother slamming it shut.

Cara shook her head.
That answered that
.

“That was unexpected,” Malik said. “Pity. But that still keeps you within my reach.”

Cara spun around and threw a punch at him.

Not that Malik let her land it. He merely disappeared and reappeared across the room.

“You bastard! How could you do that! I was going to tell him. I was going to explain it to him before we said any vows.”

Malik raised his eyebrow. “Are you sure about that, little screamer?” He crossed to her. “Because I'm pretty sure I recall you telling me, as we stood on the Eiffel Tower, that your debt to me was our private business. No one else's.”

“You take my words out of context,” she said. And she had said that in an effort to convince him to keep the debt on her alone and not bring her family into it.

Obviously, it had not worked.

“But they are your words,” Malik said. “Why didn't you tell him immediately? He is your love, is he not? The man you pined for our entire trip?” He ran his hand over his jacket sleeve.

“Yes,” she said.

“The one you were so certain had abandoned you in the desert. And now, he has abandoned you again.” He shook his head. “Tsk, tsk. He doesn't seem to care that much about you after all.”

The words jabbed at her. “Perhaps you're right. Maybe I was mistaken about his feelings.”

She had considered, while she got their breakfast, after everything he'd been through at the hands of djinn, of not telling him right away about her debt.

Of course, she hadn't expected Duncan to actually propose to her today. That was enough of a shock. Then for him to propose and rescind it? Talk about raking her heart over the coals.

Of course, hadn't she done that to him, disappearing like she had?

Maybe this was what she deserved after all.

“Rescinding a proposal and then walking out on you doesn't seem very loving to me.”

She gritted her teeth. “Did you need something, Malik? Perhaps a favor I can return to you?” But Malik's appearance steeled one thing in her mind—she couldn't marry Duncan, even if she did love him to pieces.

“Oh, nothing yet. Just checking on my investment.”

“Well, you've checked. You can be going now.”

“Perhaps I should. It seems the excitement of the day is over--”

He was cut off when Cara's front door opened. She leaped from her seat to see who it was, and about broke down in tears when she saw it wasn't Duncan.

It was her sister, Janelle.

She looked past her sister to see if she saw Duncan out there somewhere, but he was gone.

Cara spun on Malik ready to punch him again. Or maybe throw her coffee on him. Something. “I may kill you, you jerk.”

“Whoa, what?” Janelle held up her hands.

Malik just raised an eyebrow, not paying much attention to the new arrival. “Many have tried, little screamer.”

At least for a moment. Then his gaze shifted to Janelle. “And who might you be?” he asked, though more to himself than to anyone in the room.

“I'm Janelle. Who are you?”

Malik crossed to Janelle. “Malik. I see your sister has forgotten her manners.” He held out his hand for Janelle to accept.

Janelle tentatively took his hand, and Malik raised it to his lips and pressed a kiss on the back.

“Leave her alone,” Cara said, pushing Malik away, and noticing the pink stain on her sister's cheeks. She rolled her eyes and glared at the djinn. “If I wanted you to know her, I would have introduced you.”

Malik's gaze cut to Cara. “Tsk tsk. You should not keep such a lovely creature from me.”

“Yeah, um, I'm married,” Janelle said. “And you're not my husband.”