TheWardersDemon (2 page)

She felt the blush heat her cheeks as he stared at her with intensity. “That must be…awkward.”

His chuckle warmed her. “It can be, but with a willing partner, the feeding goes both ways.”

She was sure that she looked foolish opening and closing her mouth, but she tried to grab composure by pouring herself a cup of coffee. The waitress had left the pot.

She sipped at the hot coffee and sighed in relief as the plate with her sandwich was slid in front of her. She grabbed the ketchup and liberally dotted her fries with it before looking over at her lunch companion. Solar was watching every move that she made.

“Please don’t stare.”

He leaned back in his chair. “How could I not? You are lovely. Every move is grace and intensity, each emotion you feel is written on your face. You hide nothing and that kind of openness is very rare. A true treasure.”

She lowered her gaze to her plate and concentrated on eating so that she could leave with her dignity intact.

“I have met Warders before. Usually at an event in Realm. You are usually fairly good dancers, though your cousin Anryn really lets herself go when she is not in her husband’s sight.”

That startled a laugh out of her. Anryn’s enthusiasm when she heard music was unmistakable but hardly decorous. She danced with her whole self.

“She is rather enthusiastic. I have never been able to reach that kind of abandon when I dance.” She smiled and munched at her fries, images of her family in her mind.

“They make you happy.”

“They really do. Every mad one of them. We are a funny bunch, but with the politics of Realm what they are, we cling to each other out of necessity and love each other because there is no choice.” Half her sandwich was gone and the flavours were settling in her system, keeping the smile on her face.

Her sense of well-being increased dramatically as he fed off her love for her family. It was a little unsettling until she saw the softening of his features as if he was remembering something beloved.

She took a bite of her fries and watched his reaction. He swallowed when she did and a quirk of satisfaction ran over his lips. It came to her in a rush that she was in charge here and he only reacted when she did. It was a peculiar feeling for her, but she definitely enjoyed it. The tiny thrill of power and enjoyment was reflected back at her and while it had a hungry twinge, it was a genuine emotion.

He kept her talking and eating while they discussed her day job as a clerk for her family’s jewellery company.

“You don’t wear a lot of gold for a woman in the jewellery industry.” His observation made her aware that he was concentrating on her appearance.

She rubbed at her wrists and neckline. “I don’t react well to metal that isn’t coated in magic. It disrupts my warding field. Makes it a little wonky.”

“Doesn’t that make it harder to wed?”

She snickered. “With an open mind, it is nearly impossible to get any men near me. They don’t enjoy the hovering of my relatives, literally in some cases.”

“So, what is this?”

She blushed. “This is a date no one knows about. How about your people? Do they appreciate your seeking companionship with someone as low as a Warder?”

He grinned. “I haven’t told anyone about you either. It isn’t acceptable for one of my kind to consider someone outside the clans for a mate.”

Elhara stared at him in shock. “Mate?”

“You, my dearest, are no one-night stand. I intend to convince you that I am the male for you, no matter how long it takes.” He picked up his cold coffee and drank it down in one gulp, not even wincing at the taste.

“You don’t have taste buds, do you?” It was more of a confirmation than a question.

He cleared his throat. “They don’t taste food. They are reserved for more intimate moments.”

She raised her brows so high she was sure that they disappeared into her hairline. Her blush made her skin match his true colour. “Oh.”

He refilled her water glass and gestured for her to drink.

She gulped the icy liquid down and pressed the glass to her cheek. “This is too much information for me.”

He laughed. “Oh, but there is so much more to tell.”

Despite her trepidation, she leaned forward and listened to everything he had to tell. By the end of the conversation, she had consumed two litres of water and they had made a second date.

Roller skating, mini golf, go carting and a renaissance faire later, Elhara suspected that she was falling in love and he was wrong for her in every way…and right for her in every way. She was a Warder in love.

Chapter Three

She met Solar in the park and greeted him with a kiss that caused a few people to turn away, embarrassed, and others to stare with hungry envy. When they parted, she licked her lips and smiled. “Hello, Solar.”

His hungry gaze focussed on her mouth.

“Elhara.” His growled speech was the sexiest thing she had heard since he said goodnight the evening before.

Her family was growing suspicious, but since she always returned to work in a good mood, they let her absences slide. Her father and uncle sniffed the air when she returned, but since she and Solar did little more than kiss and hug, the traces of him on her skin were minimal, while her hormones were rocketing out of control.

Goblin fathers were notoriously protective of their daughters, but being in the human world meant that Reytil had to throttle back his responses. Her skills as a Warder gave him peace of mind, but he was still her father and still wanted to know if males were sniffing around.

Solar inhaled deeply and relaxed as her scent surrounded him. “Today, we go for a walk.”

He kept one arm wrapped around her. The perfectly fit business suit that he was wearing suited him as well as jeans and a t-shirt, though she did miss seeing the flex of his arms as he swung a putter.

She was wearing a lacy blouse and a long skirt with moderately high heels. Her hair was in a chestnut curtain down her back and she was wearing work-appropriate makeup. This was her lunch hour and as if she needed it, her grandfather ordered her to take the afternoon off. There had been a twinkle in his eye when he said it.

The sun was flirting with them through clouds as they walked down the path toward a private walkway. “Where are we going?”

His hand caressed her waist. “It is a surprise.”

She bit her lip as they made their way into a lush, green corridor. The scent of green and bright life was unmistakable.

An elderly woman was waiting for them at the end of the path. “Solar, I am so glad that you could make it. Is this your lady?”

He smiled and made the introductions. “Elhara Warder, this is Elise Macinaw. She is the horticulturalist that I mentioned on our first date.”

Elhara shook the woman’s hand and blinked as she felt nothing but human energy. No power ran through her bloodstream as it did with Elhara’s kind. “I am very glad to meet you, Elise. Or would you prefer Ms. Macinaw?”

“Oh, Elise, please. It is so wonderful to see Solar with a woman of his own kind. He has been lonely, dear.”

Elhara looked to Solar, but he shook his head slightly before addressing the woman with a smile. “We will return to have tea with you on the way out, Elise.”

She grinned. “I will wait an hour and then put the pot on. Enjoy the gardens, the walks. I will be in my cottage.”

The woman gestured for them to continue their walk and she left them, her gait slow and the cane she used helped her along.

As they walked, Elhara asked, “How long have you known her?”

“Since she was a young woman, in her early twenties.”

She breathed deeply of the scent of flowers and green. “That looks to have been over sixty years ago or more. How old are you?”

He chuckled. “Old enough to know love when I find it.”

They rounded a corner while she stumbled over his acknowledgement of love. The roses were all in bloom. Hundreds of colours, scents she had never imagined, they were all surrounding her and lining a pathway around a cheerful and sparkling fountain.

It was probably the most beautiful setting that Elhara had ever been privy to.

Solar led her to the edge of the fountain and sat her down. He knelt at her feet and looked up at her, showing her his true aspect as he did when they were alone.

His dark red skin, endless black hair and deep black eyes were offset by his tailored suit. The earnest expression on his face and the nervous twist to his full lips were all she needed to see.

She held her breath as he took her hands in his own.

“Elhara Warder, I know we have not known each other long, but the instant that I saw you, I knew that you were the woman to complete my life and make me happy for the rest of my days.”

She swallowed and tears tracked down her features.

“I want to wake up with you next to me and to sleep inside and beside you all night long. I want to share my days with you and to make your nights rival your most detailed dreams. I will feel your joys, share your sorrows and revel in your triumphs.”

He reached into his pocket and drew out an exquisite ring that he slid onto her ring finger. It was a heavy setting of ruby, the same colour and depth as his skin, and it thrummed with magic. “Elhara Warder, will you marry me?”

She flung herself into his arms and kissed every inch of his face that she could reach. “Yes, yes, yes, yesyesyesyesyes.”

He laughed and kissed her, bringing them both to their feet and twirling her around.

She held onto him as he spun them together, the moment perfect with the fountain, the flowers and her demon.

Elhara’s smile didn’t want to stop. When Solar put her back on her feet, she brushed away the tears on her cheeks.

He leaned forward and tasted them. “Your joy is filling us both.”

“When can we tell people?” She pressed her hands to his immaculate suit.

“I will tell my folk as soon as we part today, but I have many more things planned this afternoon.” He chuckled and lifted her into his arms.

Elhara had the feeling that after today, her family was going to know all about her and Solar whether she willed it or not.

A bower in the woods showed not only his intent, but his optimism. It was crafted from the very roses that she had admired, but not one thorn was visible.

He lay her down in a pile of rose petals. “Warders have their traditions, incubi have theirs.”

Solar swept his hands over her from neck to toes and with each pass of his hands she was missing a little more clothing. By the time she was naked, her skin was tingling and her toes were curling at each touch of his fingers.

He started to taste her and he began at the crown of her head, licking his way down slowly, enjoying and savouring the flavours he discovered. He growled as he took her earlobe between his teeth, sighed happily as she arched her neck to give him full rein and grunted when she dug her nails into his shoulders when he worked his way to her breasts.

She thought that his hands had woken nerves that she didn’t know about, but his tongue had her shaking in seconds as he enjoyed her flavours and worked toward her navel. Her skin heated and the scent of aroused woman mixed with the crushed rose petals under her back and thighs. It was a heady mix and when he parted her thighs to taste between them, she sobbed and blushed as the noises of appreciation broke out of him and into her ears.

He licked at her with the greatest of enjoyment, his tongue burrowing deep and drawing out every ounce of cream she had to offer, over and over again until she screamed and clutched at his hair, pulling him into her as tightly as she could.

She could feel his pleasure as surely as she felt her own. His hunger was no longer riding him with insatiable insistence. When he continued until she came again, she felt the surge of satiation that ran through him.

With a regretful lap, he continued his exploration of her body’s tastes. Down her thighs, her knees, the arch of her calf and finally each little toe was worshipped in turn.

When she had been caressed and tasted from head to toe, he moved next to her and wrapped her in his arms.

“Why didn’t you?” Her voice was low and husky and with the surge of pleasure she felt, it was obvious he enjoyed the results of his labour.

“This isn’t the time. This just confirmed the match. With you, I don’t hunger. I don’t have to search for the next woman, because just being with you is enough. We can fly kites, jump rope or do nothing at all, but if you are near me, I am satisfied.”

She snuggled against him. “We will have a wedding?”

He laughed. “And a wedding night, day and full week if I can manage it.”

She grinned. “You will have to ask my family properly.”

“And you will have to put up with mine.”

The seriousness of his tone sent a trill of unease down her spine, but feeling him against her and the gentle thrumming of her bloodstream calmed her quickly.

“Elise helped you plan this?” She gestured at the roses around and under them.

He slid one hand up to cup her breast and the other caressed her hip. “Not everything, but she helped by creating the bower for me.”

“You have been friends with her a long time.” It was a statement of fact.

He sighed into her hair. “One of my cousins drained her to the edge of death. I gave her what I could to keep her alive and helped her begin her life anew. She and I have kept in touch over the years.”

“I can feel the bond between you. It’s good energy.” She smiled and stretched idly against him.

“I am glad that you think that. Many women who know the reputation of my species would think the worst.”

She laughed. “My father is a goblin. I can sense feeding energy at a distance and that is not what this is. You nurture each other in a companionable way.”

He pressed a kiss to the side of her neck. “Speaking of which, she is anticipating our arrival, so I had best get you dressed again.”

He helped her back into her bra, but kept her panties in his pocket. Her skirt and blouse were only lightly rumpled and he pressed kisses to the arch of each foot as he slipped her shoes back on.

Dressed and at his side, they walked together past the fountain and to a rose-covered house.