Wishful Thinking (10 page)

“As I am to you, my sweet.” He brushed the hair from her face and with one smooth motion, pushed himself deep into her channel.

She lifted her hips to meet the thrust, loving how he filled her so completely. It was as if he were made exclusively for her. He pumped in a slow, even rhythm, with long strokes, each one harder and stronger than the last.

Unlike their last joining, this coupling was a communion of souls. Like two halves of a broken circle, when they came together, the result was a seamless creation.

Concentrating on the dizzying sensations he invoked, the slap of his balls against her flesh reminded her of the reality of the situation. She watched his face, saw the unadulterated joy in his expression and her world fractured. In that one moment, she knew beyond all reason that she loved this man more than everything else. “Rand…”

Waves of desire flooded through her body. The orgasm that had been dancing at the edge of consciousness slammed into her. She cried out, holding him close with her legs and gripping his shoulders until her nails dug divots in his skin. The wild pulsating of her core muscles around his cock sent another round of spasms that stole her breath and dimmed her vision. The cloud of euphoria beckoned.

Seconds later, he yelled out his release and warmth spilled into her. He collapsed on top of her, pressing her back into the cushions. His ragged breath steamed her ear and in a drowsy, sated voice, he whispered, “My full name is Randal L. Stilkins.” He kissed her temple. “I love you.”

Thinking she’d made the whole event up, she shifted in order to look into his face. “What?” No response except for gentle snoring. She pressed a kiss into his shoulder, vowing to use the name at the first opportunity.

Chapter Twelve

He told her his full name, without prompting or cajoling from her.

As Rand’s even breathing lulled her into a state of contentment and profound peace, thoughts of living the remainder of her life without him possessed her. Jovie's gaze drifted to the shelf where the creamer pot rested and her heart constricted, stabbed with pain. She’d continue on while he became imprisoned once more, unless it was true that when she said his name, he’d explode in a twinkling of lights—gone.

She definitely felt as if she were living in a bizarre fairy tale situation.

Squirming to the edge of the sofa, out from under his comforting weight, she absently stroked a hand down his arm from shoulder to elbow and back again. He murmured unintelligible words and pulled her close in his sleep. She felt safe and protected with Rand, a knowledge that went beyond the physical.

Yes, she loved him. No matter that she hardly knew the first thing about him; the intimacies they’d shared had conveyed more than years of conversations ever could. He was a patient and demanding lover, but above that, he brought out the goodness in her soul, pushed her to believe in herself, made her accept what life had given her and pursue what brought her joy.

He
was that joy, her elation and delight.

He
was what made life worth getting up in the morning.

The coming separation loomed in her mind. Jovie’s stomach clenched. She buried her face in his chest and let the tears fall. There had to be another way! Ignoring the tickle of his hair against her nose, she pressed her cheek to his warm skin.

She remained in his arms for a long time. Only when the sky began to lighten with pre-dawn lavenders and blues, did she stir. Time was nearly gone, but she’d come to a decision. “Rand.” She poked him in the shoulder with a forefinger. “Wake up. We need to talk.”

“I am here.” He opened his eyes and pinned her with a sad gaze. “Dawn is upon us, Jovie, which means we must say our goodbyes.”

“Rand.” A wave of nausea swept over her. She ignored it and swallowed. “I—”

He brought one of her hands to his lips and kissed each finger. “You know what you have to do. I gave you the means, now act on it.”

“I can’t.” She laid a palm against his cheek. His whiskers prickled her skin and sent shivers of need through her body. Her vision swam with tears.

“Yes, you can.” He pressed his lips to hers. “It’s either you or me. It can’t be both and this is the only way. I wish you to live in my stead.”

“You don't get to be the wisher, remember?” She captured his gaze, refusing to back down. “You listen to me.” Drawing a deep breath, she let it hiss out between her lips and prayed for calm. “In spite of everything, I’ve fallen in love with you. Is it crazy? Probably. I mean, it doesn’t make sense, but then, nothing does once love is involved. I’ve seen my friends do some incredibly stupid things for a guy.” She drew abstract patterns on his shoulder, liking the contrast of her ivory skin against the darkness of his. "And what's life without being crazy every now and again? I'm tired of playing it safe."

“Jovie, don’t—”

“I have to.” Her attempt at a grin failed miserably and her chin trembled. “However this whole thing shakes out, I wanted to tell you how I felt.” She stroked his cheek. “If I can’t have you in my life, I want you to be happy in yours and that’s why, Randal L. Stilkins, I gladly give up my life for you. So go tell the powers-that-be, I am fully prepared to take your place in the nether world, but never forget how much I love you.”

Her throat clogged with sadness and tears. She’d uttered his name aloud, but she'd also agree to exchange places with him. What would happen now?

As Rand’s eyes grew large with shock, two things occurred simultaneously. The first golden streaks of sunrise glanced off the plate glass windows and his skin shimmered with an iridescent softness.

Beneath her fingers, his form shifted and changed. “Rand! I need you.” She scrambled into a sitting position, ignoring her naked status so great was her terror. “Stay with me!” No matter that she clutched at his hand, he continued to dissolve and disappear as if he were a ghost.

His body jerked and lifted from the sofa, pulled backward toward the shelf with the creamer pot. Reaching out a hand, he uttered her name then vanished entirely.

“No!” Jovie collapsed face first into the cushions. Her chest heaved from the force of her sobs. In spite of everything, nothing she said or believed could keep him in the mortal realm.

Love couldn’t conquer all. Those stupid fairy tales she'd read in childhood were wrong.

Fate was a cold-blooded bitch and didn’t play fair. She apparently expected her—Jovie—to continue living without the one person she needed more than life itself.

As her heart broke into a million tiny pieces and the ache in her chest grew into a great, dark maw, her tears wet the velvet beneath her cheek.

“Dear one, why do you waste so much energy crying? I would much rather see your face lit with smiles or, if possible, contorted with ecstasy.”

Rand? Confused, she raised her head and stared.

He stood before her, clad in his typical outfit of jeans and tight t-shirt with a twinkle in his eye and a defined bulge pressing against his fly.

“What are you doing here?” Jovie righted herself on the sofa and crossed her arms over her breasts, hiding her erect nipples. Through everything that had happened, she managed to slip into an aroused state with merely a glance. “I thought you were banished to the nether realm.”

“So did I. However,” he sat beside her and pulled her onto his lap. “Upon my arrival into that world, I was advised of a few things I’d been unaware of before.”

“Do you plan to tell me?” His nearness made her insides quiver and liquid heat seep from her core to tickle her public hair. On a whim, she pinched his arm to make sure he was indeed real. When he growled and pinched one of her nipples in response, she couldn’t help the shiver that pulsed through her body. “Are you here to stay? Will I be sent there instead?”

“Neither of us will be going.” He lifted a dark eyebrow at her inhalation of protest. “You have managed to find the only loop hole in nether world law. Even though you said my name, the power associated with the moniker was cancelled out when you proclaimed your love for me and willingly gave up your life for mine. You clogged their rules by confusing them.”

Jovie shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

He smiled into her eyes. “Whenever a mortal freely and without regret vows to exchange places with a being in the nether realm, the love behind such an action breaks the curse that binds the being to an inanimate object. Put bluntly, because you love me, I am released from my bonds. You merely needed to speak it aloud and believe it yourself.”

“Are you sure?” She tamped down on her rising joy in case he teased her.

“Yes.” He shifted her until she straddled his lap. “I’m forever grateful to you for setting me free. I’ve waited for centuries for the right woman. You were that one.”

“How do I know you won’t leave me if someone better comes along now you’re human?” She eyed him warily. “You
are
human, right?”

“One hundred percent.” He slid his hands up her legs to linger at her hips. “I have no plans to roam through the female population. There is only one woman who can satisfy me, one woman who I love more than life itself.”

“And?” She knew he meant her but she wanted to hear him say it.

He brought his lips centimeters from hers. “You have my heart, Jovie. You always have, ever since the first moment I saw you in that conference room with sadness in your eyes and no confidence to speak of. I knew then I was in serious trouble and had no idea how I’d make it through.”

"And your former boss in the nether world?"

"They had no issue releasing me since I, too, spoke of my love aloud. A double reassurance as it were. Even nether world beings desire a happy ending."

“Then it’s good everyone is satisfied.” She kissed him with a hunger that spanned worlds and universes.

Wickedness filled Rand’s low laugh. “Oh, I think the both of us will be more than satisfied after this morning is through.” He slipped a hand between her thighs and found her clit, rubbing his fingers against it with rapid movements.

Jovie gasped. She squirmed in his lap as the first, early waves of release slammed into her. Never had she been brought to the brink of orgasm so quickly. “We don’t have time for this. People will arrive for work in a few hours. My staff—”

“Don’t worry. I’ll finish you in mere seconds, but be warned. When you come home tonight, you belong to me, and I will make you scream out my name.” He put his lips against her ear and added, “Multiple times. Every night. For years to come.”

“Oh, Rand.” Her words dissolved into a breathy sigh when he strummed her swollen flesh. The torment sent her over the edge into oblivion. With a smile, she melted into his arms and tumbled into her very own fairy tale happy ending—or beginning as the case may be.

Imagine that.

The End

About the Author:

Sandra is a writer of romantic fiction. Her portfolio includes historical, contemporary, sci-fi and paranormal romances in full-length books as well as shorts and novellas. No matter if the heat level is scorching or sweet, she loves to blend genres and often times will add humor as well.

When not immersed in creating new worlds and interesting characters, Sandra likes to read, bake and travel. Her favorite place to spend vacation hours is Walt Disney World. It’s where dreams come true and the soul can play. When she’s not writing, she’s keeping things interesting at the Believing is Seeing blog or spending time with her husband.

You can write to Sandra at [email protected], visit her website at http:///www.sandrasookoo.com or look her up on Facebook and Twitter.

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