NerthusEven before the thought of passing under the table to sit away from him forms in my head, his groan gets my attention.“Is everybody alright?”Okay, Helen, now you are pushing your luck.“This is really good.” He says, without even looking at him, and after a few awkward seconds, she walks away nodding her head.Just as she is out of hearing range, he tilts his head at me. “If you change your seat again without my permission, I’ll shoot her.”I laugh, his face remaining unmoved. “You can’t be serious!” “What about the dinner with your friends?” He asks monotonously, and I pass my tongue over my teeth.“Where is my money?”He shakes his head, picking the bill out of his jacket again. Showing it to me by holding it up into the air, he throws it onto the table in front of me before he takes another bite.“My friends have families,” I answer him, pulling at the dollar bill, and unfolding it.“And so?” He asks, slipping out of his jacket to throw it on the seats in front of us.H
Nerthus My eyes widen as he stands next to a motorbike, handing me a motorbike helmet. “Here.” “What?!” “My men have families too, you know?!” I take a little step from one side to the other before I put the helmet on and get up behind him. “Hold on tight.” He instructs me, and I wrap my hands around his frame to stabilize myself on the bike. As we pass the city at a surreal speed, I clench my arms tighter around his body, scooping even closer. My thighs rub against his, and an indescribable feeling grows in my body, pooling right between my legs. Talking about fetish foreplay. Arrived at his place, he doesn’t even wait for the door to close, before starting to devour me. I could cry at how good his hands feel on me as he gets me out of my clothes and steers me onto the bed. “Fuck, how are you so wet already?” He smirks, making me moan as he plunges a finger into me. Undressing himself seemingly desperate to claim me, he looks down at me with lust-clouded eyes. “Don’t look
Nerthus“Yeah! Yeah! Just a moment!”I hear Jenna’s annoyed scoff as her muffled yell reaches my ear, not keeping me from pounding at her door.The door swings open, revealing an annoyed Jenna, whose expression morphs into worry immediately.“Amber, are you OK?”“I’m wired.” I whisper-shout, passing her with fast steps. “He has my apartment wired.”“Are you sure?”“Yes. Yes. He just answered a question I asked my living room.”“Oh, dear.” She sighs, making another knot into her bathrobe cordon.“Could… Could I stay the night?”“Sure.” She says in a high-pitched voice, and I sigh relieved.“Thank you so much.”“Don’t even mention it.”Sitting down on the couch, she goes to make us two cups of coffee and I throw my bag onto the floor. “How was Thanksgiving with your parents?”“Meh.” She answers, without turning to me. “It gets more difficult every time to hide my job, and I’m tired.”She wrinkles her nose as she puts down the cup in front of me. “I should be old enough to do what I want
NerthusI press a big smooch on her cheek after our breakfast and leave her warm apartment. I hug my coat closer as I walk back to my apartment and make a note to myself to call Luciana. Just as I’m thinking about what I am going to say to her, I pass my usual coffee shop, located just a few steps from my home.This must be a sign from heaven.Stepping into the heated cozy café, I smile as I see Lizzy about to froth milk for a customer. I wait patiently for my turn, and she welcomes me with a broad smile as she sees me.“Hey, Amber. How are you doing?” She asks starting to make my coffee.I step closer to the counter and lean on it. “I’m fine, thanks. Listen, you said you were looking for someone to help you out. Is this still the case?”“Yes,” she answers, nearly spilling the coffee she is making. “Sure. Are you interested?”Laughing, I nod. “Yes. I would really love to work here.”“Amazing! Let me get you some brochures, and if you give me a moment, we can talk about the details ove
Nerthus“Oh, you just unlocked a new fantasy of mine.” I giggle as Owen leans over the counter as I’m brewing his coffee.“Wait until you drink it. Maybe you will change your mind.” He straightens back up with a chuckle.“You underestimate the power of a fantasy, my dear. You could mix dirt into that, and it wouldn’t change a thing.”I snort at him grinning like an idiot, before I finally hand him his beverage. “Here you go, cute stranger.”“For the lady.” He smiles widely, passing me a 50-dollar bill, insisting that I keep the change.“Thank you, Owen.” I let my arms slump as I put the cash into my register and take out my tip.He checks his watch and groans. “I have to get going. Is our date still standing for tomorrow?”I nod flashing him a happy smile before we bend over the counter simultaneously so that he can press a kiss on my cheek. “I’ll pick you up at 8.”“Can’t wait,” I say, watching him storm out of the café.Lizzy appears next to me with a giggle. “That was an awful deep
Nerthus“Did you use to come here with your teenage girlfriend?” I ask with a giggle, and he looks out of the window, avoiding my gaze.But I can see his smirk.“Are you introducing yourself as Aria to everyone now because you know I hate the name?”I groan, slumping against the leather seat. “Come on! You have to stop answering my questions with one of yours.”He clears his throat as he shifts in his seat. “I didn’t have a teenage girlfriend, Nerthus.”“Why not?” I ask, getting a frown.“Did you?”I wrinkle my nose as I feel disgusted for some reason. “Touché.”His deep chuckle gets me to smile, and I lean my head against the leather as I turn towards him fully, pulling my legs up.He let me drive outside the city, and we reached a lookout point with a nice view over trees and a waterfall flowing into a river.I am quite positive that this is a spot for the kids to make out in peace, but until now, we seem to be alone.“So?” He asks, tilting his head at me, tearing me out of my thoug
NerthusI would walk to wherever you want me to.… embers“Huh?” My eloquent question, as I get dragged out of my train of thought, gets me a nice smile from Owen.“I was asking if you wanted a glass of champagne or if you preferred a rosé.”As if only reawakening from my trance, I notice only now that a waiter is smiling at me uncomfortably. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’d love the rosé.”“Lovely,” Owens murmurs before he grabs my glass for me, thanking the bouquet waiter.“Everything alright, Aria?” He asks, causing me to nod repeatedly.“Sure,” I answer, putting my hand on his arm. “I am sorry. I had quite a bad shift today. I knew I should have taken a day off for this evening.”Today’s shift at the café has been exhausting for real, but not because it was particularly hectic. Not even the morning rush of customers was able to keep my mind off my night with Arawn and what he had said to me.First, I was convinced that I must have hallucinated because I was obviously ecstatic.But the more
Arawn“You cannot hide forever.”I tsk as Elinor storms into one of the separate sitting rooms of the venue, catching me sipping an expensive brandy. “Watch me!”“Ah, Mr. Rodberg!” She scolds me as she scurries through the room, ripping open the curtains to open a window. “You shouldn’t act so childishly and disappear from your own party. It doesn’t behoove a man of your status.”Scoffing, I spread my arms theatrically. “And you shouldn’t go around disrupting conversations. And yet here we are.”The feeble light of the lanterns outside streams into the room, pulling it out of its darkness.“Man of my status,” I add in a murmur, taking another sip.“Yeah, yeah.” She says, moving to clear the table in front of me, putting my brandy away under my protest. “You can go on acting like a spoilt, sulking child, but someone had to do something. You will end up losing her to that sunny boy. Do you know what he works with?”I groan as she stops to stand before me, lifting her finger, reprimandin
Thank you so much, my lovelies for reading, your amazing support and for your patience as I had to take several breaks to finish this one. I hope you loved Nerthus' and Arawn's love story and will be following me for the sequel. XoXo, Shelagh
Lenore Her high-pitched giggles sound like razor blades in my ears as my gaze is fixed on the huge diamond sparkling on her finger. “Well, you will surely understand, right?” Jason asks with a stupid grin as he shoves the hand of his new fiancée under my nose. “We weren’t compatible anyway.” I force up a smile, caressing my arms as I hug myself against the cold. “Of course, you are so cute together.” “Thank you so much,” Gina squeals in her fake happy voice, putting her hand on her chest. “It was so important for me that you would understand.” This scene is so telling. Also, because I’m standing in the open, freezing to death in my cute dress while the snowflakes fall on me, sticking to my hair and melting into my already freezing skin.My best friend and my ex-boyfriend, on the other hand, are standing beneath the roof of the entrance to his house, smiling at me like it’s about to be Christmas.And luckily it is. I gave the best days of my life to this man, my high-school love,
Danny “Is this thing on?” I clear my throat as I tap on the microphone, smiling uncomfortably. “Hey everyone.” The guests are staring up at me and I squirm on my feet as I push out a deep breath. I have never spoken in front of so many people and my throat feels raspy. “As my brother asked me to be his best man, I felt honored, but the first thing I asked him was, ‘Don’t you have any friends?’” A low chuckle goes through the crowd, and I wet my lips with my tongue. “Of course, I know that he has a lot of friends, but he wanted me as his brother to do it. And thank God, Bernie was not too offended about it to help me with the planning of the bachelor party.” “Hear, hear!” Bernard lifts his glass, cheering loudly, getting other guests to join him. I play with my notes, my nervousness increasing as I feel my throat close. “Well, the bachelor party was great. Sorry, Amber, but there were a lot of beautiful girls.” Amber laughs, the diamond pins holding up her hair sparkling in th
Arawn“This is not fair! You can’t treat me like this.” Amanda screams at the top of her lungs, making me close my eyes exhausted.“Well, why don’t you go ahead and sue me?”Her theatrical gasp must cost her so much air that I’m surprised she doesn’t faint.“I hate you!” She screams even louder. “I never want to see you ever again!”So dramatic.It has been quite a while and I still struggle to adjust to this ‘love topic’.All because of that woman.Fifteen years have passed since I asked Nerthus to be my wife, and claimed she just said yes because of her job.I might have her punished for this.But she made me pay severely anyway.“Well, what a shame that you are stuck with me, isn’t it, Amanda?”“I hate you! I hate you!”Groaning, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “You keep repeating yourself. We already figured it out that far, didn’t we, my love?”The shrill scream that she is used to producing during her tantrums risks bursting my eardrums.Well, my fucking fault for thinking I coul
NerthusMy birthday was more than memorable. Especially because after getting proposed to by the love of my life, I got to party my entry into a new life-year with my friends. I drank way too much, fearing I would have spoiled my chance of a tasty breakfast. “I’m out!” I hear Danny shout before the door slams close. Groaning, I fight myself out of bed, desperately needing a cup of coffee. As I reach the kitchen, a strange sensation rises in me. I notice that there is no staff around whatsoever. Not even the usual bodyguard is scurrying around my feet and I guess that Danny left with Goldie to go to the dog school, making the house awfully silent. I tie my morning gown tighter around my waist, concentrating on refilling the water tank of my coffee machine. My heart drops as I hear footsteps nearing, but I don’t turn around. Pressing the button to get the coffee to start flowing, I ignore my body shivering in anticipation as Arawn puts his hands on the counter, caging me in. “I
Nerthus - Six months later I take a sip of my coffee, hugging my denim jacket closer as I watch the children run around the statue of Alice in Wonderland. Thinking about how my life has changed in the last year, I nearly can’t believe my luck and I push down the urge to ask myself how I deserved this kind of life. So many things have happened in these six months and it is just crazy how I’m just living my days with a partner in crime, an adopted boy and a stolen dog. As they had liquidated my uncle’s and aunt’s assets, and as they couldn’t get hold of my cousin, I got nominated as their heir. First, I didn’t want to have nothing to do with it, but with Arawn’s and Danny’s support, I got to the house where I lived before I came to New York and we searched for something that I would want to keep before he arranged for the clean-up and the sale of the house. Naturally, I didn’t want to keep anything. But as we searched the house, Danny found a hidden safe where there were various docu
Nerthus It takes my lungs a few seconds to fill with enough air to push out a horrified scream. But it actually feels like it takes an eternity. Lizzy looks at us with a blank look before she sinks to the floor, collapsing in her own pool of blood. Arawn steps towards her with his gun still pointed and picks her gun up. “Are you alright?” he asks in our direction as he pushes the gun into the belt in the back of his pants. Danny nods, exhaling a deep breath, and I loop my arm around his, hugging him closer. “Let’s sit down. Shall we?” He slumps to the ground nearly immediately, tearing me with him. Nodding once again, he lets his shoulders slump and I turn my head to watch Arawn crouch down before me. Cupping my chin gently, he turns my head to inspect my face. “The ambulance is already on its way. I called Detective Ramirez. Are you feeling well enough to wait for them? Or shall I drive you to the ER?” “I’m fine,” I say, my voice nearly failing me as sobs rise in my throat.
Nerthus The first thing I feel as I wake up is the cold surface I’m lying on. Turning my head to the side, I wait for my sight to focus while I notice that I can’t move. I seem to be constricted by ropes that are tying me to the table and I suddenly feel like I can’t breathe. My clothes are missing, my body shaking as I’m only dressed in my lingerie and I dread the moment when we will find out why we are in this shitty situation. My panic is crushing my throat, my breathing getting heavy as I try to pull at the ropes constricting me on the shiny surface. Checking the room, I see Danny lying next to me. He is bound to a table as well but seems to be still knocked out, and for a moment, I’m glad as I couldn’t take his desperation which would be adding to my panic. The gas must have been inducted into the room on purpose to knock us out and I fight hard not to faint at the thought. I groan, turning my head to the other side as I hope it will reduce the pulsating pain in my skull.
Nerthus “Get him off me!” I scream pushing the dead body from me but failing miserably. Danny scurries around him a few times before he decides on what to do and how to get hold of the body the best way. With a groan, he pushes him off me, making me take a deep breath. “Oh, my God.” He remains standing, staring at the dead man with a void look while I drag myself over the ground to get to the gun he had kicked out of my hand. “Are you alright?” I ask as I sit up with a pained groan, and Danny nods. Laying the gun into my lap, I massage my hand as I take another deep breath. “I think he might broke my hand too.” Sighing, I look up while I let my shoulders slump. I watch Danny while my desperation still streams through me, and I can’t seem to be able to push it down. I know exactly that there is more where he came from. Danny has his gaze still directed to the dead man, his look is flowing into the void, and I gulp as I think about how I must get him out of this dark place as s